srila haridasa thakura - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT2024-03-29T07:43:04Zhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/srila+haridasa+thakuraSrila Haridasa Thakura’s Disappearance Day by Giriraj Swamihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-haridasa-thakura-s-disappearance-day-by-giriraj-swami2023-09-28T15:01:59.000Z2023-09-28T15:01:59.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12234168683,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="300" alt="12234168683?profile=RESIZE_400x" />Today is the divine disappearance day of Namacharya Haridasa Thakura. So we shall read from <em>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila</em>, Chapter Eleven: “The Passing of Haridasa Thakura.”</p>
<p>INTRODUCTION</p>
<p>The summary of this chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his <em>Amrta-pravaha-bhasya</em> as follows. In this chapter it is described how Brahma Haridasa Thakura gave up his body with the consent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and how the Lord Himself personally performed the funeral ceremony and carried the body to the sea. He personally entombed the body, covered it with sand, and erected a platform on the site. After taking a bath in the sea, He personally begged prasada of Jagannatha from shopkeepers and distributed <em>prasada</em> to the assembled devotees.</p>
<p>TEXT 1</p>
<p><em>namami haridasam tam<br /> caitanyam tam ca tat-prabhum<br /> samsthitam api yan-murtim<br /> svanke krtva nanarta yah</em></p>
<p>TRANSLATION</p>
<p>Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Haridasa Thakura and his master, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who danced with the body of Haridasa Thakura on His lap.</p>
<p>TEXT 2</p>
<p><em>jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya dayamaya<br /> jayadvaita-priya nityananda-priya jaya</em></p>
<p>TRANSLATION</p>
<p>All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is very merciful and who is very dear to Advaita Acarya and Lord Nityananda!</p>
<p>TEXT 3</p>
<p><em>jaya srinivasesvara haridasa-natha<br /> jaya gadadhara-priya svarupa-prana-natha</em></p>
<p>TRANSLATION</p>
<p>All glories to the master of Srinivasa Thakura! All glories to the master of Haridasa Thakura! All glories to the dear master of Gadadhara Pandita! All glories to the master of the life of Svarupa Damodara!</p>
<p>TEXT 4</p>
<p><em>jaya kasi-priya jagadananda-pranesvara<br /> jaya rupa-sanatana-raghunathesvara</em></p>
<p>TRANSLATION</p>
<p>All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya, who is very dear to Kasi Misra! He is the Lord of the life of Jagadananda and the Lord of Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami.</p>
<p>TEXT 16</p>
<p><em>eka-dina govinda maha-prasada lana<br /> haridase dite gela anandita hana</em></p>
<p>TRANSLATION</p>
<p>One day Govinda, the personal servant of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, went in great jubilation to deliver the remnants of Lord Jagannatha’s food to Haridasa Thakura.</p>
<p>TEXTS 17–20</p>
<p>When Govinda came to Haridasa, he saw that Haridasa Thakura was lying on his back and chanting his rounds very slowly.</p>
<p>“Please rise and take your <em>maha-prasada</em>” Govinda said. Haridasa Thakura replied, “Today I shall observe fasting.</p>
<p>“I have not finished chanting my regular number of rounds. How, then, can I eat? But you have brought maha-prasada, and how can I neglect it?”</p>
<p>Saying this, Haridasa offered prayers to the maha-prasada, took a little portion, and ate it.</p>
<p>PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada</p>
<p><em>Maha-prasada</em> is nondifferent from Krsna. Therefore, instead of eating<em> maha-prasada,</em> one should honor it. It is said here, <em>karila vandana</em>, “he offered prayers.” When taking <em>maha-prasada</em>, one should not consider the food ordinary preparations. <em>Prasada</em> means favor. One should consider <em>maha-prasada</em> a favor of Krsna. As stated by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, <em>krsna bada dayamaya karibare jihva jaya svaprasada-anna dila bhai</em>. Krsna is very kind. In this material world we are all very much attached to tasting various types of food.</p>
<p>Therefore, Krsna eats many nice varieties of food and offers the food back to the devotees, so that not only are one’s demands for various tastes satisfied, but by eating prasada one makes advancement in spiritual life. Therefore, we should never consider ordinary food on an equal level with <em>maha-prasada</em>.</p>
<p>COMMENT by Giriraj Swami</p>
<p>The honoring of <em>maha-prasada</em> is one of the important items of devotional service. <em>Maha-prasada</em> is food that has been offered with love and devotion to the Lord and accepted by the Lord. In th<em>e Antya-lila of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta </em>Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu feels great ecstasy honoring maha-prasada and He raises the question amongst His confidential devotees about its nature, that although it appears to be made of the same ingredients as ordinary food such as rice, dal, vegetables, spices, it creates a completely different experience. He explains that the food that has been offered to Lord Jagannatha has been mixed with the nectar of the Lord’s lips. The same nectar that fills the transcendental flute of Krishna and for which the <em>gopis </em>are always hankering—that same nectar from the lips of Krishna permeates<em> maha-prasada</em>. And when we honor maha-prasada with purified senses, we can relish the nectar from Krishna’s lotus mouth.</p>
<p>Although<em> maha-prasada</em> is transcendental, one should honor it as spiritual. As far as possible, one should not lust after maha-prasada. And although it is transcendental, Srila Prabhupada has warned us to maintain a respectful attitude toward it and not accept it on the basis of taste. Sometimes even with Prabhupada’s remnants, maha maha-prasada, the servant would bring the plate out and the senior devotees who were waiting for it would examine it and say, “I want this. I want that. I don’t want that.” It wasn’t a good mentality, and when Prabhupada’s servant mentioned it to him, Prabhupada said, “After I finish honoring prasada, you should take the remnants and mush it all together and then distribute the maha-prasada so the devotees will not be selecting on the basis of their personal taste, but they will just be receiving<em> maha-prasada</em>.”</p>
<p>Once, in Bombay, there a clash between two of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples. One was a cook—actually a very good cook—and would cook for the Deities, and the other was a good manager and good businessman. So, they had some clash, and immediately afterwards each one ran to Srila Prabhupada to give him a version of what happened and to complain about the other. In the end, Prabhupada commented that the problem was that they both were eating too much maha-prasada and that by eating too much rich food, they had become passionate and were fighting.</p>
<p>Sometimes honoring prasada is part of preaching. That’s also a subtle point, because sometimes when we go to people’s homes to accept prasada, we are not completely sure about the consciousness that went into the cooking, or the principles of cleanliness and hygiene and the spiritual rules and regulations that are required to cook for Krishna and offer the food to Krishna. We are not sure. But in India in the early days, Srila Prabhupada said that if the family were Vaishnavas and they offered the food to their family Deity, we should take it as prasada.</p>
<p>When we first came to Bombay, we received so many invitations that Srila Prabhupada made a rule that we would not eat at anyone’s house unless they became a life member. So, during the first Bombay pandal, a big pandal program at Cross Maiden, a very distinguished, aristocratic, pious, cultured Hindu gentleman and philanthropist, K.J. Somaiya, came. Prabhupada would speak at about seven in the morning in Hindi and then in the evening in English. Sri K. J. Somaya would come to the morning lectures, and he invited Srila Prabhupada and the devotees to his home to take prasada. So, the devotees informed him of the rule, “You have to become a life member.” And he became a little annoyed. He didn’t think it was proper that we should place such a condition. But Srila Prabhupada was strict in his principle. In certain cases he was responsive to an extent, but he didn’t really care about a big person in the material world—he had his rules and principles, and he stuck to them.</p>
<p>Eventually Sri Somayaji relented and became a life member, and the devotees said that Srila Prabhupada would come to his home for prasada. Srila Prabhupada remarked, “We are making life members simply by eating.”</p>
<p>Another friend from Bombay, Sri Hari Krishna Das Agarwal, invited Srila Prabhupada and the devotees to the Vedanta Sammelan in Amritsar. The sammelan was held at a Mayavadi ashram, and there were Mayavadi slogans everywhere: aham brahmasmi, tattvamasi. After the morning program one day, with his disciples in his room, Srila Prabhupada said that the event organizers knew that he didn’t agree with them, but invited him because they knew that if he came with his disciples, more people would attend their program. And that is what happened. The general public who came to the programs weren’t really that interested in hearing dry Mayavadis’ speak nonsense. They really came to see Srila Prabhupada and the devotees and to join in the kirtan. “These Mayavadis will go on speculating for many lifetimes and never come to any conclusion,” Prabhupada said. Just then, Malati dasi brought a plate of maha-prasada from Prabhupada’s small Radha-Krishna Deities. “They will go on speculating for many lifetimes,”—he popped a maha sweet in his mouth—“but we will realize God simply by eating.”</p>
<p>So, the devotees would do kirtan first, and thousands of people would stream into the grounds. And then, when the devotees’ kirtan and their talk was over, the people would leave and there would hardly be anyone left to hear the Mayavadis. The organizers thought to juggle the program and have the devotees perform kirtan later, but when the public figured out what was happening, they started to come late, after the Mayavadis had finished their dry, speculative, and imagined interpretations.<br /> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=19316#more-19316">https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=19316#more-19316</a></p></div>The Passing of Haridasa Thakura By Drutakarma Dasahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/the-passing-of-haridasa-thakura2023-09-28T10:30:00.000Z2023-09-28T10:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-umHAdf43WH4/Vge80tqNmeI/AAAAAAAAUWo/Wbm6hj0-mrg/s0/2015-09-27_11-54-09.jpg?profile=RESIZE_400x" alt="2015-09-27_11-54-09.jpg?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" /></p>
<p>If you visit the town of Puri on the Bay of Bengal, you will find, amid palm trees and small houses, a stone shrine marking the place where the great saint Haridasa Thakura sat alone or with a devotee companion and worshiped Krsna. There he passed almost the whole day and night simply chanting the Hare Krsnamaha-mantra. He softly repeated the sacred syllables hour after hour, keeping count on his prayer beads until, long after sunset, the holy names had crossed his lips no less than three hundred thousand times.</p>
<p>Not far from Haridasa Thakura’s secluded hermitage lived Lord Caitanya and His followers, who loudly chanted the maha-mantra, proclaiming the glories of Krsna. People honored Lord Caitanya as an extraordinary devotee, and a select few knew that He was an incarnation of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that He had come to this world to spread the chanting of the mahamantra. Since Haridasa was fully dedicated to chanting themaha-mantra, Lord Caitanya felt especially affectionate towards him and numbered him among His inner circle. Lord Caitanya and His followers visited Haridasa often.</p>
<p>One day Lord Caitanya’s personal servant Govinda brought Haridasa a present of prasada, vegeterian food first offered to Krsna and then distributed to others. In India devotees of the Lord traditionally share prasada among themselves to express spiritual friendship. Govinda wanted to give Haridasa theprasada, but he saw that Haridasa was lying on his back and chanting Hare Krsna very slowly.</p>
<p>“Please get up and take your prasada”, Govinda said.</p>
<p>“I am fasting today,” said Haridasa .”I have not yet fulfilled my daily vow of chanting three hundred thousand names. How , then, can I eat in good conscience?” After a moment, Haridasa reconsidered. “You have broughtmaha-prasada” he said, “so how can I neglect it?” He then offered prayers and took a little portion.</p>
<p>The next day, Lord Caitanya Himself came to see Haridasa. With great concern He inquired, “Haridasa, are you well?”</p>
<p>Haridasa bowed down to the Lord and replied, “My body is all right, but my mind and intelligence are not well. My disease is that I cannot finish my prescribed amount of chanting.”</p>
<p>Lord Caitanya tried to console Haridasa. “Now that you are old,” He said, “you may reduce your chanting. You have already done more than enough to spread the glories of Krsna’s names in this dark material world.”</p>
<p>But Haridasa remained in a somber mood. He had something else on his mind. “My Lord,” he said, “kindly hear my real plea. I feel in my heart that You will soon end Your pastimes in this world and return to Your spiritual home. Before that time comes, kindly let my poor body fall dead at Your lotus feet. I do not wish to witness Your last days.”</p>
<p>Lord Caitanya answered gravely, “My dear Haridasa, Krsna is so merciful that He must do whatever you want but whatever happiness is Mine is all due to your being present with Me here in Puri, and it is not at all fitting that you go away and leave Me aside.”</p>
<p>Still, Haridasa would not be dissuaded. Catching Lord Caitanya’s feet, he cried, “My Lord, do not create an illusion! You have millions of devotees more useful than me. If an insignificant insect like me dies, what is the loss? Besides, You are always affectionate to Your devotees, and although I am only an imitation devotee, I still hope that You will fulfill my desire.”</p>
<p>Lord Caitanya then embraced Haridasa Thakura, and after agreeing that He would return the next day, He left to perform His noontime duties.</p>
<p>The next day, the Lord returned with all His associates, and upon seeing them Haridasa Thakura bowed down with deep humility. Lord Caitanya inquired, “My dear Haridasa, what is the good news?” Haridasa replied, “My Lord, the good news is whatever mercy You can bestow upon me.”</p>
<p>Upon hearing this. Lord Caitanya began great congregational chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra, and all His devotees surrounded Haridasa Thakura and joined the chanting. Then Lord Caitanya began praising Haridasa Thakura for his saintly qualities. The more the Lord praised Haridasa, the more the pleasure the Lord felt. All the devotees were struck with wonder, and they bowed down at Haridasa’s lotus feet.</p>
<p>Then Haridasa asked Lord Caitanya to sit down before him, and he fixed his eyes on the Lord’s moonlike face and placed the Lord’s lotus feet upon his chest. As he chanted the Lord’s name, tears fell from his eyes. Soon he gave up his life his soul passed from his body.</p>
<p>At that very moment, everyone was roaring Krsna’s holy names, and Lord Caitanya became Overwhelmed with spiritual ecstasy and love for His departed devotee. He raised Haridasa’s body and placed it on His lap and then danced in the courtyard in great ecstatic love. All the devotees joined Him in dancing and chanting.</p>
<p>Later, the devotees raised Haridasa’s body onto a carrier and took the carrier on their shoulders toward the sea. All the way there they chanted, and Lord Caitanya danced in front. Upon reaching the shore, Lord Caitanya bathed Haridasa’s body in the waves and declared, “From this day on, this sea is a great pilgrimage site.”</p>
<p>The devotees dug a hole on the beach and placed Haridasa’s body in it. Then Lord Caitanya started covering the body with handfuls of sand and chanting “hari bol! hari bol!” “Chant the holy name of the Lord!” The devotees took up the chanting and threw more sand, and then they constructed a platform to mark the spot. Lord Caitanya danced and chanted all around the platform, and the whole universe became filled with the vibration of Krsna’s names. Afterward, Lord Caitanya and His devotees swam and sported in the sea.</p>
<p>At last Lord Caitanya went to the temple of Jagannatha (“the Lord of the universe” Krsna) to get prasada from all the shopkeepers near the main gate.</p>
<p>“I am begging prasada for a festival to celebrate the passing of Haridasa Thakura,” the Lord said. “Please give Me alms.”</p>
<p>Greatly pleased with the Lord’s request, all the shopkeepers came forward with big baskets of prasada. But just then Svarupa Damodara, one of the Lord’s chief devotees, stopped the shopkeepers, and after they returned to their shops, he and other devotees went around to the shops, gathered all theprasada, and found servants to carry it to Lord Caitanya’s residence.</p>
<p>There, after asking all the devotees to sit in rows, Lord Caitanya personally started distributing the prasada. Since Lord Caitanya was not accustomed to eating small amounts of prasada, He put enough on each plate for at least five men. After some time, the devotees begged the Lord, “Please sit down and watch we shall distribute the prasada.”</p>
<p>When the prasada was served, all the devotees waited for Lord Caitanya to start eating, and then they themselves started. Before long, everyone was filled to the neck, because the Lord kept telling the servers, “Give them more! Give them more!”</p>
<p>After all the devotees finished their prasada, Lord Caitanya garlanded them with flowers. Then the Lord gladly informed the devotees, “Anyone who has seen the festival of Haridasa Thakura’s passing, anyone who has chanted and danced here, anyone who has thrown sand over Haridasa’s body, and anyone who has partaken of the prasada will very soon achieve Krsna’s favor.”</p>
<p>The Lord praised Haridasa Thakura. “Being merciful upon Me, Krsna gave Me the company of Haridasa Thakura. but now He has separated us. When Haridasa wanted to leave this world, I could not stop him he simply gave up his life and went away. And now, without him, this world has lost its most valuable jewel.”</p>
<p>Lord Caitanya then ordered everyone: “Say ‘All glories to Haridasa Thakura!’ and chant the holy name of Krsna.” After saying this He began to dance, and everyone chanted and danced with Him. Finally, Lord Caitanya bade all the devotees farewell, and then with mixed feelings of happiness and distress He rested.</p>
<p>Surely Lord Caitanya and His associates lamented the passing of Haridasa but they also knew that he had gone back to Krsna in the spiritual world and for that reason they rejoiced.</p>
<p>Near Puri, in a grove by the seashore there still stands a small, grayish temple of Krsna, the Tota Gopinatha temple. II you were to walk from this temple to the sea, along the way you would find the samadhi (tomb) of Haridasa Thakura There the devotees hold a yearly festival to honor his passing.</p>
<p>On a wall of the samadhi, a marble plaque bears a verse by the great devotee Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914). It explains how Lord Caitanya and His devotees were able to rejoice at the passing of a great Vaisnava, a great devotee of the Lord:</p>
<p>He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die,<br /> when thou art living still in sound.<br /> The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try<br /> to spread the holy name around.</p>
<p>The history of Haridasa Thakura’s passing is more fully described in Sri Caitanya caritamrta, translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada<br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20084">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20084</a></p></div>The Glories Of Srila Haridasa Thakurahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/the-glories-of-srila-haridasa-thakura2023-09-28T08:40:00.000Z2023-09-28T08:40:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img class="align-center" src="https://i.imgur.com/rJkTNNq.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" alt="rJkTNNq.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="500" /></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">One day Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu met Haridasa Thakura as usual, and in the course of discussion He inquired as follows.’My dear Thakura Haridasa, in this age of Kali most people are bereft of Vedic culture, and therefore they are called yavanas. They are concerned only with killing cows and brahminical culture. In this way they all engage in sinful acts. How will these yavanas be delivered? To My great unhappiness, I do not see any way. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (03-22-06)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">From this statement by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu we can clearly understand that the word yavana does not refer only to a particular class of men. Anyone who is against the behavior of the Vedic principles is called a yavana. Such a yavana may be in India or outside of India. As described here, the symptom of yavanas is that they are violent killers of cows and brahminical culture. We offer our prayers to the Lord by saying, namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca. The Lord is the maintainer of brahminical culture. His first concern is to see to the benefit of cows and brahmanas. As soon as human civilization turns against brahminical culture and allows unrestricted killing of cows, we should understand that men are no longer under the control of the Vedic culture but are all yavanas and mlecchas. It is said that the Krsna consciousness movement will be prominent within the next ten thousand years, but after that people will all become mlecchas and yavanas. Thus at the end of the yuga, Krsna will appear as the Kalki avatara and kill them without consideration.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This verse reveals the significance of Lord Sri Caitanya’s appearance as patita-pavana, the deliverer of all the fallen souls. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings, patita-pavana-hetu tava avatara: “O my Lord, You have appeared just to deliver all the fallen souls.” mo-sama patita prabhu na paibe ara: “And among all the fallen souls, I am the lowest.” How Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was always thinking about the deliverance of the fallen souls is shown by the statement e duhkha apara (”It is My great unhappiness”). This statement indicates that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the Supreme personality of Godhead Krsna Himself, is always very unhappy to see the fallen souls in the material world. Therefore He Himself comes as He is, or He comes as a devotee in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to deliver love of Krsna directly to the fallen souls. Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so merciful that He not only gives knowledge of Krsna but by His practical activities teaches everyone how to love Krsna (krsna-prema-pradaya te).</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Those who are following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu should take the Lord’s mission most seriously. In this age of Kali, people are gradually becoming less than animals. Nevertheless, although they are eating the flesh of cows and are envious of brahminical culture, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is considering how to deliver them from this horrible condition of life. Thus He asks all Indians to take up His mission.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara<br /> janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bharata-varsa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.” (Cc. Adi-lila 9.41) it is therefore the duty of every advanced and cultured Indian to take this cause very seriously. All Indians should help the Krsna consciousness movement in its progress, to the best of their ability. Then they will be considered real followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Unfortunately, even some so-called Vaisnavas enviously refuse to cooperate with this movement but instead condemn it in so many ways. We are very sorry to say that these people try to find fault with us, being unnecessarily envious of our activities, although we are trying to the best of our ability to introduce the Krsna consciousness movement directly into the countries of the yavanas and mlecchas. Such yavanas and mlecchas are coming to us and becoming purified Vaisnavas who follow in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One who identifies himself as a follower of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu should feel like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who said, iha-sabara kon mate ha-ibe nistara: “How will all these yavanas be delivered?” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was always anxious to deliver the fallen souls because their fallen condition gave Him great unhappiness. That is the platform on which one can propagate the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Haridasa Thakura replied, “My dear Lord, do not be in anxiety. Do not be unhappy to see the condition of the yavanas in material existence.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">These words of Haridasa Thakura are just befitting a devotee who has dedicated his life and soul to the service of the Lord. When the Lord is unhappy because of the condition of the fallen souls, the devotee consoles Him, saying, “My dear Lord, do not be in anxiety.” This is service. Everyone should adopt the cause of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to try to relieve Him from the anxiety He feels. This is actually service to the Lord. One who tries to relieve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s anxiety for the fallen souls is certainly a most dear and confidential devotee of the Lord. To blaspheme such a devotee who is trying his best to spread the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the greatest offense. One who does so is simply awaiting punishment for his envy.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Because the yavanas are accustomed to saying, ‘ha rama, ha rama’ [O Lord Ramacandra], they will very easily be delivered by this namabhasa.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“A devotee in advanced ecstatic love exclaims, ‘O my Lord Ramacandra! O my Lord Ramacandra!’ But the yavanas also chant, ‘ha rama, ha rama!’ Just see their good fortune!”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">If a child touches fire, the fire will burn him, and if an elderly man touches fire, it will burn him also. Haridasa Thakura says that a great devotee of the Lord exclaims, “ha rama, ha rama,” but although yavanas do not know the transcendental meaning of “ha rama, ha rama,” they say those words in the course of their ordinary life. For the yavanas the words “ha rama” mean “abominable,” whereas the devotee exclaims the words “ha rama” in ecstatic love. Nevertheless, because the words “ha rama” are the spiritual summum bonum, the fact is the same, whether they are uttered by yavanas or by great devotees, just as fire is the same both for a child and for an elderly man. In other words, the holy name of the Lord, “ha rama,” always acts, even when the holy names are chanted without reference to the Supreme Lord. Yavanas utter the holy name in a different attitude than devotees, but the holy name “ha rama” is so powerful spiritually that it acts anywhere, whether one knows it or not. This is explained as follows.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Namacarya Haridasa Thakura, the authority on the chanting of the holy name, said, “The chanting of the Lord’s holy name to indicate something other than the Lord is an instance of namabhasa. Even when the holy name is chanted in this way, its transcendental power is not destroyed.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Even a mleccha who is being killed by the tusk of a boar and who cries in distress again and again, “ha rama, ha rama” attains liberation. What then to speak of those who chant the holy name with veneration and faith?”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This refers to an instance in which a meat-eater being killed by a boar uttered the words “ha rama, ha rama”again and again at the time of his death. Since this is a quotation from the Nrsimha Purana, this indicates that in the puranic age there must also have been mlecchas and yavanas (meateaters), and the words “ha rama,, meaning “condemned,” were also uttered in those days. Thus Haridasa Thakura gives evidence that even a meat-eater who condemns something by uttering the words “ha rama” gets the benefit of chanting the holy name that the devotee chants to mean “O my Lord Rama.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Ajamila was a great sinner during his life, but at the time of death he accidentally called for his youngest son, whose name was Narayana, and the attendants of Lord Visnu came to relieve him from the bonds of Yamaraja, the superintendent of death.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“The word ‘rama’ consists of the two syllables, ‘ra’ and ‘ma.’ These are unseparated and are decorated with the loving word ‘ha,’ meaning ‘O.’</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“The letters of the holy name have so much spiritual potency that they act even when uttered improperly.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that the word vyavahita (”improperly uttered”) is not used here to refer to the mundane vibration of the letters of the alphabet. Such negligent utterance for the sense gratification of materialistic persons is not a vibration of transcendental sound. Utterance of the holy name while one engages in sense gratification is an impediment on the path toward achieving ecstatic love for Krsna. On the other hand, if one who is eager for devotional service utters the holy name even partially or improperly, the holy name, who is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhibits its spiritual potency because of that person’s offenseless utterance. Thus one is relieved from all unwanted practices, and one gradually awakens his dormant love for Krsna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“If a devotee once utters the holy name of the Lord, or if it penetrates his mind or enters his ear, which is the channel of aural reception, that holy name will certainly deliver him from material bondage, whether vibrated properly or improperly, with correct or incorrect grammar, and properly joined or vibrated in separate parts. O brahmana, the potency of the holy name is therefore certainly great. However, if one uses the vibration of the holy name for the benefit of the material body, for material wealth and followers, or under the influence of greed or atheism–in other words, if one utters the name with offenses–such chanting will not produce the desired result very soon. Therefore one should diligently avoid offenses in chanting the holy name of the Lord.’ ”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This verse from the Padma Purana is included in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (11.527) by Sanatana Gosvami. Therein Srila Sanatana Gosvami gives the following explanation:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">vaci gatam prasangad van-madhye pravrttam api, smarana-patha-gatam kathancin manah-sprstam api, srotra-mulam gatam kincit srutam api; suddha-varnam va asuddha-varnam api va; ‘vyavahitam’ sabdantarena yad-vyavadhanam vaksyamana-narayana-sabdasya kincid uccarananantaram prasangad apatitam sabdantaram tena rahitam sat.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This means that if one somehow or other hears, utters or remembers the holy name, or if it catches his mind while coming near his ears, that holy name, even if vibrated in separate words, will act. An example of such separation is given as follows:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">yadva, yadyapi ‘halam riktam’ ity ady-uktau hakara-rikarayor vrttya hariti-namasty eva, tatha ‘raja-mahisi’ ity atra rama-namapi, evam anyad apy uhyam, tathapi tat-tan-nama-madhye vyavadhayakam aksarantaram astity etadrsa-vyavadhana-rahitam ity arthah; yadva, vyavahitam ca tad-rahitam capi va; tatra ‘vyavahitam’—-namnah kincid uccarananantaram kathancid apatitam sabdantaram samadhaya pascan namavasistaksara-grahanam ity evam rupam, madhye sabdantarenantaritam ity arthah, ‘rahitam’ pascad avasistaksara-grahana-varjitam, kenacid amsena hinam ity arthah, tathapi tarayaty eva.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Suppose one is using the two words “halam riktam.” Now the syllable ha in the word “halam” and the syllable ri in “riktam” are separately pronounced, but nevertheless it will act because one somehow or other utters the word “hari.” Similarly, in the word “raja-mahisi,” the syllables ra and ma appear in two separate words, but because they somehow or other appear together, the holy name rama will act, provided there are no offenses.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">sarvebhyah papebhyo ‘paradhebhyas ca samsarad apy uddharayaty eveti satyam eva; kintu nama-sevanasya mukhyam yat phalam, tan na sadyah sampadyate. tatha deha-bharanady-artham api nama-sevanena mukhyam phalam asu na sidhyatity aha—-tac ced iti.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The holy name has so much spiritual potency that it can deliver one from all sinful reactions and material entanglements, but utterance of the holy name will not be very soon fruitful if done to facilitate sinning.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">tan nama ced yadi dehadi-madhye niksiptam—-deha-bharanady-artham eva vinyastam, tadapi phala-janakam na bhavati kim? api tu bhavaty eva, kintu atra iha loke sighram na bhavati, kintu vilambenaiva bhavatity arthah.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The holy name is so powerful that it must act, but when one utters the holy name with offenses, its action will be delayed, not immediate, although in favorable circumstances the holy names of the Lord act very quickly.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Namacarya Haridasa Thakura continued, “If one offenselessly utters the holy name even imperfectly, one can be freed from all the results of sinful life.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“O reservoir of all good qualities, just worship Sri Krsna, the purifier of all purifiers, the most exalted of the personalities worshiped by choice poetry. Worship Him with a faithful, unflinching mind, without duplicity and in a highly elevated manner. Thus worship the Lord, whose name is like the sun, for just as a slight appearance of the sun dissipates the darkness of night, so a slight appearance of the holy name of Krsna can drive away all the darkness of ignorance that arises in the heart due to greatly sinful activities performed in previous lives.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This verse is found in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.1.103).</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Even a faint light from the holy name of the Lord can eradicate all the reactions of sinful life.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“While dying, Ajamila chanted the holy name of the Lord, intending to call his son Narayana. Nevertheless, he attained the spiritual world. What then to speak of those who chant the holy name with faith and reverence?’</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.2.49);</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Because of even the faintest rays of the effulgence of the Lord’s holy name, one ca attain liberation. We can see this in all the revealed scriptures. The evidence appears in the story of Ajamila in Srimad-Bhagavatam.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">As Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard this from Haridasa Thakura, the happiness within His heart increased, but as a matter of course, He still inquired further.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“On this earth there are many living entities,” the Lord said, “some moving and some not moving. What will happen to the trees, plants, insects and other living entities? How will they be delivered from material bondage?”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Haridasa Thakura replied, “My dear Lord, the deliverance of all moving and nonmoving living entities takes place only by Your mercy. You have already grated this mercy and delivered them.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“You have loudly chanted the Hare Krsna mantra, and everyone, moving or not moving, has benefited by hearing it.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My Lord, the moving entities who have heard Your loud sankirtana have already been delivered from bondage to the material world, and after the nonmoving living entities like trees hear it, there is an echo.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Actually, however, it is not an echo; it is the kirtana of the nonmoving living entities. All this, although inconceivable, is possible by Your mercy.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“When loud chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is performed all over the world by those who follow in Your footsteps, all living entities, moving and nonmoving, dance in ecstatic devotional love.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My dear Lord, all the incidents that took place while You were going to Vrndavana through the forest known as Jharikhanda have been related to me by Your servant Balabhadra Bhattacarya.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“When Your devotee Vasudeva Datta submitted his plea at Your lotus feet for the deliverance of all living entities, You accepted that request.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My dear Lord, You have accepted the form of a devotee just to deliver all the fallen souls of this world.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“You have preached the loud chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and in this way freed all moving and nonmoving living entities from material bondage.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “If all living entities were liberated, the entire universe would be devoid of living beings.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Haridasa said, “My Lord, as long as You are situated within the material world, You will send to the spiritual sky all the developed moving and nonmoving living entities in different species. Then again You will awaken the living entities who are not yet developed and engage them in activities.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“In this way all moving and nonmoving living entities will come into existence, and the entire universe will be filled as it was previously.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">While we are preaching, opposing elements sometimes argue, “If all living entities were delivered by the Krsna consciousness movement, what would happen then? The universe would be devoid of living entities.” In answer to this, we may say that in a prison there are many prisoners, but if one thinks that the prison would be empty if all the prisoners adopted good behavior, he is incorrect. Even if all the prisoners within a jail are freed, other criminals will fill it again. A prison will never be vacant, for there are many prospective criminals who will fill the prison cells, even if the present criminals are freed by the government. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, karanam guna-sango ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu: “Because of the living entity’s association with material nature, he meets with good and evil among various species.” (Bg. 13.22) There are many unmanifested living entities covered by the mode of ignorance who will gradually come to the mode of passion. Most of them will become criminals because of their fruitive activities and again fill the prisons.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Previously, when Lord Ramacandra left this world, He took with Him all the living entities of Ayodhya. Then He filled Ayodhya again with other living entities.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My dear Lord, You have set a plan in motion by descending on the material world, but no one can understand how You are acting.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Formerly, when Lord Krsna descended in Vrndavana, He freed all living entities in the universe from material existence in the same way.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Krsna, the unborn Supreme Personality of Godhead, master of all of the masters of mystic power, delivers all living entities, moving and nonmoving. Nothing is astonishing in the activities of the Lord.’</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.29.16).</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be seen, glorified or remembered with an attitude of envy, He nevertheless awards the most confidential liberation, which is rarely achieved by the demigods and demons. What, then, can be said of those who are already fully engaged in devotional service to the Lord?’</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This is a quotation from the Visnu Purana (4.15.17).</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“By descending as an incarnation at Navadvipa, You, just like Krsna, have already delivered all the living entities of the universe.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“One may say that he understands the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He may know whatever he may know, but as far as I am concerned, this is my conclusion.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My dear Lord, Your pastimes are just like an ocean of nectar. It is not possible for me to conceive how great that ocean is or even to understand a drop of it.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Hearing all this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was astonished. “These are actually My confidential pastimes,” He thought. “How could Haridasa have understood them?”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Greatly satisfied by the statements of Haridasa Thakura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu embraced him. Outwardly, however, He avoided further discussions of these matters.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This is a characteristic of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although He wants to cover His opulence, He cannot do so before His devotees. This is well-known everywhere.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“O my Lord, everything within material nature is limited by time, space and thought. Your characteristics, however, being unequaled and unsurpassed, are always transcendental to such limitations. You sometimes cover such characteristics by Your own energy, but nevertheless Your unalloyed devotees are always able to see You under all circumstances.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">This is a verse from the Stotra-ratna of Yamunacarya;</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to His personal devotees and began speaking about Haridasa Thakura’s transcendental qualities as if He had hundreds of mouths.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu derives great pleasure from glorifying His devotees, and among the devotees, Haridasa Thakura is the foremost.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The transcendental qualities of Haridasa Thakura are innumerable and unfathomable. One may describe a portion of them, but to count them all is impossible.<br /> <br /> In Caitanya-mangala, Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura has described the attributes of Haridasa Thakura to some extent.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">No one can describe all the qualities of Haridasa Thakura. One may say something about them just to purify himself. O devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, please hear something about the qualities of Haridasa Thakura.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Haridasa Thakura went to Santipura, the home of Advaita Acarya. Upon meeting Advaita Acarya, Haridasa Thakura offered Him respect and obeisances. Advaita Acarya embraced him and showed respect to him in return.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">On the bank of the Ganges, in a solitary place, Advaita Acarya made a cavelike home for Haridasa Thakura and spoke to him about the real meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita in terms of devotional service.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Haridasa Thakura accepted food daily at the house of Advaita Acarya. Meeting together, the two of them would taste the nectar of discourses on the subject matter of Krsna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Haridasa Thakura said, “My dear Advaita Acarya, let me submit something before Your Honor. Every day You give me alms of food to eat. What is the necessity of this?</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Sir, You are living within a society of great, great brahmanas and aristocrats, but without fear or shame You adore a lower-class man like me.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My dear sir, Your behavior is uncommon. Indeed, sometimes I am afraid to speak to You. But please favor me by protecting me from the behavior of society.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">While Haridasa Thakura was staying under the care of Advaita Acarya, he was afraid of the behavior of society in Santipura, Navadvipa, which was full of exceedingly aristocratic brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas. Haridasa Thakura was born in a Mohammedan family and was later recognized as a great Vaisnava, but nevertheless the brahmanas were very critical of him. Thus Haridasa Thakura was afraid that Advaita Acarya would be put into some difficulty because of His familiarity with Haridasa Thakura. Sri Advaita Acarya treated Haridasa Thakura as a most elevated Vaisnava, but others, like Ramacandra Khan, were envious of Haridasa Thakura. Of course, we have to follow in the footsteps of Advaita Acarya, not caring for people like Ramacandra Khan. At present, many Vaisnavas are coming to our Krsna consciousness movement from among the Europeans and Americans, and although a man like Ramacandra Khan is always envious of such Vaisnavas, one should follow in the footsteps of Sri Advaita Acarya by treating all of them as Vaisnavas. Although they are not as exalted as Haridasa Thakura, such Americans and Europeans, having accepted the principles of Vaisnava philosophy and behavior, should never be excluded from Vaisnava society.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Advaita Acarya replied, “My dear Haridasa, do not be afraid. I shall behave strictly according to the principles of the revealed scriptures.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srila Advaita Acarya was not afraid of the strict brahminical culture and customs of society. As stated in the sastric injunctions, which are the true medium of evidence or proof, anyone can go back to Godhead, even if born of a low family. Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">mam hi partha vyapasritya<br /> ye ‘pi syuh papa-yonayah<br /> striyo vaisyas tatha sudras<br /> te ‘pi yanti param gatim</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth–women, vaisyas [merchants], as well as sudras [workers]–can approach the supreme destination.” (Bg. 9.32) Though having taken a low birth in human society, one who accepts Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is quite competent to go back home, back to Godhead; and one who is a bona fide candidate for going back to Godhead should not be considered lowborn, or candala. That is also a sastric injunction. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.18):</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa<br /> abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah<br /> ye ‘nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah<br /> sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Not only the yavanas and khasadayah but even those born in still lower families can be purified (sudhyanti) by the grace of a devotee of Lord Krsna, for Krsna empowers such devotees to perform this purification. Advaita Acarya had confidence in the sastric evidence and did not care about social customs. The Krsna consciousness movement, therefore, is a cultural movement that does not care about local social conventions. Following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Advaita Acarya, we can accept a devotee from any part of the world and recognize him as a brahmana as soon as he is qualified due to following the principles of Vaisnava behavior.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Feeding you is equal to feeding ten million brahmanas,” Advaita Acarya said. “Therefore, accept this sraddha-patra.” Thus Advaita Acarya made him eat.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Sraddha is prasada offered to the forefathers at a certain date of the year or month. The sraddha-patra, or plate offered to the forefathers, is then offered to the best of the brahmanas in society. instead of offering the sraddha-patra to any other brahmana, Advaita Acarya offered it to Haridasa Thakura, considering him greater than any of the foremost brahmanas. This act by Sri Advaita Acarya proves that Haridasa Thakura was always situated in a transcendental position and was therefore always greater than even the most exalted brahmana, for he was situated above the mode of goodness of the material world. Referring to the Bhakti-sandarbha, verse 177, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura quotes the following statements from the Garuda Purana in this connection:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">brahmananam sahasrebhyah<br /> satra-yaji visisyate<br /> satra-yaji-sahasrebhyah<br /> sarva-vedanta-paragah</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">sarva-vedanta-vit-kotya<br /> visnu-bhakto visisyate<br /> vaisnavanam sahasrebhya<br /> ekanty eko visisyate</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“A brahmana qualified to offer sacrifices is better than an ordinary brahmana and better than such a brahmana is one who has studied all the Vedic scriptures. Among many such brahmanas, one who is a devotee of Lord Visnu is the best; and among many such Vaisnavas, one who fully engages in the service of the Lord is the best.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">bhaktir asta-vidha hy esa<br /> yasmin mlecche ‘pi vartate<br /> sa viprendro muni-sresthah<br /> sa jnani sa ca panditah<br /> tasmai deyam tato grahyam<br /> sa ca pujyo yatha harih</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“There are many different kinds of devotees, but even a Vaisnava coming from a family of mlecchas or yavanas is understood to be a learned scholar, complete in knowledge, if he knows the Vaisnava philosophy. He should therefore be given charity, for such a Vaisnava is as worshipable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">na me ‘bhaktas catur-vedi<br /> mad-bhaktah sva-pacah priyah<br /> tasmai deyam tato grahyam<br /> sa ca pujyo yatha hy aham</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Lord Krsna says, “Even if a nondevotee comes from a brahmana family and is expert in studying the Vedas, he is not very dear to Me, whereas even if a sincere devotee comes from a low family of meat-eaters, he is very dear to Me. Such a sincere pure devotee should be given charity, for he is as worshipable as I.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Advaita Acarya was always absorbed in thoughts of how to deliver the fallen souls of the entire world. “The entire world is full of nondevotees,” He thought. “How will they be delivered?”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Srila Advaita Acarya sets the standard for acaryas in the Vaisnava sampradaya. An acarya must always be eager to deliver the fallen souls. A person who establishes a temple or matha to take advantage of people’s sentiments by using for his livelihood what people contribute for the worship of the Deity cannot be called a gosvami or acarya. One who knows the conclusion of the sastras, follows in the footsteps of his predecessors and endeavors to preach the bhakti cult all over the world is to be considered an acarya. The role of an acarya is not to earn his livelihood through the income of the temple. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to say that if one earns his livelihood by displaying the Deity in the temple, he is not an acarya or gosvami. it would be better for him to accept service even as a sweeper in the street, for that is a more honorable means of earning one’s living.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Determined to deliver all the fallen souls, Advaita Acarya decided to cause Krsna to descend. With this vow, he began to offer Ganges water and tulasi leaves to worship the Lord.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Similarly, Haridasa Thakura chanted in his cave on the bank of the Ganges with the intention to cause Krsna’s descent.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Because of the devotional service of these two persons, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu descended as an incarnation. Thus He preached the holy name of the Lord and ecstatic love of Krsna to deliver the entire world.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">There is another incident concerning Haridasa Thakura’s uncommon behavior. One will be astonished to hear about it.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Hear about such incidents without putting forth dry arguments, for these incidents are beyond our material reasoning. One must believe in them with faith.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">One day Haridasa Thakura was sitting in his cave, reciting very loudly the holy name of the Lord.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The night was full of moonlight, which made the waves of the Ganges look dazzling. All directions were clear and bright.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Thus everyone who saw the beauty of the cave, with the tulasi plant on a clean altar, was astonished and satisfied at heart.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">At that time, in that beautiful scene, a woman appeared in the courtyard. The beauty of her body was so bright that it tinged the entire place with a hue of yellow.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The scent of her body perfumed all directions, and the tinkling of her ornaments startled the ear.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">After coming there, the woman offered obeisances to the tulasi plant, and after circumambulating the tulasi plant she came to the door of the cave where Haridasa Thakura was sitting.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">With folded hands she offered obeisances at the lotus feet of Haridasa Thakura. Sitting at the door, she then spoke in a very sweet voice.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My dear friend,” she said, “you are the friend of the entire world. You are so beautiful and qualified. I have come here only for union with you.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My dear sir, kindly accept me and be merciful toward me, for it is a characteristic of all saintly persons to be kind toward the poor and fallen.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">After saying this, she began to manifest various postures, which even the greatest philosopher would lose his patience upon seeing.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Haridasa Thakura was immovable, for he was deeply determined. He began to speak to her, being very merciful toward her.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“I have been initiated into a vow to perform a great sacrifice by chanting the holy name a certain number of times every day.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“As long as the vow to chant is unfulfilled, I do not desire anything else. When I finish my chanting, then I have an opportunity to do anything.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Sit down at the door and hear the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. As soon as the chanting is finished, I shall satisfy you as you desire.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">After saying this, Haridasa Thakura continued to chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus the woman sitting before him began to hear the chanting of the holy name.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In this way, as he chanted and chanted, the morning approached, and when the woman saw that it was morning, she got up and left.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">For three days she approached Haridasa Thakura in this way, exhibiting various feminine postures that would bewilder the mind of even Lord Brahma.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Haridasa Thakura was always absorbed in thoughts of Krsna and the holy name of Krsna. Therefore the feminine poses the woman exhibited were just like crying in the forest.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">At the end of the night of the third day, the woman spoke to Haridasa Thakura as follows.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My dear sir, for three days you have cheated me by giving me false assurances, for I see that throughout the entire day and night your chanting of the holy name is never finished.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Haridasa Thakura said, “My dear friend, what ca I do? I have made a vow. How, then, can I give it up?”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">After offering obeisances to Haridasa Thakura, the woman said: “I am the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I came here to test you.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In Bhagavad-gita (7.14) Lord Krsna says:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">daivi hy esa guna-mayi<br /> mama maya duratyaya<br /> mam eva ye prapadyante<br /> mayam etam taranti te</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” This was actually proved by the behavior of Haridasa Thakura. Maya enchants the entire world. Indeed, people have forgotten the ultimate goal of life because of the dazzling attractions of the material world. But this dazzling attraction, especially the attractive beauty of a woman, is meant for persons who are not surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord says, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te: “One who is surrendered unto Me cannot be conquered by the illusory energy.” The illusory energy personally came to test Haridasa Thakura, but herein she admits her defeat, for she was unable to captivate him. How is this possible? it was because Haridasa Thakura, fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Krsna, was always absorbed in thoughts of Krsna by chanting the holy names of the Lord 300,000 times daily as a vow.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“I have previously captivated the mind of even Brahma, not to speak of others. Your mind alone have I failed to attract.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Beginning from Lord Brahma down to the insignificant ant, everyone, without exception, is attracted by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigods, human beings, animals, birds, beasts, trees and plants are all attracted by sexual desire. That is the illusion of maya. Everyone, whether man or woman, thinks that he is the enjoyer of the illusory energy. In this way, everyone is captivated and engaged in material activities. However, because Haridasa Thakura was always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and was always busy satisfying the senses of the Lord, this process alone saved him from the captivation of maya. This is practical proof of the strength of devotional service. Because of his full engagement in the service of the Lord, he could not be induced to enjoy maya. The verdict of the sastras is that a pure Vaisnava, or devotee of the Lord, never thinks of enjoying the material world, which culminates in sex life. He never thinks himself an enjoyer; instead, he always wants to be enjoyed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the conclusion is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternal, transcendental, beyond the perception of sense gratification and beyond the material qualities. Only if a living entity gives up the false conception that the body is the self and always thinks himself an eternal servant of Krsna and the Vaisnavas can he surpass the influence of maya (mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te). A pure living entity who thus attains the stage of anartha-nivrtti, cessation of everything unwanted, has nothing to enjoy in the material world. One attains this stage only by properly performing the functions of devotional service. Srila Rupa Gosvami has written:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">adau sraddha tatah sadhu-<br /> sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya<br /> tato ‘nartha-nivrttih syat<br /> tato nistha rucis tatah</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage, one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes freed from all material attachments, attains steadiness in self-realization and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.4.15) If one is actually executing devotional service, then anarthas, the unwanted things associated with material enjoyment, will automatically disappear.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“My dear sir, you are the foremost devotee. Simply seeing you and hearing you chant the holy name of Krsna has purified my consciousness. Now I want to chant the holy name of the Lord. Please be kind to me by instructing me about the ecstasy of chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“There is now a flood of the eternal nectar of love of Godhead due to the incarnation of Lord Caitanya, All living entities are floating in that flood. The entire world is now thankful to the Lord.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Anyone who does not float in this inundation is most condemned. Such a person cannot be delivered for millions of kalpas.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The kalpa is explained in Bhagavad-gita. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh. One day of Brahma is called a kalpa. A yuga, or maha-yuga, consists of 4,320,000 years, and one thousand such maha-yugas constitute one kalpa. The author of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta says that if one does not take advantage of the Krsna consciousness movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he cannot be delivered for millions of such kalpas.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Formerly I received the holy name of Lord Rama from Lord Siva, but now, due to your association, I am greatly eager to chant the holy name of Lord Krsna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“The holy name of Lord Rama certainly gives liberation, but the holy name of Krsna transports one to the other side of the ocean of nescience and at last gives one ecstatic love of Krsna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In an indirect way, this verse explains the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. The Hare Krsna maha-mantra–Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare–includes both the holy name of Lord Krsna and the name of Lord Rama. Lord Rama gives one the opportunity to be liberated, but simply by liberation one does not get actual spiritual benefit. Sometimes if one is liberated from the material world but has no shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna, one falls down to the material world again. Liberation is like a state of convalescence, in which one is free from a fever but is still not healthy. Even in the stage of convalescence, if one is not very careful, one may have a relapse. Similarly, liberation does not offer as much security as the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna. It is stated in the sastra:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">ye ‘nye ‘ravindaksa vimukta-maninas<br /> tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah<br /> aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah<br /> patanty adho ‘nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“O Lord, the intelligence of those who think themselves liberated but who have no devotion is impure. Even though they rise to the highest point of liberation by dint of severe penances and austerities, they are sure to fall down again into material existence, for they do not take shelter at Your lotus feet.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.2.32) Yusmad-anghrayah refers to the lotus feet of Krsna. If one does not take shelter of Krsna’s lotus feet, he falls down (patanty adhah), even from liberation. The Hare Krsna maha-mantra, however, gives liberation and at the same time offers shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna. If one takes shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna after liberation, he develops his dormant ecstatic love for Krsna. That is the highest perfection of life.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">“Please give me the holy name of Krsna and thus make me fortunate, so that I also may float in the flood of love of Godhead inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">After speaking in this way, Maya worshiped the lotus feet of Haridasa Thakura, who initiated her by saying,”Just perform chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.”</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Now even Maya wanted to be favored by Haridasa Thakura. Therefore Haridasa Thakura formally initiated her by asking her to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">After thus being instructed by Haridasa Thakura, Maya left with great pleasure. Unfortunately, some people have no faith in these narrations.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Therefore I shall explain the reasons why people should have faith. Everyone who hears this will be faithful.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">During the incarnation of Lord Caitanya to inaugurate the Krsna consciousness movement, even such personalities as Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and the four Kumaras took birth upon this earth, being allured by ecstatic love of Lord Krsna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">All of them, including the great sage Narada and devotees like Prahlada, came here as if human beings, chanting the holy names of Lord Krsna together and dancing and floating in the inundation of love of Godhead.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The goddess of fortune and others, allured by love of Krsna, also came down in the form of human beings and tasted the holy name of the Lord in love.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">What to speak of others, even Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, personally descends to taste the nectar of love of Godhead in the form of the chanting of Hare Krsna.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">What is the wonder if the maidservant of Krsna, His external energy, begs for love of Godhead? Without the mercy of a devotee and without the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, love of Godhead cannot be possible.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In the activities of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the three worlds dance and chant, having come in touch with love of Godhead. This is the characteristic of His pastimes.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">The holy name of Krsna is so attractive that anyone who chants it–including all living entities, moving and nonmoving, and even Lord Krsna Himself–becomes imbued with love of Krsna. This is the effect of chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">I have heard from the mouth of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami all that Svarupa Damodara Gosvami recorded in his notes about the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">I have briefly described those pastimes. Whatever I have written is by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, since I am an insignificant living being.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">I have described but a fragment of the glories of Haridasa Thakura, Hearing this satisfies the aural reception of every devotee.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krsnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their footsteps.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Third Chapter, describing the glories of Srila Haridasa Thakura.</p>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1167">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1167</a></div></div>Srila Haridasa Thakura Samadhihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-haridasa-thakura-samadhi-12023-09-28T07:30:00.000Z2023-09-28T07:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7778876063,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7778876063,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7778876063?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="300" /></a></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>SRILA HARIDASA THAKURA SAMADHI</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>AT SRI JAGANNATHA PURI DHAMA<br /> <br /> <img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7778954660,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7778954660?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" /></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>Srila Haridasa Thakura </strong>is an eternally liberated associate of the Lord. The associates of the Lord are worshippable wherever they make their appearance. Just as Garuda appeared as a bird, and Hanuman as a monkey, Haridasa Thakura appeared in a family of Yavanas (Mohammedans). From his very birth he was very deeply devoted to the Holy Names of Sri Krishna. Lord Caitanya appointed him the teacher of the holy name, Namacarya. Every day before taking his one and only meal he finished chanting 192 rounds (3,00,000 names) of Hare Krishna maha-mantra:</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><em>Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare |</em></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><em>Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ||</em></strong></p>
<p>Thakura Haridasa was present during most of the Lord Caitanya’s pastimes in Nadia, and when the Lord went to Jagannatha Puri, Haridasa also went and took up residence there. Every day, after attending Lord Jagannatha’s mangala arati, Lord Caitanya would come to see Haridasa Thakura and bring him some of Lord Jagannatha’s prasadam. When Sri Sanatana Goswami and Sri Rupa Goswami would come from Vrindavana to Puri they used to stay with Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa, in order to maintain the etiquette, would not go near Lord Jagannatha’s temple but would offer his obeisances to the Cakra on top of the temple, from a distance. As he was considered to be a Mohammedan by birth, his presence in the temple would be objectionable to those who were caste conscious. He passed away in presence of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Srila Haridasa Thakura’s Samadhi</strong></p>
<p><strong>Srila Haridasa Thakura’s Samadhi </strong>is situated in Sri Jagannatha Puri Dhama on the oceanfront in the area of Svargadvara. At the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu this place was just a sandy beach and part of it was used as a crematorium. Here Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu put the body of Srila Haridasa Thakura into samadhi with His own hands. The actual samadhi is seen in the courtyard as a small tomb.</p>
<p>Towards the west of the samadhi there are three altars where deities of Lord Gauranga, Lord Nityananda, and Sri Advaita Acarya are worshipped. After the disappearance of Srila Haridasa Thakura, Lord Caitanya would come here every day after taking bath in the ocean, offer prasada to Haridasa’s samadhi and do nilma-bhajana for some time. Thus all the deities are in a sitting posture and doing nilma-bhajana.</p>
<p><em>Srila Haridasa Thakura was residing in his bhajana-kutira behind Gambhira, at the place at presently known as Siddha-Bakula. In the assembly of devotees, by Lord Caitanya’s grace, Haridasa Thakur’s life air left his body at this place. As he lay there lifeless, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s spiritual rapture and ecstasy went seemingly beyond control. The entire Kirtan became tumultuous. The mrdanga, kartals, the enthusiasm and the love in the Devotees’ voices cried out Krishna’s Holy Names. Mahaprabhu maddened by His love, lifted up Haridasa and embracing him to His heart began to dance! Lord Caitanya carried Srila Haridasa Thakura’s transcendental body in His hands to the oceanfront in a harinama procession. There his body was placed in the samadhi.</em></p>
<p><em>Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Antya-lila chapter 11 verse 101 states: </em>At Purusottama-ksetra, or Jagannatha Puri, there is a temple of Tota-gopinatha. If one goes from there to the sea, he can discover the tomb of Haridasa Thakura still existing. Every year on the date of Ananta-caturdasi there is a festival to commemorate the passing away of Haridasa Thakura. At the same place, Deities of Nityananda Prabhu, Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Advaita Prabhu were established about one hundred years ago. A gentleman named Bhramaravara from Kendrapada, in the province of Orissa, contributed funds to establish these Deities in the temple. The management of the temple was under the Tota-gopinatha gosvamis.</p>
<p>This temple was later sold to someone else, and this party is now maintaining the seva-puja of the temple. Near this temple and the tomb of Haridasa Thakura, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura constructed a small house called the Bhakti-kuti (currently ISKCON Puri temple). In the Bengali year 1329 (A.D. 1922), the Purusottama-matha, a branch of the Gaudiya Matha, was established there. In the Bhakti-ratnakara it is stated: “Srinivasa Thakura quickly ran to the seashore. When he saw the tomb of Haridasa Thakura, he immediately fell down offering prayers and almost fainted. The devotees present there pacified him with very sweet and affectionate words, and Srinivasa again offered his obeisances to the tomb. Hearing of the separation that Srinivasa expressed in his lamentation at the tomb of Haridasa Thakura makes one’s heart melt.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>SRILA HARIDASA THAKURA NIRYANA (departure)</strong></p>
<p>Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu refers to the disappearance of Thakura Haridasa as the haridasera vijaya-utsava (“the festival of Haridasa Thakura’s passing away” ) and haridasa-thakurera niryana. Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami declares that whoever reads these pastimes will attain strong devotion to the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna.</p>
<p><em>The following is the translation and purports about the passing of Namacarya Srila Haridasa Thakura from Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Antya lila chapter 11 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).</em></p>
<p>The summary of this chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya as follows. In this chapter it is described how Brahma Haridasa Thakura gave up his body with the consent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and how the Lord Himself personally performed the funeral ceremony and carried the body to the sea. He personally entombed the body, covered it with sand and erected a platform on the site. After taking a bath in the sea, He personally begged prasadam of Jagannatha from shopkeepers and distributed prasadam to the assembled devotees.</p>
<p>Let me [Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami] offer my respectful obeisances unto Haridasa Thakura and his master Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who danced with the body of Haridasa Thakura on His lap. All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is very merciful and who is very dear to Advaita Acarya and Lord Nityananda! All glories to the master of Srinivasa Thakura! All glories to the master of Haridasa Thakura! All glories to the dear master of Gadadhara Pandita! All glories to the master of the life of Svarupa Damodara! All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya, who is very dear to Kasi Misra! He is the Lord of the life of Jagadananda and the Lord of Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. All glories to the transcendental form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krishna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead! My dear Lord, kindly give me shelter at Your lotus feet by Your causeless mercy. All glories to Lord Nityananda, who is the life and soul of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! My dear Lord, kindly give me engagement in devotional service at Your lotus feet. All glories to Advaita Acarya, who is treated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as superior due to His age and respectability! Please give me engagement in devotional service at Your lotus feet. All glories to all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for the Lord is their life and soul! All of you, kindly bestow devotional service upon me. All glories to Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami and Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana! They are all my masters.</p>
<p>I [Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami] am writing this narration of the pastimes and attributes of the Lord by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates. I do not know how to write properly, but I am purifying myself by writing this description. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thus resided at Jagannatha Puri with His personal devotees and enjoyed the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.</p>
<p>In the daytime Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu engaged in dancing and chanting and in seeing the temple of Lord Jagannatha. At night, in the company of His most confidential devotees, such as Ramananda Raya and Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, He tasted the nectar of the transcendental mellows of Lord Sri Krishna’s pastimes. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu very happily passed His days in this way at Nilacala, Jagannatha Puri. Feeling separation from Krishna, He exhibited many transcendental symptoms all over His body.</p>
<p>Day after day the symptoms increased, and at night they increased even more. All these symptoms, such as transcendental anxiety, agitation and talking like a madman, were present, just as they are described in the sastras. Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Ramananda Raya, the chief assistants in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, remained with Him both day and night.</p>
<p>One day Govinda, the personal servant of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, went in great jubilation to deliver the remnants of Lord Jagannatha’s food to Haridasa Thakura. When Govinda came to Haridasa, he saw that Haridasa Thakura was lying on his back and chanting his rounds very slowly.</p>
<p>“Please rise and take your maha-prasadam,” Govinda said.</p>
<p><em>Purport: Haridasa Thakura replied, “Today I shall observe fasting.</em></p>
<p>Haridasa Thakura said: “I have not finished chanting my regular number of rounds. How, then, can I eat? But you have brought maha-prasadam, and how can I neglect it?”</p>
<p>Saying this, he offered prayers to the maha-prasadam, took a little portion, and ate it.</p>
<p><em>Purport: Maha-prasadam is non-different from Krishna. Therefore, instead of eating maha-prasadam, one should honor it. It is said here, karila vandana, “he offered prayers.” When taking maha-prasadam, one should not consider the food ordinary preparations. Prasada means favor. One should consider maha-prasadam a favor of Krishna. As stated by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, krsna bada dayamaya karibare jihva jaya svaprasada-anna dila bhai. Krishna is very kind. In this material world we are all very much attached to tasting various types of food. Therefore, Krishna eats many nice varieties of food and offers the food back to the devotees, so that not only are one’s demands for various tastes satisfied, but by eating prasadam one makes advancement in spiritual life. Therefore, we should never consider ordinary food on an equal level with maha-prasadam.</em></p>
<p>The next day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Haridasa’s place and inquired from him, “Haridasa, are you well?” Haridasa offered his obeisances to the Lord and replied, “My body is all right, but my mind and intelligence are not well.”</p>
<p>Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu further inquired from Haridasa, “Can you ascertain what your disease is?”<br /> Haridasa Thakura replied, “My disease is that I cannot complete my rounds.”</p>
<p><em>Purport: If one cannot complete the fixed number of rounds he is assigned, he should be considered to be in a diseased condition of spiritual life. Srila Haridasa Thakura is called namacarya. Of course, we cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura, but everyone must chant a prescribed number of rounds. In our Krishna consciousness movement we have fixed sixteen rounds as the minimum so that the Westerners will not feel burdened. These sixteen rounds must be chanted, and chanted loudly, so that one can hear himself and others.</em></p>
<p>“Now that you have become old,” the Lord said, “you may reduce the number of rounds you chant daily. You are already liberated, and therefore you need not follow the regulative principles very strictly.</p>
<p><em>Purport: Unless one has come to the platform of spontaneous love of God, he must follow the regulative principles. Thakura Haridasa was the living example of how to follow the regulative principles. Similarly, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was also such a living example. In the Sad-gosvamy-astaka it is stated, sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhihkalavasani-krtau. The Gosvamis, especially Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, strictly followed all the regulative principles. The first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds. Not only was Raghunatha dasa Gosvami chanting a fixed number of rounds, but he had also taken a vow to bow down many times and offer obeisances to the Lord.</em></p>
<p>“Your role in this incarnation is to deliver the people in general. You have sufficiently preached the glories of the holy name in this world.”</p>
<p><em>Purport: Haridasa Thakura is known as namacarya because it is he who preached the glories of chanting hari-nama, the holy name of God. By using the words tomara avatara (“your incarnation”), Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms that Haridasa Thakura is the incarnation of Lord Brahma. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that advanced devotees help the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna in His mission and that such devotees or personal associates incarnate by the will of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord incarnates by His own will, and, by His will, competent devotees also incarnate to help Him in His mission. Haridasa Thakura is thus the incarnation of Lord Brahma, and other devotees are likewise incarnations who help in the prosecution of the Lord’s mission.</em></p>
<p>The Lord concluded, “Now, therefore, please reduce the fixed number of times you chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”</p>
<p><em> Purport: Haridasa Thakura replied, “Kindly hear my real plea.</em></p>
<p>Haridasa Thakura said: “I was born in an inferior family, and my body is most abominable. I always engage in low work. Therefore, I am the lowest, most condemned of men. I am unseeable and untouchable, but You have accepted me as Your servant. This means that You have delivered me from a hellish condition and raised me to the Vaikuntha platform. My dear Lord, You are the fully independent Personality of Godhead. You act by Your own free will. You cause the whole world to dance and act as You like. My dear Lord, by Your mercy You have made me dance in many ways. For example, I was offered the sraddha-patra, which should have been offered to first-class brahmanas. I ate from it even though I was born in a family of meat-eaters.”</p>
<p><em>Purport: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, in his Anubhasya, quotes from the Visnu-smrti in reference to the sraddha-patra.</em></p>
<p>brahmanapasada hy ete kathitah pankti-dusakah<br /> etan vivarjayed yatnat sraddha-karmani panditah</p>
<p>According to this verse, if one is born in a brahmana family but does not behave according to brahminical standards, he should not be offered the sraddha-patra, which is prasadam offered to the forefathers. Advaita Acarya offered the sraddha-patra to Haridasa Thakura, not to a brahmana who had been born in a brahmana family. Although Haridasa Thakura was born in the family of meat-eaters, because he was an advanced devotee he was shown more respect than a first-class brahmana.</p>
<p>Haridasa Thakura continued: “I have had one desire for a very long time. I think that quite soon, my Lord, You will bring to a close Your pastimes within this material world. I wish that You not show me this closing chapter of Your pastimes. Before that time comes, kindly let my body fall down in Your presence. I wish to catch Your lotus like feet upon my heart and see Your moonlike face. With my tongue I shall chant Your holy name, ‘Sri Krishna Caitanya!’ That is my desire. Kindly let me give up my body in this way. O most merciful Lord, if by Your mercy it is possible, kindly grant my desire. Let this lowborn body fall down before You. You can make possible this perfection of all my desires.”</p>
<p>Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “My dear Haridasa, Krishna is so merciful that He must execute whatever you want. But whatever happiness is Mine is all due to your association. It is not fitting for you to go away and leave Me behind.”</p>
<p>Catching the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Haridasa Thakura said, “My Lord, do not create an illusion! Although I am so fallen, You must certainly show me this mercy! My Lord, there are many respectable personalities, millions of devotees, who are fit to sit on my head. They are all helpful in Your pastimes. My Lord, if an insignificant insect like me dies, what is the loss? If an ant dies, where is the loss to the material world? My Lord, You are always affectionate to Your devotees. I am just an imitation devotee, but nevertheless I wish that You fulfill my desire. That is my expectation.”</p>
<p>Because He had to perform His noon duties, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu got up to leave, but it was settled that the following day, after He saw Lord Jagannatha, He would return to visit Haridasa Thakura. After embracing him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left to perform His noon duties and went to the sea to take His bath.</p>
<p>The next morning, after visiting the Jagannatha temple, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, accompanied by all His devotees, went hastily to see Haridasa Thakura. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the devotees came before Haridasa Thakura, who offered his respects to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all the Vaisnavas.</p>
<p>Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “My dear Haridasa, what is the news?”</p>
<p><em> Purport: Haridasa Thakura replied, “My Lord, whatever mercy You can bestow upon me.”</em></p>
<p>Upon hearing this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately began great congregational chanting in the courtyard. Vakresvara Pandita was the chief dancer. Headed by Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu surrounded Haridasa Thakura and began congregational chanting.</p>
<p>In front of all the great devotees like Ramananda Raya and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to describe the holy attributes of Haridasa Thakura. As He described the transcendental attributes of Haridasa Thakura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu seemed to possess five mouths. The more He described, the more His great happiness increased. After hearing of the transcendental qualities of Haridasa Thakura, all the devotees present were struck with wonder. They all offered their respectful obeisances to the lotus feet of Haridasa Thakura.</p>
<p>Haridasa Thakura made Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sit down in front of him, and then he fixed his eyes, like two bumblebees, on the lotus face of the Lord. He held the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on his heart and then took the dust of the feet of all the devotees present and put it on his head. He began to chant the holy name of Sri Krishna Caitanya again and again. As he drank the sweetness of the face of the Lord, tears constantly glided down from his eyes.</p>
<p>While chanting the holy name of Sri Krishna Caitanya, he gave up his air of life and left his body. Seeing the wonderful death of Haridasa Thakura by his own will, which was just like a great mystic yogi’s, everyone remembered the passing away of Bhisma. There was a tumultuous noise as they all chanted the holy names “Hari” and “Krishna.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became overwhelmed with ecstatic love.</p>
<p>The Lord raised the body of Haridasa Thakura and placed it on His lap. Then He began to dance in the courtyard in great ecstatic love. Because of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s ecstatic love, all the devotees were helpless, and in ecstatic love they also began to dance and chant congregationally.</p>
<p>Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced for some time, and then Svarupa Damodara Gosvami informed Him of other rituals for the body of Thakura Haridasa. The body of Haridasa Thakura was then raised onto a carrier that resembled an airship and taken to the sea, accompanied by congregational chanting. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced in front of the procession, and Vakresvara Pandita, along with the other devotees, chanted and danced behind Him. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed the body of Haridasa Thakura in the sea and then declared, “From this day on, this sea has become a great pilgrimage site.”</p>
<p>Everyone drank the water that had touched the lotus feet of Haridasa Thakura, and then they smeared remnants of Lord Jagannatha’s sandalwood pulp over Haridasa Thakura’s body. After a hole was dug in the sand, the body of Haridasa Thakura was placed into it. Remnants from Lord Jagannatha, such as His silken ropes, sandalwood pulp, food and cloth, were placed on the body. All around the body, the devotees performed congregational chanting, and Vakresvara Pandita danced in jubilation. With His transcendental hands, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally covered the body of Haridasa Thakura with sand, chanting “Haribol! Haribol!”</p>
<p>The devotees covered the body of Haridasa Thakura with sand and then constructed a platform upon the site. The platform was protected all around by fencing. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced and chanted all around the platform, and as the holy name of Hari roared tumultuously, the whole universe became filled with the vibration. After sankirtana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed in the sea with His devotees, swimming and playing in the water in great jubilation. After circumambulating the tomb of Haridasa Thakura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to the Simha-dvara gate of the Jagannatha temple. The whole city chanted in congregation, and the tumultuous sound vibrated all over the city.</p>
<p>Approaching the Simha-dvara gate, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spread His cloth and began to beg prasadam from all the shopkeepers there. “I am begging prasadam for a festival honoring the passing away of Haridasa Thakura,” the Lord said. “Please give Me alms.” Hearing this, all the shopkeepers immediately came forward with big baskets of prasadam, which they jubilantly delivered to Lord Caitanya.</p>
<p>However, Svarupa Damodara stopped them, and the shopkeepers returned to their shops and sat down with their baskets. Svarupa Damodara sent Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu back to His residence and kept with him four Vaisnavas and four servant carriers. Svarupa Damodara said to all the shopkeepers, “Deliver to me four palmfuls of prasadam from each and every item.” In this way varieties of prasadam were collected, then packed up in different loads and carried on the heads of the four servants. Not only did Svarupa Damodara Gosvami bring prasadam, but Vaninatha Pattanayaka and Kasi Misra also sent large quantities.</p>
<p>Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu made all the devotees sit in rows and personally began to distribute the prasadam, assisted by four other men. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was not accustomed to taking prasadam in small quantities. He therefore put on each plate what at least five men could eat. Svarupa Damodara Gosvami requested Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “Please sit down and watch. With these men to help me, I shall distribute the prasadam.” The four men – Svarupa Damodara, Jagadananda, Kasisvara and Sankara – distributed the prasadam continuously.</p>
<p>All the devotees who sat down would not eat the prasadam as long as the Lord had not eaten. On that day, however, Kasi Misra had extended an invitation to the Lord. Therefore Kasi Misra personally went there and delivered prasadam to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with great attention and made Him eat. With Paramananda Puri and Brahmananda Bharati, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sat down and accepted the prasadam. When He began to eat, so did all the Vaisnavas. Everyone was filled up to the neck because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu kept telling the distributors, “Give them more! Give them more!”</p>
<p>After all the devotees finished accepting prasadam and had washed their hands and mouths, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decorated each of them with a flower garland and sandalwood pulp. Overwhelmed with ecstatic love, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered a benediction to all the devotees, which all the devotees heard with great satisfaction.</p>
<p>Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave this benediction: “Anyone who has seen the festival of Sri Haridasa Thakura’s passing away, anyone who has chanted and danced here, anyone who has offered sand on the body of Haridasa Thakura, and anyone who has joined this festival to partake of the prasadam will achieve the favor of Krishna very soon. There is such wonderful power in seeing Haridasa Thakura. Being merciful upon Me, Krishna gave Me the association of Haridasa Thakura. Being independent in His desires, He has now broken that association. When Haridasa Thakura wanted to leave this material world, it was not within My power to detain him. Simply by his will, Haridasa Thakura could give up his life and go away, exactly like Bhisma, who previously died simply by his own desire, as we have heard from sastra. Haridasa Thakura was the crown jewel on the head of this world; without him, this world is now bereft of its valuable jewel.”</p>
<p>Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told everyone, “Say ‘All glories to Haridasa Thakura!’ and chant the holy name of Hari.” Saying this, He personally began to dance. Everyone began to chant, “All glories to Haridasa Thakura, who revealed the importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord!”</p>
<p>Thereafter, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bade farewell to all the devotees, and He Himself, with mixed feelings of happiness and distress, took rest. Thus I have spoken about the victorious passing away of Haridasa Thakura. Anyone who hears this narration will certainly fix his mind firmly in devotional service to Krishna.</p>
<p>Purport: At Purusottama-ksetra, or Jagannatha Puri, there is a temple of Tota-gopinatha. If one goes from there to the sea, he can discover the tomb of Haridasa Thakura still existing. Every year on the date of Ananta-caturdasi there is a festival to commemorate the passing away of Haridasa Thakura. At the same place, Deities of Nityananda Prabhu, Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Advaita Prabhu were established about one hundred years ago. A gentleman named Bhramaravara from Kendrapada, in the province of Orissa, contributed funds to establish these Deities in the temple. The management of the temple was under the Tota-gopinatha gosvamis.</p>
<p>This temple was later sold to someone else, and this party is now maintaining the seva-puja of the temple. Near this temple and the tomb of Haridasa Thakura, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura constructed a small house called the Bhakti-kuti (currently ISKCON Puri temple). In the Bengali year 1329 (A.D. 1922), the Purusottama-matha, a branch of the Gaudiya Matha, was established there. In the Bhakti-ratnakara it is stated:</p>
<p>srinivasa sighra samudrera kule gela<br /> haridasa-thakurera samadhi dekhila</p>
<p>bhumite padiya kaila pranati vistara<br /> bhagavata-gana sri-samadhi-sannidhane<br /> srinivase sthira kaila sasneha-vacane</p>
<p>punah srinivasa sri-samadhi pranamiya<br /> ye vilapa kaila, ta sunile drave hiya</p>
<p>“Srinivasa Thakura quickly ran to the seashore. When he saw the tomb of Haridasa Thakura, he immediately fell down offering prayers and almost fainted. The devotees present there pacified him with very sweet and affectionate words, and Srinivasa again offered his obeisances to the tomb. Hearing of the separation that Srinivasa expressed in his lamentation at the tomb of Haridasa Thakura makes one’s heart melt.”</p>
<p>From the incident of Haridasa Thakura’s passing away and the great care Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took in commemorating it, one can understand just how affectionate He is toward His devotees. Although He is the topmost of all sannyasis, He fully satisfied the desire of Haridasa Thakura. When Haridasa Thakura was at the last stage of his life, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave him His company and allowed him to touch Him. Thereafter, He took the body of Thakura Haridasa on His lap and personally danced with it. Out of His causeless mercy the Lord personally covered the body of Haridasa Thakura with sand and personally begged alms from the shopkeepers. Then He conducted a great festival to celebrate the passing away of Haridasa Thakura.</p>
<p>Haridasa Thakura was not only the topmost devotee of the Lord but also a great and learned scholar. It was his great fortune that he passed away before Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.</p>
<p>Purport: Haridasa Thakura is mentioned here as the most learned scholar, parama-vidvan. Actually, the most important science to know is the science of getting out of the clutches of material existence. Anyone who knows this science must be considered the greatest learned person. Anyone who knows the temporary situation of this material world and is expert in achieving a permanent situation in the spiritual world, who knows that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is beyond the jurisdiction of our experimental knowledge, is understood to be the most learned scholar. Haridasa Thakura knew this science perfectly. Therefore, he is described in this connection as parama-vidvan. He personally preached the importance of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, which is approved by the revealed scriptures. As stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 7 chapter 5 verse 24):</p>
<p>iti pumsarpita visnau bhaktis cen nava-laksana<br /> kriyeta bhagavaty addha tan manye ’dhitam uttamam</p>
<p>There are nine different processes of devotional service to Krishna, the most important being sravanam kirtanam – hearing and chanting. Haridasa Thakura knew this science very well, and he can therefore be called, technically, sarva-sastradhiti. Anyone who has learned the essence of all the Vedic scriptures is to be known as a first-class educated person, with full knowledge of all sastra.</p>
<p>The life and characteristics of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are exactly like an ocean of nectar, one drop of which can please the mind and ear. Anyone who desires to cross over the ocean of nescience, please hear with great faith the life and characteristics of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krsnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, following in their footsteps.</p>
<p>Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Antya-lila, eleventh chapter, describing the passing of Haridasa Thakura.<br /> <br /> <strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19879">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19879</a></p>
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