Śrīla Madhusudana Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja

[December 20, 2023 is the disappearance day of Śrīla Madhusudana Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja in Vṛndāvana, India. The following is an excerpt of a bhāva anuvāda of a discourse by Śrīla Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja on December 07, 2016. Editors’ input: Additional text has been included in square brackets to facilitate the flow of content.]

Today is also a special day – It is the tirobhāva tithi of sūrya-kuṇḍa vāsi, Śrīla Madhusudana Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja [and the āvirbhāva tithi of my śīkṣā guru, Śrīla Bhakti Jivana Janārdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja].

ONLY THE FORTUNATE CAN WITNESS

Sūrya-kuṇḍa is the place where the mid-day pastimes of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are performed. [Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī goes there to meet Śrī Kṛṣṇa on the pretext of performing worship to Sūrya deva]. By virtue of their transcendental vision, Vaiṣṇavas can witness the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. For this reason, Śrīla Madhusudana Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja used to reside at Sūrya-kuṇḍa to perform his worship in solitude. I do not know much about him beyond the fact he resided there.

adyāpiha sei līlā kare gaura-rāya

kona kona bhāgyavān dekhibāre pāya

"Mahāprabhu still performs His pastimes here in His abode. A few most fortunate souls are able to see them.” [Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata]

Only one who is very fortunate can still witness gaura-līlā which is going on in Navadvīpa dhāma. Vaiṣṇava sārvabhauma Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja accepted Bābāji veśa from him. Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja used to be carried in a basket by his servant Bihari Dāsa Bābāji who was very strong. He would take Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja in a basket to Vṛndāvana and from Vṛndāvana to Navadvīpa. Once, when Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja arrived at Yogapīṭha [Śrī Caitanyadeva's birth place], he leapt out of his basket and began dancing in great ecstasy. When the servant asked Śrīla Bābāji Mahārāja what is happening? Śrīla Bābāji Mahārāja replied, 'Don't you see! All the devotees are performing kīrtana?' saying this Śrīla Bābāji Mahārāja joined them. Could anyone else witness this? No. Only a few fortunate souls can enter these pastimes.

Sūrya-kuṇḍa still exists today and people even reside there, but you will not find one person who can witness those pastimes. Although much funding has gone into improving the accommodation facilities at Sūrya-kunda, it is difficult to find even one person who can reside there. Now Śrīla Keśava Mahārāja, who was urged by the locals, resides there.

[Today is Śrīla Madhusudana Dāsa Bābāji Mahārāja’s tirobhāva tithi. I pray for his mercy.]