The unwavering dedication of Srila Vinod-da in renouncing bad association and preserving the flow of Sri Gaura-Vinoda-Vani

The unwavering dedication of Śrīla Vinod-dā in renouncing bad association and preserving the flow of Śrī Gaura-Vinoda-Vānī

(Difference in the activities of a srī-guru tyāgi and srī-guru prestha)

When 'Parāvidyābhushana' the ācārya of Śrī Gauḍīya Matha, abandoned all the conduct and principles of Śrī Rūpānugas, the distinguished members of the Gauḍīya Matha, distressed by his actions against bhakti, sought redress from Śrīla Vinoda Vihārī Brahmacāri Kritiratna Prabhu. Hearing everyone's sorrow and sufferings, 'harder than a thunderbolt'—Śrīla Kritiratna Prabhu resolved to take action against him. He wrote letters to various places, ensuring courage and assurance to the members of the mission, relying on the ‘utsāhān niścayād’ verse. The opposing party secretly seized all those letters and, along with their associates, tried to put him (Kritiratna Prabhu) in trouble, and they were determined to suppress Kritiratna Prabhu and his group by any means, fair or foul. One day, there was a clash between the two groups at Śrī Caitanya Matha; a cowherd disciple of the other side, while cutting down a date palm tree, slipped and fell to his death. Centering on this, a false murder case was filed against Śrīla Vinoda Vihārī Brahmacāri, Śrīla Mahānanda Brahmacāri, Śrīla Narahari Brahmacāri, and 19 others, and they were illegally arrested to evict them from the permanent possession of Śrī Caitanya Matha. Even before this, the opposing party, in order to remove them from the Calcutta Gauḍīya Matha, had issued Section 144 against 37 people, including Śrīla Kunja-Vihārī Adhikārī Bhaāgavata-ratna, Śrīpāda Atulacandra Bhakti-Sāranga Gosvāmī, Śrīpāda Vinoda Vihārī Brahmacāri, Śrīmad Bhakti Rakshaka Śrīdhara Mahārāja, Śrīmad Bhakti Sarvasva Giri Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Hayagrīva Brahmacāri, and others. When some of them were imprisoned under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, one day Śrīla Saraswati Prabhupad gave darshan to Śrīpāda Kritiratna Prabhu and said in a deep, thunderous voice,— "Have you still not taken Sannyāsa? ‘Take Sannyāsa’ & preach the prema-dharma of Śrīman Mahāprabhu everywhere. I take responsibility for all your obstacles and difficulties." In the morning, he informed his intimate godbrothers, including Śrīpāda Narahari Sevā-Vigraha Prabhu, about this incident. By the blessings of Śrīla Guru-pādapadma, they (Kritiratna Prabhu and group) were all acquitted. Those who gave false testimony in that case, later, many of them suffered accidental punishments; sons of some died within 2-4 days, the houses of some got burnt down in a fire, and some, losing their eyesight, wandered from door to door begging.

In 1940, after leaving Māyāpura, Śrīla Vinoda Vihārī Brahmacāri Kritiratna Prabhu, Pujyapāda Śrīla Bhakti Rakshaka Śrīdhara Mahārāja, Śrīpāda Narahari Sevā-Vigraha Prabhu, and others, along with their companions, established "Sri Devananda Gaudiya Math" in a rented house in Teghari-pāra in Navadvīpa town, and began to reside there and started preaching.

(Portion of the book 'ŚrīŚrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Kesava Gosvāmī’)