Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838–1914) was the father of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura (Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master). He wrote almost one hundred books on Bhakti.

His was a pioneer in sending Bhakti yoga beyond the borders of India. In 1896, McGill University in Montreal placed in their library his book Lord Chaitanya, His Life and Precepts.

He raised ten children and had a notable career as the Deputy Magistrate under British rule from 1866 to 1894.

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura

Pure Teachers

The most important element in Bhakti yoga, or any genuine spiritual path, is to learn from a teacher who is pure. Pure teachers are rare, but we can learn how to recognize them and thus avoid being misguided. Such discretion is an important characteristic of progressive spiritual life.

27. Vishvanatha

Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura appeared in 1662 in the village of Devagram, Bengal. He received initiation from Ramana Chakravarti, and his name after taking sannyasa was Hari Vallabha Goswami.

13. Vidya-nidhi (Vidyadhiraja) Tirtha

Vidyanidhi lived from 1348 until 1412. Prior to his becoming a disciple of Jaya Tirtha, his name was Krishnabhatta. In due course he became the successor to the “Vedanta pitha,” the seat of office by which one is recognized as a spiritual preceptor. The only written works accredited to Vidyanidhi Tirtha are a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita and a commentary on Vishnu-sahasra-nama, which is the first recorded commentary written on it from the standpoint of Dvaita philosophy (dualism).