Page 29 - Sri Vamsidasa Babaji (English)

Çréla Vaàç édäsa Bäbäjé Mahäräja appeared in this world
in 1859 in the village of Majidpur—then part of the
Mymensingh district of East Bengal, British India, and
now within the jurisdiction of Pakundiya police station
in the Kishorganj district of modern Bangladesh. In early
life he was known as Bhairab Candra. He was the first son
of a poor fisherman, Sanätana Mallabrahma (Barman),
and Çrématé Sarvasundaré, a typical pious Hindu woman
who regularly undertook fasts, austerities, and vows meant
to benefit her family. After Bhairab Candra, two other
sons (Kulacandra and Räjacandra) and four daughters
followed.

In accord with Hindu custom, Bhairab Candra took dékñä
from his family’s guru, Narottama Däsa Bäbäjé of the
Narottama-parivära, who resided at the Nigoya Äkhòä in
the neighboring village of Jamalpur. 1

Like many of the fishing caste even today in Bengal,
Bhairab was raised in severe poverty. His family survived
from day to day by selling whatever fish they could catch.
Life was rough, devoid of comforts or niceties and with no
question of an education. Young Bhairab merely had to
learn how to catch and sell fish. That was to be his life—
nothing more was to be expected or hoped for.

1. Narottama-parivära—the line of gurus descending from
disciples of Narottama Däsa Öhäkura.
This village called Jamalpur should not be confused with the major
town of the same name (which at the time of Bäbäjé Mahäräja was
within the Mymensingh district but is now the headquarters of
the later created Jamalpur district).

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