Tag Archives: Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

Aparādha-Bhañjana Pāṭa Kuliyā Kothāya (Where is Kuliyā Aparādha-Bhañjana Pāṭa?) was first published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol.7 issue 2 in 1895.

Herein, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura discusses the significance of the village of Kuliyā and establishes its true whereabouts.

Aparādha-Bhañjana Pāṭa Kuliyā Kothāya
(Where is Kuliyā Aparādha-Bhañjana Pāṭa?)

by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
(translated by Swami B.V. Giri)

Someone’s question has come to our hands. The questioner is a wise Vaiṣṇava. We will therefore proceed to answer this question carefully.

Presently, in many places in Bengal there are various villages in Bengal named Kuliyā. The Kuliyā we have been specifically asked about is a place unrivalled in the whole world. Why does history speak with special regard to that Kuliyā? The name of that Kuliyā is Śrīpāṭa Kuliyā. Śrīmad Gaurāṅga Prabhu, the avatāra who has come to deliver us in the age of Kali, resided in this place for seven days, chastised a great offender named Cāpāla Gopāla, and freed a scholar of Śrī Navadvīpa from his offences. Here, a resident, who lived near Maheśvara Viśārada’s dam, named Devānanda, who was a paṇḍita that recited the Bhāgavata, was purified of his offences to the devotees. At this place, a paṇḍita who was expert in Tantra named Kṛṣṇānanda had contracted a great disease due to Vaiṣṇava aparādha, and was mercifully delivered by Śrīman Mahāprabhu from his offence and from the disease. What better way could there be to decide where the holy town of Kuliyā is, other than deliberating upon the books written by paṇḍitas who were the contemporaries of Śrīman Mahāprabhu?

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In this article “The Glories of Puruṣottama Māsa”, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda describes the glories of the holy month of Puruṣottama according to the śāstras, how to observe it and the true goal in following it.

Puruṣottama Māsa Māhātmya
(The Glories of Puruṣottama Māsa)
by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

Two divisions of śāstra—smārta and paramārtha

The Vedic ārya–śāstras are divided into two sections — smārta (literature based on smṛti) and paramārtha (transcendental literature based on śruti). Those who are eligible (adhikārī) for the smārta section do not have any natural inclination or taste for the paramārtha–śāstras. The thoughts, principles, activities, and life goal of every human is constituted according to his respective ruci (inclination). Generally, smārtas accept those scriptures which are in accordance with their respective ruci. Having greater adhikāra for smārta–śāstra, they do not demonstrate much regard for paramārthika–śāstra. Providence is the agent behind the creation of these two divisions. Therefore, undoubtedly the maintainer of the world must have a hidden purpose in having made such an arrangement.

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About Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinod Thakur

From the Bengal writing of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev Goswami Maharaj

Prior to Srila Thakur’s preaching, the pure Vaisnava-dharma preached by Sriman Mahaprabhu had become so degraded, corrupted, and disordered by selfish persons that people considered Vaisnava-dharma to be extremely despicable, to be the dharma of detestably low-natured persons. People considered it to be the dharma of the auls, bauls, kartabhajas, sahajiyas, sakhi-bhekis, neda-nedis, and so on, and mocked it.

Yet by the appearance and endeavour of Srila Bhakti Vinod, Vaisnava-dharma became free from degradation, again self-manifested its pure nature as the dharma of the soul situated atop the heads of all other dharmas, and attained beauty like that of the newly risen shining sun in the sky of the world’s dharmas. All the virtuous souls understood that Vaisnava-dharma is the one and only pure (nirmal), effulgent (ujjvala), non-envious (nirmatsara), devotional and pleasing (‘bhakti-vinodan kari’) dharma of the self within which there is no duplicity or contamination. They understood that if all other dharmas are perfectly performed individually and collectively, then they will attain the beautiful position of stairs towards Vaisnava-dharma.

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