Born in 1933 in Birbhum district, West Bengal, India, Purna Das Baul Samrat is the son of Nabini Das Kapha Baul and was born in the village of Ekchakka near Rampurhat in Birbhum.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad, first President of the modern state of India, acknowledged Purna Das as Baul Samrat in 1967.

Together with his student Selina Thielemann, he authored the first book on the philosophy of the Bauls to be published in English language.

[5] In 2019, he appeared in If Not for You,[6] a documentary about Kolkata's long lasting love affair with legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.

1979: Baul Samrat and Manju Das travelled to USA and performed 2 concerts at the Alternative Center for International Arts, New York.