SUNDAY FEAST LECTURE
BY
H.H.RADHANATH SWAMI MAHARAJ
DATE: 6TH SEPTEMBER 2009

ABOUT TRIVIKRAMA PRABHU, FAMILY AND SERVICE TO SOCIETY

Hare Krishna! We welcome everyone to Sri Radha Gopinath’s weekly Sunday festival.
Thank you for being with us. This morning, quite early a telephone call came to the temple informing us that our very dear devotee Trivikrama Prabhu was in a very critical condition. A few days ago he had a massive heart attack. This morning his health was seriously declining. According to the doctors there is very little possibility or hope that he will physically survive. I went to the Nanavati hospital to be with him and his family. Govinda prabhu was there telling very beautiful stories. I chanted with him for a couple of hours. I humbly request to all of you, please pray to Sri Sri Radha Gopinath, Nitai Gauracandra to shower their mercy and blessings upon him. One very beautiful thing that I witnessed today is, Anuriddha, his only child who’s I believe 20 years old, he was at the hospital with his mother. He told me that how extremely grateful he was. We could imagine, he has no brother and sisters. He is only 20 years old. His father is facing imminent death. The son is there helpless to help him physically, but very much trying to help him spiritually, by being with devotees chanting the holy names and praying. But he expressed to me his gratitude for this family of vaishnavas that are bestowing such unconditional love; doing everything possibly they can to help his father attain the supreme destination. Actually the senior most members of our congregation, many of the senior most members of the brahmacari ashram were there going in and out, chanting for him, paying for him. But also Aniruddha said,”Besides my father, for me and my mother, so much help, so much support, so much affection. I really feel as if that I have so many fathers and so many mothers. The way the devotees are taking care of me, the way they are extending themselves for me, there is no possibility of family like this any other way.” This is something I have seen time and again during these traumatic crisis in devotees lives that they that their own extended family members how near as concerned with helping as a family of devotees who are not physically, biologically related who are related only on the basis of devotion to Krishna and Sri Radha Rani. He was seeing how deep and how committed devotees are and immense amount of sacrifices that devotees were making to help his father, to help him and his mother. He was deeply moved and deeply grateful. He was finding shelter and hope at a most hopeless time due to the loving service of the vaishnavas. Trivikrama Prabhu is a wonderful vaishnava and one of our senior counselors. He helps distribute Srila Prabhupada’s Back To Godhead magazine extensively, is member of our dramas. He as helped guide and inspire many many devotes whom he personally took care of on the path of bhakti. Service to the vaishnavas is a very intimate offering to Sri Sri Radha Gopinath. “Mad puja vayadihka.”

WHAT IS REAL DEVOTION OR BHAKTI?

Krishna tells worship of My devotee is more dear to Me than worship to Me. And we see in this instance and so many others,  where there is this selfless endeavor to serve other vaishnavas, specially at time of need when they can give nothing in return. When we sacrifice so much knowing that the only thing we will get in return is the blessing that we have served a vaishnava. Real service is without any expectation of anything material in return. That is bhakti.
anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaà     jïäna-karmädy-anävåtam
änukülyena kåñëänu-     çélanaà bhaktir uttamä
Real devotion is not mixed with any desire for anything physical, emotional, material in return. We don’t even want liberation from suffering. We simply want to serve in a way that is favorable to Krishna. That is bhakti.  It’s easy to work when we are expecting something in return. Prestige, position, power, money. But to serve simply because this is what Krishna wants me to do. This will please my guru and vaishnavas. People could feel love when there is unconditional service.
As far as spreading bhakti, preaching the message. It is a very powerful way of preaching. By seeing the example of such people, like Dwarakadish and Vishaka Priya who have time and again are helping devotees in this condition. Devotees develop deep faith. Yes this bhakti is of real substance, it’s for real. Sri Caitanya Caritamrita puts great emphasis on how the Supreme Lord loves His devotees.
Bhagavad Gita explains that Krishna is equal to; He is not partial to anyone. But at the same time, Krishna gives everyone a chance by giving us free will.
ye yathä mäà prapadyante    täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham
mama vartmänuvartante    manuñyäù pärtha sarvaçaù
As you surrender unto Me, I respond and reveal Myself accordingly. For those who make sacrifices for Krsna, for those who give up things they are attached to for a higher cause of service to Krsna, Krsna is unlimitedly grateful.

GRATITUDE THE MOST PRECIOUS QUALITY OF A SAINTLY PERSON

We were discussing last week, gratitude is one of the most precious qualities of a saintly person.
tat te ‘nukampäà susamékñamäëo….Even in the most desperate times, a devotee is grateful and eager to serve. That gratitude is part and parcel of the supreme gratitude of God. So grateful, nehäbhikrama-näço ’sti pratyaväyo na vidyate…For the pleasure of the Lord, the Lord never forgets ever, you may be grateful for what somebody has done for you. But do you remember all the things that people did for you when you were a child. Do you remember all the nice things that people did for you in this life or the life before that or the life before that? We have all been here for so many lives. People may have done so many things, performed so many sacrifices. You may have had many mothers and fathers that practically died for your happiness in your past life. Do you remember any? So our power to be grateful is very limited.

SURRENDER – KRISHNA WILL FORGET ALL YOUR SINS

But Isvara bhutanam hrdese arjuna…Krishna is in our heart, he remembers everything. If you even did one small thing 10 million births ago in the past, Krishna remembers that. He is just waiting for you to continue. All those credits are still there why? Because of his gratitude, such a friend! He never leaves us; he is seated right in our hearts beside us and never forgets. Whatever sins that we have done, whatever ways we have offended him, blasphemed him, betrayed him, rejected him, he remembers that too.  But sarva sarva dharman….Just sincerely try to surrender and he will forget it all. He will remove it all, it’s gone, its gone forever. He may not forget it, but it is as good as that, as if you never did anything. Even if trillions of birth, you have offended god, just surrender now and its gone. But one little thing you do, to serve him and to please him, never gone. There is nothing within this material entire creation that can erase from Krishna’s memory our credit in devotional service, because it is eternal. Who is a friend like this? For those devotees, according to the sincerity and our efforts to please Krishna, He becomes obliged. He loves his devotees. In fact he accepts position in subordinate to be controlled by his devotees. That is the nature of love. A devotees is conquered by Krishna’s love and Krishna by own will is conquered by the devotees love.

GLORIES OF HARIDAS THAKUR

There is a wonderful illustration of this; there are innumerable illustrations of this in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhus Lila. One that is very prominent.  It is the story of the passing of Srila Haridas Thakur. The day of Haridas Thakur’s disappearance from this world was celebrated by us few days ago, Ananta Caturdashi. But since many of you were not here to hear the beautiful class given by Gaur Gopal prabhu, I’ll share some thoughts in this regard with your permission. (Devotees chant Haribol!). You all sound very sleepy. (Devotees chant Loud HARIBOL!). Thank you. Haridas Thakur we know although he was born in an outcaste family. He loved the association of devotees and he had a very very deep conviction in the power of the holy name. He was chanting the Hare Krsna Mahamantra day and night, three hundred thousand names every day. That’s one hundred and ninety two rounds on his beads. And after he finished that he would be dancing and singing the holy names and preaching the glories of the holy name. In those days in India being an outcaste from the Hindu perspective was a very very limiting situation. He was condemned, he was not allowed in temples. Now he could have just said well, why should I follow this religion? Why not go to some other religion? It would be so much easier, because the Smartha Brahmans were so unfair to him; he was a man of essence. He was tasting the sweetness of the holy name, as he was chanting the holy name he was experiencing the beautiful forms of Radha and Krishna. He was tasting their qualities, their love, their mercy, their pastimes. He was experiencing the eternal abode of the Lord as he was chanting the holy names. In that state who can convince you to change. Those who are superficially attached to the eternal forms of their religion, without understanding the essence of it, have been causing troubles and making offences as long as we have human history. It is a fact, sectarianism, it is all based on false Ego, I am better than you. That’s what it comes down to. Human beings with ego have this tendency. Once coming into the environment of Maya or material energy that we want to be, as Prabhupada said “The Lord of all we survey”. We want to be controller, we want to be proprietor, we want to be enjoyer, and we want to be better than others. So we take our Nationality or our race, or our religion. Somehow or other whatever we are connected to, we have this lamentable need to feel ourselves superior to others. So for me to be better than you, that means, My religion is better than yours, or even with the same religion my denomination is better than yours, or even with the same denomination my Guru is better than yours, or even with the same Guru my temple is better than yours, or even with the same temple my classes are better than yours, or my flower garlands are better than yours. Why is this? It is just the opposite of the essence of what religion is. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained “amanina maan dena”. This is a Vaishnav, eager to offer all respect to others and not expect any respect for one self. Haridas Thakur was the best of the best from the spiritual perspective and yet he was condemned and persecuted again and again as being the worst of the worst.  But the amazing thing is he felt himself to be the worst of the worst, even though he was the best of the best.

PASTIMES OF HARIDAS THAKUR

We know the story of Ramchandra Khan, he sent that prostitute to destroy Haridas Thakur. And Haridas Thakur was so…he knew why she came. She came to ruin his life. If he did anything with her, he was going to be cast into prison and beaten and disgraced and may be killed. And this was a so called very learned wealthy Hindu gentleman, who was doing this to him, because he just could not tolerate an outcast was becoming popular in his religion. But Haridas Thakur stayed there just chanting Hare Krishna, prayed for this woman and ultimately she became his disciple. And she shaved her head! Not that you have to do that ladies, but she gave away all of her belongings just put on a simple while cloth, stayed in his bhajan kutir in the forest, worshipped tulsi and he left and she chanted 300000 names of Krishna every day and people would just come and bring her food. And it’s not that he just stayed and said “Just look at what I’ve done”, he left, never came back.

GLORIES OF HOLYNAME EXTOLLED

That was Benapul. And then he went…where  ever he went, he went to Chandapur and Adisapthagram and there Balaram Acharya, Yadu Nandan acharya, they were great devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, of course this was before Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed his lila. But they were great vaishnavas and they understood what a great devotee he was, even though they were brahmanas. They asked on him to give a lecture on the glories of the holy names. And the father of Raghunath Das Goswami and the uncle, they were so deeply grateful to Haridas Thakur. They invited all the employees and other respectable people from the area. And Haridas was simply quoting from the scriptures, the glories of the holy name with his own realizations. And one person who was in the audience, who was a very highly learned, respected Brahmana couldn’t tolerate this. He stood up and began to blaspheme Haridas Thakur right in front of every one. You are saying that simply chanting the holy names of Krishna, one can attain prema? And compared to prema, mukti is an insignificant by product which is automatically achieved! And then he screamed out that what you are saying is not true, which it isn’t, I curse you that your nose will fall off. Haridas Thakur what could he do, he just very humbly said, “Everything I am saying its true and its in the scriptures. Anyways the net day that person got Leprosy and his nose fell off. And Haridas Thakur was feeling very much sorry for him. Mean while Govardhna and Hiranya Majumadar, and Balaram Acharya and Yadunanan they were going around to Haridas Thakur and were saying, “We beg forgiveness. We invited you here and you were blasphemed. And Haridas Thakur said, “No, No, No, he just doesn’t know what he is talking about, no problem.”  He wasn’t affected. And from there he went to Puliagram and he met Advaitacharya, who loved him. Advaitacharya was the best of the brahmanas. He was living in a cave there in the bank of the ganga. But he was chanting and he would go along the bank of the river dancing and chanting in ecstasy, and people would see him and he would tell them the glories of the holy name. His love was so deep and so pure that it transformed people’s hearts, just seeing him; just hearing him, transformed, and immediately started chanting the holy names. This was intolerable for the Brahmanas who complained to the ruler that he is ruining our religion, he has no right he should be destroyed. He must be punished. But we know the story. He was arrested and told – “Just practice your own religion. And don’t do this Hindu stuff or chant the holy names anymore. If you keep doing it, you will be beaten in 22 market places, tortured publicly and murdered. If you stop, we’ll let you go right now.” He said, “I can’t stop. I have no capacity.” He said, “I love Krishna. I love Krishna.” One who loves Krishna must show compassion to other living entities. And the greatest compassion any one could extend to anyone else in this age of Kali.
jéva jägo, jév jägo, gauracända bole    kota nidrä jäo mäyä-piçäcéra kole
enechi auñadhi mäyä näçibära lägi’     hari-näma mahä-mantra lao tumi mägi
Wake up, wake up sleeping souls. This is the greatest active compassion – to wake the sleeping souls.

DANGER AT EVERY STEP

No matter who you are or what you are, you have to get old, get diseased and die and that death could come at any moment. I have heard about people who just take their physical and are in excellent health. And a few days later they have heart attack and die. Even top doctors, we have heard, this happens too. In the prime of the youth!  Padaà padaà yad vipadäà na teñäm – there is danger at every step. But the soul is eternal. na jäyate mriyate vä kadäcin… na hanyate hanyamäne çarére. Nothing can impede the life of the eternal soul. To awaken the eternal reality of one’s identity, to awaken ones potential to love Krishna, that is the greatest welfare – para upakara. The greatest compassion! And in this age of Kali, the means of attaining that is the chanting of the holy names.
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa , Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
Much Louder please,
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa , Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare

HARIDAS THAKUR’S SUFFERING

Hari das Takur told Kazi and the king – he said, “Showing compassion to others  by spreading the glories of the holy name – it is my nature, because I love Krishna. Even if you chop my body into thousands of pieces, everyone of those pieces would be broadcasting the glories of the holy names “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.”
They dragged him to the streets, they beat him severely through all 22 market places, they were so exhausted, that they couldn’t beat him anymore. They hated him, hated him so much, all of their energy, every last drop of their energy, they had a lot of energy, was dedicated exclusively to inflict pain on him and to kill him. And yet, when they were utterly exhausted at the end of the day, Haridas Thakur looked at them with compassion. They said, “We do not understand who you are. We are beating you, we are shouting worst horrible obscenities against you right in public, we are dragging you through the streets like an animal, and you are looking at us with such love, the whole time. Infact, you are looking at us as if you are sorry for us. And we can’t kill you. Because we can’t kill you so we are going to be killed for not killing you. Haridas said, “Oh! I am causing an inconvenience to you; just see what I will do.” Then he just chanted and gave up his life. He went into a Samadhi state. His heartbeat, his pulse, his breath, everything stopped. You have that one thing in the hospital (that shows the pulse rate), it was showing straight line. He was dead. What to do with him. They just threw him in the river like a piece of trash. That’s what they said, “Throw him in the river like a piece of trash.” They asked the Hindus, “Would you like to burn him?” They said, “No, he is not a Hindu, he doesn’t deserve to be liberated in the fire.” They asked the muslims, “Would you like to bury him.” They said, “No, he is chanting Krishna’s names. He doesn’t deserve to attain paradise by being buried.” “So what shall we do with him?” “Just throw him in the river like a piece of trash.” That’s what they did.

HARIDAS THAKUR’S COMPASSION
He floated for a while, and later he came out of his Samadhi. Now if you were him, you would probably go to the forest and hide. He went right directly back to the time to meet the King and the executioners just to say Haribol, just to show compassion to them. Can you imagine, he went right directly back to the town. And when the King saw him, he bowed down and said, “You are a great saint. Please forgive me!” Haridas forgave him, forgave everybody. Such love he had. Another time a Brahman, who was very learned and so many others, they challenged Haridas, ”Why are you chanting so loudly? According to our knowledge of Vedas, these mantras should be silent, not loud. If you chant loudly it destroys their potency, limits their potency.” And Haridas Thakur started quoting from the scriptures one after another and proving that loud chanting is much more purifying than soft chanting because not only you get purified but everybody who hears the vibration, gets purified. And because he defeated them, instead of saying, “Yes, you are correct Sir”, they got even more angry. They said, “Just see, what the scriptures say is correct. It is confirmed today that low class Yavana, Maleccha is speaking from the Vedas and corrupting and polluting its real purpose. And they walked away, misleading the whole society when the melechas speak from the Vedas. The scriptures only tell us a few instances, it was probably a daily affair for Haridas Thakur. He was always being judged and condemned and ridiculed and misused. But he was always in bliss. He would be in ecstasy chanting and dancing.

ADVAITACARYA GLORIFYING HARIDAS THAKUR PUBLICALLY

Advaita Acarya was really a Brahmin who understood the essence. He became the best friend of Haridas Thakur. In Santipur, Advaita Prabhu was thinking, “Finally a true vaishnava has come. And they shared their love for Krsna so deeply. And when it came for the prestigious shradha ceremony of Advaita Prabhu, the most learned exalted of all Brahmins, gathered there. And in front of everyone Advaitacarya gave the honors of first offerings of the Shradha to Haridas Thakur. Advaitacarya was really putting his reputation on the line. But he didn’t care because he understood that the whole purpose of the varanasrama system,
Atah pumbhih dwijashresthah varnashrama bibhagasah
Swanusthitsya dharmasya samsiddhir hari toshanam
Whatever ones particular place in the varna or ashram system, the purpose is simply samsidhir haritoshanam, to give pleasure to Hari. Haridas Thakur is giving the highest pleasure to Krsna, therefore he has perfected varnashram, he is above and beyond varanasrama. He is a vaishnava. Advaitacarya is saragrahi, he was seeing the essence. And he didn’t care what anyone thought. Haridas Thakur was really embarrassed, because he is thinking himself as the lowest of the low. But Advaitacarya Prabhu forced him to accept it in front of everybody.

CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU BENEDICTS HARIDAS

During the mahaprakash, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered Haridas Thakur, any benediction he wanted. At the house of Srivas, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was giving the most intimate, blessings to all of his devotees according to their particular mood of devotion, he was fulfilling all their desires. Kolevecha Shridhar had the bhava of a gopa, cowherd boy. Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed to him His form of Krsna and Balaram and the whole forest of vrindavan and all the cows and offered him any benediction he liked. But the poor poverty stricken banana leaf selle, he wouldn’t take anything. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu pushed and pushed and pushed, the only thing that Kolavehca Shridhar would ask for was that, “Because you are forcing me to take something, just give me one thing, I don’t want wealth, I don’t want mystic powers, I don’t want elevation to the spiritual world. Just let that little boy Nimai, come and steal my bananas everyday. Let that vision forever be within my heart. And Haridas Thakir, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was praising him, all of those beatings in Phulia gram, Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed him his back which was bruised severely just to save Haridas Thakurs life. When he was finally forced to ask, he said “Just allow me in every birth to get the remenants of the food which is left on the plates of your devotees. That’s all I want. He said let me take birth as a dog or an insect, near the house of a devotee, so that after they eat when they throw out their plates, I can get some of their remnants. If you were asked any benediction from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, would you ask for that? That is his humility. That is why he could chant the holy names of the Lord 300,000 times a day, because he had love for the devotees, he had such appreciation for the devotees. If you cannot appreciate the devotees, you cannot appreciate the Lord. And th e Lord blesses and empowers the one who appreciates His devotees. And then Haridas Thakur says to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “I am so shameless, I am so low, I am so fallen and so undeserving yet I am asking you for such an exalted benediction as this.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Haridas, not only I give you love of God, Prema bhakti, but anyone who sees you or hears about you is going to get it.”

HARIDAS RECEIVES LORD’S HOSPITALITY

When Haridas Thakur came to Puri, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was personally greeting all the vaishnavas. Each and every devotee he would personally give them a garland, personally decorate their body with sandalwood pulp, and embrace them with such love. Then he brought them all to his home and he arranged just the kind of residential quarters that each and every one of them would be the most comfortable in. Arrange just the Prasad that they liked. He was just so meticulous in the way that he would serve the devotees, and each devotees who came in his room, he was embracing them and praising their glories. As if he had so many mouths. Down the dusty dirt path, Haridas was laying there offering full Dandavat Pranams, chanting the holy name. Distance away, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to one devotee “go pick up Haridas Thakur and bring him here”.  They went to Haridas and he was laying there and said “lord Gauranga wants you to come to Gambhira; he is calling for you to his own home”. Haridas said “no no no, I’m too fallen, too lowly. If I go there, I will contaminate that place. I will remain here”. Lord Caitanya honored him. This is the way he was feeling. You see when you say something to the lord, when you say something to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he hears the intention of your heart. In your prayers he does not hear the words but he hears the intention. In your service he does not see what is being offered, he sees the intention in which it is offered. Sincerity means to be genuine. Haridas really felt that way, he was so contaminated. So lord Caitanya honoured that, and he gave everybody their loving exchange, gave every one gifts, gave everyone Prasad, gave everyone residences. When everyone was gone Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went personally went right to that dusty road to where Haridas was, picked him up and embraced him. Haridas then said “don’t touch me, I am contaminated” and Lord Caitanya said “I am embracing you to purify you myself”.  And its not that the lord is just saying that, that is his Bhava. That is his feelings. Before yajnas we offer a prayer - Om apavitra pavitro va……Whether we are purified or un-purified or having passing through so many situations in life, when we remember the Supreme personality of godhead who is Pavitra, completely pure, we are purified completely from within and without. God is supremely pure. The scriptures describe like the sun. The sun never gets contaminated by any situations but can purify everything. The sun purifies stool and urine but doesn’t get contaminated by touching it. Krishna is all pure. His holy name is supremely pure.

LORD FEELS PURIFIED BY HIS DEVOTEE

Even the greatest Dina hina…harinama udaililo…..tara sakshi Jagai Madhai..Jagai and Madhai’s sins were so great that even Yamaraja and his secretary Citra Gupta were having very difficult time to just calculating them. Every day many of us are having a quota of chanting 16 rounds. Well Jagai and Madhya had their quotas too; How many women they would rape, how many Brahmins they would murder, how many cows they would eat, how many bottles of liquor they would drink, how many houses they would burn down, how many old ladies they would beat up. Hare Krishna! This is not an exaggeration. Sometimes in drama we see devotees as Jagai and Madhai going “ehhhhhhh!” (Devotees laugh), and everybody would laugh like this, like a comedy. But please understand if you saw a real Jagai and Madhai you would not laugh .You would be scared to death. The biggest terrorist and gangsters in the world today are like little ants with broken legs compared to Jagai and Madhai. Jagai and Madhai , Hiranyakashipu , Hiranyaksha , Ravana and Kumbhakarna in their past lives with all those powers, they were bad, but yet just by chanting Krishnas names all their sins were completely removed for ever and they attain Prema Bhakti. What is the purifying power of Krishna and his name? And here Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “Namo maha vadanyaya Krishna Prema pradayate” . The most merciful of all incarnations, supremely pure, Krishna tasting the absolute supreme purity of Sri Radharanis love and distributing that love to the world. And yet here is the absolute pure supreme truth, embracing a person who is considered to be a mlechcha, a yavana and outcaste. And he is embracing him and Lord Caitanya with tears in his eyes is saying “I am embracing you to become purified” and he is feeling that way. The Lord feels purified by his devotee. This is love .This cannot be understood through intellectual, logical research. This can only be understood by realizing, what is Love, what is God’s love? What is a devotee’s love? Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally arranged just the perfect place for Haridas Thakur. And Haridas was not allowed to go into Jagannath’s temple and he wouldn’t dare even try. Can you imagine? He was just living about a five minutes’ walk from Jagannath temple and he never got to see Jagannath. He had to wait until Rath Yatra and even than only on the street, he wasn’t allowed in Gundicha temple nor would he try. But Srila Prabhupada explains very fondly how Lord Jagannath himself would come out of the temple everyday in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to meet with Haridas Thakur for two to three hours every day. Caitanya Mahaprabhu would bring him Maha Prasad of all different varieties and sit and have Hari Katha with him for hours every day.  And how the Lord would enjoy the association of his devotees. Rupa Goswami, Sanatan Goswami, of all places in Puri they specifically chose to live with Haridas Thakur.

REAL DISEASE

Now I will begin the class. One day Lord Caitanya’s personal servant Govinda came to Siddha Bakula, Haridas Thakur’s kutir, and he found Haridas was laying down on his back chanting the holy name, Hare Krishna! And Govinda said, “Please get up Haridas, is there some thing wrong? I’ve brought, on the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Jagannath’s Mahaprasad. Please get up and eat Prasad.” And Haridas said, “I can’t. I have not finished my vow of chanting 300,000 names today. So how can I eat Prasad. But at the same time Maha Prasad is Krishna himself, how could I not honor Prasad.” So this was his dilemma, he didn’t want to eat it, but he couldn’t not eat it. Haridas Thakur showed his example. He offered his sincere heartfelt obeisances to the Prasad. He offered prayers of love, respect and worship to the Prasad. And then he took a tiny little particle of it and ate it. That’s how he honored the Prasad. The next day Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to Haridas, he had heard the report from Govinda. And he said, “Haridas, tell me are you well?” And Haridas said, “my body is quite well, but my mind is not.” Lord Caitanya said, “What is the problem?” He said, “I am not able to finish my regulation of chanting the holy names of the Lord. Therefore I am in a diseased condition.” Herein Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport, that we all have a regulation for chanting the holy names. Srila Prabhupada prescribes 16 rounds for those who are very serious, minimum. Said, “If we don’t complete our chanting according to this regulation, we should understand that spiritually we are in a diseased condition.” But Prabhupada said not only just chanting, but chanting in such a way that we actually can hear it and focus our mind on it.

HARIDAS THAKUR’S HUMILITY

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to Haridas Thakur, “You are so old now, its not possible to you to finish chanting 300,000 everyday. Reduce the number of the rounds that you are chanting. You have incarnated in this world for the purpose of spreading the glories of the harinam sankirtan movement and you have fulfilled the purpose of your incarnation. You have done it! You have shown the highest example. But now you are old, there is no need. Please reduce the number of rounds.” Should I continue (devotees respond with a Loud Haribol!) Thank you! Haridas Thakur replied, “My dear Lord, kindly hear my plea. I was born in an inferior family. My body is abominable. My acts  are very low. Therefore, I am the lowest and most condemned of all men. I am non seeable, I am untouchable. Yet you have accepted me as your servant and in doing so you have elevated me to the platform of vaikuntha. My dear lord, you are the supreme independent Personality of Godhead. By your will, you can make the entire universe dance as you like it to dance. And even me, You have made me dance according to your wishes. An example, in the house of Advaita Acarya You awarded me the highest most prestigious position by giving the first remnants of the Shraadha, even though I was born in a family of malecchas. And I’m a maleccha. My Lord for a very long time I have had a desire. Please fulfill my desire. I know that you are independent and you are supreme and if you like you can try to fulfill my desire. It is the one desire I haven been longing for a long time. I feel that very soon you will perform the final chapter of your pastime, within this material world. I do not want to see this closing chapter or your material world pastimes. I will not be able to bear seeing you leave this world. And I feel that it is coming very soon. Therefore, before that pastime is performed, I beg of you my Lord, allow my body to fall down at your lotus feet. Allow me to clasp those lotus feet and press them firmly on my heart. Allow my eyes to see your beautiful lotus like face and with my tongue chanting your holy names, Sri Krishna Caitanya, let my body fall down before you.” He’s praying to die. Lord Caitanya heard this and became very emotional. He said, “Haridas, certainly because you are such a great devotee, whatever you wish, Krishna must fulfill. But why are you asking for this? What about me. All of my pleasure in this world is coming due to your association. Why do you want to leave me behind?” Haridas replied, “My Lord, why are you creating this illusion? What is my value? There are so many important and good devotees. You have millions of devotees who are so far superior to me that they are fit to sit on the top of my head. They are actually very important. They are doing significant things for your movement. I am doing nothing. If an insect dies what is the loss? If an insignificant ant passes away, what is the loss to this material world? My Lord, I am insignificant, begging you, please fulfill this one desire.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very grave and He left.

HARIDAS THAKUR’S FINAL PASTIMES

The next day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu brought, His most intimate devotees with Him to the Bhajan kutir of Srila Haridas Thakur – there was Ramananda  Rai, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Swarup Damodar Goswami, Vakreswara Pandit, Jagadananda Pandit, Sankar Pandit, Kasisvara Pandit – These are the devotees that are named – so many great souls. When they came in, Haridas Thakur offered his obeisances - dandavats to every single devotee. And Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu looked at him and said, “Haridas, what is the news?” and Haridas’s reply – “Whatever mercy You bestow upon me.” Hare Krsna! Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu knew his heart. He told Swarup Damodar Goswami to begin kirtan. All around Haridas Thakur, the devotees loudly chanting the holy name…
Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa , Hare Hare
Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
Then Sri Gauranga began to extol the glories of Thakur Haridas as if He had 5 mouths, deriving great happiness, bliss describing the glories of His devotee – how beautiful!
mac-cittä mad-gata-präëä    bodhayantaù parasparam
kathayantaç ca mäà nityaà    tuñyanti ca ramanti ca
Bhagavad Gita tells how “My devotees love to gather together and they derive the greatest happiness discussing My glories”. Hari katha – discussing the glories of the Lord is the greatest happiness for the devotees. Speaking the glories, hearing the glories, chanting the glories. But that person who gives us the highest bliss by chanting the His glories or Sri Radharani – Her glories, Mahaprabhu – çré- kåñëa caitanya rädhä-kåñëa- nähi anya. Radha and Krsna is there as Mahaprabhu. What gives Him the greatest pleasure? Chanting the glories of His devotees. Haridas Thakur surrendered his life and all risked to chant the glories of the Lord 24 hours a day. And what was the reciprocation? Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu found the greatest happiness chanting the glories of Haridas Takur. And all the devotees struck with wonder to hear Lord caitanya so blissfully describing Haridas Takur.

THE VALUE OF THE DUST OF A VAISHNAVA

Then Srila Haridas Takur took the dust of the feet of every single devotee there and applied that dust to his head, not as a ritual. When you take the dust of the feet of a devotee on your head, Krishna sees your intent. If you are doing it as a ritual, you will get a little purification. But the real spirit is that the highest part of my body, my head I am putting under the lowest part of your body, your feet. That means you are great I am insignificant. I am your servant. From the heart of heart, I want to serve you, because you are prabhu, you are master and I am das das das das anu anu anu das -. Insignificant servant! That was the mood of Srila Haridas Thakur, when he was putting the dust of the devotees’ feet on his head. That was his heart, that is what the Lord is seeing and feeling. For a vaishnava the dust of the feet of another vaishnava is the most sacred treasured invaluable attainment in this entire creation of Lord Brahma. Pure gold necklaces, pure gold ornaments, beautiful marble palaces, rolls Royce, Mercedes Bnz, or owning 10,000 acres of land in south Bombay. What’s it worth? You can’t take any of it with you after you die, it cannot awaken the treasure of love of God in your heart. What is really is its value? Spiritually it has no value. If it has use in Krishna’s service then it has value. But the dust of the feet of devotee can liberate you from all suffering for ever. The dust of the feet of a devotee can awaken premabhakti, ecstatic love and can give us entrance in to the lila of Sri Vrindavan dham. What a treasure? How much do we appreciate it? How much do we long for it? And you see when take the dust of a devotee on your head, you will get benefit but according to how much you value it and how much you appreciate it and recognize its value, you are going to get that much more benefit.
Couple of thousand people today, so there is a lot of dust. In the monsoon season it mixes with water and it becomes both caranamrita and dust together. This place is really full of riches.

GLORIOUS PASSING AWAY OF HARIDAS THAKUR

So Haridas Thakur took the dust of every devotee and put it on his head in such a spirit of servitude. And he pressed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s golden feet upon his heart and all the devotees including Lord Caitanya, chanted harinaam sankirtan..
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
As this chanting filled the entire atmosphere, Haridas Thakur looked up on Caitanya Mahaprabhus beautiful moonlike face, his eyes were like two bumble bees gazing upon it. Tears were flowing from his eyes incessantly as Haridas repeatedly chanted, “Sri Krsna Caitanya” “Sri Krsna Caitanya” “Sri Krsna Caitanya”.  Sri is Radharani, Krsna is Shyamsunder, and who is Lord Caitanya – Radha and Krsna.
This was the name he was chanting, again and again and again. All the other devotees were loudly chanting harinaam and in that state, Haridas Thakur gave up his life.  The devotees were astonished. Immediately they all remembered the passing of Bhisma. On the battle field of Kurukshetra, Bhisma simply waited in the bed of arrows for many weeks in the cold of winter for Krishna to return. He knew that Krishna would return, because Krishna always satisfies the inner most desires of his devotees. And in the presence of Lord Krishna Bhishma gave up his life. When Haridas Thakur gave up his life, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so inundated with feelings of ecstatic jubilation and separation; he lifted Haridas Thakur body up and put it on his lap. Then began to dance! Vakreshwar Pandit was dancing Swaroop Damodar Goswami and all the others were chanting. Ramananda Ray, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya they were all dancing and chanting.

REAL DETATCHMENT

As Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was dancing through out the entire courtyard holding the body of Srila Haridas Thakur, Mahaprabhu’s eyes flooding with tears of love for his devotees as every one was loudly celebrating the pastime of Haridas by chanting of the holy names. Mahaprabhu couldn’t give up this body. The same body that was condemned by most of the Hindu society, the supreme absolute truth, the Lord of all Lords, the ultimate goal of all religions, couldn’t give up holding the dead corpse of that person. Isn’t that amazing, because corpses are considered contaminated….yes? But Caitanya Mahaprabhu couldn’t give up the corpse. He was so attached to Haridas Thakur. Now sanyasis are not supposed to be attached, he is the crest jewel of all sanyasis. But the ultimate detachment is to be completely attached to Krishna, Krishna’s devotees, to Krishnakatha, to Krishnanaam and to Krishnaseva. That is detachment of the highest sense. Swaroop Damodar Goswami somehow or the other stopped the kirtan and said “we have to perform the last rites.” So they quickly made a carrier for Haridas Thakur that looked like a spaceship, according to Kaviraj Goswami. Space ship!!! And they were carrying him through the lanes of Puri and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu himself was leading the Nagar Sankirtan procession dancing in ecstasy.

LOVE IS BEYOND RITUALISTIC REGULATIONS

They came to the sea, they bathed the body of Haridas Thakur with the sea water and as they were bathing it, Lord Caitanya proclaimed for all time to come that “because Haridas Thakur’s body is today being bathed in the sea, this sea is now so pure it will forever be a place of holy pilgrimage.” And as they were pouring water over the feet of Haridas, every one of the devotees was catching the water and drinking it for their purification and they were in ecstasy. This is very very amazing! These are sanyasis. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya is very very highly placed Brahmana, practically the guru of the king. All these devotees…corpse is supposed to be contaminated. And salt water doesn’t taste very good. But they are drinking the salt water, that’s washing the feet of a corpse, drinking it, sprinkling it on their heads, considering it the great treasure to get purified, to honor and worship this devotee. Love is beyond ritualistic regulations and the body of a pure devotee is absolutely pure. After bathing his body, they had dug a hole in the sand they placed the body in it and then they began to offer all sorts of Maha Prasad of Jagannath , sandalwood and different types of clothes and food and garlands, flowers,  than Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with  great feeling , deep feeling he started the process with his own loving hands process of covering the body of Haridas Thakur with Sand. Such an offering of love. Than all the devotees went around that pit and began to offer sand. In Bhakti it is beyond material consideration, it’s the intent. How many of you would like sand thrown in your face. Is sand a much of an offering? Offering Gulab jamuns or kachauris you like. But somebody offers you sand?  But Lord Caitanya is offering this sand with love and devotion and all the devotees are offering this sand with love and devotion. They are offering it as an expression of their deepest most profound love gratitude to Haridas Thakur. Sand! And in this way Sri Caitanya mahaprabhu buried the body, than they put something there to mark the place, they fenced it off so that other people would not step over it. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his devotees they circumambulated it several times while they danced and chanted in ecstasy, than they went into the ocean to bathe and they were splashing each other and according to Kaviraj Goswami in jubilation.

HARIDAS THAKUR DEPARTING PASTIME – FEAST OFFERED IN THE HONOUR
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Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, leads the devotees from the beach all the way to Jagannath’s temple where he starts going to each and every shopkeeper personally and he says, “I am a beggar, today I have come to beg Maha Prasad from each of you to glorify, honour and worship Srila Haridas Thakur.” Amazing! Here is a person who all his life except for a few devotees was ridiculed, blasphemed and rejected. Here is man who never in his life was allowed into Jagannath’s temple and he was too humble to even try to go in. And yet the supreme personality of Godhead, Jagannath himself is begging publicly, in front of everyone, to honour and worship him. The shopkeepers were just coming out and giving basket after basket after basket, filling and refilling with Prasad. And Swarupa Damodar Goswami went to the shopkeepers and said, “Please, Please just give four handfuls of each preparation. That will be enough.” And he asked Lord Caitanya, “We will do this begging.” There was so much Prasad being brought. People were so enthusiastic. The whole town of Puri wanted to glorify Haridas Thakur. Just see the impact he made in peoples’ lives. And then Kashi Mishra and so many others were sending large quantities of Prasad. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had everybody lined up. All the devotees, the people of puri, they were all lined up to honor the Prasad. Lord Caitanya himself began to serve. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was not inclined to eating small portions of Prasad and He had such deep enthusiasm to give so much of his heart to the devotees that every plate that he served he put more than 5 people could possibly eat on it. That was how enthusiastic he was to serve the vaishnavas. And when Swarupa Damodar Goswami saw this difficult scene, He said, “Nobody is going to eat until you eat my Lord. So, let us serve and You sit with Brahamananda Bharti, Brahmananda Puri, Paramananda Puri. Your take with the very senior sannyasis and let us serve.” And Swarupa Damodar Goswami, Jagadananda Pandit, Shankar Pandit and Kashishwar Pandit, they were the leaders of the serving team. This is extra ordinary in itself. This is a class in itself. Serving is an exalted position. Serving Prasad is a very exalted position. The topmost of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotees were serving Prasad, to the vaishnavas and to the common people. Can you imagine? Swarupa Damodar Goswami is Lalita Sakhi, the foremost of the intimate maidservant friends of Srimati Radha Rani in the spiritual world, the very intimate personal associate and secretary. This is the highest position. He was the personal secretary of Lord Caitanya. And he is serving the Prasad, in such a humble and attentive way to make everyone happy.

PASTIMES OF JAGADANANADA PANDIT
Jagadananda Pandit, He is one of the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who was in conjugal Rasa, Madhurya Rasa. He is a gopi from Vrindavana who has descended in this world. He is so powerful that Lord Caitanya is afraid of him. Yes, we know many stories. We all know, he was so eager to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He once brought sandalwood oil. He told Govinda, please massage Lord Caitanya with this oil. Govinda was about to massage and Lord Caitanya said,”What is this? I am a sannyasi.” It wasn’t just sandalwood oil, it was especially prepared with other fragrant scents too. Mahaprabhu said, “I am a sannyasi, what will people think when they smell me? Give this sandalwood to Lord Jagannath in the temple.” When Jagannanda Pandit heard this, He came to see Lord Caitanya and Lord Caitanya said I am going to give this Sandal wood to Lord Jaganath. Then Jagadananda Pandit said “…I never gave you any sandal wood” and he picked up the pot and threw it on the floor and it all went in to the earth. Then he went to his room, locked the door and fasted. Caitanya Mahaprabhu could not bear to see any of his devotees fasting. So he said to Jagadananda Pandit that today at noon I’m coming to take lunch at your house so have it ready. Jagadananda Pandit was happy, he was in ecstasy. He took his bath and began to cook, cook, cook and he cooked alot. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu came at noon and Jagadananda Pandit was serving him more and more and Caitanya Caritamrita describes that Caitanya Mahaprabhu kept eating more then he usually ever ate. The reason was out of fear of Jagadananda Pandit. He was fearful that if he stopped eating Jagadananda Pandit would fast again so he kept eating and eating and finally he said “I have already eaten so much more then I ever eat, please”, then Jagadananda Pandit said “just a little more”. Finally the lord finished and he washed himself and ate the spices and Lord Caitanya said “you have been fasting for so many days, so now you eat; I want to see you eat”. Jagadananda Pandit said “now you go and take rest and let me serve the other servers and then after that I will eat, I promise”. So Lord Caitanya obeyed and went back to his room, and he laid down to rest but he couldn’t rest. He was worried that Jagadananda Pandit is fasting. He told Govinda, go back to Jagadananda Pandit house and then come back and tell me after he has eaten. So Govinda goes back to Jagadananda Pandit house and then Jagadananda Pandit said “now Govinda you eat”. So Govinda eats, he probably had to over eat too. Then finally after everybody else ate, Jagadananda Pandit ate. Then Govinda ran back, told Lord Caitanya “Jagadananda Pandit ate Prasad”, Lord Caitanya said “very good” and then he took rest. This is Jagadananda Pandit’s power. What an intimate associate of the lord.

Lord Caitanya used to chastise him, because of these things. When Sanatana Goswami had those itchy sores all over his body and for several months, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was embracing him and blood and puss was getting on Mahaprabhus beautiful golden form. Sanatana Goswami was so pained by that, but he couldn’t stop Caitanya Mahaprabhu from embracing him. One day  he discussed with Jagadananada, what to do, this is really  disturbing me, that the Lord has already told you that he wants you to go to Vrindavan with Rupa Goswami, so just go to Vrindavan”. That’s the answer. So next time, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to embrace him he said, “I am going to Vrindavan”. “Why you are going to Vrindavan?” “Well I talked with Jagadananda Pandit.” Lord Caitanya said, “Jagga! This impudent neophyte, what right he has to instruct you who are fit to be my spiritual master?” Sanatana Goswami became very humble, we would probably become pretty proud, if the Lord said you are fit to be my spiritual master. Sanatana Goswami said, “Now I can understand my unfortunate condition. That you chastise an intimate associate, but you praise an outsider. He said that now I can understand that Jagadananda Pandit is an intimate loving associate that he is tasting the sweetness of your chastisement, and I am an outsider, I have to taste the bitter fruit of your praise”. Lord Caitanya said that “Its not like that, Sanatana Goswami and Jagadananda Pandit were the best of friends, and they stayed in Vrindavan together.” So this is Jagadananda Pandit and he is serving Prasad.

GLORIES OF SANKAR PANDIT

And what is the power of Sankar Pandit. He is Damodar Pandit’s brother. When Lord Caitanya was living in Gambhira in the last years, he would be in ecstasy in Sri Radha bhava. Sometimes he would grind his face against the wall, love in separation, his body would be bruised, and the devotees didn’t know what to do. But they knew the exalted position of Sankar Pandit, and they knew how much the Lord loved him. So they had Sankar Pandit go in Gambhira and stay in the same little room with Lord Caitanya, can you imagine such an exalted position. Its just you and Lord Caitanya, all night every night, just the two of you. And he goes into these ecstasies and you are supposed to protect him. Lord Caitanya would sleep on his lap and therefore one of the names of Sankar Pandit is Lord Caitanya’s personal pillow.  And Lord Caitanya would sleep on the lap of Sankar Pandit, and many times he wouldn’t dare to hurt himself out of fear of Sankar Pandit. What does fear mean? Why should Lord Caitanya be afraid of his devotee, he was afraid of displeasing him. Its not that Sankar Pandit was going to beat him, he was afraid of displeasing him and Jagadananda Pandit.

MAHAPRABHU SERVES PRASAD

And Kasishwar Pandit was a disciple of Iswara Puri. He was under Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s god-brother. These are the people that were serving the Prasad. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wasn’t allowed to serve Prasad, he wants to please his devotees, but from where he was sitting he was directing the servers. Because Lord Caitanya who was the supersoul in everyones heart, knows what everyone wants to eat at every moment, simultaneously, he was directing the servants, give that person more rasgulla, give that person more shaka, this devotee more halava. And he kept saying eat more, eat more. Everyone was eating more just to please him. He was directing their servers. And they were eating for the pleasure of Lord Caitanya till they were filled up to their neck. Now that’s a lot. And after everyone took Prasad, beyond their full satisfaction, then Caitanya Mahaprabhu, took Prasad himself, he washed and he placed beautiful flower garlands, sandalwood pulp and embraced each of them. Then when they were all gathered together, Mahaprabhu spoke. “Anyone who has participated in the festival in honor of Srila Haridas Thakur, whoever has taken the feast of Prasad in his honor, whoever placed sand on his body, whoever took part in the kirtan, whoever in any way participated in this glorious festival of Haridas Thakur, very soon become determined on the path of bhakti and will very soon attain Krishna’s mercy. Krishna had given me the association of Haridas Thakur and by his own inconceivable will Krishna has now taken that association away from me. Haridas Thakur was the crest jewel of the entire creation, but now he is gone and Lord Caitanya requested everyone to chant – Please chant – Srila haridas Takur ki Jai! Srila haridas Takur ki Jai! Srila haridas Takur ki Jai! And then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as everyone was saying Srila haridas Takur ki Jai!, Mahaprabhu just went into ecstasy, began to dance. Then He returned to His home, with mixed feeling, of both ecstatic joy and deep profound pain of separation. Ecstatic pain of separation!

VAISNAVA SEVA & VAISNAVA CULTURE

Srila Krsna das Kaviraj Goswami tells that this beautiful narration exhibits the nature of the Supreme Lord’s love for His devotees. The affection that the Lord has for His devotees is unlimited. And therefore, by serving the devotees, we gain the greatest favour from the Lord and give the ultimate pleasure to the Lord. This is Vaisnava seva. The Lord Himself longs to serve the Vaisnavas. Krsna das Kaviraj Goswami tells that this story shows not only the affection of the Lord for the devotees, but the affection of the devotees for the Lord. And it also shows the affection of the devotees for each other. This is Vaisnava culture. Our love for Krsna, Krsna’s  love for the vaisnavas, and all the devotees’ love for each other and the devotees’ compassion for every living being. This is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s culture.
Again, to unconditionally love Sri Sri Radha and Krsna,
na dhanaà na janaà na sundaréà
kavitäà vä jagad-éça kämaye
mama janmani janmanéçvare
bhavatäd bhaktir ahaituké tvayi
Lord Caitanya Himself taught us this culture. I do not want wealth or the opposite sex, pleasures or fame. I don’t want even liberation. I just want to serve You My Lord, unconditionally. Unconditional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, unconditional service to the devotees, and deep genuine compassion for all living beings. And when the Lord sees when we are interacting in that spirit, the Lord becomes conquered by that love. And the Lord’s intimate affection is forever ours. Kaviraj Goswami says, anyone who hears this narration of the Lord’s love for Haridas Takur and haridas Takur’s love for the Lord will attain great determination for the principles of Pure devotional service. In this spirit let us chant the holy name.

And we will dedicate this…. the latest news on Trivikram Prabhu, it says he is little better than last night, but his heart has not yet stabilized. And in underline big letters it is written, PLEASE CONTINUE PRAYERS. This is a wonderful way to serve a vaishnav, the most critical time of his life, to help him to either survive or to go back to godhead. So let us dedicate this kirtan to Trivikram Prabhu.
Thank you very much.