Appearance and Introduction
Śrī Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja appeared in approximately 1764, in a Sambhrant royal family in a Maṇḍalākāra village within the division of Tangail, in the district of Myemensingh in present day Bangladesh. Some believe though that he appeared in the Tadasa village, within the Pabna district of Bangladesh, in a Varenda kāyastha family. To this day we do not have a definite account of or acquaintance with his mother and father, nor of the year, date, and other details of his birth.
At whichever place or in whatever family Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja may have appeared, in reality he is Bhagavān’s eternally perfected associate and the manifested form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is fully realized in the conception of the Śrī Svarūpa-Rūpānuga line and is the sārvabhauma (emperor) of the Vaiṣṇavas. He is the eternally worshipable master of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Greatly enthusiastic in preaching the message of Godhead, he is a general in the army of nāma-saṅkīrtana and a crest-jewel of swan-like pure devotees who delight in preaching. Śrī Vraja and Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma are his eternal places of residence.
Accepting Formal initiation
While staying in his previous āśrama, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja acted out the pastime of accepting formal initiation by becoming the initiated disciple of Śrī Rāsabihārī Gosvāmī, who was a descendent of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and a resident in the provincial district of Puruliya. Śrī Rāsabihārī Gosvāmī had one other disciple, the late independent ruler of Tripura, Īśānacandra Manikya Bahadura, and up to today, Śrī Rasabihārījī, the worshipable Deities of Śrī Rāsabihārī Gosvāmī, are being served in his royal palace.
Coming to Śrī Vraja-maṇḍala
By perusing the life history of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, one can understand that even before coming to Śrī Vraja-maṇḍala, he already was a topmost devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Still, desiring to attain the association of the devotees who purely followed Śrīman Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s conduct and precepts, he came to Śrī Vraja-maṇḍala.
Association with the Viśuddha-rūpānuga-ācārya
By the will of divine providence, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja came to Śrī Vraja-maṇḍala and received the association of the bhāgavata, Śrīla Madhusūdana dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. Madhusūdana dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja was enacting the pastime of taking the position of ācārya, while at the same time immaculately following and preaching the mood of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s line. Obtaining the association of Śrīla Madhusūdana dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s heart, which was burning with eagerness for the association of rūpānuga Vaiṣṇavas, was cooled. From him, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja received the deep process and truths of bhajana in the line of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya.
Paramahaṁsa-veśa
Day and night, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja began to perform sincere service to his Gurudeva, looking after everything. He stayed under the complete guidance of Śrīla Madhusūdana dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja for a long time, residing on the banks of Śrī Surya-kuṇḍa, where he perfectly exemplified ideal sādhana-bhajana. Seeing his honest service as well as unfathomable love for Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Madhusūdana dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja gave him the garb of renunciation (paramahaṁsa-veśa) and thus brought supreme auspiciousness to the residents of this world.
His Preaching Pastimes as an Ācārya
Bhagavān Śrī Gaurasundara accepts the worship and service of those who renounce everything and take His one-pointed shelter, taking a vow to preach His message. Some people consider themselves to be low and fallen and thus think of themselves as exalted Vaiṣṇavas. In order to protect their pretentious bhajana, they think, “By making disciples, my bhajana will be destroyed.” However, their so-called humility is actually full of pride. Leaving this powerful arrogance of being a great devotee aside, one should perform the function of Śrī Guru by teaching the process of humbly chanting śuddha-nāma both through one’s own personal example and by preaching it to others. In this way one will not be influenced by mundane prestige in the form of the waves of sense enjoyment.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and other pure devotees as well, gave instructions through the method of composing scriptures, while Śrīla Narottama Ṭhākura, Śrīla Madhvācārya, Śrīla Ramānujācārya and others accepted many disciples. Numerous foolish people became offenders at the lotus feet of the actual akiñcana devotees by thinking that such preaching activities were obstacles to the limbs of bhakti and were merely waves of sense enjoyment. Following the above-mentioned Vaiṣṇava-ācāryas’ magnanimous and exalted moods, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja followed the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.128
[Teach everyone you meet the instructions of Kṛṣṇa. Under My order become a guru and deliver everyone in this land.]
Thus, when on their own accord any person would come to Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja, he would immediately begin to deliver transcendental hari-kathā. Many devotees were attracted to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, seeing his incomparable anurāga towards Śrī Gaurasundara as well as his unfathomable enthusiasm for practicing and preaching Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s teachings. These devotees thus took the shelter of Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja. In this way their lives became fortunate and successful as they passed their time with great renunciation under his care. Many householders also followed Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s instructions.
Strictly Following the Method of Śrī Rūpānuga-bhajana
Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja’s chastisement was neutral. His strong instructions for the welfare of the soul were poignant.
For a long time, Bābājī Mahārāja stayed in the shelter of the banks of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Following the method of rūpānuga-bhajana, he would engage in the internal service of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda through the medium of his nāma-bhajana. Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja stayed in this world for 142 long years, continuously performing kṛṣṇa-kīrtana and inspiring others to also perform śrī-harināma. Bābājī Mahārāja only accepted the siddhānta that all the limbs of bhakti are to be practiced in conjunction with the process of chanting the Lord’s holy names; he never accepted any other conception.
With his mind intently absorbed in moods of separation, he would perform hari-kīrtana and would instruct others to do the same. He never patronized the pretense of ‘full absorption in nāma-bhajana’ that is actually performed with an enjoying mentality, nor the hypocritical performance of solitary bhajana. Apart from chanting the mahāmantra, which emanated from Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s lotus mouth and consists of sixteen names that can be divided into thirty-two syllables, he never indulged the nāma-aparādhis who chanted speculative, imaginary, modern mantras that were full of rasābhāsa (contradictory transcendental mellows) and opposed to siddhānta.
Following the instructions of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, the rūpānuga-sādhakas never performed any rasābhāsa-kīrtana, nor did they perform any type of nāma-aparādha in the place of śuddha-nāma and nāma-kīrtana. One may chant faithfully, or one may neglect chanting altogether, but failing to give up nāma-aparādha, and thinking that offensive chanting to be pure ‘nāma’ is an entirely different matter. Protecting or maintaining any one of the ten nāma-aparādhas to the holy name while foolishly thinking, “My harināma-kīrtana is going on nicely” is only self-deception. Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja never tolerated anything opposed to siddhānta or anything tainted with rasābhāsa.
Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja’s Deities
Taking the help of Śrī Bihārī dāsa (the sevaka of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja), the residents of Surya-kuṇḍa built a room and small temple for Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. Upon seeing the temple, Bābājī Mahārāja told Bihārī dāsa, “Bihārī! We should establish Ṭhākurajī in this temple. Make arrangements for Deities.”
On the order of Bābājī Mahārāja and with the assistance of a landowner, Śrī Bihārī dāsa brought the Deities of Śrī Gaura-Nitāi from a place called Daihat. He handed these Deities to Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja, who established Them in the new temple and held a very large festival.
Śrī Bihārī dāsa
Śrī Bihārī dāsa was a strong Vrajavāsī, born in a cowherd family. He served Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja for approximately forty years. From the perspective of worldly people, Śrī Bihārī dāsa was not highly educated; however, by the mercy of his Guru-pāda-padma, he obtained the true result of learning: the great opportunity to be absorbed in constant practice of kṛṣṇa-bhakti. He would take Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja in a basket on his head and carry him from one place to another. Because of his great strength, he would go eight to ten miles at a time without any inconvenience. He sat Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja in a basket on his head and carried him to Navadvīpa-dhāma. After arriving there, he built a kuṭīra for Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja with his own hands, using a shovel and other tools. Surrounding the kuṭīra, he also built four walls. He was a witness of the transcendental affection of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja for Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. Ease, power, and simplicity were apparent in whatever activity Śrī Bihārī dāsa performed.
One day, some thieves came to Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s kuṭīra to steal the Deities, thinking them to be made of gold. Although, by the will of Bhagavān, the thieves could not steal the Deities, still, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja gave his servant Bihārī dāsa the order to take the Deities to Śrī Vṛndāvana and leave Them there. Bihārī dāsa did so, following the order of Bābājī Mahārāja. At present, those Gaura-Nitāi deities are situated in Śrī Vṛndāvana at Gopāla-bhāga’s Dhopapara and are known by the name Sonara Gaura.
After some days, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja told Bihārī dāsa, “I do not wish to stay in this temple without Ṭhākurajī. If possible, bring a Deity from somewhere.” Bihārī dāsa then obtained a ṣaḍ-bhūja (six-handed) Mahāprabhu from a Manipuri Vaiṣṇava and Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja started serving this deity continuously.
After serving Ṭhākurajī in this way for ten years, Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja told Bihārī dāsa, “You should now hand over the services of Ṭhākurajī to someone else; I wish to go to Śrīdhāma Navadvīpa.” Bihārī dāsa duly followed Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s words. At present, the ṣaḍ-bhūja Mahāprabhu deity of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja is being served in a temple that is situated on the street that leads from Nidhuvana to the temple of Śrī Rādhā-ramaṇa.
The Sting of One Rupee
Once, as Śrī Bihārī dāsa was carrying Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja on a pathway, a devotee gave Bābājī Mahārāja one rupee and Bābājī Mahārāja gave it to Bihārī dāsa to keep. After walking two or three miles more, Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja suddenly told Bihārī dāsa to turn around and go back. Arriving again at the hut of the devotee who had given the rupee, Bābājī Mahārāja called out to that devotee, returned the rupee to him and said, “Brother, keep your rupee! I heard that you have many rupees. I don’t know how you can tolerate the biting sting of so many rupees! I am unable to tolerate the sting of even one rupee.”
Vaiṣṇava Sārvabhauma
Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja was the emperor of all the Vaiṣṇavas during his manifest pastimes in this world. He was the most prominent of Vaiṣṇavas in Vraja-maṇḍala, Navadvīpa-maṇḍala, and Kṣetra-maṇḍala. Because of being the crown-jewel of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, he was decorated with the title, ‘Vaiṣṇava Sārvabhauma.’
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s First Meeting with Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja
In the month of Śravaṇa 1880, when Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja was staying in the kuñja of Śrī Rūpa dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura arrived at the kuñja of Śrī Rādhā-ramaṇa Vasu with the intent of having darśana of Śrīdhāma Vṛndāvana. At that time, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was searching for certain lost scriptural texts. When he came to the kuñja of Śrī Rūpa dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, he had his first darśana of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja and thus manifested the meeting pastime of the eternal Vrajavāsī guru and disciple in the Vraja of this world. It was here that Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura received a copy of the ‘Dāsa śloki’ of Śrī Nimbāditya, which he later published in Bengali.
Hearing the powerful hari-kathā of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura understood that Bābājī Mahārāja was a great bhajanānandi-mahāpuruṣa, and thus he surrendered himself forever at Bābājī Mahārāja’s lotus feet. He realized that the actual result of his pilgrimage had been obtained:
tīrtha-phala sādhu-saṅga, sādhu saṅge antaraṅga, śrī kṛṣṇa-bhajana manohāra
[The actual result of going to the holy places is to obtain sādhu-saṅga, because in saintly association one attains ‘antaraṅga,’ or the opportunity of receiving confidential instructions for kṛṣṇa-bhajana, which steal the mind.]
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s travel to Śrīdhāma Vṛndāvana was successful. Śrīman Mahāprabhu, in the same way, expressed the feelings of His heart upon having darśana of Śrī Īśvara Purī in Gayā:
prabhu bale gayā yatra saphala amara yatra ksane dekhilan caraṇa tomāra saṁsāra-samudra haite uddharaha more ei ami deha samarpilan tomare kṛṣṇa-pada-padmera amrta-rasa pana amare karao tumi ei cahi dāna
Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Ādi 17.50–52
[Receiving the darśana of Śrī Īśvara Purī’s lotus feet, Śrī Gaurasundara said, “That moment I obtained the darśana of your beautiful lotus feet, My pilgrimage to Gayā became successful. Please save Me from the ocean of material existence, I have offered My body unto you! Please make Me drink the transcendental nectar of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet; this is all I beg from you!”]
In this same way, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s mind became restless in love, and many prayers befitting an ideal disciple appeared on his tongue. Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahāśaya was pleased, seeing that a person so learned and well versed in the scriptures possessed such powerful and natural enthusiasm to preach nāma-saṅkīrtana as practiced and preached by Śrīman Mahāprabhu. He thus encouraged Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura to preach even more broadly śrī gaura-nāma, śrī gaura-dhāma, and śrī gaura-kāma (Śrī Gaura’s name, abode, and desires) throughout the world.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura returned from Śrī Vṛndāvana and began preaching extensively to fulfill the heart’s desire of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahāśaya. By reading the autobiography of Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda, one will see that from that time onwards, he preached with even more force about the holy name and the precepts of pure bhakti. He began giving many eloquent lectures on the subject of dharma in many places throughout Bengal.
The Ideal Way to Follow Ekādaśī-tithi, Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s Condition in Bhāva, and Establishing Prapanna Āśrama
Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura observed every Ekādaśī-tithi perfectly, following the example shown by Śrī Ambarīṣa Mahārāja in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. On Ekādaśī in Amlajoda, they stayed up all night doing hari-kīrtana, showing to all the general people the unprecedented example of how to follow Ekādaśī.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has related these divine events at Amlajoda in his magazine ‘Śrī Sajjana-toṣaṇī, Year 4 Volume 23:
"After staying awake all night on Ekādaśī, at eight in the morning all the devotees in the village gathered together and performed nagar-saṅkīrtana. With parama-pūjyapāda siddha Śrī Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahāśaya leading the way, the party arrived at Prapanna Āśrama.
It is impossible to describe all the bhāvas that manifested in Bābājī Mahārāja at the time of kīrtana. At an age beyond 100, he would dance like a lion in the bliss of prema, and in the middle of his dance, he would sometimes shout out:
nitāi ki nāma eneche re, nāma eneche namera haṭe śraddhāmūle nāma diteche re
[Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu appeared on this Earth with wonderful names! He opened the marketplace of the holy names and distributed this wonderful prema-nāma for the price of faith.]
While singing these lines of poetry and others similar to it, he would shed incessant tears and tumble in the dust of the earth. The scene that took place at that time was so amazing, nowhere else is it possible to see such a wonderful pastime. Seeing the ecstatic emotions of Śrīla Bābājī Mahāśaya and becoming submerged in the bliss of his kīrtana, almost all present wept with hairs standing on end. Everyone danced ecstatically in the kīrtana for a long time, their voices choked with emotion. After the completion of the lengthy kīrtana, there was a brief lecture on the subject of nāma-haṭṭa. Being very pleased, Bābājī Mahāśaya gave the order for the manifestation of the ‘Prapanna Aśrama’ to begin that day. Receiving the approval of Bābājī Mahāśaya, Vipanipati Mahāśaya completed the task of establishing the Prapanna Āśrama that very same day. During the opening of a school or a medical dispensary, a prominent resident of the area is selected to be the chairman. However, during the opening of the Prapanna Āśrama, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahāśaya, who at that time was present in the assembly of the devotees, was given the chairman’s seat. This was proper etiquette in every respect. Therefore, if one wants to construct a Prapanna Āśrama in any village, it should be established in this manner.
In this village called Amlajoda, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja spoke with Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura day and night about Gaura and Kṛṣṇa. They also had many discussions on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja Arrives in Śrī Gaura-dhāma to Permanently Reside There
In the manifest lifetime of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, the viviktānandī-sādhus were propagating the idea that Śrī Vraja-dhāma is the place for perfected personalities and Navadvīpa-dhāma is the place for sādhakas, for it bestows the tendency to perform sādhana. They propagated the misconception that Śrī Vraja-dhāma is superior to Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma, and that just by arriving, by any means, in Śrī Vraja-dhāma, one will achieve perfection. This offensive conception that Śrī Gaura-dhāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa-dhāma are different thus became prevalent. Vaiṣṇava-sārvabhauma Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja took a firm vow to uproot this misconception completely and throw it far away. Hence, although being an eternally perfected Vrajavāsī absorbed in transcendental pastimes, he resided in Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma until his divine disappearance. He instructed Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Śrī Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, and many of his followers to manifest the brilliantly radiant nature of Śrī Gaura-dhāma by staying there and giving the perfect example of performing hari-bhajana. The previous ācārya Śrīla Narottama Ṭhākura has sung about this siddhānta as follows:
śrī gauḍa maṇḍala bhūmi jebā jāne cintāmaṇi tāra haya vraja bhūme vāsa
[One who knows the land of Śrī Gauḓa-maṇḍala to be spiritual touchstone achieves residence in the land of Vraja.]
The Necessity of Service According to Qualification
While Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja was staying in his bhajana-kuṭīra in Kuliyā Navadvīpa, some people who had given up household life and were wearing the cloth of renunciants came to obtain some instructions on bhajana. Considering their qualification, Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja instructed them to water the eggplant vegetables, which had been planted for Kṛṣṇa’s service. Having the false ego of being fully matured in bhajana, they were displeased with this instruction of Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja. They questioned why they should again perform the materialistic work of householders, since they had left their home to become detached from this sort of sensual work and had come to Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s lotus feet. Some thought that if even after leaving material life, they had to perform this sort of work again, it would be better to instead return back to their home. Understanding the mood of their heart, Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja brought all these disciples before Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and after clearly explaining their concerns to him, he asked the Ṭhākura, “You are the best deliberator, please give your opinion.”
Some of these persons possessed the false ego of being detached, loincloth renunciants. Some had a lethargic nature and were full of anarthas. Some were secretly vyabhicāris (performers of illicit activities), some kept independent desires, and some were anyābhilāṣīs, full of ulterior desires. Considering all their respective qualifications, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura advised one person among them to go on pilgrimage to the four dhāmas, to others he instructed to return to their homes and get properly married. He advised those simple persons, who were weak due to the disease of anyābhilāṣa, ulterior desires, to fully follow the instructions of Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja without any hesitation, and to fully surrender unto him. In this way, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, through Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, gave mercy to those in the grip of unwanted desires.
Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s All-knowing Nature
Many people would come to receive the darśana of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. When they would leave his company, they would give him donations. He would keep all these donations in a small jug. Every fifteen days he would have the money counted and most of it spent. If the servant of Bābājī Mahārāja ever took out 10 or 15 rupees and put it in another place without telling him, Bābājī Mahārāja would become very sober and speak in a loud voice, “Oh! Where did the 15 rupees go?” Bābājī Mahārāja never counted the money himself. Also due to advanced age, Bābājī Mahārāja’s eyelids would always be closed; he could only see if he held them open with his hands. He thus mostly kept his eyes closed in the presence of his servant. But still Bābājī Mahārāja knew everything. The servant then fearfully returned all the money.
Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s Disdain for the Hypocritical Residents of the Dhāma
Whatever donations Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja received, he would spend however he saw fit. One day, Bābājī Mahārāja told his servant, “Go! Take 200 rupees of the collected donations and exchange them for rasagullas. I will feed rasagullas to all the cows of the dhāma.” The servant asked, “Why do you want to feed rasagullas to the cows of the dhāma instead of feeding the Bābājī Vaiṣṇavas of the dhāma?” Bābājī Mahārāja replied, “You don’t know, most of the bābājīs here associate with women. Taking the cloth of bābājīs, they are having illicit association with women. Therefore, I am not feeding them rasagullas, but rather, I am giving the rasagullas to the cows.”
Protecting the Etiquette of the Paramahaṁsa dress from the Unqualified
Many dishonest people would come near Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja to accept a loincloth or the dress of a paramahaṁsa from him. One time, a Bābājī by the name of Gaura Haridāsa was very insistent on taking veśa from Bābājī Mahārāja. However, Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja didn’t want to give him veśa under any circumstance. Thus, for three days, Gaura Haridāsa lay outside Bābājī Mahārāja’s hut without eating or drinking. In the end, Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja did not give him veśa personally, but ordered his servant Bihārī dāsa Vrajavāsī to do so.
Complete Intolerance for Rasābhāsa and Conclusions against Siddhānta
Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja would not tolerate anything that was even slightly opposed to siddhānta or that was rasābhāsa. He said, “Just by having the arrogance of being the disciple of a great personality, one may not actually be a real disciple. Those who don’t have the proper character or mindset and who don’t fully accept chastisement and authority from guru are disciples in name only.” Those with the arrogant self-conception of being followers of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, could never actually preach the message of Śrī Rūpa and Raghunātha. Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja would become very angry seeing their independent nature. One time, a famous so-called Bābājī, accompanied by his group, came near the hut of Bābājī Mahārāja singing a speculative imaginary song ‘nitaī-gaura-rādhe-śyāma’ full of the fault of rasābhāsa. Noticing this group, Bābājī Mahārāja took a stick in his hand and shouted, “Forbid them from coming this way! Chase them away.” Seeing this, no one dared to come nearby.
Under the Direction of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Prepares the Śrī Navadvīpa Calendar
When Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja went to Bhakti Bhavana, he showed great affection to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Bābājī Mahārāja would be very satisfied seeing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s truthfulness, one-pointedness, brilliance, eloquence or frankness, understanding of bhakti-siddhānta, firm vow of abstinence from bad association, and his love and attachment for harināma. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda went many times with Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura to take darśana of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja at his bhajana-kuṭīra in Kuliyā Navadvīpa. He would hear the discourses between Bābājī Mahārāja and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. By the time Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura was merely 12 years old, he was greatly accomplished in knowledge of astrology and could perfectly discourse on the subject. Hearing from Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura of this amazing transcendental talent of the boy, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja set in motion, through Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, the Śrī Navadvīpa calendar. This calendar included the Caitanyābda, or the current year counting from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s birth, all the months titled with Viṣṇu’s names, the days of the week, phase of the moon, and festival dates (tithi) approved by the Vaiṣṇava conclusions. To this day, Rūpānuga Vaiṣṇavas follow the limbs of bhakti according to the dates and festival days that were checked and authorized by Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja.
Vaiṣṇava-sārvabhauma Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, who is in the disciplic line of the bhāgavata-paramparā from Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura and Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, stated that the appearance of Śrī Viṣṇupriyā Devī was on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar moon, in the month of Magha (January/February). Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was the first to preach these words of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja all over the world. With great care and effort, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja compiled the appearance and disappearance dates of the associates of Gaura. He presented them to Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and they were preached throughout the world by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja’s Inspiration to Manifest the Appearance Place of Śrīman Mahāprabhu
On the banks of the ancient river Sarasvatī in Śrī Kurukṣetra, the dhāma of separation, is the place called Thāneśvara, which is marked by the lotus feet of Śrī Gaura and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. There, Śrī Gaurahari placed His lotus feet in the home of His associate, Śrī Jagannātha. Similarly, at Surabhi Kuñja in Śrī Godruma, the inspiration to manifest the appearance place of Śrī Gaurasundara, who is covered and adorned with the complexion and sentiments of Śrī Rādhā and His dhāma, entered the heart of vaiṣṇava-sārvabhauma Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja transferred this inspiration into the heart of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura became very anxious to serve in manifesting Śrīdhāma Māyāpura under the guidance of Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. By the inspiration of Śrī Gaurasundara, he became very eager to render this service. We can see this by reading a letter penned by his own hand.
Specifying the Birthplace of Śrī Gaura
On the 20th lunar day of the month of Phālguna in the year 1892, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja arranged an auspicious saṅkīrtana procession. He set out from Kuliyā Navadvīpa with a large group of people and proceeded to Śrīdhāma Māyāpura Yogapīṭha. Simply by touching that sacred place, Bābājī Mahāśaya declared it to be the home of Jagannatha Miśra. Later, when the devotees arrived at the saṅkīrtana-maṇḍala in Khola Bhāṅgāra-Dāṅgā, where Chand Kazi had broken the mṛdaṅga in Mahāprabhu’s pastimes, one large mṛdaṅga broke upon the devotees’ arrival.
Entering the Eternal Pastimes of the Lord
In the year following the manifestation of Śrī Gaura-dhāma, the Deities at Śrī Māyāpura Yogapīṭha, and the construction of the Pracāriṇī-sabhā (preaching assembly) in Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma, Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja performed his disappearance pastimes, at 10:00 am on Monday, 25 February 1895, on the first day of the bright fortnight. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wrote the following on this subject in his Sajjana-toṣaṇī:
“In the Bengali calendar year 1301, on the 14th lunar day of Phālguna (February-March), on Monday, in the morning at 10:00 a.m., situated in his bhajana-kuṭīra in Koladvīpa within Śrī Navadvīpa-maṇḍala, the devotee’s ‘Veteran General’ Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, entered the transcendental dhāma. Bereft of the darśana of this perfected soul Bābājī Mahāśaya, the land of Gaura has become filled with darkness. He has entered the transcendental world. We will not be able to see his ecstatic dancing and kīrtana again with our mundane vision. May he shower his mercy upon us from the transcendental world.” (Sajjana Tosani, 2nd year, page 2)
Śrīla Prabhupāda said that Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja himself had the place for his samādhi excavated before his disappearance.
[Excerpted from the Bhakta Bandhav Publication "Four Rūpānuga Vaiṣṇava Ācāryas of the Śrī Gauḍīya Sampradāya, Volume four: Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja"]