Page 78 - SBV (English)

18 Çré Bhaktisiddhänta Vaibhava

further stated that the paramount example of renunciation was manifest in the
sampradäya of Çré Caitanya.
In this period Çré Siddhänta Sarasvaté began writing essays on spiritual
topics for various magazines, whereby he became known for his virulent
condemnation of malpractices in the name of religion. And to help his school
companions lead an exemplary life, he formed a society named Cira-kumära
Sabhä (Association of lifelong bachelors), also called August Assembly, whose
members took a vow of celibacy, intending to avoid entanglement in family
affairs. However, Çré Siddhänta Sarasvaté was the lone member to maintain the
pledge throughout life.
During school holidays Çré Siddhänta Sarasvaté studied the Vedas under
Paëòita Påthvéçvara Sharma, who also tutored him in the grammatical work
Siddhänta Kaumudé. Çré Siddhänta Sarasvaté went through the entire grammar
in three months, covering the section on sandhi in three days. Paëòita Sharma
*
cautioned, “You should not finish the perusal of sandhi so quickly. It took me a
long time. In Banaras, scholars go through Päëini’s grammar during their whole
life. Whoever continuously studies Päëini attains liberation upon dying.” Çré
†
Siddhänta Sarasvaté replied, “Then from today I reject you. The goal of my life
is neither mastery of grammar nor liberation, but worship of Hari and attaining
His affection. I have studied the Vedas, the branches of the Vedas, and their
connate parts only in a secondary manner.”
Paëòita Païcänana Sähityäcärya was elderly, the head of the astronomy
department at the Sanskrit College, and reputed as the greatest astronomer in
Bengal. But he was outspokenly atheistic, and Çré Siddhänta Sarasvaté regularly
and fearlessly opposed him. When in 1892 Paëòita Païcänana and others,
including Maheça-candra Nyäyaratna (the head of the college) and Çré Bäpudeva
Çästré, proposed revision of the astrological calendar, Çré Siddhänta Sarasvaté
pointed out several mathematical and technical discrepancies in their arguments.
One of his pupils published a tract showing conclusively the inaccuracies of the
reformers, that the matter rested on the precision of the equinox, which in Vedic
astronomy is made from a fixed point of the zodiac. Much discomfited by the

* According to some sources the paëòita’s name was Påthvédhara Sharma.
Sandhi—the system of euphonically adjusting the final and initial letters of contiguous
words as well as within the word (rüpa) between it and suffix (pratyaya) or prefix
(upasarga) or infix (ägama) in the process of declension or conjugation, or formation
of new words.
† Päëini—the outstanding ancient authority on Sanskrit grammar.