By the time Srinivasa, Narottama, and Shyamananda had finished their training, Vaishnavism had spread widely across Bengal in name and in feeling, but the actual books explaining its philosophy barely existed there. Almost everything Rupa, Sanatana, Gopala Bhatta, Raghunatha Dasa, and Jiva Goswami had written still sat in Vrindavana, mostly in single manuscript copies. Nityananda Prabhu's wife, Jahnava Devi, who had visited Vrindavana herself and seen how much had been produced there, is credited with first suggesting to Jiva Goswami that the books be sent east. Jiva agreed, and gave the job to his three best students.
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Ordered by | Jiva Goswami, at Jahnava Devi's urging |
| Sent | Srinivasa Acharya, Narottama Dasa Thakura, and Shyamananda Pandit |
| Manuscripts carried | Works of Rupa, Sanatana, Gopala Bhatta, Raghunatha Dasa, and Jiva Goswami |
| Transport | Ox-cart, with armed guards and a royal passport arranged by Jiva Goswami |
| Route | Vrindavana, through Agra, toward Bengal via the Malla kingdom of Vishnupura |
Loading a Cart With the Tradition's Whole Library #
According to the traditional accounts, a wealthy merchant disciple of Jiva Goswami from Mathura supplied a large cart, several bullocks, and a group of armed guards for the journey. The precious manuscripts were mostly the original copies, since printing did not yet exist and no other copies had been made. They were packed into a wooden chest, bolted shut, and wrapped in waxed cloth against the weather. Jiva Goswami is even said to have obtained a passport from the ruler of Jaipur, since the party would be crossing several different kingdoms on the long road east. Jiva and a number of other Vrindavana devotees walked with the three preachers as far as Agra before turning back, because they could not bear a longer separation. From there, Srinivasa, Narottama, and Shyamananda continued alone. Tradition remembers this as the very first travelling sankirtana party in Gaudiya Vaishnava history. It set an example that Srila Prabhupada would revive centuries later, when he sent ISKCON's own book distributors and sankirtana parties out across the world.
A Long Road Through Hostile Country #
The journey covered hundreds of miles, largely on foot and by cart. It passed through territory that was not always safe for travelers carrying anything that looked valuable. Accounts differ on the exact circumstances of what happened next. One version says the party was robbed while still short of Bengal, near a village called Gopalapura, before they had even reached the Malla kingdom of Vishnupura. Another says they were already well inside Vishnupura's borders when the theft occurred, and believed the dangerous part of the trip was behind them. But both versions agree on the main events. The cart and its priceless cargo were stolen in the night by dacoits working for the local ruler, Vira Hambira. His kingdom controlled the region now known as Bishnupur in Bankura district, West Bengal.
The Books Are Taken #
Both traditional accounts describe Vira Hambira's men as having been told by court astrologers that an unusually valuable cargo was passing through the kingdom. The astrologers apparently expected gold or jewels, not palm-leaf manuscripts. However the theft actually happened, the result for the three preachers was the same. They woke to find the chest of books gone. By their own account, they fell into such despair that they briefly thought of taking their own lives. To them this seemed better than returning to Vrindavana after losing everything they had been sent to deliver. Then Srinivasa made the decision that shaped everything that followed. Instead of all three going on together, he sent Narottama and Shyamananda ahead to begin their preaching mission in Bengal and Odisha as planned. He himself stayed behind in Vira Hambira's territory to try to recover the manuscripts.
What Happened Next #
That decision led directly into one of the most celebrated episodes in later Gaudiya Vaishnava history. This was Srinivasa's meeting with Vira Hambira himself, and the king's eventual conversion to Vaishnavism. That story is told in full, with its own details and a careful look at what each source says, in The Encounter With Vira Hambira.
