The Biography of HDG Srila Gaurakisora Dasa Babaji Maharaja, Part 7

BY: SUN STAFF - 29.4 2025

Sri Srimad Paramahamsa 108 Srila Gaurakisora Dasa Babaji
"Town of Muttra" - Jami Masjid in Mathura
Painting by Sita Ram, c. 1815

A serial presentation of the life and pastimes of our illustrious Sampradaya Acaraya.

Astakala Lila

A so-called Gosvami approached Srila Gaurakisora to learn the most intimate pastimes of the Lord, called Astakala Lila, so that he could systematically worship the Lord at given periods during the day and night. The first day he came, Srila Gaurakisora told him, "Right now I have no leisure time at hand. When I find the opportunity I will explain it to you." Whenever the caste Gosvami would come, he would get the same answer. Finally the Gosvami became disturbed and stopped coming.

That night at 10 o'clock Srila Gaurakisora said to himself, "Will a person who becomes impatient over losing a false coin learn the most intimate pastimes of the Lord? The pastimes of Krsna cannot be realized simply by reading a book. One may understand the literature but from where will he secure his spiritual body? You cannot realize your spiritual body simply by theoretical understanding. When the Lord's intimate pastimes are printed in ordinary books it causes turmoil in the material world. The ordinary people are building a high wooden platform, two stories high. Afterwards they climb to the top of the platform and simply pass stool. Many different persons come to see me, but they all come to deceive me. Before one can learn about the most intimate pastimes of the Lord, he should abandon all bad association and continuously chant the holy names of the Lord in the association of pure devotees. If one wants to worship the Lord according to his own whim in a solitary place, he becomes strangled by the witch of the illusory energy. The name, form, and pastimes of the Lord are revealed in the heart within the association of devotees. Unfortunate persons who do not have full faith in the divine potency of the holy name create an inauspicious situation for themselves because they nourish their corrupt intelligence with some misconceived understanding of the Lord's intimate pastimes."

Householder Life and Goloka Vrndavana

Once Srila Gaurakisora said, "If one remains in contact with stool, then worship of the Supreme Lord will not be possible." Srila Gaurakisora, after remarking in such a way, saw that the persons present before him could not understand exactly what he meant. He explained, those different households that are filled with the sounds "Eat and Drink" and where various lusty activities are performed may externally appear to be fit for the demigods, but are not suitable for the Lord's devotees. Although persons may pretend they are living in the heavenly planets, they are actually residing within a deep pool of excrement.

However, if one very seriously worships the highest, subjective reality, taking full shelter of the Supreme Lord, then wherever he resides, will be the same as Sri Radha-kunda." Several days later, a man named Girisha Babu, who was the owner of the lodging house and landowner in Navadvipa came to Srila Gaurakisora with his wife. The wife of Girisha Babu sadly asked Srila Gaurakisora, "Please instruct us how we can assist you in your personal bhajana. We wish to construct a small grass hut so you can perform your worship. You pass through the rainy season, and hot summer, with almost no shelter. You must be suffering very greatly. We have felt this within our hearts." Srila Gaurakisora then replied, "I am feeling no anxiety whatsoever, living in my small hut. I have only one problem, if both of you could just tolerate hearing of it. Many persons come to me and deceptively again and again ask, 'krpa kara.krpa kara (Bestow your mercy upon me)' In this way my worship is interrupted. They are not interested in their own real benefit, and their presence here simply disturbs my solitary worship to Lord Krsna. If both of you could just give me some of your stool, placing it where I perform my worship of the Lord, that would be very favorable. Then I could chant Hare Krsna day and night. No-one would want to come here. If you can't do this, then don't come here and waste the human form of life by speaking so much nonsense."

Upon hearing this, the wife of Girish Babu said, "Oh Babaji Maharaja, we should certainly take to heart the instruction you have given us, but if we pass stool and offer it to you in the place where you perform worship won't that result in unlimited sinful reactions?" Srila Gaurakisora then said, "I am not a devotee. Those devotees who are the owners of large temples, and who wear long matted hair, are actually devotees. I haven't realized anything tangible from the performance of my devotion. Thus, the place where I reside is fit to receive your stool. If both of you could just offer me your stool, then please speak up. Otherwise I have nothing to say to either of you."

Girish Babu and his wife, agreed to his proposal not to build a straw hut, but said, "Even if you won't stay in a new hut, if we can construct two other huts, then your servants can stay there." Having no other alternative Girish Babu and his wife then cleansed an area and arranged for a carpenter to come and build some new huts. When Srila Gaurakisora realized what they had done he refused to set foot in the new huts Girish Babu had constructed. Srila Gaurakisora wanted to point out that the stench of false prestige, lust for women, and desired for wealth under the pretense of service rendered unto the Lord emits a more impure odor than ordinary stool. Babaji Maharaja relayed this message when he began to reside in a latrine ditch behind a nearly lodging house where people would urinate and defecate.

Devotional Heresy

The hut where Srila Gaurakisora would stay, was so small inside, that there was only space enough for him. Srila Gaurakisora would enter his tiny bhajana kuthira, and lock himself in. Adjacent to the bhajana kuthira of Srila Gaurakisora was another grass hut which was in a dilapidated condition. Once a man named Sankara came there to live in that hut. He brought sheets of tin with him with which he constructed a fence. In this was he built a bhajana kuthira, imitating Srila Gaurakisora. One day Srila Gaurakisora asked him, "What do you do all day when you sit alone in your solitary hut? What do you think about? If you never spend your time in taking the association of devotees and inoffensively chanting the holy name of the Lord, then as you sit inside your room, you will only be able to see the fence outside. Is this what you see as you are sitting inside the room? Are you thinking of women? Or are you thinking of self-prestige and accumulating wealth? If you stay in this place, different types of havoc will come upon you."

Srila Gaurakisora, who was in direct contact with Supersoul within his heart, was able to expertly expose the cheating mentality of that person. Many people often came and informed Srila Gaurakisora that the imposter would collect miscellaneous articles and money in the name of the Lord's service from different persons who came to visit him and misappropriate them. He would also engage in illicit sex with different girls in Navadvipa. Finally, the imposter became very ill and one of his relatives came and dragged him back into the kingdom of illusion, maya. Srila Gaurakisora pointed out that a person who imitates the spiritual master, and the great devotees of the Lord will, as a result of their offenses, sink into the muck of worldly illusion. In this pastime, Srila Gaurakisora points out, how in the name of spirituality those who are opposed to proper religious principles, live within the stoolhole of material existence. In this connection he also disclosed that wherever the intimate associates of Srimati Radhika reside, the eternal service rendered in the gardens of Sri Radha-kunda is simultaneously being carried out. Srila Gaurakisora enacted this pastime for his personal followers.

In Touch With A Paid Scholar

There was one celibate student by the name of Ayatra who came to Srila Gaurakisora to perform devotional service. Srila Gaurakisora told him, "You should give up your offenses to the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas of the Lord, and in the association of pure devotees, always chant the holy name of the Lord." The brahmacari disliked Srila Gaurakisora's chastisement and later left for south India without informing anyone. He resided there and collected money by giving discourses on the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Ayatra, in the meantime, claimed himself to be a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. After returning from the south, Ayatra began to learn sanskrit grammar from one scholar who lived in Navadvipa. Ayatra brahmacari, considering himself a fool thought that if he learned Sanskrit grammar he would become respected by all the devotees. He also began to think that since Srila Gaurakisora was illiterate he could become more advanced than him.

One day Ayatra approached Srila Gaurakisora who inquired, "Are you reading Sanskrit grammar to obtain wealth, women, and prestige?" The brahmacari answered, "I had no such intention. I am simply studying Sanskrit in order to understand the purport of Srimad Bhagavatam." Srila Gaurakisora responded, "You have observed how some people in south India earn their living by professionally reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam and you have become greedy to make your living in the same way. You should give up such undesirable association, and simply take to the chanting of Hare Krsna with devotees of the Lord." The brahmacari did not obey the instructions of Srila Gaurakisora.

Some days later the brahmacari again came to Srila Gaurakisora and humbly asked him, "Please be merciful unto me." Srila Gaurakisora, remaining quiet for some time, finally requested him, "Don't try to fulfill that desire which is overwhelming your mind." At that moment no one present could understand exactly what his instruction meant. Ayatra also couldn't follow the obscure meaning of Srila Gaurakisora's statement. The brahmacari left and continued as before. After several days passed a few devotees approached Srila Gaurakisora and informed him that Ayatra brahmacari was having illicit sex with a widow. Srila Gaurakisora then told those who were sitting before him the following instructions: "One should never engage others into the field of his own sinful activities. If any of you ever want some material object to fulfill, kindly come visit me because that desire may return again." Srila Gaurakisora then explained that approaching another man's wife is very sinful and strictly prohibited. When such illicit activity and deceitfulness is enacted in the outward dress of a devotee it is more sinful and offensive. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, and Srila Gaurakisora's characters particularly exemplify the non-support of any form of deceitful activity.