Siddha Chakradhar Das Babaji
The lives of Gaudiya saints are filled with austerity, miracles, and sacred pilgrimages. Among them, the figure of Siddha Chakradhar Das Babaji remains almost unknown, yet his path of meditation, service, and divine grace offers a hidden spiritual treasure to the world.
Though still young, he felt that for the world, for learning, and for his own spiritual work, much remained to be done. At the head of the village stood a beautiful banyan tree, beneath which he spent most of his days. There he would regularly read the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and practice meditation, making all his efforts fruitful.
The saints of Odisha, while travelling through the countryside for pilgrimage, preaching, and Madhukari (accepting alms), would often rest under that tree to relieve their fatigue. Kishore Baishat (the boy) seized these opportunities to serve them and enjoy their company. Thus a story unfolds.
In the company of saints, all scriptures are illuminated; in the company of saints, all perfections are attained.
Inspired by such holy association, and in the tradition of the great Achyutānanda—one of the Siddha Pañcaśākhas of 16th-century Odisha—the young Vaiṣṇava began to set their life’s goal from their very teens.
But the world is bewitched, and it is not easy to escape its enchantment. The earnest prayer of a heart, restless and weary of worldly teachings, was for the presence of saints and the strength to meditate upon them.
Encouraged by the writings of the great poet-saint Achyutānanda, the budding poet reflected: if the atmosphere of home and village does not allow the fire of devotion to kindle in the heart, and if meditation cannot flourish there, then dispassion alone is enough to guide one toward the path of renunciation—Vairāgya Bhāva.
Thus, the thought of leaving home quickly took root in his mind. Bowing to his parents and seeking the blessings of Śrī Chandramouli, he set forth on a journey to unknown places. His first destination was the banks of the river Chitratpala.
Appearance in Anoli
After arriving in Nemol Gadi, he built a small hut in the forest of Muhammadpur. His simple food at that time consisted of tender kayincha leaves and forest fruits. During this period he also studied the book Amṛtkalpa, from which he gained experience in natural healing (Ayurveda). Along with continuous chanting of mantras, he practiced prāṇāyāma and yoga daily. He read the writings of the Pañcaśākhas and other saints. Among the mantras he practiced were the Ekākṣara, Agalākṣara, the Mantrarāja (Śrī Gopāla Mantra), and the Mahāmantra.
The first stage of spiritual discipline is the Yoga-mārga. Following the path of his great guide, Achyutānanda, he chose the dense forests along the banks of the Chitratpala River—a place especially suitable for deep meditation and yoga practice.
Absorbed in meditation
One day, while standing immersed up to his neck in the river, he was absorbed in meditation and the chanting of the Holy Names. As he meditated in the middle of the stream, a huge crocodile appeared and began circling around him. The onlookers on the riverbank were terrified; cries of alarm arose, and some even rushed into the water to drive the creature away. Yet the young Vaiṣṇava remained utterly unaware, absorbed in his chanting, free from any external knowledge. The crocodile circled him several times and then departed without causing harm.
The loud cries of the crowd could not disturb the quiet absorption of his meditation. During his teenage years, many such extraordinary and supernatural incidents were witnessed. Yet never once did he waver from his path of sādhana. His heart remained steady in constant remembrance of the Lord and in fervent prayer.
For ten years he remained on the banks of the beautiful Chitratpala, sustaining himself on wild fruits and vegetables, practicing rigorous yoga, and deepening his meditation. At last, by the power of such penance, he attained the full grace of Mother Purnimasi Yogamāyā. In that blissful state he rejoiced, losing himself completely in the divine ecstasy of saṅkīrtana.
Though deeply absorbed in meditation, by the efforts of his parents and teachers he was sometimes compelled to return to the village. Yet the radiance of meditation shone within him, and through the power of divine grace he became well-versed in the knowledge of herbs, plants, and Ayurveda. His daily disciplines were strict celibacy, contemplation of the threefold path, constant reading of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and study of other holy scriptures.
Even after attaining such a state through meditation, his heart continued to pray fervently for the guidance of a worthy teacher. With humility he surrendered himself to the Supremely Compassionate Lord.
About ten years after he had begun his sādhana, an incident occurred. A wealthy Brahmin landlord from Bengal, named Lala Babu, found himself in grave danger and on the verge of imprisonment. In desperation he wrote to Baba about his plight. By the grace of Thākur and Baba’s blessings, the calamity was averted.
In gratitude, the landlord expressed his wish to gift some of his land to Baba. Baba, however, remained silent. Soon news of this incident spread, and more and more people began to approach him, offering prayers and petitions. Fearing that such attention might distract him from meditation, Baba quietly left that place and went to the distant Kudangari (Kodanagari).
Kudangari had long been a place of austerity and pilgrimage, renowned as a fitting environment for meditation. Drawn to its atmosphere, Baba engaged in deep meditation there. Yet when he encountered the sick, he treated them with the sciences of Khaṇḍua Vidyā and Cheremuli, while also teaching them about self-realization and spiritual welfare. During this period he chanted the beautiful Tripura Sundarī mantra, receiving tangible results from its power.
But as large crowds again began to gather around him, Baba left Kudangari and traveled onward to Puri.
Pilgrimage and the Search for a True Teacher
“The saint, the knower of Brahman, is the true guide.”
— Padma Purāṇa
At the sacred shrines, one finds the devotees of Brahman, the saints, and the virtuous. Their very presence is like a fire that burns away the sins of man.
Darshan of the Shrine
Without informing his parents, the young Vaiṣṇava set out for Nīlācala Dhāma. Since the beginning of creation, this holy place—filled with monasteries, temples, sādhakas, and great souls—has been the refuge of the devotees. Here stands the supreme deity, Śrī Jagannāth, the Lord of Nīlācala, who grants shelter to all.
With a heart full of devotion, the pilgrim offered his mental desires at the Lord’s lotus feet. From the very moment a devotee’s longing awakens, the all-pervading Kāliyā Ṭhākur prepares the way to fulfill it. As the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā assures:
“In whatever way one approaches Me, I reveal Myself accordingly.”
It was during the time of Rāja Saṅkrānti. Traveling from Kudangari toward Purī, by way of Digbareni Chalapat, he was then about twenty-six or twenty-seven years of age. On the journey he came upon a village while searching for water to quench his thirst. As he approached a well to draw water, the village girls saw Baba there The village girls mocked him. Witnessing this, a man named Rāmdatta tried to stop Baba from going further. But Baba, undisturbed by their words, continued on his way.
He passed through villages and received darśan of Madhava, a great devotee, in whose company he stayed for five or six days. Afterward he remained at Nuagaon Maṭh for two days, spending the time absorbed in Bhāgavata recitation, Harikathā, and satsaṅga. Along his journey, he visited the temples and deities that came in his path. After bathing at Narendra, he entered the great temple of Jagannāth at noontime.
When he beheld the Supreme Lord, the Mahāprabhu, his heart overflowed with joy. He expressed heartfelt gratitude for being granted such a rare and wondrous opportunity. “Where is distant Kudangari, and what is this divine temple!” he thought. Truly, in those days, this darśan was a most extraordinary blessing.
Vaiṣṇavism in the Temple
Sitting alone like a humble devotee in the bathing hall, Baba received an offering of abundant prasāda from a motherly devotee. He accepted it with deep satisfaction, feeling it to be the mercy of Bhagavatī Pūrṇamāsī herself.
Later, he visited Pañchathi and other places. During this time, at Purī Badadand, he encountered an acquaintance from the village of Bāli Biśoi. Recognizing him, the man warmly invited Baba to his home. Baba stayed there for a few days, visiting the various temples of Purī, and then set out once more for Kudangari.
On the return journey, he rested in a village ṭuṅgī (a small roadside shelter used by travelers) where Bhāgavata was being recited. At that moment, an old woman approached him and prayed with folded hands:
“Baba, please cure the mental afflictions troubling some of the village girls.”
Baba recalled that these were the very same girls who had mocked him earlier on his journey. Feeling compassion and sadness for them, he blessed some water, instructing that it be drunk and sprinkled on their heads. When the distressed mother carried out the rituals as advised, Baba’s blessings began to take effect, and gradually the afflicted girl recovered.
Second Visit to Purī
It was the month of Kārtika when Baba set out once more on pilgrimage to Śrī Jagannāth Dhām. On his way he reached Nyāli Mādhava, where a great yajña and satsaṅga were being conducted in the tradition of Śrī Sarala Dāsa. Baba remained there for a few days, joining the assembly. From there he found a companion for the road, and together they journeyed to Purī.
Arriving at the holy temple, Baba once again beheld the Lord of the Universe. With a heart full of joy, he placed his innermost desires at the feet of Mahāprabhu Jagannāth. Inspired by that divine grace, he resolved to deepen his meditation.
Staying in a dharmashālā, he received mahāprasād from the temple. He often sat in the bathing pavilion, gazing upon the sacred Nīla Chakra atop the temple while meditating. After several days, his practice bore fruit (Siddhi), and his heart overflowed with bliss. He then conceived the wish to continue his pilgrimage onward to Gaṅgāsāgara and Navadvīpa.
After offering ardent prayers and repeated prostrations before Lord Jagannāth, Baba left the temple. A large crowd of devotees gathered to see him, and the Bairāgī Vaiṣṇavas themselves bowed down and worshiped his feet.
In those days, the atmosphere and arrangements of the temple were very different from now. There were no restrictions on entry or on staying overnight within the premises. Baba spent most of his time within the temple enclosure. The piṇḍī of the bathing hall became his chosen seat for meditation. There was no great crowd then, and he would remain absorbed in inner contemplation, receiving strength from the grace of the Nīla Chakra and, above all, from Sudarśana.
Unasked, mahāprasād would come to him. During this period, by the mercy of Śrī Jagannāth Mahāprabhu, he attained the special blessings of Mā Annapūrṇā and achieved siddhi in the Annapūrṇā mantra, as well as the grace of Chakrarāja Śrī Sudarśana.
Thus, by the grace of Śrī Jagannāth, after remaining in the temple for a few days, Baba resolved to journey toward Navadvīpa.
Voyage to Navadvīpa
On the way he encountered a young bābājī named Nimāyin Bābā, also known as Nimāyin Charan Dās. He was a devoted follower of Śrī Nityānanda Dās Bābājī, deeply attached to saṅkīrtana. At that time Nimāyin was about eighteen years old—nearly ten years younger than Baba. The two walked together as companions. Nimāyin’s birthplace was in the Kendrapara region, and he soon came to understand both the virtues of Baba’s character.
As they traveled, they came to the village of Bāli Biśi, where lived a noble soul named Kṛpāsindhu Dās, a great devotee of Jagannāth. Baba stayed with him for several days, and during that time Kṛpāsindhu learned some spiritual disciplines and techniques from Maharaj.
Wherever Baba resided, satsaṅga naturally gathered around him, guiding people toward the presence of the Lord. On the way he spent two full months in the nearby village of Bautia. From there he continued onward to attend the great Gāṅgāsāgar Māgha Melā (Makara Melā).
After the Māgha Melā, Baba returned for a time to Calcutta. One day, while sitting on the Ganga Bridge, he was suddenly recognized by a man named Arjun Raut, who hurried to greet him. Baba, however, tried quietly to slip away, but Arjun stopped him with folded hands, begged earnestly, and persuaded him to come to his lodging.
There Baba met several others from his own native region. His elder uncle (baṛa bāpā) was living there and was overjoyed to see him again. His younger brother Bhāskar was also residing there. But Baba did not wish to linger long with family ties. After receiving counsel to proceed to Navadvīpa, he obeyed his elder uncle’s word and left Calcutta, continuing his pilgrimage.
Translated from the Oriya original into English by Paramananda Dāsānudas
[mahamantra.info]
About the Author
