This work is attributed to Prabodhananda Saraswati, but is almost definitely that of Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

Nearly every verse is taken either from Prabodhananda’s Vṛndāvana-mahimāmṛtam (VMA) or Caitanya-candrāmṛtam (CC). A few words in each verse have been changed to make them relevant to Nabadwip, but Bhaktivinoda reveals himself in verses like 36, and many other verses in which he mentions Godrumadvipa (named about 10 times, Mayapur is named 4 or 5 times, all the other islands at least once), where his own residence was. With the exception of CC 1, 83, 100-102 (three of which are found here as verses 85, 88 and 97), Prabodhananda has never mentioned Nabadwip, and certainly none of the other “nine islands,” knowledge of which may not have existed prior to Narahari (Bhakti-ratnākara).

If indeed Prabodhananda had written this work, he would have done so while in the East prior to establishing himself in Vrindavan, and that would mean that his Vṛndāvana-mahimāmṛtam was written after Navadvīpa-śatakam. It is almost inconceivable that any author would plunder his own previous work so ruthlessly and in such a crass fashion. Judging from the selective fashion in which VMA verses appear in NS, it is clear to any impartial observer that NS has been created from VMA and CC. No effort has been made to disguise the borrowing, which is wholesale and even follows pretty much the same verse order.

A few verses appear to be original : 1-3, 76, 78-83, 98-99, 102.

Though the most charitable way of looking at this forgery is that Bhaktivinoda made the changes and then, in recognition of Prabodhananda’s original authorship, gave him credit for the composition, it is rather more likely that his intention was to enlist Prabodhananda’s name in support of the nine islands concept of Nabadwip, the name of Mayapur, etc., as a part of his attempt to promote the birthplace of Chaitanya in Miapore.

dṛṣṭi-śakti-susampannas tattvaṁ drakṣyaty atra hi |
guru-gaurava-garvāndhaḥ na paśyet sāmpradāyikaḥ ||

The text is taken from the Chaitanya Math edition (ed. B.V.Tirtha, 1984). (entered by Jagat)

Added by: Jagat
Credits: Jagat
Text version: 1.01 (legend)
Keywords: Bhaktivinoda, Navadvipa-satakam, Prabodhananda, Sarasvati, Saraswati, Nabadwip, Bhaktivinoda, Thakura

Spotted a mistake, have a question or a comment to make on this text?
Email a report to us

Additional notes from the editors' research and selected discussion forum contributions.

I have discussed the attribution of this text to Prabodhananda in the following article:

http://www.jagat.wisewisdoms.com/articles/showarticle.php?id=87