The Radiant (A Short Biography of Swami Brindaban Bihari Das Kathiababa)

The great philosophies of Dualism and Monism had their origin in the teachings of Srimat Nimbarkacharyya. Dhananjay Das Kathiababa is the worthy successor of this great philosophical school. A scholar extraordinary, he is a charming speaker. Thousands of listeners drink the nectar of his speech as if in a trance. His love is magnanimous and his heart is as tender as flowers. Revered alike at home and abroad, Brindabanbihari Dasji got his Ph.D. from Benaras Hindu University. In spite of inspiring a generation of countless devotees and followers with his intuitive lectures, he lives a saintly life desisting the path of cheap publicity. The divine birth and life of Brindabanbihari Dasji has been narrated briefly in this book.

Poet, translator, linguist and educationist Prof. Prabhas Chandra Dhar hailed from a remote village of Kishoreganj district now in Bangladesh. He taught both English language and literature in Bir Bikram Memorial College, Agartala and Tripura University. After an illustrious teaching career of 32 years Prof. Dhar retired in 2000.

As a linguist, Prof. Dhar's major contribution was to construct the first grammar of Kokborok, the native language of the Tripuri people. Apart from writing the first grammar of Kokborok based on modern linguistics, Prof. Dhar also edited a trilingual dictionary of the ethnic language and translated the famous Bengali Krittibasi Ramayan into it. To him also goes the credit of translating the third volume of Tripura Rajmala into English verse. Besides writing numerous essays, travelogues and a novel, Prof. `..;iiar wrote many text books for students.

Among his published works the most notable ones aren: Sarab Chintan, Sri Sri Sarada Mangal Kavya, Ulat Puraner Desh Americar Katha, Deshe Bideshe Pathe Prabase, Ganga— Devi 0 Nadi, Doctor Kantani, Kakbarak Swrwngma, Ramayan Prabhaschandrani, Kakkuthumma, Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Dharma Jijnasa, Jyotirmay, Abhiramayan, Rajmala Ill, etc.

Even in his retired life, Prof. Dhar continues to remain occupied with his reading and rereading of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana and other scriptures.

There are people all around us. Many of them are known to us and more of them are not known to us so well. Some people are ,our friends and relatives and majority of them are not. The society is comprised of all. In the society the relations between man and man grow deep and shallow from time to time. Very near relatives often grow distance for no apparent reason. And again, for no reason an unacquainted person becomes acquainted, near and friendly. Then, we cannot even remember that he was ever unacquainted. This is the sport of life in the world.

In this worldly sport we are only play-things. In this sport all our acquaintances and unfamiliars, all that is distant and near are all common men. That is to say, they are all human beings like us. They are all ordinary men and women like ourselves in the physical features, in their habits and characters, in their success and failures and everything. In them and in us there is nothing that distinguishes us or attracts us to others.

But, in this ordinary multitudes sometimes one or two attract our attention. In physical features they are ordinary only. But their deeds make them .extraordinary. We all revere -them, we bend our heads before them. They are great men with great souls. We, the Hindus, who believe in the immortality of all soul, believe in the rebirth after death, also believe that such extraordinary people come from higher regions. We believe that they come down from higher places. When we come near them, we feel gratified.

In the opinion of this writer, Dr. Brindabanbihari Das Kathiababa is one such extraordinary man. We love and revere him. We try to study his life-style with deep attention. In this proceSs a desire is born in my mind to share with others what we think about him. Joy is a thing to enjoy with friends. Therefore, whenever there comes an occasion of joy, people invite others to partake share of their joy. My desire is also like this.

Dr. Brindabanbihari Das is not yet SO. (He was born in 1962). That means he has just begun his mature life. In future, much later his biography will he written by competent writers. This book of mine marks the beginning only. Yet I believe.that this effort of mine will be the stepping stone for the future biographers and thus will gratify me. The facts that I put here will, otherwise, have been lost. For that it will remain as a mine. I beg the readers' pardon for all faults and signs of incompetence.

**Contents and Sample Pages**