Decisiones: el control judicial

IN mid-1893 the Öhäkura was requested to resume his duties by Sir Henry Cotton, Chief Secretary to the Government of Bengal. Çréla Bhaktivinoda wanted to resume his service in Krishnanagar, but he was asked to go to Sasaram where there were riots between Hindus and Moslems. He recalls: "... there was a serious dispute between the Hindus and Moslems over cow slaughter. There had been very good relations between the Hindus and Moslems for many a year, but because of cow slaughter their good relations had ended. The feelings of hostility were mutual and there was constant fighting between them. In the town of Sasaram there were many alleys and lanes, and Moslems and Hindus lived cheek by jowl. Because of this there was plenty of opportunity for disputes. Fighting would develop daily. A certain Vaiñëava sannyäsé bought a small piece of land facing my court office, and he endeavoured to build a temple there. The Moslems insisted that the temple could not be built. The sannyäsé spoke to me about the matter, and I spoke to the Moslem Serestadara so as to know the thoughts of the local Moslems on this matter. The sannyäsé did not wait for the result [of the talks], and he began to build the temple [anyway]. That particular day I was in

Nasariganga. Moslems went [to the plot of land] with sticks and swords to fight. The leaders among the Moslems sent a telegram to the

government, and the Commissioner was informed that the sannyäsé was building the temple over a [Moslem] tomb and that it was being done with the connivance of Hindu officers. Many letters were exchanged

concerning this matter. Being a Hindu officer it was difficult for me to stay in Sasaram [and remain impartial]. I made many attempts to get away from Sasaram. My superior officers gave much help to me, and the government secretaries informed me that there would be a transfer elsewhere at a suitable time."

In the meantime the Öhäkura was requested to go to Koyath as a matter of urgency: "I came to know that in [Koyath] there was an excellent bull that belonged to a brähmaëa... the brähmaëa went to Puruñottama [Puré], but he did not take the bull. Upon returning, he searched for the bull and [when he could not find it] he concluded that the local butchers had killed and eaten it. The brähmaëa challenged the Moslem butchers and they replied, 'What of your bull? In the future we will kill five cows in front of everyone on market day! What will the Hindus be able to do when they see this?' Hearing this utterance, the brähmaëa was enraged and informed all the Hindus. He also wrote to the respectable citizens [of the town] in order to put an end to the cow killing. On the market day almost four-thousand Hindus from all over the region and beyond and carrying missiles and swords, came to the house of the butcher, who fled.

They made a slight disturbance but did not see the man and therefore dispersed. By the afternoon the Moslem group had grown, and taking up guns and swords, some of them injured some Hindus. The injured

persons had to be sent to hospital. After some delay the police came, but they were not able to do anything. Finally, they saw the Moslems

creating a disturbance, but because the fight was not started by the Moslems, but, rather, was started by the Hindus, the Hindus were considered to be at fault... After carefully questioning witnesses from both sides I gave two-year prison sentences to a few Hindu men. Then, after examining the witnesses against the Moslems, I gave two-year prison sentences to some of them. They appealed to the high court against my decision in these two trials, but my decision was upheld."

Finally, the Öhäkura wrote to Sir Henry Cotton and he received a transfer to Nadia. He comments, "The days of my trouble were over. In the month of October I came to Calcutta from Sasaram." The Öhäkura's work-load was somewhat reduced, and he again contemplated his

retirement longingly.

Navadvépa-dhäma-pracäriëé-sabhä was held and many scholarly men attended. After much discussion it was decided that Deities must be established at the Yogapéöha (birth site of Lord Gauräìga). In October of 1894, at the age of fifty-six, the Öhäkura decided to retire from

government service against the protestations of government authorities and his family. He felt that the greater work of preaching the glories of the Holy Name was urgent and that his government service was a hindrance. He retired to Surabhi-kuïja in Godruma-dvépa, where he engaged himself fully in preaching, chanting and writing. He revised many of his previous writings, perfecting and refining them. No longer was he distracted by mundane duties.

On December 6, 1894, an article appeared in the Ämåta Bazar Patrikä that describes how, just after the Öhäkura's retirement from government service, he began going from door to door in Calcutta, begging donations for Lord Caitanya's Temple in Mäyäpura in a spirit of perfect humility:

"Babu Kedar Nath Dutt, the distinguished Deputy Magistrate, who has just retired from the service, is one of the most active members. Indeed, Babu Kedar Nath has been deputed by the committee to raise

subscription in Calcutta and elsewhere and is determined to go from house to house, if necessary, and beg a rupee from each Hindu

gentleman for the noble purpose. If Babu Kedar Nath Dutt, therefore, really sticks to his resolution of going round with a bag in hand, we hope, no Hindu gentleman, whose house may be honoured by the presence of such a devout bhakta as Babu Kedar Nath, will send him away without contributing his mite, however humble it may be, to the Gaur Vishnupriya Temple Fund."

Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura thus honored the houses of many persons, even persons who had formerly been opposed to him for one reason or another. His efforts served as inspiration for many other workers and before long sufficient funds had been taken up to erect a temple in

Mäyäpura. While the foundation of the temple was being dug, a Deity of Adhokñaja Viñëu was found. By referring to the Gauòéya Vaiñëava

scriptures, the Öhäkura determined that this Deity was the very Deity worshiped by owned and Çré Jagannätha Miçra, the father of Çré

Caitanya Mahäprabhu. This discovery confirmed the authenticity of the site from yet another point of view: archeological!

On March 21, 1895, on Gaura Pürëimä, the anniversary of Çré

Gauräìga's birth, an enormous installation ceremony and saìkértana festival was held. Thousands of visitors attended, and the festival was compared by many participants to the famous Kheturi festival of

Narottama däsa Öhäkura which he organized 450 years ago to unite all the followers of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura recalls: "...there was an enormous Çré Mürti installation festival and uncountable participants attended ... there was Manoharasari kértana ...

and näma-saìkértana, all with great bliss ... envy had previously arisen from the inhabitants of present-day Navadvépa over the finding of old Navadvépa. There had been some talk and a storm of abusive words for the worshipers of Gauräìga. But for those who have offered their lives to the lotus feet of Gauräìga, why would they be intimidated by the talk of wicked people? Not listening to the talk of the worldly-minded and envious, the devotees arranged to build a temple and worship the Lord."

The Öhäkura installed Deities of Lord Caitanya and His consort, Çrémäté Viñëupriyä, and everything was conducted with great pomp. The

birthplace of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu was officially commemorated and its true identity and importance was dramatically revealed to

thousands of people. Thousands of Vaiñëavas from all parts of India were present and took part in the ecstatic chanting, dancing and feasting.

Most of the learned paëòitas of Navadvépa, after hearing the exhaustive evidence uncovered by the Öhäkura, finally admitted that this was indeed the place of Lord Caitanya's appearance.

After this momentous celebration, the Öhäkura traveled to Tripura, a mountainous state, where Véracandra Deva Mahäräja, who was devoted to Lord Viñëu, was king. The Öhäkura traveled there at the king's

invitation in July of 1896, and for four days he preached about the glories of the Holy Name to the people there. On the first day he spoke about the eternal principles of devotion and the spiritual form of the Holy Name of Kåñëa. His lecture was filled with deep philosophical analysis and many quotations from the Vedic literature, unknown even to the many paëòitas and learned gentlemen in attendance. Upon hearing his talk, they became stunned with amazement at the erudition and deep realizations of the liberated paramahaàsa. Many were able to

service and the chanting of the Holy Names. For the next two days, the Öhäkura enlivened both the royal family and the general public by continuously speaking on Lord Caitanya's sublime pastimes.

Returning from Tripura to his work with the Näma-haööa in Godruma-dvépa, the Öhäkura toured all of the villages in the vicinity of Calcutta and Kumara Hatta, chanting the Holy Name and distributing the teachings of Lord Caitanya. From the time of his retirement in 1894 until 1896 there was another incredible outpouring of preaching, writing and publication work. In 1894 he published Vedärka-dédhiti, a Sanskrit commentary on Çré Éçopaniñad, along with a commentary by Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa and other commentaries as well. He also published Tattva-muktävalé or Mäyaväda Çata-düñaëé, a book by Madhväcärya refuting the philosophy of Çaìkaräcärya, with a prose Bengali

translation. In 1895 the Öhäkura was in full stride with the publication of his Amåta-praväha-bhäñya, his commentary on Çré

Caitanya-caritämåta; Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latikä, a Sanskrit work about pure devotion by an unknown author and edited by the Öhäkura; Ñoòaça Grantha, sixteen small essays on Vaiñëavism by Çré Vallabhäcärya; Çré Gauräìga-stava-kalpataru, a twelve verse poem in Sanskrit from Raghunätha Däsa Gosvämé's Stavävalé; Manaù-santoñaëé a Bengali translation of a Sanskrit work by Çré Pradyumna Miçra; Mukunda-mälä-stotram, by King Kulakçekhara, who was one of the twelve Alvars of South India; Çré Lakñmé-carita by Guëaräja Khän, the author of Çré

Kåñëa-vijaya; four näma-stotras from the Närada Païcarätra, and Çréman Mahäprabhor Añöa-käléya-lélä-smaraëa-maìgala-stotram, an eleven verse Sanskrit poem on the eight-fold daily pastimes of Lord Caitanya by an unknown author.