Srila Haridasa Thakura’s Disappearance Day

Giriraj Swami: Today is the disappearance day of Nāmācārya Srila Haridasa Thakura, so we shall read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Chapter Eleven, “The Passing of Haridāsa Ṭhākura”:

The summary of this chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya as follows. In this chapter it is described how Brahma Haridasa Thakura gave up his body with the consent of Sri Chaitanya 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 prasāda of Jagannatha from shopkeepers and distributed prasāda to the assembled devotees.

TEXT 1

namāmi haridāsaṁ taṁ
caitanyaṁ taṁ ca tat-prabhum
saṁsthitām api yan-mūrtiṁ
svāṅke kṛtvā nanarta yaḥ

TRANSLATION

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Haridāsa Ṭhākura and his master, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who danced with the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura on His lap.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya dayāmaya
jayādvaita-priya nityānanda-priya jaya

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is very merciful and who is very dear to Advaita Ācārya and Lord Nityānanda!

TEXT 3

jaya śrīnivāseśvara haridāsa-nātha
jaya gadādhara-priya svarūpa-prāṇa-nātha

TRANSLATION

All glories to the master of Śrīnivāsa Ṭhākura! All glories to the master of Haridāsa Ṭhākura! All glories to the dear master of Gadādhara Paṇḍita! All glories to the master of the life of Svarūpa Dāmodara!

TEXT 4

jaya kāśī-priya jagadānanda-prāṇeśvara
jaya rūpa-sanātana-raghunātheśvara

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya, who is very dear to Kāśī Miśra! He is the Lord of the life of Jagadānanda and the Lord of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.

TEXT 5

jaya gaura-deha kṛṣṇa svayaṁ bhagavān
kṛpā kari’ deha’ prabhu, nija-pada-dāna

TRANSLATION

All glories to the transcendental form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead! My dear Lord, kindly give me shelter at Your lotus feet by Your causeless mercy.

TEXT 6

jaya nityānanda-candra jaya caitanyera prāṇa
tomāra caraṇāravinde bhakti deha’ dāna

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Nityānanda, who is the life and soul of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! My dear Lord, kindly give me engagement in devotional service at Your lotus feet..

TEXT 7

jaya jayādvaita-candra caitanyera ārya
sva-caraṇe bhakti deha’ jayādvaitācārya

TRANSLATION

All glories to Advaita Ācārya, who is treated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as superior due to His age and respectability! Please give me engagement in devotional service at Your lotus feet.

TEXT 8

jaya gaura-bhakta-gaṇa, — gaura yāṅra prāṇa
saba bhakta mili’ more bhakti deha’ dāna

TRANSLATION

All glories to all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for the Lord is their life and soul! All of you, kindly bestow devotional service upon me.

TEXT 9

jaya rūpa, sanātana, jīva, raghunātha
raghunātha, gopāla, — chaya mora nātha

TRANSLATION

All glories to Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana! They are all my masters.

COMMENT

Here Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami is reciting the names of Lord Chaitanya and His associates, both His expansions and His servants. Just by reciting the names of the devotees, one becomes purified and enlivened in devotional service.

Once, in 1969, hooligans attacked the Boston temple in the middle of the night. They broke in the front door. With chains and knives and sticks, they started to beat the devotees. Eventually we managed to call the police. Although the hooligans tried to run away, the police caught some of them, and ultimately the matter went to court. 

In the Boston temple at that time was one very nice, simple, humble devotee named Nanda-kishore Prabhu. Nanda-kishore had never been in court before and had hardly ever spoken in public, so he was very bashful. The lawyer for the hooligans tried to make the case that we were followers of some weird cult. He was very aggressive, and Nanda-kishore didn’t really know what to say or do. The lawyer began by asking, “Who was present on the night of the crime? Who was sleeping with you in the temple?” So Nanda-kishore started to list the names of the devotees. He said, “Satsvarupa was there, Murari was there, Madan Mohan was there.” And by reciting the names of the devotees, which were actually names of the Lord, all of his apprehensions and fears and hesitation went away, and he became completely enlivened and ready to speak. The lawyer for the hooligans deliberately tried to bewilder Nanda-kishore, and he began with the definition of Krishna from some dictionary or book, that Krishna was “the Hindu god of love and fertility.” After Nanda-kishore had chanted the names of the devotees, he felt quite empowered. So he said to the judge, “Your Honor, can I quote my authority?” The judge said, “Yes.” Then Nanda-kishore quoted the Brahma-saṁhitā, “īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam: Krishna who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes.” And in the end we won the case. 

Here Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami does the same thing. He recites the names of the devotees in order to invoke auspiciousness and get blessings for the work of narrating the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

TEXT 10

e-saba prasāde likhi caitanya-līlā-guṇa
yaiche taiche likhi, kari āpana pāvana

TRANSLATION

I am writing this narration of the pastimes and attributes of the Lord by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates. I do not know how to write properly, but I am purifying myself by writing this description.

TEXT 16

eka-dina govinda mahā-prasāda lañā
haridāse dite gelā ānandita hañā

TRANSLATION

One day Govinda, the personal servant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, went in great jubilation to deliver the remnants of Lord Jagannātha’s food to Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

TEXT 17

dekhe, — haridāsa ṭhākura kariyāche śayana
manda manda kariteche saṅkhyā-saṅkīrtana

TRANSLATION

When Govinda came to Haridāsa, he saw that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was lying on his back and chanting his rounds very slowly.

TEXT 18

govinda kahe, — ‘uṭha āsi’ karaha bhojana’
haridāsa kahe, — āji karimu laṅghana

TRANSLATION

“Please rise and take your mahā-prasādam,” Govinda said.

Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, “Today I shall observe fasting.

TEXT 19

saṅkhyā-kīrtana pūre nāhi, ke-mate khāiba?
mahā-prasāda āniyācha, ke-mate upekṣiba?

TRANSLATION

“I have not finished chanting my regular number of rounds. How, then, can I eat? But you have brought mahā-prasādam, and how can I neglect it?”

TEXT 20

eta bali’ mahā-prasāda karilā vandana
eka rañca lañā tāra karilā bhakṣaṇa

TRANSLATION

Saying this, he offered prayers to the mahā-prasādam, took a little portion, and ate it.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Mahā-prasādam is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, instead of eating mahā-prasādam, one should honor it. It is said here, karilā vandana, “he offered prayers.” When taking mahā-prasādam, one should not consider the food ordinary preparations. Prasāda means favor. One should consider mahā-prasādam a favor of Kṛṣṇa. As stated by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, kṛṣṇa baḍa dayāmaya karibāre jihvā jaya svaprasāda-anna dilā bhāi. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. In this material world we are all very much attached to tasting various types of food. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa 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 prasādam one makes advancement in spiritual life. Therefore, we should never consider ordinary food on an equal level with mahā-prasādam.

COMMENT

Mahā-prasāda is nondifferent from Krishna. Therefore we honor mahā-prasāda; we don’t eat it. But sometimes devotees do get in the mood of eating it. Once, here in Juhu, in the small temple, two devotees had a big fight, and both ran to Srila Prabhupada, each to complain about the other. Srila Prabhupada heard the complaints of both sides and in the end delivered his judgment: the reason for all the fighting was that both devotees were eating too much mahā-prasāda. Because of eating too much opulent food, they were becoming passionate and fighting with each other. Then Srila Prabhupada said that we should take all the mahā-prasāda from the Deities’ plates and mix it all together so that one doesn’t feel that he is sitting down to a delicious meal but actually recognizes that it is the Lord’s mercy and honors it and appreciates it as the Lord’s mercy, not as various types of tasty preparations.

TEXT 21

āra dina mahāprabhu tāṅra ṭhāñi āilā
sustha hao, haridāsa — bali’ tāṅre puchilā

TRANSLATION

The next day, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Haridāsa’s place and inquired from him, “Haridāsa, are you well?”

TEXT 22

namaskāra kari’ teṅho kailā nivedana
śarīra sustha haya mora, asustha buddhi-mana

TRANSLATION

Haridāsa offered his obeisances to the Lord and replied, “My body is all right, but my mind and intelligence are not well.”

TEXT 23

prabhu kahe, — ‘kon vyādhi, kaha ta’ nirṇaya?’
teṅho kahe, — ‘saṅkhyā-kīrtana nā pūraya’

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu further inquired from Haridāsa, “Can you ascertain what your disease is?”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, “My disease is that I cannot complete my rounds.”

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. Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura is called nāmācārya. Of course, we cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but everyone must chant a prescribed number of rounds. In our Kṛṣṇa 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.

COMMENT

The association of devotees is very important, because the devotees are always watching us and checking us to make sure that we are up to the standard. And we benefit from the watchful glance of other devotees. Naturally, every devotee is concerned that every other devotee should chant his rounds properly. Thus we should chant loudly enough that not only we but also others can hear: “Oh, yes, he is actually chanting.” They can hear if we are pronouncing properly. Sometimes we miss syllables, not really properly pronouncing and hearing every syllable. So Srila Prabhupada says, “One should chant loud enough for oneself to hear and for others.” 

Haridasa Thakura says that his disease is that he cannot complete his rounds. Sometimes we may think that we have so much important service, we don’t have time to finish our rounds. And of course there are emergencies. Maybe on a particular day we cannot finish. But then, as Srila Prabhupada instructed, we should make up the rounds later. Once, an American boy joined our party when we were at the Ardha-kumbha-melā in 1971. From there we went to Gorakhpur, and in Gorakhpur the boy asked Srila Prabhupada, “If all service is absolute, why do we have to chant sixteen rounds?” Elsewhere in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Srila Prabhupada has explained that the basic principle of vaidhi-bhakti is to always remember Krishna and never forget Him, and that although we have so many other duties in relation to Krishna, in order to actually remember Krishna and never forget Him we must chant sixteen rounds every day. If we do not chant sixteen rounds, we may forget Krishna, even though we are engaged in activities that are meant for Krishna. But the boy asked Srila Prabhupada, “If all service is absolute, why do we have to chant sixteen rounds?” There was some discussion, and the boy didn’t really accept Srila Prabhupada’s answer. Again he raised the question. Finally Srila Prabhupada became very grave and said, “Why do you have to chant sixteen rounds? Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead wants you to. You can sleep the rest of the day. This is a special prerogative for you. But you must finish sixteen rounds.”

The idea obviously is not that we should sleep all day but that we should chant sixteen rounds. Srila Prabhupada is making the point that we shouldn’t allow other services to eclipse chanting. The emphasis here is on chanting sixteen rounds. Even if you don’t do any other service but just chant sixteen rounds, Srila Prabhupada says, “I will be satisfied; Krishna will be satisfied.” But if you work day and night doing various services but don’t chant sixteen rounds, Krishna and Krishna’s representatives may not be pleased.

TEXT 24

prabhu kahe, — “vṛddha ha-ilā ‘saṅkhyā’ alpa kara
siddha-deha tumi, sādhane āgraha kene kara?

TRANSLATION

“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.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Unless one has come to the platform of spontaneous love of God, he must follow the regulative principles. Ṭhākura Haridāsa was the living example of how to follow the regulative principles. Similarly, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was also such a living example. In the Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka it is stated, saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ kālāvasānī-kṛtau. The Gosvāmīs, especially Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, strictly followed all the regulative principles. The first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds.

COMMENT

Some years ago one of the leaders who left the movement tried to change this formula and said, “You don’t have to chant loudly; you can chant silently within the mind.” He also said, “You don’t have to chant a fixed number of rounds, but you just chant for a certain period of time.” But here Srila Prabhupada states very clearly that we must chant loudly so that we and even others can hear, and that we must chant a fixed number of rounds. It is very simple. But we have to be simple and follow it. As Srila Prabhupada remarked, Krishna consciousness is “simple for the simple but difficult for the crooked.”

TEXT 25

loka nistārite ei tomāra ‘avatāra’
nāmera mahimā loke karilā pracāra

TRANSLATION

“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.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Haridāsa Ṭhākura is known as nāmācārya because it is he who preached the glories of chanting hari-nāma, the holy name of God. By using the words tomāra avatāra (“your incarnation”), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that Haridāsa Ṭhākura is the incarnation of Lord Brahmā. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that advanced devotees help the Supreme Personality of Godhead 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. Haridāsa Ṭhākura is thus the incarnation of Lord Brahmā, and other devotees are likewise incarnations who help in the prosecution of the Lord’s mission.

COMMENT

Here Lord Chaitanya is saying, “You incarnated for a particular purpose, which was to preach the glories of the holy name, and you have preached the glories of the holy name sufficiently. So you need not follow so strictly now. Because you are old, you are not able to follow strictly.” Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura instructed Srila Prabhupada to preach Krishna consciousness in the English language, especially in the Western world. But after some time, Srila Prabhupada returned to India with some disciples and began to concentrate his efforts here. One disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “Your guru maharaja ordered you to preach in the West, but now you seem to be spending more time in India. Can you please explain?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, my guru maharaja did order me, and I have done that. Now I want to do this.” So, after fulfilling one instruction from the spiritual master, or one mission, one may proceed to the next. 

TEXT 26

ebe alpa saṅkhyā kari’ kara saṅkīrtana”
haridāsa kahe, — “śuna mora satya nivedana

TRANSLATION

The Lord concluded, “Now, therefore, please reduce the fixed number of times you chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.”

Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, “Kindly hear my real plea.

TEXT 27 

hīna-jāti janma mora nindya-kalevara
hīna-karme rata muñi adhama pāmara

TRANSLATION

“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.

TEXT 28

adṛśya, aspṛśya more aṅgīkāra kailā
raurava ha-ite kāḍi’ more vaikuṇṭhe caḍāilā

TRANSLATION

“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 Vaikuṇṭha platform.

TEXT 29

svatantra īśvara tumi hao icchāmaya
jagat nācāo, yāre yaiche icchā haya

TRANSLATION

“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.

TEXT 30

aneka nācāilā more prasāda kariyā
viprera śrāddha-pātra khāinu ‘mleccha’ hañā

TRANSLATION

“My dear Lord, by Your mercy You have made me dance in many ways. For example, I was offered the śrāddha-pātra, which should have been offered to first-class brāhmaṇas. I ate from it even though I was born in a family of meat-eaters.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, in his Anubhāṣya, quotes from the Viṣṇu-smṛti in reference to the śrāddha-pātra.

brāhmaṇāpasadā hy ete kathitāḥ paṅkti-dūṣakāḥ
etān vivarjayed yatnāt śrāddha-karmaṇi paṇḍitaḥ

According to this verse, if one is born in a brāhmaṇa family but does not behave according to brahminical standards, he should not be offered the śrāddha-pātra, which is prasādam offered to the forefathers. Advaita Ācārya offered the śrāddha-pātra to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, not to a brāhmaṇa who had been born in a brāhmaṇa family. Although Haridāsa Ṭhākura was born in the family of meat-eaters, because he was an advanced devotee he was shown more respect than a first-class brāhmaṇa.

TEXT 31

eka vāñchā haya mora bahu dina haite
līlā samvaribe tumi — laya mora cite

TRANSLATION

“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. 

TEXT 32 

sei līlā prabhu more kabhu nā dekhāibā
āpanāra āge mora śarīra pāḍibā

TRANSLATION

“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.

TEXT 33

hṛdaye dharimu tomāra kamala caraṇa
nayane dekhimu tomāra cāṅda vadana

TRANSLATION

“I wish to catch Your lotuslike feet upon my heart and see Your moonlike face.

TEXT 34

jihvāya uccārimu tomāra ‘kṛṣṇa-caitanya’-nāma
ei-mata mora icchā, — chāḍimu parāṇa

TRANSLATION

“With my tongue I shall chant Your holy name, ‘Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya!’ That is my desire. Kindly let me give up my body in this way.

TEXT 35

mora ei icchā yadi tomāra prasāde haya
ei nivedana mora kara, dayāmaya

TRANSLATION

“O most merciful Lord, if by Your mercy it is possible, kindly grant my desire.

TEXT 36

ei nīca deha mora paḍuka tava āge
ei vāñchā-siddhi mora tomātei lāge”

TRANSLATION

“Let this lowborn body fall down before You. You can make possible this perfection of all my desires.”

TEXT 37

prabhu kahe, — “haridāsa, ye tumi māgibe
kṛṣṇa kṛpāmaya tāhā avaśya karibe

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “My dear Haridāsa, Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that He must execute whatever you want.

TEXT 38

kintu āmāra ye kichu sukha, saba tomā lañā
tomāra yogya nahe, — yābe āmāre chāḍiyā”

TRANSLATION

“But whatever happiness is Mine is all due to your association. It is not fitting for you to go away and leave Me behind.”

TEXT 39

caraṇe dhari’ kahe haridāsa, — “nā kariha ‘māyā’
avaśya mo-adhame, prabhu, kara ei ‘dayā’

TRANSLATION

Catching the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, “My Lord, do not create an illusion! Although I am so fallen, You must certainly show me this mercy!

TEXT 40

mora śiromaṇi kata kata mahāśaya
tomāra līlāra sahāya koṭi-bhakta haya

TRANSLATION

“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.

TEXT 41

āmā-hena yadi eka kīṭa mari’ gela
eka pipīlikā maile pṛthvīra kāhāṅ hāni haila?

TRANSLATION

“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?

TEXT 42

‘bhakata-vatsala’ prabhu, tumi, mui ‘bhaktābhāsa’
avaśya pūrābe, prabhu, mora ei āśa”

TRANSLATION

“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.”

COMMENT

We can see how humble Nāmācārya Haridasa Thakura is. He feels himself to be fallen, less than other devotees. In fact, he does not even consider himself to be a devotee. He refers to himself as bhaktābhāsa, an “imitation devotee.” Thus he demonstrates the qualities necessary to chant the holy name constantly:

tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.” (Siksastaka 3)

And he did chant the holy name constantly, at least three lakh names (one hundred ninety-six rounds) daily.

TEXT 43

madhyāhna karite prabhu calilā āpane
īśvara dekhiyā kāli dibena daraśane

TRANSLATION

Because He had to perform His noon duties, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu got up to leave, but it was settled that the following day, after He saw Lord Jagannātha, He would return to visit Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

TEXTS 44–65

After embracing him, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left to perform His noon duties and went to the sea to take His bath.

The next morning, after visiting the Jagannātha temple, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, accompanied by all His devotees, went hastily to see Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the devotees came before Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who offered his respects to the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all the Vaiṣṇavas.

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, “My dear Haridāsa, what is the news?”

Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, “My Lord, whatever mercy You can bestow upon me.”

Upon hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately began great congregational chanting in the courtyard. Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was the chief dancer.

Headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu surrounded Haridāsa Ṭhākura and began congregational chanting.

In front of all the great devotees like Rāmānanda Rāya and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to describe the holy attributes of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

As He described the transcendental attributes of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu seemed to possess five mouths. The more He described, the more His great happiness increased.

After hearing of the transcendental qualities of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, all the devotees present were struck with wonder. They all offered their respectful obeisances to the lotus feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Haridāsa Ṭhākura made Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu 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 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu 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 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya again and again. As he drank the sweetness of the face of the Lord, tears constantly glided down from his eyes.

While chanting the holy name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, he gave up his air of life and left his body.

Seeing the wonderful death of Haridāsa Ṭhākura by his own will, which was just like a great mystic yogī’s, everyone remembered the passing away of Bhīṣma.

There was a tumultuous noise as they all chanted the holy names “Hari” and “Kṛṣṇa.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became overwhelmed with ecstatic love.

The Lord raised the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and placed it on His lap. Then He began to dance in the courtyard in great ecstatic love.

Because of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love, all the devotees were helpless, and in ecstatic love they also began to dance and chant congregationally.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced for some time, and then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī informed Him of other rituals for the body of Ṭhākura Haridāsa.

The body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura was then raised onto a carrier that resembled an airship and taken to the sea, accompanied by congregational chanting.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced in front of the procession, and Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, along with the other devotees, chanted and danced behind Him.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bathed the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura in the sea and then declared, “From this day on, this sea has become a great pilgrimage site.”

Everyone drank the water that had touched the lotus feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and then they smeared remnants of Lord Jagannātha’s sandalwood pulp over Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s body.

COMMENT

We don’t have time to read the whole chapter, but in summary Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu placed the divine form of Haridasa Thakura in samadhi in the earth, covered it with a mound of sand, and on top of the mound He planted a tulasi tree. Then He went into the marketplace and begged mahā-prasāda to distribute to all the devotees. And He personally distributed the prasāda. Then Svarupa Damodara Gosvami advised Him, “My Lord, this is not a proper service for You. You sit down and take prasāda with the devotees. Until You take prasāda nobody else will honor it.” Then Svarupa Damodara Gosvami distributed the prasāda with a few other confidential devotees.

TEXT 89 

bhojana kariyā sabe kailā ācamana
sabāre parāilā prabhu mālya-candana

TRANSLATION

After all the devotees finished accepting prasādam and had washed their hands and mouths, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu decorated each of them with a flower garland and sandalwood pulp.

TEXT 90

premāviṣṭa hañā prabhu karena vara-dāna
śuni’ bhakta-gaṇera juḍāya manas-kāma

TRANSLATION

Overwhelmed with ecstatic love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered a benediction to all the devotees, which all the devotees heard with great satisfaction.

TEXTS 91–93

“haridāsera vijayotsava ye kaila darśana
ye ihāṅ nṛtya kaila, ye kaila kīrtana

ye tāṅre vālukā dite karila gamana
tāra madhye mahotsave ye kaila bhajana

acire ha-ibe tā-sabāra ‘kṛṣṇa-prāpti’
haridāsa-daraśane haya aiche ‘śakti’

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave this benediction: “Anyone who has seen the festival of Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s passing away, anyone who has chanted and danced here, anyone who has offered sand on the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and anyone who has joined this festival to partake of the prasādam will achieve the favor of Kṛṣṇa very soon. There is such wonderful power in seeing Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

TEXT 94

kṛpā kari’ kṛṣṇa more diyāchilā saṅga
svatantra kṛṣṇera icchā, — kailā saṅga-bhaṅga

TRANSLATION

“Being merciful upon Me, Kṛṣṇa gave Me the association of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Being independent in His desires, He has now broken that association.

TEXT 95

haridāsera icchā yabe ha-ila calite
āmāra śakati tāṅre nārila rākhite

TRANSLATION

“When Haridāsa Ṭhākura wanted to leave this material world, it was not within My power to detain him.

TEXT 96

icchā-mātre kailā nija-prāṇa niṣkrāmaṇa
pūrve yena śuniyāchi bhīṣmera maraṇa

TRANSLATION

“Simply by his will, Haridāsa Ṭhākura could give up his life and go away, exactly like Bhīṣma, who previously died simply by his own desire, as we have heard from śāstra.

TEXT 97

haridāsa āchila pṛthivīra ‘śiromaṇi’
tāhā vinā ratna-śūnyā ha-ila medinī

TRANSLATION

“Haridāsa Ṭhākura was the crown jewel on the head of this world; without him, this world is now bereft of its valuable jewel.”

TEXT 98

‘jaya jaya haridāsa’ bali’ kara hari-dhvani”
eta bali’ mahāprabhu nācena āpani

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then told everyone, “Say ‘All glories to Haridāsa Ṭhākura!’ and chant the holy name of Hari.” Saying this, He personally began to dance.

TEXT 99

sabe gāya, — “jaya jaya jaya haridāsa
nāmera mahimā yeṅha karilā prakāśa”

TRANSLATION

Everyone began to chant, “All glories to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who revealed the importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord!”

TEXT 100

tabe mahāprabhu saba bhakte vidāya dilā
harṣa-viṣāde prabhu viśrāma karilā

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bade farewell to all the devotees, and He Himself, with mixed feelings of happiness and distress, took rest.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada has explained the mixed feelings of happiness and distress that one experiences when a Vaishnava leaves: we feel happy because we know the Vaishnava has gone to Krishna, and we feel distress because we will miss the devotee’s association.

TEXT 101

ei ta’ kahiluṅ haridāsera vijaya
yāhāra śravaṇe kṛṣṇe dṛḍha-bhakti haya

TRANSLATION

Thus I have spoken about the victorious passing away of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Anyone who hears this narration will certainly fix his mind firmly in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

At Puruṣottama-kṣetra, or Jagannātha Purī, there is a temple of Ṭoṭā-gopīnātha. If one goes from there to the sea, he can discover the tomb of Haridāsa Ṭhākura still existing. Every year on the date of Ananta-caturdaśī there is a festival to commemorate the passing away of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. At the same place, Deities of Nityānanda Prabhu, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Advaita Prabhu were established about one hundred years ago. Near this temple and the tomb of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura constructed a small house called the Bhakti-kuṭī. In the Bengali year 1329 (A.D. 1922), the Puruṣottama-maṭha, a branch of the Gauḍīya Maṭha, was established there.

COMMENT

The same house has now come to ISKCON.

PURPORT (concluded)

In the Bhakti-ratnākara it is stated:

śrīnivāsa śīghra samudrera kūle gelā
haridāsa-ṭhākurera samādhi dekhilā

bhūmite paḍiyā kailā praṇati vistara
bhāgavata-gaṇa śrī-samādhi-sannidhāne
śrīnivāse sthira kailā sasneha-vacane

punaḥ śrīnivāsa śrī-samādhi praṇamiyā
ye vilāpa kailā, tā śunile drave hiyā

“Śrīnivāsa Ṭhākura quickly ran to the seashore. When he saw the tomb of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he immediately fell down offering prayers and almost fainted. The devotees present there pacified him with very sweet and affectionate words, and Śrīnivāsa again offered his obeisances to the tomb. Hearing of the separation that Śrīnivāsa expressed in his lamentation at the tomb of Haridāsa Ṭhākura makes one’s heart melt.”

TEXT 102

caitanyera bhakta-vātsalya ihātei jāni
bhakta-vāñchā pūrṇa kailā nyāsi-śiromaṇi

TRANSLATION

From the incident of Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s passing away and the great care Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took in commemorating it, one can understand just how affectionate He is toward His devotees. Although He is the topmost of all sannyāsīs, He fully satisfied the desire of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

COMMENT

Lord Chaitanya is described here as nyāsi-śiromaṇi, the topmost of all sannyasis. Sannyasis are supposed to be detached and neutral in every situation. But although Lord Chaitanya was the topmost of all sannyasis, still He fulfilled the desire of Haridasa Thakura. He was not indifferent. His affection for His devotee prevailed.

TEXT 103

śeṣa-kāle dilā tāṅre darśana-sparśana
tāṅre kole kari’ kailā āpane nartana

TRANSLATION

When Haridāsa Ṭhākura was at the last stage of his life, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him His company and allowed him to touch Him. Thereafter, He took the body of Ṭhākura Haridāsa on His lap and personally danced with it.

TEXT 104 

āpane śrī-haste kṛpāya tāṅre vālu dilā
āpane prasāda māgi’ mahotsava kailā

TRANSLATION

Out of His causeless mercy the Lord personally covered the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura with sand and personally begged alms from the shopkeepers. Then He conducted a great festival to celebrate the passing away of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

TEXT 105

mahā-bhāgavata haridāsa — parama-vidvān
e saubhāgya lāgi’ āge karilā prayāṇa

TRANSLATION

Haridāsa Ṭhākura 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 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

COMMENT

Although Nāmācārya Haridasa Thakura chanted the holy name day and night, he also found time to read and hear scripture, and he discoursed on the glories of the holy name with reference to scripture. And although he was fully absorbed in chanting the holy name, he was affectionate to the devotees and always tried to help them. Even now he will help us if we sincerely approach him and beg him to assist us in our efforts to serve Srila Prabhupada and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and to chant the holy names of Krishna. As Thakura Bhaktivinoda wrote of Nāmācārya Haridasa Thakura:

He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die

When thou art living still in sound!

The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try

To spread the holy name around.

Haridasa Thakura was compassionate to all living entities. He was full of love for the holy name and for his worshipable Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. When the Muslim rulers threatened him with death if he did not renounce chanting the name of the “Hindu god” Krishna, Haridasa replied:

khanda khanda hai deha yaya yadi prana

tabu ami vadane na chadi hari-nama 

“Even if my body is cut into pieces and I lose my life, I will never give up chanting Lord Krsna’s holy name.” (Cb Adi 16.94)

Haridasa Thakura’s determination, even in the face of the worst adversity, should serve as an example and inspiration for us all. 

At the end, Haridasa Thakura begged for the mercy to depart before Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in the Lord’s presence, and the affectionate Lord most kindly fulfilled his desire.

Nāmācārya Srila Haridasa Thakura ki jaya!
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Gaura premānande Hari Haribol!