2 Jun 2009 Tu - Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana -- Disappearance

Baladeva Vidyabhusana

The Gaudiya Vedantist
BTG, Jan/Feb, 1991


Their voices rose with the sun. It was early morning in an Indian village school. The boys sat in neat rows behind palm-leaf manuscripts, committing their lessons to memory. As they chanted their grammar rules, their rhetoric lessons, and their logic aphorisms, each boy chanted loud enough to hear himself over his neighbour, resulting in a blend of high-pitched voices.
This school, attended by Baladeva early in the eighteenth century, closely resembled village schools that existed in India for thousands of years. The system had endured because it was effective, producing brilliant and disciplined scholars, and Baladeva was among the best of them.
Before coming to school, Baladeva, the son of a merchant, had lived for several years near the Orissan town of Remuna. From there he had gone to study with the group of panditas at this school, situated idyllically on the bank of the Cilkahrada River. The lush Orissan forests and fertile fields provided ample fruits, vegetables, and grains for a wholesome, varied diet. The boys studied hard, played hard, and grew lean, healthy, and discerning.
When Baladeva graduated from school, he did not want to return home to work in his father's shop. He wanted to be a scholar -- not an ordinary scholar but a true acarya, one who could teach divine wisdom. A pandita had to master logic, philosophy, medicine, or cosmology, but an acarya had to know the scriptures that impart the deepest wisdom. Baladeva decided to study philosophy and theology. He would become a Vedantist, an authority on the ancient Vedic books of knowledge. He could not think of any greater way to benefit himself or others.
In search of a preceptor, Baladeva went on pilgrimage to the tirthas (holy places), where he would meet monks and scholars. In Mysore (now Karnataka), in southwestern India, he came upon a hermitage of holy men who were also called Tirthas, followers of the saint and scholar Ananda Tirtha (A.D. 1197-1273), who was known formally as Madhva Acarya. In the monastery, or matha, Baladeva studied Vedanta and mastered the arts of debate and rhetoric. These talents would serve him well in a challenge he would later face while still a young man.
The challenge Baladeva would meet is of critical importance to the history of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, the spiritual school to which the modern day Krsna consciousness movement belongs.


The Gaudiyas in Vrndavana

By the time Baladeva was born, the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, or followers of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, were well established in Vrndavana, the town in northern India where Lord Krsna had enacted His childhood pastimes some five thousand years earlier. But life in that area was often insecure. For thousands of years the Vrndavana-Mathura district had been periodically invaded and pillaged. Yet despite these calamities, Mathura had thrived as a centre of trade and culture. Every ancient religion of northern India considered Mathura an important city.
In 1512 Lord Caitanya arrived in Mathura. He found that the places where Krsna had enjoyed pastimes were now obscured, so He spent two months locating and identifying them. Wanting to reconstruct Vrndavana and rededicate it to Krsna, He sent Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, two of His chief disciples, to the holy city.
Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami accomplished Lord Caitanya,s mission in Vrndavana. Not only did they rebuild the sacred places of Krsna's life, but they also wrote books that presented Lord Caitanya's doctrine in a way suitable for both scholars and laymen. Srila Jiva Gosvami, their nephew and disciple, continued their work. He supervised the construction of magnificent temples for the worship of Krsna, wrote exhaustive philosophical treatises on the philosophy of Krsna consciousness, and distributed the religious manuscripts of the Vrndavana Gosvamis throughout the Vaisnava world. Largely due to Jiva Gosvami's efforts, the Gaudiya Vaisnavas succeeded in establishing Vrndavana as the principal seat of Vaisnavism in northern India.
Vrndavana had always been a holy pilgrimage site, but under Gaudiya patronage it flourished as a powerful religious centre for 150 years. Gaudiya gurus and temples held sway in Vrndavana, even at the time of Baladeva's arrival in the early eighteenth century.


Govinda Leaves Vrndavana

Unfortunately, the peaceful leadership of the Gaudiyas could not last. In 1669 the Mogul ruler Aurangzeb decreed that Hindu temples and carved images, or Deities, should be destroyed. Deities, priests, and pilgrims were in danger, and faithful devotees of Krsna stopped visiting Vrndavana. Many of those who had the courage to express their faith were beaten or killed.
Subsequently, the Vaisnava priests appealed to the Hindu dynasties of Rajasthan for protection for themselves and their Deities. Protection was guaranteed, and gradually the Deities migrated east, to settle in Mewar and in Amber, the old Jaipur capital. But without Deities, brahamanas, and pilgrims, Vrndavana-Mathura lost much of its glory.
One of the principal Deities of Vrndavana was Govinda, a twenty-four-inch black marble image of Krsna in His original aspect as a cowherd boy. Srila Rupa Gosvami had found Him while excavating the holy places of Vrndavana. Later, warned that Aurangzeb's army would seek to demolish Govinda's splendid seven-story temple, the priests secretly moved the Deity to Radha-kunda, a sacred pond widely known as one of the holiest places in the Mathura district.
After a year at Radha-kunda, the priests transferred their divine refugee to Kaman, a fortified city in the Mathura district, where a suitable complex could be built for Govinda. For more than thirty years He and two other Deities, Gopinatha and Madana-Mohana, remained in Kaman. But most pilgrims avoided the area because of danger from the ruling Moguls and a clan of people called the Jats, who had risen up against the Moguls.
The Rajput kings of Amber found themselves at the pivot of the conflict between the Moguls and the Jat guerrillas. The kings allied themselves with the Moguls against the Jats but patronised the Vrndavana Deities, whom the Moguls wanted to destroy.
Ram Singh, the king of Amber, had ordered in 1671 that Govinda be transferred to Kaman, which was then under the jurisdiction of Amber and Jaipur although it was in the Mathura district. It is said that the transfer was meant to be temporary: the Deity would return to Vrndavana when the political turmoil subsided. But Govinda did not return to Vrndavana. After thirty-three years in Kaman, He made another trip, this time to Amber.


The Ramanandis' Challenge

Govinda's new home had little in common with the forest of Vrndavana, where He had lived so grandly. In Vrndavana, a Vaisnava holy place, Govinda was the unchallenged Supreme Lord. His priest, who stood in the direct line of Rupa Gosvami, the acknowledged leader of the Vaisnavas in Vrndavana, had enjoyed unchallenged authority on questions about the philosophy and practice of bhakti, devotional service to Krsna.
In Amber, however, not all the Vaisnavas worshiped Krsna. During the reign of Prthviraj Singh (1503-1527), a devotee of Lord Ramacandra named Payahari Krsnadasa had settled in Galta, a valley near the present day city of Jaipur. Payahari was a grand-disciple of Ramananda, the fourteenth century North Indian reformer of the South Indian sampradaya (lineage) of Ramanuja. Payahari worshiped Sita-Rama, not Radha-Krsna.
Payahari had settled in a cave in the Galta Valley. He had converted Queen Balan Bai to Ramanandi Vaisnavism, and she in turn had convinced her saintly husband, King Prthviraj, to sponsor the establishment of a Ramanandi monastery in Galta. Thereafter, Galta had become the northern headquarters for the Ramanuja sect.
For six generations the Ramanandi mahantas (temple heads) had enjoyed a privileged position in the Amber kingdom. But Govinda,s arrival in Amber and His popularity with the royal family challenged the Ramanandi hegemony.
To Jai Singh the arrival of Govinda was especially significant. Despite the presence of so many Hindu sects in his kingdom, despite his own royal obligations to maintain Vedic and Puranic ritual sacrifices, and despite the unchallengeable authority of the Ramanandi priests, Jai Singh was ultimately a devotee of Govinda. The arrival of Govinda in his kingdom was a high point in his personal spiritual quest.
The Ramanandi priests soon realised that if Govinda became the favoured Deity of the king, the Gaudiya priests would assume religious authority in Amber. What would become of the Ramanandis' ascendancy?
The Ramanandis then approached Jai Singh with a complaint about the Gaudiyas. They questioned the Gaudiya lineage. In India, much is made of one's parentage. If one cannot prove natal legitimacy, one may be cast out as a bastard. The same social standard applies to religious organisations. If a religious group can not prove its descent from one of the recognised traditions, it risks being dismissed as illegitimate.
Jai Singh wrote to the mahanta of the Gopinatha temple, Syamcaran Sarma, asking him to clarify the matter by explaining the lineage of the Gaudiya devotees. Syamcaran replied with a letter in Sanskrit, quoting various scriptures and other authorities. He explained that the Gaudiya lineage had begun with Lord Caitanya, who was the Supreme Godhead. After all, a spiritual lineage originating with God is unassailable.
Predictably, the Ramanandis were not satisfied. They said, "There are only four sampradayas, not five. Scholars have ascertained this on the basis of the Padma Purana."
It is here that our story brings us back to Baladeva.


The Nurturing of Baladeva

Before the Ramanandis had complained in Amber, young Baladeva, living in Mysore, had been instructed in the Vedanta-sutra by the followers of the great Vedantist Madhva Acarya.
The word Vedanta consists of two words: veda (knowledge) and anta (end). So Vedanta is the culmination of Vedic knowledge. The Vedas are the oldest of the traditional Sanskrit writings compiled by Srila Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva later composed the Vedanta-sutra, which contains in terse codes the essence of the Upanisads (the philosophical hymns of the Vedas). Because the Vedanta-sutra is written in aphorisms, one needs a commentary to understand it. The oldest and most famous extant commentary is that of Sankara Acarya (A.D. 788-820).
Sankara was a monist; he believed in the ultimate oneness of the jiva (living being) and God, and he interpreted the Vedanta-sutra accordingly. After Sankara, four learned Vaisnavas stepped forward over the course of several hundred years to write Vedanta-sutra commentaries. These Vaisnavas wrote to establish the duality of the jiva and God and thus refute the monistic teaching of Sankara.
These four Vaisnava preceptors -- Sri Ramanuja Acarya, Sri Nimbarka, Sri Madhva Acarya, and Sri Visnusvami -- established the four acknowledged Vaisnava sampradayas. Subsequently Vaisnava religious leaders belonged to one of these sampradayas and were thus considered legitimate. Ramananda claimed that his lineage originated with Ramanuja.
We recall again that Baladeva, in Mysore, had stayed in a matha of the Madhva-sampradaya and studied the Vedanta-sutra commentary of Madhva.
He had enjoyed his education, but he enjoyed even more the application of his learning. He was exhilarated by debates; no challenge was too great for him. And he was eager for the opportunity to enlighten others. Now after becoming a skilled lecturer and debater, Baladeva left Mysore and went to Puri, in Orissa, where he again took up residence in a Madhva matha.
At Puri, Baladeva met Radha-Damodara Dasa, a Brahmana from Kanyakubja (now Kanpur), in north central India. Radha-Damodara was the grand-disciple of Rasikananda, a seventeenth-century preacher who had established the Gaudiya movement throughout Orissa. Radha-Damodara, a scholar of Gaudiya philosophy, explained to Baladeva the position of Lord Caitanya, supporting his points with quotations from Mahabharata and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Radha-Damodara said, "Sri Krsna Caitanya is the Supreme Godhead Himself. He came to flood the world with Krsna-prema, love of Krsna. Sri Caitanya was not interested in study of many commentaries on Vedanta-sutra, for He considered Srimad-Bhagavatam, written by the same author -- Vyasa -- to be the natural commentary. So from the Bhagavatam and by His own example, He taught that we must serve the Supreme Lord, Krsna,and absorb ourselves in hearing about Him. Sri Caitanya Himself was always absorbed in Krsna-prema. Thus He saw no need to write any books."
Radha-Damodara advised Baladeva to study the Bhagavata-sandarbha, by Srila Jiva Gosvami. For days Radha-Damodara and Baladeva met and discussed Jiva's work. Baladeva noted that Jiva did not significantly differ from Madhva. Indeed, the philosophies of Jiva and Madhva agreed on most essential points.
Still, Jiva's treatise developed Vaisnava philosophy in an elegant and logical way that deeply impressed Baladeva.
Now convinced that the Gaudiya perspective was true, Baladeva asked Radha-Damodara to initiate him into the Gaudiya-sampradaya. Baladeva, however, was an already initiated Vaisnava, so Radha-Damodara performed not a formal initiation but a ceremony in which Baladeva agreed to accept and serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the Supreme Lord. Thus Baladeva became a member of the Gaudiya sampradaya.


Mastering Gaudiya Philosophy

Baladeva then decided to travel to Vrndavana, the spiritual centre of the Gaudiya sect. But first he went to Navadvipa, where he met the Vaisnavas there and discussed philosophy with them. They all told him to study under Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura in Vrndavana. Because Baladeva was so eager to meet Visvanatha, he stayed only a short time in Navadvipa before setting out on foot to travel the eight hundred miles to Vrndavana.
Arriving in Vrndavana, Baladeva soon met Visvanatha Cakravati, introduced himself, and explained his background and the story of his meeting with Radha-Damodara in Puri. Visvanatha was gratified that Baladeva had come to study Srimad-Bhagavatam, and he suggested a suitable day for them to begin their studies. He also decided that Baladeva should study the rasa-sastras, texts of advanced devotion, with another scholar, Pitambara Dasa.
Baladeva's appetite had been whetted by reading Jiva Gosvami's Bhagavata-sandarbha in Puri. From Pitambara, Baladeva learned the esoteric meaning of bhagavata philosophy, as found in the rasa-sastras. He then studied the Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's biography of Lord Caitanya. The Caitanya-caritamrta is an advanced text for those who have fully studied other Vaisnava scriptures. By completing his study of this culminating work, Baladeva qualified himself for a brilliant future as a Gaudiya scholar.
Meanwhile, in Amber the Ramanandis continued to wage ideological war against the Gaudiyas. The Ramanandis did not accept the answer that the Gaudiya mahantas had given to King Jai Singh -- that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the Supreme Lord Himself and that His sampradaya was therefore beyond doubt. The Ramanandis insisted on the principle of sampradaya catvarah, "there are only four sampradayas," implying, of course, that the Gaudiyas constituted an unauthorised fifth lineage.
Jai Singh prepared himself for the religious confrontation he knew was inevitable. He collected and studied the writings of the Gaudiya sect and compared it with the writings of other Vaisnava sampradayas. He studied the Bhagavata Purana and its commentaries by Sridhara Swami, Sanatana Gosvami, and Jiva Gosvami. He pored over the Vedanta-sutra and its commentaries by Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Vallabha, and Nimbarka. He explored the works of Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, and Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, the principal theologians of the Gaudiya school. And he read Jayadeva's Gita-govinda, the poetry that had often evoked expressions of ecstatic love in Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Jai Singh wanted to reconcile the differences between the principle sects of Vaisnavas. He felt that these differences had no philosophical basis, so continual wrangling could serve no purpose. Having completed his research, he composed a thesis called Brahma-bodhini, advocating the unity of the Vaisnavas.
The king's attraction to Krsna had been sparked during his first visit to Vrndavana, as a child of seven. He had been called there by his father, the military commander of the district, who had been deputed to protect the caravans between Agra and Mathura. From that young age, Jai Singh had considered himself a devotee of Krsna. Now his study of the writings of the Vrndavana Gosvamis crystallised his sentiments. But his devotion to Radha and Krsna would be tested by the Ramanandis.
"The Gaudiyas should not worship Radha and Krsna together," the Ramanandis told him. "Radha and Krsna are not married. There is no precedent for Their being worshiped together! Sita and Rama are together, and Laksmi and Narayana, because they are married. But Radha and Krsna are not married."
Now the Ramanandis were escalating the quarrel. They not only criticised the Gaudiyas' lineage but also found fault with the Gaudiya method of worship. The Ramanandis demanded that Radha be removed from the main altar and be placed in another room, to be worshiped separately.
Jai Singh sent word to the mahantas (religious authorities) of the Gaudiya temples. "You must prepare a response to the criticisms voiced by the Ramanandis of Galta Valley. I am sympathetic to your philosophy and practice, but your response must be adequate to silence the Ramanandi panditas, or I shall be forced to separate Radharani from Krsna."
The mahantas of the four major Gaudiya temples of Amber submitted their response in writing. They explained that Rupa, Sanatana, and Jiva Gosvamis shared the same opinion about Radha and Krsna: They could be worshiped either as married (svakiya rasa) or unmarried (parakiya rasa), since both these pastimes (lila) are eternal. Worship of Krsna in either lila is adequate to establish a devotee's eternal relationship with the Supreme.
The Ramanandis rejected these arguments. Fighting for their religious and political power, they again approached Jai Singh.
Because Radha and Krsna were not married, the Ramanandis complained, worshiping Them together condoned Their questionable relationship. The Ramanandis also criticised the Gaudiyas for worshiping Krsna without first worshiping Narayana.
To appease the Ramanandis, Jai Singh told them he would ask the Gaudiyas to place the Deity of Radharani in a separate room. He would also ask them to explain their breach of Vaisnava etiquette in neglecting Narayana worship, and he would ask them to prove their link with the Madhva sampradaya.


Visvanatha Deputes Baladeva

Visvanatha Cakravati, a scholar of great repute, lived in Vrndavana at this time. Visvanatha had been born in 1646 in a Bengali village named Saidabad, where he had spent the first years of his life. Like other aspiring young renunciants, Visvanatha had faced problems with his family, who had betrothed him at a young age to tie him to domestic life. As a married youth, Visvanatha had studied extensively, and while living with his family in Saidabad he had written brilliant commentaries on Vaisnava scripture.
During his life in Saidabad, Visvanatha had taken initiation from Radharamana Cakravati and studied the Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Vaisnava scriptures with Radharamana's father, Krsnacarana Cakravati. Radharamana was three generations removed from the main preceptor in their line, Narottama Dasa Thakura.
Eventually Visvanatha had left his family and gone to Vrndavana, where he had lived at Radha-kunda. He formally accepted the dress of a renunciant and was then called Harivallabha. He continued writing and preaching, and eventually he became the leader of the Gaudiya community in Vrndavana.
By the time Govinda moved to Rajasthan in 1707, Visvanatha was more than sixty years old. The aging scholar followed the Amber developments with interest. How would Govinda and His priest's fare in that pluralistic environment, at the vortex of the young king's devotion, the Ramanandis antagonism, and the threatening presence of so many sects?
Visvanatha regularly communicated with the mahantas of the Vaisnava temples in Amber. Although he had expected trouble from the Ramanandis, the quarrel had stewed for years before threatening the Gaudiya priests or affecting the Deity worship. Now, he knew, they despaired over the growing antagonism of the Ramanandis.
Visvanatha called for Baladeva. " We must refute the points of the Ramanandis," Visvanatha told his protege. "It will not be easy, but we can defeat them."
Baladeva was outraged by the presumptuousness of the Ramananadi critics. "Why must we establish the legitimacy of our lineage?" He demanded. "The Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna, appeared as Lord Caitanya to establish the true religion for this age of quarrel. When God Himself originates a religious tradition, who may dare question its legitimacy?"
"The Ramanandis do question it." Visvanatha replied, "and they rest their criticism on the statement in Padma Purana that in this age there are four sampradayas, or lines of disciplic succession. the Purana says:


sri-brahma-rudra-sanaka
vaisnava-ksiti-pavanah
catvaras te kalau bhavya
hy utkale purusottama


The meaning is that the four Vaisnava sampradayas--Sri, Brahma, Rudra, and Kumara--purify the earth."
"Yes," replied Baladeva, "I know this verse. And the Ramanandis say that the words utkale purusottama mean that these four sampradayas have their monasteries in Orissa, in Purusottama-ksetra, the town of Jagannatha Puri.
"But the real meaning is that the Supreme Lord, Purusottama, is the quintessence of these four sampradayas. And when He appears in Kali-yuga, He lives in Jagannatha Puri as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So the Gaudiya lineage is not a fifth sampradaya but the essence of the four."
Visvanatha and Baladeva spent the night discussing the Ramanandis other points of contention about Lord Caitanya's movement. They developed the strategy by which they would defeat the Ramanandis.
Visvanatha sent Baladeva with Krsnadeva Sarvabhauma to Amber. Baladeva's arrival there was unheralded. He was new to the Gaudiya community, unknown even among the Gaudiya mahantas of Amber. And he was young. No one, even of his own tradition, suspected that a philosophical giant lived within the unpretentious form of this Gaudiya holyman from Vrndavana. Baladeva had difficulty gaining audience with the king. And when he was finally able to do so, the Ramanandis in the court were ready for him.
"Sir," Baladeva said to the king, "I have come to resolve doubts about the Gaudiya-sampradaya and its methods of worship."
"Your Highness," a Ramanandi pandita broke in, "we request to speak to him directly!"
Jai Singh turned to Baladeva. "You may speak," the king said, confident that if Krsna were indeed the Supreme Lord, Krsna would arrange for His own defence.
The Ramanandis opened with an offensive they felt sure would guarantee their authority.
"The problem," they told Baladeva, "is that you do not belong to a proper sampradaya. Therefore we cannot accept the literature written by your panditas."
"I am from the Madhva-sampradaya," Baladeva asserted confidently. "I have been initiated in Mysore by a Tirtha of the Madhva order. But Radha-Damodara Gosvami and Visvanatha Cakravati of the Gaudiya-sampradaya are also my gurus. They have taught me Bhagavata philosophy."
The Ramanandis were surprised. Baladeva's Madhva initiation meant that they had to accept him as a qualified sannyasi and pandita of an authorised lineage. But they hoped his youth might indicate a lack of skill. They rallied themselves. "You may be from the Madhva-sampradaya, but the other Gaudiyas are not!"
Baladeva retained his dignity and produced a key piece of evidence. "That is the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, written by Kavi Karnapura more than one hundred years ago. This manuscript details our lineage from Madhva." Baladeva presented the manuscript for inspection.
The Ramanandis again argued, "If the Gaudiyas claim descent from Madhva, then you must base your arguments on Madhva's Brahma-sutra commentary. We know the Gaudiyas have no commentary of their own."
Baladeva thought. The Gaudiyas had never written a commentary on Vedanta-sutra, because they accepted the Srimad-Bhagavatam as the natural commentary. Vyasa is the author of both of these works, and Lord Caitanya taught that when the author comments on his own work, his opinion is the best.
Baladeva knew that the Ramanandis would reject this argument. But he also knew that if he used Madhva's commentary he would have problems, for Madhva's commentary would not justify the style of worship practiced by the Gaudiyas. So Baladeva decided he would need to write a Gaudiya commentary himself. This commentary is based on Madhva's, but could have some allowable differences. "I will show you our commentary," Baladeva said. "Please allow me to bring it."
"Indeed, send for it," granted the Ramanandi spokesman.
"That won't be possible," replied Baladeva. "It will require several days to write it."
The Ramanandis were stunned. Could Baladeva produce a commentary within a few days? How audacious! But if Baladeva could indeed produce it, the Ramanandis position might be threatened. Should they grant him the time he required.
Before they could speak, King Jai Singh interjected. "Yes, the time is granted. Prepare your commentary and notify us when it is ready. You should know that unless you present a suitable commentary, we shall accept the criticisms of the Ramanandis as valid. But I shall not act on any of their demands until you have had an opportunity to present your commentary and your arguments."


Govindaji Inspires Baladeva

Baladeva left the assembly, followed by Krsnadeva Sarvabhauma. Baladeva saw himself a puppet in the hands of the Lord. He had spoken boldly in the assembly, but would the divine puppeteer guide his pen?
Baladeva went to Govindapura. Presenting himself before Govinda, he knelt and prayed. "O Govinda, Your devotee Visvanatha has sent me here to defend You and Your devotees, but I cannot do it! I am just a soul fallen in ignorance. If You wish, You may empower me to write a Vedanta-sutra commentary that will glorify You. If You wish, I shall write the truths I have learned from Your devotees and Your scripture. And I have faith that by Your mercy these truths will appear most logical."
Then Baladeva began to write. Pausing scarcely to rest, he wrote and prayed and wrote again. Days passed and nights, but he did not stop. Some historians say he wrote for one month. Others say it took him only seven days.
In any event, Baladeva soon returned from Govindapura. By now, keen expectancy had been aroused in all the various parties. Jai Singh, hoping to see the Gaudiyas vindicated, was especially eager to see the commentary. The Ramanandis, however, awaited the commentary with some trepidation, hoping they could defeat it readily.
Baladeva entered the court of debate convened in Galta. He stood on one side with the Gaudiya mahantas. Facing them where the Ramanandi panditas. King Jai Singh presided, and an audience of nobles and scholars was in attendance.
With the king's permission, Baladeva rose.
"This commentary," he said, putting forward his work,"is based on Madhva's, but there are some important differences. If you examine it, you will find that it upholds the Gaudiya philosophy taught by Lord Caitanya."
A Ramanandi pandita stepped forward and received Baladeva's commentary.
"Who is the author of this work?" He asked.
Baladeva replied, "The name of the commentary is Govinda-bhasya. Govinda has inspired this work. I have given the direct meanings of the sutras according to the wish of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And my comments are based on the teachings of my gurus." The learned members of the Ramanandi contingent examined the first portion of the bhasya to determine whether it was as Baladeva had claimed.
A spokesman conceded, "The influence of Madhva is certainly demonstrable in this commentary, but we should examine some of the differences."
Baladeva then addressed each of the Ramanandis' objections to Gaudiya worship.
"I have expounded on every aspect of Gaudiya practice in chapter three," he said."Since your criticisms concern our style of worship, you should turn to chapter three to see how Vyasa, the author of Vedanta-sutra, has provided for our worship.
"You object to our worship of Radha with Govinda on the superficial grounds that They are not married. In verses forty through forty-two I have presented the true position of Radha in relation to Krsna. Radha is the eternal energy of the Krsna and is never separated from Him. Their relationship may be parakiya or svakiya, but that does not affect the eternality of Their union. The separation of Radha and Govinda you have effected is artificial and therefore offensive to the Lord, who holds deep affection for His female energy.
"You have criticised our predilection for worshiping only Krsna, neglecting the worship of Narayana, Visnu, which you say is mandatory for all Vaisnavas. I have addressed that point in my comments to verse forty-three. According to the Vedanta-sutra, Narayana may be worshiped in any of His forms, including Krsna. No scriptural injunction prohibits the worship of Govinda exclusive of Narayana."
Baladeva continued speaking while the Ramanandis stood defenceless. He spoke eloquently and exhaustively. A rebuttal from the Ramanandis never developed.
At the end of Baladeva's presentation, King Jai Singh waited, weighing the evidence. The Ramanandis silence confirmed his own opinion.
He delivered his decision in a brief but conclusive statement. "The evidence supporting the Gaudiya legitimacy is unassailable. Hereafter, the Gaudiyas shall be recognised and respected as an authorised religious sect. I order the reunion of Radha with Govinda."
The Gaudiya mahantas in Amber, free at last from condemnation by the Ramanandis, celebrated by building a temple of victory on the hill overlooking the Galta Valley. The temple Deity was appropriately named Vijaya Gopala, "Victorious Gopala."


At The Feet of Govinda

Baladeva returned to Vrndavana, where he assumed leadership of the Gaudiya community. He continued to write. Faithful to Jiva Gosvami and devoted to Lord Caitanya, he produced commentaries on ten principle Upanisads and nine works of the Vrndavana Gosvamis. He also wrote original works on grammar, drama, prosody, and poetics. He remained the unquestioned authority on Vaisnava theology until his death. (The date of Baladeva's demise is unknown. His last known written work, Stavamala, was dated 1764.)
With Baladeva's victory over the Ramanandis, Jai
Singh was satisfied. He had found the synthesis of Vaisnava religions. And Radha had been reunited with Govinda on the altar, as She is in eternity. Jai Singh dedicated himself to Govinda and passed a long, and productive life as a king and scholar.
In 1714 Jai Singh moved Govinda to the Jai Nivasa Gardens and installed Him in a garden house, where He was worshiped for twenty-one years. In 1735 the king built a temple for Govinda within the Jaipur palace compound. Jai Singh later installed Govinda as the king of Jaipur and accepted the position of minister for himself. From that time his royal seal read, sri govindadeva carana savai jai singh sarana:"Lord Govinda, at whose lotus feet Jai Singh takes refuge."



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SRILA BALADEVA VIDYABHUSANA

Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana was a highly renounced, pure devotee, who had not even a fraction of desire for name or fame. He compiled many literatures in order to benefit mankind. However he never mentioned his birth place or anything about his family background and therefore the details are not known for sure.
Historians have estimated that he was born sometime in the eighteenth century, most probably in Orissa (possibly near Remuna). At a very early age, he finished his studies of grammar, poetry, rhetoric and logic and then went on pilgrimage. During this time he spent some time with the Tattvavadis in South India and thus became conversant with the teachings of Sri Madhvacarya. He became a powerful exponent of this philosophy throughout India.
During his travels he again came to Utkaladesa (Orissa) and met with a grand-disciple of Sri Rasikananda Deva, Sri Radha-Damodara Deva by name, with whom he discussed philosophy. Sri Radha-Damodara Deva explained the conclusions of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy as expounded by Sri Gaursundara and requested him to consider the unlimited mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. These talks penetrated his heart and awakened divine love within. Thus, after a few days he was initiated with Radha-Krsna mantra and began to study the Sat-sandarbha of Sri Jiva Gosvami.
In a very short time he became very expert in Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy. With the permission and blessings of his guru, he moved to Sri Vrindavana Dhama to further study these teachings under Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.
Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura was exteremly pleased to see the humble and gentle nature and the renunciation and profound mastery of the Vedas that characterized Baladeva. He carefully instructed him in acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. Baladeva fully accepted the Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy and began to preach it with great vigor.
Around this time, the members of the Sri sampradaya began to raise some arguments in the court of the king at Jaipur. They complained that as the Gaudiya Vaisnavas had no commentary on the Vedanta-sutra, they were not qualified to worship the Deity and therefore the worship should be turned over to the Sri sampradaya. They also objected to the worship of Srimati Radharani along with Sri Sri Govinda-Gopinatha as not being authorised anywhere in the sastras.
The king, Sadacari Raja, was initiated within the Gaudiya sampradaya. Thus he quietly sent word to Vrindavana, informing the devotees there of what had happened. But at the same time the king was obliged to remove Radharani from the Deity room as well as suspend the Bengali Gaudiya Vaisnava pujaris from partaking in the Deity worship. At that time Srila Viswanath Cakravartipada was very aged, so it was not possible for him to make the journey to Jaipur. In his place he sent his student, Sri Baladeva, who was fully conversant with the sastras and thus able to competently face the challenge.
In a great assembly he posed such forceful arguments to the followers of Ramanuja that they could not reply to them. He further explained to them, "The originator of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, has accepted Srimad Bhagavata as the natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutra, as composed by Srila Vyasadeva Himself. This is proven in the Sat-sandarbha."
The scholars in the assembly however, refused to accept anything other than a direct commentary on the sutra. Having no other recourse, Baladeva promised to present them with one.
Feeling very aggrieved, Sri Baladeva came to Sri Govindaji's mandira and after offering his prostrated obeisances, informed Sri Govinda of everything that had happened. That night the Lord appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to write a commentary on the Vedanta-sutra. "I will dictate to you what to write and therefore no one will be able to refuse to accept it."
Having seen such a wonderful dream, Baladeva was totally enlivened and felt renewed strengh flow into his heart. Thus he began to write, and within a few days copleted the commentary which was titled 'Sri Govinda Bhasya'.
Vidya rupam bhusanam me pradaya kyatim nitya tena yo mamudarah Sri Govinda svapna nirdista bhaso radha bandhubandhurangah sa jiyat: "May He Who so mercifully and munificiently was kind towards me, and bestowed his favour by ordering me in a dream to write down His own commentary, which He would compose, and which attained such renown amongst the learned circles that they bestowed upon me the title 'Vidyabhusana'; may that dear friend of Srimati Radharani, who holds Him dearer than Her own life, be glorified. May that Sri Govinda be glorified."
Bringing the commentary with him, Sri Baladeva again came to the assembly of the Ramanandi scholars. After reading the commentary they were simply speechless. Thus the victory of the Gaudiya sampradaya was announced far and wide and the king, as well as the other devotees, began to float in the ocean of bliss. The scholars then bestowed upon Sri Baladeva the title 'Vidyabhusana'.
This assembly took place in the year 1628 Sakabda, at Golta near the present city of Jaipur. Baladeva Vidyabhusana installed the Deity of Vijaya Gopala there at Golta Mandira, but the whereabouts of this Deity are at present not known. From this day the Maharaja of Jaipur announced that Sri Govinda's arati would be performed first and then the other temples could perform their aratis.
After accepting defeat, the Ramanandi scholars expressed their desire to accept initiation from Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana. However, he declined their request by stating that amongst the four authorized sampradayas, the Sri sampradaya was highly respectable and the foremost adherent of dasya-bhakti (devotion in servitorship). If there was any cause of loss of respect to the sampradaya this might be considered an offense.
Returning from Jaipur to Vrindavana, Sri Baladeva presented the certificate of victory to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and narrated all of the events that had transpired. All of the devotees were in great ecstacy to receive this news and Cakravartipada bestowed his full blessings on Sri Baladeva. At this time, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana began to write a commentary on Srila Jiva Gosvami's Sat-sandarbha.
Sri Jaya and Sri Vijaya Govinda, residing at Gokulananda Mandira in Vrindavana, were worshiped by Baladeva Vidyabhusana personally. According to the opinion of some devotees, the Deities of Syamananda Prabhu, Sri Sri Radha-Syamasundara, were installed by Sri Baladeva Vidybhusana.
After Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura finished his pastimes in this world, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana became the next acarya of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya.
At the end of Vedanta-syamantaka, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana acknowledges his spiritual master thusly: "I have been sent here to Vrindavana by one brahmana guru, Sri Radha-Damodar Deva, to present a compositon named Vedanta-syamantaka, composed by his mercy for the pleasure of Srimati Radharani."
Srila Baladeva Vidybhusana became known later as Sri Govinda dasa. He had two well-known disciples: Sri Vidya dasa and Sri Nandan Misra. He is the compiler of the following books: (Hey there's a lot more than this: Bhasya-pithaka, commentaries on Gopala Campu, Krsna- bhavanamrta, Samsaya-satini, etc.etc.) Sri Govinda-bhasya, Siddhanta- ratnam, Sahitya-kaumudi, Vedanta-syamantaka, Prameya-ratnavali, Siddhanta-darpana, Kavya-kaustubha, Vyakarana-kaumudi, Pada-kaustubha, Isadi-upanisad bhasya, Gitabhusana-bhasya, Sri Visnunamasahasra-bhasya, Sanksepa-bhagatamrta-tippani-saranga-rangada, Tattva-sandarbha-tika, Stava-mala-vibhusana-bhasya, Nataka-candrika-tika, Candraloka-tika, Sahitya-kaumudi-tika, Krsna-nandini, Srimad-Bhagavata-tika, Vaisnava-nandini, Govinda-bhasya-siksma-tika, Siddhanta-ratna-tika, Stava-mala-tika.



Shri Baladeva Vidyabhusana
Shrimad Baladev Vidyabhusan Prabhu was a pure devotee of the highest order, who cared for nothing but the service of the Lord. He didn’t have a spot of desire for name and fame. He was the composer of many scriptures which are as priceless as precious gems, for the ultimate benefit of all those who have taken human birth. The exact location of his birth, the names of his mother and father, and their family tree is not known. The exact circumstances of his birth and childhood are, therefore, unknown. Still, some are of the opinion that that he took birth in a place called Baleshvara, a village neighboring Remuna, in the early part of the 18th century A.D, as the son of a vaisya, an agriculturist. At an early age he became learned in Sanskirt grammar, poetry, rhetoric, and logic. After becoming expert in all these subjects, he began wandering to different places of pilgrimage. After wandering about in this way for some time, and after visiting many holy places, he happened to stay at a temple of the Tattvavadi followers of Shri Madhvacharya. There, he became fluent in his understanding of the tattvavada-siddhanta, that is, the philosophical and theological conclusions of the followers of Madhva. After this, he took sannyasa, and preached the tattvavada-siddhanta very vigourously throughout the length and breadth of India.
As he wandered from one place to the next, he gradually came to Jagannatha Puri.
. There he remained and preached for a few days. At that time, he chanced to meet one of the foremost disciples of Shri Rasikananda Deva, Pandit Shri Radha-Damodara, with whom he discussed devotional principles. At that time, Shrimad Radha-Damodara dev Goswami instructed Baladev on the subject of Shri Gourasundara’s pastimes of mercy and His teachings on Gaudiya Vaishanva siddhanta to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. After hearing the divine wisdom spoken by Shri Radha-Damodara Goswami, Baladeva’s heart was deeply moved. After a few days of hearing from him, he accepted initiation into the Radha-Krishna mantra, and began studying the Sat-Sandarbhas of Jiva Goswami at the holy feet of his gurudeva, Radha-Damodara Goswami.
After a short time, Baladeva became expert in the Gaudiya Vaishanva siddhanta.
After staying with Radha-Damodara Goswami for some time, he was ordered to further his studies in Gaudiya Vaishnavism by going to Vrindavan and taking shelter at the holy feet of Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. After first visiting Nabadwipa, he soon arrived in Vrindavan.
Shri Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakur (Shri Harivallabha dasa), was very happy to see Baladeva’s submission, modesty, learning, and renunciation. From that day forward, for some time, he kept Baladeva by his side and taught him the acintya-bheda-abheda philosophy of Shri Chaitanya and many other important siddhantas related to the Gaudiya Vaishnava conception of Krishna-bhakti. From this point on, Shri Baladeva’s life and soul was fully dedicated to the theistic conception of the Gaudiya Sampradaya. His mind was fixed on this, and with one-pointed determination, he now began preaching this line to the exclusion of all others.
One day, in Jaipur, in the royal court, the Ramanuja sampradaya began arguing a case in connection with the Gaudiya sampradaya. They informed the king that the Gaudiya sampradaya had no commentary on the most important revealed scripture of Vedic religion-Vedanta; therefore they had no siddhanta and no real sampradaya, or school. As a consequence they should give up their service of the deities of Govinda and Gopinatha, and entrust with those who were bona fide members of a genuine sampradaya. At that time, the king of Jaipura was a follower of the Gaudiya sampradaya. He immediately sent word of the controversy by messenger to Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakur in Vrindavan, wanting to know if the Gaudiya sampradaya actually did have any commentary on theVedanta. If there was, the king wanted that the commentary be sent immediately to Jaipur to satisfy the scrutiny of the pandits from the Ramanuja Sampradaya.
At this time, Shri Vishvanatha Chakravarti was very old and infirm. It was impossible for him to make the arduous journey to Jaipur. He sent his student and disciple, Shri Baladev, in his place. Baladeva Vidyabhusan was an expert scholar in all the important scriptures. In the midst of a huge assembly of pandits from the Ramanuja sampradaya, Baladeva challenged them all to argue with him in scholarly debate. A long, and hard-fought debate took place, with tumultuous arguing from the Ramanuja school. Still, none of them could stand before his conclusive statements, keen scholarship, and penetrating intellect. Baladeva argued that the founder of the Gaudiya Sampradaya, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu established the Shrimad-Bhagavatam as the topmost commentary on Vedanta. The Bhagavatam itself claims that it is bhashyanam brahma-sutranam, the natural commentary on Vedanta. This is confirmed on the basis of evidence given by Jiva Goswami in his Sat Sandarbha. Therefore, the Gaudiya sampradaya has chosen to accept Shrimad-Bhagavatam as the original commentary on Vedanta, and sees no need for a separate commentary.
At that point, the pandits from the Ramanuja sampradaya shouted: “He admits that there is no commentary! They have no commentary!” Having no other recourse, Shri Baladeva Vidyabhusan promised to show them the Gaudiya commentary on Vedanta within a few days. The pandits were astonished to think that such a thing existed. They were suspicious that this might be some kind of trick, but were silenced for the time being.
Very troubled within his mind, Shri Baladeva Vidyabhusana went to the temple of Shri Govinda, the deity of Rupa Goswami. After offering his eightfold obeisances before the deity, he related everything that had taken place. That night in a dream, Shri Govinda told him, you must compose the commentary. That commentary will be personally sanctioned by me. No one will be able to find any fault in it. Seeing this in his dream, Baladeva became very happy, and his heart was full of strength, ready for the task at hand. After this, he meditated on the lotus feet of Govinda and began writing his commentary. Within a few days it was completed. This commentary became known as the Govinda Bhashya commentary on Vedanta.
In an addendum appended to the Govinda Bhashya, after it was published, Shri Baladeva has written, vidyarupam bhushanam ye pradaya, khatim nitye teno yo mamudarah, Shri govinda-svapna-nirdishtha bhashye, radhabandhurangah sa jiyat. “May Shri Govinda be all glorious. By his mercy, he revealed this commentary to me in a dream. The commentary revealed by him is especially appreciated by the highly learned, and as a result of this I have been given the name Vidyabhushan, but it is Shri Govinda who deserves all credit. May that Shri Govinda who is the most dear life and soul of Shri Radhika, be all-victorious.”
With the Govinda Bhashya commentary in hand, Baladeva Vidyabhushan arrived at the assembly hall of the king, where the pandits were waiting for him. When he showed them his commentary, they were speechless. The Gaudiya sampradaya was proclaimed victorious. The king and all the Gaudiya Vaishnavas were supremely happy. At that time the pandits gave Shri Baladeva the name “Vidyabhushana,” or one whose ornament is knowledge, in honor of his great scholarship. The year was 1628, Shaka era. From the day forward, the king of Jaipur decreed, everyone would attend the aroti of Shri Govinda, the deity beloved by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, who was ultimately responsible for such a wonderful commentary on Vedanta.
The Ramanuja pandits, falling under the influence of Shri Baladeva Vidyabhusana, accepted him as their acharya and wanted to become his disciples. With great humility, Baladeva Vidyabhushana refused, explaining that there are four sampradayas, among which the Shri Sampradaya is a genuine school that preaches servitude to God as the best religious process. By advancing the views of the Gaudiya sampradaya, he meant no disrespect to the Shri sampradaya. To insult the Shri sampradaya would be a great offense, he said.
Shripad Baladeva Vidyabhushan returned from Jaipur to Vrindavan carrying the message of his victory. Upon returning, he submitted to the lotus feet of Shri Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura and told him the news. All the visiting Vaishnavas and the residents of Vrindavan were delighted, and Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura bestowed his blessings upon Baladeva Vidyabhusana.
After this, Baladeva Vidyabhusana began writing a commentary on the Sat Sandarbha. Soon Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura passed away, and the Vaishnava community felt as if a great beacon of divine light had been extinguished. At that time, Shri Baladeva Vidyabhusan became regarded among the Vaishnava community as the keeper of the flame, the leader among those who understood the teachings of Shri Chaitanya.
In his teachings, Baladeva establishes the transcendental position of the Vedas, and then argues that they are the best evidence for knowing the supreme truth. In his Siddhanta-darpana, Baladeva has explained the position of transcendental sound in relationship to Krishna and his holy name as follows:
ekameva pram tattvam vachyavachaka bhavabhak
vachyah sarveshvaro devo vachakah pranavobhavet
matsya-kurma-adibhir-rupair-yatha vachyo bahur-bhavet
vachako’pi tatharthadi-bhavadbahur-udiryate
adyantarahitatvena svayam nityam prakirtite
avirbhava tirobhavau syatamasya yugeyuge
“The one absolute truth has two categories: the named (Krishna) and the name (Om).
Parameshvara, Shri Krishna, the absolute person is the named; pranava, or omkara (Om) is the name. The named, or Parameshvara Shri Krishna, reveals himself in different forms as Matsya, Kurma, and many other forms. In the same way the name of the Supreme Lord expands into many different forms; such as the transcendental syllable Om, the gayatri mantram, and the Vedas themselves. There is no limit to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he has no beginning and no end. As a consequence, his glorification is also eternal. He appears within this material world, stays for some time, and again disappears according to his own sweet will.”
Baladev explains the potency of Godhead in his Siddhanta-darpana: “The Lord has three potencies-thinking (jnana) feeling (kriya) and willing (bala). Through these three potencies he causes the material creation to come into being. The rays of consciousness emanating from him-the jiva souls-are his separated parts and parcels. By his thinking, feeling, and willing, they too come into being. The Vedas are spoken by the Lord, who is all-perfect. The Vedas are therefore free from the four defects of material existence: error, cheating, illusion, and imperfect perception. And so, the Vedas are the perfect form of evidence for understanding the Supreme Truth. The Vedas glorify Krishna as the absolute truth. The Puranas and Itihasas are as good as the Vedas. They too glorify Krishna as the absolute truth.”
In his Vedanta-samantaka, Baladev has expanded on this thesis of the Vedas being the best evidence for understanding the Supreme Godhead. There he says: tadevam sarvatah shreishtha shabdasya sthite tattvanirnayakastu shrotilakshana eva na tvarshalakshanopi. “There are different ways of knowing what is truth: pratyaskha,direct perception, anuman, inference, hypothesis, and deduction, shabda, the words of the authorities arthapati, interpretation, anupalabdhi, negative inference, sambhava, the laws of probability, and aitihya, history. Of all these methods of arriving at truth, shabda, hearing from authorities, is best. The best source of knowledge about the absolute is the shruti: revealed truth received from Vedic authority. Different scholars always entertain different opinions about reality, but the Vedic shastras are eternal and transcendental, moreover they are free from the four defects of material existence, having sprung directly from the Supreme Lord Himself. therefore they are the best evidence for knowing the absolute truth. “ (Vedanta Samantaka 1/51)
What has been proved on the basis of solid evidence, pramana, is called prameya.
Baladev has written a book called Prameya Ratnavali, in which he states nine principles that he has established are facts, proven by the incontrovertible evidence of the Vedas. The teachings of Madhva-Gaudiya Vaishnavism as it has descended from Madhvacharya to Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have been summarised in the Prameya Ratnavali. His nine principles are stated in the following verse (PR 8):
shri madvhah praha vishnum paratamam akhilamnaya vedyam ca cisvam satyam bhedam ca jivam hari carana jusas tartamyam ca tesham moksham vishnv-anghri-labham tad-amala-bhajanam tasya hetum pramanam pratyaksadi trayam cety upadisati hari krsna-caitanya chandra “Shri Madhvacaharya taught that:
1) Krishna, who is known as Hari is the Supreme Lord, the Absolute.
2) That Supreme Lord may be known through the Vedas.
3) The material world is real.
4) The jivas, or souls, are different from the Supreme Lord.
5) The jivas are by nature servants of the Supreme Lord.
6) There are two categories of jivas: liberated and illusioned.
7) Liberation means attaining the lotus feet of Krishna, that is, entering into an eternal relationship of service to the Supreme Lord.
8) Pure devotional service is the cause of this relationship.
9) The truth may be known through direct perception, inference, and Vedic authority.
These very principles were taught by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.”
According to Baladeva there are five categories of tattvas or truths which constitute reality: ishvara, God; jiva, soul; prakriti, matter; kala, time; and karma, action. Ishvara, or God, is the greatest. He is all-knowing, he is the utmost realization of transcendental bliss, and his very nature is ecstasy. He is full in all qualities and is the absolute person. He is the master of everything, and is eternally free from birth and death. He is the master of all the gods headed by Brahma and Shiva. He is the supreme husband, the Lord of lords, and the Supreme Person, the worthiest of receiving prayers. He alone remains as the absolute truth even after this material world (which is his separated material energy) is destroyed along with all the demigods such as Brahma, Shiva, and Indra.
Baladeva further explains that Krishna has three energies, parashakti, kshetrajna-shakti, and maya-shakti. Parashakti means svarupa-shakti, or the Lord’s internal potency. Kshetrajna-shakti means jiva-shakti, or the living beings, and maya-shakti means the Lord’s external potency, his potency for keeping the souls in illusion. This explanation is on the basis of the Vishnu Purana. He goes on to explain that there is no difference between the body and soul of God. They are one and the same. As Krishna, the Supreme Lord has two hands, he plays a flute, he has a transcendental form of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, and he is known by the names Govinda and Gopal. Lakshmidevi is nondifferent from him, in that he is the Supreme Energetic and She is His Supreme Energy. (sei jaganmata lakshmi vishnur anapayini shakti) This confirmed throughout the shastra. Whatever form the lord appears in, there is a corresponding Lakshmi form who acts as his eternal consort. When the Lord appears as a god, Lakshmi appears as a goddess. When the Lord advents as an ordinary human being, Lakshmi also descends upon this earth as an ordinary human being. Baladeva Vidyabhushan says: teshu sarveshu lakshmi-rupeshu radhayah svayam laksmitvam mantavyam sarveshu bhagavad-rupeshu krishnasya svayam bhagavatvavat: (Vedanta-samantaka 2.37) Of all the manifestations of Lakshmidevi, Shrimati Radharani is the Supreme Goddess, just as amongst so many avatars of Godhead, Krishna is the supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra,which states, “Shri Radhika is the Supreme Goddess. Her very nature is Krishna, for her very existence is permeated by Krishna. Therefore she is known as Krishnamayi, or one who is full of Krishna. She is known as Paradevata, for she is the Supreme Goddess. All other goddesses are subordinate to her. She is the Supreme Lakshmi and her transcendental effulgence surpasses all conceptions of brilliance. She is the supreme enchantress, for she enchants Krishna Himself, who is capable of charming millions of cupids.”
Baladev cites Shaunaka Muni who says in Shrimad-Bhagavatam that of all the avatars, expansions of Godhead, and Personalities of Godhead, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The worship of Krishna, must therefore be regarded as the highest form of worship.
According to Baladeva, the jiva souls are the atomic spiritual energy of the Lord. The souls are eternal and can never be destroyed by any means. The soul’s true eternal nature is to be filled with transcendental knowledge: sa ca jivo bhagavadaso mantavyah dasabhuto harereva nanyasyaive kadacaneti padmat (Vedanta-samantaka 3.11) “It is the constitutional nature of the soul to be a servant of Bhagavan Shri Krishna. It is the version of the Padma-Purana that the soul is an eternal servant of Hari, and has no other genuine position.” By surrender to the lotus feet of a spiritual master who is a devotee of Krishna,one attain Krishna-bhakti by the guru’s mercy. Upon attaining Krishna-bhakti one gets Krishna Himself.
In His Vedanta-samantaka, Shri Baladeva Vidyabhusana offers the following prayer to the lotus feet of his gurudeva, Shri Radha-Damodara Goswami:
radhadidamodara nama vibhrata,
viprena vedantamayah syamantaka
shri radhikayairviniveditomaya
tasyah pramodam sa tanotu sarvada
Having been deputed to do so by my gurudeva, the brahmana named Shri Radha-Damodara Goswami, I have compiled this commentary on the Vedanta known as Vedanta-syamantaka for the sake of Shrimati Radharani’s pleasure. This commentary is a summary of the important points of Vedanta. May it be pleasing to Shri Radhika.
Shri Baladeva Vidyabhusana had two superexcellent disciples who were perfected souls. Their names were Shri Uddhava Dasa and Shri Nandana Mishra. Among the books compiled by Shri Baladeva Vidyabhusana were as follows:
His commentary on Vedanta called the Govinda-bhashya; the “jewel of conclusions” or Siddhanta Ratna; Sahitya Kaumudi; a summary of Vedanta philosophy known as Vedanta Syamantaka; the “jewel of factual principles” (outline the nine principles held in common by both the Madhva and Chaitanya schools) known as Prameya Ratnavali; a summary of Gaudiya Vaishnava principles called the Siddhanta Darpana; the Kavya Kaustubha (a book of selected Sanskrit verses for Vaishnavas); the Aishvarya Kadambini; Vyakarana Kaumudi (a book on grammar); Padakaustubha (selected prayers); commentaries on important Upanishads beginning with the Isha Upanishad and including the Gopala Tapani Upanishad; a commentary on Bhagavad-gita known as Gitabhushana Bhashya; as well as commentaries on: Vishnu-Sahasra-nama, Shrimad-Bhagavatam (Vaishnava-nandini-tika), Jiva Goswami’s Tattva-Sandarbha, Rupa Goswami’s Stavamala, Nata-chandrika, Jayadeva Goswami’s Chandraloka, his own Sahitya Kaumudi, Laghu-bhagavatamrita, Nataka-Chandrika, and Shyamananda Shataka. Shri Baladeva Vidyabhusana disappeared in the Christian year 1768.


Who is Baladeva Vidyabhusana




Hare Krishna !!

Srimad Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu was a pure devotee of the highest order, who cared for nothing but the service of the Lord. He didn not have a spot of desire for name and fame. He was the composer of many scriptures which are as priceless as precious gems, for the ultimate benefit of all those who have taken human birth.

The early years

The exact location of his birth, the names of his mother and father, and their family tree is not known. The exact circumstances of his birth and childhood are, therefore, unknown. Still, some are of the opinion that he took birth in a place called Baleshvara, a village neighboring Remuna, in the early part of the 18th century A.D, as the son of a vaisya, an agriculturist.

At an early age he became learned in Sanskrit grammar, poetry, rhetoric, and logic. After becoming expert in all these subjects, he began wandering to different places of pilgrimage. After wandering about in this way for some time, and after visiting many holy places, he happened to stay at a temple of the Tattvavadi followers of Sri Madhvacharya.

There, he became fluent in his understanding of the tattvavada-siddhanta, that is, the philosophical and theological conclusions of the followers of Madhva. After this, he took sannyasa, and preached the tattvavada-siddhanta very vigorously throughout the length and breadth of India.

As he wandered from one place to the next, he gradually came to Jagannatha Puri. There he remained and preached for a few days. At that time, he chanced to meet one of the foremost disciples of Sri Rasikananda Deva, Pandit Sri Radha-Damodara, with whom he discussed devotional principles. At that time, Srimad Radha-Damodara deva Goswami instructed Baladeva on the subject of Sri Gourasundara's pastimes of mercy and His teachings on Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya.

After hearing the divine wisdom spoken by Sri Radha-Damodara Goswami, Baladeva's heart was deeply moved. After a few days of hearing from him, he accepted initiation into the Radha-Krishna mantra, and began studying the Sat-Sandarbhas of Jiva Goswami at the holy feet of his gurudeva, Radha-Damodara Goswami.

Vrindavan years ***************

After a short time, Baladeva became expert in the Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta. After staying with Radha-Damodara Goswami for some time, he was ordered to further his studies in Gaudiya Vaisnavism by going to Vrindavan and taking shelter at the holy feet of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.

After first visiting Nabadwipa, he soon arrived in Vrindavan. Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura (Sri Harivallabha dasa), was very happy to see Baladeva's submission, modesty, learning, and renunciation. From that day forward, for some time, he kept Baladeva by his side and taught him the acintya-bheda-abheda philosophy of Sri Caitanya and many other important siddhantas related to the Gaudiya Vaishnava conception of Krishna-bhakti. From this point on, Sri Baladeva's life and soul was fully dedicated to the theistic conception of the Gaudiya Sampradaya. His mind was fixed on this, and with one-pointed determination, he now began preaching this line to the exclusion of all others.

Challenge to Gaudiya Vaisnavas ******************************

One day, in Jaipur, in the royal court, the Ramanuja sampradaya began arguing a case in connection with the Gaudiya sampradaya. They informed the king that the Gaudiya sampradaya had no commentary on the most important revealed scripture of Vedic religion - Vedanta; therefore they had no siddhanta and no real sampradaya, or school. As a consequence they should give up their service of the deities of Govinda and Gopinatha, and entrust with those who were bona fide members of a genuine sampradaya.

At that time, the king of Jaipur was a follower of the Gaudiya sampradaya. He immediately sent word of the controversy by messenger to Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in Vrindavan, wanting to know if the Gaudiya sampradaya actually did have any commentary on the Vedanta. If there was, the king wanted that the commentary be sent immediately to Jaipur to satisfy the scrutiny of the pundits from the Ramanuja Sampradaya.

At this time, Sri Vishvanatha Cakravarti was very old and infirm. It was impossible for him to make the arduous journey to Jaipur. He sent his student and disciple, Sri Baladeva, in his place. Baladeva Vidyabhusana was an expert scholar in all the important scriptures. In the midst of a huge assembly of pundits from the Ramanuja sampradaya, Baladeva challenged them all to argue with him in scholarly debate. A long, and hard-fought debate took place, with tumultuous arguing from the Ramanuja school. Still, none of them could stand before his conclusive statements, keen scholarship, and penetrating intellect. Baladeva argued that the founder of the Gaudiya Sampradaya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu established the Srimad-Bhagavatam as the topmost commentary on Vedanta.

The Bhagavatam itself claims that it is bhashyanam brahma-sutranam, the natural commentary on Vedanta. This is confirmed on the basis of evidence given by Jiva Goswami in his Sat Sandarbha. Therefore, the Gaudiya sampradaya has chosen to accept Srimad-Bhagavatam as the original commentary on Vedanta, and sees no need for a separate commentary. At that point, the pundits from the Ramanuja sampradaya shouted: 'He admits that there is no commentary! They have no commentary!'

The divine commentary *******************

Having no other recourse, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana promised to show them the Gaudiya commentary on Vedanta within a few days. The pundits were astonished to think that such a thing existed. They were suspicious that this might be some kind of trick, but were silenced for the time being. Very troubled within his mind, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana went to the temple of Sri Govinda, the deity of Rupa Goswami. After offering his eightfold obeisances before the deity, he related everything that had taken place. That night in a dream, Sri Govinda told him, 'You must compose the commentary. That commentary will be personally sanctioned by me. No one will be able to find any fault in it.' Seeing this in his dream, Baladeva became very happy, and his heart was full of strength, ready for the task at hand. After this, he meditated on the lotus feet of Govinda and began writing his commentary. Within a few days it was completed. This commentary became known as the Govinda Bhashya commentary on Vedanta.

With the Govinda Bhashya commentary in hand, Baladeva Vidyabhushana arrived at the assembly hall of the king, where the pundits were waiting for him. When he showed them his commentary, they were speechless. The Gaudiya sampradaya was proclaimed victorious. The king and all the Gaudiya Vaisnavas were supremely happy. At that time the pundits gave Sri Baladeva the name 'Vidyabhushana,' or one whose ornament is knowledge, in honor of his great scholarship. From the day forward, the king of Jaipur decreed, everyone would attend the arati of Sri Govinda, the deity beloved by the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, who was ultimately responsible for such a wonderful commentary on Vedanta.

The Ramanuja pundits, falling under the influence of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana, accepted him as their acarya and wanted to become his disciples. With great humility, Baladeva Vidyabhushana refused, explaining that there are four sampradayas, among which the Sri Sampradaya is a genuine school that preaches servitude to God as the best religious process. By advancing the views of the Gaudiya sampradaya, he meant no disrespect to the Sri sampradaya. To insult the Sri sampradaya would be a great offense, he said.

Sripada Baladeva Vidyabhushana returned from Jaipur to Vrindavan carrying the message of his victory. Upon returning, he submitted to the lotus feet of Sri Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and told him the news. All the visiting Vaisnavas and the residents of Vrindavan were delighted and Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura bestowed his blessings upon Baladeva Vidyabhusana.

After this, Baladeva Vidyabhusana began writing a commentary on the Sat Sandarbha. Soon Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura passed away, and the Vaishnava community felt as if a great beacon of divine light had been extinguished. At that time, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana became regarded among the Vaishnava community as the keeper of the flame, the leader among those who understood the teachings of Sri Caitanya.

The teachings of Baladeva Vidyabhushana ***************************************

In his Siddhanta-darpana, Baladeva has explained the position of transcendental sound in relationship to Krishna and his holy name. He states that the named (Krsna) reveals Himself in His name, just as He reveals Himself in His many avatars. Thus, since the Lord is absolute, the name is actually non-different from the form.

The Vedas are spoken by the Lord, who is all-perfect. The Vedas are therefore free from the four defects of material existence: error, cheating, illusion, and imperfect perception. And so, the Vedas are the perfect form of evidence for understanding the Supreme Truth. The Vedas glorify Krishna as the absolute truth. The Puranas and Itihasas are as good as the Vedas. They too glorify Krishna as the absolute truth.'

In his Vedanta-samantaka, Baladeva has expanded on this thesis of the Vedas being the best evidence for understanding the Supreme Godhead. There he says: 'There are different ways of knowing what is truth: pratyaskha (direct perception), anuman (inference, hypothesis, and deduction), shabda (the words of the authorities), arthapati (interpretation), anupalabdhi (negative inference), sambhava (the laws of probability) and aitihya (history).

Of all these methods of arriving at truth, shabda, hearing from authorities, is best. The best source of knowledge about the absolute is the shruti: revealed truth received from Vedic authority. Different scholars always entertain different opinions about reality, but the Vedic shastras are eternal and transcendental, moreover they are free from the four defects of material existence, having sprung directly from the Supreme Lord Himself. Therefore they are the best evidence for knowing the absolute truth.' (Vedanta Samantaka 1/51)

What has been proved on the basis of solid evidence, pramana, is called prameya. Baladeva has written a book called Prameya Ratnavali, in which he states nine principles that he has established are facts, proven by the incontrovertible evidence of the Vedas. The teachings of Madhva-Gaudiya Vaishnavism as it has descended from Madhvacharya to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu have been summarised in the Prameya Ratnavali. His nine principles are stated in the following verse (PR 8):

1) Krishna, who is known as Hari is the Supreme Lord, the Absolute. 2) That Supreme Lord may be known through the Vedas. 3) The material world is real. 4) The jivas, or souls, are different from the Supreme Lord. 5) The jivas are by nature servants of the Supreme Lord. 6) There are two categories of jivas: liberated and illusioned. 7) Liberation means attaining the lotus feet of Krishna, that is, entering into an eternal relationship of service to the Supreme Lord. 8) Pure devotional service is the cause of this relationship. 9) The truth may be known through direct perception, inference and Vedic authority. These very principles were taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Baladeva also showed that Lakshmidevi is nondifferent from Him, in that He is the Supreme Energetic and She is His Supreme Energy. (sei jaganmata lakshmi vishnur anapayini shakti. This is confirmed throughout the shastra. Whatever form the lord appears in, there is a corresponding Lakshmi form who acts as His eternal consort. When the Lord appears as a god, Lakshmi appears as a goddess. When the Lord advents as an ordinary human being, Lakshmi also descends upon this earth as an ordinary human being.

'Of all the manifestations of Lakshmidevi, Srimati Radharani is the Supreme Goddess, just as amongst so many avatars of Godhead, Krishna is the supreme Personality of Godhead.'

This is confirmed in the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra, which states, 'Sri Radhika is the Supreme Goddess. Her very nature is Krishna, for her very existence is permeated by Krishna. Therefore she is known as Krishnamayi or one who is full of Krishna. She is known as Paradevata, for she is the Supreme Goddess. All other goddesses are subordinate to her. She is the Supreme Lakshmi and her transcendental effulgence surpasses all conceptions of brilliance. She is the supreme enchantress, for she enchants Krishna Himself, who is capable of charming millions of cupids.'

Writings of Baladeva Vidyabhusana *********************************

Among the books compiled by Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana are as follows:

His commentary on Vedanta called the Govinda-bhashya; The 'jewel of conclusions' or Siddhanta Ratna; Sahitya Kaumudi; a summary of Vedanta philosophy known as Vedanta Syamantaka; The 'jewel of factual principles' (outline the nine principles held in common by both the Madhva and Caitanya schools) known as Prameya Ratnavali; A summary of Gaudiya Vaishnava principles called the Siddhanta Darpana; The Kavya Kaustubha (a book of selected Sanskrit verses for Vaisnavas); The Aishvarya Kadambini; Vyakarana Kaumudi (a book on grammar); Padakaustubha (selected prayers); Commentaries on important Upanishads beginning with the Isa Upanishad and including the Gopala Tapani Upanishad; A commentary on Bhagavad-gita known as Gitabhushana Bhashya; Commentaries on: Vishnu-Sahasra-nama, Srimad-Bhagavatam (Vaishnava-nandini-tika), Jiva Goswami's Tattva-Sandarbha, Rupa Goswami's Stavamala, Nata-chandrika, Jayadeva Goswami's Chandraloka, his own Sahitya Kaumudi, Laghu-bhagavatamrita, Nataka-Chandrika, and Shyamananda Shataka.

Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana disappeared in the Christian year 1768. ---------------------------------------