Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's Commentary - Anubhāṣya

The Anubhāṣya is a treasure house of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava history and philosophy, penned by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura as a commentary on Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Through this work, Śrīla Prabhupāda has been able to provide his readers with authentic, detailed accounts of the lives of Lord Caitanya’s associates and the sacred places of Bengal. It stands as a testament to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta’s scholarly genius, which Śrīla Prabhupāda expertly conveys to the Western world to preserve the legacy of the saṅkīrtana movement.

A Window into History

One of the most striking features of the Anubhāṣya is its detailed tracking of the lineages of great devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda often cites Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's records of fathers, grandfathers, and descendants to preserve the social history of the movement. For instance, Śrīla Prabhupāda notes how the commentary identifies the modern descendants of associates like Śivānanda Sena and Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, linking the past to the present.

• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - The descendants of his (Sri Rudrarama Pandita's) brother, Yadunandana Vandyopadhyaya, are known as Cakravarti Thakuras, and they are in charge of the maintenance of this temple as sevaits.
• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - One special characteristic of this family (of Pundarika Vidyanidhi) is that each of its members had only one son or no son at all, and therefore the family was not very expansive.
• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - It is sometimes said that Navani Hoda was the son of Raja Krsnadasa. His descendants still live in Rukunapura, a village near Bahiragachi.

Sacred Geography

For the pilgrim, the Anubhāṣya is an indispensable guide. Śrīla Prabhupāda utilizes Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's meticulous locations of homes and temples, often using contemporary railway stations and village names as reference points. By including these details in his purports, Śrīla Prabhupāda ensures that the condition of temples, the deities installed there, and even the inscriptions found on the walls are known to the global community of devotees.

• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - Within one mile of this (Sodapura) station, toward the western side of the Ganges, is a village known as Panihati, in which the residential quarters of Raghava Pandita still exist.
• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - There is a railway station named Purvasthali near the Navadvipa railway station, and about one mile away, in a village known as Mamagachi, which is the birthplace of Vrndavana dasa Thakura.
• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - The village where he (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami) took birth is known as Sri-krsnapura.

Philosophical Insights

Beyond history and geography, the Anubhāṣya provides essential philosophical clarity which Śrīla Prabhupāda relies upon to instruct his students. He quotes Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī to define the ontological status of the Lord and His energies, explaining the difference between śakti-tattva (energy) and śaktimān-tattva (the energetic). Śrīla Prabhupāda also uses the commentary to rigorously defend the purity of Lord Caitanya's movement against sahajiyā interpretations.

• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments in his Anubhasya that among the five tattvas, two are energies (sakti-tattva) and the three others are energetic (saktiman tattva).
• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - He (Lord Caitanya) remained everlastingly predominated by Krsna and never accepted the part of the predominator by imitating conjugal love with an ordinary woman, as sahajiyas generally do.
• In his Anubhasya, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments - The gopis are purely engaged in the service of the Lord without motive. They are not captivated by the opulence of Krsna, nor by the understanding that He is the SP of Godhead.

Revealing Spiritual Identities

A unique contribution of the Anubhāṣya is the revelation of the previous identities of Lord Caitanya’s associates in kṛṣṇa-līlā. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's citations from the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā to confirm who was a cowherd boy, who was a gopī, and who was an incarnation of a Vedic personality. This helps the devotee understand the eternal nature of the Lord's entourage.

• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (167) it is mentioned, gunamala vraje yasid damayanti tu tat-svasa: The gopi named Gunamala appeared as Raghava Pandita’s sister Damayanti.
• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - In text 50 of the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika it is mentioned that Kasinatha was an incarnation of the brahmana Kulaka, whom Satrajit sent to arrange the marriage of Krsna and Satyabhama.
• Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - The Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (129) states that Uddharana Datta Thakura was formerly the cowherd boy of Vrndavana named Subahu.
• In this connection (CC Adi 17.276) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya - Sri Gaurasundara is Krsna Himself with the attitude of Srimati Radharani. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu never gave up the attitude of the gopis.

Conclusion

The Anubhāṣya is more than just a commentary; it is a bridge that connects the modern devotee to the deep, historical roots of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition. By carefully documenting the details of person, place, and philosophy, Śrīla Prabhupāda has ensured, through the work of his spiritual master, that the "nectar of the character of Caitanya" (Caitanya-caritāmṛta) remains accessible, authentic, and free from distortion for all future generations.

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