The Eternal Refuge: Akincana Krishna Das Babaji Chants Prabhupada-Padma-Stavakah (Mayapur, 1977)
On January 20, 1977, inside a quiet room in Sridham Mayapur, a beautiful kirtan was captured on magnetic tape. Srila Akincana Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj held a remarkable kirtan session. Accompanying him was Jaya Sacinandana das, a young Western disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who had immersed himself in the musical traditions of Bengal.
The 1970s Kirtan Subculture and the Mayapur Tape Exchange
Throughout the 1970s, a dedicated, musician-led subculture flourished across ISKCON, driven by a profound desire to learn traditional kirtan styles, classical talas, and the devotional poetry of the Gaudiya acharyas. Early recordings brought back from India—such as the Golden Avatar KT-3 cassette of the Delhi Pandal kirtans and Acyutananda Swami’s seminal Songs of the Vaishnava Acharyas—had ignited a movement-wide thirst for authentic devotional music.
Among the chanters traveling to India, Jaya Sacinandana das was well known. Known for his sweet vocal delivery, he chose to remain in India for extended periods to absorb the traditional arts directly from the source. During the annual Mayapur and Vrindavan festivals between 1974 and 1977, devotees like Gopati das built field archives by connecting portable tape decks together with patch cords, duplicating and swapping cassettes from room to room.
This grassroots network of devotional documentation preserved what Jaya Sacinandana recorded during this intimate January 20, 1977 session in Mayapur with Akincana Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj.
The Singer and the Stotra
Akincana Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj held an exalted, universally revered position in the Vaishnava world. A direct disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and a beloved godbrother and confidant of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Babaji Maharaj personified the quality of akiñcana—one who possesses nothing of this world and relies solely on the lotus feet of Krishna. While other disciples managed large institutions and publishing houses, Babaji Maharaj gave his entire existence to unceasing, ecstatic chanting of the Holy Names.
In this recording, Babaji Maharaj sings one of the most revered Sanskrit stotras in modern Gaudiya history: Śrī Śrī Prabhupāda-Padma-Stavakaḥ ("Prayers unto the Lotus Feet of Śrīla Prabhupāda"), composed by his esteemed godbrother, Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhara Deva-Goswāmī Mahārāja.
Written shortly after the disappearance of their guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (whom his disciples affectionately addressed as "Prabhupada"), the prayer is a masterpiece of Sanskrit poetry and theological devotion. Hearing Babaji Maharaj sing these verses in 1977—while A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was present in Mayapur preaching to thousands of global pilgrims—invests the refrain "praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam" with double spiritual resonance.
The Anatomy of the Recording
The soundtrack unfolds in three distinct movements, tracing a path from humble supplication to rhythmic devotion and jubilant celebration:
The Invocatory Pranama Prayers:
Babaji Maharaj begins with solemn, heartfelt invocations to Sri Guru, entreating the spiritual master as the ocean of mercy (karuṇaikasindho) and the friend of the fallen (dīna-bandho), praying that his mind may remain fixed in devotion at the lotus feet of Sri Krishna despite countless shortcomings.
The Stotra (Śrī Śrī Prabhupāda-Padma-Stavakaḥ):
The kirtan settles into a steady, traditional cadence. Babaji Maharaj's piercing, resonant voice delivers each of the eleven verses, extolling Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati as the establisher of the yuga-dharma, the lion-like preacher who dispels misconception, and the eternal servant of Srimati Radharani. Jaya Sacinandana provides a reverent vocal echo, sealing each line with the resonant chorus: praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam.
The Ecstatic Acclamation:
After completing the final verse, the mood shifts from meditative reverence into joyous surrender. Babaji Maharaj picks up the tempo with the bright, sharp ring of his kartals, leading a joyful call-and-response of "Jaya Prabhupada! Jaya Prabhupada!", honoring the guru lineage before concluding with "Jaya Gurudeva" and "Gaura Haribol!"
Prabhupada-Padma Stavaka
He Śrī-Guro jñānada-dīna-bandho, svānanda-dātā karuṇaikasindho
Vṛndāvanāsīna-hitāvatāra, prasīda rādhā-praṇayāprahāra
Sujanārbudārādhita-pāda-yugam, varadābhaya-dāyaka-pūjya-padam
Praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam
Bhajanūrjita-sajjana-saṅgha-patim, gati-vañcita-vañcaka-cinta-padam
Praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam
Ati-komala-kāñcana-dīrgha-tanum, madanārbuda-vandita-candra-padam
Praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam
Nija-sevaka-tāraka-rañji-vidhum, vidhutāhita-huṅkṛta-siṁha-varam
Vara-nāgata-bāliśa-śanda-padam, praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam
Vipulī-kṛta-vaibhava-gaura-bhuvam, bhuvaneṣu vikīrtita-gaura-dayam
Dayānīya-ganārpita-gaura-padam, praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam
Cirā-gaura-janāśraya-viśva-gurum, gauda-kiśoraka-dāsya-param
Paramādrita-bhaktivinoda-padam, praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam
Raghu-rūpa-sanātana-kīrti-dharam, jīva-kavirāja-narottama-śikṣā-padam
Praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam
Kṛpayā hari-kīrtana-mūrti-dharam, dharaṇī-bhara-hāraka-gaura-janam
Janakādika-vatsala-snigdha-padam, praṇamāmi sadā prabhu-pāda-padam
Jaya Prabhupāda! Jaya Prabhupāda! Jaya Prabhupāda! Jaya Prabhupāda!
English Translation
O Divine Master, giver of spiritual knowledge, friend of the helpless, bestower of inner bliss, ocean of mercy who resides in Vrindavan as an incarnation of good fortune—please be pleased upon me!
Whose lotus feet are worshipped by millions of noble souls, who grants boons and fearlessness—I forever bow down unto the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
Who leads the assembly of saintly devotees exalted in worship, the refuge of those deceived by worldly existence—I forever bow down unto the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
Whose tall, golden form is gentle and effulgent, whose moon-like feet are worshipped by millions of Cupids—I forever bow down unto the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
Who magnifies the glorious realm of Lord Chaitanya and spreads Gaura's mercy throughout the universe—I forever bow down unto the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
Who is the spiritual guide of the universe and eternal shelter of Gaura's devotees, devoted to Gaura-Kishora and Bhaktivinoda Thakur—I forever bow down unto the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
Who embodies the dynamic form of Hari-kirtan, relieving the earth of its burden—I forever bow down unto the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada.
Archival Credits
Featured Chanting: Srila Akincana Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj
Accompaniment & Original 1977 Field Recording: Jaya Sacinandana das (ACBSP)
Audio Archive Courtesy: Gopati das (ACBSP)
Audio Remastering (2024): Uttamasloka das (ACBSP)
Recorded On-Site: Mayapur, Nadia, West Bengal (January 20, 1977)
Listening to this session decades after it was recorded reveals the timeless purity of authentic kirtan. Free from performance and theatricality, it stands as an enduring testament to what Srila Prabhupada described as the essence of devotional chanting—sweet, melodious, and completely absorbed in the pleasure of Sri Guru and Gauranga.