Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s transcendental identity was revealed confidentially to the members of his spiritual family. He is the best of the followers of Rupa Manjari who is the leader of Lalita Sakhi’s entourage. In various places in his own writings, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has indicated this divine identity:
yugala-sevāya, śrī-rāsa-mandale, niyukta kara āmāy |
lalitā-sakhīra, ayogya-kinkarī, vinoda dhariche pāy ||
Bhaktivinoda holds your feet and asks you to engage this unworthy servant of Lalita Sakhi in the service of the Divine Couple while they are performing the rasa-līlā. (Kalyāna- kalpataru)
In the song Siddhi-lālasa in his Gīta-mālā, Bhaktivinoda Thakura gives his eternal spiritual identity as Kamala Manjari, the servant of Sri Rupa Manjari. Her kunja is in the bower of Lalitā, Vrajānanda-sukhada- kuñja, where she sets the standard of worship to the Divine Couple.
varane tarit, vāsa tārāvalī, kamala-mañjarī nāma |
sāre bāro varsa, vayas satata, svānanda- sukhada dhāma ||
My bodily hue is like that of lightning and I wear a sari the colour of a clear night sky sprinkled with stars. I am twelve and a half years old and I live in Svānanda-sukhada- kuñja.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura laid the foundation for the daily activities for the present day Gaudiya Vaishnava institutions. The Gaudiya Math institutions cannot be separated from Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, as all these institutions are entirely indebted to his sublime contributions.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakura has written, “Devotees in the line of Srila Rupa Goswami do not preach about their own powers; but rather they direct attention to the source of their spiritual strength. We do everything for the sake of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Sri Rupa, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and our divine spiritual master.” (Patrāvalī, vol. 3)
Devotees of the Brahma-Madhva-Sarasvata- Gaudiya sampradaya pay their respects every day to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura using the following verse:
suddha-bhakti-pracārasya ihottamah |
malibhūta śrī-bhaktivinodo devas tat-priyatvena višrutah ||
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur is a transcendental personality who is the root of the preaching movement of pure devotion. He is renowned as one who is dear to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Adapted from Associates of Lord Caitanya by HDG Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Gosvami Thakura