After initiation, having lived three years in the forest near Majitpura, he went on pilgrimage to the holy places of India. Going round the whole of India, he finally came to Navadvipa (West Bengal), where he lived most of his life. At the end of his life he returned to Majitpur there and left this world.
Even though Vamsidasa had lived a hard life as a youth, as a renunciant he became extremely austere. He was always dressed in one simple loincloth and nothing more. He rarely attempted to procure any food and would often go without eating, sometimes for several days. It was common for him to abstain from both food and water for a day or two. He took very little care of his health, and would bathe in freezing water even when he was sick. Despite all this Vamsidasa looked vibrant and healthy. He was over six feet tall and was constantly traveling. Even at the age of eighty he walked so fast that many of his younger associates could not keep up with him. Much like the Gosvamis of Vrindavana he survived solely on spiritual energy.
He was paramahamsa-avadhuta. Avadhutas move, speak, laugh, cry and dance on the direction of the Antaryami (Lord within), fully independent from the world or from religious traditions. They are beyond reason and argument, and can also not be caught by that. The course of their lives is mysterious and confidential. Rules and prohibitions are their servants instead of the other way around.
In the morning he would recite Sanskrit slokas, then all day he was plunged in bhajan, often chanting loudly: "Hari, Hari! Gopijanavallabha, Hari! Bhakatavatsala, Hari!" He would continue like this on and on.
Vamsi Das had his kutir in Navadvipa town, He looked very strange almost like a madman. He would often sing/quote; "nitayer karuna habe, braje radha krsna pabe..."
One devotee noted that during his three month stay with him he never once saw him pass stool or urine, nor take a bath.
Vamsi Das was very difficult to keep up with, because sometimes he moved, sometimes he stopped, sometimes he cooked for the Deity, etc. There was no saying when he would start or stop and it would be at any time of the day or night, wherever he was. He would eat every three to four days only: His body was completely transcendental. Whatever he ate he cooked himself, and he would never eat anything cooked by anyone else. He was a svapaki. Sometimes he would cook kicchari. After feeding Krsna he would take something himself, then he would call the devotees, "Come here!" and would give the remnants in the pot. They would send this maha-maha-prasada of Vamsi Das to sadhus in Navadvipa and Vrndavan, who were anxious to receive it.
He would go to the homes of people he knew were pious devotees who had respect for him. He would simply stand outside and call out, "Gaura Nitai. Gaura Nitai!" and those people would come and give him vegetables, fruits, or different things. Many times people came to his kutir and gave him things to eat, but he would almost always refuse, saying, "No, no. Gaura Nitai, They won't eat this. You take it away." Sometimes he would go to the market place and find all the bad, thrown out vegetables and take these. As he was passing on the road, people would see him and realize how he was a mahapurusa, so they would offer things to him like ghee, flour, sugar, etc.
Sometimes, seeing that a great sadhu had come to their village, the villagers would arrange a big feast and would beg things from other villagers, but he never cared for all this feasting and the villagers coming, and would just continue on his journey. Sometimes the devotees would stop in one village to cook for themselves, but he would just go on, without waiting for them.
Vamsi Das used a huka many times every day, smoking a very strong variety of tobacco by the name. Jotisekhara said that the devotees used to supply him with that tobacco, purchasing it from Calcutta or Navadvipa. Sucking that huka he would call out very loudly, "Bhakatavatsala Hari!" while the huka went, "glug, glug, glug, glug,..." Rumors that he cooked and ate fish are completely bogus, as Jotisekhara Prabhu, who was with him for three months, never saw such a thing.
One devotee remembers how Vamsi Das saw everything in a Krsna conscious way. For example, he might hear someone say the word government and he would exclaim, "Oh Govardhana. Govardhana dhari." He would convert everything and relate it to Krsna.
One very interesting point is that even though Vamsi Das appeared to talk like a madman, nothing apasiddhantic (against the scriptures) would ever be spoken by him. Everything was completely in line with the siddhanta. It should be noted that there are many people who pretend to be advanced devotees, but those who are actually advanced and absorbed in this spontaneous, loving mood of devotion to Krsna, even though not necessarily in viddhi marg, never go outside of the injunctions in the sastra or the philosophical understandings of the sastra. For one who is a pretender this is not possible.
Vamsi Das would always refer to himself not as the first person, as in "ami" or "ama", "I" and "mine," but as the third person, as "Vamsi Das." He would not say, "I had to go there" but rather, "Vamsi Das had to go there."
In Bengal, on the Holi day (also called Dol Yatra, Gaura Purnima, Phalguna Purnima), there is the tradition of throwing phalgu (a kind of coloured powder) at each other, and Vamsi Das also made it known that he had no objections to people throwing it on him, so all the people in the town came and did so, as a kind of worship of him. Vamsi Das just sat in his cottage the whole of that day while people threw powder on him. He wouldn't eat or drink anything, not even water, because he was fasting for Gaura Purnima. In this way, one after another, thousands upon thousands of people came to take part and he became totally immersed in powder, like a hill, sitting silently and tolerating everything.
One time he heard a boatman, who was rowing across the Ganges at Navadvipa, singing a song of Narottama Das. The meaning of that song is, "The spear has entered my heart. It has neither killed me nor can I survive." There is a very deep meaning to this song, comparing separation from Krsna to be just like that spear. When Vamsi Das heard that boatman singing this he commented, "You are singing but don't know what this means. You do not know the import. You are simply enjoying singing the song, without any realization, but when we hear this song our hearts are pierced. You don't know that. You're just singing, but my heart is breaking."
One time he was going to collect some water in his clay pot from the Ganges, but due to the apparent infirmity of old age, he slipped on the bank and fell down. He was then heard saying, "Go on, go ahead. You go and bring water for washing Krsna." It was as if he was seeing that he was going to collect water from the Yamuna with so many gopis, and he was telling them to go ahead. No one could see any gopis, but this was his vision.
One time some devotees came to visit, bringing some jackfruit from Mayapur with them, but they had taken out the seeds, which is a common thing to do, because the seeds are very big and are usually kept for cooking in sabjis. Vamsi Das said jokingly, "Oh, you gave me the jackfruit, but you kept the seeds." He was very humorous like this.
An elephant was walking on the main road in Puri one day and everyone was giving paisa to it in its trunk. Upon seeing it Vamsi Das said, "se sambandha nahi jar britha janma gelo tar, e pasu boro duracara... The elephant is serving its master but I cannot serve my master." This was in reference to a song written by Narottama Das Thakura, which is actually written, "se pasu boro duracara... Such a person who has no relationship with Nityananda, his life is useless, and he is a great rascal, just like an animal." But when Vamsi Das saw that big animal, that elephant, instead of, "se pasu" he said, "e pasu... this animal," referring to himself, in all humility.
Near Cuttack is a place where there were many flies, so the devotees tried to scatter them away. Upon seeing this Vamsi Das said, "Don't do that. It is Nanda Maharaja's home. There is so much milk and curd here. Why won't flies come? It is Braja." He saw every place as Braja; anything and everything reminded him of Vrndavan. As they were walking they saw a train going on a bridge and somehow or other this reminded him of Vrndavan, so he called out, "rasa mandala, rasa mandala! What are you doing rai kisori? (an affectionate name for Radharani) Even things totally unrelated to the holy dhama would remind him of Vrndavan.
His Deities
Vamsidasa Babaji lived in a world of his own. His world centered round his Deities Gaura-Gadadhara, Nitai, Radha-Krishna and Gopala. For the service of these Deities he had two brass pots, some earthen pots, one plate, one glass, some small cups, panca patra, bell and conch-shell and nothing else. Baba passed day and night in the service of the Deities and in sweet talks with Them. Early in the morning he went out from his kutir to collect flowers. Then he went for bhiksa. He returned to the kutir about noon and made garlands from the flowers for each of the six Deities. After that he started cutting vegetables. He washed each vegetable a number of times. Then he cleaned rice. He examined each grain of rice. If he found any grain from which the husk was not removed, he removed it with his own hand. He did everything slowly, contemplating all the time the lila of Radha-Krishna or Gaura-Nitai, and singing or talking to Them. It was only late in the evening that he could cook and offer bhoga to the Deities. He had no consciousness of time. Morning and evening, day and night had no meaning for him. Almost the whole night he kept awake, talking and singing.
Once Sripada Haridasa Gosvami was surprised to see him cooking for the Deities at about 9 a.m. He said to him, "Baba! It would be fine, if you prepare bhoga for the Deities like this in the morning everyday." He replied, "I do not know morning or evening. Am I their father's servant so to feed them at appointed hours? If They want to eat like that, let Them make Their own arrangements for cooking. Let Gadadhara cook for Gaura. Nitai is avadhuta. He has no caste. He can go and eat anywhere. I do not worry about my Gopala. A milch-cow comes here everyday and gives Him milk. He can live on that. I have to worry about Radha-Krishna. For Them I will have to cook a little rice and vegetables. If I don't, They will go to Vrndavana and do madhukari."
Vamsidasa Baba never locked the door of his kutir when he went out for bhiksa or to bathe in the Ganga. If someone asked him why he did not lock the kuti, he said, "If the owner of the house Himself does not keep a watch and has a soft corner for the thief, what is the use of locking the house? I do not even keep the keys of the lock with me. The lock has three keys. All the three are with the three boys. One is with Gaura, one with Nitai and one with Gadadhara." After entrusting the lock and the keys to the three boys, Baba used to be free from anxiety. If while he was out a cow entered the kutir and turned everything topsy turvy, he would be angry with the boys. If someone stole something from the kutir he would say, "Gaura has a soft corner for Nadiyavasis, the residents of His own dhama. Therefore He gives things away to them. I am after all an outsider." Once a gold necklace, given by someone to Gaura, was stolen, when he had gone out for bhiksa. On returning to the kutir he kept on scolding Gaura and asking Him whom He had given away the necklace, for about two hours. Towards the evening he got a hint. He then went to the house of the thief and asked him for the necklace. The thief pushed him down the verandah of his house. He was hurt. But he did not say anything. But how could Gaura tolerate this? The thief soon died as well as all the other members of his family.
Once Baba had to punish Gaura-Nitai for Their connivance in a theft. The two brass-pots, in which Baba' used to cook for Gaura-Nitai were stolen. How could this happen without the connivance of Gaura-Nitai? So They were punished. Baba scolded Them and did not give Them anything to eat that day. The punishment had its effect. The next day someone came quietly and delivered one of those pots. Baba said, "This small pot is Nitai's. He will be fed today. If Gaura wants to eat, He must also bring His pot." Baba always did what he said. He cooked and offered bhoga to Nitai. Gaura drew a long face as He kept looking at Nitai eating. In the meantime another man came and delivered the other pot. Baba then cooked in that pot and offered bhoga to Gaura. When Gaura also had eaten, he said with tears in his eyes, "Do I ever want to punish You? But both of You are so naughty that You must always tease me. You do not know that I have now become old and cannot bear it all. What can I do?"
It is difficult to understand what bhava Vamsidasa Baba had towards Gaura. It sometimes appeared to be sakhya (friendly), sometimes vatsalya (parental) and sometimes madhurya, like that of a Nadiya-nagari (lady of Nadiya) towards Gauranga as Nadiya-nagara (an attractive citizen of Nadiya). If it was basically madhura, it is easy to understand that he sometimes exhibited vatsalya-bhava towards Him and sometimes sakhya, because madhurya-bhava includes all other bhavas.
Vamsi Das mode of worship was simply to see the Deities, live with Them, and talk with Them, in a most intimate and informal manner. He never changed Their dress, put Them to sleep, woke Them up, or anything like this. In winter, his Radha Krsna Deities would have just a small cloth to cover Them, and even that was torn and dirty. His formal worship consisted of reciting a few Sanskrit stutis in the morning, and that was all.
The worship of Vamsi Das Babaji was completely transcendental, being above all the rules and regulations; a form of worship not to be imitated or criticized by the neophyte.
Generally, Vamsi Das didn't even know whether it was morning, afternoon, evening or night, as he was plunged in bhava; so how is it possible for anyone to understand the mind of such a great soul and his relationship with the Deity?
One time, one brahmachari, who was a little bit mentally imbalanced, took the Gaura Nitai Deities from Vamsi Das Babaji's kutir in Navadvipa and brought Them to Mayapur. When Guru of brahmachari found out that fact he exclaimed, "Sarva nash! - Everything will be finished if you do not return the Deities immediately!" Upon hearing this that brahmacari took Them back straight away. He thought the Deities were not being worshiped properly, and thus felt justified in taking Them. He didn't understand that Vamsi Das' worship was "bhava maya," or spontaneous and not according to the rules and regulations.
The strict standard for Deity worship made Vamsi Das worship appear offensive, but actually his was on the highest platform of devotion.
Sometimes Vamsi Das would sit for hours talking to Gaura Nitai in his Mymensingh dialect, which was almost impossible for the people of Navadvipa and other places to comprehend.
Occasionally, when Vamsi Das was cooking, Gauranga would complain to him; "I'm so hungry. Feed Me quickly." to which he would reply, "Just wait, I'm still cooking." But if Gauranga was persistent he would tell Him, "You get outside. Go outside!"
While returning to his asrama one evening, and still at some distance away, Vamsi Das said, "Gaura Nitai, They are feeling hungry," so he got Them some green begun (unripe eggplant).
When he reached his asrama he cut that begun, put it inside a coconut husk with some water and a tulasi leaf, and offered it to Gaura Nitai, while he sang, in his Mymensingh dialect, an arati song. All through this his voice quivered and his eyes were full of tears due to ecstasy. After the offering he ate that prasadam with great relish at the base of a tree.
One time Vamsi Das asked his servant, Ananta Vishvambhara Das, "Did you hear what Gauranga was saying?" to which Ananta replied, "I could see that you were talking to Him, but I could not hear what He was saying to you." So Vamsi Das answered, "He has told Vamsi Das, `You don't go outside for begging for three days. Now you have become too old, so I will feed you.'" Vamsi Das continued, "This Gauranga, He wants to serve me." Then he went and fetched a stick and started threatening Gauranga, "You don't go outside for serving me! If You go outside I'll break Your leg!"
Once a devotee gave a golden chain for Gaurahari, and Vamsi Das kept it for his Gaura Nitai Deities. One day, while Vamsi Das was out begging, that chain was stolen. On returning and seeing the chain missing, Vamsi Das asked Gaura Nitai, "Who have You given that chain to? Go to his house and bring it back." The next morning he went out begging again and when he arrived home that evening he saw that the chain was still missing, so he went directly to the house of the thief himself. Many people also followed him, as he was well known in Navadvipa and they all came to know that the chain had been taken.
The man whose house Vamsi Das went to denied he had stolen it. The people then became very angry saying, "Why has he come here? Why has Vamsi Das come here? There are so many houses in Navadvipa town, so why has he come here?" They all concluded that he must be guilty, but still that man denied it. Finally the crowd threatened him, "Either you return that chain or we'll break your whole house." Upon hearing this that man immediately returned the chain.
Vamsi Das always carried his Laddu Gopal Deity in his right hand. Apart from this Laddu Gopal, some other Deities and some kopins (loincloth, or simple cloth underwear commonly used in India, especially by sadhus), that was all he possessed.
In Puri he would call the waves, "Come here. Come here. My Gopal will bathe!" He would then bathe Laddu Gopal in the sea.
During the Ratha-yatra, when the chariot of Lord Jagannath passed by banyan tree under which was located Babaji Maharaja, itsuddenly stopped and did not move for several hours. How do people tried, they could not move the chariot from the place. Only when Babaji Maharaj completed his innermost conversation with Lord Jagannatha, chariot rolled on the road again.
In Kharagpur one evening, Jotisekhara Prabhu heard Vamsi Das saying to Gopal, "Gopal, I shall show You some thieves. There are so many thieves here." Then he went to the big railway junction at Kharagpur, where he showed Gopal some men stealing kerosene and oil from one goods train. Vamsi Das pointed out to Gopal, "Just see Gopal how they're taking kerosene tins from the train. Now I'll show You some more thieves," and then they left.
Usually in Navadvipa town he stayed on the roadside? He came to Puri on foot sometimes, rather than taking the train, staying under trees on the way.
On Janmastami he was in Baleshvar, a town in North Orissa. At midnight he said to Gopal, "Last year I gave You some palmfruit. This year I shall give You some mango. Gopal, don't be impatient, mango is coming to You." Within ten minutes a brahmana teacher called Jogendra Mukherjee arrived, explaining how he had just dreamt that a sadhu wanted a mango, so he went to the market and bought one. That brahmana was then told, "Yes, yes, you come. He said he wanted a mango."
Vamsi Das was always plunged in bhava and never spoke with anyone except his Deities and a few intimate devotees. With others he would not speak to them directly, even if they spoke to him, but would reply to them by talking to his Deities. One of the devotees whom Vamsi Das would speak to was his servant, but only occasionally would he talk to him. He would often abuse this servant, calling him "haram jada," which means "a big pig." Another person whom Vamsi Das would speak to was one merchant who helped construct a two-story building in Navadvipa for him to reside in.
Sometimes devotees would go to Vamsi Das with a question, but they might not express it to him directly. They wouldn't say it out loud. However, Vamsi Das would speak to Krsna and answer that unspoken question. This would not always be the case. Someone might go to him and be totally ignored, but at other times Vamsi Das might have taken notice of that person and answer any questions through the Deities. Thus he was unpredictable, but whenever he did answer in this way people were convinced.
Traveling in India
Vamsi Das once went by bullock cart from Navadvipa to Vrndavan, and after going around all the Brajamandala area he returned after two years. He would sit on that cart and talk to Mahaprabhu and Radha Krsna.
When he came back to Navadvipa he said to Mahaprabhu and Radha Krsna, "I've been to Nanda Maharaja's house in Vrndavan, at Nandagram, and I've seen the churning pot." He used to say, "I've seen Nanda and Yasoda's house at Gokul, but I could not see Nanda and Yasoda. Only the stones I have seen." This was his mood of separation - "I went to Vrndavan but I could not find Krsna."
At the Mahanadi River, Vamsi Das and some other devotees with him crossed it, but when he saw the money that they were giving to the boatman Vamsi Das said, "Get out. Get out of the boat. Money is like a black snake and brings all kinds of trouble," but soon he forgot about the whole incident.
At the holy place of Jajpur, where the River Vaitarani runs, they all stayed overnight. It was a full moon, and during the night so many ladies came to offer respects to Vamsi Das. They would come before him, bow down, and without saying anything, leave. The following morning the devotees asked some people where the village was, but they were told there was no village for many miles, only fields. They then told the villagers how they had seen many women coming throughout the night to pay homage to Vamsi Das, but the bewildered villagers exclaimed, "How is that possible?" The devotees could only conclude that those women they had seen that night were all devatas who appeared there to offer Vamsi Das respects.
Associates, Servants and Followers
Vamsi Das Babaji had a close circle of servants and followers during his lifetime and was very careful about whom he would associate with, talking with a select few only. These devotees were with Vamsi Das, on-and-off, for a while, serving him in different ways; bringing some food, cleaning, helping him when he went outside, etc. One of them was Purna, one was Ananta Vishvambhara, another was Suren Kundu, who was a cloth merchant and a well-to-do man of Navadvipa town. These were some devotees belonging to his intimate circle.
Damodar Tulasi Babaji from Vrndavan used to travel with Vamsi Das from time to time, and another follower of Vamsi Das was one Pitambar Das. It is said that Vamsi Das had two disciples; however, they weren't officially disciples but followers, who used to travel with him. One was called Damodar and the other was called Bihari. They came with him from his home district of Mymensingh and when he went back they also went with him. They were both from Mymensingh themselves, with one of them even being from the same village as Vamsi Das. Damodar Das and Tulasi Baba were with Vamsi Das for around five years each.
The merchant follower of Vamsi Das was very prosperous, but after Vamsi Das left this world he lost everything. That merchant constructed a two-story building for him, which he stayed in for some time and then later gave up. This was in Navadvipa town. Now that building has been destroyed by the changing course of the Ganga.
Just as the rainy season was coming, Vamsi Das was asked to leave that house for his own safety and comfort, but he said, "No, I'd like to stay here; the Ganga is coming." So they constructed, on bamboo poles, a new cottage, so he could stay there during the flood.
Jotisekhara Prabhu stayed with Vamsi Das for around three months, as he went from Navadvipa to Puri and on to Kharagpur. He was sent by members of the Gaudiya Mission, along with two other devotees, just to be with Vamsi Das as he went on pilgrimage, because he was such an avadhuta that from the external point of view it might be considered that he needed some help to go here and there, as he was, almost always, hardly conscious of the external world. So Jotisekhara Prabhu saw many things and testified how Vamsi Das was a mahapurusa in vatsalya rasa.
After three months Jotisekhara Prabhu was about to leave Vamsi Das, so he asked for his mercy and blessings. Vamsi Das then answered by speaking to Gopal, telling the story of how Narada once asked Krsna for His mercy, and Krsna replied, "Offer flowers and fruits, then I shall be merciful." Narada said, "I'm a poor man. Where shall I get fruits and flowers from?" "If you can't get fruits and flowers then at least pray once to Me," said the Lord. In this way, Vamsi Das indirectly replied to Jotisekhara. However, Jotisekhara again asked him what kind of sadhana he should do, to which Vamsi Das said, "Narada once asked Krsna a similar question, so Krsna replied that just as it is impossible to put sand in the ocean to build a road across it, in the same way it is impossible to get the Lord's mercy by just following sadhana, what to speak of by material means. We must get the mercy of the devotees, and then only is it possible. Then the Lord will be merciful to us and we shall be favored."
Sometimes Vamsi Das, in a mood of anger, would tell Dina Bandhu Das Babaji, who was one of his associates, "Put Krsna out. Get Him out from here!" This was at his kutir in Navadvipa. Of course, no one but Vamsi Das could even see Krsna.
Ananta Vishvambhara Das managed to approach Vamsi Das. This is an interesting story because Vamsi Das was generally very cautious about having anything to do with anyone, but he gradually allowed Ananta Vishvambhara into his small circle.
Ananta describes how he, along with one wealthy man, gradually approached Vamsi Das. They were both anxious to get the remnants of Vamsi Das' prasadam, so they would crouch down and hide behind one flower bush, just outside his kutir. Then, after taking his meal, Vamsi Das would come outside and wash his mouth out with water. When he went away the two of them would then search the area to see where the tiny pieces of maha-maha-prasadam were, and in this way take his remnants. If they couldn't find anything they would just see where the grass was wet from the water out of his mouth and suck that grass with great satisfaction. In this way, gradually, Ananta Vishvambhara Das approached Vamsi Das Babaji.
They would do this so that he wouldn't see them, after he went back into the kutir. Then they would take his remnants in this way. They continued this practice for some period of time before Vamsi Das gradually noticed and slowly they were allowed into his company.
Sometimes during the dry season, Vamsi Das would ask Ananta Vishvambhara to bring the Caitanya-caritamrta to read to him in a solitary place on the bank of the Ganges, where there was a great open field next to the area which floods during the rainy season. No one would build a house or anything there, so it remained an open field for eight months of the year.
Vamsi Das especially liked to hear of Ramananda Roy speaking with Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and listening to this, tears would flow profusely from his eyes.
Vamsi Das was singing a song once about how love for Krsna sometimes burns like fire, yet is sometimes cold like ice. But while singing it he would change it into his Mymensingh dialect from the original Bengali. Ananta Vishvambhara, who was cooking at this time, heard this, and in a corrective way, sang it with the original Bengali pronunciation. Vamsi Das became very angry and picked up a stick from the fire in which Ananta Vishvambhara was cooking and went as if to hit him with it.
Many people would come and visit Vamsi Das, bringing a large quantity of vegetables along with them. Vamsi Das himself would only use a few of these vegetables, and the excess was given to a black cow, which would come regularly to feed on them.
At one time, in Mayapur, there was one papaya growing on a tree and Ananta Vishvambhara noticed what a beautiful papaya it was. He watched it gradually grow ripe, until it was just perfect. He then, very carefully, went up that tree using a ladder and brought that papaya down. Then after placing it in a bag, he brought it to Vamsi Das in Navadvipa. Vamsi Das put it along with so many other vegetables and fruits that other people had brought. Shortly afterwards, that black cow came and started to eat all the fruit and vegetables. Just as it was about to eat the papaya Vamsi Das snatched it away, because he knew that Ananta Vishvambhara had put so much love and devotion into bringing it that he didn't want it to be eaten by the cow.
For some time Vamsi Das was living in a three-story house, just next to the bank of the Ganges, where the flood area ends. He only used the ground floor of this house because he was too old to use the upper floors. One day in the rainy season, he told Purna (his servant), "In the morning there will be a great flood, so move everything out of here." Purna moved everything, as he had been told, into a house away from the flood area, and the next morning, as Vamsi Das had predicted, the Ganges came over her banks and flooded that whole area, including that house. But as everything had been taken out, including the Deities, they were saved from all difficulty.
So many people were coming to take bath in the Ganges, and Vamsi Das' asrama was just by the side of the Ganges, so they would also come and take darshan of him and give pranamis. There was one devotee called Ananta Deva who was in charge of collecting that pranami.
One man gave 25 paisa, which was quite a lot of money in those days, and as is the common system, he wanted some change. He didn't want to give it all, so he asked for some change. Vamsi Das was standing there at that time and became very angry saying, "Hari, Hari! This is stealing. If you give something to Mahaprabhu you can't take anything back." Then he told Ananta Deva not to give him any change. During Gaura-Purnima, a lot of people came to Vamshidas, and gave him a lot of money. His servant on that money wanted to hold a big festival the next day and feed so many people prasada, but at the end of the day all the money was stolen. Ananta Deva was lamenting that the money had been taken, but Vamsi Das said, "Why are you lamenting? Mahaprabhu has given it to somebody." Then he continued, "When you shave, your hair goes away; but after some time it comes back again. In the same way, some money is gone, and after some time more will come back again.
A girl, about seven or eight years old, would daily bring a pot of Ganges water for Vamsi Das. One time she brought it when there was a severe storm going on, so Vamsi Das told her not to go out again, but she did not listen and opened the door to leave. Vamsi Das immediately jumped up, and just as she was about to stand on the doorstep he pulled her back inside the cottage. The next second a thunderbolt hit that very spot where she was about to step.
Once there was a man suffering from colic. He had such a severe pain in his stomach that he came outside the kutir of Vamsi Das and lay there, expressing how he would rather die than live, as the pain was so severe. He was expecting that Vamsi Das, being a sadhu, would heal him. After three or four days like this Vamsi Das came and put a tulasi leaf on that man's tongue, curing him immediately. He then got up and went home, being well once more. That man didn't take food or drink the whole time he was outside Vamsi Das' kutir.
Naturally, not all kinds of people could go to Vamsi Das and stay patiently; only those who were devotees could appreciate him.
Many people used to come to him, bringing bananas along with them. Vamsi Das would ask his sevaka to tie the bananas up, in the usual system, to the rafters of the roof (inside roof), where they could hang and ripen. However, many rats used to come daily, digging a hole in the earth next to the hut, making a big pile of soil in their endeavours to come and eat those bananas, but Vamsi Das never harmed them.
Sometimes, when Vamsi Das would see a rat, he would point at it and say, "aichor aryaichor" or "saichor," meaning "this is a thief," and then point at Krsna and say, "He is also a thief."
On July 23, 1944, at 8 pm Paramahamsa Srila Babaji Maharaja Vamshidasa finished his lilas in the world and went to spiritual reaml tocontinue to serve the Lord Krishna.
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