SRI GOVINDA BHASHYA
Srila Baldeva was a little concerned as well as worried after committing to produce multiple commentaries in such a short time. The only way to accomplish the task was to surrender to the lotus feet of Sri Radha Govindaji. To the worried devotee, the Thakurji gave three different instructions in the dream during three nights. On the first night, Govindaji just said “Kuru”. Srila Baldeva could not comprehend this short instruction. The instruction of the next night was “Kuru Tava Bhavisyati”. However, still not clear! Thakurji became more explicit on third night. ”Bramha Sutrani Vyachaksha, Tat Bhasyam Te Setsyati ”
This instruction evaporated all the clouds of uncertainty in the mind of Srila Baladeva. He immediately started writing commentaries under three different Vedic gradations- Sri Govinda Bhashya i.e. The commentary of Bramha Sutra (Nyaya), Gita Bhusan commentary (Smriti) and commentary of Sri Gopaltapani & Dasopnisad (Sruti). The mercy of the Thakurji ensured the completion of the commentaries well before the deadline set in the meeting.
In that monumental year of 1718 AD, he produced these commentaries to the complete amazement of all the Scholars, assembled in that meeting at Galta! Presented before them was something not humanly possible. The flawless explanation ensured that the tradition (Sampradaya) started by Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also referred as Gaudia) was immediately and most honorably recognized as the fifth Vaishnava Sampradaya or Tradition in that Galta meet. All the clouds of uncertainty were dissipated!
The Gaudia priests were reinstated to their earlier seva of Sri Radha Govindaji. Sevas of Gaudia Brahmins at Jaipur, Galta, Karouli, Sridham Vrindavan and places spread all over the land of India continued as before. The moment was so monumental that the decisions taken then continue to this day.
All the participants had vowed before the King of Jaipur to surrender to and take initiation from Srila Baladeva, if he could produce an acceptable commentary of all the three branches of Vedic Literature i.e. the commentary of Bramha Sutra (Nyaya), GITA Bhusan commentary (Smriti) and commentary of Sri Gopaltapani & Dasopnisad (Sruti). Keeping their word, they all surrendered to Srila Baladeva and offered themselves to become his disciple. A magnanimous Srila Baladeva asked them to continue with their existing spiritual linage. However, as a symptom of the monumental happenings at Galta, Srila Baladeva installed the Deities of Sri Vijay Gopal at Galta. Taking precedence over other deities, the first Aarati of the day were (and still is) always performed on these deities.
Impressed by the scholarship of Srila Baladeva, he was conferred the title of “Vidyabhusana”by the then king of jaipur and became known as Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhupada from that time onwards. After restoring the dignity of followers of Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Baladeva headed back to Vrindavan. Everybody in Vrindavan came out on the street to welcome him. Be it a Goswami, Mahant, Temple Head, Babaji or an ordinary Vrindavan folk…. Everybody was grateful to and singing glories of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhupada.
Before proceeding to Galta/Jaipur, Srila Baladeva send a letter and sought blessings from the then Mahanta or head of the Shyamanandi Gaddi which was situated at Sripat Gopiballavpur in West Bengal. The Mahanta Sri Brajajanananda Deva Goswami Prabhupada headed for Vrindavan by boat on the flow of Ganga and from Triveni on the flow of Yamuna after receipt of this letter. He was extremely happy to learn the achievements of Srila Baladeva at Galta and appointed him (Srila Baladeva) as the Seva Adhikari or Head of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsunder Temple in Sevakunj Vrindavan.
The deities of Sri Sri Shyamsundar (which was manifested from the lotus heart of Srimati Radharaniji and was handed over to Sri Shyamananda Prabhu) and Srimati Radharaniji (which was self-manifested at the treasury of the King of Bharatpur in rajasthan) popularly called Lalaji and Laliji were very small in size. He could not satisfy his cherished desire to offer them a large variety of outfits and decorations. Srila Baladeva was very impressed with the worship of the large Deities of Sri Radha Govindaji at Jaipur He sought and received permission from the then Mahanta to install large deities. A large block of stone from Nilgiri, near of his birth place village Athantar in Odissa was carved into the beautiful deity of Sri Shyamsundarji and a deity of Srimati Radharaniji was made of Asta Dhatu (eight metals). These deities were installed in the centre alter of the temple on the Vasanta Panchami of 1719 AD.
He established a very high dressing and decoration code of the deities of Sri Radha Shyamsundar Temple, which are followed to this day. The highlights are Chandan Decoration of Akshaya Tritiya and decoration & exhibition of the thirty-five different pastimes of the Lord during 35 days of the month of Kartik.
In line with the tradition set at Galta & Jaipur, he was honored to perform the first Mangal Aarati among all Vaishnava temples of Vrindavan at his Sri Sri RadhaShyamsundar Temple. This temple, belonging to the Gaudia Sampradaya thus gets precedence over temples of other four Vaishnava sampradayas. This tradition continues to this day.
After returning from Jaipur, he got engrossed in the service of his Istadeva Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundarji. This was the place where most of his monumental books were composed. He had concluded Sri Govinda Bhasya by stating-
Vidyaroopam bhusanam me pradaya,khyatim ninyeten yo mamudarah I
Shri Govindah swapna nirdishta bhashyo Radhabandurbandhuragah sa jiyat II
Meaning:-May the one, who in the form of Sri Govindaji revealed the commentary of Vedantsutra to me in the dream and as a result I received the accolade and rewarded the name Vidyabhusana. May that Sri Shyamsundarji, who is the most dear and life & soul of Sri Radhikaji, be victorious!
The prominent books written by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhupada
Nyaya-
Govinda Bhashya (Commentary of Bramha Sutra)
Shruti-
Commentary of Shri Gopal Tapani & Iso-adi-dasopnisad
Smriti-
1. Sri Sri Gitabhusan Bhashya
2. Sri Namartha sudha - Sri Sri Vishnu Sahasranam Commentary
3. Siddhantaratna Bhashyapithak
4. Prameya Ratnavali
5. Siddhanta Darpan
6. Vedanta Syamantak
7. Vaishnavanandini – Commentary on Srimad Bhagwat
8. Sahitya Kaumudi
9. SriKrishnanandini, commentary on Sahitya Kaumudi
10. Aisvarya Kadambini
11. Kavya Kaustuv
12. Chhandah Kaustuv Commentary
13. Saranga Rangda-Sri Laghu Bhagwaramrit Commentary
14. Natak Chandrika Tika
15. Stavamala Vibhusan Commentary
16. Sri Tattva Sandarbha Commentary
17. Sri Sri Shyamanand Shatakam Commentary
18. Vyakaran Kaumudi
19. Gupta Dham Chhatra
Disciples of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhupada-
Only two devotees are confirmed as disciples of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhupada-
1. Sri Nanda Mishra: Commenter of Siddhanta Darpan
2. Sri Uddhav Das: Compiler of Upasana Paddhati
Disappearance of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhupada
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhupada disappeared on the Ganga Puja Dashami(Dashahara) 26thMay of 1768 AD in the Temple of his Istadeva Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar Temple at Sevakunj, Sridham Vrindavan. Although in nineties, he was still engaged in their loving services. His Samadhi is situated on the rear side of the Parikrama Marg of the temple and pretty close to his worshipable lordships Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundarji
Sri Sri Radha Shyamsunder Temple lovingly remembers Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhupada and commemorate his disappearance day with continuous Sri Harinaam sankirtan mahayajna, Conference of devotees to glorify him, Suchak Kirtan,Nagar Sankirtan Procession, A feast for the Sadhus-Sant-Mahant-Goswami-Prabhupada-Brahmin-Vaishnava etc, are arranged in the Temple courtyard every year.
Only one poem of Mangal arati written by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhupada (In Brajabuli language) available
“Jai Jai mangal aarati duhunki I
Shyam gouri chhabi uthai jhalaki II
Nava ghane janu thira bijuri viraje I
Tahe mani abharan angahi saje II
Kare lai deepabali hema thari I
Aarati karatahi lalita aali II
Sabahun sakhigan mangal gaoe I
Koi karatali dei koi bajaoe II
Koi koi sahachari manahni harikhe I
Duhunka anga para kusum barikhe II
Iha rasa kahatahin baladeva dase I
Duhun rupa madhuri heraite ashe II”