Srila Gurudeva was deeply influenced by his mother who nurtured his devotion by reading sacred scriptures aloud and encouraging him to recite them daily. By the age of eleven, he had memorized the entire Bhagavad Gita.

After completing his schooling at Kancanapada and Bhatagram, he moved to Calcutta for higher education. There he began to feel a deep need to be with God. While residing with his relative, Sri Narayana Chandra Mukhopadhaya, who later took the tridandi vow of renunciation from Srila Gurudeva and came to be known as Srimad Bodhayan Maharaja, Sri Narayana Chandra recalled that he had often seen Gurudeva crying for and praying to God deep into the night.

Srila Gurudeva lived simply partaking of one boiled meal daily and immersing himself in prayers. One night, he had a marvelous dream where Sri Narada Rsi consoled him and blessed him. Sri Narada initiated him and gave him a mantra while assuring him that by constantly repeating the holy words of the mantra he would reach all of his goals. Unfortunately, after waking up he could not recall the complete mantra despite his trying repeatedly to remember. Awakening with detachment from material life, Srila Gurudeva resolved to embrace complete renunciation and dedicate himself fully to God.