How such a great mistake not yet discovered by the whole Vaishnava society?

All Glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga

To those blessed Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava devotees

How such a great mistake not yet discovered by the whole Vaishnava society?

Date : 02. 07. 2026

Unfortunately due to wrong translation of the verse of Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 4/101-103 which was quoted in the book “Essence of Pure Devotion” written by Paramahaṁsācārya-varya Jagad-guru Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Pramode Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja and which was published by Śrī Gopīnātha Gauḍīya Maṭha on 24.09.1998 where we discover the great mistake done by the translator at page No.75. There we can see that Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda giving instruction to Śrīla Nāmācārya Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura in the following way which is quite impossible (I mean next to impossible)—

pratyaha kara tina-lakṣa nāma-saṅkīrtana

sabāra āge kara nāmera mahimā kathana

āpane ācāre keha, nā kare pracāra

pracāra kareṇa keha, nā karena ācāra

‘ācāra’, ‘pracāra’—nāmere karaha ‘dui’ kārya

tumi—sarva-guru, tumi jagatera ārya

(Cc. Antya 4.101–103)

“Here, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī addresses Nāmācārya Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura, saying that daily you have to chant three lakhs of the Holy Names. Some people have good character but do not preach, while other preachers have no personal example of their own. One has to execute both of these activities in a proper measure to do the work of an ācārya.”

This is a very spectacular point that Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda used to honour Śrīla Nāmācārya Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura as Guru (and the same mood was there with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda or anybody else among the pārṣadas of Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu) so it is impossible for him to give advice or instruction to Śrīla Nāmācārya Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura as is represented wrongly by the translator concerned.

Actually in the verse Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī never wanted to give any advice or instruction to Śrīla Nāmācārya Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura — who according to his estimation was a great exalted Jagad Guru Śrī Nāmācārya, but due to very very poor knowledge in Bengali language the translator was just mislead to conclude completely wrong way. Actually Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda wanted to glorify Nāmācārya Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura in a very absolute style by saying that – “You are the great ācāraṇa-śīla personality who is doing three lakhs of Harināma-saṅkīrtana daily infallible way, in front of everyone you are always trying your best to glorify Śrī Harināma. Someone can follow pure strict ācāraṇa in his own bhajana life but not going for preaching, yet some other can go for preaching without the backing of perfect ācāra-ācaraṇa. You are following both ācāra & Pracāra — both simultaneously without any compromise, so you are Jagad Guru and your divine position is above all.

We feel very very sorry to see the wrong publication of the meaning of the above verse Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 4/101-103, though Śrīla Paramahaṁsācārya Jagad-guru Bhakti Pramode Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja had nothing to do with the wrong translation at the very old age like 98 years, still it is really painful because the book was originally written by him in Bengali language, so it is really derogatory for the whole society of Śrī Gopīnātha Gauḍīya Maṭha, because nobody could trace out this fault (maybe there are so many other faults, who knows?) within this long period of time.

Please excuse us, it is surely not our intention to find out some faults with others, but it is the question of the honor and prestige of Paramahaṁsācārya-varya Jagad-guru Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Pramode Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja.

Thanks a lot

Truly yours in the service of Śrī Śrī Guru, Gaurāṅga and Gau-Mātā

All those sincere members of Śrī Bhakti Siddhānta Vāṇī Sevā Trust (Regd.)