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.