Jan Once upon a time- or in a moment that transcends time-The great Gaudiya Vaisnava teacher Śrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura instructed one of his more academically gifted disciples to write a book that would sum up the vast and profound teachings of Krishna Consciousness. The disciple was Sundarananda Vidyāvinoda, who was specifically asked to accomplish this task by quoting only from the work of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta's father and intimate spiritual advisor. Bhaktivinoda, in many ways, was the first to express the rich Gaudiya theological system in modern language, both in his native Bengali and in English. He is also renowned as the systematizer of the tradition for the contemporary world. Moreover, he is revered in his lineage as a singularly empowered individual, whose writings are on an equal footing with sacred scripture. The eager Sundarananda thus took his Master's mandate to heart, and the result is the book you now hold in your hands, Bhaktivinoda Vani Vaibhava.

Many words and precious time have been wasted on detailing Sundarananda's strained relationship with the Gaudiya Math, and this is not the place to belabor the issue. Suffice it to say that Sundarananda's books speak for themselves, and their analysis of Gaudiya philosophy is deep and penetrating. A few of his titles should be known: Śri Ksetra, Acintya Bhedabheda, Gaudiyera Tin Thakura, Gaudiya Vaisnava Siddhantera Itihasa, Harināma-cintamani kirana-lesh, among others. While there may be points of detail in some of these works that differ from the common understanding of Gaudiya Math devotees, overall they bear the same message of Krishna-bhakti, and they explain the science of love of God with exacting detail. And we must consider Sundarananda's other services: For many years he was Śrila Bhaktisiddhānta´s chief editor and a respected intellectual in his movement. He was trusted enough to be given Bhaktivinoda's autobiography for editing purposes, which is something Bhaktisiddhänta would not allow anyone else to do.

**Contents and Sample Pages**