Understanding sahajiya and genuine babajis

This article is not intented to deviate one from their sadhana process nor to estrablish the superiority of Raganuga bhakti over Vaidhi bhakti or to take initiation from Babajis. Nor I am promoting Sri Ananta Das Babaji maharaj as diksha guru . It is intented only to prevent vaishnava from comitting severe vaishnava aparadha by criticizing other authenticated sampradayas specially those who perform raganuga bhajan and also others who might have minor philosophical difference on some topics . It is solely meant for those Vaishnavas who are ignorent of actual sahajiya community and their teachings . Discussion on minor philosophical difference should not be followed by vaishnava aparadha is the inner intension of the article.

The word sahajiya is very widespread in the vaishnava world. Normally we tend to call all others sahajiya who are not following the rules and process of our institution(ISKCON). The current trend is to call all babajis sahajiya. But the word sahajiya is widely misunderstood.
It is clear that the general understanding within the Gaudiya Matha and ISKCON is that babajis are people who pose as sadhus and enjoy women, at least two or three of them, as quoted in this article, and that these babajīs have nothing to do with spirituality or devotion to Krsna.

Who actually are babajis:

There are two types of renounced sādhus in India who are called sannyasis and vairagis. Sannyasis wear saffron dress, are usually addressed as ‘Swami’. Vairagīs, however, wear white cloth and are addressed as babajīs.
The ceremony of accepting the white cloth of a renunciant is generally called taking vesa or dress. In Bengal it is called bheka. “Babajī” is an honorable word for such renounced people which means grandfather in Hindi as well as in Vraja-bhasa, the language spoken in the Vraja area. It is also a general term used respectfully for sādhus all over India

In Jaiva Dharma of Bhaktivinoda Thākura the babajīs are not depicted in bad light but as sādhus and acaryas . Moreover, even if the founders condemned all babajis at a specific time, it would be unreasonable and inappropriate to apply that universally for all time in the past or future. It may be that they did not consider some of the contemporary babajis as worthy of association because of their connection with women. This, however, does not mean that all babajis were debauchees and would continue to be of such low character for all time. Nor does it mean that they all had a practice of associating with women.

It also should be noted that babajis are not always elder Indian gentlemen with beards . They may also have shaven heads; it is a matter of convenience and personal preference. There is a tradition of doing Govardhana parikrama on the day of Sanatana Gosvami’s disappearance in his honor because he is the one who popularized parikrama. This particular day is called “Mudia Puno”. The word “mudia” is derived from the Vraja-bhasa word “moond” which means shaven head. Sanatana Gosvami had a shaven head and therefore he was addressed as “Mudia Baba” by the local Vraja-basis. When he left his body, to honor him, the Vraja-basis shaved their heads and performed Govardhana parikrama. This has since become a tradition which continues till today. Although we call them Gosvāmīs, the Vraja-basis addressed them as babajis.

From this we can understand that “babaji” is a traditional Indian word of honor for renounced sadhus and that it has no connotation of a person having illicit relations with women. This can also be known by studying the local culture .

What is Sahajiya:

The word sahajiyā is derived from the Sanskrit word sahaja which literally means born with or natural (saha + ja, saha = with, ja = born). The sahajiya theory consists of two premises namely, (1) krsna-prema is dormant in the heart and (2) this prema can be awakened by practicing love with a female partner. It should be also noted here that a practicing sahajiya has only one female partner, not two or three.

Authenticated Gaudiya Vaisnava babajis do not accept either of these two premises. Associating with women is not part of their practice but is instead warned against. It is considered a deviation from one’s spiritual practices and is reprehensible.


There was a Buddhist sect called Sahajayana, besides the Mahayana and Hinayana sects, which was popular in the Eastern part of India before the appearance of Mahāprabhu. They followed the Tantric practice of trying to elevate their consciousness or raise the Kundalini with the help of a female partner. The purpose was not to enjoy sex as is misunderstood by many. Some sects of Tantra still practice this and it has unfortunately become the popular understanding of the Tantra practiced in the West.

When Mahaprabhu became popular in Bengal and Orissa, many of these Sahajayānis took to Gaudiya Vaishnavism being influenced by Mahaprabhu. They subsequently mixed their Sahajayana practice into the philosophy of Mahaprabhu. They believed that Goloka Vrndavana exists in the physical body and love of Krsna is dormant within the atma. This love can be manifested in the most natural way (sahaja) in the association of a female, especially a woman who is not one’s wife (parakiya) as the male mind is naturally attracted to women other than one’s wife.

Sahajiyas consider Caitanya-caritamrta as one of the most important books of their school and claim that even Caitanya Mahaprabhu had a female partner. According to them, the daughter of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Ṣathi, was Mahaprabhu’s partner. This was the reason behind Ṣathi’s husband, Amogha, being upset with Mahaprabhu when He came to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya’s house to take lunch prasad. (CC Mad 15.245-248). But it is not the truth.

Similarly, in their books the sahajiyas give the names of the female partners of all the Gosvamīs of Vrindavan. They consider this knowledge to be very esoteric. Therefore most of their literature has never been printed.


My personal experience with association of Sri Ananta das Babaji Maharaj, his desciples and his teachings:


I had few oppurtunity to associate with Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj, the current mahanta of Radhakund and few of his desciples in Kolkata during Guru purnima . I started with a curiosity to understand their sahajiya philosophy(as referred by GM/ISKCON) with humility and respect . But a few days of careful observation and analysis of his teachings had a change of opinion in my heart . By mercy of few advanced vaishnavas like HG Uttamasloka Das I was able to learn about raganuga sadhana and read many books of acharyas under their able personal guidance. So analysing the philosphy of babajis was not difficult .

Read any of the books of Sri Ananta Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja and you will be amazed at his scholarship. He spent ten years traveling to remote villages teaching the message of Mahāprabhu and giving diksa in the line of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrīmatī Jāhnavā Mātā through the descendants of Śrī Dhanañjaya Pandita before settling in Rādhākunda. Later, recognizing his humility and purity of heart, the seniormost Vaishnavas of Rādhākunda elected him as the Mahanta of Rādhākunda, the 34th representative of the seat of Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī .

He has written extensive commentaries on forty of the main books of the Gosvāmīs and their contemporaries being requested by the Vaishavas . His original works include around ten books of bhakti-related glorifications plus twelve books explaining Gaudīya Vaisnava sampradāya tattva in simple language out of concern for the spiritual upliftment of the general public.

I went to the place where Babaji was staying . I went there few days even once on Ekadashi . I saw that they were following Ekadashi properly . I read few of his books and found no philosophy which is related to sahajiya as stated above . Yes they follow raganuga bhajan but it is not unauthenticated or worthy of being called sahajiya.

It is completely acceptable that each sampradaya will have some unique understanding of the goal of human life and the rasa to be sought after for attaining the love of Godhead . But the basic philosophy remains the same if it is an authenticated sampradaya . So there is no point criticizing others on few differences. The goal of this article is not to start argument on the differences but to prove that they are not sahajiya as propagated by many people. We can find difference in opinion on few topics between BV Narayan maharaj ,Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj, HH Tripurari swami , Iskcon , other Gaudiya Maths , Raganuga followers under the guidance of books of Bhaktivinode thakura etc to name a few. However fighting with other groups on the basis of some difference is not acceptable . Krishna guides an individual based on his previous samskaras to a particular guru . Lets leave that to krishna and continue our sadhana based on our inclination . Having spiritual integrity among vaishnava community is essential to make the world a better place to practice Gaudiya vaishnavism.

They are pure prasad bhoji and follow the 4 regulative principles strictly . I have personally tested this in various ways to know the truth.
They will not give  initiation unless one becomes pure prasad bhoji and follow regulative principles . However some new desciples have a habit to take tea but Sri Ananta das Babaji Maharaj does not even take tea or approve of it.

I had also discussed with them about the sahajiya community . They are aware of their presence in Vrindavan and fully aware of their false propaganda . Those sahajiya even take fish . They are also aware of not self realized gurus who give siddha deha at the initiation ceremony . However disclosing their identity is out of the scope of this article .

During initiation Sri Ananta das babaji maharaj give diksha mantra and the devotee is asked to continue mantra smaran given during initiation along with the Hare krishna mahamantra  . Siddha deha is not given at the beginning of initiation. The guru gives siddha deha when he feels the desciple is qualified enough to begin raganuga bhajan after he has developed genuine greed followed by continuing mantra smaran , harinaam and seva of deity. This is fully in accordence with sastra . I am aware that there are many devotees who have not been given siddha deha by Sri Ananta Das babaji maharaj even after practicing bhajan for more than 10 years . Even I have heard from independent sources that there are instances where a disciple has not been given siddha deha at all though I have not been able to confirm this . However there are devotees who have been given siddha deha within a year. It all depends upon one's sincerity and qualification followed by spiritual greed . The self realized guru can understand that .

Their standard of archana is very high standard . However they don't give emphasis on various mudras during worship like vaidhi bhakti , nonetheless they follow the process of archana very strictly as Smaranam , Kirtanam , Archanam is also a part of raganuga sadhana as described by previous acharyas . However the way to look at it varies for the followers of vaidhi Bhakti and Raganuga Bhakti . Only added ingredient in their raganuga sadhana is meditation on lilas which is not certainly the intimate pastimes of Radha Krishna . The sadhaka under Anata Das babaji do not meditate on placing himself in place of gopis and having intimate relationship with Krishna . They mostly meditate on the seva the manjaris perform(varies from person to person ) . Once the siddha deha is given to the qualified desciple he starts his raganuga bhajan and meditation first via gaura lila and gradually while engrossed in the bhava of gaura lila they get into Vraja lila . This is in accordence to the gaudiya vaishnava siddhanta and is revealed in many books by acharyas . There is no trace of sahajiyaism in it which most ignorent devotees misunderstand .

Vaidhi bhakti does not lead to Raganuga bhakti: The difference within:-

First let us see the defination of vaidhi bhakti and raganuga bhakti as per Bhakti rasamrita sindhu(BRS)
BRS: 1.2.269:
Translation: some persons call vaidhi bhakti the path of rules(maryada-marga), since it is bound by strong limitation of the rules mentioned in the scriptures.
BRS: 1.2.270:
Translation:
Raganuga bhakti is defined as that bhakti which follows after the ragatmika bhakti found distinctively in the inhabitants of Vraja.

Vaidhi Bhakti and raganuga bhakti are two different types of bhakti. It is not that vaidhi bhakti leads to raganuga bhakti. Below are some references to prove this misconception:

BRS 1.3.7-8.describes different types of bhava arising from vaidhi and raganuga bhakti.
Translation: Bhava arising from absorption in sadhana will be discussed first.
Bhava arising from sadhana has two types: arising from vaidhi sadhana and arising from raganuga sadhana.Absorption in sadhana(nistha)produces ruci, then asakti and then rati or bhava for lord.

BRS 1.3.9 describes bhava arising from vaidhi sadhana.
Translation: Bhava arising from vaidhi sadhana is illustrated:
O Vyasdeva, in that association,and by mercy of those great vedantists,I could hear them describe the activities of lord krishna. These became very attractive(ruci),Thus, listening attentively(asakti), rati for the Personality of Godhead appeared.

BRS 1.3.14 describes bhava arising from raganuga sadhana.
Translation:
Bhava arising from raganuga sadhana is illustrated in the Padma purana:A young girl, having great joy in the heart and being very enthusiastic to dance, spend the whole night dancing in order to please the lord.

If vaidhi bhakti leads to raganuga bhakti then there would not be mention of two different bhavas of vaidhi bhakti and raganuga bhakti in the above two slokas. Then it should be mentioned as one comes after other but it is not like that and have been referred as bhava arising from sadhana has two types one from vaidhi and another from raganuga.

BRS 1.4.6 describes prema attained though vaidhi bhakti:
Translation: An example of prema arising from vaidha bhava is supplied from the Eleventh canto:
Having performed his vows according to Vaidhi bhakti,chanting the holy name of his beloved lord,he develops great attachment.As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly, cries or shouts. sometimes he sings and dances like a madman,for he is indifferent to public opinion.

BRS 1.4.8-13 describes prema attained though raganuga bhakti. As the translations are very large I have not included here. One can read them from the link to the book given below.

BRS 1.4.14 clearly describes the difference between prema attained through Vaidhi Bhakti and Raganuga Bhakti clearly indicating the process of both and the result obtained are entirely different. Thus one should not confuse that vaidhi bhakti leads to raganuga bhakti.

Translation: Those who have practiced vaidhi-bhakti (and then get the great mercy of the Lord) attain prema with knowledge of the Lord's powers. Those who have practiced raganuga bhakti (and then get the great mercy of the Lord) usually attain prema with knowledge of the Lord's sweetness.

The above sloka clearly dispells all doubt that Vaidhi bhakti and raganuga bhakti are two different process of sadhana with different results while one advances through each of them.


For detailed description of above slokas and commentery by Srila Jiva Goswami and Vishwanath Chakravarty thakura on them inorder to understand them please download Bhakti Rasamrita sindhu from the following link vishnudut1926.blogspot.ru/2013/01/blog-post_9725.html
The translation is done by Bhanu Swami who needs no introduction.

Raganuga sadhana and Vaidhi sadhana are two different procees of sadhana leading to different destination . Only raganuga bhajan leads one to goloka is clearly stated in the books of previous acharyas . However vaidhi bhakti also leads one to bhava and prema but it leads one upto Dwaraka in spiritual world not Goloka . However this does not signifies that followers of vaidi bhakti are in any way inferior to the raganuga sadhak . It is purely a matter of one's inclination towards a particular form of lord and the rasa associated within . The devotees of Vishnu or Ramachandra are in no way inferior to Yashodanandan Krishna as misunderstood by many devotees.  People according to their past life samskaras are attracted towards a particular path of devotion as devotional practice is not a matter of one life and is perfected in course of various lifetimes . So one should not criticize others  or look down upon them if they are naturally inclined towards raganuga sadhana or others not in accordence to their own bhavas or inclination .

However many people tend to switch to raganuga sadhana thinking that one need not follow the rules of sastra and the regulative principles .  This type of mentality is not supported by any of our acharyas and is decrimental to bhakti leading to downfall . That is why Srila prabhupada has warned us not to try to attain perfection via easy means(sahaja). But it does not necessarily mean that those who practice raganuga sadhana are not following the regulative principles .

Those who are on the path of raganuga-bhakti do not strictly follow all of the rules and regulations of sastra as the basis for their sadhana and bhajana . Many contemporary Vaisnavas are therefore concerned that unqualified devotees will take up the path of raganuga-bhakti simply because they won’t have to “follow any rules or regulations,” and thus, they will degrade themselves and raganuga-bhakti into something easy and cheap .

The facts are that people have been misunderstanding and misapplying spiritual principles since time immemorial, and it is a phenomenon that is a constant part of human nature and society . Even Advaita Acarya had sons who deviated from the original tree of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and eventually became dead branches . And they were sons of the incarnation of Maha Vishnu . Bhakti itself cannot be institutionalized or controlled by anyone . It is strictly a private affair between the devotee, the guru, and Krsna.

Of equal concern on the other side are those Vaisnavas who wrongly criticize qualified raganuga-sadhakas for being deviant, simply because they do not conform to someone’s limited preconceived notions of sädhana-bhakti .

The rules and regulations are not created for one who is naturally drawn to devotion  ,because by taste alone such a person will be absorbed in the specific manner of ragatmika devotion , which captivates the Lord.

Therefore, when it is said that raganuga-sadhakas do not follow the rules and regulations of scripture , it means that they don’t depend on scriptural rules as their primary motivation and guide to engage in sadhana-bhakti . It doesn’t mean that they reject or disrespect the sastras .

Raganuga-sadhakas must still examine the sastras to learn the details of raganuga-sadhana bhajana which is in case of  Sri Ananta Das babaji Maharaj who personally told me to read his books and understand the gaudiya philosophy prior to have a desire to enter raganuga sadhana or take initiation from him .

Those who consider that one should first reach higher stages then one gradually enter raganuga bhakti should first read the books of previous acharyas to understand the qualification of raganuga bhajan , the process of raganuga bhajan , when and how raganuga bhajan is started . If it is not possible to read all books then they may chose to read the book Realization and manifestation of your eternal identity by HG  Uttamasloka Dasa an initiated desciple of Srila Prabhupada . After reading the book which is fully supported by quotations of previous acharyas , one can then choose to verify the quotes referred in the book with the actual books of acharyas .
I have personally verified the teachings in the book with consulting many eminent gurus of vaishnava world  be it in Iskcon, outside Iskcon, Gaudiya math or other anthenticated sampradays in Gaudiya Vaishnava line via email or personal interaction or their books . However there might be some minor difference of thoughts over some topics among various schools like origin of jiva , eternal nature and rasa  of jiva and the role of guru in it , they all agree on the raganuga sadhana process and the necessary qualification .

It is true that siddha deha can be revealed by the mercy of Holy Name i.e Hare Krishna mahamantra but it is not the only authenticated means of getting siddha deha as per the teachings of our acharyas . One can know  by reading Jaiva Dharma , Harinaam Chintamani and other book of previous acharyas that it can be given by one's diksha guru or siksha guru also . However the genuine babajis like Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj also give stress on chanting a fixed number of rounds and he mostly  stress on chanting 64 rounds as recommended by Chaitanya mahaprabhu . However the fixed number of rounds for his desciples varies  depending on his material work load so that he does not have to defy the orders of guru . So one must not misunderstand that they give siddha deha and do not understand the glories of Holy Name and Mantra mayi upasana .

It is said to give up the lower taste on must first relish the higher taste .Then only the propensity to enjoy material life and material happiness will fade away . The advanced devotees of Ananta das babaji do not criticize even those who criticize them . I have personally tested this by criticizing Iskcon and see their reaction. I was amazed to see they warned me against commiting Vaishnava aparadha . They(I tasted with multiple devotees on different days not telling them I am associated with Iskcon) . They said "Why are you criticizing those who have taken responsiblity to spread the name of Mahaprabhu in the entire world ?" . Even Sri Ananta Das babaji Maharaj personally condemns the criticism of Iskcon stating that Srila Prabhupada was a specially empowered devotee of Lord and he is not an ordinary human being . Criticism of Srila prabhupada and his followers will drag one to hell and his guru along with him . I heard this from one of his desciple.  I believe that everyone sould have such humility , spiritual integrity and respect to other vaishnavas . Yes there might be some rotten potatoes in every bag(sampradayas) but that does not make every potato in the bag rotten .

Authenticity of Pranali:

Srila Prabhupada in nectar of devotion chapter 15 said :
"In this connection, we should be careful about the so-called siddha-pranali. The siddha pranaliprocess is followed by a class of men who are not very authorized and who have manufactured their own way of devotional service. They imagine that they have become associates of the Lord simply by thinking of themselves like that. This external behavior is not at all according to the regulative principles."

Examining these statements carefully reveals that Srila Prabhupada’s harsh attack primarily has to do with these people (specifically males) dressing up as gopis (external behavior), which we know is not a valid part of raganuga-bhakti, and is therefore outside of that which is taught and approved by the acaryas. Therefore, Srila Prabhupada justly criticized them.

The process of siddha pranali is not bogus and is also described in Dhyanacandra’s, Gaura Govindarcana-smarana-paddhati, and is perhaps the first written reference to siddha-pranali. The word pranali is found in the verse.

tatradau manjari-rupan gurvadin tu sviyan sviyan pranaly-anusarena samsmaret Srigurüparama-
guru-krameneti tatah Sri-Radhikam dhyayet, tatah Sri-nandanandanam

Concerning that dhyana (meditation), before anything else, the sadhaka should perform smarana (remembrance) of the manjari forms of his guru-pranali, beginning with his guru, then parama-guru, and so on. Then he shall meditate on Sri Radhika, and after that Sri Nandanandana. GGSP, 344

manjaryo bahusah rupa-guna-sila-vayo ‘nvitah ||
nama-rupadi tat sarvam guru-dattam ca bhavayet |
tatra tatra sthita nityam bhajet sri-radhika-hari ||
bhavayan sadhako nityam sthitva krishna-priya-grihe |
tad ajna-palako bhutva kaleshv ashtasu sevate ||
DhPad 107-109

“One should meditate on the various forms, qualities, natures, blooming youth and so forth of the manjaris, as described by the guru. One should always stay with them, worshiping Sri Radhika and Hari. The practitioner shall stay in the home of Sri Radha, the beloved of Krishna, following their orders and rendering service throughout the eight phases of the day.”
As one learns of the characteristics of the manjaris from one’s guru, so one learns of one’s own manjari-svarupa from one’s guru. Indeed, the manjari-svarupa is born of the guru’s grace!

sarva-lakshana-sampanna bhava-havadi-bhushita |
guru-prasada-janani guru-rupa-priyanuga || DhP 87

“Endowed with all qualities, ornamented by alluring gestures, moods and so forth, she is born of the grace of the guru, being a dear follower of guru-rupa- sakhi.”


Visvanatha Cakravarti also follows this same etiquette when he refers to his siddha-pranali in Sankalpa-kalpadrumah, where he addresses his guru, Radharamana Cakravarti, who is Tulasi manjari, his grand-guru, Krsna-carana Cakravarti, who is Ranga-manjari, and his great-grandguru, Ganga-Narayana Cakravarti, who is Prema-manjari:

Where am I, whose heart is filled with deceit and hundreds of other faults, and where is this sudden resolve concerning this rare subject matter? O Tulasi, you are the personification of shelter for the helpless. You are my only refuge. Your unconditional mercy accepted me without counting my faults. SK, 90

O Ranga-manjari, please bestow your mercy upon me. O Prema-manjari, please grace me with your compassionate glance. O Vilasa -manjari, attracting me to your lotus feet and making me your servant, please accept me with the other sakhés. SK,91

learning or hearing about one’s siddha-deha and its ekadasa-bhavas (i.e., the stage of sravana dasa), normally takes place when, due to the appearance of spiritual greed (lobha) for a desired rasa with Krsna, one becomes qualified to engage in raganuga-bhakti. Until reaching that point, it is normally considered premature for a disciple to inquire about these matters.

Typically, but not always, the qualifications for this stage will appear only after a disciple has received diksha and has subsequently been engaged in serious sadhana-bhakti for many years. Even then, the appearance of spiritual greed only manifests due to the mercy of Krsna or a rasika devotee, who bestow this rare gift on worthy practitioners. So it may or may not take many years. There are no quantitative factors involved, only divine mercy.


Therefore, the proper bestowal of siddha-pranali in terms of initiation (diksha) would not necessarily include giving neophyte disciples the details of their siddha-deha and ekadasa-bhavas, because they almost certainly would not be qualified for raganuga-bhakti at that time. However, it does appear that Bhaktivinoda Thakura received these details at his initiation, implying that he was qualified at that time.

In fact, only when disciples are genuinely qualified and thus ready to engage in raganuga-bhakti, would they be deemed fit to learn about their siddha-deha and its ekadasa-bhavas. This is confirmed by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Harinama-cintamani as follows:
When, on examining the disciple’s natural tendencies, the spiritual master verifies that he truly has the qualifications for serving in Sringara -rasa, he informs him of the eternal form (siddha-deha) that he should cultivate as a manjari in Lalita’s subgroup of Srimati Radharani’s group of gopis. Then the spiritual master explains the mutual relation between the eleven components (ekadasa-bhavas) of that spiritual identity (siddha-deha) necessary for the practice and the
object of that practice – the pastimes the Lord enjoys throughout the eight periods of the day and night (asta-kaliya-lila). He especially shows the disciple his spiritual name, form, qualities, and principle service. (HC, 15.64-68, Srila Bhaktivinoda’s Notes to the verses.)

Srila Bhaktivinoda has thus summarized the proper implementation of this process according to his experience and realizations. Therefore, the improper implementation would be when a guru gives new disciples the details of their siddha-deha and ekadasa-bhavas even if they are not qualified. In some cases, the guru may also be unqualified to give this confidential knowledge and guidance.
This is specifically what is criticized and rightly so. This unauthorized type of siddha-pranali initiation still exists today, and it is not in line with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instructions, nor the Gaudiya Vaishnava acaryas. Such confidential details and instructions must never be given to, or by, unqualified people.



Various methods of giving Siddha Pranali:

There are various methods employed by each guru regarding establishing the disciple’s siddhadeha and ekadasa-bhavas. Some gurus, presumably being bhava-bhaktas themselves, enter into a meditative state, wherein they are said to receive these details from the nitya-siddhas via Samasthi Guru. They then reveal that information to their disciple after their meditation. In Jaiva Dharma we can see Vaishnava Das babaji receives such siddha deha from his guru. Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj also follows this process when he sees his desciple is qualified.

Some gurus give or assign these details to the disciple based on their personal evaluation of the disciple’s inclinations.
Other gurus work out these details collaboratively with the disciple based on the existing preferences that have already manifest within the disciple, which may be considered glimpses of their eternal nature (svarupa). In this approach the disciple is essentially saying, “this is who I am,” versus the guru saying, “this is who you are.” In Jaiva Dharma also we see Gopal guru Goswami gives siddha deha to his siksha desciple vajranatha in this manner.

Srila Bhaktivinoda recommended the collaborative method, and presumably this is how he developed his own personal ekadasa bhavas with his guru, Bipin Bihari, when he received siddha-pranali-diksha. He directly implies this in Harinama-cintamani where he writes:
If one’s preferences differ, the guru will make changes. If on the other hand the disciple does not like it, he should openly tell his spiritual master what he would prefer. The guru will consider the matter and give him another identity, and if the disciple likes it, also reveal his own. HC, 15.72-73

Srila Bhaktivinoda’s Notes:
When the spiritual master is ascertaining the aspirant’s pure personal inclinations, the aspirant should also help the spiritual master by speaking his mind about his own preferences. As long as he has not clearly established the disciple’s inclinations, the guru’s directions are not flawless. The inclinations that have been shaped by one’s meritorious deeds, through both this and previous lives, are called ruci or taste. This particular inclination, however, is integral to the
soul (svarüpa). Should a person not have a natural inclination for Sringara-rasa, but for servitude or friendship, then he should be instructed accordingly; if not there will be undesirable consequences. HC, Notes to 15.72-73

Though the second process was recommended by Srila Bhakti vinode Thakura both are authentic.

Unfortunately there are many fake gurus and babajis even in Vrindavan but to call everyone fake or sahajiya without knowing or researching about them is a serious vaishnava aparadha . Anyone who has properly read and understood the teachings of our previous acharyas like Bhakti Vinode thakura. Jiva Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakura and others will easily understand the process of raganuga sadhana and can himself analyse the difference between a sahajiya and a genuine babaji .

Interactions between Srila Prabhupada and Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj .

I have heard from few of the disciples of Sri Ananta Das babaji maharaj that Srila Prabhupada visited him few times in Radhakunda and had developed respect and admiration for him and his guru Sri Kunja Bihari das babaji maharaj. He even wanted to take him to America and and expressed this desire to babaji twice but babaji politely rejected as he did not wish to leave Radhakund. However Srila prabhupada has to stop visiting him as there was protest from some of his desciples regarding visiting a babaji whose community he had always criticized during his teachings. It is truely understandable and acceptable that ISKCON will not confirm this incident which may lead to conflicts and I doubt if it has been recorded anywhere or published. It was my responsiblity to openly publish this and leave it to the readers to confirm its authenticity via different source of unbiased individuals.

The devotees who have been criticizing babajis should first read the books like Jaiva Dharma and Harinaam Chintamani along with others books of acharyas and then comment based on their personal realization . Unfortunately the devotees of Iskcon are not even allowed to read these books and Nectar of devotion beyond chapter 19 by their councellors.I was even not allowedto read Bhakti Rasamrita Sindu with excuse that nectar of devotion is same as that but without slokas.However it is true but one can find the difference if one reads both.Srila prabhupada willingly didnot discussed those details of raganuga bhakti for the reason known to everyone . It is understandable that the authority do not want the neophyte devotees to be misguided or drawn towards raganuga bhakti and start following some not self realized gurus who have made raganuga bhajan cheap before attaining the necessary qualification .  It is fully agreed that every institution has some basic code and conduct and the authority will not cross the limit set by the institution . But  how can one call other Sahajiya simply because he is following raganuga bhajan even without understanding the higher Gaudiya philosophy depicted in these books ? It is unfortunate if devotees does not understand the inner mood of AC BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupada . When he criticized sahajiya babajis he used to refer those who deviate from the original teachings of Mahaprabhu as mentioned above in sahajiya section and made cheap publicity of giving siddha deha without any qualification . Most of them are not even self realized .

Having said that it is not applicable to all Babajis as i have stated above in reference to Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj . There are certainly other authenticated self realized babajis also however I have not been fortunate to meet them or their desciples .


I am sure that my eligiblity to write on such elevated topics will be questioned so I request the readers to read the source books which  I have referred throughout in my article to validate it .

References used in the article :
1. www.jiva.org/babajis-sahajiyas-and-apasampradayas/
2. The book Realization and manifestation of your eternal identity
3. Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu
4. Harinaam Chintamani
5. Jaiva Dharma