Gour Govinda Swami:
kṛpā kari’ kṛṣṇa more diyāchilā saṅga
svatantra kṛṣṇera icchā, — kailā saṅga-bhaṅga
haridāsera icchā yabe ha-ila calite
āmāra śakati tāṅre nārila rākhite
icchā-mātre kailā nija-prāṇa niṣkrāmaṇa
pūrve yena śuniyāchi bhīṣmera maraṇa
Śrīman Mahāprabhu is speaking. Devotees for them had to speak briefly something about the disappearance of Nāmacārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Today is that day, auspicious... Most auspicious day, the disappearance day of Nāmacārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
Haridāsa Ṭhākura was born in a Mohammedan family, mleccha, yavana family. But as a very intimate, great devotee, dear devotee of the Lord, who was chanting three lakhs of names daily. That means day and night, 24 hours he was engaged in chanting. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rām, Hare Rām.
In Caitanya Caritāmṛta and Caitanya Bhāgavata, His nectarean transcendental līlās have been described; you can read it. Mm-hmm. Many, mm-hmm, līlās are there for Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s līlās are pure life history, uh, very wonderful. Inconceivable. Cannot conceive of it because that's not material life.
Vaiṣṇava Sādhu, mm-hmm, he's not a mortal being. Na karma bhandhana vaisnavam tada ja jate. He's not a conditioned soul. He has no bondage, Karma bandhana. Bondage of karma never suffers from reactions of previous operations, not so stable. Nitya Siddha Pārṣada associate, eternal associate of the Lord.
Anugrahaya caranti babyani bhutani janārdanasya. Out of mercy, causeless mercy, or by the desire of Kṛṣṇa, they come down here to this material world to deliver the degraded, conditioned souls, suffering souls. They have no activity here. So Haridāsa Ṭhākura also say, "Nitya Siddha Parshad, associate of the Lord." Lord Caitanya.
Hmm. In Jagannātha Purī Dhāma, there is still his bhajan kuṭīr. That bakul tree is there, is known as siddha bakul from that 500 years ago. Huh? The tree was there, still it is there standing in the bark. Huh? In the bark only. Mm-hmm. The inner portion is hollow.
Mm-hmm. That is siddha bakul, for Haridāsa Ṭhākura was staying there in the cottage and chanting day and night, 24 hours, three lakhs of days. Not sleeping, not eating, because his body was not material body. He had gotten siddha deha, spiritual body.
Material body has these demands, four demands. Four types of necessities. Eating, sleeping, defending and mating. This the... Ah, need of this little body. But one who gets, sidha-deha, ah, a spiritual body. There's no such need. Therefore, you are not sleeping. You are not eating anything. There's no need at all.
So he could chant 24 hours, day and night, three lakhs of names. Always chanting man mana bhava, ahar niśa cinta kṛṣṇa balo hobo dane, day and night, 24 hours, chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa. He was doing that. Mahāprabhu's personal servant, Govinda, every day goes there to Bhajan Kuṭīr of Haridāsa Ṭhākura with Jagannāth Prasād.
Mahāprabhu says, hmm, understand? Every day Mahāprabhu comes there to give him darśan. Haridāsa Ṭhākura never goes to this grand road, Vṛndāvana. Not to speak of enter into the Jagannāth temple. He never went. "I'm Yavana. I am so, ah, very, very degraded person. I have no right to go there." He never goes there.
Mahāprabhu said, "You stay here. You look at the cakra at the top of the temple, ah, and you will have the darśan of Jagannāth." And Mahāprabhu is Jagannāth Himself. Sachal Jagannāth, moving Jagannāth. Non-moving Jagannāth is there inside the temple and Mahāprabhu is moving Jagannāth. Sachal Jagannāth.
Mahāprabhu's Kṛṣṇa Himself is Jagannāth Himself. So daily Mahāprabhu was coming and Mahāprabhu taking his sannyās staying there. Before going to have sea bath, Mahāprabhu goes there and gives darśan to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Don't be so anxious to see the Lord. The Lord will come to see you. Serve the Lord in such a way, huh? Develop such love for Lord Prema. Bhāgavat Prema, love for the Lord. The Lord will be attracted to you to see you.
Why are you worried about how to see Lord? Don't be worried about seeing Lord. Serve Lord in... Render such loving service at the lotus feet of the Lord. Please Him. Develop Kṛṣṇa Prema and bind Him. Then Kṛṣṇa will come to see you.
That happened in the case of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Huh? Mahāprabhu was every day, daily coming there. That means Jagannāth was daily coming, giving darśan and Mahāprabhu was sending Mahāprasād through his personal servant, Govinda, daily. So don't be... Therefore we say this thing, don't be so anxious to see the Lord.
Once Govinda saw Haridāsa Ṭhākura was lying and chanting with a feeble voice. Govinda had gone there with Jagannāth Mahāprasād. Haridāsa Ṭhākura immediately paid respect to Mahāprasād and took only one grain, only one grain, just to honor Mahāprasād. Bas.
Hmm. Another day Mahāprabhu came and asked Haridāsa, "Everything is Bhajan Kuśa? Everything all right with you?" "Okay," Haridāsa said, "My body is all right, but my mind and intelligent sick. Body is not sick. My body is all right, but mind and intelligence are sick."
Mahāprabhu said, "What is that? Have you any disease? Are you affected with some disease?" Haridāsa Ṭhākura says, "I couldn't complete my number of rounds." "That is my disease. That is my disease. Nowadays, for few days, I couldn't complete my rounds. I was chanting three lakhs of names. I was not completing, that is my disease."
Mahāprabhu said, "You have already gotten siddha-deha." You follow my language? "Spiritual body. Already you have, uh, gotten perfection. As... Achieved perfection. So what is the need of Sādhan Bhakti?" "Sādhan Bhakti, then next stage is Bhāvabhakti, then next is Prembhakti. You already attained that stage of Prembhakti. You understand? Bhava and Prem. What is the need? Why are you so worried that you couldn't finish your rounds, number of rounds?"
Then Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, with much humility he said, "Oh my Lord, I have one prayer unto you. I have one desire." This is my desire. I will catch hold of Your lotus feet in my hand, put it on my heart. I look at your lotus-like face, concentrate attention without blinking and utter in my, in my lips Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, this name, and will disappear. This is my desire. Please fulfill my desire."
He could understand... Haridāsa could understand that very soon, Mahāprabhu will disappear. So he said, "It will be very difficult to stay here after your disappearance. I couldn't... I can't stay. It's better before your disappearance, I will disappear."
Bhakta vancha kalpataru, Bhakta is very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ bhakta paradhina. Though Kṛṣṇa is, huh, supremely free, supremely independent, but he is dependent onto his dear devotee. He says, "I have no independence." This is Bhaktavacaka. Bhakta is so dear to the Lord. Whatever Bhakta desire, immediately it is granted. You understand? Mm-hmm.
So Mahāprabhu only heard, didn't say anything. Just left the place. The next day in the morning, Mahāprabhu came after, mm-hmm, Jagannāth darśan. Mahāprabhu came to Haridāsa Ṭhākura's bhajan kuṭīr, surrounded with the devotees, Vaiṣṇavas. All the Vaiṣṇavas started saṅkīrtan, very tumultuous.
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Haridāsa, and doing kīrtan. And Mahāprabhu glorified, mm-hmm, Haridāsa Ṭhākura. You understand? Speaks all his, mm-hmm, transcendental glories. Hearing from the mouths, lips of Mahāprabhu, the glories of Haridāsa, all the Vaiṣṇavas bowed down and took dust from his lotus feet.
Then Haridāsa sat down just at the lotus feet of Mahāprabhu. Got a hold of His lotus feet and put it on his heart and gazed at His lotus-like face and uttered Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, this name, and disappeared. That's... Desire was granted.
All the Vaiṣṇavas sitting there, they thought that Haridāsa had such death, such disappearance as Bhīṣmadev had. Bhīṣmadev had gotten boon, icchā mṛtyu. When he will desire to leave body, he'll leave. Nobody can kill him. And such thing took place, no? Haridāsa desired to leave and he left. Like Bhīṣmadev's maraṇa, icchā mṛtyu. As Bhīṣmadev did.
So all the Vaiṣṇavas are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Mahāprabhu was very much ecstatic. Then Mahāprabhu took the transcendental body, lift up the transcendental body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, chanted and danced with ecstasy and took the body to the shore of the sea, seashore. Bathed the body, and declared that from this day, this place, this... where there is samādhi of Haridāsa Ṭhākura on the seashore will become Tīrtha, this great Tīrtha.
Mm-hmm. And all the Vaiṣṇavas took that water, feet-washing water of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. And on his body, Mahāprabhu gave sandalwood paste, Prasādi Candan. You understand? (clears throat) And cover whole, whole of the body, entire body with a new cloth, piece of cloth. And with His own hand, Mahāprabhu dig a hole on that... sands there on the seashore and gave samādhi. You understand?
Haridāse tanu prabhu koile laila laya aham nācer prabhu prema vastiriya, Caitanya Caritāmṛtra, tare balu upare pinda banda haila sodiye pinde mahā avana haila, with His own hands, Mahāprabhu gave samādhi there. Later on, after some years, some Vaiṣṇava charitable person, beneficial person has built that mandir now. There you'll find a mandir. Samādhi Mandir.
So all the Vaiṣṇavas were always chanting. Then all looks along with Mahāprabhu, all circulated the samādhi of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. And Mahāprabhu was dancing amidst the group of the Vaiṣṇava, those who are doing Saṅkīrtan. That mood, doing Saṅkīrtan, dancing, Mahāprabhu went to the lion's gate of Jagannāth Purī Temple as mentioned in Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Siṁha-dvāre āsi Prabhu prasādi rakhay, aṅcala pati’ prasāda māgye, begging food. Anchala patiya prasad magiyala pathay, haridasa thakure mahotsava tare prasade mage biksha deho te amara.
In order to perform the festival, observe the festival of disappearance of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Mahāprabhu himself spreading his Lahirbas, go... went to all the paśadi. Those who are selling Mahāprasād, they understand every person going and begs. And all the persons with their whole stuff they gave. So huge amount of Mahāprasād was collected.
Mahāprabhu collected, mm, and Mahāprabhu has performed great festival, mm, all the Vaiṣṇavas, including all the Vaiṣṇavas. Mahāprabhu fed Mahāprasād to one and all. He himself served with his own hands. Purī Bhāratī, those who are Sannyāsīs there, at last Mahāprabhu accepted prasād with them.
Mahāprabhu was crying, feeling the pangs of separation from Haridāsa. Once Mahāprabhu had asked Rāyā Rāmānanda, "What is the greatest or acute grief?" Intolerable grief. Huh? Rāyā Rāmānanda had answered, bhakta-viraha duḥkha. You follow my language? bhakta-viraha duḥkha. Uh, sep- separation of a bhakta.
Huh? Feeling separation from a bhakta, dear devotee of the Lord, is acute grief. No grief is there as acute as that. Follow my language? So Mahāprabhu felt that grief because Maha... Haridāsa departed. Mahāprabhu crying and saying,
kṛpā kari' kṛṣṇa more diyāchila saṅga
svatantra kṛṣṇera icchā, kaila saṅga-bhaṅga
(CC Antya 11.93)
haridāsera icchā yabe ha-ila calite
āmāra śakati tāṅre nārila rākhite
(CC Antya 11.91)
icchā-mātre kailā nija-prāṇa niṣkrāmaṇa
pūrve yena śuniyāchi bhīṣmera maraṇa
(CC Antya 11.92)
Kavirāja Goswāmī had described this thing in his Caitanya Caritāmṛta. Mahāprabhu says, crying and saying, "He is all powerful, whose will is supreme will, almighty." He said that,
kṛpā kari' kṛṣṇa more diyāchila saṅga
svatantra kṛṣṇera icchā, kaila saṅga-bhaṅga
"Kṛṣṇa had given me the association of Haridāsa Ṭhākura out of mercy. I had gotten it, but supreme will, Kṛṣṇa's will is supreme will. Today, that Kṛṣṇa took away Haridāsa, so I am now deprived of the association of Haridāsa."
haridāsera icchā yabe ha-ila calite
āmāra śakati tāṅre nārila rākhite
"When Haridāsa wanted to go, I couldn't stop him. I have no power." Huh? Who is Kṛṣṇa himself, he is all powerful. He says, "When Haridāsa wanted to go, I couldn't stop him. I have no power to stop him." bhakta vatsala bhagavan. Huh? Bhakta prema dina. Do you follow my language? He is supremely independent. He says, "I have no independence, no power. I admit my defeat. I am powerless." Do you follow? He is all powerful.
icchā-mātre kailā nija-prāṇa niṣkrāmaṇa
pūrve yena śuniyāchi bhīṣmera maraṇa
When he willed to go, he went. I had heard previously in former days there was Bhīṣma there, huh, who quitted his body when he willed. Similarly, he did. This Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
This is in brief the disappearance of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Vaiṣṇava Carita, transcendental nectarian Vaiṣṇava kathā. As transcend nectarian Kṛṣṇa kathā. Daily, nitya bhāgavata sevaya, it's daily activity.
Once we hear Kṛṣṇa kathā hear bhakta-kathā, vaiṣṇava-kathā. Daily hearing, hearing śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, hearing and chanting. It's daily activity because it's all transcendental, all purifying, sweet, nectarian. It's daily, and who hears and speaks, its contamination is not accumulated, becomes cleansed up completely. It's daily activity.
Mm-hmm. So in Bhāgavata you'll find Kṛṣṇa kathā is there, bhakta there. Nitya bhāgavata sevaya a daily service. Bhakta bhāgavata, granta bhāgavata, a daily service one should render. Hmm. Daily this will be discussed, this will be heard, this will be spoken.
This is the auspicious day today, special day, the disappearance of day of Nāmacārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Hmm. So we should discuss all these things and we should read. Hmm, his transcendental life story, kathā, from Caitanya Caritāmṛta and Caitanya Bhāgavata.
This day one should read. Hmm, this special day, thereby you'll please the Vaiṣṇava, give pleasure to him and beg mercy. On this day we beg mercy at the lotus feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Hmm. We are most degraded fellows. We have no qualification, patita adhama, most degraded, no qualification, karma nāhi, jñāna nāhi, kṛṣṇa bhakti nāhi. We have nothing. We have no pious activity, previous sukṛti, no jñān, no Kṛṣṇa Bhakti.
We are so degraded fellow. We are bereft of everything. Only we are completely dependent on this mercy of the Vaiṣṇavas like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That mercy is very powerful. Vaiṣṇava kṛpā, kṛpā bala. Very powerful, very potential that mercy. Vaiṣṇava kṛpate paya sarva siddhi. If someone is fortunate, gets the mercy of Vaiṣṇav, he very easily achieves all perfection.
And this is only meant for us. No other means is there, way there for us. We are such degraded waste of the love, most sinful persons, most degraded, narādhama, patitādhama, jīvādhama, we are. Hmm. Devoid of, bereft of all qualifications. No qualifications. Only we beg for the mercy, cry and beg for the mercy of such Vaiṣṇavas like Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
And this is the special day, the disappearance, holy disappearance day of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So he begs such mercy at the lotus feet, let him be merciful enough to shower even one drop of that ocean-like mercy he had on us so our life will be successful.
Nāmacārya Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura kī-jay! Nāmacārya Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura kī śubha prayāna tithi kī-jay! Samaveta bhaktavrnda kī-jay! Gaura-premānande haribol! Ah!
Devotee: I'm about to... find the best that Vaiṣṇavas shower mercy upon them, a special mercy available when he leave- when he leaves his body. Is there any such-
Gour Govinda Swami: Huh?
Devotee: Is there any such thing?
Gour Govinda Swami: What?
Devotee: When a Vaiṣṇav is leaving his body-
Gour Govinda Swami: Huh.
Devotee: ... like Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura-
Gour Govinda Swami: Huh.
Devotee: ... he can shower his mercy at that time. He- there's some specially, special mercy like that?
Gour Govinda Swami: Special day. Yes. Vaiṣṇav is always merciful, an ocean of mercy. Huh?
Devotee: Yes, Guruji.
Gour Govinda Swami: And that is appearance, then this happened there, special days. Yes. In those days you should discuss his divine life story, his activities and lead us, huh, thereby to please him. And that is your gain. Your heart will be cleansed of all material contaminations. You understand? All purified. Mm. That is His mercy, you see.
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swami: And you'll develop very easily Kṛṣṇa bhakti. Yes. By the association you will have, his association that day. Yes. The invaluable association, sādhu-saṅga. Oh. Rarely gotten, durlabha. Oh. So these are special days. Their mercy is very powerful mercy. And their mercy will give association on those days.
Devotee: So if we pray to Haridās Ṭhākura now, he'll help us to pray... uh, chant constantly.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yeah. All of what teachings he has given. Oh. Complete dependent on holy name. Every moment you chant.
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swami: Man-manā bhava. Huh? Keep your mind fixed. Huh? On Kṛṣṇa, chanting His holy name, thinking, don't forget even for a moment. Hmm. That is the instruction of... Mahāprabhu's instruction to Haridās. Oh. And in this most degraded age, Kali-yuga, all are made yavanas. How can they be delivered? Huh? Once Mahāprabhu asked this question. O, Haridāsa Dāsa, Haridāsa said, "No difficulty."
Devotee: Oh.
Gour Govinda Swami: Ahaiva mlecchas yavanas minīḥ. Huh? If he can attain Nāmabhāṣkatā, very easily delivered, gets mukti. Ajāmila, the proof. Huh? Some mlecchas, yavanas, in Kali-yuga, if they can... Anyway, if not directly, huh, as this Ajāmila called his son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa... You are not calling Nārāyaṇa, the Lord. Huh? He called his son Nārāyaṇa. Name was Nārāyaṇa, name of the Lord. He got mukti.
That is Nāmabhāṣkatā, he attained. Sākṣitya-nāmabhāṣkatā. He's sākṣītya. So the mlecchas, yavanas, especially these nāma-dans, you understand, beef-eaters. Huh? When they ang- become angry, they say, "Haraṁ kaha." That means they utter the name of Rāma. Huh? Do they get that? namābhasa, sākṣītya-namābhasa? Those, they are delivered. They get liberation. Yes. They don't know they're uttering the name of the Lord, but they're angry, and anger after anger, they're uttering the name of... Haraṁ. They say, "Haraṁ kaha." There is Rāma name, Rāma is there because-
Devotee: God's name.
Gour Govinda Swami: ... indirectly sākṣītya. So very easy. Cāṇḍāla-stavas is very easy in Kali-yuga. If you can attain this namābhasa, mlecchas, yavanas, must say, then liberation is non-difficulty. If your name someone else hand them, let Kṛṣṇa free. They're Kṛṣṇa. Life is success.
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. (laughs)