Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī (1874–1937)

Abstract

The article "Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī (1874–1937)" by Ferdinando Sardella presents a concise biographical and theological portrait of the influential Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava reformer who founded the Gauḍīya Maṭha and pioneered a modern revival of Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism. Sardella outlines Bhaktisiddhānta’s early life as Bimala Prasāda Datta, his extensive training in Sanskrit, astronomy, and logic, and his initiation by Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī. The article examines Bhaktisiddhānta’s critique of caste-based spiritual authority and his promotion of śuddha-bhakti (pure devotion) through publishing, preaching, and institutional organization. Key aspects include his emphasis on bhakti-siddhānta (devotional epistemology), his polemics against impersonalist doctrines, and his missionary zeal that later inspired international movements such as ISKCON. Sardella places Bhaktisiddhānta in the context of Bengali religious reform and modernity, showing how he forged a synthesis of classical Gauḍīya theology with a distinctly public, activist religious identity.