Page 72 - SBV (English)

12 Çré Bhaktisiddhänta Vaibhava

temple, and he chanted Hare Kåñëa throughout his life. How did he become a
ghost, and how could your chanting expel him?”
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura told them that the priest must have vibrated
only the syllables of the name, thus producing a physical, lip-deep sound
lacking spiritual essence. When Bhaktivinoda asked about his character, they
replied, “He was not good. He committed many sinful acts. But he used to recite
harinäma almost constantly.” Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura further explained why
the priest could not have been truly chanting: “Sinful people, with the intention
of acquiring wealth and reputation, make a show of kértana, but that is merely
cheating. As stated in Çréla Jagadänanda Paëòita’s Prema-vivarta:

asädhu-saìge bhäi “kåñëa näma” nähi haya
“nämäkñara” bähiräya baöe näma kabhu naya
Those not in the association of authentic devotees cannot actually
utter the holy names. Even though they may externally vibrate the
sound kåñëa, that is not actually the name of Kåñëa.
“The name of Kåñëa is nondifferent from Him and thus completely pure
and spiritual. Kåñëa-näma does not allow Himself to be plundered by materialists.
This man never actually chanted Hare Kåñëa, only nämäparädha. Because of
severe offenses to the holy name he became a ghost. The men then asked, “Can
he ever be released from that wretched condition?” Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura
said, “If he hears the real name, or the proper explanation of Bhagavad-gétä or
Bhägavatam from a bona fide sadhu who has a genuine connection with Kåñëa,
then he can be liberated from ghostly existence.”
Henceforth all troubles caused by the specter ceased. The villagers then
realized that Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura was himself that caliber of exalted
sadhu whose pure kértana had the power not only to exorcise unyielding ghosts,
but to deliver the entire universe from the maelstrom of material life.
Back in Calcutta, Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura continued writing Çré
Caitanya-çikñämåta, and regularly read from the manuscript to Bimalä and others.
Bimalä applied himself to his schooling, but concentrated more on studying the
books of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, under whose guidance he also perused the
Ñaö-sandarbha of Çréla Jéva Gosvämé and other Gosvämé literature. He excelled in
jyotiña, specializing in technical aspects of the science rather than in prediction,
and grasped the subject so thoroughly that he quickly outstripped many savants
with decades of experience. During 1885 he invented a new phonetic system
of writing, called Bicanto, or vikånti, which subsequently was lost. Later, at age