Bringing the Holy Name into Modernity

A Biographical Sketch of Śrīmad Kānupriya Gosvāmī

Abstract

This article presents a biographical sketch of Śrīmad Kānupriya Gosvāmī (1891–1975), a pivotal figure in the 20th-century revival of Śrī Caitanya’s Vaiṣṇavism in India. It examines his unique response to modernity, characterized by a focus on rearticulating and reinterpreting traditional Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theology for his Indian contemporaries rather than directly engaging Western audiences. The article highlights his key works, especially Jīvera Svarūpa o Svadharma (1934) and Śrī Nāma-cintāmaṇi (1943), which emphasize the true nature of the living being and the power of the Holy Name as a means to attain divine love and peace. Kānupriya Gosvāmī’s life demonstrates how traditional knowledge can be revitalized to address contemporary challenges, fostering a vision of universal spiritual awakening.