Parishads: Srila Raghunandana Thakur and
Srila Vamshi das Babaji
BY: SUN STAFF
Lord Chaitanya's Sankirtan Party
Chore Bagan Art Studio, Calcutta, c. 1895
British Museum Collection
Aug 1, 2022 — CANADA (SUN) — The Disappearance Day of Srila Raghunandana Thakur and Srila Vamshi das Babaji is observed on August 1st.
Srila Raghunandana Thakur
vyuhas tritiyah pradyumnah priya-narma-sakho’bhavat
cakre lila-sahayam yo radha-madhavayor vraje
shri-caitanyadvaita-tanuh sa eva raghunandanah
The third member of the catur-vyuha, Pradyumna, took part in Radha Madhava’s lila in Vraja as Krishna’s intimate friend or priya-narma-sakha. He has now appeared as Raghunandan, whose body is not different from that of Chaitanya.
(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 70)
Raghunandan’s father, Mukunda Das
Raghunandan was born into a family of physicians in the Shaka year 1432 (1510 AD). His father’s name was Mukunda Das, his mother’s name is unknown. Mukunda Das was Narahari Sarkar Thakur’s older brother. In the fifteenth chapter of the Madhya-lila of Chaitanya Charitamrita, it is clearly said that Mukunda Das was physician to the king.
Externally, he appears to be a physician to the king who is engaged in government service. But internally, he is filled with divine love. Who would be able to know his love?
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.15.120)
Once when Mukunda Das was engaged in treating the king, he saw a peacock feather and fainted. This incident is also described in the Chaitanya Charitamrita (2.15.121ff). His home was in Srikhanda, a village in Burdwan district. On the Katwa-Burdwan rail line, the first station west of Katwa is Sripat Srikhanda, and the second Srikhanda. Mukunda Das’s home is about one mile from the Srikhanda station. Raghunandan Thakur took birth on the Vasanta Panchami day. His uncle Narahari took a great deal of interest in raising Raghunandan, for whom he had much affection.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu indicated that one’s importance increases with the depth of devotion by telling Mukunda Das that his son was really his father.
The three most important devotees from Srikhanda were Mukunda Das, Raghunandan and Narahari. Mahaprabhu asked Mukunda Das, “Are you Raghunandan’s father and he, your son? Or, is he your father and you his son? Tell me so that I can put my doubts to rest.” Mukunda answered, “Raghunandan is my father and I am his son, rest assured. Whatever devotion we have comes from him, therefore I see him as my father.” When he heard Mukunda Das’s answer, Mahaprabhu was thrilled and he said, “He from whom we imbibe devotion is certainly our guru.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.15.112-117)
Mahaprabhu gave Raghunandan the service of deity worship
Raghunandan’s work is to serve Krishna. He has no interest in anything other than serving Krishna.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.15.131)
From his early childhood, Raghunandan Thakur would feed the family’s Gopinath deity laddus. Uddhava Das has written a song in which this lila is described:
Mukunda Das lived in the village of Srikhanda, where his household deity was named Gopinath. One day he had to go somewhere for work and he called Raghunandan to do the service.
He said, “In this house we worship Krishna, so I want you to be sure to give him something to eat.” and then he left. Raghunandan did as his father had ordered and made the offering to the deity.
Raghunandan was just a child and in his simplicity, he said to Gopinath, “Eat! Eat!” Krishna is controlled by love, and so he did as the child told him and ate everything on the plate without leaving a grain of rice.
When Mukunda Das returned, he asked the boy to bring him the prasad from the offering he had made. The child answered, “Father, he ate everything and left no remnants.”
Mukunda was astonished at his child’s wonderful words that he asked him again on another occasion to make an offering. This time after he left the house, he returned and hid to watch what his son would do.
Raghunandan joyfully placed a laddu in Krishna’s hand and said in a commanding voice, “Eat! Eat!”. When Krishna had eaten half of the laddu, Raghunandan saw Mukunda Das in the doorway.
Mukunda saw that Krishna did not take another bite and that the half-eaten laddu remained in his hand. This caused him to be filled with love. He embraced his child and, as tears of joy rained from his eyes, spoke to him in a broken voice.
To this day, fortunate people come to Srikhanda to see the half-eaten laddu in Gopinath’s hand. Raghunandan is not different from Cupid himself, says Uddhava Das with great feeling.
[All the mahantas] felt fascinated to see the Gopinath deity whom Raghunandan had fed laddus.
(Bhakti-ratnakara 9.525)
Other miraculous events
Narahari Sarkar Thakur gave mead to Nityananda Prabhu and Mahaprabhu from a pond which was right next to the their home. This pond became known as Madhu Pushkarini. The legend is told that a kadamba tree which grew right next to the pond always had two flowers blooming regardless of the season by Raghunandan’s miraculous powers.
According to the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana, another miraculous event took place in Raghunandan’s life: One day Abhirama Thakur came to Srikhanda and paid his obeisances to Raghunandan. Then he embraced him and melted with feelings of prema. Raghunandan started to dance and sing kirtan, and while doing so, one of his ankle bells slipped from his foot and went flying off, landing four miles away in Akai Hat near his disciple Krishna Das’s house. Later, in order to commemorate the event, a tank was excavated there which was given the name Nupur Kund.
Mahaprabhu, the father of sankirtan, gave his adopted son Raghunandan Thakur the authority to offer the garland on the day before the sankirtan yajna (the adhivasa) and to make the final offering at the yajna’s end.
Raghunandan Thakur accompanied the Bengali devotees to Puri ever year at caturmasya. He would dance with his uncle Narahari at the Rathayatra festival in the group formed by the residents of Srikhanda.
He participated in the Kheturi festival organized by Narottama Das Thakur, at Gadadhara Das’s festival in Katwa and at the commemorative festival for Narahari Sarkar Thakur in Srikhanda.
Some people said, “Anyone who is dear to Raghunandan will win Mahaprabhu’s mercy for life after life.” Others said, “Raghunandan is so merciful that he gives life to the most humble and fallen.” Some said, “What humility! There is no one who is his equal.” And others, “He is as beautiful as Kandarpa himself!”, etc.
(Bhakti-ratnakara 9.660 ff.)
Srila Raghunandan Thakur had great affection for Srinivas Acharya. Prior to his disappearance he consoled Srinivas that despite the difficult times, he would be able to spread Vaishnavism in the future:
“A difficult time is coming in which people will succumb to various doubts. Narahari Prabhu wrote in his Shri-Krishna-bhajanamrita:
krishna-caitanya-candrena nityanandena samhrite
avatare kalav asmin vaishnavah sarva eva hi
bhavishyanti sadodvignah kale kale dine dine
prayah sandigdha-hridaya uttametara-madhyamah
(verses 3-4)
Once our Lord Krishna Chaitanya and his companion Nityananda Prabhu have ended their incarnation, the Vaishnavas in this age of Kali will be anxious with every passing day. Whether very advanced, somewhat advanced or neophyte, their hearts will nearly always be filled with doubt.
But don’t let this worry you. Lord Gauranga will accomplish many great works through you. I bless you that you remain long on this earth and that you and your followers protect our Lord’s religion. Those who are opposed to devotion to Krishna will become devotees by your influence and they will take shelter of you.
(Bhakti-ratnakara 13.174-179)
Raghunandan Thakur bequeathed the service of his Gaura-Gopal deity to his son Kanai Thakur and then left this world on the fourth day of the waxing moon in the month of Shravan. Kanai Thakur gave a feast as a part of his father’s last rites:
Raghunandan slowly became hidden to mortal eyes while repeating again and again the names of Sri Krishna Chaitanya. How glorious is that day of Shravan shukla caturthi! Who will not sing the glories of Raghunandan Thakur?
(Bhakti-ratnakara 13.183-4)
Srila Vamshi Das Babaji
The paramahamsa avadhuta
This article has been written on the basis of ones which previously appeared in the old Gaudiya magazine and various statements made by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur and his disciples who knew Vamshi Das Babaji personally.
Srila Vamshi Das Babaji appeared in the village of Majidpur in the Jamalpur district of Bangla Desh, near the city of Jamalpur. Before the partition of India, this city was formerly in the district of Mymensingh. According to Hari Das Das, his father’s name was Sanatana Malobrahma and he was previously known as Bhairava.
Babaji Maharaj came to Nabadwip from East Bengal. He was a paramahamsa Vaishnava who acted in the manner of an avadhuta. The word avadhuta refers to one who has shaken off from himself all worldly feeling and obligation. He does not care for social conventions, particularly the varnashrama-dharma, i.e., he is quite eccentric in his behavior. Nityananda Prabhu is often characterized as an avadhuta.
He lived there under a tree on the banks of the Ganges, demonstrating a very high standard of renunciation. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur was attracted by his Vaishnava behavior and his disregard for the rules and regulations of society at large, in the fashion of a paramahamsa avadhuta. He himself paid his obeisances to Babaji Maharaj from a distance, but did not allow his disciples to associate with him. For even though Babaji Maharaj was a paramahamsa Vaishnava, an ordinary beginner in devotional practice would likely misunderstand his indifference to the rules and regulations and end up committing offenses at his feet.
The primary purpose of the rules and regulations is to bring pleasure to Sri Sri Radha and Govinda. A practitioner who has not yet overcome his mundane conditioning may very well judge an advanced Vaishnava according to rules and regulations which were designed to help him advance to the next level of spiritual realization. If he measures a perfected soul by the standards which have been set for the beginner, there is a possibility of committing offenses which could result in falldown from the devotional path.
It is said that Babaji Maharaj had two cloth bags. He kept his Nitai-Gaura deities in one, Radha-Govinda in the other. He regularly worshiped them, taking them out of the bags and serving them mentally with mantras. Then, when he had finished, he would place the deities back in their bags. On occasion he would leave them outside the bags so that people could look at them. Once in a while, he would put tobacco in a hookah and offer it to Radha and Govinda from a distance, but not to Nitai-Gauranga. People would come with offerings of rice, fruits, vegetables, flour, bananas, etc., but Babaji Maharaj would ignore them. When he noticed an accumulation of these offerings, he would mentally give them to his deities and then distribute them to whomever happened to be present. What person could understand this kind of behavior?
Babaji Maharaj only wore a kaupina, a strip of cloth covering his private parts. He left his hair and beard uncut and unkept. Yet he was tall enought to be able to pick fruits for his puja from high branches in a tree without making use of ladders or other paraphernalia. On one occasion, he fell from a tree and from that time on he took on the guise of a lame person.
Babaji Maharaj’s voyage to Vraja
Babaji Maharaj did not stay exclusively in the Nabadwip area, but travelled to many holy places where he also practiced the spiritual disciplines of bhakti-yoga. He embodied the verse Krishna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita-matih, and wherever he went he always remained immersed in the ocean of Krishna-rasa. Therefore, everything reminded him of Krishna-lila, but especially the peepal tree, or bata. Whenever he saw a peepal tree, he would sit under it, taking it to be the Vamshi-bata under which Krishna played his flute to attract the gopis. Once he had installed himself there, it would be difficult to get him to move.
On the 12th of Phalguna, 1347 (Monday, Feb. 24, 1941), Vamshi Dasji left Nabadwip city and headed for Vrindavan. He sometimes walked, sometimes he travelled by ox-cart and sometimes by rail. He first went to Katwa where he stayed for two days under a bata tree near the train station. Then he took the train to Bhagalpur where he stayed for one day under a bata tree near the station and for four days by the Ganges. Then he travelled on to Gaya where he remained on the banks of the Phalgu River for three days.
He also stayed on a boat in the Ganges near Dashashvamedha Ghat in Benares for three days, spent another three days in Ayodhya by the Sarayu including three hours under a bata tree, at the Triveni confluence at Prayag for ten days, two days at the Vishrama Ghat in Mathura, eight days at the Vamshi Bata in Vrindavan, nine days at the Madhya-curia on the banks of the Yamuna, one day at the Govindaji temple, two days at Kaliya-daha, eight days under a tamala tree on the east bank of Surya Kund at Nandagrama, two days at Pavana-sarovara, four days at the foot of a Pilu tree, and then another nine days at Vamshi Bata Ghat in Vrindavan. Everywhere that he went, he remained absorbed in chanting the Holy Names and meditating on Krishna’s form and pastimes. After three months, he returned to Nabadwip Dhama, in the month of Jyestha.
Those who travelled with him recounted that when wandering through Vraja Mandala, he would sometimes sing songs about Krishna’s lila, sometimes glorify Nabadwip Dhama, sometimes laugh madly. Sometimes, he would babble incoherently, and oftentimes he would remain completely silent. When visiting a temple, he was often seen muttering confidentially to the deities, disclosing some personal sentiment to them. All in all, his companions were charmed by his devotional absorption.
In the old Gaudiya weekly magazine, further accounts of Babaji Maharaj’s travels given. It is stated there in the four years from March 1943, he travelled to Ambika Kalna, Khariagpura, Baleshvara, Soro, Bhadrak, Khurda Road and Purushottam. Afterwards, he again visited Gaya, Kashi, Saidpur, Patna, Munger, etc.
After travelling to all these places, some devotees from his birthplace in Majidpur invited him to come for a visit. He acquiesced to their enthusiasm, but found little pleasure in going. He said that it was a place which the Pandavas had neglected.
Madhava Maharaj’s story
The founding acharya of the Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, my spiritual master, nitya-lila-pravishta Om Vishnupada Srimad Bhaktidayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj told a story about Vamshi Das Babaji from time to time. Gurudeva founded an ashrama, the Shyamananda Gaudiya Math, in Midnapore city with the help of two of his godbrothers, H. H. Bhakti-vicara Yayabara Maharaj and H. H. Bhakti-kumuda Santa Maharaj. On one occasion, Babaji Maharaj was travelling and passed through Midnapore. When Gurudeva received the news that Babaji Maharaj was coming by ox-cart with a group of devotees, he immediately sent a disciple to invite him to visit the Math. Babaji Maharaj promised the disciple that he would come and so Gurudeva started to make preparations to receive the party of pilgrims. However, after the midday offering and arati, Srila Gurudeva waited for some time and no one from Vamshi Das’s party came. Finally, Gurudeva took a number of his disciples and went to find him.
When Vamshi Das had entered the city with his party, he had seen a peepal tree and had taken it to be Vamshi Bata. He had camped there and made arrangements for making an offering to his deities and feeding his party there. When he saw Gurudeva, Babaji Maharaj remembered his affection for Srila Prabhupada and offered him some sweet rice prasad, which Gurudeva accepted respectfully. I often heard Gurudeva say how delicious the sweet rice tasted that day.
H. H. Bhakti-pramoda Puri Maharaj’s reminiscences
My shiksha-guru, H. H. Bhakti-pramoda Puri Maharaj has told a few anecdotes about Vamshi Das Babaji based on his eyewitness account: “At Babaji Maharaj’s cottage by the Ganges, a pile of fruit intended for the service of the deities had accumulated once and Baba would not let anyone lay a finger on it. One day, however, a cow entered the cottage and ate all the fruits. Babaji Maharaj watched and laughed, clapping his hands. I can’t remember now whether Baba’s disciple’s name was Purna or Punya. Anyhow, I asked him out of curiosity why Baba was laughing. He said, Last night a thief stole all the deity’s pots and pans, dishes and utensils. Now a cow has come and eaten all the fruit. So he is beside himself with joy and is laughing and saying, ‘One thief gives and another thief takes away!’ No one was able to drive the cow away. The supreme thief is Krishna. [FN. According to Haridas Das, Vamshi Das Babaji never locked his doors, even though he was asked to do so by his well-wishers. Thus he was regularly robbed. When asked why he didn’t lock his doors, he only said that it was Gaura-Nitai’s responsibility. It was their house and their possessions that were stolen. Sometimes he would chastise the deities for not stopping the thieves when he found that the pots or foodstuffs had been stolen.
Gaudiya Vaishnava Jivana, Vol 2, 327.]
“Babaji Maharaj never allowed anyone to touch his feet, but on the day after one Phalguni Purnima, when everyone remembered Jagannath Mishra’s celebration of Gauranga’s birth. Babaji Maharaj was so ecstatic that he forgot his rule and became as generous as a desire tree. So on that day I was fortunate enough to get the dust of his lotus feet. I also had the good fortune to get his prasadi leftovers one day.
“Babaji Maharaj enjoyed hearing devotional songs. One day, he heard Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s couplet, tyajiya shayana sukha, vicitra palanka, kabe vrajer dhulaya dhusara habe anga -- ‘When will I give up the pleasure of sleeping in a comfortable bed and roll in the dust of Vrindavan?’ Babaji Maharaj said, ‘You are only singing a song. For someone who has exploded, it has exploded.’ In other words, we only sing the songs of the Mahajanas, but we feel no emotion. When the dust of the Holy Places covers our bodies, we only think of brushing it off. We have no real idea of its value.
“We have heard that Vamshi Das took vesha from our Parama Gurudeva, Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji Maharaj.
“One day, someone started singing one of these new-fangled, invented mantras that contradicts siddhanta and divine sentiment. Babaji Maharaj said, ‘That Name is not allowed here.’
“One gentleman often came to visit Babaji Maharaj and kept asking him for his mercy. One day, Baba finally became impatient and took off his kaupina and handed it to the gentleman and said, ‘You want mercy, here it is, take it.’ The visitor was frightened by the manner in which Baba challenged him. We have heard that all perfections come from the grace of the Vaishnavas, but we have not got the sincerity necessary to really take their blessings when they are given. What is the use of repeatedly saying, ‘Be merciful, be merciful.’
“We had an elderly Godbrother named Gokula Das Babaji. His family home was not far from that of Babaji Maharaj. Gokula Das Baba went frequently to see Vamshi Das Baba, and when they got together, they would joyfully converse about Krishna in their Mymensingh dialect.”
Vamshi Das’s teachings
Babaji Maharaj was normally occupied with his devotional activities; he minded his own business and spoke little. Many people would come to him; often they would ask him questions. If he took notice at all, he would sometimes answer indirectly, but mostly he remained silent. He would be observed talking to the deities, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying desperately. If he did give spiritual instruction, he would rarely cite scripture, but always spoke from his personal realization. In two or three short phrases, he was often able to make a deep impression on the listener.
Once, he had a regular visitor who kept asking him, “How can we attain God?” Babaji Maharaj just remained silent, giving no answer to the questioner. One day, he suddenly looked at this visitor and asked him, “What do you want?” The fellow replied, “I want to find God.” Babaji Maharaj answered in one word, “Cry.”
Those who visited him reported the short answers that he gave to their questions. Some of these were noted and are given here.
Q: Baba, what should we do?
A: If you worship Nitai, you will get Gaura. All your unhappiness will disappear and you will experience the beginnings of real joy.
Q: How can one become free from the demands of the senses?
A: shuniya govinda-rab, apani palabe sab, simha-rabe yatha kari-gan (Narottama Das). “They will all flee at the sound of Govinda’s name just as the deer flee at the sound of the lion’s roar.”
Q: Baba, you find no happiness in this world, then?
A: There is no joy here, unless you worship Gaura-Nitai. That is our eternal world, while this illusion is your world. Your happiness in this world is like the laughing or crying of a dreaming baby.
Q: How can we recognize the blessings of Krishna or the Vaishnavas?
A: je kare tomara asha, tare koro sarva-nasha -- “You ruin everything for someone who aspires to attain you.” kahake-o taka dey, kaharo taka nei -- “To some he gives wealth, while others are penniless.” Toma sthane aparadhe nahi paritrana -- “There is no pardon for an offense at your (Vaishnava Thakur’s) feet.” How can you stop it? Who will deliver you? Who will understand me if I try to explain? I haven’t got the slightest bit of attachment to the Vaishnavas.
Q: How will I attain Krishna’s mercy?
A: If you cry, you will get his mercy. Who cries? If you cry with tears of love, you will get the Lord’s mercy. Mukhe bali hari, kaje anya kari, prema-vari cokhe elo na -- “I recite the names of Hari, but I act otherwise. So the tears of love do not well up in my eyes.”
Q: How can we be happy? In renunciation or in enjoyment?
A: There are saintly persons on the Sarayu who chant the names of Sita Rama. They are happy, they know no distress. Those who stay with King Duryodhana know no joy. Those who are with Yudhishthira are happy. Happiness and distress are brothers. Enjoyment and renunciation. Some people enjoy and some renounce.
Q: Have you ever been to Mayapur?
A: Yes. Some call it Mayapur, some call it Nabadwip. There is buildings all over the Mayapur temple site and the deity is worshiped under a neem tree. I once went to Mayapur with a torn wrapper and a waterpot. Sachinandana Gosaïi (Mahaprabhu) came and took my waterpot. I sat down and waited and a few minutes later Sachinandana Gosaïi came and gave it back. Then I came back here.
Babaji Maharaj’s disappearance day was on the Shukla Caturthi of Shravan.
Excerpted from "Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates" by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj
Mandala Publishing 2001.
