BHAKTA AMBARISHA STORY

             BHAKTA AMBARISHA STORY                

(Origin from of sacred text of  “Ambarishopakhyanam” of Shrimad Bhagavatam in the 9th Skanda which was narrated by Vyasa Mahamuni.)

Durvasha created demon 'Krucha"

Ambarisha’s story is very unique and special in itself. One can say that there has never been an incident either in the past or in the present that is even very close to this incident where one person with the power of his steadfast devotion to the Lord has escaped a curse from any Brahma Rishi. Brahma Rishi is not any ordinary person, he is one who has succeeded over his physical and psychological worldly limitations and attained salvation while alive with his endless meditational power. A word uttered by a Brahma Rishi is truth every bit and is unchangeable. That is why they never much talk at all. When such Brahma Rishi, if at all happens to curse anyone, then, that cursed person, let him be a human, God, an angel or demon cannot ever escape it at all. But this Ambarisha story proves yet again that stead fast devotion to the Lord and by completely surrendering to His Divine feet, one can escape any calamity, even if it be predestined or a curse from even a Brahma-Rishi.

Ambarisha was the son of a great King Nabhaga. Ambarish was a great devotee of Lord Sriman Narayana and though he was a great king possessing of immense Power, wealth and fame, all these did not give him that pleasure which he derived from his constant remembrance of the Lord Sriman Narayana. From his young age Ambarisha was an ardent devotee of Lord Narayana. In all his waking hours and while sleeping, while discharging his duties and at all time he was constantly connected to the Lord mentally. In his immense devotion and pure love to the Lord, he saw Lord Sri Hari in every one and hence always treated all with much respect, love and care. King Ambarisha has complete control over all his senses. In spite of his immense wealth, power he never was rude or arrogant ever in his action, word or deed. He always was engrossed in Lord Sri Hari and no negative thought ever dared to step in to his heart. He tasted Sri Hari while eating, He smelled Sri Hari while breathing, and He heard Sri Hari while hearing and He said Sri Hari while Speaking. His mind and body were ever enrapt in the Lord Sri Hari.
King Ambarisha along with his wife, at one time has decided to do the most powerful and sacred ‘Dwadashi Vratam’ (Also, known as ‘Ekadashi Vratam’ in some parts).

This Dwadashi Vratam is done by rigorous and complete fasting which starts from the evening of Dashami Day (10th day from the new moon day of the Vydic Calendar) and will continue on the complete Ekadshi Day(11th day from the new moon day of the Vydic Calendar). This fasting is done and is imposed on the self so that the person who is doing this Dwadashi Vratam will be relieved from some sins incurred from the past births, by subjecting oneself to deliberate fasting. This fasting will be then broken on the next day, that is on Dwadashi Day (12th day from the new moon day of the Vydic Calendar) by having lunch immediately after regular Pooja (Nitya Anushtanam). This is known as ‘Parana’. This ‘Parana’ must be completed within the time period of “Dwadashi Tithi” for this Vrata to be completed successfully. This is very important.

Ambarisha and his equally devoted wife, decided to do this Dwadashi Vratam for a whole year. With the permission and blessings of their Kulaguru (Family Head Priest) Vashishta Mahamuni, they both, with much devotion and sincerity observed Dwadashi vrata for one whole year.

As this was going on, Lord Sri Hari who was much pleased with their devotion was alerted. As Lord Sri Hari was aware of past, present and the future, He knew that a very big danger in the form of Brahma Rishi Durvasa was fast approaching his dear devotee Ambarisha. Lord Sri Hari was very vigilant and was wondering as to how to save his dear devotee from this calamity as the danger was not an ordinary one. Danger was coming in the form of a Brahma Rishi, not any evil force or demon, whom Lord Sri Hari could have very easily destroyed. But this was a Brahma Rishi, who was also His own devotee and a Brahman too (Brahmans are the highest class among the humans as per the “Chatur Varna Ashrama” in Hinduism, hence Brahmans were and are much respected due to their spiritual knowledge and meditational powers and looked upon with reverence). So it was a very strange predicament for the Lord Sriman Narayana, as to whom to choose and how to save one against the other. Both were equally good, pious, sincere and devoted. So as the time for the completion of the Dwadashi vrata was fast approaching, His anxiety for Bhakta Ambarisha grew more and He decided to send His Divine Weapon ‘Sri Sudarshana Chakra’ to Ambarisha’s palace to protect Ambarisha. Sudarshana was instructed by lord Sri Hari that come what may, Sudarshana at all time must protect King Ambarisha from any and all kinds of dangers  and destroy the danger’ s source itself to the very root. With this order from the Lord Sir Sudarshana was guarding King Ambarisha with all his might.

In the month of karthika when the vrata was about to be completed, Ambarisha & his wife took a holy dip in the Sacred River Yamuna (also known as Kalindi) and as usual worshipped Lord Hari in Madhuvana. Then they gave huge ‘Dana’ (Donation) of beautiful cows with calves in huge numbers. Also donated many clothes, gold ornaments after giving many tasty foods to the Brahmins and when they were satisfied thus and blessed by them, with their permission was about to end his vrata by taking remaining leftover food as the “Bhookta Sesham” as prasada (Sacred offering from the Vrata/Yagya/Homa/Pooja). Just then at that time Brahma Rishi Duravasa entered there with his disciples.  Brahma Rishi Duravasa was very famous for his short temperament.

King Ambarisha proceeded forward with all due formalities and welcomed and honored Rishi honoring Durvasa & his disciples and requested them humbly to join the feast. Rishi Durvasa then replied that he along with his disciples would first go and take bath in river Yamuna and then join the feast. Rishi Durvasa was taking a bath in the Yamuna. Cold water waves gave him a soothing feeling and then he was immersed in deep meditation in the river and forgot all about the Ambarisha’s Dwadashi Vratam completely. Time was passing off. Rishi Durvasa was in deep meditation and cannot be disturbed now.  As the Dwadashi hours were soon coming to an end, King Ambarisha was in a dilemma and called upon all of his cabinet minister and royal advisors and Royal Priests asking for an advice.

All were stuck in a strange predicament of quadruple dilemma. 1. As per Dharma, the guest should not eat anything before the host, especially in a sacred situation and a feast like this one. 2. A person cannot be disturbed when in meditation, no matter how urgent the situation may be. 3. ‘Dwadashi Parana’ must be done before the sacred hours of Dwadashi are over – that is the person who is in Vrata deeksha must finish his eating before the time to complete this Vrata. 4. If such a huge Vrata, when not been completed successfully will bring upon the entire kingdom major catastrophes. Hence they have to do something in such a way that the Vrata must be completed in time without fail and without disturbing Rishi Durvasa’s meditation or without upsetting him.

They all referred many sacred texts and read many Dharma Shastras, discussed among themselves and unanimously agreed and told the King Ambarisha that he could take some water orally. Water being consumed would complete the Dwadashi Vrata at the same time as it is not considered as food they thought that Rishi Durvasa would not mind. King Ambarisha obliged and drank 3 spoonfuls of water to keep up the Vrata.

In the mean while Rishi Durvasa returned with all of his disciples eagerly. The feast was served to them. Just when Rishi Durvasa, who was very hungry at that time, was about to start his meals, he saw with his ‘Divya Drishti” (Divine vision gained from meditational powers, which can be used to look in to past, present & future), that King Ambarisha has taken 3 teaspoonfuls of water. This instantly enraged the Rishi, who was infuriated very much as he considered this act of King Ambarisha as a great sacrilege.
King Ambarisha pleaded guilty and very humbly asked for forgiveness. King Ambarisha also in a very humble tone said to the Rishi all that happened and said had he known that this simple act to save them from breaking the Dwadashi Vrata would upset the Rishi so much, that he would not have done it even if it meant to breaking of the sacred Vow. But Durvasa was not satisfied with this explanation and Rishi Durvasa plucked out a strand of his hair lock and knocked it on the ground recited some Mantras and created a demon called “Krucha” from it to kill Ambarisha by tearing him in to pieces thus inflicting upon him a very painful and slow but sure death.

The queen, ministers, courters, jesters, priests and all the other guests were shocked and were aghast and did not know what to do. All were fear stricken and were so worried to see that such a big calamity has befallen on such an honest and best devoted King, who started this whole thing with much piety and did everything so religiously. But the King Ambarish was not at all perturbed and sat with folded hands meditating on the Lord Sri Hari.

As the ferocious, ugly and scary looking Krucha proceeded towards the King Ambarisha, Sri Sudarshana chakra, who was quietly guarding Ambarisha as per his Lord Sriman Narayana’s orders, immediately jumped up and with extreme swift, speed and might shred the evil Krucha demon in to bits & pieces in an instant and immediately started following Rishi Durvasa to kill him also as he was the creator of this danger for King Ambarisha.

Rishi Durvasa started running for his life and Sudarshana followed him. Rishi Durvasa ran and ran to many worlds seeking shelter from the Devas (Gods) including King of Gods – Indra, Creator – God Brahma and Jagat Pita – Lord Shiva. As Durvasa had the power to be able to go in to all the worlds with his supernatural meditational powers. All have refused to help him as he had committed a sin against a devotee of Lord Sri Hari. One may wonder as to why the Sudarshana should follow the Rishi instead of killing him in a single shot. But that was Sudarshana Chakra – The mighty weapon in the Lord Sriman Narayana’s right hand. It always adheres to Dharma and will never go against Dharma. Dharma says that one should not be attacked from behind or when one is showing his back and running off for his life. Hence Sri Sudarshana was following Rishi Durvasa.

Rishi Durvasa chased by Sudarshana Chakra

At last, went to Rishi Durvasa went and fell down at Lord Hari feet and asked Lord of the Lords to protect him from Sudarshana. But the Lord said that He was a ‘Bhaktha paraadheena’ and was completely bound under the power of His devotes affection. Lord Hari said to Durvasa that now only King Ambarisha can save Durvasa from the mighty Sudarshana. Lord Narayana asked Durvasa to resort to Ambarisha and ask his forgiveness.

Rushi Durvasa at last went to Amabrisha and fell at his feet and asked King Ambarisha to save his life from Sudarshana. Amabrisha was still the same humble devote and was very sad & upset to learn that a great Rishi had to undergo so much pain and fear. Ambarisha felt very bad that such a highly respected Rishi had fallen at his feet. Ambarisha prayed with folded hands said that and if Lord Sri Hari was pleased with his devotion then this Rishi should be free from fear of Sudarshana. Sudarshana was pacified and left to Vaikuntha to Lord Sri Hari.

Rishi Durvasa forgiven by Ambarisha

Durvasa thanked him from the bottom of his heart. Durvasa praised Ambarisha and went away after accepting the food from him.

The King Ambarisha, who an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Hari was tested for his Bhakthi and passed this test for his Bhakthi  Marga with flying colors. Thus this King Ambarisha became an immortal and his entire clan was also blessed. He, who reads, hears or says this story on Ekadashi, Dwadashi days will please Lord Sriman Narayana and will be relieved from all kinds of fears, dangers, and calamities and attain peace, prosperity and wealth. More important, they will become great devotees of the Lord and will be under his Divine protection always. This is the Power of Devotion and speciality of Ekadashi day fasting.

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DHARI DEVI's WRATH : THE CAUSE OF KEDARNATH DESTRUCTION

Dhari Devi's Wrath: The Cause of Kedarnath Destruction

GODDESS DHARI DEVI

On June 15th, 2013, the ancient deity of Dhari Devi was removed from her temple to be shifted to another location to facilitate the construction of a dam, which locals were opposing ever since the conception of the project with the belief that the moving of the Dhari Devi would somehow agitate Kali. Exactly on the next day a massive cloudburst and flash flood started in Uttarakhand, which devastated Kedarnath, washing the city completely away.

This may sound like a story from a comic book, but it is not so – its reality that most people today like to ignore and push aside as superstition. The fury of the goddess is well known and any attempt to instigate her would lead to great destruction. Let us look at the events leading to the great devastation of Uttarakhand by flooding of Uttar Kashi.

The government has tried to build up dams to overcome the power shortage in the country. This has been opposed by locals and some prominent politicians like Uma Bharti and B. C. Khanduri of the BJP since it would lead to the submergence of the temple of Dhari Devi. As a result efforts to construct dams have been delayed indefinitely. Previously, in 1882, an attempt to shift the Dhari Devi shrine was immediately followed by havoc in Kedar Valley. There is some strange connection between these guardian goddess and the Kedarnath jyotirliñga.

The Joint Temples

These are not just any other Shakti temples, they are among the 108 Shakti Pitha mentioned in the Devi Bhagavat. Dhari Devi is a temple on the banks of the Alakananda River in the Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand state, India. It houses the upper half of a deity of goddess Kali specifically called "Dhari Devī" that, according to local lore, changes in appearance during the day from a girl, to a woman, and then to an old lady. Perched atop a 20 metre high rock, the temple of Dhari Devi is situated on the banks of river Alakananda. One has to travel a distance of 19km from Srinagar (Pauri Garhwal) on Srinagar-Badrinath highway upto Kaliya Saur, then down trek another half a kilometer towards Alakananda river.

According to a local legened, the temple was once washed off by floods, while floating the idol struck against a rock, the villagers heard the cries of the idol. On reaching the site they heard a divine voice instructing them to install the idol as it was, on the spot it was found. Since then the fierce looking idol remains where it was, known as Dhari Devi, under the open sky, and thousands of devotees on the way to Badrinath pay their obeisance to it. The temple of Dhari Devi in Srinagar hosts only the upper part of the deity of Godess Dhari, the remaining lower part is believed to be in Kalimath in Rudraprayag district.

It is believed that the idol of Dhari Devi shall not be put under a roof. For the same reason, the deities in Dhari Devi Temple are put under open sky. Taking photographs of the Dhari Devi deities are strictly prohibited. The village near the temple is name after godess Dhari and known as Dhari Village. A hanging bridge over Alaknanda river connects the Dhari Devi temple to Dhari Village.

Now, the lower half of the idol of Kali is located in Kalimath Temple. These joint temples are aligned exactly at NE-SW direction (see adjoining image) symbolizing Kali as sleeping with her feet in NE direction and head in the SE direction.

This causes the energy to flow in the NE direction, which in jyotiṣa, is the direction of Jupiter (Ishana Shiva), the parameṣṭhi guru. The upper part of the devi with the head symbolizes the calming of Kali by Shiva, the Guru. The lower part of Kali is not in the form of an idol and instead, is worshipped as the Sri Yantra. In this manner we learn that the Sri Yantra, as established by Adi Shankara at Kalimath, is the yoni of Shakti from which all creation proceeds.

The Kedarnath jyotirlinga is exactly North from Kalimath (see adjoining image) symbolising the husband-wife or Shiva-Shakti relationship. In this, Kedarnath being to the north (Mercury direction for ahimsa) is constantly calming the devi who is in the south (Mars direction, anger, agitated and at war).

On June 15th, 2013, the deity of Dhari Devi was removed from her ancient temple to be shifted to another location to facilitate the construction of the same dam (a 330 megawatt hydro electric project which now stands in ruins), which locals were opposing ever since the conception of the project with the belief that the moving of the Dhari Devī would somehow agitate Kali. They were right in their belief as any movement would lead to a change in the angle of the Dhari Devi and Kalimath alignment, besides altering the distance. There are energies we human beings do not understand as yet and it is best to let these spiritual shrines where these energies are contain, be maintained.

With the shifting of Dhari Devi, the agitated Kali has been woken up, and she seeks the demon Raktabija (seed of blood). As per mythology, Raktabija took various bodies and she continued to destroy each one. Primarily this indicates unimaginable bloodshed and death. Exactly on the next day a massive cloudburst and flash flood started in Uttarakhand. Today, when official death figures are at 1,000 (identified people/bodies), the unofficial figure is way beyond 5,000 deaths and more are still following as the rains are returning.

Restore the idol of Dhari Devi (Kali torso) to its original shrine and start the prayers that calm her down. Shri Yantra sadhana has to be maintained at Kalimath and Bael leaf must be offered to Kedarnath. If this is done, then Kali will calm down and the agitation of nature will stop. If this is not done, then the agitation of Kali shall spread throughout India and this will prove to be one of the worst years in the history of modern India.

Author's website: www.srath.com

Source : http://www.indiadivine.org/content.php/1090-Dhari-Devi-s-Wrath-The-Cause-of-Kedarnath-Destruction

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STORY OF JAGAI AND MADHAI

DELIVERANCE OF JAGAI AND MADHAI

PRABHU NITYANANDA

Here is one of the beautiful pastimes of Lord Nityananda Prabhu:

Deliverance of Jagai-Madhai
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Five hundred years ago, Sri Krishna descended as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in His most merciful incarnation, to deliver the fallen souls of Kali yuga. Principal amongst His associates was Lord Nityananda, Who was none other than Lord Balarama, the incarnation of Anata-sesa. Even though Caitanya Mahaprabhu distributed the love of Godhead freely to any one willing to partake, Lord Nityananda was more merciful and gave His mercy even to unwilling, sinful and atheistic people.

Jagai and Madhai
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One day Lord Caitanya instructed Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakur to go to every one's house in Nadiya and request them to chant Krishna"s name. The two great devotees eagerly set forth and began to knock on each and every door with the request, "please chant Krishna"s name, worship Krishna and teach others about Krishna." They were happily received by the pious people, while the envious would blaspheme them. Completely unconcerned by favorable or unfavorable reactions they proceeded around the town.

In Nadiya there lived two very sinful brothers called Jagai and Madhai. Though they born in pious Brahman families, by bad association they had become meat eaters, drunkards, thieves and arsonists. There was no crime that they had not committed, including the most abominable sin of killing cows and Brahmans. The entire town was terrified of these two persons who seemed to be the very personification of all sinful activities.

On the day Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakur were moving in the town, these two brothers, completely intoxicated were alternatively fighting and embracing each other. After observing them for some time Nityananda Prabhu compassionately decided to deliver them and thus approached them.

Despite the warnings of the town people Lord Nityananda and Haridasa Thakur, approached the two drunkards instructing them to chant the holy name of the Lord. Hearing these words the two sinners looked up and seeing the two saintly figures roared in anger. They leapt up and ran to catch the two sannyasis. Playing their pastimes, the two devotees fled at the sight of the attacking brothers. Apparently terrified they shouted, "Krishna! Save us!! Govinda!," and ran.

Haridasa complains about Nityananda Prabhu
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While running, Haridasa Thakur proclaimed that all this trouble was because he was in the company of a trouble maker, a charge that Nityananda Prabhu hotly denied. In this way, pursued by the cursing Jagai-Madhai, Lord Nityananda and Haridasa Thakur, laughed and ran. They finally disappeared into the home Srivasa Acarya, leaving the bewildered brothers searching for them in vain.

The pastimes of these exalted devotees are full of sugar and spice. While they all understood each others exalted positions, they would also have many loving and teasing exchanges. This was specially true for Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Acarya. In this mood, Haridasa went to Advaita Prabhu to complain about Lord Nityananda. He recounted how in the past Nityananda Prabhu would calmly swim the waters infested with crocodiles, or how he would milk other's cows and drink the milk, or steal their butter and yogurt leaving Haridasa to face the angry crowd. When Advaita Prabhu heard about the pastime with the two drunkards, He laughed and commented, "it is all right that these three drunkards should stay together." However in their hearts they knew that Nityananda Prabhu was only intoxicated by the love of Godhead and that Jagai-Madhai were already delivered by His mercy.

Nityananda Prabhu attacked
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In the meantime the two brothers began to reside near Ganga where Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed. Constantly drunk, they started harassing and terrorizing the devotees. At night, they could hear the sounds of the kirtans coming from the house of Srivasa Acarya and would playfully sing and dance with the melody.

One day while Nityananda Prabhu was returning in the dark He was accosted by the two brothers. On learning His identity, Madhai became furious and struck Him with a broken earthen pot. When Jagai saw the blood flow from the wound, he became compassionate and restrained his brother. While Nityananda Prabhu patiently stood, looking at the brothers with compassion, tolerating the pain and humiliation,
people ran to tell Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the incident.

Hearing that Nityananda Prabhu had been hurt by the brothers, Caitanya Mahaprabhu ran towards them with the intention to kill them. He summoned His chakra which looked like death personified to the two terrified brothers. However Nityananda Prabhu quickly intervened and begged Caitanya Mahaprabhu to stop. He reminded Him of His mission to kill the sinners by saturating them with love of Godhead. Thus appeased the Lord took back His chakra.

JAGAI & MADHAI

Jagai and Madhai delivered
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Nityananda Prabhu told Caitanya Mahaprabhu that it was Jagai who had saved Him from further harm at Madhai's hand. Hearing this Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to Jagai, "Lord Krishna be merciful to you. By protecting Nityananda you have purchased Me. You may ask any desire you have in your heart. From today on you will have pure love and devotion for Krishna" Hearing this Jagai fell at the feet of the two Lords and grasping the feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu wept.

Seeing the wonderful transformation in his brother, a remorseful Madhai begged for the mercy of the Lord. However, since he had committed the worst of all offenses, that of attacking a Vaishnava, the Lord did not even consider all his pitiful pleas for mercy. Only after Madhai grasped the feet of Nityananda Prabhu and received His mercy that Caitanya Mahaprabhu agree to deliver Madhai also.

Jagai-Madhai become devotees
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Having received the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda, both the brothers became completely transformed. They would chant 200,000 names of the Lord every day, offer every one humble obeisances and constantly berate themselves for their past sinful activities. Madhai in particular was very remorseful at the fact that he had caused physical harm to Nityananda Prabhu and would shed many tears for this. Finally he approached the Lord and begged for some act of atonement. The compassionate Lord assured him that he was completely forgiven, but if he wanted to atone for his other past sins then he could build a bathing place on the banks of the river Ganges to help people take a bath.

Madhai enthusiastically built this place which still exists with the name of Madhai ghata. He would constantly be present there, humbly offering any and all services to devotees. In this way the two brothers spent the rest of their lives singing the glories of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu.

The demigods rejoice
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It is said that when Yamaraja asked Chitragupta, the demigod responsible for recording the sinful activities of people, how many sins had been committed by Jagai-Madhai, he was told that it would take one hundred thousand scribes one month to complete the record. On seeing Lord Caitanya take all these sinful activities into Himself and deliver Jagai-Madhai, Yamaraja fainted with ecstasy. When he was revived, he began to dance, glorifying the Lord for delivering the most fallen. Attracted by his dancing, Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, Narada Muni, Sukhadeva Goswami, Indra and other demigods also began to dance in ecstasy at the mercy of the Lord. In this way the heavenly planets, all the way to Brahmaloka became completely immersed in the love of Godhead.

Lessons in this pastime
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In this pastime the Lords revealed many instructions for future generations to follow.

While Jagai-Madhai had committed many sinful activities, they had never offended a Vaishnava. Since Jagai had protected Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Caitanya immediately absolved him of all sinful activities and gave him Krishna prema. However since Madhai hit Nityananda Prabhu, he did not receive this mercy until he was forgiven by Nityananda Prabhu. This is in line with a lesson that Caitanya Mahaprabhu repeatedly gave to His followers that while Krishna can overlook offenses committed against Him, He will take any offense against His devotee very seriously.

In fact while Caitanya Mahaprabhu readily gave the boon of devotion to Jagai, He had previously refused to give the same gift to His beloved mother, Saci Mata, because of a slight offense she had made against Advaita Acarya. Only when she begged and received the forgiveness of Advaita did she became eligible to receive this gift.

The Lord also revealed that there are no material restrictions to performing devotional service. Even though Jagai-Madhai were performing the most abominable activities, even though they were unwilling to chant the holy name, they were still delivered. The pastime also revealed that the devotees of the Lord are even more merciful than the Lord Himself. While Lord Caitanya would ignore these two brothers and had nothing to do with them, Nityananda Prabhu still approached them and ultimately delivered them.

The personality of Nityananda Prabhu is most bewildering by material conception. He played the role of an avadhut, one who is completely beyond the material conception of life. So saturated was He with the love of Godhead that He would often loose complete consciousness of His material body and behave in strange ways. However Caitanya Mahaprabhu strongly cautioned about committing any offenses against Him. He emphatically stated that no one can even think of approaching Radha-Krishna without having first received the mercy of Lord Nityananda, the adi-guru or the original spiritual master of the universe.

All glories to Nityananda Prabhu!
All glories to Jagai-Madhai !!

Source from : http://newpanihati.tripod.com/NewsGroup/KCNectar/KCNectar022802.htm

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LORD CHAITANYA & RAMANANDA RAYA

LORD CHAITANYA & RAMANANDA RAYA

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu embracing Ramananda Raya

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

The author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta has described Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the ocean of transcendental knowledge and Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya as the cloud which is produced from that ocean. Rāmānanda Rāya was a greatly advanced scholar in devotional service, and by the grace of Lord Caitanya he gathered all transcendental conclusions just as a cloud gathers water from the ocean. As clouds appear from the ocean, distribute water all over the world, and return to the ocean, so by the grace of Lord Caitanya, Rāmānanda Rāya attained his higher knowledge of devotional service and again, after retiring from service, resolved to see Lord Caitanya in Purī.

When Lord Caitanya visited the southern part of India, He first went to the great temple known as Jiyara-nṛsiṁha-kṣetra. This temple is situated in a place known as Siṁhācalam, five miles from the Viśākhāpattanam railway station. The temple is situated on the top of a hill. There are many temples in that area, but Jiyara-nṛsiṁha-kṣetra temple is the largest of all. This temple is filled with beautiful sculpture, of interest to many students, and due to its popularity it is a very rich temple. An inscription in the temple states that the King of Vijayanagara formerly decorated this temple with gold and even smeared the body of the Deity with gold. To facilitate attendance, there are free apartments for visitors at the temple. The temple is managed by priests of the Rāmānujācārya sect.

When Lord Caitanya visited this temple, He praised the Deity and quoted a verse from Śrīdhara Svāmī's commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.9.1):

ugro 'py anugra evāyaṁ
sva-bhaktānāṁ nṛkeśarī
keśarīva svapotānām
anyeṣām ugra-vikramaḥ

"Although Lord Nṛsiṁha is very severe to demons and nondevotees, He is very kind to His submissive devotees like Prahlāda." Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared as a half-man, half-lion incarnation of Kṛṣṇa when Prahlāda, a boy devotee of the Lord, was harassed by his demoniac father Hiraṇyakaśipu. Just as a lion is very ferocious to other animals but very kind and submissive to his cubs, so Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared ferocious to Hiraṇyakaśipu and very kind to His devotee Prahlāda.

After visiting the temple of Jiyara-nṛsiṁha, the Lord proceeded further south into India and ultimately reached the bank of the Godāvarī. While on the bank of this river, the Lord remembered the Yamunā River in Vṛndāvana, and He considered the trees on the bank to be the forest of Vṛndāvana. Thus He was in ecstasy there. After taking a bath on the banks of the Godāvarī, the Lord sat near the bank and began chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. While sitting and chanting, the Lord saw that the governor of the province, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, had reached the banks of the river accompanied by his associates, which included many brāhmaṇas. Previously the Lord had been asked by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya to visit the great devotee Rāmānanda Rāya at Kabur. The Lord could understand that the man approaching the river bank was Rāmānanda Rāya, and He desired to see him immediately. However, because He was in the renounced order of life, He restrained Himself from going to see a political personage. Being a great devotee, Rāmānanda Rāya was attracted by the features of Lord Caitanya, who appeared as a sannyāsī, and he himself came to see the Lord. Upon reaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rāmānanda Rāya prostrated himself and offered his obeisances and respects. Lord Caitanya received him by vibrating Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.

When Rāmānanda Rāya presented his credentials, Lord Caitanya embraced him, and both of them were overwhelmed with ecstasy. The brāhmaṇas who accompanied Rāmānanda Rāya were surprised to see them embracing in transcendental ecstasy. The brāhmaṇas were all stalwart followers of the rituals, and they could not understand the meaning of such devotional symptoms. Indeed, they were rather surprised to see such a great sannyāsī touch a śūdra, and they were also surprised to see Rāmānanda Rāya, who was a great governor and practically king of that province, crying simply by touching a sannyāsī. Lord Caitanya understood the brāhmaṇas' thoughts, and, considering the unfavorable situation, He pacified Himself.

After this, Lord Caitanya and Rāmānanda Rāya sat down together. "Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya has spoken very highly of you," Lord Caitanya informed him. "So I have come to see you."

"Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya considers me to be one of his devotees," Rāmānanda Rāya replied. "Therefore he has kindly recommended that You see me."

Rāmānanda Rāya very much appreciated the Lord's touching a man of wealth. A king, governor or any politician is always absorbed in thoughts of political affairs and pounds-shilling-pence; therefore such persons are avoided by sannyāsīs. Lord Caitanya, however, knew Rāmānanda Rāya to be a great devotee, and therefore He did not hesitate to touch and embrace him. Rāmānanda Rāya was surprised by Lord Caitanya's behavior, and he cited a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.8.4): "The great personalities and sages appear in the homes of worldly men just to show them mercy."

Lord Caitanya's special treatment of Rāmānanda Rāya indicated that although Rāmānanda Rāya was born in a nonbrahminical family, he was far, far advanced in spiritual knowledge and activity. Therefore he was more respectable than one who simply happens to be born in a brahminical family. Although Rāmānanda, out of his meek and gentle behavior, considered himself to be born in a lower śūdra family, Lord Caitanya nonetheless considered him to be situated in the highest transcendental stage of devotion. Devotees never advertise themselves as great, but the Lord is very anxious to advertise the glory of His devotees. After meeting for the first time that morning on the banks of the Godāvarī, Rāmānanda Rāya and Lord Caitanya separated with the understanding that Rāmānanda Rāya would come in the evening to see the Lord.

That evening, after the Lord had taken His bath and seated Himself, Rāmānanda Rāya came to see Him with a servant. He offered his respects and sat down before the Lord. Before Rāmānanda Rāya could even ask the Lord a question about the advancement of spiritual knowledge, the Lord Himself said, "Please quote some verses from scripture about the ultimate goal of human life."

Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya at once replied: "A person who is sincere in his occupational duty will gradually develop a sense of God consciousness." He also quoted a verse from Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.8.9) which states that the Supreme Lord is worshiped by one's occupational duty and that there is no alternative for satisfying Him. The purport is that human life is meant for understanding one's relationship with the Supreme Lord, and by acting in that way any human being can dovetail himself in the service of the Lord by discharging his prescribed duties. For this purpose human society is divided into four classes: the intellectuals (brāhmaṇas), the administrators (kṣatriyas), the merchants (vaiśyas), and the laborers (śūdras). For each class there are prescribed rules and regulations as well as occupational functions. The prescribed duties and qualities of the four classes are described in Bhagavad-gītā (18.41-44). A society which is civilized and organized should follow the prescribed rules and regulations for the particular classes. At the same time, for spiritual advancement, the four stages of āśrama must also be followed: namely, student life (brahmacarya), householder (gṛhastha), retired (vānaprastha) and the renounced life (sannyāsa).

Rāmānanda Rāya stated that those who strictly follow the rules and regulations of these eight social divisions can actually satisfy the Supreme Lord, and one who does not follow them certainly spoils his human form of life and glides toward hell. One can peacefully execute the goal of human life simply by following the rules and regulations which apply to one's self. The character of a particular person develops by following the regulative principles in accordance with one's birth, association and education. The divisions of society are so designed that many people of different character can be regulated under them for the peaceful administration of society and for spiritual advancement as well. The social classes can be further characterized as follows: (1) He whose aim is to understand the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, and devote himself to the learning of the Vedas and similar literatures is called a brāhmaṇa. (2) He who has taken to displaying force and entering government administration is called a kṣatriya. (3) He who is engaged in agriculture, herding cows and carrying out a trade or business is called a vaiśya. (4) He who has no special knowledge but is satisfied by serving the other three classes is called a śūdra. If one faithfully discharges his prescribed duties, he is sure to advance toward perfection. Thus regulated life is the source of perfection for everyone. When regulated life culminates in devotional service to the Lord, one attains his perfection. Otherwise such regulations are simply a useless waste of time.

After hearing Rāmānanda Rāya expound upon the proper execution of a regulated life, Lord Caitanya said that such regulations are simply external. Indirectly He asked Rāmānanda to expound on something superior to such an external exhibition. Formal execution of rituals and religion is useless unless it culminates in the perfection of devotional service. Lord Viṣṇu is not satisfied simply by a ritualistic adherence to Vedic instructions; He is actually pleased when one attains the stage of devotional service.

According to the verse cited by Rāmānanda Rāya, one can rise to the point of devotional service by ritualistic performance. In Bhagavad-gītā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who appeared to deliver all classes of people, states that a human being can attain the highest perfectional stage of life by worshiping the Supreme Lord, from whom everything has emanated, through his occupational duty.

sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ
svakarma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ
yathā vindati tac chṛṇu
yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya
siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ

"By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done. By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection." (Bg. 18.45-46) This perfectional process is followed by great devotees like Bodhāyana, Ṭaṅka, Dramiḍa, Guhadeva, Kapardi and Bhāruci. All these great personalities have followed this particular path of perfection. The Vedic injunctions also aim in this direction. Rāmānanda Rāya wanted to present these facts before the Lord, but apparently discharge of ritualistic duties wasn't sufficient, for Lord Caitanya said that it was external. Lord Caitanya was pointing out that if a man has a material conception of life, he cannot attain the highest perfection even if he follows all the ritualistic regulations.

Link to this page: http://prabhupadabooks.com/tlc/27

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LORD CHAITANYA & CONVERSION OF PRAKASHANANDA SARASWATI

LORD CHAITANYA & CONVERSION OF PRAKASHANANDA SARASWATI

Lord Chaitanya

Lord Chaitanya in Sankirtana

At that time (during the year 1515) Vārāṇasī was headed by a great sannyāsī of the Māyāvāda school named Śrīpāda Prakāshananda Sarasvatī. When the Lord was at Vārāṇasī, the people in general became more attracted to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu on account of His mass sańkīrtana movement. Wherever He visited, especially the Vishvanātha temple, thousands of pilgrims would follow Him. Some were attracted by His bodily features, and others were attracted by His melodious songs glorifying the Lord.

The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs designate themselves as Nārāyaṇa or Brahman. Some people who saw the Lord in His sańkīrtana party considered Him to be actually Nārāyaṇa, and this report reached to the great sannyāsī Prakāśānanda. When the news of the Lord reached Prakāśānanda he knew that the Lord was a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī, and therefore he minimized the value of the Lord before those who brought him the news. He deprecated the activities of the Lord because of His preaching the sańkīrtana movement, which was in his opinion nothing but religious sentiment. Prakāśānanda was a profound student of the Vedānta, and he advised his followers to give attention to the Vedānta and not to indulge in sańkīrtana.

(Vedanta: means "the purpose or goal [end] of the Vedas". The Vedānta-sūtra are known by a variety of names, including (1) Brahma-sūtra, (2) Śārīraka, (3) Vyāsa-sūtra, (4) Bādarāyaṇa-sūtra, (5) Uttara-mīmāṁsā and (6) Vedānta-darśana. There are 555 sutras in Brahma-sutra like अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा । ब्रसू-१,१.१ ।   जन्माद्यस्य यतः । ब्रसू-१,१.२ । )

Many commentaries have been written on this text, the earliest extant one being the one by Sri Adi Shankara. . His commentary set forth the Advaita interpretation of the Vedānta. It says Brahman is the sole reality, it does not possess any attributes (Nirguna),  it can not be a person, its like a light. There is no difference between the individual soul jīvātma  and Brahman.

Another commentary is written by Sri Ramanuja. He propounded Vishishtadvaita philosophy which says that the jīvātman is a part of Brahman, and hence is similar, but not identical. The main difference from Advaita is that in Visishtadvaita, the Brahman is asserted to have attributes (Saguna brahman). This school propounds Bhakti or devotion to God visualized as Vishnu to be the path to liberation.

Dvaita Vada was propounded by Madhwāchārya. It is also referred to as tatvavādā. It identifies God with Brahman completely, and in turn with Vishnu or Krishna. It regards Brahman, all individual souls (jīvātmans) and matter as eternal and mutually separate entities. This school also advocates Bhakti as the route to sattvic liberation.)

One devotee brāhmaṇa, who became a devotee of the Lord, did not like the criticism of Prakāśānanda, and he went to the Lord to express his regrets. He told the Lord that when he uttered the Lord's name before the sannyāsī Prakāśānanda, the latter strongly criticized the Lord. After this, a great meeting was arranged by the devotees of the Lord in which all the sannyāsīs were invited, including the Lord and Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. In this meeting both the scholars (the Lord and Prakāśānanda) had a long discourse on the spiritual values of the sańkīrtana movement, and a summary is given below.

Meeting between Chaitanya Mahaprabhu & Prakashananda Saraswati

The great Māyāvādī sannyāsī Prakāśānanda inquired from the Lord as to the reason for His preferring the sańkīrtana movement than the the study of the Vedānta-sūtra. Prakāśānanda said that it is the duty of a sannyāsī to read the Vedānta-sūtra. What caused the Lord to indulge in sańkīrtana? After this inquiry, the Lord submissively replied: "I have taken to the sańkīrtana movement instead of the study of Vedānta because I am a great fool." The Lord thus represented Himself as one of the numberless fools of this age who are absolutely incapable of studying the Vedānta philosophy. The fools' indulgence in the study of Vedānta has caused so much havoc in society. The Lord thus continued: "And because I am a great fool, My spiritual master forbade Me to play with Vedānta philosophy. He said that it is better that I chant the holy name of the Lord, for that would deliver Me from material bondage.

"In this age of Kali there is no other religion but the glorification of the Lord by utterance of His holy name, and that is the injunction of all the revealed scriptures. And My spiritual master has taught Me one shloka [from the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa(बृहद -नारदीय  पुराण)]:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam 
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. [Adi 17.21]

हरेर  नाम  हरेर  नाम हरेर  नामैव केवलम
कलौ  नास्त्येव  नास्त्येव नास्त्येव  गतिर  अन्यथा

“In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’

"So on the order of My spiritual master, I chant the holy name of Hari, and I am now mad after this holy name. Whenever I utter the holy name I forget Myself completely, and sometimes I laugh, cry and dance like a madman and therefore I asked My spiritual master about it. He informed Me that this was the real effect of chanting the holy name, which produces a transcendental emotion that is a rare manifestation. It is the sign of love of God, which is the ultimate goal of life.

On hearing this statement from the Lord, the Māyāvādī sannyāsī asked the Lord what was the harm in studying the Vedānta along with chanting the holy name. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī knew well that the Lord was formerly known as Nimāi Paṇḍita, a very learned scholar of Navadvīpa, and His posing as a great fool was certainly to some purpose. Hearing this inquiry by the sannyāsī, the Lord smiled and said: "Vedānta-sūtra consists of transcendental words or sounds uttered by the transcendental Personality of Godhead. The message of the Upaniṣads is expressed in the Vedānta-sūtra, and what is said there directly is certainly glorified. Whatever interpretations have been given by Sripad Śańkarācārya have no direct bearing on the sūtra, and therefore such commentation spoils everything.

"The word Brahman indicates the greatest of all, which is full with transcendental opulences, superior to all. Brahman is ultimately the Personality of Godhead, and He is covered by indirect interpretations and established as impersonal (Nirakar निराकार ). Everything that is in the spiritual world is full of transcendental bliss, including the form, body, place and paraphernalia of the Lord. Anyone who accepts the transcendental body of the Personality of Godhead as something mundane certainly commits the greatest blasphemy."

The Lord thus spoke to the sannyāsī almost in the same way that He spoke to the Bhaṭṭācārya of Purī, and by forceful arguments He nullified the Māyāvāda interpretations of the Vedānta-sūtra. All the sannyāsīs there claimed that the Lord was the personified Vedas and the Personality of Godhead. All the sannyāsīs were converted to the cult of bhakti, all of them accepted the holy name of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and they dined together with the Lord in the midst of them. After this conversion of the sannyāsīs, the popularity of the Lord increased at Vārāṇasī, and thousands of people assembled to see the Lord in person. The Lord thus established the primary importance of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata-dharma, and He defeated all other systems of spiritual realization. After that everyone at Vārāṇasī was overwhelmed with the transcendental sańkīrtana movement.

Source from : http://vedic-stories.blogspot.in/2012/03/lord-sri-chaitanya-mahaprabhu-part-3.html

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LORD CHAITANYA & LIBERATION OF SARVABHAUMA BHATTACHARYA

            LORD CHAITANYA & LIBERATION OF SARVABHAUMA BHATTACHARYA

Lord JAGANNATH Temple at Puri

Lord BALABHADRA,Maa SUBHADRA & Lord JAGANNATH

Lord JAGANNATH Temple at Puri

At Purī, when He (Sri Chaitanya ) entered the temple of Jagannātha, He became at once saturated with transcendental ecstasy and fell down on the floor of the temple unconscious. The custodians of the temple could not understand the transcendental feats of the Lord, but there was a great learned paṇḍita named Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, who was the chief appointed paṇḍita in the court of the King of Orissa, Mahārāja Pratāparudra, could understand that only a liberated soul could show such a transcendental feat. He asked them to take the Lord to his home so He could be further observed in His unconscious state. The learned paṇḍita wanted to scrutinizingly test the transcendental feats of Lord Caitanya because often unscrupulous devotees imitate physical feats in order to flaunt transcendental achievements just to attract innocent people and take advantage of them.

In the case of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Bhaṭṭācārya tested all the symptoms in the light of the śāstras.  He observed the movement of the stomach, the beating of the heart and the breathing of the nostrils. He also felt the pulse of the Lord and saw that all His bodily activities were in complete suspension. Thus he came to know that the Lord's unconscious trance was genuine.

In the meantime the companions of the Lord, who reached the temple a little after Him, heard of the Lord's transcendental feats and of His being carried away by the Bhaṭṭācārya. They reached his house. All the members then chanted loudly the holy name of the Lord Hari as usual, and the Lord regained His consciousness.

Sarvabhauma thought that Gauranga was a young man without any control of passion and knowledge of Vedanta. He did not like Kirtan and Nritya (dancing). He desired to re-initiate Gauranga. The Lord agreed to take lessons from Bhaṭṭācārya on the Vedānta, and they sat together in the temple of Lord Jagannātha. The Bhaṭṭācārya went on speaking continually for seven days, and the Lord heard him with all attention and did not interrupt. The Lord's silence raised some doubts in Bhaṭṭācārya's heart, and he asked the Lord how it was that He did not ask anything or comment on his explanations of Vedānta.

Upon this, the Lord spoke as follows: "My dear sir, I can understand the meaning of the sūtras like janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], śāstra-yonitvāt, and athāto brahma jijñāsā of the Vedānta-sūtra, but when you explain them in your own way it becomes difficult for Me to follow them. The purpose of the sūtras is already explained in them, but your explanations are covering them with something else. You do not purposely take the direct meaning of the sūtras but indirectly give your own interpretations." The Lord continued "Śrīla Vyāsadeva has summarized the direct meanings of the mantras in the Upaniṣads in the Vedānta-sūtra. Unfortunately you do not take their direct meaning. You indirectly interpret them in a different way.

"The authority of the Vedas is unchallengeable and stands without any question of doubt. And whatever is stated in the Vedas must be accepted completely, otherwise one challenges the authority of the Vedas."The conchshell and cow dung are bone and stool of two living beings. But because they have been recommended by the Vedas as pure, people accept them as such because of the authority of the Vedas."

Gauranga explaining Vedanta to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya

After hearing all the speeches of the Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Bhaṭṭācārya was struck with wonder and awe and regarded Him in dead silence. The Lord then encouraged him with assurance that there was no cause to wonder. "I say that devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead is the highest goal of human life." He then quoted a śloka from the Bhāgavatam and assured him that even the liberated souls who are absorbed in the spirit and spiritual realization also take to the devotional service of the Lord Hari because the Personality of Godhead has such transcendental qualities that He attracts the heart of the liberated soul too.

Then the Bhaṭṭācārya desired to listen to the explanation of the "ātmārāma" śloka from the Bhāgavatam (1.7.10).

 "Atmaramascha Munayo Nigranthapi Urukrame,
Kurvanty Ahaitukim Bhaktim Ithambhuta Guno Hari"

आत्मारामाश्च मुनयो निर्ग्रन्थ अपि उरुक्रमे 
कुर्वन्ति अहैतुकिम भक्तिम इत्थंभूत गुणो हरिः  

"All different varieties of ātmārāmas [those who take pleasure in ātmā, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead."

The Lord first of all asked Bhaṭṭācārya to explain it, and after that He would explain it. The Bhaṭṭācārya then explained the śloka in a scholarly way with special reference to logic. He explained the śloka in nine different ways. Then Gauranga explained the śloka in sixty-four different ways without touching the nine explanations given by the Bhaṭṭācārya.

Thus after hearing the explanation of the ātmārāma śloka from the Lord,  Bhaṭṭācārya was convinced that such a scholarly presentation is impossible for an earthly creature. Gauranga embraced Sarvabhauma. Sarvabhauma fainted in an ecstasy of divine joy. He then rose and danced. He prostrated at the feet of Gauranga and said, "Oh venerable Master! Logic had made my heart as hard as iron. I had no devotion. You have melted me. Salutations unto You, O powerful Lord!".

Source from : http://vedic-stories.blogspot.in/2012/03/lord-sri-chaitanya-mahaprabhu-part-2.html

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LORD CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU's AMAZING LEELAS

LORD CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU's AMAZING LEELAS 

Lord Chaitanya

Lord Chaitanya

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Lord Chaitanya was born on February 27, 1486 AD. Lord Chaitanya was born in Navadvipa,West Bengal, India, a large city straddling both sides of the Ganga. Navadvipa was famous during Lord Chaitanya’s time as a center of learning and culture. At Lord Chaitanya’s birth, which fell on the full- moon night of the Bengali month of Phalguna, there was a lunar eclipse. As was the custom on such occasions, the people of Navadvipa gathered at the Ganga to purify themselves by bathing and chanting the names of God. Thus Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born amid the loud chanting of the Lord’s names.

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As He grew, His beauty and intelligence began to show more fully. He was a brilliant student who quickly mastered poetics, Sanskrit grammar, and Nyaya, a form of logic. He would often play at defeating His fellow students using logic. While still young, He opened His own school and began teaching grammar and logic.

Once a great Kashmir scholar named Keśava Kāśmīrī came to Navadvīpa to hold discussions on the śāstras. The Kashmir paṇḍita was a champion scholar, and he had traveled to all places of learning in India. Finally he came to Navadvīpa to contest the learned paṇḍitas there. The paṇḍitas of Navadvīpa decided to match Nimāi Paṇḍita (Lord Caitanya) with the Kashmir paṇḍita, thinking that if Nimāi Paṇḍita were defeated, they would have another chance to debate with the scholar, for Nimāi Paṇḍita was only a boy. And if the Kashmir paṇḍita were defeated, then they would even be more glorified because people would proclaim that a mere boy of Navadvīpa had defeated a champion scholar who was famous throughout India. It so happened that Nimāi Paṇḍita met Keśava Kāśmīrī while strolling on the banks of the Ganges. The Lord requested him to compose a Sanskrit verse in praise of the Ganges, and the paṇḍita within a short time composed a hundred ślokas, reciting the verses like a storm and showing the strength of his vast learning. Nimāi Paṇḍita at once memorized all the ślokas without an error. He quoted the sixty-fourth śloka and pointed out certain rhetorical and literary irregularities. He particularly questioned the paṇḍita's use of the word bhavānī-bhartuḥ. He pointed out that the use of this word was redundant. Bhavānī means the wife of Śiva, and who else can be her bhartā, or husband? He also pointed out several other discrepancies, and the Kashmir paṇḍita was struck with wonder. He was astonished that a mere student of grammar could point out the literary mistakes of an erudite scholar. Although this matter was ended prior to any public meeting, the news spread like wildfire all over Navadvīpa. But finally Keśava Kāśmīrī was ordered in a dream by Goddess Sarasvatī to submit to the Lord, and thus the Kashmir paṇḍita became a follower of the Lord.

On the pretext of performing sacred rites on the anniversary of His father’s death, Vishvambhara journeyed to Gaya, in Bihar, with a group of students. There, after receiving Vaishnava initiation from Ishvara Puri, He became transformed. He lost all interest in logic and argument and absorbed Himself in chanting Krishna’s names in devotional ecstasy.

Back in Navadvipa, Vishvambhara gathered a following of other Vaishnavas, including Advaita Acarya, Srivasa Pandita, and Haridasa Thakura, and started the sankirtana movement. First, the movement was confined to the faithful. Doors were locked before the devotees began chanting and relishing the pastimes of Lord Krishna. After a year, however, Vishvambhara ordered His followers to distribute the name of Krishna and the ecstasy of love of God to all the people of Navadvipa.

Lord Chaitanya's Sankirtana movement at Nabadvipa

Vishvambhara met with opposition from some sections of the local brahminical community. They were so jealous that they finally took the matter before the Muslim magistrate at Navadvīpa. Bengal was then governed by Pathans, and the governor of the province was Nawab Hussain Shah. The Muslim magistrate of Navadvīpa took up the complaints of the brāhmaṇas seriously, and at first he warned the followers of Nimāi Paṇḍita not to chant loudly the name of Hari. But Lord Caitanya asked His followers to disobey the orders of the Kazi, and they went on with their sańkīrtana (chanting) party as usual. The magistrate then sent constables who interrupted a sańkīrtana and broke some of the mṛdańgas (drums).

When Nimāi Paṇḍita heard of this incident He organized a party for civil disobedience. He is the pioneer of the civil disobedience movement in India for the right cause. He organized a procession of one hundred thousand men with thousands of mṛdańgas and karatālas (hand cymbals), and this procession passed over the roads of Navadvīpa in defiance of the Kazi who had issued the order.

Sankirtana by Lord Chaitanya

Sankirtana by Lord Chaitanya

  Finally the procession reached the house of the Kazi, who went upstairs out of fear of the masses. The great crowds assembled at the Kazi's house displayed a violent temper, but the Lord asked them to be peaceful. At this time the Kazi came down and tried to pacify the Lord by addressing Him as his nephew. He pointed out that Nīlāmbara Cakravartī (Maternal grandfather of Nimai) referred to him as an uncle, and consequently, Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, the mother of Nimāi Paṇḍita, was his sister. He asked the Lord whether his sister's son could be angry at His maternal uncle, and the Lord replied that since the Kazi was His maternal uncle he should receive his nephew well at his home.

In this way the issue was mitigated, and the two learned scholars began a long discussion on the Koran and Hindu śāstras. The Lord raised the question of cow-killing, and the Kazi properly answered Him by referring to the Koran. In turn the Kazi also questioned the Lord about cow sacrifice in the Vedas, and the Lord replied that such sacrifice as mentioned in the Vedas is not actually cow-killing. In that sacrifice an old bull or cow was sacrificed for the sake of receiving a fresh younger life by the power of Vedic mantras. But in the Kali-yuga such cow sacrifices are forbidden because there are no qualified brāhmaṇas capable of conducting such a sacrifice. In fact, in Kali-yuga all yajñas (sacrifices) are forbidden. In Kali-yuga only the sańkīrtana yajña is recommended for all practical purposes. Speaking in this way, the Lord finally convinced the Kazi, who became the Lord's follower. The Kazi thenceforth declared that no one should hinder the sańkīrtana movement which was started by the Lord, and the Kazi left this order in his will for the sake of progeny. The Kazi's tomb still exists in the area of Navadvīpa, and Hindu pilgrims go there to show their respects. The Kazi's descendants are residents, and they never objected to sańkīrtana, even during the Hindu-Muslim riot days.

Seeing the need to spread Krishna consciousness more widely, Vishvambhara decided to take sannyasa, the renounced order of life. At the age of twenty-four He shaved His head and took the name Krishna Chaitanya from Keshava Bharati in nearby Katwa. He also became known as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. To console His mother He promised to stay in Puri, a moderate distance from Navadvipa.
References
1. Srimad Bhagawatam: Introduction By Srila Prabhupada
2. Krishna.com/ Chaitanya-Mahaprabhu
3. Shri Chaitnya Charitamritam

Source from : http://vedic-stories.blogspot.in/2012/03/lord-sri-chaitanya-mahaprabhu-part-1-on.html

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LORD CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU & HIS AMAZING LEELAS

LORD CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU & HIS AMAZING                              LEELAS

Father, Mother & baby Sri Chaitanya

Lord Chaitanya-combined form of SriRadha&Krishna

Birth ceremony of Lord Chaitanya

LORD CHAITANYA

Lord Chaitanya is the Supreme Person, Krishna, appearing as His own worshiper. He is the combined form of Krishna and Krishna's most dear devotee, Srimati Radharani. He came to experience the love She feels for Him, and to show by example how to fully surrender to Krishna. He exhibited symptoms of love of God to the highest degree, and emphasized chanting the holy names of Krishna as the best means to attain love of God.

Lord Chaitanya was born on February 27, 1486 AD. Lord Chaitanya was born in Navadvipa,West Bengal, India, a large city straddling both sides of the Ganga. Navadvipa was famous during Lord Chaitanya’s time as a center of learning and culture. At Lord Chaitanya’s birth, which fell on the full- moon night of the Bengali month of Phalguna, there was a lunar eclipse. As was the custom on such occasions, the people of Navadvipa gathered at the Ganga to purify themselves by bathing and chanting the names of God. Thus Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born amid the loud chanting of the Lord’s names.

Because astrologers predicted that He would manifest superhuman qualities and deliver the world, His parents, Jagannatha Mishra and Sachidevi, gave Him the name Vishvambhara, or “support of the universe.” And because He was born under a nima tree, He was given the nickname Nimai.

When the Lord was offered solid food at the age of six months in the anna-prāśana ceremony, the Lord indicated His future activities. At this time it was customary to offer the child both coins and books in order to get some indication of the future tendencies of the child. The Lord was offered on one side coins and on the other the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Lord accepted the Bhāgavatam instead of the coins.

When He was a mere baby crawling in the yard, one day a snake appeared before Him, and the Lord began to play with it. All the members of the house were struck with fear and awe, but after a little while the snake went away, and the baby was taken away by His mother. Once He was stolen by a thief who intended to steal His ornaments, but the Lord took a pleasure trip on the shoulder of the bewildered thief, who was searching for a solitary place in order to rob the baby. It so happened that the thief, wandering hither and thither, finally arrived just before the house of Jagannātha Miśra and, being afraid of being caught, dropped the baby at once. Of course the anxious parents and relatives were glad to see the lost child.

Once a pilgrim brāhmaṇa was received at the house of Jagannātha Miśra, and when he was offering food to the Godhead, the Lord appeared before him and partook of the prepared food. The eatables had to be rejected because the child touched them, and so the brāhmaṇa had to make another preparation. The next time the same thing happened, and when this happened repeatedly for the third time, the baby was finally put to bed. At about twelve at night when all the members of the house were fast asleep within their closed rooms, the pilgrim brāhmaṇa offered his specially prepared foods to the Deity, and, in the same way, the baby Lord appeared before the pilgrim and spoiled his offerings. The brāhmaṇa then began to cry, but since everyone was fast asleep, no one could hear him. At that time the baby Lord appeared before the fortunate brāhmaṇa and disclosed His identity as Kṛṣṇa Himself. The brāhmaṇa was forbidden to disclose this incident, and the baby returned to the lap of His mother.

There are many similar incidents in His childhood. As a naughty boy He sometimes used to tease the orthodox brāhmaṇas who used to bathe in the Ganges. When the brāhmaṇas complained to His father that He was splashing them with water instead of attending school, the Lord suddenly appeared before His father as though just coming from school with all His school clothes and books. At the bathing ghāṭa He also used to play jokes on the neighboring girls who engaged in worshiping Lord Shiv in hopes of getting good husbands. This is a common practice amongst unmarried girls in Hindu families. While they were engaged in such worship, the Lord naughtily appeared before them and said, "My dear sisters, please give Me all the offerings you have just brought for Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva and  are My devotees. If you worship Me, then Lord Shiva and all the other demigods will be more satisfied." Some of them refused to obey the naughty Lord, and He would curse them that due to their refusal they would be married to old men who had seven children by their previous wives. Out of fear and sometimes out of love the girls would also offer Him various goods, and then the Lord would bless them and assure them that they would have very good young husbands and that they would be mothers of dozens of children. The blessings would enliven the girls, but they used often to complain of these incidents to their mothers.

Source from : http://vedic-stories.blogspot.in/2012/03/lord-sri-chaitanya-mahaprabhu-part-1-on.html

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THE GLORIES OF SRILA HARIDASA THAKURA

          The Glories of Srila Haridasa Thakura

HARIDASA THAKUR murti at Benapol in Bangladesh

Srila Haridasa Thakura was born in a village called Budhana,, in the present district of Sat-kira, which was previously a sub-division of Khulna, now in Bangladesh. He is an eternally liberated associate of the Lord. The associates of the Lord are worshippable wherever they make their appearance. Just as Prahlada Maharaja appeared in a family of demons and Hanuman appeared as a monkey, Haridas Thakur appeared in a family of Muslims (Mohammedans). From his very birth he was very deeply devoted to the Holy Names of Sri Krishna. After remaining at his village for some years, he left his village and travelled to a place near the River Ganga. He finally settled in the village of Phuliya near Santipura,West Bengal. Srila Haridasa Thakura passed his time wandering upon the banks of the Ganga, chanting the name of the Supreme Lord Krsna.

Haridasa had absolutely no attraction for material enjoyment. The Holy Name of Lord Krsna continuously vibrated on his tongue, creating an extraordinary beauty. Never for a moment, did he feel any apathy towards his chanting of the Holy Name of Krsna, He remained always absorbed, tasting the nectar of devotional service.

He occasionally danced in ecstasy or cried in lamentation while at other times he lay still in a state of unconsciousness. Sometimes, he spoke in mysterious languages, and later explained the meaning of his words. All the ecstatic symptoms of love of Krsna were manifest in him . It was common to see Srila Dasa Thakura dancing while he sang out the glories of Lord Krsna's name.

In the village of Phuliya, even the ritualistic Brahmins were sincerely impressed if not astonished by Srila Dasa Thakura's spiritual ecstasies. The people of the village held the saint in full respect, and having won their trust, he lived there quite peacefully. He bathed daily in the Ganga and roamed freely, chanting the Lord's Holy Name.

The local Muslim magistrate authority known as the Kazi became envious of Haridasa Thakura's popularity and reported to the Nawab, "This man is acting like a Hindu. Arrest him and punish him appropriately!" The envious words of the sinful Kazi sparked an immediate response from the equally sinful Nawab, and Haridasa Thakura was arrested and brought forth. Having received the mercy of Lord Krsna, Haridasa had neither fear of the Muslim authorities, nor even of death itself. With the name of the Lord on his lips, Haridasa appeared before the Nawab.

Haridas Thakur on trial 

When devotees and other pious persons in the locality of the Nawab's palace heard that the saint Haridasa was coming, they were extremely happy, but when they subsequently learned that he was coming as a captive of the Muslim ruler, they were horrified. Previously, many religious people had been terrorized and incarcerated by the Muslims . These prisoners were happy to learn that Haridasa might be joining them. His presence in their miserable situation would certainly eradicate their suffering. The prisoners even requested the prison wardens to allow them unrestricted association with Srila Haridasa.

When Srila Thakura was brought into the prison, he looked compassionately at all the prisoners who immediately prostrated themselves at his lotus feet. His long graceful arms, which extended to his knees, his lotus eyes, and his charming moon-like face, enchanted everyone. They offered their most sincere respects to the saint, and love for Krsna stirred in their hearts. Srila Haridasa Thakura was pleased with the tremendous devotion that had grown in the hearts of the prisoners and he blessed them, "Just remain as you are." However, the miserable prisoners could not grasp the depth of that blessing and they felt quite dejected.Haridasa could see their misunderstanding and compassionately explained himself, "My blessing to you is that you will remain as you are, but please do not feel dejected. I could never wish you any misfortune. I simply desire that the love you now feel for Krsna should always remain the same. From now on, chant Lord Krsna's name and constantly remember His pastimes, inspiring one another to retain your present devotion to Krsna. When you are released from this prison do not return to your old materialistic ways nor associate with degraded or sinful people because one can never cultivate love for the Supreme Lord Krishna by living a mundane life. Having showered his unrestricted mercy upon the prisoners, Haridasa went before the Nawab.

Because of his purity, Srila Haridasa Thakura radiated a certain effulgence which the Nawab could not fail to notice. He rose respectfully when Haridasa entered and offered the saint a seat. Although he himself had become quite confused, the Nawab asked Haridasa, "What sort of mentality has overcome you? Knowing you have the good fortune to become a Muslim, why do you behave like a Hindu? I have decided to punish you according to the mandates of the Koran so that you will be freed from your sins."

Without any apprehension, Haridasa simply smiled at the Nawab and spoke in a sweet, soothing voice, "My dear Sir, there is only one God for all living entities. The difference between the Moslem god and the Hindu God is in name only. According to knowledgeable Hindus and Muslims, and according to every scriptures, be it Koran or Puran, God is one. He resides in everyone's heart."

"The omnipotent Lord is the supreme controller of everything. The living entity is moved by the desire of the Supreme Lord, and he acts and works only according to the Lord's design. Whatever you see of my activities and me are manifestations of the Lord who guides me from within. A person may be born in a family of brahmanas, but he may become a Muslim. What should the Hindus do with such a person? Should He be punished? Is he not only acting in accordance with the inner prompting of the Lord for the fulfillment of his personal desires -- and will he not eventually receive his results accordingly? What is the use of killing someone who is already dead? My dear respected Sir, please consider these points seriously, and if you still find me guilty, then punish me."

The Muslim courtiers were sincerely moved by the purity of Haridasa Thakura's words and presence. However, his wisdom could not penetrate the envious and sinful heart of the Kazi who turned to the Nawab and instructed, "You must punish this man. He is evil and mischievous. Others will fall under his influence and become equally sinful. He will disgrace our Muslim religion and community. Therefore, he must be appropriately punished. However, if he wants to be excused, then let him speak from his own scripture."

The Nawab tried again, "Just give up this chanting and say the Kalma (prayer of the Mohammedans)."
"Whatever the Supreme Lord desires is destined to happen, no one can check it," replied Haridasa. "Each one of us suffers according to the degree of his previous offences. Even if my body is cut into pieces and I loose my life, I will never give up chanting the Lord's Holy Name."

The Nawab heard the fearless reply of Srila Haridasa Thakura and turned to the Kazi, "Now what is your decision about him?"

"Beat him in twenty-two market places until he dies," replied the envious Kazi. "There is no other judgment I find appropriate. If he lives despite the punishment, then I will conclude that our big scholar has spoken the truth."

The sentries were called in and the orders boomed out, "Beat him until he breathes his last breath! The sin a Muslim incurs by becoming a Hindu can only be punished by death!"

Srila Haridasa was dragged away by the sentries. From one market place to another, they beat him mercilessly, their black hearts consumed by hate for the pure devotee of the Lord. Nonetheless, Haridasa was a pure soul, completely surrendered to the Supreme Lord, so he faithfully chanted Lord Krsna's Holy Name. So absorbed was he in fervent chanting, that he did not feel any pain.

The good-hearted and pious people could not bear to see the torture inflicted on such an innocent person. Some begged the sentries to stop while others predicted, "If they continue to torture this good man, the entire kingdom will be ruined." Many of them cursed the king to die, while some tried to stop the sentries physically. One person threw himself at the feet of the sentries and pleaded, "I will give you any reward you like if you stop this merciless beating." However, none of these protests evoked the slightest mercy from the sentries who continued to drag Srila Haridasa Thakura from one market place to another, lashing him relentlessly.

By the grace of Lord Krsna, Haridasa felt no pain in his body. Just like Prahlada in the Srimad Bhagavatam who was tortured by demons, Haridasa never suffered at all. Not only was Haridasa freed from his pain, whosoever remembers this story of Srila Haridasa will also be saved from the miseries of life. Throughout his ordeal, Haridasa's one emotion was pity for the sentries. "O Lord Krsna, please be merciful upon these poor souls, so they may not be punished because of me."

Nonetheless, nothing could stop the insensitive sentries who were determined to see their assignment through to its deathly end. Yet, for all their beating, Haridasa showed no signs of distress, as he was absorbed in remembering the Holy Name of Lord Krsna. At last, the guards had to stop in amazement. "How can a human being survive such a brutal beating? Any ordinary man would have died after the beating we gave in the first two or three market places. We have lashed him continuously through twenty-two market places and he still shows no sign of either pain or death. Occasionally, he looks up to smile at us." They concluded that he must surely be a saintly person.

"Oh Haridasa," they pleaded. "On account of you, we shall certainly be punished. When the Kazi sees that despite our beating you are still alive, he shall certainly kill us instead."

"If my survival brings such terrible misfortune to you," replied Haridasa, "then I shall definitely give up my body. Just see how I die."

Srila Dasa Thakura immediately fell into trance (समाधी). A pure devotee of the Supreme Lord possesses all mystic power(सिद्धियाँ) so without any hesitation, Srila Haridasa fell lifeless, without a trace of breath. The Muslim sentries were astonished, but gladly brought the body of Srila Haridasa to the Nawab. When the Nawab ordered the sentries to bury him, the Kazi protested, "No, if he is buried, he will be saved and ultimately gain entrance into heaven. Although he had achieved high birth as a Muslim, he has behaved like a low Hindu; therefore, it is proper for him to be thrown into the Ganga to suffer eternally like the other lost Hindus. If he were buried, he would become elevated and freed from his sins."

On the Kazi's order, the sentries picked up the body of Haridasa Thakura and carried him to the Ganga. Haridasa remained in his deathly trance, meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The spirit of the Lord Krsna then descended into the body of Srila Thakura and he became so heavy that it was impossible to move him. The strongest sentries came forward to push him into the waters, but he remained in deep trance and could not be moved. Haridasa had already drowned in the ocean of love of Lord Krsna, and he had no perception of the world around him. He knew not if he were still embodied, or wandering somewhere in the universe, or deep in the water of the Ganga. Just like Prahlada Maharaja, Haridasa Thakura had the spiritual ability to constantly remember the Supreme Lord. Such an extraordinary capability was not surprising for Haridasa's heart was the permanent residence of Lord Krishna.

This entire episode with Srila Haridasa Thakura is a replication of the heroic activities of Sri Hanuman in Sri Lanka. Indrajit, Ravana's son, had sent the brahmastra, a weapon given to him by Lord Brahma, to capture Hanuman. Hanuman could easily have escaped it, but to show respect to the potency of Lord Brahma, Hanuman allowed himself to be bound by the brahmastra. Similarly, Srila Haridasa Thakura could have escaped the punishment of the Muslim, but by allowing them to torture him, he taught the world a lesson: Despite the extreme miseries of life, one must never stop chanting the name of Krsna.
Haridasa floated downstream on the currents of the Ganga, and after some time he became conscious, by the Lord's desire. Fully awakened and overwhelmed with ecstasy, he climbed the bank of the Ganga and proceeded toward Phuliya, loudly chanting the name of Krsna as he walked. When the Muslim saw Srila Haridasa, they were convinced that he possessed extraordinary mystic powers. Pure, happy feelings replaced the envy and hate in their hearts. They offered him obeisances, worshiping him as a very saintly person. By this worship, the Muslim became free from material entanglement.

Later, in the presence of the Nawab, Haridasa smiled compassionately at the Muslim ruler who stood remorsefully with folded hands, feeling great awe and reverence. In a humble and meek voice, the Nawab said, "I can now understand that you are truly a saintly person. You have realized the Absolute Truth, and you have seen the one Supreme Lord everywhere and in everyone. You are a perfected soul and have actually attained absolute knowledge and liberation -- of which the mystic yogis and philosophers falsely and proudly boast. I have come just to see you, simply to beg forgiveness. Kindly forgive me for the offenses, I have committed against you. Since you see everyone equally, you have neither friends nor enemies. However, please be merciful upon those of us who have committed this great offense against you."

Everyone automatically forgets about mundane life when he sees the lotus feet of Srila Haridasa Thakura. The Muslims had been angry enough to kill him, yet they were transformed and they worshiped his feet, accepting him as a holy man. After forgiving and blessing them, Haridasa went to Phuliya.

After sometime, Srila Haridasa calmed himself and spoke to the brahmanas who sat around him, "My dear brahmana friends, do not feel sad because of what happened to me. This punishment was certainly due me. I stood in the court and listened to the Muslim blaspheme my Lord -- for this the Lord has punished me suitably. I am actually very happy because my punishment should have been more severe. The Lord has let me off very lightly. One goes to hell if he hears blasphemy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. My sinful ears were filled with such blasphemy and the Lord has given me the proper punishment, so that I may never commit this offence again."

References: Chaitanya Bhagavat (Adi leela -16th chapter)

                                                                 Poisonous Snake
                                                                 ***************

Srila Haridasa passed his time relishing the nectar of the Holy Name and giving his enlightening association to the brahmanas. Those Muslims, who had tortured Dasa Thakura, and their families as well, were all eventually destroyed. Haridasa left the village and moved into a cave on the banks of the River Ganga, where he maintained himself on the sweetness of the Holy Name and the memory of the pastimes of the Supreme Lord.

Daily, he chanted a minimum of 300,000 names (192 rounds of japa mala) of Krsna. He was chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra namely

By the influence of the transcendental sound of the Holy Name and the holy presence of Srila Haridasa Thakura, the cave was transformed into a Vaikuntha planet of the spiritual sky.

In Haridasa's cave lived a large and poisonous snake that emitted such strong vapours that not a soul could remain in the cave for more than a moment. People from the village came every day to visit Haridasa, but they could not stay long enough to speak with him. Although the visitors were all driven away by the poisonous air, Haridasa was completely oblivious to the presence of the snake.

The brahmanas consulted one another about the foul air in the cave and then discussed the matter with some ayurvedic physicians in Phuliya. After some research, they determined that a poisonous snake had indeed built its home within Haridasa's cave. The physicians felt strongly that Haridasa should vacate his cave, for living with such a snake was improper. They joined the brahmanas and approached Haridasa to explain the situation. "On account of the vapours from a poisonous snake living within your cave, no one can remain here," they explained. "You should also vacate this place and find a more suitable cave to live in."

"I have been living in this cave for a long time, and I have never been inconvenienced by the vapours you speak of," replied Haridasa. "However, if none of you can remain within the cave and it causes you such distress, then I shall leave here tomorrow. If it is true that a snake lives here, and if he does not leave by tomorrow, then I shall certainly go. I can assure you that one of us will leave this cave by tomorrow. Please do not worry about this problem any longer. I am concerned that all of you not waste your time in futile, mundane talks. Every moment should be utilized discussing topics of Krsna consciousness."

In the course of this discussion, a miracle occurred. Evening had gradually descended around the Haridasa and brahmanas, when the snake slithered out of its hole. Its huge, frightening body, crossed with effulgent red, yellow and blue stripes and crowned with a brilliant gem, slid quietly past the brahmanas and left the cave forever.

Its appearance was both awesome and attractive, and as it slithered past, the brahmanas remembered Krsna as their only shelter. After the snake left, the burning sensation from the poisonous air also vanished and all the brahmanas were satisfied. Their faith in the extraordinary spiritual potency of Haridasa Thakura swelled for they understood that the snake had left because of Haridasa's assurance to the visitors. Simply the sight of Haridasa dissipates one's innate nescience and material entanglements. Out of His love for Haridasa, the Supreme Lord never minimizes or neglects Haridasa's words.

Once in a village named Harinadi, an arrogant brahmana offended Srila Haridasa. He shouted angrily, "Oh Haridasa, why do you behave like this? Why must you chant so loudly? The actual injunction is to chant softly in your mind. Which scripture instructs you to chant loudly? Who has taught you this type of religious practice? Here is an assembly of scholars, you can ask them about the correct method of worship."

In reply Haridasa Thakura told him, “The birds, beasts and insects cannot chant themselves, but if they get to hear Hari Nama then they also become delivered. If one chants only to himself then he delivers only himself, but if one chants loudly, the benefit is a hundred times greater. This is the conclusion of the scriptures.” [C. B. Adi 16.180]

Hearing this objective statement of Haridasa Thakura that sinful brahmana couldn’t tolerate it and exclaimed, “In Kali yuga sudras will recite the shastras, now I am seeing this with my own eyes.” In answer to this personal insult delivered by that miscreant brahmana, Haridasa Thakura simply silently walked out of that assembly. Within a few days that brahmana contracted ulcerous leprosy. The result of Vaishnava aparadha became immediately manifest. In Kali yuga, Raksasas take birth in brahmana families in order to give trouble to the honest, virtuous people. [C.B. Adi 16.300]

                                                          Deliverance of a Prostitute
                                                                ***********************
After leaving his home Haridasa Thakura stayed for some time in the forest of Benapola. He constructed a cottage in the forest. Outside the cottage he planted a tulasi plant [a holy plant worshipped by devotees of Krishna] and he would chant the holy name of Krishna 300,000 times daily in front of tulasi. He chanted throughout the entire day and night. For his bodily maintenance he would go to a brahmana’s [priest's] house and beg some food. He was so spiritually pure that all the neighbouring people worshipped him.

The ruler of that district was Ramacandra Khan, he was envious of devotees of Krishna and therefore a great atheist. Unable to tolerate the respect being offered to Haridasa Thakura he made plans to dishonour him. He could not, however, find any fault in the character of Haridasa Thakura.

Finally he called all the local prostitutes together and said to them, “There is a devotee named Haridasa Thakura in the forest. All of you devise a way to deviate him from his religious vows.”

Out of all the prostitutes there was one very attractive young girl and she promised, “I shall attract the mind of Haridasa Thakura within three days.” Ramacandra Khan said, “Very good. I shall send my constable with you and when he sees you with Haridasa Thakura he will immediately arrest him and bring both of you to me.” The prostitute replied, “First let me have union with him once, then the second time I shall take your constable with me to arrest him.”

That night the prostitute, after dressing herself most attractively, went to the cottage of Haridasa Thakura with great pleasure. When she arrived she bowed down and offered prayers to the tulasi plant, then she went to the door of the cottage and offered obeisances [bowed down before] Haridasa Thakura.

She exposed part of her body to his view and sat down at his doorstep. She spoke to him in very sweet words, “My dear Thakura, O great preacher, great devotee, you are so beautifully built and your youth is just beginning. What woman could control her mind after seeing you? I am so eager to be united with you. My mind is greedy for this. If I don’t obtain you I shall die.”

Haridasa Thakur & the prostitute

Haridasa Thakura replied, “I shall accept you without fail but you will have to wait until I finish chanting Hare Krishna on my beads. Until I do please sit down here and listen to the chanting of the holy name. As soon as I am finished I shall fulfil your desire.”

Hearing this the prostitute remained sitting there while Haridasa Thakura chanted on his beads until the light of morning appeared. When she saw it was morning she stood up and left. She went to Ramacandra Khan and said, “Today Haridasa Thakura has promised to enjoy with me. Tomorrow certainly I shall have union with him.”

The next evening the prostitute returned to Haridasa Thakura’s cottage and he gave her many assurances. He said, “Last night you were disappointed. Please excuse my offence. I shall certainly accept you. Please sit down here and hear the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra until my regular chanting is finished. Then your desire will surely be fulfilled. After offering obeisances to the tulasi plant and Haridasa Thakura she sat down at the door. Hearing Haridasa Thakura chanting the Hare Krishna mantra she also chanted, “O my Lord Hari, O my Lord Hari”.

When the night came to an end the prostitute was restless. When Haridasa Thakura saw this he said, “I have made a vow to chant ten million names of Krishna this month. I have taken this vow but now the month is nearing it’s end. I thought today I would be able to finish. I tried my best to chant Hare Krishna all night but still I have not finished. Tomorrow I will surely finish and my vow will be fulfilled. ”

Haridasa Thakura didn’t want to enjoy with the prostitute, he simply tricked her to give her the chance to hear the holy name while he chanted. Pure devotees chant Hare Krishna and simply by hearing this chanting from a purified transcendental person one becomes free of all sinful activities, no matter how sinful one may be.

The prostitute then returned to Ramacandra Khan and informed him of what had happened. The next night she went earlier, at the beginning of the evening, and stayed with Haridasa Thakura. After offering obeisances to the tulasi plant and Haridasa Thakura she sat on the doorstep. As she heard Haridasa Thakura’s chanting she also personally chanted “Hari, Hari.”

“Today it will be possible for me to finish my vow of chanting ten million names of Krishna this month,” Haridasa Thakura informed her. “Then I will satisfy all your desires.”

The morning came and Haridasa Thakura was still chanting but because of his association the prostitute’s mind had changed. She fell at his lotus feet and confessed Ramacandra Khan had sent her to him to pollute him. “Because I have taken the profession of a prostitute,” she said, “I have performed unlimited sinful acts. My lord, be merciful to me. Deliver my fallen soul.” Haridasa Thakura replied, “I know everything about the conspiracy of Ramacandra Khan. He is nothing but an ignorant fool. Therefore his activities do not make me feel unhappy. I would have left this place immediately when I understood he was planning this intrigue against me but because you came here I stayed here to deliver you.”

The prostitute replied, “Kindly act as my spiritual master. Instruct me in my duty so I can become free from material existence.” Haridasa Thakura said, “Immediately go home and distribute whatever property you have to the brahmanas. Then come back to this cottage and stay here forever in Krishna consciousness. Chant the Hare Krishna mantra continuously and serve the tulasi plant by watering her and offering prayers to her. In this way you will very soon achieve the shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna.” After giving the prostitute these instructions Haridasa Thakura stood up and left that place continuously chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.”

HARIDASA THAKUR and the prostitute

Soon after this the prostitute distributed whatever household possessions she had to the brahmanas in accordance with her spiritual masters order. She shaved her head clean and stayed within that cottage in the forest wearing only one cloth. Following in the footsteps of her spiritual master she began chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra 300,000 times daily. She chanted for the whole day and night. She worshipped the tulasi plant and instead of eating regularly she chewed whatever food she received as alms. If nothing was supplied she would fast. Thus by eating little and fasting she conquered her senses. As soon as she controlled her senses the symptoms of love of God appeared in her person. In this way the prostitute became a famous devotee. She became very advanced in spiritual life and many great devotees would visit her. When people saw her sublime character they were astonished. Everyone praised the influence of Haridasa Thakura and offered him obeisances.

                                                 Last Days of Srila Haridasa Thakur
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Thakura Haridasa was present during most of the Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes in Nadia, and when the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to Jagannatha Puri, Haridasa also went and took up residence there. Everyday, after attending Lord Jagannath’s mangal arati, Lord Caitanya would come to see Haridasa Thakura and would bring him some of Lord Jagannath’s prasadam. When Sri Sanatana Goswami and Sri Rupa Goswami would come from Vrindavana to Puri they used to stay with Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa, in order to maintain the etiquette, would not go near Lord Jagannatha’s temple but would offer his obeisances to the Cakra on top of the temple, from a distance.  As he was considered to be a Mohammedan by birth, his presence in the temple would be objectionable to those who were caste conscious.

JAGANNATHA Puri Temple-NILACHAKRA

While seeing Lord Caitanya's lotus face, holding His feet upon his chest, and chanting Sri Krishna Caitanya, Haridasa left the world. Lord Caitanya personally carried the body of Haridasa to the sea. And with His own hands buried him in the sand. Then Mahaprabhu begged alms for a festival to honor Haridasa Thakura's departure.  Lord Caitanya paid tribute to this pure devotee:

"Let us all sing the glories of Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa was the crest-jewel of the world. By his death the earth has lost its treasure. Out of His great mercy Krishna had given Me his as­sociation. And now He has taken him away. When Haridasa himself wished to leave the world I could not hold him back. Just like Bhismadeva, Haridasa gave up his life at his own will." (Caitanya-caritamrta Antya 11.93-98.)

Lord Chaitanya Burying Haridasa Thakur

The samadhi of Haridasa Thakura is located by the sea in Jagannatha Puri.

Sri Namacharya Srila Thakura Haridasa ki Jai! 

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Source : http://vedic-stories.blogspot.in/2012/04/glories-of-srila-haridasa-thakur-ii.html


Samadhi of Haridasa Thakura

Srila Haridasa Thakura Samadhi is located on the oceanfront in the area of Svargadvara opposite to ISKCON temple (Bhakti Kuti). At time of Mahaprabhu it was just sandy beach. Here Lord Caitanya put the body of Srila Haridasa Thakura into Samadhi with His own hands.The actual Samadhi in courtyard as a small tomb.
Towards the west of the Samadhi there are three alter where the deities of Lord Gauranga, Lord Nityananda and Sri Advaita Acharya are worshipped. After the disappearance of Srila Haridasa Thakura, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu would come daily after taking bath in the ocean, offer Prasada to Harida Thakura Samadhi, and do Nama Bhajana for some time. Thus all the deities in the sitting posture and doing Nama Bhajana.

Preparation before Samadhi of Haridasa Thakura

Lord Chaitanya burying Haridasa Thakura

Samadhi mandira - Haridasa Thakur

Samadhi Mandira-Haridasa Thakura-Puri

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