At the age of forty Balarama received diksha from Siddha Krsnadasa babaji. Within a short time he mastered the Sanskrit language. Thereupon he translated Srimad Bhagavatam, in his own handwriting and presented it to Krsnadasa babaji.
He lived an austere, detached life at Jhadumandala in Vrndavana, and expected others to live in the same way.
Balarama’s uncompromising attitude is exhibited in the following story: At one time Jagadanandadasa of Orissa adopted the life of Vaisnava asceticism, under Nityanandadasa babaji of Mandana Mohana Thoura. Afterwards he visited Balaramadasa and offered his obeisances, still wearing his sacred thread. Balaramadasa became very annoyed and remarked: “You have changed your garb yet you retain your sacred thread to display your brahmana caste (ego).” Feeling very ashamed Jagadananda threw his sacred thread into the Jamuna and returned to Balaramadasa to receive his blessings. Balaramadasa was a great devotee and commanded reverence from all.
At that time it was the custom to send to all distinguished Vaisnavas and descendants of Acaryas, a notification, twenty four hours in advance, regarding any up-coming nagara-sankirtana programs. Simply upon receiving such news Balarama’s body automatically assumed a dancing posture and he became absorbed in devotional ecstacy.
He always kept himself at a safe distance from women, never looking upon their faces, nor talking to them. It is said that sometimes he visited temples in Vrndavana walking blind-folded, with the help of a stick, just to avoid the sight of women. Once a young servant of Sri Radharamana temple named Madhusudana Gosvami challenged Balaramadasa, asking why such an old, emaciated man was still so afraid of women. Balaramadasa replied that according to Lord Caitanya, the inherent desire for physical pleasure exists as long as one is still situated within a body of flesh and blood, therefore the association of women must always be avoided.
Prabhupada Nilamani, a Gosvami of Vraja, ordered that whenever any festival was held at his temple a responsible devotee should be sent to deliver two plates of prasada to Balaramadasa’s cottage at Jhadumandala. Only after receiving Balarama’s approval would his devotees accept the prasada. The prasada was then hung on the wall, inside a wire-net bag and Balaramadasa would respect the prasada at his will.
On one occasion prasada was brought from Prabhu Nilamani’s temple and kept inside the wire-net bag, as usual. When Balarama was about to respect the prasada, he looked up and saw that the prasada had become stained with blood, and fresh drops of blood were dripping on the floor.
On receiving an urgent call from Balarama, Nilamani Prabhu quickly came to Jhadumandala and offered his obeisances to Balaramadasa Maharaja. In great anguish Balarama showed Nilamani the prasada. Nilamani immediately conducted an enquiry, which revealed that the mahotsava at his temple had been performed with finances received from some women of questionable profession from Calcutta.
Another incident connected with prasada which was offered to Balaramadasa on the occasion of a mahotsava is recorded as follows: Everyday Balaramadasa sat on the bank of the Jamuna at Jhadumandal and recited from the Srimad Bhagavatam before the assembled Vaisnavas of Vraja. On one such occasion while Balarama was sitting on the Vyasasana giving a lecture, his vision happened to rest upon the breasts of a young woman devotee. The upper portion of her saree had fallen, exposing her breasts. Balarama suddenly became physically excited, in utter disgust he abruptly stopped speaking. He then confessed before his audience that he no longer considered himself fit to be addressed as a Siddha baba. He declared that he intended to atone for his sin, then and there, by drowning himself in the Jamuna.
His devotees somehow persuaded Balaramadasa not to take such drastic action, but to at least give them time to check back on the source of the prasada from Sri Govinda temple which Balarama had eaten that morning. After a thorough investigation they found that the festival at the Govinda temple had been organized with donations received from an aged Gosvami-mata from a temple in Bengal, who admitted that the money she donated had been earned in her earlier days through a dishonest profession. From that very day Balaramadasa never accepted any prasada offered on the occasion of any utsava.
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