Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja and devotees:
krpā kari' kṛṣṇa more diyāchilā sanga svatantra kṛṣcchā, kailā sanga-bhanga
"Being merciful upon Me, Kṛṣṇa gave Me the association of Haridasa Thākura. Being independent in His desires, He has now broken that association.
haridāsera iccha yabe ha-ila calite āmāra śakati tāǹre närila rākhite
"When Haridāsa Thakura wanted to leave this material world, it was not within My power to detain him.
icchā-mātre kailā nija-prāṇa niṣkrāmaṇa pūrve yena suniyāchi bhiṣmera maraṇa
"Simply by his will, Haridasa Thakura could give up his life and go away, exactly like Bhiṣma, who previously died simply by his own desire, as we have heard from sastra.
English speaking devotees, for them I will speak briefly something about the disappearance of Nāmācārya Haridas Thakura.
Today is that day, auspicious, most auspicious day, the disappearance day of Nāmācārya Haridas Ṭhākura.
Haridās Ṭhākura was born in a Mohamedan family, mleccha, yavana family but he is very intimate great devotee, dear devotee of the Lord, who was chanting 3 lakhs of Names daily. That means day and night 24 hours he was engaged in chanting.
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Krsna Krsna Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
In Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, and in Caitanya- Bhāgavata, his nectarean transcendental līlās are described. You can read it. Many lilās are there, Haridās Thakura's līlās, his pure life history. Very wonderful, inconceivable, cannot conceive of it because that is not material life. Vaiṣṇava, sadhu, is not a mortal being.
na karma-bandhanam vaiṣṇava prajayate
he has, he is not a conditioned soul. He has no bondage, karma-bandhana, bondage of karma. He never suffers from the reactions of his previous birth; he has no such thing, Nitya siddha pārṣada, associate, eternal associate of the Lord.
anugrahāyeha caranti bhavyāni bhūtāni janardanasya
Out of mercy, causeless mercy, or by the desire of Krsna, they come down here, to this material world to deliver the degraded conditioned souls, suffering souls.
They have no activity here. So Haridās Ṭhākura was such a nitya-siddha pārṣada, associate of the Lord, Lord Caitanya. In Jagannath Puri dham, there is still his bhajan-kutir. That Bakul tree is there known as Siddha Bakul. From that, 500 years ago, that tree was there, still it is there standing in the back, in the back only.
The inner portion is hollow. That is Siddha Bakul. Haridas Thakura was staying there, in the cottage and chanting day and night, 24 hours 3 lakhs of Names; not sleeping, not eating. Because his body was not material body. He had gotten siddha-deha, a spiritual body.
Material body has these demands, four demands, four types of necessities: eating-sleeping-defending and mating. This is the need of this material body.
But one who gets siddha-deha, spiritual body, there is no such need. Therefore he was not sleeping, he was not eating anything; no need at all.
So he could chant 24 hours, day and night 3 lakhs of Names. Always chanting - mana manah bhāva.
aharniśa cinta krsna, balaha vadane
Mahaprabhu's instruction: ahar nisa - days and night, 24 hours chant the name of Krishna. He was doing that thing.
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Krsna Krsna Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
...and were doing kirtana. And Mahaprabhu glorified Haridās Ṭhākura, do you understand? Speaks all his transcendental glories.
Hearing from the mouth, the lips of Mahaprabhu, the glories of Haridās, all the Vaiṣṇavas bowed down and took the dust from his lotus feet.
Then Haridās sat down, just at the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu, caught hold of His lotus feet and put it on his heart, gazed at His lotus-like face, and uttered:
"Śrī Krsna Caitanya" this name and disappeared. Bas. His desire was granted.
All the Vaisnavas present there. They thought that Haridās had such death, such disappearance, as Bhismadeva had. Bhismadeva had gitten the boon, iccha mṛtyu when he will desire to leave the body, he will leave. Nobody can kill him. And such thing took place now. Haridas desired to leave, and he left. Do you understand? Like Bhismera marana, iccha mrtyu.
and declared: "From this day, this place, where there is the samadhi of Haridās Thakura on the seashore became tirtha, is a great tirtha. And all the Vaisnavas took that water, feet washing water of Haridas Thakura and on his body, Mahaprabhu gave sandalwood paste, prasadi candana, you understand, and covered the whole, all the body, entire body with a new cloth, piece of cloth, and with His own hand Mahaprabhu dig a hole that sand there on the seashore and gave a samadhi. You understand?
haridāsera tanu prabhu kole laila uthäñā angane nācena prabhu premāvista hañā
In Caitanya-caritamṛta, Do you understand? My language? Hah? As Bhismadeva did. So all the Vaiṣṇavas are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa', Mahaprabhu was very much ecstatic, then Mahaprabhu took the transcendental body, lift up the transcendental body of Haridās Thākura. Do you understand, chanted and danced in ecstasy and took the body to the shore of the sea, seashore, bathed the body tānre vālu diyā upare piṇḍā bāndhāilā caudike pindera mahā āvaraṇa kailā
With His own hands, Mahaprabhu gave samadhi there. Later on, after some years, some Vaiṣṇava, charitable person, munificent person has built that mandir now. There you find a mandir, samadhi mandir.
So all the Vaisnavas were always chanting, then all along with Mahaprabhu, all circumambulated the samadhi of Haridās Ṭhākura. Mahaprabhu was dancing along with the group of the Vaisnavas, those who were doing sankirtan. In that mood doing sankirtan, dancing, Mahaprabhu went to the Lyon' Gate of Jagannath Puri temple.
It is mentioned in Caitanya-caritāmṛta,
simha-dvāre āsi' prabhu pasārira ṭhāni āncala pātiyā prasāda māgilā tathāi
Begging food, you understand.
ancala patiyā prasāda māgilā tathāi
'haridāsa-ṭhākurera mahotsavera tare prasāda māgiye bhikṣā deha' ta' āmāre'
śuniya pasari saba cangadā uṭhāñā prasāda dite āṣe tārā ānandita hañā
In order to perform the festIval, observed the festival of disappearance of Haridas Ṭhākura, Mahāprabhu Himself, spreading His avirbasa, went to all the, what you say, pasāri? Those who were selling mahā-prasād. Do you understand? To every person going and begged. And all the persons, with their whole stock they gave. You understand?
So huge amount of mahā-prasād was collected. You understand? Mahaprabhu collected. And Mahaprabhu performed a great festival.
All the Vaisnavas, including all the Vaisnavas, Mahaprabhu fed mahā-prasād to one and all. Do you understand? He himself did with His own hands.
Puri, Bharati, those who were sannyāsīs there, at last, Mahaprabhu accepted prasāda with them. Mahaprabhu was crying, feeling the pangs of separation from Haridās. You understand.
Once Mahaprabhu had asked Raya Rāmānanda, "What is the greatest, or acute grief, you understand, intolerable grief?" Raya Rāmānanda had answered:
bhakta viraha duhkha
You understand? You follow my language?
bhakta viraha duḥkha
Separation of a bhakta, feeling separation from a bhakta, a dear devotee of the Lord is the acute grief. No grief is there as acute as that. You understand? You follow my language? So Mahaprabhu felt that grief because Haridas departed. Then Mahaprabhu was crying and saying,
kṛpā kari' kṛṣṇa more diyāchilā sanga svatantra kṛṣṇera icchā, kailā sanga-bhanga
haridāsera iccha yabe ha-ila calite āmāra śakati tānre nārila rākhite
iccha-mātre kailā nija-prāņa niṣkrāmaṇa pūrve yena suniyachi bhiṣmera marana
Kaviraja Gosvāmī has described this thing in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Mahaprabhu says, crying and saying. Who is all-powerful, whose will is supreme will, almighty, He says like that.
kṛpā kari' krsna more diyāchilā sanga svatantra krsnera icchā, kailā sanga-bhanga
"Kṛṣṇa had given me the association of Haridās Thakura out of mercy. I had gotten it. But, supreme will Kṛṣṇa's will is supreme will, today that Kṛṣṇa took away Haridas so I am now bereft of the association of Haridās.
haridasera iccha yabe ha-ila calite āmāra sākati tāṇre nārila rākhite
When Haridas wanted to go, I couldn't stop him.
I have no power." Who is Kṛṣṇa Himself, Who is all-powerful, He says, "When Haridās wanted to go, I couldn't stop him. I have no power to stop him. Bhakta vatsala bhagavan. Bhakta premādhīna. Do you follow my language? Who is supremely independent He says "I have no independence" na paraye. I admit My defeat. I am powerless. Do you follow? Who is all-powerful
icchā-mātre kailā nija-prāṇa niṣkrāmaṇa pūrve yena suniyachi bhiṣmera marana
When he wills to go, he went. You understand? "I had heard previously in former days there was Bhismadev who quitted his body when he wiled. Similarly he did, this Haridas Thakura, You understand?
This is in brief the disappearance of Haridās Ṭhākura, Vaiṣṇava carita, transcendental, nectarean Vaiṣṇava kathā, you understand, is as transcendental nectarean kṛṣṇa-kathā. Do you understand.
śṛnvatām sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ punya-sravana-kirtanah hrdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhrt satām
Daily, nityam bhāgavata-sevayā - it is a daily activity. One should hear kṛṣṇa-kathā, hear bhakta-kathā, Vaiṣṇava-kathā and bhāgavata-katha. Do you understand? Daily hearing. Hearing, śravana kirtana, hearing and chanting. It is a daily activity. All these are transcendental, all purifying, sweet, nectrean topics.
Daily one who hears and speaks, the contaminations in the heart accumulated becomes cleansed up completely. It's a daily activity. So in Bhagavata you'll find kṛṣṇa-kathā is there, bhakta-katha is there. nityam bhāgavata-sevayā - it is a daily service to bhakta Bhāgavata, to grantha Bhāgavata.
It is a daily service one should render. Nitya - daily this should be discussed, this should be heard, this should be spoken. This is the auspicious day today, special day, the disappearance day of Nama-ācārya Haridas Thakura.
So we should discuss all these things and we should read the transcendental life history, kathā, from Caitanya-caritamṛta and Caitanya-Bhāgavata. This day one should read. It is a special day thereby you will please the Vaisnava, give pleasure to him, you will beg mercy. From this day, we beg mercy at the lotus feet of Haridas Thakura.
We are most degraded fellows, we have no qualification, patitādhama, most degraded, no qualification - karma nahi, jñāna nahi, kṛṣṇa-bhakti nahi. We have nothing. We have no pious activity, previous sukṛti, no jñāna, no kṛṣṇa-bhakti. We are so degraded, fallen. We are bereft of everything. Only we are completely dependent on this mercy of the Vaisnavas like Haridas Thakura.
That mercy is very powerful. vaiṣṇavera kṛpā, kṛpā-bala, is very powerful, very potential, that mercy.
- vaiṣṇavera kṛpā pāy sarva-siddhi
If someone is fortunate and gets such mercy of a Vaisnava, he very easily achieves all perfection. And this is only meant for us.
No other means is there, way is there for us. We are such degraded, lowest of the low, most sinful persons, most degraded - narādhama, patitādhama, jīvādhama.
We are devoid of, bereft of all qualifications, no qualifications, only we beg for the mercy, cry and beg for the mercy of such Vaisnavas like Haridas Thakura. And this is the special day, disappearance, holy disappearance day of Haridas Thakura.
So we beg such mercy at his 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.
Nāmācārya Sri Haridās Ṭhākura ki jaya!
Nāmācārya Śrī Haridās Ṭhākura ki jaya! Subha prayāna tithi ki jaya! Samaveta bhakta vrnda ki jaya! Gour premanande ! Hari bol!
Devotee: Vaiṣṇava blessings, special mercy of the Vaisnava when he leaves his body. Is it any such thing?
Srila Gurudeva: What?
Devotee: When a Vaisnava is leaving his body like Śrīla Haridas Thakura, he can shower his mercy. There is some special mercy?
Srila Gurudeva: Special day. Yes. Vaiṣṇava is always merciful, an ocean of mercy. And on his appearance day and disappearance day these are special days. Yes. On those days you should discuss his divine life-history his activities and liläs thereby to please him.
And that is your gain - your heart will be - cleansed of all material contaminations, you understand, all purified. That is his mercy. And you will develop very easily kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Yes, with the association, you will have his association of that. Yes.
Invaluable association, sadhu-sanga, is rarely gotten, durlabha. So these are special days. Their mercy is very powerful mercy. And their mercy will give you association on those days.
Devotee: So if we pray to Haridās Ṭhākura now he will help us to chant constantly?
Srila Gurudeva: Yes. All of our teachings behind it - completely depend on the holy Name. Every moment you chant - man manaḥ bhāva.
Keep your mind is fixed on Krsna by chanting His holy name, thinking, don't forget Him for a moment. That is the instruction of Mahaprabhu, instruction of Haridās. And in this most degraded age, Kali-yuga, fallen age, all are yavanas.
How can they be delivered? Hah?
Once Mahaprabhu asked this question to Haridās. So Haridas said, "No difficulty. However a mleccha, a yavana he might be, if he can attain nāmābhasa stage, he will be very easily delivered. He gets mukti.
Ajamila is the proof. So mlecchas, yavanas, in Kali-yuga, they can, anyway, if not directly as this Ajamila called his son whose name was Nārāyaṇa. He was not calling Nārāyaṇa the Lord. He called his son Nārāyana, whose name was Nārāyaṇa, a name of the Lord. He got mukti. That is nāmābhāsa stage. He attained sanketa nāmābhāsa. It is sanketa.
So the mlecchas, yavanas, especially these Mohamedans, you understand, beef-eaters, when they become angry, they say haraam kahanka'. That means they utter the name of Rāma. So they get that nāmābhāsa stage, sanketa nāmābhāsa. Thus they are delivered. They get liberation. Yes. They don't know they are uttering the name of the Lord.
But they are angry and out of anger they are uttering the name "haraam", they say 'haraam kahanka'. So this name of Rāma is there, so they get indirectly. So it is very easy. Haridas Thakura says, "it is very easy in Kali-yuga.
Those who attain this nāmābhāsa stage, the mlecchas, yavanas, most sinful, they get liberation; no difficulty. Pure name, if someone chants, he gets kṛṣṇa-prema, he gets Krsna. His life is successful.
Devotee: jaya! There is a feast now.