Free from all hatred and desire, Kardama Muni being equal to everyone because of discharging uncontaminated devotional service, ultimately attained the path back to Godhead.
Free from all hatred and desire, Kardama Muni being equal to everyone because of discharging uncontaminated devotional service, ultimately attained the path back to Godhead.
Purport. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, only by devotional service can one understand the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord, and on understanding Him perfectly in His transcendental position, enter into the kingdom of God. The process of entering into the kingdom of God is tri-pāda-bhūti-gati, or the path back home, back to Godhead, by which one will attain the ultimate goal of life. Kardama Muni, by his perfect devotional knowledge and service, achieved this ultimate goal, which is known as bhagavatī-gati, bhagavatī-gati. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Twenty-fourth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled the Renunciation of Kardama Muni.
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
So, it's stated in Bhagavad-gītā, 18th chapter, text 55:
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
viśate tadanantaram
That Krishna says, "One can understand Me as I am only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." So in that purport to the Bhagavad-gītā 18.55, Prabhupada writes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be understood by mental speculation nor by the non-devotees. So Prabhupada explains again and again that if anyone wants to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has to take to pure devotional service. That's the only way, and under the guidance of a pure devotee. So that's the only possible way to actually understand the Supreme Lord as He is.
Prabhupada many times says that otherwise, the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will be hidden. As also is stated in Bhagavad-gītā 7.25:
nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti
loko mām ajayam avyayam
"I am never manifested to the foolish and unintelligent, for them I am covered by My internal energy." So, therefore, they cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, it's a great mystery, actually.
And so Prabhupada says that the most important, the most important service of all our services, is chanting Hare Krishna. He said that many things are essential, but he said that the chanting of the sixteen rounds is most essential. And it's so very, very powerful. Śrīla Prabhupāda many times says, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." That's interesting saying, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." So the main thing is chanting Hare Krishna.
So, everything in our lives should be centered around that, to be able to chant Hare Krishna sincerely and offensively. Because the real progress is starting with that. The Hare Krishna mantra is the greatest blessing in this Age of Kali. And when one chants sincerely, one will actually attract Krishna.
Like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he so much pleased Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was chanting 192 rounds every day. And he was completely absorbed. Sixty-four rounds he chanted first in mānasa, in the mind, and then after that, sixty-four rounds upāṁśu, softly. And then, vācika, sixty-four rounds loudly. So, every day he was chanting like that. And he so much attracted Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's attention and mercy, not only because he was chanting non-stop and constantly, but by his character, by his way of being. He was really the personification of:
tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that we should chant the Holy Name in a humble state of mind, feeling oneself lower than the straw of the street, and one should be tolerant, more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all desire for false prestige, fame, glory, and ready to show all respect to others. In that state of mind, Lord Caitanya says, one can always chant. One will always chant because the taste is there. One cannot stop.
So, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he so much pleased Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this way. And when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was living for many years in Jagannātha Purī, He made sure that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was receiving every day prasādam. Because being born in a Muslim family, he could not enter the Jagannātha Temple. But Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is actually Lord Jagannātha. He many times personally came with mahā-prasādam from Lord Jagannātha to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who lived a little outside. He was, I think it's one and a half kilometers outside Jagannātha Temple, in his place, Siddha-bakula, it's called, like 15-20 minutes walk.
And Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu at this time, in the days, He was doing harināma-saṅkīrtana in Jagannātha Purī. And in the night, He was discussing kṛṣṇa-kathā with devotees like Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. And He was deeply relishing the mellows of pure devotion in the Kṛṣṇa līlās together with these elevated devotees.
It's described there in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta how Haridāsa Ṭhākura had such a deep desire, which actually controlled Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And his deep desire was that he wanted to leave this world before Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu left this world.
It's described in a very wonderful way in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta how Govinda, who was Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's personal servant, one morning he went with mahā-prasādam to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally came there with mahā-prasādam, sometimes He sent devotees like Govinda. So this morning, Govinda came there, and then he saw that Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was laying down. And he was chanting very, very slowly. He was surprised, and he had so much love for Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Everyone loved Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
And so he said, "Haridāsa, please rise, I have brought you mahā-prasādam." And Haridāsa said, "No, I cannot take prasādam, I am fasting today." "Why, why are you fasting?" So, Haridāsa said, "Because I cannot finish my rounds. I cannot finish my rounds, I cannot eat." But then he said, "But at the same time, you brought mahā-prasādam, so how can I not respect mahā-prasādam?" So, he offered his prayer for mahā-prasādam, and then he took a little bit. Next day, of course, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu got to know about it. And He came there with many devotees.
And now, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu He asked, "Haridāsa, what's the matter? How are you?" And then Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he said, "My body is all right, but my mind and intelligence is in a diseased condition." So, I remember Prabhupada explains in one purport that if we cannot finish our rounds, we should consider ourselves to be in a diseased condition. So then Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu He started a kīrtana, tremendous, powerful kīrtana, like shaking the earth. And He was together with all the devotees.
And after that, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he actually expressed his long desire, and he wanted to leave this body before Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said, "I think, my Lord, that soon You will come to an end of Your earthly pastimes. You will leave this world, and I don't want to be present when this is taking place." So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu He also said, "Because you are so dear to Krishna, Krishna must fulfill your desires. But for Me," He said, "how can I live without your association? That's the greatest happiness in My life. I don't think it's fair that you leave before Me." So, then Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He left, and He had to do His noon duties. So, He took a bath in the ocean, but He said, "I will come back tomorrow." And next day He came with many, many devotees.
And again He asked Haridāsa Ṭhākura, "How are you?" And he answered something like, "Whatever mercy You give me." And just when He said that, Lord Caitanya again started a very, very wonderful, powerful kīrtana. And it was going on for a long time. And then it stopped, and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, it's explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, He started to glorify Haridāsa Ṭhākura as He had five mouths, just speaking about his wonderful character, his qualities as a pure devotee. And this was going on for a long time. So, the qualities of a pure devotee, they are unlimited. Like we know Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, we have so many other books published continuously, and we have Prabhupāda Memories series, and just one can go on and go on and go on and hear eternally actually about pure devotees. So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu He showed that example, was just glorifying Haridāsa Ṭhākura. And Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He showed that the more He glorified Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the more he just became so ecstatic. That increased more and more and more and more.
So, this is actually the natural state to glorify the Lord and the devotees. That's what is natural and that is what we should try to do. So, in this material world because of impurities of heart, because of envy, the tendency is there, we become attracted to find faults. But that is blocking our progress in spiritual life. In the 16th chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna speaks about the divine and demonic qualities. And one of the divine qualities is apaiśunam. Do you know what that is? Apaiśunam. It means...
Aversion to fault-finding.
Very good. Aversion to fault-finding. And that's one of the divine qualities. But, so many times we are attracted to this kind of kathā. It becomes interesting to hear, "Oh, have you heard this? This devotee has that problem or doing that mistake," and criticize devotees. That's always a tendency.
But actually we are meant for glorifying devotees. And when we glorify devotees, then this tendency, apaiśunam, this tendency for fault-finding will diminish and gradually go away. So, that's a medicine for giving up this consciousness, which is degrading us.
And we can see naturally people are glorifying, for instance, famous people in this world, musicians or actors or sports people, naturally they are so much glorifying. And not only for their activity, but one wants to know about their private life, wants to know all the details, the more details, the more interesting. Like we have now the World Cup in football, and it becomes so interesting with those stars, those who are the best players, Messi or Ronaldo and this kind of players, and one wants to know everything about them, their family life and their youth and how they are living, what they are eating, how they live, all the details. So, it's natural and one is glorifying that.
But in this material world because of envy, also there is fault-finding and then people also try to drag them down. It can be so painful, like with musicians, for instance, if you have done something wonderful as a musician and then people are envious also, and you are maybe not able to produce the same result anymore, and they start to criticize you and it's so painful. But this to glorify, to speak about others, is completely natural. So, the origin is coming from that we are eternally, that's our life, to glorify the Lord, speak about the Lord, His pastimes, His character, qualities, and so on.
So, it's actually beginning with the tongue. The tongue is very important and powerful. Like it's explained by Rūpa Gosvāmī:
ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi
na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau
svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ
With our limited material senses we cannot understand the glories of the holy name. We cannot understand the glories of the Lord's pastimes, His form, His qualities. But, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, by our engaging the tongue in chanting the glories of the Lord, it will be revealed. The glories will be revealed just by using the tongue. Prabhupada so many times said, "Just chant and taste prasādam." So, he said, "It's such a pleasant process. You just have to vibrate transcendental sound vibrations and just eat prasādam, respect prasādam, and then you will gradually attain perfection."
So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was glorifying Haridāsa Ṭhākura as He said He had five mouths, and everyone was amazed and became very, very inspired. Like I think we have that experience like when we appear on stage and disappear on stage, when we hear about Prabhupāda or Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī or Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and great ācāryas, so we develop an appreciation more for them. It becomes interesting and we feel attracted to hear more of, "I want to know more, I want to learn more about them." So, this is also natural.
And, so the devotees, they became, they were so amazed when they heard all this glorification of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and they became very inspired. And then it's very wonderful how we can see from Caitanya-caritāmṛta because of Haridāsa Ṭhākura's pure desire, he wanted to leave this body before Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu left. So, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, pure desire, He made Him like forced Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to just sit down in front of him where he was laying. And Haridāsa Ṭhākura took the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and placed them on his heart. And then, with his two eyes, it's described like two bees, they were just fixed on Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's face, lotus face. And then with his tongue he started to chant again and again and again, "Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya," again and again and again. And I think all the devotees accompanied him in this chanting. And then he just left his body. Such a perfect way of leaving his body.
And because that was his very, very deep, pure desire, deeply, deeply, pure devotee's desire, for many, many years it had been like that. And because the Lord is reciprocating with our desires:
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
All of them, as they surrender to Me, Krishna says, I reward them accordingly. So, He rewarded Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura in this most wonderful way to leave this world.
So, it's a nice meditation for the devotees that our attitude is very important in devotional service. So, the attitude we have, Krishna will reciprocate with that. And the more we are taking shelter of the Lord, serving the Lord with love and devotion, so the Lord will manifest Himself and appearing in so many ways, encouraging us.
Like the Lord appeared to Śrīla Prabhupāda when Śrīla Prabhupāda had heart attacks. And the Lord just appeared to him because he was completely surrendered, completely taking shelter of the instructions of his spiritual master. And because of that complete taking shelter, when he had this most difficult time, sea sickness and heart attacks, at the same time, no shelter from the external point of view, but all the shelter from the Lord, then He appeared there in the dream. I think it was the third night, and He just told him that, "You are My shelter, You are the protection."
So, that's the opportunity that we can try to meditate on that. How can we take more and more shelter of the Lord? Prabhupada's our example, and so many other devotees.
So, and then Haridāsa Ṭhākura left his body like that. Everyone was so amazed and they were just kīrtana, we can just imagine all these pure devotees, together with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and they saw he left like that, just fixing his eyes on the lotus face of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, having His feet to his heart, and just chanting, "Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya."
And then Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He took himself the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura in His arms, and He started to dance with his body. Maybe you have seen a picture, in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, painting of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu dancing with Haridāsa Ṭhākura's body like that. So, this again was going on for a long, long time. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu had so much affection for Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So, it's a wonderful example of pure devotion.
So, this is Bhaktirasāmṛta-sindhu, Rūpa Gosvāmī says:
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
Pure devotional service manifesting, symptoms is that anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam, that all material desires are gone, and jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, and this tendency for philosophical speculation and fruitive activities they are gone. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam, kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam is one constantly serve Krishna, ānukūlyena, in a favorable way, as Krishna so desires.
So, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he knew the heart of Haridāsa Ṭhākura was Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He knew his desire, what pleased Him the most, and that was when He was chanting purely, and he was serving the devotees. He was so humble. He was not upset that he could not enter the Jagannātha Temple. He was just thinking, "I'm not worthy of entering the temple." And just fall, that's how he felt. Although being the most elevated, and got the full, complete mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he felt himself as completely fallen. He was actually taking darśana of the cakra of the Jagannātha Temple. And that's considered also way to take personal darśana, so every day he was taking darśana of the cakra.
So, it's wonderful to see how Haridāsa Ṭhākura got the full mercy, yes, but it's also relevant for us because the spirit that Haridāsa Ṭhākura showed by always chanting, taking shelter of the holy name, and also in how he related with devotees, and how he served devotees, and he was so completely humble. And Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was so attracted to that.
So, that is, and we can see Prabhupāda's example also. Just always chanted. Prabhupāda always had his bead bag. Chanting there, always. As soon as there was some time in between, so Prabhupāda started to chant.
So, then it's described in Caitanya-caritāmṛta that Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī Mahārāja, in the middle of the ecstatic kīrtana, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu dancing with the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Svarūpa Dāmodara Mahārāja, he requested Him to perform the rituals for Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So, they had a big procession down to the sea, kīrtana procession. And Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita also danced in front of the procession, the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura transported down to the sea. And there, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally made an abhiṣeka of the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and then they digged a big hole in the ground. And they, very carefully, lovingly, descended the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. And they, together with different kinds of mahā-prasādam from Lord Jagannātha, like silk ropes and cloth and prasādam and sandal wood paste, they took the mahā-sandal wood from Lord Jagannātha, and they smeared it on Haridāsa Ṭhākura's body. And then Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally, by His own hands, He took the sand and covered the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
So, this is the power of pure devotion, just this simple process, taking shelter of the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra, how that attracts the Lord, so that the Lord becomes controlled by the pure devotee's desires. That is bhakti. That's the highest understanding that the Lord, who is Almighty, the cause of all causes, all the material and spiritual worlds are emanating from Him. We cannot even to a slight degree understand the power of the Lord. But He, Almighty Lord, becomes controlled, become like a plaything in the hands of the pure devotee's desires, the pure devotee's spirit of just serving. So, this is shown.
And then Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He personally He went to the siṁha-dvāra, outside Jagannātha Temple, and there He begged from the shopkeepers prasādam. He arranged for a big feast, like after we have, when we have festivals in the temple, we have always big prasādam feasts. That's the culture. So, Mahāprabhu personally begged prasādam from the shopkeepers. And Svarūpa Dāmodara assisted Him, and then Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He assisted in serving the devotees prasādam. So He Himself, He arranged, they were sitting down in rows, and He personally, with His own hand, served prasādam. He served a lot. And big hands, and described for five persons, that's what He served. He put on the leaf plates of the devotees. And He was in complete ecstasy.
But no one wanted to start to eat because they didn't want to eat before Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So then Svarūpa Dāmodara, completely in tune with the mood of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he spoke to the devotees, and He spoke, "Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is in ecstasy in serving the devotees, but He..." He suggested in a nice way, "Now, I will serve You, please, my Lord, You sit." And Svarūpa Dāmodara took over the serving, and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu respected prasādam, and all the devotees respected prasāda.
So, He's nāmācārya, and it's very, very powerful, important position. And we should pray for mercy from nāmācārya, for our progress in our chanting, so we can chant more and more purely. Everything is coming from that. We can try in so many ways, working so hard and performing so many rituals and so on, and so on, so on, tapasya in different places, but this is the essence, to get the mercy of the holy name. And that means to get the mercy of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Pray to his lotus feet, getting special mercy to chant more. As He said in the beginning, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." This is the main thing. Everything is coming from this. All inspirations, all ideas, all ways how to preach, how to expand this movement, how to please Prabhupāda, and so on, all coming from our chanting. We all had that experience. So, this is pure devotion as it's explained about here in the verse today.
Kardama Muni, he was equal to everyone, he got the blessings of Lord Kapiladeva when He was nāmācārya, and he was pleasing the Lord so much. And he ultimately attained the path back to Godhead, like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and back to Godhead, so Kardama Muni went back to Godhead. So, it's only possible by bhakti, by devotional service.
So, thank you very much. Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya! Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura kī jaya! Gaura premānande, haribol!
Any questions or comments? Thoughts, reflections?
One thing I've been thinking about, and which I've, when you speak to new people, sometimes they are very confused about, what's all this about with these lotus feet? Why are they so attractive to the devotees? Prabhupada's feet, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's feet, Krishna's feet. And like in the Damastak prayers, he's speaking about the feet also. What...?
Well, different parts of the body of the Lord are also lotuses, like we spoke about the lotus face. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was completely absorbed in that. In the prayers of Queen Kuntī, she's expressing that, "My Lord, I offer my most respectful obeisances unto You, whose abdomen is marked with a impression like a lotus flower, who is always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as a lotus, and whose feet are engraved with lotuses." So, different parts of the Lord's body, it's like expressing the beauty, like a lotus flower, it's extremely beautiful. So, in this way there is some comparison. Would like to comment something more about the lotus?
Well, the lotus actually attracts the bees. Because when I was in Prabhupāda's Pujari, we had bees coming to the lotus flowers, in back window, they would sit on the lotus. So, the devotees are compared to bees, and they are meant to go to the lotus of His feet. Lotus feet. So, we are supposed to also do that.
Thank you very much.
Devotees think like, "My highest, for me the highest, my head, wants to bow down to the lowest of..." Go down to the lowest, the feet. The lowest, the feet. That is a great meditation too.
Yeah. Thank you.
Yeah, also bowing down to the feet, I think that's also expressing a very humble state. Because we see the lotus parts of the body, but we worship the feet, and this represents Śrīmat, Śrīmati...
Prabhupada is like pictures of spiritual master, ācāryas, which was back. He said that, in the book, "These pictures should be of their feet." He said, "Their lotus feet should be visible." He said, "What devotees must pictures, should be lotus feet." He told that to Devananda Swami Mahārāja.
So, does it also something has to do with with His path? His path, and His feet, so we also follow Him in that path. Follow in His footsteps. So, we also follow Him in that path.
Following in His footsteps. Yeah, that's maybe also something...
Yeah, that's recommended, following the footsteps. We cannot imitate, but we can follow example and the spirit, and Śrīla Prabhupāda's following in his footsteps.
It's, by the way, it's, many devotees say that when they saw Prabhupāda walking, he was not like really touching the ground. He was... I remember Yamunā Devi describing walking behind Prabhupāda, and she, yeah, saw it was not like creaks when he was walking on the grass. Narayani Mataji also saw. Comment on that.
I didn't, I didn't witness that. I just remember she told him on on this Prabhupāda Memories. They had, they had, he walked over a, a grass lawn. And she looked back, and then she saw her footprints, on on the grass, but she couldn't see Prabhupāda's. No. And then, and then she asked, you know, "What, what is this?" And then, and then Prabhupāda said that, "You will understand." Later on.
She also asked Prabhupada, "Who are you? Who are you?" And did Prabhupada answer?
If, if I told you, you would faint. If I told you, you would faint. And you wouldn't believe. Or, you wouldn't believe.
So, it's such an opportunity to go to Prabhupada's movement every day, and just in this association of devotees, hearing about Prabhupāda, and, and reading his books, studying his books together. And in this way we can more and more develop a taste for chanting and hearing.
Thank you very much. Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya! Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura kī jaya! Gaura premānande, haribol! All glories to the assembled devotees.