By Iksvaku dasa
This year, ISKCON’s Congregational Development Ministry is commemorating the 100th anniversary of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s disappearance. The legacy left from his missionary work is still prevalent in our society due to his systematic preaching methods revolutionizing the preaching field in his days and setting a universal perspective in spreading Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
His establishing the “Nama-Hatta”, or the “Market of the Holy Name”, was his contribution to fulfill Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s desires, particularly in the area of congregational expansion. This “Nama-hatta” preaching organization or what could be defined as the Congregational Marketing was in fact a system founded by Lord Nityānanda in Navadwipa dhama and elaborately described by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his magazine Śrī Godruma Kalpatavi. This congregational initiative constitutes a milestone in reviving the Vaisnava tradition and making Kṛṣṇa Consciousness widely accepted in the subcontinent.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s achievements are particularly important because of establishing the presence of the Gauḍīya-sampradāya (line of succession) despite the ruling of the British Raj in India. Not only are his achievements glorious but also -due to his influence- those of his son, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who continued his father’s line of spreading extensively Kṛṣṇa’s teachings. Although many glorious deeds of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura could be praised here, we would like to make this anniversary an opportunity to emphasize his missionary heritage passed down to us through the disciplic succession.
Śrīla Prabhupāda left this preaching-legacy to be carried on for generations to come. In a conversation in Los Angeles in June 1975, he commented on the great privilege of taking up the work of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura:
Viṣṇujana: When Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura stated that he was leaving this planet with his work unfinished.
Prabhupāda: Then let us finish. We are descendant of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. So he kept unfinished so that we shall get the chance to finish it. That is his mercy. He could have finished immediately. He is Vaiṣṇava, he is all-powerful. But he gave us chance that “You foolish people, you all also work.” That is his mercy. So we should pray to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that “We are your grandchildren, great-grandchildren, so we have got some right to beg some mercy from you. The grandchildren get some indulgence from the grandfather. So I pray like that.” It is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura ‘s mercy. A Vaiṣṇava can… Kṛṣṇa doesn’t require anyone’s help. Still, He is asking, “Surrender to Me.” He doesn’t require anyone’s surrender. But it is for him good, one who surrenders. Not Kṛṣṇa is in need of anyone’s service. He is complete. But He comes as if He is in helpless condition and asking for us to surrender. So that is for his good. One who is surrendered, he’ll get the result. Kṛṣṇa is self-sufficient. Similarly, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is self-sufficient. But if he said that “I (am) keeping unfinished,” that means he gave us the chance, the opportunity. So we should always pray to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura to be merciful upon us so that we can execute his unfinished task. That should be our… And never we should think that “What Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura could not finish, I have finished.” Don’t think like that. It is not like that…