From the age of twelve years he was engaged in the service of Siddha-baba at Suryakunda. After eighteen years at Suryakunda Balarama became disenchanted when he discovered that one of the babaji’s in their cottage went out nightly, incognito, to enjoy the performance of music and dance performed by some local girls. It appeared that the babaji concerned had an unholy relation with one of the dancing girls. Thus, with due reverence to Siddha baba, Balarama left Vrndavana to settle down at Gauda-mandala.
Balaramadasa established an `Akhara’ to accommodate all visiting Vaisnavas from Vrajamandala and Gaudadesh. He organized programs for the celebration of various festivals every year and made adequate arrangements for everyone’s comfort. With pleasure he served the Vaisnavas for almost thirty years. One day he happened to meet a saintly old acquaintance from Sri Vrndavana who revived joyful memories of life in Vraja. Upon discussing with the devotee, Balaramadasa babaji found out that Siddha baba of Govardhana, Siddha baba of Suryakunda, and many other former associates had all passed away. In anguish Balaramadasa set out for Vrndavana, leaving behind all his possessions.
He lived a detached life alone in Vrndavana. He carried on with life as a mere formality, eating anything which was offered to him with affection. Out of the one rupee babaji mahasaya received daily from a retired post master, he spent two paise to buy some puris and cooked vegetables for his evening meal. He regularly attended kirtana at various places. He listened to kirtana attentively with deep concentration, but turned a deaf ear to all other conversations around him. Babaji mahasaya could quote, from memory, verses from Padavali composed by Rayasekhara, and would walk away after kirtana reciting verses from Padavali.
During the later years of his life, at the request of Sri Madhavadasa, Babaji mahasaya gave recitals at his place from Govindalilamrta, Padakalpataru, and verses composed by Jagadananda Thakura, which Madhavadasa himself attended at times. Babaji Mahasaya also did Vraja parikrama with Madhavadasa.
Balaramadasa lived in a thatched cottage within the premises of Rajarshi Bahadura, whose mother Babaji mahasaya initiated into vesasraya.
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