THE PASSING OF HARIDASA THAKURA

Narration:- All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all glories to Lord Nityananda, all glories to Advaita Prabhu and all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya!

During His Antya-lila, Lord Caitanya resided at Jagannath Puri with His personal devotees and enjoyed the congreagational chanting of the Hare Krsna

maha-mantra. In the daytime He chanted, danced and visited the temple of Lord Jagannath. One day, Govinda, the Lords personal servant, went in great jubilation to deliever the remnants of Lord Jagannaths food to Srila Haridasa Thakura.

SCENE ONE

Govinda: Please rise and take your maha-prasada.

Haridasa: Today I shall fast. I have not yet finished my rounds. How then can I eat? But you have brought maha-prasada, so how can I neglect it?

(Haridasa offers prayers and respects a morsel of prasada. Enter Lord Caitanya) Lord Caitanya: Haridasa, are you well?

Haridasa: My body is well, but my mind and intelligence are not.

Lord Caitanya: Tell Me, what is your disease?

Haridasa: My disease is that I cannot finished my rounds.

Lord Caitanya: Now that you are old, you may reduce the number of rounds that you chant. You are already liberated and therefore you need not follow the regulative principle so strictly.

Haridasa: Dear Lord Gauranga, kindly hear my real plea. I was born into a most degraded family, indeed I am both unseeable and untouchable, but You have accepted me as Your servant. You have delivered me from a hellish condition and raised me to Vaikuntha platform. My dear Lord, I have had one desire for a very long time. I think that quite soon You will bring to a close Your pastimes within this material world. I wish that You do not show me this closing chapter of Your patimes. Before that time comes, kindly let my body fall down in Your presence. I wish to catch Your lotus-like feet and see Your moon-like face. With my tonque I shall chant Your holy name "Sri Krsna Caitanya!" O most merciful Lord, if buy Your mercy it is posible kindly let me give up my body in this way.

Lord Caitanya: My dear Haridasa, Krsna is so merciful that He must execute whatever you desire. But whatever happiness is Mine is due only to your association. It is not fitting for you to go away and leave me aside.

Haridasa: My Lord! Do not create this illusion! Although I am so fallen you must certainly show me this mercy. If an insignificant insect like myself dies what is the loss? My Lord, You are always affactionate towards your devotees, and even though I am an imitation devotee, I pray that You will fulfill my desire.

Lord Caitanya: It is now time for My noon duties. I will return tomorrow after taking darsan of Lord Jagannath.

(Lord Caitanya embraced Haridasa and then leaves. Cuirtain.)

SCENE TWO

(Enter Lord Caitanya with His devotees chanting and dancing. The chanting devotees circumambulate Haridasa and after a short time the kirtan stops

and Lord Caitanya sits down, surrounded by the devotees and with Haridasa at His feet.)

Lord Caitanya: Haridasa, what is the news?

Haridasa: My Lord, whatever mercy You can bestow upon me.

Lord Caitanya: Just see the super-excellent devotional qualities of Haridasa Thakura. Due to his great humility, he will not enter the temple of Lord Jagannath for fear of creating a disturbance. Instead he remains here in the flower-garden, and from this humble abode he looks upon the cakra on top of Lord Jagannaths temple, and offers his obeisances from afar. In this way he lives He worships Srimati Tulasi Devi, accepts a little of the Lords maha-prasada and chants the holy name of the Lord 300 000 times every day without fail! Who can imitate such a thing? He is the namacarya, without doubt, and has been personally sent by the Supreme Lord to deliver the fallen souls of Kali yuga. His chanting is pure and offenseless, thus he is always relishing the nectar of pure love of Godhead. Haridasa is like a touch-stone, for anyone who is fortunate enough to get his association will very quickly attain the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. Once, the envious Ramacadra Khan sent a prostitute to try and dishonour his character. But she could not affect him. Instead she became affected by his pure chanting, and was blessed with the Lords devotional service! Why, even Mayadevi herself could not disturb the mind of Thakura Haridasa, which is constantly absorbed in thoughts of Sri Govinda. Because the holy name is always on his lips, he remains always meek and humble - thus he has achieved the causeless mercy of the Lord. The waves of his good qualities are like those of the great mahajanas - indeed, he is none other than Prahlada Maharaja himself! His quality of forebearance is truly remarkable. The Mohammedan king had him beaten with canes in twenty-two market places, but Haridasa did not even blink an eyelid! And who can forget his ecstatic dancing at the Lords Rathayatra festival, which went for hours and

hours and filled the hearts of devotees with great wonder.

My dear Haridasa, there is no end to your thranscendental qualities. You are certainly the topmost devotee of the Lord, and you are very dear to Me, remaining always in My heart. Sri Haridasa Thakura ki jai!!!

Narration: Haridasa Thakura made Sri Caitanya sit down in front of him. He fixed his eyes like two bumble-bees on the lotus face of the Lord and held the lotus feet of the Lord on his heart. Then, taking the dust of the feet of all the devotees present, and putting it on his head, he began to chant the holy name of Sri Krsna Caitanya, again and again. As he drunk the sweetness of the face of the Lord, tears constantly glided down from his eyes. In this way he gave up his life-air and left his body.

Assambled devotees: Hari! Hari! Jai Sri Krsna! Haribol!

Lord Caitanya (holding the body of Haridasa Thakura in his arms): Being merciful upon Me, Krsna gave Me the association of Haridasa Thakura. Being independent in His desires, the Lord has now broken that association. Whn Haridasa wanted to leave this material world it was not in My power to detain him. Simply by own will he gave up his life exactly like Bhisma. Haridasa Thakura was the crown-jewel on the head of this world; without him this world is now bereft of its most valuable gem. Anyone who has seen the festival of Sri Haridasa Thakuras passing away will achieve the favour of Krsna very soon. Such is the wonderful power in seeing Haridasa Thakura. Namacarya Srila Haridasa Thakura Ki Jai!!!