Gauḍīya-toṣaṇī

এসব- সােদ িলিখ চতন -লীলা- ণ, জািন বা না জািন, কির

আপন- শাধন

KRISHNA-KARSNA-KATHA

120th anniversary of the departure of Srila

Jagannath das Babaji Maharaj

02/19/201502/25/2015
BRIJABASI
1 COMMENT
visvanātha bhakta-sātha, baladeva jagannātha,
tāṅra priya srӣ-bhaktivinoda

“Among the loyal followers of Viswanatha Chakravarti Thakura was Baladeva Vidyabhushana, and then
Jagannath das Babaji. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur was very dear to him. "

Today is the 120th anniversary of the departure of the Vaishnava-Sarvabhauma Srila Jagannath das
Babaji.

For us, Babaji Maharaj is first and foremost the Shiksha Guru of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur and one of the
most important acaryas of the recent past.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur first met Jagannatha das Babaji in Vrindavan in the summer of 1880, when he
traveled to holy places with his wife, mother-in-law and one-year-old son. Only when he saw him, did
Thakur immediately realize that Babaji Maharaj was the greatest saint. Since 1885, he began to regularly
meet with Babaji Maharaj and receive his fellowship and instructions. In February 1892, Bhaktivinoda
Thakur once again went to Vraja Dhama. Along the way, he visited a small village in Barddhaman
County called Amladzhora. Once again, he met Jagannatha dasa Babaji and together they spent all day
and night (there was Ekadashi) in the discussion of Gaura-Krishna-katha, singing kirtanaand reading and
explaining the scriptures. The next day, Bhaktivinoda Thakur, together with Babaji Maharaja, founded
the famous center of preaching - Amlajora prapannashram. Seeing that Bhaktivinoda Thakur - excellently
educated and possessing the deepest knowledge in the sastra - is so eager to preach the holy name
Jagannath das Babaji gave him all kinds of blessings and inspiration. At the same time, he also expressed
his special request that Thakur preach the glories of the holy name and abode of Lord Caitanya all over
the world. After returning from Vrindavan, Bhaktivinoda Thakur with special efforts began to preach in
different places of Bengal, giving lectures and spreading the holy name of the Lord. In the month of
Magh (January-February) of 1893, Jagannath das Babaji, accompanied by a large number of Vaisnavas,
came from Kuliya Navadvipa to Godrum, to the house of Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Surabhi Kunja. The
whole Dhama was filled with the loud sounds of kirtanand unearthly bliss. It was then that Jagannath
das Babaji, along with his companions, went to Mayapur and, barely seeing him, confirmed that this was
the "Ancient Mayapur" - the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. Also at that time, he pointed to several places
around Mayapur directly related to the lilas of the Lord. Then, seized with love for the Lord, he began to
dance in incredible bliss, despite his advanced age.

It was Jagannath das Babaji after this grandiose sankirtan in Mayapur ( Phalguna 20 , 1893) who
said that at the birthplace of the Lord in two separate places one should establish the Deities: in one
place - the Deities of Jagannatha Misra and Sacidevi, and in the other - the young Mahaprabhu with
Vishnupriya and Lakshmipriya. "And in the Srivasangana, let the Pancha-ta va be established." This is
described by Bhaktivinoda Thakur himself in an article on the appearance of the Lord in his newspaper
“Sajjan-toshani” (4.234-235).

In Navadvipa, the bhajan-kutir of Jagannatha dasa Babaji is still preserved . It was there that Babaji
Maharaj performed his bhajan, and it was here in 1890 that he asked Bhaktivinoda Thakura to arrange a
separate place where he could sit and chant nama. Thakur gladly fulfilled this request and built a small
veranda there. It was here, where Samadhi Babaji Maharaja is also located , that Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakur repeatedly came along with a huge group of parikrama. This tradition is still alive today
- all groups of Navadvipa-mandala-parikram must visit the bhajan-kutir of Jagannatha dasa Babaji in Kuliya.

It is generally accepted that the

Pancha Ta va Mantra brought to this
world precisely the Jagannath das
Babaji. Also, thanks to Jagannatha
dasa Babaji, we have the opportunity
to celebrate the day of the appearance
of Sri Vishnupriya Devi, the divine
energy of Lord Gauranga, the
personification of loving devotional
service - prema-bhakti-svarupini. Her
avirbhava-tithi was unknown until
Jagannath das Babaji mystically
revealed it to Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
( Saraswati Jayashri, p. 41)
While giving a lecture on the glories of Gaura Dhama on Sunday February 28, 1926 in Yoga Pith, Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur said:

“The one through whom the service of this Sri Dham was manifested was the Vaishnava-sarvabhauma
Srila Jagannath. This area is indicated by this great mahajan. Pointing to this place, he said: "It is here -
Antardvipa Sridham Mayapur ." Obeying this instruction, Thakur Bhaktivinoda, who considered himself
his servant and follower, began to show the lila of service to Sridhama . ” ( Saraswati Jayashri , p. 346).

Also, thanks to Jagannath das Babaji, we have a clean Vaishnava calendar, because he spoke many times
about the need for a calendar (almanac) calculated in accordance with the rules and principles of pure
devotional service. In those days, all calendars more or less corresponded to the ubiquitous doctrine of

smart. Sri Bimala Prasad, already at the age of twelve, was considered a great connoisseur of jyotish.
When Babaji Maharaj heard of such extraordinary abilities of the young Saraswati Thakur, he asked him
to develop and distribute a panjika (calendar) that would fully correspond to the Vaisnava-siddhanta. Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur fulfilled this desire of Babaji Maharaj by starting to publish in 1901
Navadvipa Panjiku.

In addition, Jagannath das Babaji also became the reason that among the Gaudiya Vaishnavas , the
Chaturmasya order was restored. Some Vaishnavas of that time often neglected this gate (as well as other
austerities), considering it karma-kanda. Bhaktivinda Thakur, receiving inspiration from his shiksha guru,
who, as befits the renounced Babaji, strictly followed Chaturmasya, introduced this gate to his followers,
urging them to limit their sensual pleasures as much as possible during this period.

When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur was in Kurukshetra in 1928, he also visited the house of a
medieval saint named Jagannath in Tannasar (Thaneshwar). There, Srila Sarasvati Thakur said that Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally visited Kuruksetra during the solar eclipse of 1514 and instructed
Jagannatha in this house about devotional service in a mood of separation. Later, exactly 79 years ago, on
February 19, 1936, on Wednesday, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur revealed to the audience the
secret truth that this Jagannath later appeared as Jagannath das Babaji Maharaj during a lecture in Yoga
Pith .

Babaji Maharaj has lived a very long life. Some say that he lived 135 years, some 144 years, and some 147
years. He was a student of Madhusudana dasa Babaji from Surya-kunda, who in turn was a student of
Uddhava (Uddhara) dasa Babaji, a student of Baladeva Vidyabhushana. The famous Bhagavata dasa
Babaji, who became the vesha-guru of Gaura-kishora dasa Babaji Maharaja, in turn, received the vesha
from Jagannatha dasa Babaji.
Yadunandana das adhikari, a student of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, recalled his meeting
with the personal servant of Jagannatha dasa Babaji, Bihari dasa Babaji. Bihari was a very strong- built
Vrajavasi . For a long time, from a young age, he personally served Babaji Maharaj and was his constant
companion. Probably most of all he is famous for carrying Babaji Maharaja in a basket when Babaji
“could not” walk himself (although at the same time during kirtanhe often jumped up and started
dancing like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, and his body became like the divine body of Gauranga).
Yadunandana prabhu met with Bihari dasa Babaji once after the end of the annual festival at Sri Krishna-
Caitanya Math in Vrindavan. then almost all the devotees went to preach in Delhi, and Yadunandana
prabhu stayed for several days in Math, because he fell ill during the festival. Si ing on the second floor
and thinking about something of his own, he looked at the gate of the Math. Suddenly, around 10 in the
morning, Bihari das Babaji entered the gate slowly, leaning on a cane, and limping, he began to climb the
stairs to the second floor. Yadunandana das rose to meet him and spread the bedding for him. Bihari sat
on the li er and after a short opening conversation began to recall: “I served Babaji Maharaj (Jagannatha
dasa Babaji) for forty years. I am already old - I am already 86 years old and I can no longer walk
normally. But then I had a lot of strength. I wore Babaji Maharaj, sometimes covering distances of 8-10
miles (12-16 km). I've seen a lot, woman. There is no longer any desire to remain in Vrindavan. Babaji
Maharaj kept telling me all the time: “Look, Bihari, never go to these monkeys, do not jump with them.”
I don’t communicate with anyone here, unless absolutely necessary. Only now I come to you sometimes
when you call. " Babaji Maharaj kept telling me all the time: “Look, Bihari, never go to these monkeys, do
not jump with them.” I don’t communicate with anyone here, unless absolutely necessary. Only now I
come to you sometimes when you call. " Babaji Maharaj kept telling me all the time: “Look, Bihari, never
go to these monkeys, do not jump with them.” I don’t communicate with anyone here, unless absolutely
necessary. Only now I come to you sometimes when you call. "

“Babaji Maharaj was very fond

of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. I have great
faith in your Gurudeva
[Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura].
I watched him from childhood. I
visited Bhakti-Bhavan in Maniktal
more than once and saw him there -
he was very confident, very
powerful, very educated and was
never afraid to tell the truth. Always
very a ached to the holy name. At an
early age he was thin and tall, in one
shirt. Jagannath das Babaji Maharaj
loved him very much. ”
Then Bihari das Babaji began to describe how he first went to Calcu a with Jagannath das Babaji. After
Babaji Maharaj came from Vrindavan to Navadvipa, one man from Calcu a came to him and began to
beg him to visit his house in Calcu a. Babaji Maharaj refused, but he began to insist on his request. In the
end, Babaji Maharaj agreed and they, along with Bihari, went by boat to Calcu a. When the formal
formalities ended, Babaji Maharaja began to offer food. He flatly refused, since he had never taken food
from worldly people. A very awkward situation arose and no one knew what to do. In the end, Babaji
Maharaj said: “Let's go to Bhaktivinod Mahashaya. I go to him ”and gave the owner the address of the
house of Bhaktivinoda Thakura on Maniktala Street. A cabman was called for them and they left. It was
almost noon. Bhaktivinoda Thakur was on the second floor. When he was informed who arrived, he
immediately went downstairs.

“Tall. Powerful person. His golden body radiated radiance. A beautiful nose and a beautifully folded
face. I then saw him for the first time. Oh yeah! He knew how to serve the Vaisnavas. Since then, Babaji
Maharaj, arriving in Calcu a, almost always stayed at his house. Thakur personally, with his own hands,
served Babaji Maharaj. A photograph of Babaji Maharaj was taken on the roof of his house. I saw this
image of Babaji Maharaja in your Gaudiya Math. Since then, Bhaktivinoda Thakur often visited Babaji
Maharaja, and sometimes Babaji himself went to him. Then Mayapur was manifested. One day,
Bhaktivinod Mahasha, taking with him a group of sankirtana, came to Babaji Maharaja. He and a group
of sankirtansrather quickly went towards Mayapur, and another group of kirtana marched towards
Vamanpukur and they met there. When Babaji Maharaj, accompanied by a kirtan, was at the birthplace of
Mahaprabhu, he confirmed it and also pointed to other holy places. For example, he pointed to an
abandoned well and we found fragments of clay mridanga in it [ Khol-bhangar-danga - “the place where
the mrdanga was broken”, that is, the house of Srivas Thakur (Srivas Angan) - Bbd.]. I was with Babaji
Maharaj. I still remember well how he pounded his stick on the ground, pointing us to different places. "

Then Bihari das Babaji, shaking his stick, began to condemn those who were hostile to the indicated
Babaji Maharaj Mayapur. (This memoir was published in the Gaudiya newspaper, 6.43, p. 10, dated June
16, 1928).
One of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur's close disciples, Bhakti Pramod Puri Maharaj recalled that he
had heard Babaji Maharaj not allowing anyone to take pictures of himself. But Bhaktivinoda Thakur once
nevertheless decided to take one photograph of Babaji Maharaja when he was at his house. On it, he is
seated si ing on a wooden asana, holding on his lap his Giridhari, whom he worshiped. He later gave
Giridhari Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Him to this day worship at the Bhakti-Bhavan in Calcu a.

Srila Jagannath das Babaji Maharaj left this world on Monday, February 25, 1895 (although the brochure
published and distributed by the servants of his samadhi mandira says that he left in 1897). This was
wri en by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur in one of the editions of his “Sajjan Tosani” (Volume 7, Number 1,
Page 2, April 1895) :

“In the past 1301 Bengali year [1895 AD], Phalguna 14 (February 25) , on Monday around 10 o’clock in the
morning in his bhajan kutir, located in Coladvip, one of the Sri islands The Navadvipa Mandalas, the elder
and commander in chief of all devotees, Sri Jagannath das Babaji Mahashaya, having left his earthly
body, returned to the abode of the Lord. Vaisnavas make special efforts to celebrate his departure.
Siddha Babaji Mahashaya entered the spiritual world, leaving the land of Lord Gaura in darkness. We
will no longer be able to observe his blissful dance during kirtan with our physical vision . May he, being
in the spiritual world, bless us with his mercy. ”