Haridāsa Dāsa Bābājī: A Literary Life of Service

Abstract

The article "Haridāsa Dāsa Bābājī: A Literary Life of Service" by Abhishek Bose, Sumanta Rudra, and Aishwarya Bhattacharyya offers a biographical sketch and intellectual assessment of Haridāsa Dāsa Bābājī (1898-1951), a profoundly influential yet largely unrecognized Vaiṣṇava renunciate and scholar. The article highlights his immense contributions to Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism through extensive literary service, including writing, translating, editing, recovering, and publishing numerous important books. His magnum opus, the multi-volume Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Abhidhāna, is presented as a monumental encyclopaedia of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava knowledge, encompassing literature, philosophy, history, and culture, and serving as a vital resource for the tradition. The authors emphasize Haridāsa Dāsa's unwavering dedication, humility, and selflessness, illustrating how he funded his research solely through alms (mādhukarī) and worked tirelessly to preserve and disseminate rare manuscripts. The article argues that his work represented a crucial effort in the reclamation and reframing of indigenous knowledge during the colonial period, making complex Vaiṣṇava traditions accessible and understandable to a wider audience.