20221118 Haridāsa Ṭhākura initiates Māyā into the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 18th,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 are continuing reading for the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter entitled is:

Haridāsa Ṭhākura initiates Māyā into the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra
Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.244

kīrtana karite āsi’ prātaḥ-kāla haila
prātaḥ-kāla dekhi’ nārī uṭhiyā calila

Translation: In this way, as he chanted and chanted, the morning approached, and when the woman saw that it was morning, she got up and left.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.245

tinadina yāvat māyāra kaṭhora parīkṣā :—

ei-mata tina-dina kare āgamana
nānā bhāva dekhāya, yāte brahmāra hare mana

Translation: For three days she approached Haridāsa Ṭhākura in this way, exhibiting various feminine postures that would bewilder the mind of even Lord Brahmā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Māyā the in-charge of the material world, māhā-māyā was testing Haridāsa Ṭhākura, to see how detached he was from material enjoyment and how fixed up he was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.246

advaya-jñāna nāma-prabhura aikāntika sevaka dvitīyābhiniveśaja- bhoktṛbhāva-rahita ṭhākurera nikaṭa māyāra parābhūtiḥ —

kṛṣṇe nāmāviṣṭa-manā sadā haridāsa
araṇye rodita haila strī-bhāva-prakāśa

Translation: Haridāsa Ṭhākura was always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the feminine poses the woman exhibited were just like crying in the forest.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, there is a saying, if you cry in the forest no one hears, the sound reverberates off the trees. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was so much absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa that māhā-māyā's posture did not distract him at all.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.247

tṛtīya divasera rātri-śeṣa yabe haila
ṭhākurera sthāne nārī kahite lāgila

Translation: At the end of the night of the third day, the woman spoke to Haridāsa Ṭhākura as follows.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.248

“tina dina vañcilā āmā kari’ āśvāsana
rātri-dine nahe tomāra nāma-samāpana”

Translation: “My dear sir, for three days you have cheated me by giving me false assurances, for I see that throughout the entire day and night your chanting of the holy name is never finished.”

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.249

ṭhākurera svīya niyamānuyāyī sevā :—

haridāsa ṭhākura kahena,—“āmi ki karimu?
niyama kariyāchi, tāhā kemane chāḍimu?”

Translation: Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, “My dear friend, what can I do? I have made a vow. How, then, can I give it up?”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, a vow means a type of promise that one has to fulfill, so therefore Haridāsa Ṭhākura was following this vow.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.250

māyāra ātmaparicaya pradānaḥ—

tabe nārī kahe tāṅre kari’ namaskāra
‘āmi—māyā’ karite āilāṅa parīkṣā tomāra

Translation: 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.

Purport: In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.14) Lord Kṛṣṇa says:

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

“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: “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.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya told Lord Brahmā that he would achieve love of Godhead by chanting 300,000 times the holy names of Kṛṣṇa every day. This shows how kṛṣṇa-prema makes material enjoyment appear very insignificant.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.251

svīya parābhava-svīkāraḥ—

brahmādi jīva, āmi sabāre mohiluṅ
ekelā tomāre āmi mohite nāriluṅ

Translation: “I have previously captivated the mind of even Brahmā, what to speak of others. Your mind alone have I failed to attract.

Purport: Beginning from Lord Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, everyone, without exception, is attracted by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigods, human beings, animals, birds, beasts, trees and plants are all attracted by sexual desire. That is the illusion of māyā. Everyone, whether man or woman, thinks that he is the enjoyer of the illusory energy. In this way, everyone is captivated and engaged in material activities.

However, because Haridāsa Ṭhākura was always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and was always busy satisfying the senses of the Lord, this process alone saved him from the captivation of māyā. This is practical proof of the strength of devotional service. Because of his full engagement in the service of the Lord, he could not be induced to enjoy māyā. The verdict of the śāstras is that a pure Vaiṣṇava, or devotee of the Lord, never thinks of enjoying the material world, which culminates in sex life. He never thinks himself an enjoyer; instead, he always wants to be enjoyed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the conclusion is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternal, transcendental, beyond the perception of sense gratification and beyond the material qualities. Only if a living entity gives up the false conception that the body is the self and always thinks himself an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and the Vaiṣṇavas can he surpass the influence of māyā (mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te). A pure living entity who thus attains the stage of anartha-nivṛtti, cessation of everything unwanted, has nothing to enjoy in the material world. One attains this stage only by properly performing the functions of devotional service.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has written:

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-
saṅgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ‘nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt
tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

“In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage, one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes freed from all material attachments, attains steadiness in self-realization and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15)

If one is actually executing devotional service, then anarthas, the unwanted things associated with material enjoyment, will automatically disappear.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the difference between kāma and prema is described. Kāma means trying to enjoy one’s own senses and prema is trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa’s senses. So, Kṛṣṇa-prema means trying to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. When we think we are the body, then we are trying to satisfy the senses of the body, and in this way, we are captured by the illusory energy.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.252-253

ṭhākurake praśaṁsā o stuti :—

mahā-bhāgavata tumi,—tomāra darśane
tomāra kṛṣṇa-nāma-kīrtana-śravaṇe

ṭhākurera kṛpā-yāñāḥ—

citta śuddha haila, cāhe kṛṣṇa-nāma laite
kṛṣṇa-nāma upadeśi’ kṛpā kara mote

Translation: “My dear sir, you are the foremost devotee. Simply seeing you and hearing you chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa has purified my consciousness. Now I want to chant the holy name of the Lord. Haribol! Please be kind to me by instructing me about the ecstasy of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.254

ahaituka-kṛpābatīrṇa caitanyāśraye kṛṣṇa-bhaktyanuśīlana vyatīta jīva jaḍatulyaḥ—

caitanyāvatāre vahe premāmṛta-vanyā
saba jīva preme bhāse, pṛthivī haila dhanyā

Translation: “There is now a flood of the eternal nectar of love of Godhead due to the incarnation of Lord Caitanya. All living entities are floating in that flood. The entire world is now thankful to the Lord.

Haribol!

Jayapatākā Swami: Normally it is very difficult to get Kṛṣṇa-prema, you have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. But Lord Caitanya is giving it out very freely, not considering who is qualified and who is not qualified, He gives it to everyone. We should take His mercy while it is available.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.255

e-vanyāya ye nā bhāse, sei jīva chāra
koṭi-kalpe kabhu tāra nāhika nistāra

Translation: “Anyone who does not float in this inundation is most condemned. Such a person cannot be delivered for millions of kalpas.

Purport: The kalpa is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (8.17): sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ. One day of Brahmā is called a kalpa. A yuga, or mahā-yuga, consists of 4,320,000 years, and one thousand such mahā-yugas constitute one kalpa. The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that if one does not take advantage of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he cannot be delivered for millions of such kalpas.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we should not miss this great great opportunity! Lord Caitanya is giving out the most incredible benediction, if we miss this opportunity we will be deprived of love of Godhead for many, many kalpas.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.256

pūrve madanajayī śambhu haite tārakabrahma rāmanāma-prāptiḥ—

pūrve āmi rāma-nāma pāñāchi ‘śiva’ haite
tomāra saṅge lobha haila kṛṣṇa-nāma laite

Translation: “Formerly I received the holy name of Lord Rāma from Lord Śiva, but now, due to your association, I am greatly eager to chant the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari Bol! So, Lord Śiva always chants the names of Lord Rāma, so by having the association of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Māhā-māyā devi wants to chant the names of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.257

‘rāma-nāma’ o ‘kṛṣṇa-nāma’-māhātmya-vaiśiṣṭya: —

mukti-hetuka tāraka haya ‘rāma-nāma’
‘kṛṣṇa-nāma’ pāraka hañā kare prema-dāna

Translation: “The holy name of Lord Rāma certainly gives liberation, but the holy name of Kṛṣṇa transports one to the other side of the ocean of nescience and at last gives one ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa.

Purport: In an indirect way, this verse explains the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

The Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra —

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

— includes both the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa and the name of Lord Rāma. Lord Rāma gives one the opportunity to be liberated, but simply by liberation one does not get actual spiritual benefit. Sometimes if one is liberated from the material world but has no shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, one falls down to the material world again. Liberation is like a state of convalescence, in which one is free from a fever but is still not healthy. Even in the stage of convalescence, if one is not very careful, one may have a relapse. Similarly, liberation does not offer as much security as the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

It is stated in the śāstra:

ye ‘nye ‘ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas

“O Lord, the intelligence of those who think themselves liberated but who have no devotion is impure. Even though they rise to the highest point of liberation by dint of severe penances and austerities, they are sure to fall down again into material existence, for they do not take shelter at Your lotus feet.” (Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam 10.2.32)

Yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ refers to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. If one does not take shelter of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, he falls down (patanty adhaḥ), even from liberation. The Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, however, gives liberation and at the same time offers shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. If one takes shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa after liberation, he develops his dormant ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here the glories of the Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Rāma mantra are described. By chanting Hare Rāma, we get liberation and by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa we get kṛṣṇa-prema.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.258

kṛṣṇa-nāma-mahā-mantra-dīkṣā o kṛṣṇa-prema-yāñāḥ—

kṛṣṇa-nāma deha’ tumi more kara dhanyā
āmāre bhāsāya yaiche ei prema-vanyā

Translation: “Please give me the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and thus make me fortunate, so that I also may float in the flood of love of Godhead inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in Māyāpur we have the Sīmantinī deity which is Pārvatī touching the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya putting the dust on her forehead. Here Māhā-māyā is praying to Haridāsa Ṭhākura to initiate her into the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa māhā-mantra. This is showing the system one should beg the spiritual master for the hare Kṛṣṇa māhā-mantra.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.259

māyādevīra ṭhākurake praṇipāta o ṭhākura-karttṛka tāhāke kṛṣṇa-nāma-mahā-mantra-dīkṣā-pradānaḥ—

eta bali’ vandilā haridāsera caraṇa
haridāsa kahe,—”kara kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana”

Translation: After speaking in this way, Māyā worshiped the lotus feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who initiated her by saying, “Just perform chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.”

Purport: Now even Māyā wanted to be favored by Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Therefore Haridāsa Ṭhākura formally initiated her by asking her to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Haridāsa Ṭhākura initiates Māyā into the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra
Under the Section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Jayapatākā Swami: So, māhā-māyā got the mercy of chanting Kṛṣṇa’s holy names. We should also get that mercy and chant the holy names and be free from the influence of māyā.