Prema-pradipa: A Spiritual Novel By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Written in Bengali in 1886, at a time when the people of India were turning away from their own spiritual heritage to embrace divergent philosophies, this book enchanted its readers and inspired them to again cherish genuine spiritual life. Prema-pradīpa contains extensive references to a religious movement known as Brāhmoism. The movement’s philosophy was steeped in rationalism and a modern scientific approach. Brāhmoist philosophy asserts that worship of the Supreme Lord’s form equates to idolatry, that the Vedic scriptures are unworthy of faith, and that one should not place faith in the avatāras of Bhagavān (the Supreme Lord). According to the Vedas and those who have perfectly imbibed Vedic thought, such thinking prevents a person from ever relishing the bliss inherent in the soul and from tasting full freedom. It was with grave concern for the spiritual well-being of all that Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura penned this great literature, which is both delightful and profound and which illuminates the means of attaining the true and ultimate goal of yoga in accordance with the Vedic version.