Biography of Shri Bilvamangal Thakur

Information about the date of birth of Shri Bilvamangal is not available. Shri Bilvamangal was born in south India around the 9th century in a pious Brahmana family.

Shri Bilvamangal took initiation in the Vishnuswamy sect from Somagiri, who was his spiritual master. Somagiri gave him the name ‘Lilashuk’.

In his previous life, Shri Bilvamangal was a great sanyasi and a great devotee of Lord Krishn. He was at the level of Bhava (having intense love for Krishna). He was fond of organizing Bhagavatam festivals after which he would distribute prasad to people who would attend.

Once while organizing the festival, he spent all his money. He needed more money to feed devotees. So he went searching for wealth. By walking around he saw the cremation of young lady Princess who had died at the age of 18. There were her unhappy father, mother, and all citizens. Father lit the fire and everyone then left. Princess was burning with many diamonds and golden ornaments on her body. The Sanyasi (Bilvamangala Thakur) saw all this and thought:

“What is the use of all this valuable jewelry to the dead body of a princess? Better take all this and use it in the service of Lord Krishn and devotees.”

So He approached the dead body and tried to take jeweled ornaments but then he heard the voice:

"Stop it! Don't take this!" It was the voice of the dead princess. Sanyasi was shocked.

"If you need wealth then go to my father the king. Tell him that I have sent you. Under my bed, there is a box with great treasure. Ask my father for that wealth and use that wealth to serve devotees and Lord Krishn", spoke dead princess.

Sanyasi (Bilvamangala Thakur) happily went to the king and revealed what had happened. King looked and really found a great treasure under the bed of the princess. King happily donated that great wealth to the sanyasi. Bilvamangala went and spent all the wealth on the Bhagavatam festival. But in the end, again there was a shortage of some wealth. So he went to the cremation place of the princess and took the diamond necklace. As he was going he heard the voice of dead princess:

"You have made a great mistake by taking this necklace. I curse you that although you are so advanced in love for Krishn, to take birth one more time and live an immoral life."

In his next life, the sanyasi was born as someone who is greatly attached to women. Princess has also taken birth again as his prostitute Chintamani.

Shri Bilvamangal was a very rich man, and very much sensuous. He kept one prostitute named Chintamani. He was so much devoted to the prostitute that once he was performing his father's death ceremony and he was asking the priest, "Please, haste. Please make it fast. I have to go. I have to go." (He had to go to the prostitute's house) Then there was the ceremony of feeding people. He took very nice foodstuff in a bag, and he was going to that prostitute's house. But when he came out of his home, it was raining torrentially. He didn't care for that rain. He went to the riverside but there was no boat, and the river was waving. The waves were very furious. And he thought that "How can I go to the other side?" He was going to the other side of the river. But anyhow, he crossed over by swimming.

The prostitute thought, "Oh, it is raining today, and Bilvamangal may not come." So she closed the gate and went to sleep. And when he came to the house he saw the gate was closed and it was raining still. So he crossed over the wall by catching one snake and went to the prostitute. She was astonished by this and said "how do you come here?" Bilvamangal described everything. 

The prostitute said, "My dear Bilvamangal, if you would have loved Krishn as much as you love me, you would have attained supreme bliss."

These words of Chintamani struck him. He immediately left and went away.

By the words of Chintamani, Bilvamangal became disinterested in the world and he decided to live in Vrindavan and worship Shri Krishn. Bilvamangal left for Vrindavan. He saw a beautiful woman because he was so bound to that habit. So he went behind her. Although he thought that I am going to Vrindavan to worship Shri Krishn, and here I am going after a woman. Thinking this, he became alert and went towards Vrindavan. On the way he was again attracted by another woman. So he followed that woman. That woman belonged to a respectable family.

So he came to the gate of the house of that woman. The woman said to her husband, "Oh, this man is following me. Please ask him, 'Why is he following me?"

So the husband asked, "My dear sir, you appear to be a saint, and you belong to a very aristocratic family. From your appearance I understand. What do you want? Why are you following my wife?"

Bilvamangal said, "Yes, I am following your wife because I want to embrace her."

"Oh, you want to embrace? Come on. You are welcome."

The husband ordered to her wife "Oh, here is a saint. He wants to embrace you. So please decorate yourself nicely so that you can serve him."

So the wife also followed the instructions of the husband because the wife's duty is to follow the instructions of her husband. And when Bilvamangal came inside before the woman, he thought "these husband and wife are householders, yet they are ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of service of a saint, and even after being a monk, forgetting Krishna, I came here after this woman, shame on me."

Thinking this, he said, "My dear mother, will you kindly give me your hairpins?"

The woman said "Yes. But why?"

Shri Bilvamangal said, "I need them for something."

The woman gave him the hairpin. Then he took the hairpin and at once pierced his eyes and he became blind. Blood started flowing from his eyes. The husband and wife panicked and wanted to get him to a doctor. But Bilvamangal said "I am all right. These eyes were my enemy, now I shall not get disturbed anymore."

So in that blindness, Bilvamangal left for Vrindavan. He was crying constantly and remembered Krishn. He was repenting and this was his penance. Somehow he reached Vrindavan. He had not eaten anything for many days. So by the grace of Krishn, Krishn came in a form of a Brajwasi boy and said. "Oh, my dear sir, why are you starving? Why don't you take some milk?"

Bilvamangal said, "Who are you, my dear boy?"

Krishn said "I live in this village. I am a cowherd boy. My name is Gopal. If you like, I can give you some milk daily."

Bilvamangal said "All right."

So Krishn used to give him milk daily and they both became friends. Krishn used to sit beside him when Bilvamangal used to write verses.

Bilvamangala used to sing for Shri Krishn, who used to come and listen. Gopal (Krishn) used to sit next to him like a well-behaved boy, listening appreciatively but never touched him. Sri Krishn would personally give Bilvamangala Prasadam and lead him to a safe resting place. Because he was blind, Bilvamangala didn't know the identity of this sweet Brajvasi boy. Then one-day Krishn played his captivating flute for the blind man. Suddenly, Bilvamangal became mad with the desire to behold the beautiful sweet form of Syamasundar. 

When, again, will the Ocean of Mercy by manifested before me with the beneficent brightness of a moon face and interrupt my meditation with the nectar of music from divine flute play.

Realizing that this "Brajvasi boy" was actually the Lord of his life and the love of his heart, he reached out to touch Krishn. Playful Gopal touched Bilvamangal's hand, laughed lovingly, and ran away. Singing, Bilvamangal said -

“Throwing off my hand, O Krishna, You’ve run away–what is so wonderful about that? I’ll consider You strong only if You can escape from my heart!

Shri Bilvamangal stayed under a tree in Brahma Kund, Vrindavan for 700 years using his yogic powers.

Bilvamangal wrote many verses and songs full of love of Krishn. Krishn Karnamritam, his most famous work, was one of the first authentic books to reveal the supreme position of Shri Radharani in Shri Krishn's Vrindavan Madhury Lila.

Apart from Krishn Karnamritam, Bilvamangal Thakur wrote Govind Damodar Stotra which consists of 71 verses of glories and praise of Shri Krishn.

Shri Bilvamangal’s year of disappearance is still unknown. His Samadhi is situated in Gopinath bazar in Vrindavan.