Bhakthivinoda Thakur the saint who revived Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the late 19th and early 20th century is believed to have called Jagannatha Dasa Babaji as ‘commanding chief of all devotees’.
Profile
Jagannatha Dasa Babaji was born in West Bengal, in the district of Mayamnasimha in the year 1776. However some date it between 1750 and 1800. All agree he lived for more than hundred years. Nothing more is known about his family. He took his initiation to sanyasa from Sri Madhusudana Dasa Babaji. Jagannatha Dasa Babji used to live in Navadwipa for six months and the rest of the six months in a year in Vraja Mandala. He lived an austere life and loved all beings around him. He fed the cows and allowed the dogs to eat from his plate which greatly upset his helper Bihari. Bihari was the life-long helper of Babaji. There is a story of Babaji begging from the sweeper woman of Brindavan. The prominent people of Vrindavan were shocked and asked him why he had done it. His answer was that dust of Vrindavan was so precious, as the Lord had walked on it and it was filled with ‘Krishna Prema’. Now the sweeper was always in touch with this dust, breathing it, being bathed in the dust. So he asks can anyone be more pure than the sweeper. He lived for one hundred and forty four years. His eye lids drooped over his eye and people had to lift the lids for him to do his pooja. But he never stopped his bhajans and pooja till the last day. It is believed that the bent, blind and weak Jaannatha Dasa Babji would leap up when he heard the chants of the Lord. He is said to have left his mortal coils in the year 1894.
Philosophy Propounded
Gaudiya Vaishnavism was the philosophy Jagannatha Dasa Babaji spoke about. But his allegiance, if onemight say so, was to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu more than to Sri Krishna. He felt Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was more merciful and an avatar of Kail Yuga, the current time period of the earth.He advocated everyone to follow a life of celibacy.
Work Done to Spread the Philosophy
Jagannatha Dasa Babaji’s life was his work. He lived an austere life and promoted that. He is believed to have transferred his power of bhajans, his love for the Lord and knowledge of the scriptures directly to Bhaktivinoda Thakura who he met in 1880. Bhakthivinoda Thakura was the one who revived Gaudiya Vaishanvism after decades of decadence.
