Description of Sri Nitai from Murari Gupta's kadaca

gandha-candana-liptAGgo nIlAmbara-samAvRtaH |
svarNa-raupya-pravAlAdyair alaGkAraiz ca maNDitaH ||

His body is fragrantly smeared with sandal paste and draped in deep blue garments. His limbs are arrayed in precious ornaments of gold, silver and coral.

karpUra-tAmbulAdyaiz ca pUrNa zrI mukha paGkajaH |
loha-daNDa-dharo rUpya-hAra-kaustubha-bhUSaNaH ||

His mouth, a radiant lotus in bloom, is fragrant with camphor-laced tambula. He carries a copper cowherd's stick. He wears a silver necklace bearing the kaustubha gem.

kuNDalaika-dharaH zrImAn vanamAlA-vibhUSitaH |
veNu-pANiH sadA kurvan gaurAGga-guNa-kIrtanam ||

He wears a single earring and a garland of forest flowers on His chest. He holds a flute. He always sings Sri Gaura's glories.

caura-dasyu-gaNAH sarve dRSTvA tasya vibhUSaNam |
hartuM kurvanti te nAnA sva-yatnam AtatAyinaH ||

All the theives and dacoits noticed Nitai's ornaments and tried many times to steal them.

tAn eva kRpayA pUrNo nityAnando mahA-prabhuH |
gaurAga-kIrtanAnanda-paripUrNAn cakAra ha ||

But Nityananda Mahaprabhu's mercy foiled them; He plunged them fully into the bliss Gauranga-kirtana.

Nitai's Journey to Bengal

(from caitanya bhagavat)

One day Sri Gaurasundar was sitting in a secluded place talking with Nityananda. "My dear Nitai, if you remain here in Nilacal lost in prema, how will the fallen souls of kali be saved? You go to Bengal and shower them with the nectar rain of prema! Go, Nitai - and fulfill my name, Visvambhar!"

Thus Nitai started for Bengal, leaving his prana Gaur behind. But Nitai did not go alone. Ramadas, Gadadhar Das, Raghunath Vaidya, Krishnadas Pandit, Parameshvari Das, and Purandara Pandita started with him on foot for Gauda-desh.

The devotees were astounded to see Nityananda exhibiting sattvika bhavas, smiling and dancing like a maddened bull elephant. Soon his mood infected them as well. Ramadas was imbued with the mood of Krishna Himself. He suddenly froze in the middle of the road, standing like Sri Tribhanga-Sundar. He stood like that for almost an hour, oblivious to the outside world.

Gadadhar Das was overwhelmed with the mood of Sri Radha. Laughing, he called out "Who will buy yoghurt?"

Raghunath Vaidya was draped in the personality of Revati-Ma. Paramesvari Das and Krishnadas were steeped in the mood of gopalas. They made sounds like "hihi" as if herding cows.

Purandara Pandit climbed a tree and shouted from its branches, "I am Angada!" before leaping to the ground. Nitai infused these ecstasies into everyone's hearts.

They walked like this for miles, wandering left and right. After many hours they asked some local people, "Please tell us how to get back to the Ganga." The locals replied, "Oh goodness! You have come so far from Ganga! You must go back a full two hours!" Laughing, Nitai and his companions started off in the proper direction. But soon they were wandering aimlessly again, lost in their ecstatic mood. They had to stop again to ask for directions.

"You have to travel twenty miles to the left." Realizing their confusion and looking at one another, they laughed and again started on their journey. They had forgotten their own bodily needs, what to speak of the proper direction. They were always immersed in supreme joy. Who can fully describe the play of Nityananda and his companions?

The Initiation of Nayanatara Devi

The story of Nayanatara Devi of Sonamukhi city is another example of the mercy of Ramadas Babaji Mahasaya's mercy upon the fallen. Nayantara came from a respectable Brahmin family who were all educated. She was also highly educated. She was married to the son of rich man of Varanasi, who was also learned. She did not like him and ran away with the son of a goldsmith. He took her to Delhi and other places. Finally he took her to Calcutta and lived with her there for some time before giving her up. She was obliged to go back and live with her parents, but she was not well received in the family. After some time she went to Bankura and began to live as a prostitute in the area where the other prostitutes lived.

Once Baba Mahasaya happened to pass through that locality while he was out for nagara-kirtan. He looked at her piteously and mercifully. His glance touched her heart. There was a total change in her. The next day she went to find Baba Mahasaya and received initiation from him. She distributed all her wealth among the other prostitutes, shaved her head and went to Braj with only the single dhoti with which she wrapped her body. For a long time no one knew anything about her.

In 1933 Baba went to Braj on the occasion of Rasotsava. A large number of devotees and Gosvamis accompanied him. One day he was doing svapnavilasa-lila-kirtan. One of the stanzas of the kirtan was:

vRndAvana kuJja nikuJjahi nivasayi
tuhu vara nAgara kAna |
aharniza tuhAri daraza binu jhUrala
tejaba sabahu parANa ||

O Kana! You revel in the kunjas of Vrndavan, I know.
But You do not appear before me.
In Your separation I weep and weep
Weeping I shall die!

As soon as a lady heard this, she fell senseless on the ground and her consciouness never returned. She died weeping in separation from Krishna. She was the same Nayanatara, the outcast of society, that was saved by the all merciful Ramadas Babaji. She became a true Vaisnavi. The manner in which she died would be coveted by many saints. She left her body in Nidhuvan in the presence of her gurudev while hearing him singing nikunja-lila-kirtan.

Siddha Gauranga Das Babaji

Gauranga Das Babaji was born in an aristocratic brahmin family. He was highly educated and uncommonly intelligent. While still in college he received the merciful glance of Sripad Ramadas Babaji Maharaj who was performing sankirtan in the streets. It became difficult for him to go to college. Instead of attending school he would sit at the feet of Babaji Maharaj and listen to Hari katha and heart-melting kirtan. A few days after passing his University exams and obtaining his MA he left his home and joined Babaji Maharaj who asked him to reside in Braja. Gauranga Das Babaji went to Braja and did bhajan under the guidance of Siddha Pandit Ramakrishna Das Babaji, Siddha Advaita Das Babaji and other great mahatmas. He fashioned clothing from old jute sacks and wandered around Braja Mandal calling out the name of Sri Radhika, "O Pyari Ji! O Pyari Ji!" Noticing his wonderful devotional characteristics, his kaka guru Sripad Sital Das Babaji asked him to stay in his ashram at Raman Reti and do bhajan there.

Whenever any devotee came from Braja to Bengal, Ramadas Babaji would immediately inquire about the welfare of his dear disciples living there. Upon hearing about the bhajan of Gauranga Das Babaji tears of joy would roll down his cheeks. The devotion of Gauranga Das Babaji was so great that Pyari Ji Herself gave him darshan and fed him payasam with Her own lotus hand.

As time went on Sripad Ramadas Babaji Maharaj left this world. When the news reached the ears of Gauranga Das Babaji he proclaimed, "Everything is gone for me! I will not stay here anymore!" Saying this, he entered his bhajan kutir and closed the door. He refused to eat or drink. He did not even touch a single drop of water. Thirteen days after the departure of his beloved Sri Gurudev, he departed from this world to join him in the nitya-lila.

Sripad Ramdas Babaji - The Divine Nature of His Kirtana

For more than sixty years Sripad Ramdas Babaji Maharaj performed kirtan at various festivals in Braja, Navadwip, and Puri. On one such occasion Babaji Maharaj was performing svapna vilas kirtan at Nidhuvan in Braja. Because he was famed as a siddha mahatma, many of the great Vaisnavas of Braja came to hear his kirtan.

As usual the kirtan was ecstatic and caused people to go mad in bliss. After the kirtan was finished, Babaji Maharaj came to know that Siddha Pandit Ramakrishna Das Babaji had been in attendance. On hearing this news he cried out to a disciple, "Alas! I may have commited a grave offense at the feet of Pandit Babaji! He is siddha in Yugal worship, and we worship Nitai-Gaura. Hearing my kirtan may have caused rasa bhanga to his worship!" In this way Babaji Maharaj was repenting. He instructed his senior disciple, Siddha Gauranga Das Babaji (OBL Kapoor's gurudeva) to go to Pandit Baba on his behalf and seek to be excused from any offense that may have been committed.

Gauranga Das Babaji went to Pandit Babaji's ashram and learned from his disciples that since returning from the kirtan of Ramdas Babaji the day before, Pandit Baba had entered bhava-samadhi. Gauranga Das Babaji had to wait until Pandit Baba came back to external consciousness. When at last Pandit Baba opened his eyes, he noticed Gauranga Das Babaji sitting in front of him. Smiling, he asked the reason for his visit.

Gauranga Das Babaji told Pandit Baba that his Gurudeva had sent him to seek forgiveness on his behalf, for any offense which may have been committed by him while singing in kirtan. Hearing this, Pandit Baba laughed and said, "Gauranga, apparently you do not know who your gurudev is. Do not think that your gurudev is himself performing such astonishing kirtan and improvising such akhar. That Naughty Person who is sitting in his heart tells His own story through the mouth of your divine gurudev. Thus, Siddha Pandit Ramakrishna Das Babaji blessed Siddha Gauranga Das Babaji and sent him back to Siddha Ramdas Babaji Maharaj.

Abhishek of Bodo Babaji prior to his disappearance date by Nityananda Vamsha Goswami Prabhupad of Sribas Angan , Sri Navadwip Dham

Sri Sri RadhaRamano Jayati

(Bhaja) Nitai Gour Radhey Shyam

(Japa) Hare Krishna Hare Ram

Last week 17th Day of February was a big festival in Navadwip Dham at RadharamanBagh Samajbari. This is Utsava for Abhishek Utsava (Bathing Ceremony) of BodoBabaji (Radharaman Charan Das Dev) which is being done customarily by Nityanada Vamsa Prabhupadas of Sribas Angan Navadwip Dham. This has been going on in Navadwip since the time of Bodo Babaji's disappearance.

The reason behind the festival is very sweet pastime of Bodo Baba. One day while living in Navawip dham, Bodo Babaji called Goswamis of Sribas Angan suddenly. Nobody knew what was in his mind, and knowing the wish of Great Bodo Baba, the Goswamis came running along with all the other devotees. Then Bodo Babaji revealed that he had decided to leave this world, and asked the Goswamis please perform my Abhishek (Bath). Then all Goswamis of Sribas Angan along with other devotees started arranging for the event. Within a moment that news was spread through the whole Navadwip and thousands of people gathered at Samajbari to attend the ceremony. The news went to Bodo Babaji's Bhek Guru Sidhdha GaurHari Das Babaji Maharaja (Disciple of famous Siddha Jagannatha Das Babaji ) who was staying at Boral Ghat at Navadwip. Bodo Babaji was the soul of his Gurudev, Gurudev could not live for a moment without Bodo Baba, and GuruDev used to refer him as 'Premer Jadukar' - Wizard of Prema. Hearing the news of Bodo Babaji's wish, he came rushing to SamajBari, and started scolding Bodo Baba about such a wish, as he being his Gurudeva has the right to decide who would leave the world first. But he was bound by Bodo Babaji's love. Bodo Babaji's sweetly laughed and said, "I want to go first in presence of you, this is certain, you please come after three days of mine." Gurudeva could not resist him. Meanwhile Goswamis of Sribas angan started Abhishek ceremony of Bodo Babaji, that was such an event in Navadwip, thousands of devotees started bringing water from nearby Sribas Angan Ghat of Ganges, thousands of thousands pot full of Ganga Water was being poured on Bodo Babaji's head by Goswami's and all the devotee, for hours. Everybody got the chance to fulfill the desire of Bodo Baba for long time. Then he started taking prasad offered to Nitai Gaur Radhey Shyam. He ate all the food that was offered to Thakurs by so many devotees.

After this event on the next 3rd day Bodo Babaji left this world in front of his GuruDeva. His GuruDeva followed him within exact three days to join his beloved disciple in Nitya Lila.

The same abhishek are still being carried out by Goswami's of Sribas Angan and devotee of Sri Navadwip Dham.

Here we see a small glimpse of that event. - Jay Nitai

Bodo Babaji's Abhishek Video

In response to the previous post about Sri Radharaman Caran Das Deva's Abhishek Utsav, I have uploaded a short clip from 2005's festival. Please enjoy darshan of the bath ceremony of Bodo Babaji's murti at his purna samadhi. 

The full VCD is available from Samajbari Ashrama in Nabadwip.