Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was respected by all the 
Vaisnava community and was thus known as Vaisnava Sarvabhauma, or 
chief amongst the Vaisnavas. There are some nice stories connecting 
him with the finding of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's birthplace recorded 
in Sri Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya.

Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja was born around the year 1800 
AD. He spent many years in Vrndavana where he became famous as a 
perfect devotee, though more than this is not known of his early years 
and pastimes. What we do know, however, is that he was particularly 
enthusiastic in serving the Lord's devotees and performing 'kirtan'. 
In later life his servant, Bihari Lal, used to carry him on his 
shoulders in a basket, though when he would hear a 'kirtan' or himself 
be engaged in 'kirtan', his body would extend itself out of the basket 
like a beautiful banyan tree and he would loudly shout, "Nitai ki nam 
eneche re! Nitai, ki nam diteche re!" - "O Lord Nityananda, what a 
wonderful name you have brought! O Nitai, what a wonderful name you 
have given!"

The stories which I will now relate are at the time when he was more 
than 120 years old. Living in a tent at Sri Navadvipa with Bihari Lal, 
his servant, he would eat prasadam from a large brass plate which 
someone had given as a donation. A litter of puppies which had taken 
birth nearby began to come and eat off Jagannatha dasa Babaji 
Maharaja's plate, but he did not object. After a few days however, 
Bihari Lal saw what was happening, and disgusted to see the dogs eat 
from his guru's plate, he drove them away. Jagannatha dasa Babaji 
chastised Bihari Lal angrily saying, "If the dogs can't eat I won't 
eat!" His servant had to search out and bring back the puppies, and as 
they joined Babaji Maharaja again over his plate he exclaimed, "All 
glories to the dhama dogs!" Thus he always displayed his great respect 
for all the residents of the holy dhamas. On another occasion he had 
his servant purchase two hundred rupees worth of 'rasagulas' and 
instructed him, "Feed them to all the dhama's cows, but don't give one 
to those rascal sahajiya babajis (pretenders)."

Srila Jagannath dasa Babaji Maharaja was such a great devotee that the 
famous Bhaktivinoda Thakura (Kedarnath Datta) called him the 
commanding chief of the devotees. When Srila Bhaktivinoda was looking 
for the actual place where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's birthplace was, 
he asked Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja to go with him. During the 
many changes in the course of flow of the mighty Ganges River, some 
parts of the sacred dhama of Navadvipa (nine islands) had changed. The 
Ganges had revealed old and lost places and reclaimed new ones. To his 
surprise Bhaktivinoda Thakura discovered that the modern day city 
called Navadvipa was not more than 100 years old and therefore wasn't 
the Navadvipa of Sri Caitanya. Some said the birth site was in a place 
now under the Ganges, while some said it was in the city of Navadvipa. 
Dissatisfied, Bhaktivinoda pushed on looking. He found some 
antiquarian maps and government records, and authentic books written 
at the time of Lord Caitanya, all of which agreed that Mayapur 
Navadvipa Dhama is situated on the east bank of the Ganges. To 
Bhaktivinoda's amazement he found several large mounds covered with 
sacred Tulasi plants on land owned by Mohammedans. It was shrouded 
with local rumors of strange lights and sounds, so the owner, 
believing it to be haunted, would not go there. Many old babajis of 
the time, however, believed this to be the actual birthplace of Sri 
Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Convinced it was true, Bhaktivinoda, inspired by 
Jagannatha dasa Babaji, went there to the spot, with Jagannatha dasa 
Babaji being carried in his basket.

Due to his old age, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji couldn't open his 
eyes, but had to forcibly open them with his fingers, what to speak of 
walk but upon arriving at the transcendental site, he leapt out of the 
basket and danced in ecstasy shouting, "Haribol!" and "Gauranga!", 
definitely establishing it to be the very same birthplace of Lord 
Caitanya.

gauravirbhava bhumes tvam nirdesta sajjana priyah
vaisnava sarvabhauma sri jagannathaya te namah

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Jagannatha dasa Babaji 
Maharaja, who is respected by the entire Vaisnava community and who 
discovered the place where Lord Caitanya appeared."

