Thakur Haridas (at Nilachal) (part 8)

Thakur Haridas (at Nilachal) (part 8)

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda

(Journal ‘The Harmonist’ Edited by
Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur (No. 9, Vol. XXV, February 1928))

WHEN the Divine Gaura Hari arrived at Advaita’s house at Shantipur after acceptance of sannyāsa Thakur Haridas came to learn that the Lord would in future reside at Nīlācala. He gave vent to his feeling of despair lamenting his own evil lot being then under the impression that it would not be possible for him to be in the close proximity of the Lotus Feet of Śrī Gaursundar if He chose to stay at Nīlācala.

Prabhu Haridas at the time supposed that the Divine Śrī Caitanyadeva would take up His residence within the holy Temple at Śrī Kṣetra where his entry would not be allowed as it would be against the rules of the place; and it would, therefore, be impossible for him to stay in the close proximity of the Lord. But when he heard from the mouths of devotees that the Lord lived at the house of Kāśī Miśra and that there was no objection to his staying outside the Temple he made his way to Nīlācala in the company of the other devotees.

The love of Śrī Caitanyacandra knows no bounds. Overjoyed at the arrival of Haridas at Nīlācala Śrī Gaursundar persisted in repeatedly inviting him to honor the mahā-prasādam in the company of the Vaiṣṇavas. But the great Ṭhākura actuated by his innate sense of humility without agreeing to the proposal fulfilled the will of the Lord by keeping at a distance from the devotees.

Thenceforward Śrī Ṭhākura Haridāsa spent his days in the bliss of secluded devotional practices in a solitary hut inside a garden close to the house of Kāśī Miśra. In recent years that devotional site has become very well-known under the name of ‘Siddha-bakul-Maṭha’. An ancient bakul tree on the spot still indicates the place of devotion of Ṭhākura Mahāśaya.

The servitors of Jagannāthadeva are orthodox Brahmans. For this reason knowing that it would be an offence if he touched them by accident Ṭhākura Haridāsa went along the highways with the greatest circumspection and served Śrī Hari by watching and making obeisances to the disc that crowns the holy shrine standing in some narrow by-lane purposely avoiding the more open roads.

The quota of the Holy Name repeated daily by Ṭhākura Haridāsa was ever duly completed every day. Śrīla Rūpa and Sanātana Goswāmins, in pursuance of the humility of the great Ṭhākura, during their stay with Śrī Gaursundar, lived in huts closed to the revered Ṭhākura. The Lord on listening, from the mouth of Śrī Rūpa, to the śloka ‘tuṇḍe tāṇḍavinī’ etc. danced with ecstasy and Himself preached the glories of the Holy Name.

The utterance of the Name of God frees from guile but without understanding one’s true relationship with God is called nāma-bhāsa or ‘the dim reflection of the Name’. All jīvas are freed from the bondage of Māyā by the ‘dim reflection of the Name’. All creatures moving as well as motionless are emancipated by listening to the Holy Name when it is chanted aloud.

Śrīman Mahāprabhu judged both Haridas and Sanātana to be the most highly versed in the mellow quality of devotion. Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura told Śrī Sanātana, “It is not possible to fully describe your good fortune. The Lord Himself calls your body His own treasure. There is no one who is so fortunate as yourself. The work that He is unable to do at Mathurā by means of His own body He will make you perform at that place.” Śrī Sanātana thereupon made this reply to Śrī Haridāsa, “You are the most fortunate of the entourage of Mahāprabhu.

There is none like yourself. The preaching of the Holy Name is the special work of this manifestation of the Lord. That work the Lord performs by your means. You chant daily three lacs of the Holy Name. You preach the glories of the Holy Name to all. You perform the twin functions of preaching and practicing. You are the teacher of all, — you are the best of the world.”

To attribute sinfulness to a Vaiṣṇava on account of his appearance in a family belonging to a low social grade or for his diseases of the body, does not stand to reason. Śrī Gaursundar made Prabhu Haridas understand the truth of this. The devotee of Krishna is eternally engaged in the service of Hari. He is a being situated wholly beyond the limits of this physical nature. 

The grossness of the diversities of material nature cannot touch him. The body of the Vaiṣṇava is eternally existent, self-conscious, and full of Divine bliss. Although ever liable to ignorance in the shape of aversion to Hari the Vaiṣṇava who is the eternal servant of Krishna is, in his proper self, a particle of pure Intelligence.

The state of bondage and aversion to Hari is due to the abuse of freedom of will by the jīva. Such bound jīva by the force of unconsciously performed spiritual work attains the association of the great spiritual preceptor who is exclusively devoted to the service of Krishna. By continuing under the shelter of the holy feet of the preceptor the Krishna-ward faculties of his nature manifest themselves. Thereupon he attains the transcendental knowledge that is located wholly beyond physical nature and is replete with service of Krishna.

When it can be affirmed that the knowledge inducing the service of Krishna has been gained — at such stage there remains in the jīva absolutely no ignorance or aversion to Hari. He is then exclusively occupied in the service of Hari having made an offering of his all to Krishna. At the stage the jīva having no worldly predilections or desire for selfish enjoyment is himself turned into a thing of Vaikuṇṭha (i. e., the Absolute sphere).

His body being ever ready to serve Krishna is no longer polluted by any earthly taint. He is eternally immersed in the transcendental service of the Lord by means of the transcendental body and senses, having crossed the physical universe which is permeated with selfish enjoyment. At such time the physical body and the physical mind fail to assert their powers and are rendered wholly quiescent.

Śrīman Mahāprabhu said to Śrī Ṭhākura Haridāsa, — “The body of the Vaishnava is never mundane. The transcendental body of the devotee is eternally existent, self-conscious and full of Divine bliss. The devotee makes complete surrender of himself at the time of initiation. At that time Krishna makes him like Himself. He makes that body of his eternal, self-conscious and full of spiritual bliss. With his transcendental body the devotee serves the feet of the Lord.”

Those jīvas that are averse to Hari are unable to understand the nature of the Vaiṣṇava and the nature of the Name of Krishna by means of their materialistic understanding which is addicted to the pleasures of this world. As aversion to Hari decreases the absence of difference between the Holy Name and the Bearer of the Name, the transcendental and eternal nature of the Vaiṣṇava who takes the Holy Name, are gradually realised.