“Svalikhita Jivani” – Autobiography of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, published after a century by Bhaktivedanta Research Center

HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj and HH Guruprasad Swami Maharaj launching the book, Svalikhita Jivani at ISKCON Leadership Sanga in Sridham Mayapur on 15th February 2023

Svalikhita Jivani, the autobiography of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura published by the Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) in its original Bengali language was released at ISKCON Leadership Sanga by HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj and HH Guruprasad Swami Maharaj facilitated by HG Gauranga Prabhu and HG Braj Vilas Prabhu on 15th Feb 2023 as part of the ISKCON Leadership Sanga event in Sridham Mayapur. The event was telecast live on Mayapur TV.

Originally, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur’s autobiography was written by him in the form of a letter to his son Lalita Prasad in 1896 and it was posthumously printed by the latter in 1916. However, after the first print, the book went out of circulation and remained almost beyond access over the course of the next hundred years.

The editor Dr. Santanu Dey glorifies the significance of printing in colonial Bengal. He says,” The onset of print culture in colonial Bengal facilitated the emergence of new forms of individuality through new literary genres like autobiographies, biographies, journals, and novels. It also led to the widespread dissemination of devotional literature. As manuscripts began to be printed in large numbers, networks of readership gave visible expression to a public sphere, reiterating the link between education, service, and cultural production. Print also enabled the integration of sacred communities through new networks of readership.”