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New Text 251 (22 lines)

From: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

Date: 03-Jun-00 07:07 -0400 (16:37 +0530)

To: Isvara (das) GGS (Vrindavana - IN)

To: (Krsna) Katha

To: Jayapataka Swami (GBC)

To: Madhavananda (das) GGS (Bhubaneswar - IN)

Subject: Nityananda Caritamrta

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About 20 years ago I saw a Bengali copy of Nityananda Caritamrta in

Jayapataka Maharaja's bookshelf in Vrindavan and asked about it. Maharaja

simply said, "It's bogus." I didn't inquire further, but recently saw that

an English translation had been printed.

Nityananda Caritamrta is said to be by Vrndavana dasa Thakura, yet Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura does not mention it in his Anubhasya

commentary on Caitanya-caritamrta, although he generally mentions therein

the prominent books written by great devotees mentioned in

Caitanya-caritamrta. Also, in the Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidan (which is also

not a 100% bona fide book, but that lists all important Gaudiya Vaisnava

literatures) the Nityananda Caritamrta is not mentioned, but it is stated

that in the first part of the 20th century A.D., several books were
published from the "Nitai Gaura Radhe Shyama" apasampradaya that have been

ascribed to Vrindavan dasa.

All this seems to place the supposed Nityananda Caritamrta in doubtful

light. Previously also, a book called called Advaita Prakash was translated

and published, yet it has several doubtful statements and was apparently

directly rejected by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I suggest that

devotees make sure that books they translate and publish are first accepted

as bona fide by our acaryas in parampara.

(Text 251) -------------------------------------------------

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Comment 347 (33 lines)

From: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

Date: 09-Jun-00 05:58 -0400 (15:28 +0530)

To: Isvara (das) GGS (Vrindavana - IN)

To: Jayapataka Swami (GBC)

To: Madhavananda (das) GGS (Bhubaneswar - IN)

To: (Krsna) Katha

Reference: Text PAMHO:3293613 by Isvara (das) GGS (Vrindavana - IN)

Subject: Nityananda Caritamrta

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Thankyou, Isvara Prabhu, for your comments. Below are some observations that

a scholarly ISKCON devotee sent me.

> As Isvara says, most of the book is the same as C Bhag. It is only the

> last three chapters that are really different. I have noticed in the

> eleventh chapter that there is a statement which would support the claims

> that the Nityananda Vamsa makes to a seminal connection to Nityananda

> Prabhu.

>

> There (11.6) Mahaprabhu tells Nitai:

>

> "In Dvapara-yuga You did not expand Your family in the Yadu dynasty, but

> this time Your family will increase in the world."

>

> I have heard that many scholars and vaishnavas don't accept this book as

> they consider that it was written not by Vrindavan Das but by the

> Nityananda Vamsa to support their claims. This verse in the 11th chapter,

> which goes against the statement made by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

> (See SP's purport to Cc adi 11.18) would certainly seem to support the

> idea that the book was written by the Nityananda Vamsa.

Isvara Prabhu--you have written that you consulted several scholars about
this book. Yet, not every scholar is to be accepted as an authority. Nasav

rsir yasya matam na bhinnam. Better that we consult accepted authorities

within our line. Even Dr. Kapoor, great soul that he is, accepts Gauranga

dasa Babaji of the "nitai gaura radhe shyam" line as his siksa-guru.

The facts remain that (a) although ascribed to Vrindavan das, the authorship

is dubious; and (b) the last 3 chapters are in particular questionable.

I hope that in your enthusiasm to glorify Lord Nityananda, you have not

instead made offenses to His lotus feet by publishing words wrongly ascribed

to Him by materialistic people motivated by the desire to cheat others.

(Text 347) -------------------------------------------------

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Comment 452 (176 lines)

From: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

Date: 20-Jun-00 23:14 -0400 (08:44 +0530)

To: Isvara (das) GGS (Vrindavana - IN)

To: Jayapataka Swami (GBC)

To: Madhavananda (das) GGS (Bhubaneswar - IN)

To: (Krsna) Katha

Reference: Text PAMHO:3307341 by Isvara (das) GGS (Vrindavana - IN)

Subject: Nityananda Caritamrta

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> This book Nityananda-caritamrta has been around in Bengali for long time,

There is no evidence that it has been around a long time. Even if it were,

that does not mean it is authorized or accepted by our acaryas.

> and it is definitely (as I mentioned before), not a product of Nityananda

> Parivara.

This is only your assertation, not a proven fact.

>It is quite unfortunate that due to sectarianism, vaisnavas

> would often discard an authentic scripture. There are several branches of

> Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nitynananda Prabhu's tree. Each of those branches

> surely have its own heritages of scriptural guidance.

They surely do, but our acarya, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura,

came to cut away the rupanuga-viruddha-apasiddhantas that flourish in what

he called unauthorized lines.

> There may be some

> disagreement that Lord Nityananda did not have seminal lineage as

> Virabhadra Prabhu did not marry. But it is a fact there is a Nityananda

> Vat in Vrindavana, whose sevakas are purportedly the descendants of Lord

> Nityananda. Has there been anybody to disprove this fact?

Please see CC Adi 11.8 purport. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

clarifies that Nityananda Prabhu has no seminal descendants after Virabhadra

Gosai, but that three disciples of the latter are accepted as his sons.

Nityanda-vamsis, however, claim direct seminal descent from Nitai. However,

the heart of the contention with the jata-gosais is not over whether or not

Nitai had sons, but that certain jata-gosais claim themselves as gurus by

birthright.

> "kali yuge aneka vaisnava hoibe tattave na yani naraka ku yibe" that "In

> Kali yuga many people may become Vaisnava but without knowing the tattva,

> they will go to hell"

>

Exactly.

> Nowadays, Vaisnavas are unwilling to digest information that may be

> somewhat different from what they might heard from their immediate

> authorities.
That's good. Why accept an authority if you don't accept his statements as

authoritative? Of course, no-one can be an authority without following the

previous authorities. That is the parampara system. And that is why our

acaryas have warned us about infiltrations from non-bona fide paramparas who

do not follow the standard authorities of guru, sadhu, and sastra, but

concoct for their own sense gratification.

> Even people who heard from the same guru have difference of

> opinions as what the conclusions of the sastras are. All the disciples of

> Srila Bhaktissidhanta definitely have different opinions as to what are

> his teachings and instructions. If not why do we see different branches of

> Gaudiya Matha today.

In my experience, their disagreements are mostly personal, and not on points

of siddhanta.

> Similarly all disciples of Srila Prabhupada do not

> have the same opinion as the understanding of Srila Prabhupada's teachings

> and instructions are.

Are you inferring that any opinion is as good as another? That everyone

should have their own opinion and do as they like? This is not the teaching

of sastra. Please see Bg. 16.23.

> Otherwise ISKCON will be a united organisation

> today. Just because you don't beleive that Lord Nityananda had a

> descendant, and I beleive so, does that make me an offender. We should use

> mature intelligence on in deliberating on these points.

>

Mature intelligence is insufficient. Everything must be based on guru,

sadhu, and sastra. Particularly, we have to follow the words of our acarya.

And they are very clear on the point that Nityananda-vamsa are bogus

inasmuch as they claim to be seminal descendants of Nityananda Prabhu, and

that their claims to be gurus on that basis are also bogus.

> > The facts remain that (a) although ascribed to Vrindavan das, the

> > authorship is dubious; and (b) the last 3 chapters are in particular

> > questionable.

>

> In this case you have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the authorship

> is not Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura.

Rather, you should explain why Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura never

mentioned this book, although it was his policy to list the works of major

followers of Lord Caitanya.

> Apart from the line cited in the

> verse of the 11th chapter, you have to prove line by line what is

> questionable in those last three chapters. You are saying that someone

> impersonated Vrindavana Dasa Thakura, to enhance the glories of

> Nityananda-vamsa, this I completely disagree with you.

>

Maybe you should learn more about the history of our parampara and not be so

naive. The jata-gosais attacked Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and

his followers during Navadvip Dham parikrama, and wanted to murder Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. These are historical facts. The whole

ruse of the corrupt jata-gosais is to appear saintly so as to cheat people.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura exposed that and brought out the

true colors of those rogues. Not necessarily that all jata-gosais are so

bad, but the point is that people can do many things to maintain personal

interests.

Printing a fabricated book in the name of a great acarya is certainly not

beyond the doings of certain unscrupulous people. Indeed, it appears that in

the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several such phony books were

published with the deliberate intention of lending false credulity to

various apasampradayas operating for pecuniary and self-aggrandizary

motives. Their trick is to present something apparently devotional, and

shrewdly insert their apasiddhanta along with it. Such books may be

apparently devotional, but are actually as fraudulent as Putana.

Considering the history, we should not accept any book simply because it

appears devotional, or is ascribed to a great acarya. To do so risks

falling into the trap set by charlatans. Therefore, before publishing any

book, we should first ascertain if it is accepted as bona fide by our

acaryas. (Even many books that are adored by our acaryas are not approved by

them for indiscriminate distribution. This especially refers to esoteric

works of intimate pastimes. But that is another discussion.)

We have to be careful. Something may look good but not be. Even the Nitai

Gaur Radhe Shyam group have done many good things (such as restoring and

maintaining holy places) and much of what is in their books is not

incorrect. But what is wrong about them is so wrong that Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura thoroughly denounced them.

> I am publishing works left

> behind by previous mahajanas especially the followers of Lord Caitanya

> Mahaprabhu. These works were not created for materialistic intentions.

That is my whole contention. It is not clear that "Nityananda Caritamrta" is

written by Srila Vrindavan dasa Thakura. Several scholars suspect it may

have been created with materialistic intentions. There are certainly grounds

for doubt.
> So

> how could you say these words were ascribed by materialist people?

I am not saying that, just expressing a valid doubt that you have not

answered. Our acaryas have taken such matters very seriously and we should

also.

> We

> should study an issue much more thouroughly before making our own

> judgements.

Again, I have not made a judgement, just expressed a doubt. Certainly we

should investigate very thoroughly and only when we are certain that a book

is authorized by our acaryas should we publish it.

> As of this writing, I have not heard from any ISKCON schorlars expressing

> their objections to this book. I have been instead be getting lots of

> praise and encouragement for publishing this book. When I initially asked

> Mahanidhi Swami about whether I should publish the book or not due to this

> very issue, he at once gave me the encouragement to publish it. In making

> the decision of the publication, I had to use Franklin method of making

> decisions. The decision to publish it far outweigh the decision not to

> publish it, therefore I went ahead with the publication, and it has been

> quite appreciated by the majority of devotees.

That many people may like it is not the criterion. The criterion is, is it

authorized by our acaryas? There may be many scholars and great devotees but

not all may be so expert as to discern the subtleties of deviation. In this

regard, please see CC Antya Ch. 15 for a description of how most of Lord

Caitanya's internal associates did not recognize the Mayavada of a poet from

Bengal. Only Svarupa Damodara could find the fault. From this pastime,

enacted under the yogamaya potency of the Lord, we learn that maya may

deviously present herself as bhakti, and that only certain devotees are

empowered to deeply understand and present the siddhantas and refute

apa-siddhantas. Being thus warned, we should be careful to follow the path

of our acaryas and not be swayed by the dangerous enemy of populism.

(Text 452) -------------------------------------------------

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Comment 552 (8 lines)

From: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

Date: 26-Jun-00 01:43 -0400 (11:13 +0530)

To: Vinod-Bihari (das) BCS (Den Haag - NL)

To: (Krsna) Katha

Reference: Text PAMHO:3332907 by Vinod-Bihari (das) BCS (Den Haag - NL)

Subject: Nityananda Caritamrta

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> is this book bonafide?

It's bonafidity is questionable. My question was, is it actually written by

Vrindavan Das Thakura? The bulk of the book is taken from Caitanya Bhagavat,

but that Vrindavan Das Thakura wrote another book with three extra chapters

and named it "Nityananda Caritamrta" is questionable. This is not a new

question; previous scholars have similarly questioned. I questioned, but was

not supplied any evidence of it being accepted by our acaryas.

(Text 552) -------------------------------------------------

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Comment 555 (54 lines)

From: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

Date: 26-Jun-00 03:05 -0400 (12:35 +0530)

To: Isvara (das) GGS (Vrindavana - IN)

To: Amrta Gaurangi (dd) JPS (Mayapur - IN)

To: (Krsna) Katha

For: Jayapataka Swami (GBC)

Bcc: Madhavananda (das) GGS (Bhubaneswar - IN)

Reference: Text PAMHO:3333378 by Isvara (das) GGS (Vrindavana - IN)

Subject: Nityananda Caritamrta

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> The book has 27 chapters. The contents of the first 24

> chapters are already part of Caitanya Bhagavata, also authored by Srila

> Vrindavana dasa Thakura. Which means the authentication of

> Nityananda-caritamrta is unquestionable.

Sorry, I don't follow the logic here. The first 24 chapters being ok don't

authenticate the last 3 chapters.

We seem to be arguing at cross purposes. You are arguing for the

philosophical correctness of the book. My primary question is, is it

actually authored by Srila Vrindavan dasa Thakura? I have not stated that it

is non-bonafide, but that there are valid reasons for doubt of its

bonafidity.

> Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was in fact well aware of the book.

> According to my information, he infact approve the book for the disciples.

> In this case of course it is a question of which of the disciple of Srila

> Bhaktisiddhanta you want to accept as authority.

The disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura who you previously

mentioned as having approved this book is later accepted Gauranga das Babaji

(of the Nitai Gaura Radhe Shyama group) as his siksa-guru. When I questioned

him about his habit of drinking tea, he told me that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Sarasvati Thakura did not disapprove of it and that there is no scriptural

injunction against it. Although we may respect this person as a gentleman,

scholar, and devotee, it would be wise not to take his opinion as

necessarily authoritative.

> Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was compiling Gaudiya Vaisanava

> abhidana, but was not completed before he left the planet. So who is to

> tell whether Srila Bhaktisiddhanta would not have included the book in the

> Gaudiya Vaisnava abhidana?

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura published four volumes of the

Vaisnava-manjusa-samahrti, which was later expanded (including some

apa-sampradayik additions) by Haridas Das of Haribol Kutir in Navadvip, and

published as Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidan. However, that Bhaktisiddhanta

Sarasvati wrote about Vrindavan dasa Thakur, did not mention Nityananda

Caritamrta, but might have done later had he completed that work, is a weak

suggestion. It does not answer the question of why he did not mention it

previously, if the work is actually well-known and bona fide.

> Dina Bandhu finds it amusing that you are making a tirade on

> the book.

I'm not making a tirade, simply asking questions and rebutting weak replies.

I'm ready to accept that Vrindavan dasa Thakur wrote Nityananda Caritamrta,

if you give actual evidence. Let Dina Bandhu Prabhu laugh. This is a serious

matter.

I suggest that this discussion be terminated, at least on the Krsna katha

conference. I sent it here as it is a matter of public concern. Now it is

for each devotee who has followed this discussion to decide whether or not

they feel this book is sufficiently free from suspicion.

(Text 555) -------------------------------------------------

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