Example to Follow

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Uluberia, 11 January 2021, part 12
Translated from Bengali

In Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-Mukta-Mala, I wrote about some pastimes of Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj.

One time, an old lady invited Srila Babaji Maharaj to Dhatrigram (near Kalna). She told Babaji Maharaj's disciple Bihari Das, "Please come to my house. I will cook and give you prasadam." Bihari Das agreed it with Babaji Maharaj and carried him in a basket to the house of that lady. (When Mayapur had just been discovered, Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj, who was 137 years old at that time, went there in a basket, and when he arrived, he jumped out and cried, "This is Prabhu's birthplace!"). On the way, some rich man saw Babaji Maharaj and thought to himself, "This man's clothes are all torn... I guess he is so poor that he cannot even buy clothes for himself. Let me give him some money." (Babaji Maharaj's clothes were clean, fresh, but old and torn—he did not wear a shirt or anything like that; he would only use some cloth for his upper body and some loin cloth). The man gave one rupee to Babaji Maharaj, and Babaji Maharaj took it, but when he had walked for a mile, he suddenly told Bihari Das:

"Turn back! Let us go back to that man!"

"But why?" Bihari Das was surprised. "We are being waited for, that old lady wanted to give us some prasad."

"We can go there later, first go back to that man."

"But why?"

"You will understand later. Let us go back now."

They came back to the house of that man and saw him rubbing oil on his body before taking bath (it was about midday). Srila Babaji Maharaj told Bihari Das to call the man, and when the man came, he told him: "Please, take this money back. I cannot tolerate the burden of this money. I cannot chant the Holy Name! Please take this money back."

After that, they went to the house of the old lady. When they came, the lady said, "You are late, so the cooking is all done," and she asked Bihari Das to offer the bhog. Then, she seated Srila Babaji Maharaj and Bihari Das and served them prasadam. Srila Babaji Maharaj did not eat much, but he ate whatever she had put on his plate and did not leave anything on the plate. The old lady was frustrated, "Tsk, I have invited Babaji Maharaj, but he has not left any prasad for me! What am I to do? Let me feed him again then!" Then, she started pushing Srila Babaji Maharaj, "Please take some more rice, please take some more!" Babaji Maharaj tried to refuse, "No, no, I do not need anything more. I have finished eating." She insisted and forcefully put rice and subji again on his plate. Then, Srila Babaji Maharaj understood what was happening, "Oh, I have understood your plan." What did he do then? He again ate everything what was on his plate, and this time he also ate the plate!" The lady was taken aback, "Oh no! What have I done! I have made an offence—I have given so much problem to Babaji Maharaj!" Seeing this, Bihari Das said, "Prabhu, I will never take such invitations again!"

Such was Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj. These pastimes show the symptoms of a Vaishnav. It is necessary to practise these things in your life; otherwise, you will not get any result.

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