All Glories to Sri Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Saraswat Sampradaya (lineage). All Glories to my beloved Grand Spiritual Master His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur PRABHUPADA & my beloved Spiritual Master His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj.

Observing the Guru-Purnima ritual means worshipping all the members of our entire lineage. Actually, it is the appearance day of Vyasadeva, the energy incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. Vyasadeva is the source of all of our authentic scriptures (shastra), Srimad Bhagavatam, all Puranas, Upanishads, the Mahabharata, etc. On this day we should try to understand Guru-Tattva and practice the path of devotion with a non-sectarian and non-judgemental manner. Otherwise it will be difficult for us to reach our final destination, the abode of Sri Sri Radha Krishna. In order to properly observe the Vyasa-Puja day we should not think guru is just an individual and worship only the personification of our initiating guru (diksha-guru); instead of that, we should worship the entire members of our lineage – Lord Krishna, Brahma, Narada, Vyasa…………Grand Spiritual Master (His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada) and the initiating guru.

Yours in the Service of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Mission.

B.B.Bodhayan.

Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math(President).

www.sggm.in

www.gopinathmath.wordpress.com

www.gopinathmath.org

www.gopinathmath.com.ua

Sri Rupa Goswami’s Siksha

by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja

Through Rupa Goswami, Mahaprabhu taught the world about Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes and the process for attaining Krishna in Vrindavan. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami writes, “Through the mercy of Sanatan I have learned the devotional doctrines, while by the grace of Rupa I have been able to discover the extensiveness of the divine aesthetics of devotion.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.5.203)

The Lord taught about sacred rapture and Vraja’s pastimes of love through Rupa Goswami. Who can effectively describe the subtleties of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s lila? (Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.5.87)

vrndavaniyam rasa-kelivartam
kalena luptam nija-saktim utkah |
sancarya rupe vyatanot punah sa
prabhor vidhau prag iva loka-srstim ||

Just as the Lord enlightened the heart of Lord Brahma with the details of the creation and thus made the manifestation of the cosmos possible, so did Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu eagerly impregnate the heart of Rupa Goswami with spiritual potency so that he could revive Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes which had almost been lost to memory. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.19.1)

While in Prayag, Mahaprabhu gave Rupa the direct order to write Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. This has been stated by Rupa himself in the introductory verses to that book:

hrdi yasya preramaya pravartito’ham varaka-rupo’ pi |
tasya hareh pada-kamalam vande caitanya-devasya ||

I worship the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Lord Chaitanya-deva, for by his inspiration I have set out to write this book even though I am nothing but a ignorant wretch. (Brs 1.1.2)

Particularly relevant in this connection is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur’s commentary on the importance of studying and writing books as an element of devotional practice: “The lives of the Goswamis were exemplary in their renunciation. Sometimes they would engage in chanting the holy names of the Lord, sometimes they would worship him by writing books on divine aesthetics, and sometimes they would remember or glorify Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

There is an idea which has some currency amongst the prakrta-sahajiyas that devotional practice entails the renunciation of studying and writing devotional scriptures, indeed that any kind of scriptural study should be stopped so that one can attain to a state of ignorance. Those who follow in the footsteps of Rupa Goswami have no patience with such ideas. However, if a devotional practitioner studies or writes devotional scriptures for the sake of making money through which to satisfy his material senses or attain material fame, respect or any of the other insignificant and superficial goals which are classed as distractions or weeds in the garden of devotional service, then he will not attain the auspicious results which are the real fruit such activity. A real Rupanuga has no fruitive ambition for such petty results.” (Anubhasya, 2.19.131)

When Mahaprabhu was giving Rupa the outline for his book on sacred rapture, he described the characteristics of the different mellows and showed him how to get a taste of the fathomless ocean of sacred rapture, he pointed out how difficult it was to attain devotional service to Krishna. The jiva or living entity is an atomic spark of conscious energy.

There are countless jivas, who are divided into two categories–those which are mobile and those which are stationary. Those which have mobility are again divided into three: those which move on the land, in the air or in the water. Amongst those who live on the land, a small number are human beings, of which only a minority accept the Vedic principles. Outcastes such as Pulindas, Mlecchas, Savaras and Buddhists are in the majority. Of those who accept the Vedas, some do so in name only and engage in sinful activity. Those who practice the Vedic principles are in the minority. Those who are engaged in religious practices toward some fruitive end form the majority in this group.

Amongst millions of such karma-nistha followers of the Veda, one person may perhaps attain the level of spiritual knowledge; yet only one of many millions of such jnanis will be an actual liberated soul. And out of millions of liberated souls, it will still be difficult to find a devotee of Krishna. Devotion to Krishna which is thus so rare can take birth when a certain merit is attained through great good fortune. The seed to the devotional creeper comes through the mercy of the Lord and his devotee. The creeper of spontaneous ecstatic devotion does not flower anywhere within this world, not even in Vaikuntha in the spiritual world, but only in Vrndavan at Krishna’s lotus feet. Krishna’s feet are like the wish-fulfilling tree around which the vine of devotion wraps itself and bears fruit. This is described in a most clear and wonderful manner by Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami in Chaitanya Charitamrita:

After wandering through this entire universe, birth after birth, some fortunate souls receive the seed of devotion (bhakti-lata-bija) by the mercy of Krishna and the guru. Upon receiving the seed of devotional service, one should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing it in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of sravana and kirtan [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout. As one waters the bhakti-lata-bija, the seed sprouts, and the creeper gradually increases to the point where it penetrates the walls of this universe and goes beyond the Viraja River between the spiritual world and the material world. It passes through the Brahma-loka, the Brahman effulgence until it finally reaches the spiritual sky and the spiritual planet Goloka Vrindavan where it takes shelter of the desire tree of the lotus feet of Krishna. There the creeper expands greatly and produces the fruit of love for Krishna, while the gardener continues to regularly sprinkle the creeper with the water of hearing and chanting here in the material world.

An offense to the Vaishnavas is like a mad elephant that uproots or breaks the creeper, causing its leaves to dry up.

The gardener must therefore take care to protect the creeper by making a fence around it so that the elephant of offenses may not enter. Even so, unwanted creepers, such as the weeds of desire for material enjoyment or release from the world, may grow along with the creeper of devotional service. Such weeds are countless in their variety. Some examples are forbidden activity, faultfinding and duplicity, causing suffering to other creatures, seeking wealth, adulation or mundane importance. All these weeds grow alongside the main creeper as one waters it, causing its growth to be curtailed.

As soon the devotee sees one of these weeds growing beside the original creeper, he must cut it down instantly. Then the real bhakti-lata can grow nicely all the way to Vrindavan where it will find shelter under the lotus feet of Krishna. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.19.151-61)

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur has commented on this passage in his Anubhasya: “Through the act of watering the creeper of devotional service by hearing and chanting, weeds may also grow which results in the growth of the bhakti-lata being stifled. If one does not avoid bad association, which is the only way to be free of offenses while hearing and chanting, then one becomes attached to sense gratification, the idea of liberation from material bondage, various mystic achievements, or the practice of deception. One may also become addicted to the illicit association of women or practice other false manifestations of devotion practiced by the prakrta-sahajiyas or a dweller of the five places given by Pariksit to Kali, namely wherever there is gambling, intoxication, prostitution, animal slaughter and the accumulation of gold.

He starts to take the Vaishnavas to be members of a particular race or caste, he finds dishonest ways of collecting money, or makes a show of practicing spiritual life in seclusion while secretly harboring desires for fame and adulation. Or one’s desire for mundane reputation may result in his making compromises with nondevotees, compromising one’s philosophy or spiritual life, or becoming a supporter of the hereditary caste system by professing discipleship to a so-called guru who opposes Vishnu and the Vaishnavas. The sum and substance of these aberrant paths is that one becomes intoxicated in the gratification of one’s own senses and, in order to attain these superficial and destructible ends, in short, anything besides pure devotion, one presents oneself as a great saintly person or as a religious person in order to accumulate followers. None of these things is useful in attaining pure devotional service to Krishna.

“If one uproots the various weeds as soon as one sees them beginning to sprout, then the creeper of devotional service will be able to grow as far as Goloka Vrindavan where it will give forth transcendental fruits. If not, one will end up being cut off from the devotional life and, remaining in the material world, whether in the higher or lower planets, will have to suffer its vagaries.” (Anubhasya, 2.19.160-1)

There are twelve devotional sentiments. The five primary sentiments are those of peacefulness, servitude, friendship, parenthood, and erotic love. The seven secondary sentiments are humor, astonishment, heroism, compassion, anger, disgust and fear.

The five primary sentiments remain permanently within the devotee’s heart, while the secondary sentiments are adventitious, appearing only when there is cause. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.19.188)

The secondary rasas act as supporting elements for the primary sentiments, coming and going when propitious circumstances arise.

After serving their function, they again disappear, whereas the primary sentiments are permanently ensconced in the devotee’s heart.

In his teachings to Rupa Goswami, Mahaprabhu established that of the five primary rasas, the divine sentiment of conjugal love is foremost. The characteristics of santa-rasa abandonment of other desires and steady attachment to Krishna. Over and above these characteristics, the possessor of the serving mood has his service, the friend has an intimacy, while the parent has a sense of being the protector. The devotee in madhura-rasa has all these qualities with the addition of serving with her own body. Just as all the qualities of the other elements starting with the ether are added together to be united in earth, so are all the qualities of the other devotional moods united in the mood of erotic love. Since all the sentiments are present in madhura-rasa, it is the best.

Rupa Goswami’s samadhi temple can be found in the courtyard of the Radha Damodar temple in Vrindavan. This is also where he performed his bhajana at the end of his life. Other places consecrated to Rupa’s memory in the Vraja area include his place of worship near Nandagrama, called Terikadamba. In this place, Radha came in disguise to give Rupa milk, rice and sugar so that he could cook a sweet-rice preparation for Sanata n Goswami. When Sanatan tasted the sweet rice, he felt divine ecstasies invade his body. Upon learning how he had received the ingredients, however, Sanatan forbad Rupa to ever cook sweet rice again, so that Radharani would not have to go to any trouble on his behalf.

Rupa Goswami’s pastimes in this world came to an end in the month of Bhadra, on the twelfth day of the waxing moon, the day after Jhulana Ekadasi.

—-excerpt from the book “Sri Chaitanya: His Life and Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj.

“Gauridasa Pandit, the emblem of the most elevated devotional service in
love of Godhead, had the greatest potency to receive and deliver such love.
Making Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda the Lords of his life, Gauridasa
Pandit sacrificed everything for the service of Lord Nityananda.”
(Caitanya-caritamrta)

Before taking sannyasa, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda visited Gauridasa
Pandit in Ambika Kalna. Fearing their impending separation, Gauridasa cried
and begged the Lord to stay longer. Mahaprabhu made life-like neem wood
Deities of Gaura Nitai to console his loving servant. “Gauridasa, My murti
form is as good as I am,” said Lord Gauranga, “We will forever remain in
your home to accept your service.”

Gauridasa Pandit worshiped Gaura Nitai in many intimate ways–talking
sweetly to Them, cooking a variety of tasty foods, discussing sastra with
Them, attending to Their every need throughout the day. Even when old and
feeble, Gauridasa ceaselessly served his worshipable Lords Sri-Sri
Gaura-Nitai.

Although poor, he desired to decorate Gaura-Nitai with costly beautiful
ornaments. Knowing his mind, Gaura-Nityananda lavishly adorned Themselves.
Beholding Their exquisite beauty Gauridasa became astonished. “Where did
They get these ornaments?” he thought. Sri-Sri Gaura-Nitai would often enact
such transcendental pastimes in the home of Their pure devotee, Sri
Gauridasa Pandit.

One time, Caitanya Dasa, Gauridasa’s foremost disciple, organized a huge
sankirtana festival on the bank of the Ganges. Enraptured by the kirtana,
Gauridasa’s Deities jumped off the altar and joined the devotees in chanting
and dancing. Discovering the Deities missing from the temple, Gauridasa
grabbed a stick and ran to catch Gaura-Nitai. Seeing his angry mood,
Gaura-Nitai vanished. At that moment, Gauridasa watched in amazement to see
Gaura-Nitai enter the heart (hrdaya) of Caitanya Dasa. Gauridasa embraced
his beloved disciple, bathed him with tears, and said, “You are most
fortunate. From today your name will be Hrdaya Caitanya, one who holds Sri
Caitanya within his heart.”

Since then Gaura-Nitai’s darsana at Gauridasa Pandit’s temple is offered in
many brief intervals like Banke-bihariji in Vrndavana. To keep Gaura-Nitai
from jumping off the altar, the pujaris open and quickly close the curtain
throughout the darsana time.

While doing bhajana in Dhira Samira Kunja in Vrndavana, Gauridasa Pandit
entered the eternal go carana lila (cowherding pastimes) of
Krishna-Balarama. In Vraja he is Subala, a dvadasa gopala. His samadhi is
within the Shyama-Raya temple compound in Dhira Samira, Vrndavana. (20,47)

Gauridasa, a disciple of Nityananda Prabhu, was one of the twelve
gopalas of Krsna in Vrindavana. He was Subala sakha in his past incarnation
(Gauraganoddesadipika 128). His Sripata is at Amvikanagara near the
district of Kalna. Before setting up his Sripata, he lived at Saligrama
near the Mudagacha railway station in the Nadia district. (Bhaktiratnakara
7.330-331)

According to our lineage (Parampara), the Brahma Sampradaya, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna is our ultimate ‘Guru’. We know that Sri Krishna explained the synopsis of Bhagavatam, the ‘Chatuh-Shloki’, the main four Sanaskrit texts of Srimad Bhagvatam to ‘Brahma’; then Brahma explained the same messages to ‘Narada’, a great sage in our lineage. Once, regarding Narada,  Sri Krishna explained in ‘Bhagvata Gita Upanishad’ that amongst the sages, He is ‘Narada’; then ‘Narada’, explained the same messages to Vyasa Deva, then Vyasa Deva expanded the Chatuh Shloki with eighteen thousands Shlokas, twelve cantos and three hundred forty five chapters.  In this manner, the teachings of Srimad Bhagvatam come down to us from ‘Sri Krishna’. Therefore, we can say that our ultimate Guru is Sri Krishna, and that presently, all qualified initiating Spiritual Masters are the representatives of Sri Krishna.

The real Spiritual Masters (Acharyas) teach us to serve Sri Krishna by example. We know that in Vrindavan, Srimati Radharani serves Sri Krishna by example. In this context, we can say that Spiritual Masters are actually the representatives of Srimati Radharani. We know from scripture that Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani are non-different from each other. Sri Krishna is the object of pleasure and Srimati Radharani is pleasure potency of Sri Krishna. Through this explanation, we can come to the conclusion that Srimati Radharani and our real Spiritual Master (Guru) both show us how to serve Sri Krishna by example, only for Sri Krishna’s pleasure. With this knowledge, we can then say that present real initiating Gurus are the representatives of Srimati Radharani, not Sri Krishna.

From the above explanation, we come to understand that in order to serve Sri Krishna, the role of initiating Guru and Srimati Radharani are both non-different. Also, Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani are both non-different. In regards to Sri Guru, Sri Radha and Sri Krishna, these three personifications are non-different amongst each other.  Therefore Srila Vishwanath Chakravati Thakur, a ‘Rasika Acharya’ (teacher of Divine sweet mellow) composed a line in one of his sanskrit texts, “ Sakshada Dharitena Samasta Shastrai”. The inner meaning of this line is – as per the message of all scriptures; Guru is non-different from Lord Hari (another name of Sri Krishna).

In order to teach us the importance of serving ‘Guru’; the ultimate Guru, Sri Krishna manifested a pastime, while He was in the Gurukula (home of His Gurudeva) to study different subjects.  Once the Guru of Sri Krishna, Sandipanimuni, sent Sri Krishna and Sudama both into the deep forest to collect fire wood. Sudama was one of the students in the Gurukula and he was friend of Sri Krishna. While Sri Krishna and Sudama were collecting wood in the forest suddenly a huge storm with  rain, lightening and thunder came upon them and these natural calamities did not allow them to return to the Gurukula. They were stuck in the forest for an entire day and night.  In order to protect the dry fire wood from rainwater, Sri Krishna kept the bundle of wood on his head under the protection of a big tree. The Guru, Sandiponi Muni became worried and went to search for them. Saniponi Muni was astonished to see Sri Krishna’s faith in performing His service. Sri Krishna’s whole night was spent keeping the bundle of dry wood on His head.

We may think, it is not important to render service in this modern Age; but the motive of our service is the most important to please the object of our service. The dry fire wood was needed to make a fire. If the bundle of dry wood were to become wet from rainwater, then it would be impossible to make a fire to cook with.  Therefore, in order to keep the wood dry, Sri Krishna did not make any excuses because of the natural calamities of storm and rain. Here, Sri Krishna shows us the example of sincerity to maintain the words of Guru to  “bring back the dry wood”. If we are able to follow this example of Krishna’s sincerity with our own present service, which we are getting from Guru’s instructions, then most definitely our Guru will be happy; and by extension we can be the cause of Krishna’s happiness as well.

In the above context, we have seen the sincerity of the ultimate Guru, Sri Krishna, in pleasing His Guru. Now we will see the sincerity of Srimati Radharani in pleasing Krishna. Actually, Radharani is the real Acharya of our lineage. Acharya means one who is teaching us how to serve Krishna by example. Here Radharani is serving Sri Krishna with the proper example of tolerance. Abhimanyu’s mother-in-law, Jatila Devi and sister-in-law, Kutala Devi (the Mother and Sister of Srimati Radharani) took a vow to dismantle Radharani’s chastity in the name Sri Krishna’s association. Although they tried to do this in a rough manner, nevertheless, Radharani never thought to leave Krishna’s association. In Vrindavan, Sri Krishna stays with Srimati Radharani eternally.

Here, I am trying to communicate a passtime in order to make you understand how Sri Krishna stays with Srimati Radharani eternally, as follows:

Once, Krishna was in a state of acute separation from Srimati Radharani, and he went to Javata in the guise of a mendicant, to the house of Jatila, in order to meet with Radharani. Usually Radharani, playing the role of a faithful wife, would never meet with any other man except her husband. Nonetheless, Jatila was not going to offend a mendicant guest, therefore she ordered to Srimati Radharani to go and offer some vegetables, fruit and grains to Him. Srimati Radharani with her face dutifully covered by a veil, went out and offered articles to the disguised mendicant form of Krishna. But a smile came to Her face when the mendicant declared that he was not interested in the food, but wanted her reciprocation. She quickly uncovered her veil and emptied the entire contents of the tray on the head of Sri Krishna. Krishna walked away, satisfied that he had seen his Srimati Radhika.

One more pastime which we have seen and relished is as follows.

In order to make Jatila feel comfortable, and free to send Radharani over to Nanda Bhavan, the palace of Nanda Maharaj, mother Yasoda was packed a lot of ornaments, fragrant creams, perfumes and precious stones in a box to send to Srimati Radharani. However, Krishna noticed her actions and quizzed her about it, and she remarked that when Abhimanyu came around, it was to be handed to him as a gift for Srimati Radharani. Soon after, Krishna and His friend Subal opened the box whilst His mother was immersed in her household chores, and removed all the costly perfumes and precious stones.  Krishna crept into the box and Subal carefully closed the box. When Abhimanyu came, he was delighted to know that many precious stones had been gifted and he joyfully carried the box to Srimati Radharani. Later, when the Gopis opened the box, all of them became overwhelmed with surprised laughter when Sri Krishna emerged from the box, thus adding to Their bliss of Divine association.

It was not easy for Radharani to assist Sri Krishna in the eyes of Vedic society, but she showed us lots of tolerance in her rendering of service to Sri Krishna. Here, in the material world, we have no opportunity to serve Sri Krishna directly; but Radharani’s representative, in the form of ‘Guru’ (Spiritual Master) is with us to advise us as to how we can render service to Sri Krishna. Nowadays, our tendency is not to face any trouble for serving Guru; but we are ready to accept all types of trouble for continuing to support our sense enjoyment objects. We should keep in mind that anything that is spiritually beneficial for us can be filled with many obstacles.  According to the instruction of ‘Guru’, serving Sri Krishna is the most beneficial for all of us; because Krishna will become very happy to see the mood of our service. Therefore, my humble request is for the reader to establish this service mood and make his or her life spiritually successful.

My spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj showed us such many examples for teaching us to serve ‘Guru’; even when he was physically unfit to render service on to his Gurudeva, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada.

—

My Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj showed us many examples teaching us how to serve ‘Guru’, even when he was physically unfit to render the services of his Gurudeva, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada (Srila Prabhupada). Once Srila Gurudeva’ s hand was shaking due to his advanced age (96-years old). Still, he wanted to continue his services, editing Gaudiya publications, a service he was given after taking initiation from his Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada. Due to his shaking problem, he was unable to understand his own handwriting. Once, I requested him to dictate what to write to me, then to check my writing later; but immediately he said, “This seva to write for Gaudiya publication is given by my Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada. If he  was not telling me to dictate, then how can I give you the dictation! If I am unable to understand my handwriting, then it is better for me to stop my writings.” After such an expression, his eyes were full of tear and out of separation, again he expressed with a soft voice, “ Oh! Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada, now I am unable to do any seva for your mission; what is the use to be here with this useless body; please allow me to leave from here.”

I remember one more incident, it was 1993, and we used to stay at the Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math in Kolkata. Srila Gurudeva was 95-years old; I was his personal servant. At that time Srila Gurudeva was the editor of their monthly magazine publication, ‘Sri Chaitanya Vani’; it was the dateline for publishing of the magazine. In order to publish the magazine on time he was kept himself busy the whole night in order to edit the contents of the entire magazine.  In order to prepare his bed I waited for him; but due to my laziness I slept on the floor in his room, then the sound of a bell for Mangal Arati woke me up, and I saw that he was still busy with the editing. I asked Srila Gurudeva, “when are you going to sleep”; then he replied, “let me finish this small part, it will take a few more minutes”. Then I told him it was time for Mangal Arati. Immediately, Srila Gurudeva said, “Oh! Now I have to chant my rounds; tonight there is no time for sleeping.” After that conversation, he got out his chanting beads and started to chant as usual t in the early morning.

Today I beg all the members of our lineage, please bestow your mercy on me to achieve such sincerity of my beloved Gurudeva’s services; also please bestow the same unto all devotees of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math.

All Glories to Nitai & Gour.

An aspiring servant of Brahma Sampradaya (lineage).

B.B.Bodhayan.

Sri Balabhadra-stava-raja
The King of Prayers to Lord Balarama
>From Chp13, Sri Garga Samhita

Text 1

duryodhana uvaca

stotram sri-baladevasya
pradvipaka maha-mune
vada mam krpaya saksat
sarva-siddhi-pradayakam

Duryodhana said: O Pradvipaka, O great sage, please kindly tell me the prayer of Lord Balarama, which grants all perfection.

Text 2

sri-pradvipaka uvaca

stava-rajam tu ramasya
vedavyasa-krtam subham
sarva-siddhi-pradam rajan
chrnu kaivalyadam nrnam

Sri Pradvipaka Muni said: O king, please hear the regal and beautiful prayer of Lord Balarama, a prayer that brings liberation and all perfection.

Text 3

devadi-deva bhagavan
kama-pala namo ‘stu te
namo ‘nantaya sesaya
saksad-ramaya te namah

O master of the demigods, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O fulfiller of desires, obeisances to You! O Lord Ananta Sesa, obeisances to You! O Lord Balarama, obeisances to You!

Text 4

dhara-dharaya purnaya
sva-dhamne sira-panaye
sahasra-sirase nityam
namah sankarsanaya te

O Lord who maintains the earth, O glorious Lord, O perfect and complete Lord, O Lord who holds a plow in Your hand, O Lord who has a thousand heads, O Lord Sankarsana, eternal obeisances to You!

Text 5

revati-ramana tvam vai
baladevacyutagraja
halayudha pralamba-ghna
pahi mam purusottama

O husband of Revati, O Lord Balarama, O elder brother of Lord Krsna, O Lord who holds a plow-weapon, O killer of Pralambasura, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, please protect me!

Text 6

balaya balabhadraya
talankaya namo namah
nilambaraya gauraya
rauhineyaya te namah

O Lord Balarama, who carries a palm-tree flag, obeisances to You! O son of Rohini, O fair-complexioned Lord dressed in blue garments, obeisances to You!

Text 7

dhenukarir mustikarih
kutarir balvalantakah
rukmy-arih kupakarnarih
kumbhandaris tvam eva hi

You are the enemy of Dhenuka, the enemy of Mustika, the enemy of Kuta, the killer of Balvala, the enemy of Rukmi, the enemy of Kupakarna, and the enemy of Kumbhanda.

Text 8

kalindi-bhedano ‘si tvam
hastinapura-karsakah
dvividarir yadavendro
vraja-mandala-mandanah

You are the Lord who broke the Yamuna and dragged Hastinapura. You are the enemy of Dvivida. You are the king of the Yadavas. You are the ornament of Vraja’s circle.

Text 9

kamsa-bhratr-prahantasi
tirtha-yatra-karah prabhuh
duryodhana-guruh saksat
pahi pahi prabho tv atah

You are the killer of Kamsa’s brothers. You are the supreme master, the Lord who went on pilgrimage, and Duryodhana’s guru. O master, please protect me! Please protect me!

Text 10

jaya jayacyuta-deva parat para
svayam ananta-dig-anta-gata-sruta
sura-munindra-phanindra-caraya te
musaline baline haline namah

O infallible Lord, greater than the greatest, O Lord whose glories are heard in all directions without limit, glory to You! Glory to You! O Lord served by the demigods, the kings of the sages, and the kings of the serpents, O powerful Lord who holds a plow and a club, obeisances to You!

Text 11

yah pathet satatam stavanam narah
sa tu hareh paramam padam avrajet
jagati sarva-balam tv ari-mardanam
bhavati tasya dhanam sva-janam dhanam

A person who regularly recites this prayer attains Lord Hari’s transcendental abode. All the strength in the universe is his. He crushes his enemies. He attains great wealth and a great dynasty.

Varuni Beverage for Lord Balaram

Small amount:

7 litres Milk
6 litres Yogurt
1 litre Cream
5 kg Runny Honey
1 kg White Sugar
1/2 bottle Rose water  (7 Roses brand is very nice from Mumbai – 7oz)

Larger amount:

25 litres Milk
15 litres Yogurt
3 litres Cream
10 kg Runny Honey
3 kg White Sugar
1 bottle Rose Water

Accept the Superior Knowledge of Ishwar

by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja

THE TIMES OF INDIA [WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2003 12:01:47 AM]

The Bhagavad Gita says: Bhagavan uvaca – the Supreme Lord said…, indicating that it is the Supreme Lord Himself who is speaking.

Krishna is referred to as Bhagavan in the Gita. Bhaga means opulence, and van means one who possesses. God or Bhagavan is des-cribed as one who possesses all opulence, knowledge, wealth, power, beauty, fame and renunciation. There are many rich, wise, famous, beautiful or powerful men, but no one man can claim to possess all of these opulences. Only Krishna claims to possess them in totality.

Bhaga also signifies shakti or potency. So Bhagavan is Sarvashaktiman, one who possesses infinite opulence. Ishwar or God means One who has power and wealth. To disbelievers I’d like to ask that when in every worldly sphere of activity we are willing to submit to and get enriched by experts in their respective fields, why not accept and submit to the all-encompassing wisdom of the Almighty?

By our refusal to accept the Almighty, He will lose nothing, says the Ishopanishad. That is, if you subtract Purna from Purna (the whole from the whole) the remainder will be Purna, it will not be zero. Infinite minus Infinite is also Infinite.

I once invited the Nobel prize-winning scientist C V Raman to preside over a function on the occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami at Sri Gaudiya Math, Bagh Bazar, Calcutta . The scientist declined the invitation on the ground that Krishna was fictitious and he had got no intention of wasting valuable time on such functions.

Dr Raman said that if I could reveal Krishna to him, he would go to attend the function, as he did not believe in something that could not be comprehended by observation and experiment. Behind the northern portion of his laboratory was North Calcutta . I asked him: I am unable to see anything beyond this wall. If I say there is nothing outside this wall, will it be correct? Dr Raman said, I can see through my instruments.

When I pointed out that there is a limit to the power of instruments for you can see only as far as your instruments allow you to see, Dr Raman said: I will not give my attention to anything that is not within my sense-experience. Can you show me your God? I said: If your students say to you, they will study your scientific findings only if you make them realised first, then what would you say? Dr Raman said, No, they are to take my process through which I have rea-lised the truth. I said, If this is true for you and your scientific knowledge, can the seers of ancient India not say exactly the same thing? Why not follow their process and see whether you experience God’s existence or not.

The Supreme Lord is Asamor-dha – there is no equal to Him and no more than Him. Nothing, not even a dust particle can be outside the Infinite and Absolute. As there is no equal to Him and no more than Him, without His will nobody can realise Him. He is One, so realisation of Him is also one – to submit to His will. Service means to act according to the will of the served. This is Bhakti or devotion.

Bhakti is the best way to attain God. While the Karmis want non-eternal benefits in this world and in the higher worlds, Jnanis want emancipation, merging into Formless Imperso-nal Brahma. The ultimate goal of Yogis is to attain 18 kinds of Yogasiddhis or Kai-valya (merging into Paramatma). Shuddha Bhakta or Krishna Bhakti is scarce.

(The writer is President Acharya of Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math and President, World Vaishnav Association )

Sri Lalita-Astakam
composed by Srila Rupa Gosvami.

Radha-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharma-bindu
nirmanchanopakarani-krta-deha-laksam
uttunga-sauhrda-visesa-vasat pragalbham
devim gunaih sulalitam lalitam namami

I offer pranama unto Sri Lalita-devi who is charmingly endowed with many beautiful, sweet qualities (sulalita). She has natural expertise in all arts (lalita), thus her seva self-manifests. She wipes away the glittering drops of perspiration which appear upon the lotus feet of Sri Radha and Madhava when They meet; and she is perpetually immersed in the most elevated mellow of sauhrda-rasa, or undivided absorption in fulfilling the heart’s desire of her intimate friend Srimati Radhika.

raka-sudha-kirana-mandala-kanti-dandi
vaktra-sriyam cakita-caru-camuru-netram
radha-prasadhana-vidhana-kala-prasiddham
devim gunaih sulalitam lalitam namami

I offer pranama unto Sri Lalita-devi whose beautiful face mocks the brilliance of the full moon, whose eyes are ever-restless like those of a startled doe, who is famous for her extraordinary expertise in the art of dressing Srimati Radhika, and who is the treasure-house of unlimited feminine qualities.

All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada and Guru-Parampara (disciplic succession).

Please accept the blessing of my beloved Srila Gurudeva, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj and convey the same to all members in your congregation.

Today is eight waxing moon circle day of ‘Bhadra’, the name of a Vedic month we, members of the Gaudiya Vaisnava community should feel fortunate to have this opportunity to observe the appearance day of the pleasure potency of Sri Krishna, Sri Vrishavanu Nandini, Srimati Radha Thakurani (Daughter of Vrishavanu Maharaj). Radharani is our main Acharya; who is teaching us how to please Krishna. She is non-different from Krishna and appeared here with us from the left side of Sri Krishna. We can see from scripture that after long prayers, towards  Kattyayani Devi (Gouri Mata, consort of Lord Shiva) Vrishavanu Maharaj and Kirtida Devi (mother of Radharani) were given Radharani.

Also we know from scripture that Radha appeared with her eyes closed and would not accept any food from any one; even mother Kirtida devi could not feed her breast milk. Therefore, Kirtida devi was lamenting in the name of Kattyayani devi that after our long prayers you gave me the child but my child has become blind and not able to eat anything. How is my child to survive. There is some history behind this, it follows:

In Golden age there was a Brahmin, named Sutapa. Sutapa once started to do meditation with the purpose of getting Lord’s consort as his consort. Naturally,  the Lord was not agreeable with the prayer of Sutapa. But the Supreme Lord’s nature is to bestow affection to all His devotees. Out of the nature of affection the Lord accepted the prayers of the Sutapa. After the incident, the Lord explained His promise to Sutapa to His consort. Although His consort was not feeling happy inside, in order to honor the Lord’s promise, she accepted with two conditions – one was that after her appearance the first food she will take is the Lord’s remnants and another one was that the first vision she would have is of the Lord’s beautiful face. Therefore, Radharani appeared with closed eyes and not eating anything from anyone. Gradually the message came to Gokul, the place of Nanda Maharaj (father of Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna). Nanda Maharaj and Vrishavanu Maharaj were friends. Therefore, out of curiosity to see such a child Nanda Maharaj came with Yasoda Devi and little Krishna at Ravel (a place, where Radharani appeared). While Vrishavanu Maharaj and Kirtida Devi was describing their child’s present condition at the same time Mother Yasoda Devi was holding Krishna in her arms very tightly. But Krishna wanted to fulfill the conditions that Radha wanted . So little Krishna saw a nice garland made of pearls on the neck of His mother, Yosoda Devi.  In order to meet with little Radharani, Krishna ripped the garlands and Yasoda took Krishna out of her arms and started to collect all the pearls on the floor with the help of everyone. At that time, Krishna went to meet with Radharani; as soon as Krishna came He kissed Radharani then immediately Radharani open her eyes. When everyone saw that Kirshna was with the little girl Radharani; they were thinking that Krishna’s naughty nature could create lots of harm for Radharani. In order to protect Radharani, Yasoda ran towards Krishna then she became surprised and started to say, Kirtida! you said your daughter was blind with closed eyes but now I see that your daughter has very nice and attractive eyes. Then everyone came to see the same and all present persons became very happy. After the incident Krishna wanted to fulfill her second condition to give his remnants to Radharani.

Srimati Radharani’s Most Glorious Lotus Feet

Therefore Krishna was showing all of them He is hungry and started to nag mother  Yasoda for giving Him some butter.  Mother Yasoda gave little butter to Krishna and jokingly said that your little sister, Radha not eating since she appeared here on the earth. She is feeling hungry too. Please share the butter with her. Immediately Krishna replied ‘no’ with His body language.   On this issue all the surrounding members started to joke with Krishna. Then Krishna kept a little piece of butter on top of His tongue and said if you want me to share with Radha then please collect the butter from my tongue and give it to her. Then they did so and immediately Radha started to chew the butter and everyone become ecstatically happy.

Radharani once got the blessings from a great sage , Durvasa Rishi that if anyone honors her cooking then the person’s duration of life will increase. Therefore, Yasoda Devi used to call Radharani for cooking in order to feed Krishna. Today, while we cook for the festival at that time we should keep our mood that we are cooking under the guidance of Radharani for Krishna. Krishna likes milk products therefore we should cook sweet rice, Panir dishes etc as much as possible as well as all dishes should be made by ghee (clarified butter) instead of oil.

Sincerely yours in the services of the Supreme Lord and His associates,

BB Bodhayan

The Loud Chanting of the Holy Names

Hari Das Thakur constantly chanted the Holy Name and called to the Lord in a loud voice. At that time, not many people were able to understand the value of this practice. Prior to Gauranga-sundara’s appearance, most people were simply interested in sense gratification and were inimical to devotion for Krishna and the chanting of his holy names. Advaita Acharya and Hari Das Thakur were saddened by this terrible situation. When the non-devotees heard them chanting loudly, they would say, “The Lord sleeps during the four months of the rainy season. If you call him out loud in this way, you will wake him up and that will be a grave offense. There will be famine in the country if you keep on with it. Some Brahmins have taken up this chanting business as a way of worshiping their own bellies, no doubt.” They would criticize Hari Das and Advaita by joking in this way. Even though such criticism pained Hari Das, he never stopped chanting Hare Krishna in a loud voice.

One day, a Brahmin from a village named Harinadi (in Jessore district) started a debate with Hari Das on this subject. He argued that the names of the Lord should be meditated upon and that there was no reason to chant them aloud. He wanted to know in which scripture it was stated that one should chant aloud. In answer to these questions, Hari Das Thakur gave a detailed account of the glories of the Holy Name. He said that loud chanting of the Holy Names was a hundred times more powerful than japa. Through the loud chanting of the Names, even the birds, animals and other creatures are also saved.

Animals, birds, insects and other creatures are unable to speak, but if they just hear the Holy Name, they can all cross over. If you chant the Holy Names silently, then you yourself will be saved, but if you chant aloud, then you will benefit others. Therefore, all the scriptures state that by the loud chanting of the Name, a hundred times greater result can be obtained.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.16.280-2)

japato harinamani sthane shata-gunadhikah
atmanam ca punaty uccair japan shrotnn punati ca
(Naradiya Purana)

Someone who chants the Holy Names aloud is a hundred times better than one who performs japa, because the one who chanting japa simply benefits himself, while the person who chants japa aloud not only does good for himself, but for all those who hear him as well.

Who is better, the person who earns money and spends it all on himself, or the one who uses his money to support a thousand others? Through japa, one takes care of his own spiritual life, while through ucca-sankirtan, all living beings are benefited. This is the reason for its being considered superior.

Even though he heard Hari Das quote scripture in support of his idea, the Brahmin from Harinadi village was unconvinced. Indeed, he became angry and began to verbally abuse Hari Das by bringing up his low birth. He said, “If everything that you say about the Holy Name is not found in scripture, then I will publicly cut off your nose and ear as a punishment.” As a result of this offensive behavior, the Brahmin contracted smallpox not long afterward and his own nose and ear fell off.

Hari Das Comes to Nabadwip

After this, Hari Das Thakur then went to live in Nabadwip out of a desire to be with pure devotees like Advaita Acharya. There he was a participant in the Lord’s sankirtan pastimes in the houses of Srivasa Pandit and Chandrasekhara Acharya. Mahaprabhu sent Hari Das and Nityananda Prabhu to go from door to door to beg people to chant the names of Krishna, to worship him and to study the Vaishnava scriptures.

One day, the Lord suddenly had an idea and he called Nityananda and Hari Das to tell them: “Listen, listen, Nityananda. Listen, Hari Das. I wish you to go and communicate my order to everyone. Go to every house and beg people to chant the names of Krishna, worship Krishna, study about Krishna. Other than this, say nothing and make others say nothing. At the end of the day, come here and tell me the results of your preaching. You will beg people in this way, and I will come and destroy those who do not comply with my discus in my hand.”
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.13.7-11)

Nityananda Prabhu and Hari Das Thakur followed the Lord’s order and began preaching everywhere in Nabadwip. One day they went up to two feared drunken bandits named Jagai and Madhai, and asked them to chant the Holy Name as the Lord had instructed them. Seeing their fallen condition, Nityananda became merciful toward them, but Jagai and Madhai were in such a state of intoxication that they simply became angry when they heard his appeal, and came forward to beat him and Hari Das up. Nityananda started to run away, but Hari Das being already quite advanced in age (58) was unable to keep up with him. Nevertheless, he somehow managed to escape with his life. Hari Das told Advaita Acharya about the day’s events, saying that he would not go out preaching with Nityananda any more, since his behavior was rash and unpredictable. The all-powerful Lord Nityananda’s running away is certainly a mysterious pastime, but it is to be remembered that he later went out on his own and managed to deliver the two rascals, Jagai and Madhai.

Hari Das Thakur also engaged in water sports with the Lord in Nabadwip. One day, overcome by a mood of love, the Lord tried to drown himself in the Ganges, and Hari Das and Nityananda jumped in to save him. They hid Mahaprabhu in the house of Nandana Acharya because of his wish for seclusion. When Advaita Acharya and the other devotees were feeling the distress of separation, they went and brought Srivasa there and reunited the devotees with the Lord.

When Mahaprabhu put on a play about Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes in the house of Chandrasekhara Acharya, Hari Das played the part of the town constable. He came onto the scene, dressed as a policeman, carrying a stick in his hand. The other actors in the play were Mahaprabhu as Adya shakti, Nityananda as an old cowherd woman, Advaita as the clown, Gadadhara Pandit as a cowherd girl, and Srivasa Pandit as Narada Muni. Hari Das’s duty in the play was to awaken everyone to the service of Krishna. He cried out, “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Srivasa will dance dressed as Narada Muni.” (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.18.100)

When the Lord took his sankirtan party along the banks of the Bhagirathi, Hari Das joined him. Then Hari Das, the ocean of Krishna-rasa, on Mahaprabhu’s order, danced beautifully.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.23.204)

The night before Mahaprabhu left to take sannyas, Hari Das was staying at his house. He and all the other devotees were desolated by the Lord’s intention to take the renounced order. When the Lord went to Puri. Hari Das went there not long afterwards to see the Rathayatra and never left.

Hari Das Thakur in Puri

When in Puri, though Hari Das was not officially banned from going into the Jagannath temple or the house of Kashi Mishra (where Mahaprabhu was staying), out of humility at his lowly birth, never went there. Rupa and Sanatan Goswamis also demonstrated a similar humility, even though they were born in a very high-caste Brahmin family. They considered themselves to be no better than mlecchas because of their long association with the Muslim court. They would stay with Hari Das when in Puri and not go for darshan of Jagannath or Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu himself would go to meet them.

Neither Hari Das, Rupa, nor Sanatan would go to the Jagannath temple. Mahaprabhu would go there to see the Upala-bhoga in the morning. He would then go to the place where they were staying and would visit them there. It was thus the Lord’s regular practice to meet whichever one of these three was staying in Puri at the time.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.1.63-65)

During Lord Jagannath’s absence from the temple (anavasara-kala), Mahaprabhu would feel separation so intensely that he would go to stay in Alalanath. When he heard the that more than 200 devotees had come from Bengal, he returned to Puri to meet them. When he did not see Hari Das Thakur, he inquired after him. Hari Das was there, but paying his obeisances at the side of the highway. The devotees went to Hari Das and told him that Mahaprabhu wanted to see him. Hari Das said,

”I am a low-born person who has no good qualities. I have no right to go near the temple. If I can find a solitary place to stay in some garden somewhere, then I will pass my time there alone. That way there is no danger that the servants of Jagannath will accidentally touch me. This is my wish.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.11.165-7)

The devotees came back to Mahaprabhu to report what Hari Das had said, and his wish pleased him. He arranged for a house in a solitary garden not far from his own place of worship at Kashi Mishra’s house. Kashi Mishra was happy to have the chance to serve the Lord by making these arrangements according to his order. The Lord went to talk to Hari Das and when he saw him paying his dandavats, lifted him from the ground and embraced him. When Hari Das said, “I am an untouchable. Lord, you should not touch me”, the Lord answered:

”I touch you just to become purified, for your standard of purification is non-existent in me. At every moment you are bathing in the water of every holy place; at every moment you are performing all sacrifices, penances and charity. You constantly are performing the pious activity of studying the Veda. You are more purifying than any Brahmin or sannyasi.”

After saying this, the Lord took him to the flower garden and gave him the solitary room there as a place to stay. “Stay here and chant the Holy Names. I will come every day to visit you here. You can see the discus on the pinnacle of the temple tower from here. When you see it, pay your obeisances to it. I will arrange for Jagannath’s prasad to be brought to you here.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.11.189-95)

This flower garden is now known by the name, Siddha Bakula. Previously it was named Mudra Math. There is a legend connected with the Siddha Bakula tree. The local pandas have a tradition of giving the twig that is used to clean Jagannath’s teeth as prasad to some special person. One day they gave a twig from a bakula tree that had so been used as a gift to Mahaprabhu. The Lord planted this twig in the ground at Hari Das’s place of bhajan. This twig eventually grew into a large tree. It is said that the Lord planted the twig on the first day of the month of Chaitra also known as Mahavishuva Sankranti, i.e. the day when the sun enters into the sign of Aries. For this reason, a festival named the Danta-kashtha-ropana Mahotsava is held on that day ever year to celebrate the occasion.

Srila Hari Das Thakur participated in the kirtan during the Rathayatra festival as the main dancer in one of the seven kirtan sampradayas. He was in the third group, which had Mukunda Datta as its lead singer.

Hari Das’s Teachings on the Holy Name

Mahaprabhu taught the glories of the Holy Name through Hari Das Thakur. One day, the Lord was feeling particularly unhappy about the lot of the conditioned souls. He came to Siddha Bakula and said to the Thakur: “Hari Das, in the age of Kali, the non-Hindus kill the cow and are inimical to the Brahmins. How will these Muslims ever be saved?” Hari Das answered, “Don’t be distressed at seeing the pitiable condition of the Muslims. They will be liberated by the namabhasa, the shadow of the Holy Name, whenever they say haram. In the Nrisingha-purana it is said, ^[1]

damshtri-dantahato mleccho harameti punah punah
uktvapi muktim apnoti kim punah shraddhaya grinan

When wounded by the tusks of a boar, the Muslim cries out “Harama, Harama!” again and again. If he attains liberation by so doing, then just think what will be the result if one chants the name of Rama with faith.

Bhaktivinoda Thakur says that if any Muslim dies while saying this word, he is immediately liberated. This is namabhasa or nama-sanketa because the speaker makes the correct sound but does not intend the Lord Rama. Therefore, it is impossible to say just what fruits await the sincere and faithful chanter. The example is given of Ajamila who called the name of his son Narayan as he was dying, and through this namabhasa he attained liberation.

When he heard this explanation, Mahaprabhu was very pleased, but again he asked Hari Das, “How will the dumb animals and the trees, etc., be delivered?” Hari Das answered:

”You yourself have instituted the loud chanting of the Holy Names which both the moving and non-moving creatures can hear. The mobile creatures are freed from their bondage to repeated birth and death by hearing the names. As for the immobile, they perform kirtan themselves by echoing the sounds. By your indescribable mercy, the entire universe is engaged in kirtan and the mobile and immobile beings dance when they hear it… You preached the loud chanting of the Holy Names by which the repeated births and deaths of all living beings come to an end.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.3.68-71, 75)

The Disappearance of Hari Das Thakur

Rupa and Sanatan Goswami first met Hari Das when he accompanied Mahaprabhu on his aborted first trip to Vrindavan, when he visited Ramakeli. They thus knew each others’ virtues quite well. One day in Puri, Hari Das recited the glories of Sanatan Goswami, then Sanatan returned the favor by praising him as follows:

”Who else is there who is your equal? You are the most fortunate amongst Mahaprabhu’s entourage. The purpose of the Lord’s incarnation is the preaching of the Holy Name; this personal work of the Lord was done through you. Every single day you chant three lakhs of Holy Names and you glorify the Holy Name to everyone you meet. Some people act properly but do not deliver the message of Krishna consciousness, while others preach but do not meet the behavioral standards. You, sir, both demonstrate ideal behavior as well as preaching. You are the guru of all and the perfect human being in this universe.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.4.99-103)

In the eleventh chapter of the Chaitanya Charitamrita’s Antya-lila, Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami describes the disappearance of Hari Das Thakur in a most captivating way. It should be read in its entirety on the occasion of Hari Das’s disappearance day. A brief summary is given here:

namami hari dasam tam caitanyam tam ca tat-prabhum
samsthitam api yan-murtim skandhe kritva nanarta yah

I offer my obeisances to Hari Das as well as to his worshipable lord, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who placed his body on his shoulders and danced.

As Hari Das Thakur grew old, it became more and more difficult for him to maintain his vow of chanting three lakhs of names every day. Thus, he had no appetite when Govinda would come with Jagannath’s prasad and only to avoid disrespecting the holy food would he eat a single grain of rice. Out of his affection for Hari Das, Mahaprabhu told him that he was a perfected being and that there was no need for him to show such attachment for devotional service in practice; he could thus reduce the number of Holy Names that he chanted every day. Hari Das then revealed what was really bothering him.

He knew that Mahaprabhu would soon be ending his pastimes in this world and he wished to leave before him. The affectionate Lord granted him his wish, even though he felt desolate at the prospect of losing his company.

Hari Das Thakur sat in front of Mahaprabhu who was standing in front of him. Then, as the tears flowed from his eyes, he gazed at the Lord’s lotus face and took his lotus feet on his chest and, while chanting the names “Krishna Chaitanya”, voluntarily left his body like Bhishma.

The devotees became intoxicated by the kirtan which grew louder and louder, and the Lord lifted Hari Das’s body and started to dance around the courtyard. In the accompaniment of the loud singing of the Holy Names, he and the devotees took Hari Das’s remains to the beach. There they washed the body in the sea and then dug a hole in the sand where they placed it. Mahaprabhu was the first to throw sand into the samadhi. This is how the samadhi ritual of Hari Das Thakur was performed. By virtue of his presence, the seashore became a great place of pilgrimage.

Mahaprabhu circumambulated the burial place and then went personally to the Jagannath temple to beg for prasad for a feast in honor of Hari Das. Svarupa Damodar Goswami would not let Mahaprabhu carry the prasad himself, but took care of making all the arrangements himself. At the feast, all the devotees were given enough food to eat to their fill. In a mood of absorption in divine love, Mahaprabhu said to all the devotees:

”All those who witnessed the disappearance festival of Hari Das Thakur, who danced or sang the Holy Names there, who came to throw sand on his samadhi or took maha prasad on this occasion, will quickly attain Krishna. This is the fruit of seeing a great personality like Hari Das Thakur. The Supreme Lord was so merciful that he gave me his association, and now the independent Lord has wished to deprive me of it. When Hari Das decided that he wanted to leave, there was nothing I could do to keep him back. He left his body at the very moment that he desired to do so, just as we have heard that Bhishma did. Hari Das was the exemplar of humanity in this world, and now that he is gone, the world has lost a jewel. All glories to Hari Das Thakur! Chant the Lord’s names!” And having finished his eulogy, the Lord began once again to dance.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.11.91-98)

Hari Das Thakur’s tirodhana-lila took place on the fourteenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Bhadra.

—-Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj