20200428 The Result of Hearing The Prayers of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Mahāprabhu's Boon (Part 1)

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

So today we are going to continue reading the prayers of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. And what the result of hearing those prayers is. So, just before we start reading, I want to remind everyone to be careful because we are in the pandemic time. So, you have to take precaution not to get infected. Observing social distancing, washing your hands. Why they say to wash the hands? Because the virus may stay alive on a hard surface for up to three days. And when you touch it, you may get it! If you wash your hand, then you are free! So, even people may sit on the floor and touch the floor and there may be a positive virus and that stays on the floor for three days. If you don’t know, you may also get it. So, that is why we have to be very careful. And I was reading in the Bible, the Old Testament, there was a pandemic like this. And the Lord to said to all His devotees, stay inside! This will kill the people outside. I don’t find any particular reference in the Vedas but there may be. The Vedas are much more voluminous. But anyway, be very careful, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and use this opportunity to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And also outreach, encourage people to chant the holy names. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

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Chapter entitled as The Result of Hearing the Prayers of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Mahāprabhu’s Boon

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.84

haridāsake vara grahaṇa karite prabhura ādeśa—

prabhu bale,—“bala bala—sakala tomāra
tomāre adeya kichu nāhika āmāra”

Translation: The Lord said, “Speak, speak. Everything is yours. There is nothing that I will not give you.”

When Haridāsa humbly expressed his ineligibility and the Lord desired to give him a benediction, he prayed for only one benediction. In answer to this, the Lord ordered him to disclose his heart's desire. The Lord further said, “There is nothing that I will hold back and not give you. Whatever I have is yours.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “speak, speak! Everything is yours! There is nothing that I will not give you!” So Haridāsa Ṭhākura had expressed his inability since he said, he could not remember the Lord. But he wanted one benediction. The Lord is saying, “speak, speak! Whatever you want, I will give you! Nothing I have that is not yours already!” So, Lord Gaurāṅga was asking Haridāsa Ṭhākura to disclose his heart’s desire.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.85

haridāsera brahmādi-ārādhya vaiṣṇavocchiṣṭa prārthanā evaṃ nijake tādṛśa durlabha vastuprāptira ‘ayogya vicāre aparādhī-jñāna—

kara-yoḍa kari' bale prabhu haridāsa
“muñi alpa-bhāgya prabhu karoṅ baḍa āśa

Translation: Haridāsa folded his hands and said, “Although I am less fortunate, I have a great desire.

Jayapatākā Swami: Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he folded his hands and said, “I am less fortunate my Lord, but I have a great desire.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.86

tomāra caraṇa bhaje ye-sakala dāsa
tā'ra avaśeṣa yena haya mora grāsa

Translation: “May the remnants of the servants who worship Your lotus feet be my foodstuffs.

Haridāsa said, “My only prayer is that I may sustain my life by eating the remnants of Śrī Caitanya's exalted devotees.”

the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 16.60)

it is stated:

bhakta-pada-dhūli āra bhakta-pada-jala
bhakta-bhukta-avaśeṣa—tina mahā-bala

“The dust of the feet of a devotee, the water that has washed the feet of a devotee, and the remnants of food left by a devotee are three very powerful substances.”

Jayapatākā Swami: “Those who worship Your lotus feet, all those servants of Yours, that their remnants of the foodstuffs may be my foodstuff.”

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 16.60)

it is stated:

bhakta-pada-dhūli āra bhakta-pada-jala
bhakta-bhukta-avaśeṣa—tina mahā-bala

“The dust of the feet of a devotee, the water that has washed the feet of a devotee, and the remnants of food left by a devotee are three very powerful substances.”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.87

sei se bhajana mora hau janma janma
sei avaśeṣa mora—kriyā-kula-dharma

Translation: “Let this be my devotional service birth after birth. Let honoring these remnants be my only occupation and religious duty.

“I do not want liberation; rather let me be the servant of the Vaiṣṇavas birth after birth, and may eating the Vaiṣṇavas' remnants be prominent amongst my duties. May I reside in the society of Vaiṣṇavas, engage in activities befitting a Vaiṣṇava, and accept the remnants of the Vaiṣṇavas birth after birth. May my mind be never deviated by the desires of those who believe that the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies are their prescribed duties and who glorify the formal Vedic injunctions. Such desires are born of mundane false ego and are insignificant. The most important activity is to eat the remnants of the Vaiṣṇavas.”

Living entities bewildered by false ego become controlled by material desires due to their poor fund of knowledge, but by the mercy of Lord Caitanya no such temporary desires manifested in the heart of Ṭhākura Haridāsa. He was decorated with an abundance of humility as approved by the teachings of Śrī Caitanyadeva. He became a reservoir of auspiciousness by being more humble than a blade of grass and gave up violent propensities by being more tolerant than a tree. He offered respect to everyone, but did not expect any respect for himself. In this way he followed in the footsteps of the Vaiṣṇavas by constantly chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: “May this be my devotional service birth after birth. Let honoring the remnants of the devotees, be my only occupation and religious duty”. So, he is saying that he didn’t want liberation. But he wants to eat the remnants of Vaiṣṇava foodstuff, birth after birth. And he wanted eating of these foodstuff, this prasādam remnants of the Vaiṣṇavas, be his prominent occupation or duty. So, he wanted to reside in a society of Vaiṣṇavas, engage in activities befitting a Vaiṣṇava, and accept the remnants of foodstuffs of the Vaiṣṇavas, birth after birth. He also prayed that may his mind never deviate from this.  He doesn’t want to follow the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, or Vedic formal injunctions. He described that such desires are born of false ego and are insignificant. The most important service is to eat the prasādam remnants of the Vaiṣṇavas. Haribol! So Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he didn’t aspire for any temporary things, due to mundane false ego. But by Lord Caitanya’s mercy, he desired the eternal service of the Lord and His devotees. So, the humility of his prayers are like ornaments. So, his humility is approved by Lord Caitanya. In the third verse of the Śikṣāṣṭakam, we should be more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant that the tree, he showed this quality. He offered respect to everyone, he did not expect any respect for himself. He was constantly chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa, and thus he followed the footsteps of the Vaiṣṇavas.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.88

tomāra smaraṇa-hīna pāpa-janma mora
saphala karaha dāsocchiṣṭa diyā tora

Translation: “My life is sinful because I am devoid of remembrance of You. Please make my life successful by allowing me to eat the remnants of Your servants.

“Please make my life successful with the remnants of the Vaiṣṇavas, for my life is sinful and devoid of remembrance of the Lord.” One who is qualified to be counted among the servants of the Lord is the topmost crest jewel among the brāhmaṇas, who are masters of ordinary people.

Jayapatākā Swami: My life is sinful, because I am devoid of any remembrance of You. Make my life successful by giving me the remnants of Your servants. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, because he was the topmost amongst the servants of the Lord, he is considered the topmost crest jewel among the brāhmaṇas, who are considered best of the ordinary people. So, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was born in a non-Hindu family, but he had all the special qualifications of a pure devotee. Actually, according to Lord Caitanya, he was the best of the brāhmaṇas.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.89

ei mora aparādha hena citte laya
mahāpada cāhoṅ, ye mohāra yogya naya

Translation: “I think this is an offense on my part, for I have no qualification to ask for such an exalted position.

“I am greatly proud, therefore I am praying to You to achieve the unique wealth of becoming humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others. I have no qualification to achieve such a state. The position of being able to eat the remnants of the Vaiṣṇavas is something that is cherished by personalities like Lord Brahmā. Since I prayed for such a position, I feel like I have committed an offense.”

Jayapatākā Swami: “I think this is an offence on my part! I don’t have any qualification, to ask for such an exalted position.” He is describing the things he is being very proud, to take the remnants of prasādam of the servants of Lord Caitanya. (Guru Mahārāja was in tears for a few moments!) So, he is praying, Haridāsa Ṭhākura is praying, that he feels that he has no qualification, to accept such an exalted position as to take the remnants of Vaiṣṇavas. And even personalities like Lord Brahmā are aspiring for that! Since he prays for such a position, he feels like he had committed an offence.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.90

prabhure, nāthare mora bāpa viśvambhara
mṛta muñi, mora aparādha kṣamā kara

Translation: “O my Lord, O master, O my father dear Viśvambhara. I am like a dead person. Please forgive my offense.

“O father, O Lord, O protector, O creator of the universe. I am a dead man, though I am breathing. In other words, I have no intelligence, therefore please forgive my offense.”

Jayapatākā Swami: O my Lord, O my Master, O my Father, Viśvambhara, I am like a living dead! Please forgive me for my offense! So, he is praying, how he has no intelligence, so please forgive him for his offence.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.91

vaiṣṇavera gṛhe kukura-rūpe avasthāne vaiṣṇavavācchiṣṭa-prāptira sulabhatā-hetu haridāsera tādṛśa prārthanā—

śacīra nandana, bāpa, kṛpā kara more
kukkura kariyā more rākha bhakta-ghare”

Translation: “O son of Śacī, O dear Lord, please be merciful to me. Kindly keep me in the house of a devotee as a dog.”

“As a landlord accepts animals like dogs as part of his household, engages them to protect his house, and rewards them with remnants of his food, similarly please put me in the house of a Vaiṣṇava as part of Kṛṣṇa's household.”

Jayapatākā Swami: My dear Śacīnandana, son of Śacī, O dear Lord, my father, please have Your mercy on me, kindly keep me in the house of Your devotee as a dog. As a landlord keeps some dogs to protect his property, and gives some remnants of food to the dog, in this way, he is asking, Haridāsa Ṭhākura is asking, he may be kept in a Vaiṣṇava devotee’s house, as a part of Kṛṣṇa’s household, and then he could get some prasādam remnants from that devotee.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.92

prema-bhakti-maya hailā prabhu haridāsa
punaḥ punaḥ kare kāku,—nā pūraye āśa

Translation: Haridāsa Ṭhākura became filled with love and devotion for the Lord. Although he repeatedly petitioned the Lord with plaintive words, his desires remained unsatiated.

Jayapatākā Swami: Haridāsa Ṭhākura became filled with pure, ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. Although again and again, he pleaded to the Lord very humbly, his desires remained unsatiated.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.93-094

prabhura haridāsa-prīti-jñāpana o aparādhaśūnya bhaktivara dāna—

prabhu bale,—“śuna śuna mora haridāsa
divaseko ye tomāra saṅge kaila vāsa

tilārdheko tumi yāra saṅge kaha kathāse
avaśya āmā pābe, nāhika anyathā

Translation: The Lord said, “Listen, My dear Haridāsa. Anyone who resides with you for even a day or speaks with you for even a moment will certainly achieve Me. There is no doubt about it.

After hearing Haridāsa's humble prayers, Mahāprabhu said, “You are a great personality situated on the topmost platform of this world. If someone lives with you as your servant for a day or if you mercifully converse with anyone for a short time, then that person is guaranteed to attain the lotus feet of the Lord.” Those persons who are favored by Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura certainly obtain the service of Śrī Caitanya. Others who are bereft of Śrī Caitanya's mercy have no qualification for becoming exalted devotees of Śrī Caitanya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Gaurāṅga said, listen, listen, my dear Haridāsa! If someone stays with you for a day or even if they talk with you for a moment, they will certainly achieve Me! Of this there is no doubt! So, Lord Caitanya after hearing Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s humble prayers, He said, you are a great personality, situated on the topmost platform of this world. So, He said, if someone lives with you for a day as your servant, or if you mercifully converse with someone even for a short time, then that person is guaranteed to attain the lotus feet of Lord Gaurāṅga. So, those persons who are favored by Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura, certainly obtain the service of Lord Gaurāṅga. Those who are bereft of Lord Caitanya’s mercy, have no possibility to be devotees of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.95

tomāre ye kare śraddhā, se kare āmāre
nirantara thāki āmi tomāra śarīre

Translation: “One who respects You, respects Me, for I constantly reside within your body.

Since a kaniṣṭha-adhikārī has no ability to discriminate between a devotee and a nondevotee, he faithfully worships the Deity form of the Supreme Lord with various ingredients. When further advanced, one observes a distinction between the Supreme Lord, the devotees, the ignorant, and the envious and thus worships the Supreme Lord by cultivating respectively for these four love, friendship, mercy, and neglect. He then sees the presence of the Supreme Lord within the hearts of the Lord's devotees and offers Him respectful obeisances. By offering obeisances to the Lord, the Supreme Lord, who is worshiped by His devotees, is properly respected. One then receives the opportunity to accept instructions regarding the service of the Lord from the devotees of the Lord. Good fortune does not awaken for the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī due to his narrow vision. By the influence of a Vaiṣṇava's association, a living entity's aversion for the Supreme Lord and the devotees gradually diminishes. The living entity then becomes fully satisfied by serving the uttama-adhikārīs and seeing the presence of the Supreme Lord in their hearts. Since Ṭhākura Haridāsa is situated in the exemplary position of a mahā-bhāgavata, persons who have firm faith in him actually possess unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord. In order to reveal this, the Lord said, “Those who are faithful to Ṭhākura Haridāsa are actually faithful to Me. The Supreme Lord is constantly served within the spiritual body of Haridāsa. The body of a devotee is spiritual. Persons who are proud, offensive, and filled with material knowledge consider that the bodies of the Supreme Lord and His devotees are made of material elements and in this way they propitiate obtainment of the pangs of hell.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Whoever respects you or has faith in you, respects Me, because I constantly reside in your body! So here is the description of the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī. kaniṣṭha cannot recognize a real devotee, so he worships the deity. madhyama-adhikārī sees the Supreme Lord and His devotees, the innocent and the envious. So, he worships the Lord in such a way, that all the three kinds of devotees before have love, friendship, mercy and neglect, and he loves the Supreme Lord, he has friendship with His devotees, he has mercy on the innocent, and he neglects the envious. So, madhyama-adhikārī sees the Lord in the heart of the devotees, and thus he offers respect and obeisances to the devotees. Haridāsa Ṭhākura is situated as a mahā-bhāgavata, he has unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord. In order to reveal this, the Lord said, being faithful to Haridāsa Ṭhākura means you are faithful to Kṛṣṇa. Because the Supreme lord is situated constantly in the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s body is spiritual. Persons who are proud, offensive and filled with material knowledge, and they consider the bodies of the Supreme Lord and His devotees as made of some material elements, and in this way, they achieve the hellish pangs.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.96

tumi-hena sevake āmāra ṭhākurāla
tumi more hṛdaye bāndhilā sarva-kāla

Translation: “My glories are increased by a servant like you. You have eternally bound Me within your heart.

Mahāprabhu said, “I experience the transcendental happiness of Vaikuṇṭha with devotees like Haridāsa.” Ignorant people can understand Śrī Caitanyadeva as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva by the mercy of Haridāsa. Being constantly absorbed in transcendental mellows, Ṭhākura Haridāsa has bound Śrī Caitanyadeva within his heart in order to worship Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: “A servant like you increase My glories! You have tied Me in your heart eternally! Or you can say that in your heart, you have tied Me, bound Me eternally.” Lord Caitanya is saying that He experiences the bliss, the happiness of the spiritual world, with Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So, by the mercy of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, people can understand that Lord Caitanya is actually Kṛṣṇa. Because Haridāsa Ṭhākura is constantly absorbed in transcendental mellows or rasas, because he has constant feelings of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. In this way, he binds Śrī Caitanyadeva in his heart. Therefore, he is a real worshiper of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.97

mora sthāne, mora sarva-vaiṣṇavera sthāne
vinā aparādhe bhakti dila tore dāne”

Translation: “You have not committed any offense to Me or to any Vaiṣṇava, therefore I am awarding you devotional service.”

“Haridāsa, I am awarding you the qualification for executing devotional service. You will never commit any offense to Me or any Vaiṣṇava. May you always remain free from offenses and continue to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness while residing on the platform of unflinching devotional service. May you always follow in the footsteps of Kṛṣṇa's devotees. Since you have not committed any offense to Me or any Vaiṣṇava, I am bestowing on you the propensity for serving Kṛṣṇa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: You have not committed any offence to Me or to any Vaiṣṇava. Therefore, I am giving you devotional service. Lord Caitanya gave the blessing to Haridāsa Ṭhākura that he would never offend Him or the Vaiṣṇavas. He will remain free from offences. And always cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, with his pure love. So, He is blessing Haridāsa Ṭhākura to follow in the footsteps of the great Vaiṣṇavas, Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. Lord Caitanya said that no matter how fallen a person is, He would deliver him. But if someone is offending, or blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava, He would not deliver him. So, because Haridāsa Ṭhākura has not offended anyone, any Vaiṣṇava, or any devotee, not offended Lord Caitanya, therefore He is awarding him with pure, loving devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Haribol!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 10.98

haridāsera varaprāptite bhaktagaṇera jayadhvani—

haridāsa prati vara dilena yakhana
jaya jaya mahā-dhvani uṭhila takhana

Translation: As the Lord awarded this benediction on Haridāsa, a tumultuous sound of “Jaya! Jaya!” arose.

Jayapatākā Swami: When the Lord Gaurāṅga gave this benediction to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the devotees started making tumultuous sound of “Jaya! Jaya! All glories! All glories!” arose.

Haridāsa Ṭhākura begged for the remnants of the prasādam of devotees, in such a humble way. He said that he felt it was very offensive to ask for such an exalted thing. Very special devotee! Proud people in the material world, they think that someone’s remnants is something unclean and despisable. But the remnants of a devotee is very special! In the Caitanya Caritāmṛta it says, dust from the devotee’s foot, the water that bathes the devotee’s foot and the remnants of the devotee prasādam, these three are very powerful. So, we heard how as a small child, Nārada Muni in his previous birth, had taken remnants from great devotees of the Lord. So, then he became Nārada Muni. So, we cannot underestimate the prasādam of the great devotees. Somehow, I got the mercy to have the remnants of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda! Ha! Ha! Maybe that is why I am still here! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

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Alright, so we will end here.

Any questions?

Question: Guru Mahārāja, PAMHO. Often, we make wonderful plants or routine to improve bhakti. But after some days we fail to continue. Why does this happen? And what should we do then? Your spiritual son, Līlesvara Govinda dāsa, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Guru Mahārāja: In the path of bhakti, there are different stages, ādau śraddhā, first stage, then association with devotees, then bhajana-kriyā, when one takes initiation, then the next stage is anarta nivritti, that is sometime one is very strong, or very weak. So, this is one of the anartas. We have to make a commitment that I will do this, and when we are weak, we neglect it. So, this is the anartha-nivṛttiḥ stage. We chant, and meticulously try to get over the stage. Then we reach the stage of niṣṭhā. Which is the steady devotional service. From niṣṭhā we reach the stage of ruci, when one has a taste for devotional service. Then we reach the stage of āsakti and get attached to that taste, and then from that stage you achieve ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. So, it is very important that we continue with our devotional service. And then naturally we can go up step by step. That is why we are supposed to chant 16 rounds a day. But sometimes a person one day misses, maybe chants 12 rounds because of this or that emergency. So, then they should keep track and next day make up and, in this way, he can be steady. But if one you missed, then ok, I missed! Never give up, keep on trying! Make up! In this way, eventually you become fixed.

Last question.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. (Guru Mahārāja: HARE KRSNA!) PAMRO (Guru Mahārāja: ACCEPTED!) If we have no intention to hurt any Vaiṣṇava, but a Vaiṣṇava gets offended due to our behavior, we don’t want to offend, but devotees feel offended because of their own expectations, how can we overcome from such Vaiṣṇava offence when we even don’t know who got offended? Your spiritual daughter, Sadguru Sevānandinī devī dāsī, Delhi.

Guru Mahārāja: Śrīla Prabhupāda would ask a question of his senior Vaiṣṇava. He said if you ask as a question, technically it is not an offense. If you say to someone oh, you are fallen or something. That is offensive. But if you ask a question. Prabhu, why are you doing like this? Is it alright to do? Can I follow your example? So, by asking a question, it is not offensive. Now, I heard that Srīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was laughing in ecstasy when reading his Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Some Vaiṣṇava went by who was a cripple. So, then he thought Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is laughing at me! So then something happened and Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī lost his ecstatic bhāva. So, he asked Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, you must have offended someone. Who did I offend? How can I find out? So, then Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī advised him have a feast, one who does not come he is the one you have offended. He did that and noted that this crippled devotee did not come. He went to that crippled devotee and said that why did you feel offended by me? Then he said, you laughed at me! No, I did not laugh at you. I did not even know you were there! I was reading Bhāgavatam, I was feeling ecstasy and so I laughed! I wasn’t laughing at you! I always respect you. So, then the two made up and then he got his ecstasy back! Ha! I don’t know how you do it! But you can ask a question, don’t accuse anyone. Don’t tell anyone that oh, you are fallen! Mother Saci, she took the dust from Advaita Gosāñi’s lotus feet, and got forgiven. I saw some devotees touching all the shoes outside the temple, taking the dust. Maybe that way they thought, somehow, they could get the dust of the person they offended. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Thank you very much for your help, and your different services during this lockdown period. Hare Kṛṣṇa!