Haridas Thakur

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1] Thakur Haridasa would not even accept prasadam nor even sleep for a moment

without finishing his daily routine of chanting with his beads three hundred

thousand names. Bg. 6.17 Purport.

2] Although Thakur Haridasa happened to take his birth in a Muslim family, he

was elevated to the post of namacarya by Lord Caitanya due to his rigidly

attended principle of chanting three hundred thousand holy names of the Lord

daily. And because he chanted the holy name of the Lord constantly, it is

understood that in his previous life he must have passed through all the

ritualistic methods of the Vedas, known as sabda-brahma. Unless, therefore, one

is purified, one cannot take to the principles of Krsna consciousness or become

engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krsna. Bg. 6.44 Purport

3] The senses want some engagement. To check them artificially is no check at

all because as soon as there is some opportunity for enjoyment, the serpentlike

senses will certainly take advantage of it. There are many such instances in

history, just like Visvamitra Muni’s falling a victim to the beauty of

Menaka. But Thakura Haridasa was allured at midnight by the well-dressed Maya,

and still she could not induce that great devotee into her trap. SB 1.6.35

Purport

4] Haridasa Thakura, a great devotee of Lord Sri Caitanya, used to live in such

a cave, and by chance a great venomous snake was a co-partner of the cave. Some

admirer of Thakura Haridasa who had to visit the Thakura every day feared the

snake and suggested that the Thakura leave that place. Because his devotees

were afraid of the snake and they were regularly visiting the cave, Thakura

Haridasa agreed to the proposal on their account. But as soon as this was

settled, the snake actually crawled out of its hole in the cave and left the

cave for good before everyone present. By the dictation of the Lord, who lived

also within the heart of the snake, the snake gave preference to Haridasa and

decided to leave the place and not disturb him. So this is a tangible example

of how the Lord gives protection to a bona fide devotee like Thakura Haridasa.

SB 2.2.5 Purport

5] The Lord also relishes giving to the Vaisnava mouth all eatables offered to

Him. It is clear from this verse that the Lord eats through the sacrificial

fire and the brahmana's mouth. So many articles—grains, ghee,

etc.—are offered in sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord. The Lord

accepts sacrificial offerings from the brahmanas and devotees, and elsewhere it

is stated that whatever is given for the brahmanas and Vaisnavas to eat is also

accepted by the Lord. But here it is said that He accepts offerings to the

mouths of brahmanas and Vaisnavas with even greater relish. The best example of

this is found in the life of Advaita Prabhu in his dealings with Haridasa

Thakura. Even though Haridasa was born of a Muhammadan family, Advaita Prabhu

offered him the first dish of prasada after the performance of a sacred fire

ceremony. Haridasa Thakura informed him that he was born of a Muhammadan family

and asked why Advaita Prabhu was offering the first dish to a Muhammadan instead

of an elevated brahmana. Out of his humbleness, Haridasa condemned himself a

Muhammadan, but Advaita Prabhu, being an experienced devotee, accepted him as a

real brahmana. Advaita Prabhu asserted that by offering the first dish to

Haridasa Thakura, he was getting the result of feeding one hundred thousand

brahmanas. The conclusion is that if one can feed a brahmana or Vaisnava, it is

better than performing hundreds of thousands of sacrifices. In this age,

therefore, it is recommended that harer nama—chanting the holy name of

God—and pleasing the Vaisnava are the only means to elevate oneself to

spiritual life. SB 3.16.8

6] Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura therefore sings, "My dear mind, what

kind of Vaisnava are you? Simply for false prestige and a material reputation

you are chanting the Hare Krsna mantra in a solitary place." In this way people

who do not preach are criticized. There are many Vaisnavas in Vrndavana who do

not like preaching; they chiefly try to imitate Haridäsa Thakura. The actual

result of their so-called chanting in a secluded place, however, is that they

sleep and think of women and money. Similarly, one who simply engages in temple

worship but does not see to the interests of the mass of people or cannot

recognize devotees is called a kanishtha adhikari.

SB 4.29.1b

7] In this regard, Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 3.177–188) describes

Haridasa Thakura’s confirmation of the effect of chanting the holy name

of the Lord.keha bale,——’nama haite haya papa-ksaya’

keha bale,——’näma haite jivera moksa haya’

Some say that by chanting the holy name of the Lord one is freed from all the

reactions of sinful life, and others say that by chanting the holy name of the

Lord one attains liberation from material bondage.haridasa

kahena,——"namera ei dui phala nayanamera phale krsana-pade prema

upajayaHaridasa Thakura, however, said that the desired result of chanting the

holy name of the Lord is not that one is liberated from material bondage or

freed from the reactions of sinful life. The actual result of chanting the holy

name of the Lord is that one awakens his dormant Krsna consciousness, his loving

service to the Lord.anusangika phala namera——‘mukti’,

‘papa-nasa’tahara drstanta yaiche suryera prakasaHaridasa Thakura

said that liberation and freedom from the reactions of sinful activities are

only by-products of chanting the holy name of the Lord. If one chants the holy

name of the Lord purely, he attains the platform of loving service to the

Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this regard Haridasa Thakura gave an example

comparing the power of the holy name to sunshine.ei slokera artha kara panditera

gana"sabe kahe,——‘tumi kaha artha-vivarana’He placed a

verse before all the learned scholars present, but the learned scholars asked

him to state the purport of the verse.haridasa kahena,——"yaiche

suryera udayaudaya nä haite arambhe tamera haya ksayaHaridasa Thakura said that

as the sun begins to rise, it dissipates the darkness of night, even before the

sunshine is visible.caura-preta-raksasadina bhaya haya nasaudaya haile

dharma-karma-adi parakasaBefore the sunrise even takes place, the light of dawn

destroys the fear of the dangers of the night, such as disturbances by thieves,

ghosts and Rakhasas, and when the sunshine actually appears, one engages in his

duties.aiche namodayarambhe papa-adira ksayaudaya kaile krsna-pade haya

premodayaSimilarly, even before one’s chanting of the holy name is pure,

one is freed from all sinful reactions, and when he chants purely he becomes a

lover of Krsna. ‘mukti’ tuccha-phala haya namabhasa haiteye mukti

bhakta na laya, se krsna cahe dite"A devotee never accepts mukti, even if Krsna

offers it. Mukti, freedom from all sinful reactions, is obtained even by

namabhasa, or a glimpse of the light of the holy name before its full light is

perfectly visible.The namabhasa stage is between that of nama-aparadha, or

chanting of the holy name with offenses, and pure chanting. There are three

stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord. In the first stage, one commits

ten kinds of offenses while chanting. In the next stage, namabhasa, the

offenses have almost stopped, and one is coming to the platform of pure

chanting. In the third stage, when one chants the Hare Krsna mantra without

offenses, his dormant love for Krsna immediately awakens. This is the

perfection.

8] When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired from Haridasa Thakura how he was to

benefit living entities other than humans, Srila Haridasa Thakura replied that

the Hare Krsna maha-mantra is so potent that if it is chanted loudly, everyone

will benefit, including the lower species of life. Adi. 9.39

9] Haridasa Thakura is exceptional for his forbearance because although he was

beaten with canes in twenty-two marketplaces, nevertheless he was tolerant.

Adi. 10.84

10] Lord Sri Krsna, before appearing as Lord Caitanya, requested these devotees

to precede Him: Sri Sacidevi, Jagannatha Misra, Madhavendra Puri, Kesava

Bharati, Isvara Puri, Advaita Acarya, Srivasa Pandita, Acaryaratna, Vidyanidhi

and Thakura Haridasa. Adi. 13.56

11] On the maha-prakasa day, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu embraced Haridasa Thakura

and informed him that he was none other than an incarnation of Prahlada

Maharaja. Adi. 17.71

12] The Lord said, "I wish to touch you just to be purified, for your purified

activities do not exist in Me."PURPORTThis is an example of the reciprocation

of feelings between master and servant. The servant thinks that he is most

impure and that the master should not touch him, and the master thinks that

because He has become impure by associating with so many impure living

entities, He should touch a pure devotee like Haridasa Thakura just to purify

Himself. Actually both the servant and the master are already purified because

neither of them is in touch with the impurities of material existence. They are

already equal in quality because both of them are the purest. There is a

difference in quantity, however, because the master is unlimited and the

servant is limited. Consequently the servant always remains subordinate to the

master, and this relationship is eternal and undisturbed. As soon as the

servant feels like becoming the master, he falls into maya. Thus it is by

misuse of free will that one falls under the influence of maya. Mad. 11.189