Haridasa Thakur

Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura appeared in this world in the village of Buḍon, in the present district of Sāt-khirā, which was previously a sub-division of Khulnā, Bangladesh. By this great fortune that land has been blessed, in that the chanting of the Holy Names of Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana became revealed there.

After remaining there for some time, he came to the banks of Gaṅgā at Phuliā, near Śāntipura. Advaita Ācārya was overjoyed to get his association and roared very loudly. The two of them thus began to float in the waves of the mellows of pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Govinda. (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi 16.18)

Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura is an eternally liberated associate of the Lord. The associates of the Lord are worshippable wherever they make their appearance. Just as Garuḍa appeared as a bird, and Hanumān as a monkey, Haridāsa Ṭhākura appeared in a family of Yavanas (Mohammedans). From his very birth he was very deeply devoted to the Holy Names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

When he came to live by the banks of the Ganges, Advaita Ācārya was very happy to get his association. The brāhmaṇa residents of Phuliā were very pleased to see how he worshipped the Holy name, and they used to come everyday to have his darśana. Gradually word began to spread of his glories.

When the Mohammedan administrator came to know of all this he began to burn with malice and went to the local Mohammedan king to inform him, «Though he is a Mohammedan, he behaves as a Hindu, and therefore he should be brought here for trial.» Hearing the words of that sinful man, the local king who was also very sinful, had Haridāsa Ṭhākura brought there immediately. (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi 16.37).

The Mohammedan King told Haridāsa, «Just give up this chanting and say the Kalmā (prayer of the Mohammedans).» Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, «The Supreme Lord is one, though His names might be different. The Hindu śāstras are the Purāṇas and the Muslim śāstra is the Koran. Everyone acts as he is inspired by the Lord, as also do I. Some yavanas become Hindus and some Hindus become yavanas, to worship the Lord.

O Mahārāja, you can now judge me.» Hearing these words the Kāzī replied that it would be necessary to punish him. Hearing the decree of the Kāzī, the Muluk pati addressed Haridāsa, «My brother, just follow your own religion. Then you will have nothing to worry about. Otherwise you will have to be punished.»

In reply to this Haridāsa Ṭhākura exclaimed, «Even if you cut my body into pieces, I will never give up the chanting of Hari nāma.» (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi 6.94) After hearing these words of Haridāsa spoken with great determination, the Kāzī declared, «He should be beaten in twenty two market places. If he doesn’t die after this, then I will know that the learned gentleman speaks the truth.»

Thus having heard the words of the Kāzī, the sinful Muluk pati then ordered that Haridāsa Ṭhākura be beaten in twenty two market places. Haridāsa remembered the Lord by chanting «Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa», and in the happiness of that remembrance, he didn’t feel any bodily inconvenience. (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi 16.102).

As the demoniac associates of Hiraṇyakaśipu tried in so many ways to kill Śrī Prahlāda Mahārāja, but were unsuccessful, similarly the demoniac Mohammedans, though they tried to harm Haridāsa Ṭhākura, were unable to do so. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was immersed in the nectar of the Name and thus gradually the Mohammedans could understand that he wasn’t an ordinary person.

Thus they humbly submitted to the Ṭhākura, «Haridāsa! We can understand that you are a genuine saintly person. No one can do anything to you. But the Muluk pati won’t understand any of this. Rather he will have our heads.» Hearing their frightened pleas Haridāsa’s external consciousness ceased and he entered into deep meditation on the Lord’s Holy Name.

Then the Mohammedans carried his body on their shoulders to the Muluk pati, who surmised that he was dead. Thinking as such he ordered that his body be thrown in the Gaṅgā. Haridāsa’s body floated down the Gaṅgā until he reached Phuliā ghāṭa, where he got out of the water and began to loudly chant Hari-nāma.

Seeing the greatness of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the Muluk pati became fearful. Along with the other Mohammedans he came there and begged Haridāsa Ṭhākura to forgive him for his offense. Considering him to be a holy man, they all offered their salutations and thus were delivered from their offences. Having witnessed the pastimes of the Ṭhākura the devotees were in ecstacy.

Haridāsa Ṭhākura used to chant Hari-nāma in a hollowed out cave like hole at the base of a tree. This «cave» still exists near Phuliā, on the banks of the Gaṅgā. One can get there by train from Śāntipura. Within the roots of this tree also lived a poisonous snake. Being fearful of this snake the devotees couldn’t remain there for very long and one day they mentioned to the Ṭhākura about this snake which was worrying them.

Seeing the distress of the devotees Haridāsa Ṭhākura called to that snake and spoke to him, «My dear sir, if in fact you are residing here, then I am requesting that you please leave by tomorrow, otherwise I myself will definitely leave here.» Hearing these words of the Ṭhākura, that snake immediately came out of its hole and after offering namaskāra to the Ṭhākura, it went elsewhere. Seeing this pastime, the devotees were struck with wonder and they developed profound and deep devotion for Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

One time Haridāsa Ṭhākura came to a village within Jessore district named Harinadī-grāma, which was predominantly inhabited by brāhmaṇas. One day during a religious discussion one puffed up brāhmaṇa approached Haridāsa Ṭhākura and remarked, «O Haridāsa! Why do you chant the holy name loudly? In the scriptures it is recommended to chant within the mind.» In reply Haridāsa Ṭhākura told him, «The birds, beasts and insects cannot chant themselves, but if they get to hear Hari-nāma then they also become delivered. 

If one chants only to himself then he delivers only himself, but if one chants loudly, the benefit is a hundred times greater. This is the conclusion of the scriptures.» (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi 16.180) Hearing this objective statement of Haridāsa Ṭhākura that sinful brāhmaṇa couldn’t tolerate it and exclaimed, «In Kali-yuga śūdras will recite the śāstras, now I am seeing this with my own eyes.»

In answer to this personal insult delivered by that miscreant brāhmaṇa, Haridāsa Ṭhākura simply silently walked out of that assembly. Within a few days that brāhmaṇa contracted ulcerous leprosy. The result of vaiṣṇava-aparādha became immediately manifest. In Kali-yuga, rākṣasas take birth in brāhmaṇa families in order to give trouble to the honest, virtuous people. (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi 16.300)

Another time, Haridāsa desired to have darśana of the Vaiṣṇavas of Navadvīpa. Everyone there became overwhelmed with ecstasy to see Haridāsa. Advaita Ācārya loved Haridāsa as much as His own life and he would offer the first prasādam to Haridāsa Ṭhākura (which is to be offered only to high class brāhmaṇas) after performing Pitṛ-śrāddha (worship of his forefathers).

Haridāsa Ṭhākura lived for some time at Benāpol, which was within Jessore district. Every day and night he would chant three hundred thousand Holy Names. At the time, when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu displayed His divine opulences by manifesting Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the courtyard of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita’s house, He was calling his dear devotees:

«Haridāsa! When those Mohammedans were beating you I was ready to destroy them with My Sudarśana Cakra, but as you were praying for their welfare I was unable to do anything.» (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 10.42) «Therefore I accepted their blows on My own body. Just see, the scars are still here on My body.»

Seeing those marks Haridāsa fainted in ecstatic love. Regaining his consciousness he began to praise the Lord of his life, «O Lord Viśvambhara, master of the universe, please have mercy on this sinner, who has fallen at Your feet. I have no good qualities and am a vile wretch, rejected by all classes of men. How can I describe Your divine character?» (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 20.58)

Ṭhākura Haridāsa was present during most of the Lord’s pastimes in Nadiyā, and when the Lord went to Jagannātha Purī, Haridāsa also went and took up residence there. Everyday, after attending Lord Jagannātha’s maṅgala-ārati, Lord Caitanya would come to see Haridāsa Ṭhākura and would bring him some of Lord Jagannātha’s prasādam.

When Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī would come from Vṛndāvana to Purī they used to stay with Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa, in order to maintain the etiquette, would not go near Lord Jagannātha’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.

Mahāmāyā devī took initiation in the mahā-mantra from Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Caitanya Mahāprabhu appointed him as the ācārya of the Holy Name. His departure from this world, in the presence of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is fully described by Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī in the Antya-līlā of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.