20221026 Serpent devotee of Viṣṇu speaks about the glories of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Part 2

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 26th,2022 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

Serpent devotee of Viṣṇu speaks about the glories of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Part 2

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.230-231

bhaktera akaitava-premāveśe nṛtya darśane brahmāṇḍoddhāra —

haridāsa-nṛtye kṛṣṇa nācena āpane
brahmāṇḍa pavitra haya o-nṛtya-darśane

Translation: When Haridāsa dances, Lord Kṛṣṇa personally dances. The whole universe is purified by seeing his dance.

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupada): The material bondage of those who see dancing performed for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa by Vaiṣṇavas who are inclined to the service of the Lord is destroyed, whereas the exhibition of artificial characteristics by prākṛta-sahajiyās simply increases their miseries of material bondage. By seeing dancing performed for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa by Vaiṣṇavas, nonduplicitous emotions befitting a Vaiṣṇava are certainly awakened, and the fraudulent endeavors of the hypocritical imitators simply yields evil results in this world. When Ṭhākura Haridāsa exhibits the transcendental pastime of dancing, then, being controlled by his nonduplicitous love, Kṛṣṇacandra along with His associates also dance. By seeing such transcendental dancing, many fortunate persons of this world become free from heaps of sinful reactions accumulated over many lifetimes and thus achieve piety that leads to devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the empowerment of Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s dancing is mentioned here that his non-duplicitous sentiments create bliss in Lord Kṛṣṇa and His associates and Lord Kṛṣṇa also dances. Now, this dancing is non-duplicitous and sincere, whereas the prākṛta-sahajiyā they dance imitating and they have no actual deep sentiments. So they don’t inspire others with the sincere sentiments.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.232

haridāsa yathārthai sārthakanāmā arthāt ekānta kṛṣṇagata-citta —

uhāna se yogya pada ‘haridāsa’-nāma
niravadhi kṛṣṇa-candra hṛdaye uhāna

Translation: “His name, ‘Haridāsa,’ is appropriate, for Lord Kṛṣṇa constantly dwells in his heart.

Purport: For an explanation of the second line of this verse, one should see Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.63-68).

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari is the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in the heart and keeps one always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, Haridāsa Ṭhākura he was the ideal servant of servant of Lord Hari as he always kept Hari in his heart.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.63

Translation: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said to the brāhmaṇa: I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.64

Translation: O best of the brāhmaṇas, without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss and My supreme opulences.

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way we can understand how Lord Kṛṣṇa, He actually desires the devotees to have Him as their only destination.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.65

Translation: Since pure devotees give up their homes, wives, children, relatives, riches and even their lives simply to serve Me, without any desire for material improvement in this life or in the next, how can I give up such devotees at any time?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa reciprocates with His devotees. When a devotee sacrifices everything to serve the Lord, how can he give up such devotees? So, this is His statement. Normally in the material world if we sacrifice for someone, they don’t really reciprocrate, but here we see Kṛṣṇa actually reciprocates.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.66

Translation: As chaste women bring their gentle husbands under control by service, the pure devotees, who are equal to everyone and completely attached to Me in the core of the heart, bring Me under their full control.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, because Haridāsa Ṭhākura is completely surrendered to the Lord and he is servant of the Lord and servant of His servants, dāsaānudāsa.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.67

Translation: My devotees, who are always satisfied to be engaged in My loving service, are not interested even in the four principles of liberation [sālokya, sārūpya, sāmīpya and sārṣṭi], although these are automatically achieved by their service. What then is to be said of such perishable happiness as elevation to the higher planetary systems?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when someone takes Kṛṣṇa as his or her goal of life then He is very affected by this and He reciprocates with such devotees.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.68

Translation: The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else but Me, and I do not know anyone else but them.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if you want to be very dear to Kṛṣṇa this is the secret and you should make Kṛṣṇa very dear to you, and then He will naturally reciprocate and you will become very dear to Him.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.233

ṭhākurera jīve amandodayā-dayā o prabhura pratyeka avatāra bhagavallīlā-sahāyatva o parikaratva —

sarva-bhūta-vatsala, sabāra upakārī
īśvarera saṅge prati-janme avatārī

Translation: “He is affectionate to all living entities, and he is always engaged in their welfare. He accompanies the Lord whenever He incarnates.

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupada): Haridāsa Ṭhākura is affectionate to all living entities and the benefactor for both animate and inanimate beings. He incarnates whenever the Supreme Lord incarnates. In other words, he is a constant associate in the Lord’s pastimes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, a pure devotee aspires to be an associate with the Lord, they don’t want anything else. They love the Lord and just to be able to associated with the Lord, in this way that is the way of perfection in their life.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.234

nirantara viṣṇu-vaiṣṇave prīti o kṛṣṇetara-patha-vaimukhya—

uṅhi se niraparādha viṣṇu-vaiṣṇavete
svapne o uṅhāna dṛṣṭi nā yāya vipathe

Translation: “He is never offensive to Viṣṇu or the Vaiṣṇavas, and even in a dream he does not deviate from the proper path.

Purport: By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Srila Prabhupada Since Haridāsa Ṭhākura is a direct associate of the Lord, he cannot commit any offenses against Viṣṇu or the Vaiṣṇavas. He can never deviate from his endeavor to serve Kṛṣṇa like an ordinary human being, even in a dream.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this gives the opulence of Haridāsa Ṭhākura that he is always the servant of the servant of servant of the Lord, and thus he is always with the Lord in His avatāras.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.235

lava-mātra haridāsa-saṅgaphalei jīvera kṛṣṇacaraṇa-prāpti —

tilārddha uṅhāna saṅga ye-jīvera haya
se avaśya pāya kṛṣṇa-pāda-padmāśraya

Translation: “One who associates with Haridāsa for even a fraction of a moment will certainly attain shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

Purport: By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Srila Prabhupada If by the good fortune resulting from accumulated pious activities over many lifetimes, a living entity associates with Haridāsa Ṭhākura for even a short time, he will certainly achieve the lotus feet of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see that it is not only the Lord, the Lord’s devotees, and devotees of His devotees, and devotees of the devotees of the devotees, by their association we can naturally awaken our dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.236

śrī-nāmācārya haridāsera sudurllabha saṅga-lābhe bhava-vidhirao kautūhala o ākākṣā—

brahmā-śivo haridāsa-hena bhakta-saṅga
niravadhi karite cittera baḍa raṅga

Translation: “Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva always desire to associate with a devotee like Haridāsa.

Purport (By His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla Prabhupada): The demigods headed by Brahmā always hanker to become glorious by obtaining the association of a mahā-bhāgavata devotee like Haridāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devas in the heavenly planets are always eager to associate with the mahā-bhāgavata devotee like Haridāsa Thakura. As it is said, sādhu-saṅga’, ‘sādhu-saṅga’ — sarva-śāstre kaya lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya.

Thus ends the chapter Part 2.