Namacarya Haridas Thakur
Haridāsa Ṭhākura, being the ācārya of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, is called Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. From his personal example we can understand that chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and becoming highly elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very simple. Without difficulty one can sit down anywhere, especially on the bank of the Ganges, Yamunā or any other sacred river, devise a sitting place or cottage, plant a tulasī tree, and before the tulasī chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra undisturbed.
(CC Antya 3.100 purport)
The famous example of this was presented by Lord Caitanya, who accepted Ṭhākura Haridāsa as one of His most important disciples. Although Ṭhākura Haridāsa happened to take his birth in a Muslim family, he was elevated to the post of nāmācārya by Lord Caitanya due to his rigidly attended principle of chanting three hundred thousand holy names of the Lord daily: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And because he chanted the holy name of the Lord constantly, it is understood that in his previous life he must have passed through all the ritualistic methods of the Vedas, known as śabda-brahma.
(BG 6.44 purport)
The twentieth branch of the Caitanya tree was Haridāsa Ṭhākura. His character was wonderful. He used to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa 300,000 times a day without fail.
PURPORT
Certainly the chanting of 300,000 holy names of the Lord is wonderful. No ordinary person can chant so many names, nor should one artificially imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s behavior. It is essential, however, that everyone fulfill a specific vow to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore we have prescribed in our Society that all our students must chant at least sixteen rounds daily. Such chanting must be offenseless in order to be of high quality. Mechanical chanting is not as powerful as chanting of the holy name without offenses. It is stated in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Adi-khaṇḍa, Chapter Two, that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was born in a village known as Buḍhana but after some time came to live on the bank of the Ganges at Phuliyā, near Śāntipura. From the description of his chastisement by a Muslim magistrate, which is found in the Sixteenth Chapter of the Ādi-khaṇḍa of Caitanya-bhāgavata, we can understand how humble and meek Haridāsa Ṭhākura was and how he achieved the causeless mercy of the Lord. In the dramas performed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Haridāsa Ṭhākura played the part of a police chief. While chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in Benāpola, he was personally tested by Māyādevī herself. Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s passing away is described in the Antya-līlā of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Eleventh Chapter. It is not definitely certain whether Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura appeared in the village named Buḍhana that is in the district of Khulnā. Formerly this village was within a district of twenty-four pargaṇas within the Sātakṣīrā division.
(CC Adi 10.43)
Haridāsa Ṭhākura was the crown jewel on the head of this world; without him, this world is now bereft of its valuable jewel.
(CC Antya 11.97)
Herein we find that Haridāsa Ṭhākura strictly followed his regulative principle of chanting 300,000 names. Thus when the prostitute became restless, he informed her that first he had to finish his chanting and then he would be able to satisfy her. Actually Haridāsa Ṭhākura chanted the holy name of the Lord for three nights continuously and gave the prostitute a chance to hear him. Thus she became purified, as will be seen in the following verses.
(CC Antya 3.124, Purport)
The prostitute shaved her head clean in accordance with Vaiṣṇava principles and stayed in that room wearing only one cloth. Following in the footsteps of her spiritual master, she began chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa 300,000 times a day. She chanted throughout the entire day and night.
(CC Antya 3.140)
After offering obeisances to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the woman said, “I am the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I came here to test you.
(CC Antya 3.250)
“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” This was actually proved by the behavior of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Māyā enchants the entire world. Indeed, people have forgotten the ultimate goal of life because of the dazzling attractions of the material world. But this dazzling attraction, especially the attractive beauty of a woman, is meant for persons who are not surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord says, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: (BG 7.14) “One who is surrendered unto Me cannot be conquered by the illusory energy.” The illusory energy personally came to test Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but herein she admits her defeat, for she was unable to captivate him. How is this possible? It was because Haridāsa Ṭhākura, fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, was always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa by chanting the holy names of the Lord 300,000 times daily as a vow.
(CC Antya 3.250 purport)
The mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for which He has descended as an incarnation, is to spread the importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord. Now instead of personally doing so, He is spreading it through you. My dear sir, you are chanting the holy name 300,000 times daily and informing everyone of the importance of such chanting. Some behave very well but do not preach the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas others preach but do not behave properly. You simultaneously perform both duties in relation to the holy name by your personal behavior and by your preaching. Therefore you are the spiritual master of the entire world, for you are the most advanced devotee in the world.”
(CC Antya 4.100 – 4.103)
This is the recommendation of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, that if we chant loudly, the trees will hear, the birds will hear, the insect will hear, and they will be liberated. That is the statement of Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Therefore chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and awakening of dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the auspicious activities, welfare activities, for every living entity all over the world.
(721108 – Lecture NOD – Vrndavana)
You’ll be surprised to know that Haridāsa Ṭhākura . . . we always glorify him after our kīrtana, “Haridāsa Ṭhākura ki jaya. ” This Haridāsa Ṭhākura, how he was undisturbed. There are many instances. Lord Jesus Christ, he was also undisturbed when he was being crucified. So similarly, this Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he happened to be a Muhammadan and he joined this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. So the Muhammadan magistrate called him, “Oh, you are born in such a nice family and you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Hindu? You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hindu’s name? Then what is your explanation?” So Haridāsa Ṭhākura was . . . he could understand that he is now in dangerous position. So he replied, “Sir, many Hindus also have become Muhammadan. So if some Muhammadan becomes Hindu, what is the harm?” “Oh, you are arguing?” Means he was to be punished. Give the dog a bad name and hang it.
So he was ordered that this man should be caned. And in, at that time Navadvīpa had twenty-two marketplaces. So in each marketplace he should be taken and in the public he should be flogged. So that he was done. And the idea was that by flogging he would die. The magistrate’s idea was like that. But fortunately Haridāsa Ṭhākura did not die, neither he cried even. He was as good as silent. So these persons who were flogging, they fell on his feet. “Sir, the idea was that you would die. But now I see that you do not die. So now our punishment is awaiting. He will think that we have not flogged you sufficiently.” Then Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, “What you want?” “No, we want that you should die.” Then he made himself into samādhi and the flogger took him to the magistrate, “Here is the condition.” The magistrate thought, “He’s now dead.” So told him, “Throw him in the water. Don’t put him in the graveyard. He has become Hindu.” So yasmin sthito guruṇāpi na vicālyate (BG 6.20-23). So he was so disturbed, but he was steady. So it is such a thing. He was chanting. The others were flogging him, and he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.
So spiritual asset is like that. Of course, that is the highest perfectional stage, Haridāsa Ṭhākura or Lord Jesus Christ. And there are many instances. But that is the idea, that one who is spiritually advanced, he’s not disturbed by any material miserable condition. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says that a person who is spiritually advanced, for him there is no misery even in this world and what to speak of the other world?
(660916 – Lecture BG 06.40-42 – New York)