Page 31 - Sri Vamsidasa Babaji (English)

Life Overview 3

a renunciant. He accepted veça-äçraya (initiation into
bäbäjé life) from Narottama Däsa Bäbäjé, who renamed
him Vaàç édäsa. Later on, he was usually referred to simply
as Bäbäjé Mahäräja.
Although his previous life had hardly been one of
comfort, he now became severely austere. His former
attire, a tattered dhoti or gämchä, was now replaced by a
kaupéna—he wore nothing more.

For a few days, Vaàç édäsa remained in the Nigoya Äkhòä
worshiping the Rädhä-Kåñëa Deities there. Then, after
having lived for three years in a païcavaöé in Majidpur,
he set off to tour holy places throughout India. Traveling
far and wide, he eventually came to Navadvépa, where he
remained for most of the balance of his life. Finally, he
returned to Majidpur and therefrom departed the world.

It was probably in 1903 that Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura
brought Çré Siddhänta Sarasvaté to Vaàç édäsa Bäbäjé’s
ashram, situated in a garden close to Boro Äkhòä, in the
locale that corresponds to Koladvépa in the spiritually
conceived area of Navadvépa. Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura
informed Siddhänta Sarasvaté of Bäbäjé Mahäräja’s
exalted position, and thenceforward Siddhänta Sarasvaté
and Çréla Vaàç édäsa Bäbäjé shared great mutual respect.

Bäbäjé Mahäräja would refer to Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta
Sarasvaté as Jagannäther Bimalä, because Siddhänta
Sarasvaté’s childhood name had been Bimalä Prasäda, “the
son born as the mercy of Bimalä Devé (the deity of Durgä
in the Jagannätha temple at Puré).” Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta