Srila Gaura Kisore Das Babaji Maharaja was the perfect example of extreme renunciation. When his wife died, Vamsi das name of Babaji Maharaja grihastha felt inclined to renounce the simple and regulated life he was practicing. He then travelled to Vrndavana. After having wandered around the sixty-four miles of Vrndavana, visiting all the holy places there, Gaura Kisora Das Babaji, accepted the clothes of one in the renounced order of life, from Srila Bhagavata Das Babaji Maharaj. At this time, he maintained his life by simply practicing madhukari and sleeping under a different tree each night. He saw all the residents of Vrndavana as being the direct personal associates of Sri Krsna and offered his obeisances to every tree, creeper, insect, and locust in the holy dhama.
For many days he stayed in Barsana. There, among other kinds of service that he rendered, he would constantly make flower garlands for Radha and Krsna. In this way, he enjoyed great transcendental happiness. Srila Babaji Maharaja stayed in Vrndavana for nearly thirty years, experiencing great inner satisfaction by rendering all kinds of services to the Master and Mistress of Vrndavana, Sri Radha and Krsna. After this time, by the mercy of the Divine Couple, he was ordered to go to Nabadwipa dhama in Gauda mandala. Seeing Nabadwipa dhama as non-different from Vrndavana, Babaji Maharaja made his way to Gauda mandala, the holy place of Sri Gaurasundara’s sweet pastimes. There, he visited all the holy places connected with Lord Gauranga.
At this time, Babaji Maharaja constantly found himself overwhelmed by different divine moods of ecstasy. Sometimes in one of these moods he would go to the be of the Ganges crying “Gaura! Gaur dancing, and then fainting in ecstasy. On the banks of the Ganges, there was a small forest grove. There he would wander, lost in ecstatic remembrance of the divine pastimes of Radha and Govinda. Sometimes he would wander in the jungle oblivious to his own bodily existence, dressed only in his kaupina, and sometimes he would simply wander around naked. Sometimes he would quietly chant the holy name with the help of his tulasi beads. Sometimes he would chant japa using a knotted cloth as beads to count the names on. And sometimes he would go to Svananda-Sukhada-Kunja in Godruma. There he would stay on the porch of Bhaktivinode Thakura’s place and hear from his lips the sacred message of Srimad Bhagavatam.
Babaji Maharaja did not associate with other babajis very much. Normally he would wear only a langoti and nothing more. However, one day he begged a good quality dhoti, a kurta, a walking stick and a nice turban from someone. Wearing these, he went to Bhaktivinode Thakura’s ashrama. Upon seeing him, Bhaktivinode Thakura thought, “See how Babaji Maharaja’s appearance has changed! He has taken the ordinary dress of a grihastha. He is wearing nice clothes now and is carrying a walking stick like a landlord. What has happened to him?” Babaji Maharaja offered pranama and sat down. Bhaktivinode Thakura then asked him, “Babaji Maharaja, today I see that your appearance is very different. May I ask why is this?” Babaji Maharaja replied, “These days there are so many babajis, and many of them are such brutes that if one even mentions their names it will be sinful. They are engaged in such misconduct that a grihastha is thousands of times superior to them. In the name of parakiya-bhajana they engage in mundane activities and they will all go to hell for it. Therefore, I think tha 4/18 should not remain a babaji. I will wear the clothes of a grihastha, and then people will not look upon me as one of these babajis.” Bhaktivinode Thakura said, “You have spoken correctly Babaji.”
Once Babaji Maharaja turned up at the Yoga Pitha, birthplace of Lord Caitanya, at two o’clock in the morning. Amazed, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur enquired how he got there in the pitch black of the night. Babaji Maharaja replied, “Someone brought me here.” “Who could have brought you such a distance at this time?” enquired Bhaktisiddhanta. No answer was received from Babaji. Finally, he concluded, “It must have been Krsna who personally brought you here or else how did you cross Ganges? How did you find your way across the dark fields?” But Babaji Maharaja would not answer more than, “One person brought me across the river, that’s all.”
The essence of Babaji’s instructions was that: “The Divine Name of Krishna offers the one and only shelter. One should never try to remember Radha-Damodara’s transcendental pastimes by artificial methods. Constant chanting of the Divine Names will purify the heart. By chanting Hari Nama, the syllables of the maha-mantra (Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare), will gradually reveal the spiritual form, qualities, pastimes of Sri Krsna. Then you will realize your own eternal spiritual form, service, and the eleven particulars of your spiritual identity (ekadasa bhava).”
Adapted from the writings of Sri Nandanandana Dasa and Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja