(No. 6, Vol. XXV, November 1927)
UP till then the purpose of samkirtan was unknown to the generality of people of this world. It was by the agency of Thakur Haridas that God manifested to the world the holy mystery of the samkirtan. At the time of his residence at Fulia, Haridas made known to the people the kirtan of Hari or the taking of the Name of Hari with a loud voice. This at once produced a most peculiar up-heaval in the world that was averse to Hari. Many among the people were of opinion that all the objects of human life were gained by being simply born in a brahman family as the result of meritorious deeds, and that, therefore, the kirtan of Hari was superfluous. They held that only such a person who was a brahman by birth, — and no one of those who were born in any other caste even though such a person might really be a brahman in the true sense, that is to say might be spiritually enlightened, — was fit to perform the kirtan of Hari; — and considered as opposed to the injunction of the holy scriptures the chanting of the Name of Hari, or seeing the holy Image of Hari, during the four months of His rest; — also that it was against the scriptures to sing the kirtan of Hari on any but Hari’s day i.e. the eleventh day of each fortnight; — that famines and other natural calamities visited the earth owing to the wrath of God being aroused by the kirtan of Hari chanted at improper times by ineligible persons! While these controversies were in full swing, without paying any heed to such disputations, Haridas was engaged in doing good to the world by his performance of the kirtan of Hari. Shri Chaitanyadeva, Divine Love Himself, had not yet appeared in the world and showered the blessing of transcendental love on the parched hearts of the peoples of India when Haridas was manifesting such kindness to jiva, in utter disregard of the bitter protests of those who were averse to the service of God.
Shri Thakur Haridas, having now the devoted support of Prabhu Advaita, was busily occupied in organizing the kirtan of Krishna at Fulia, Shantipur, Nadia and the other towns. On the night when Shri Gour Sundar was born, Thakur Haridas in the company of Shri Advaita, in the latter’s Shantipur house, danced, in ecstasy of kirtan at the advent of the Most Loving Lord, through the early part of that Falgun evening. Another day he accepted the dishes offered at funeral by Shri Advaita in vindication of the ideal of the true brahman. Shri Advaita Prabhu, truly and profoundly learned in the smriti shastras, fully aware of the fact that there did not really exist in the Kali age such pure brahmans to whom one could offer the dedicated food at the social dinner, on the occasion of the performance of the last rites of his departed father, instead of giving those dishes as was the custom recommended by the smritis to tiny figures of brahmans made of kusha grass, most appropriately and successfully accomplished the feeding of brahmans by offering the dishes to Shri Thakur Haridas. The offering by Shri Prabhu Advaita of the dishes of the prasadam of the Lord of sacrifices to Prabhu Haridas on whose pure lips danced every night and day three lacs of the unalloyed Name of Hari in recognition of him as a true, spiritually enlightened, brahman, undoubtedly constitutes one of the very highest precedents that have always been followed by the later devotees of the holy feet of Shri Chaitanya. It is a conclusive proof of the spiritual life led by the Vaishnavas that, without subscribing to the creed of those who put their trust in the efficacy of materialistic rites in conformity with their spiritual faith as the most essential part of their funeral observances, they always worship the pitris with the prasadam of Hari and please the spiritually enlightened brahmans. Shri Advaita Prabhu daily offered the alms of the prasadam of Hari to Haridas with the remark “by your acceptance of this food crores of brahmans are fed”.
It was during the period of his residence at Fulia that one moon-lit night Mayadevi herself, whose womb is the pot of this universe, the great mother of the world, appeared before Haridas as he was engaged in the performance of samkirtan. The place was illuminated by her extraordinary beauty, all sides were filled with the sweet perfume of the most exquisite scents and the ear was thrilled by the tinkling sound of the rarest ornaments. The holy Thakur was at the time completely under the spell of the bliss of the Name of Krishna. Mayadevi coming up to the Thakur said, “You are the friend of the world. You have beauty and every good quality, I ardently long for the favor of your intimacy. It is never the nature of the good to reject any one”. At these dissembling words of Mayadevi the heart and senses of the profoundly reserved and un-impressionable Haridas, instead of being disturbed, became all the more absorbed in the samkirtan of the Holy Name. He told Devi, “I hold the samkirtan of the allotted number of the Name as the great sacrifice; and, as sacrificing brahman at the yagya of the Name, I have to take daily the full number of the Name. I am, therefore, unable to take up any other work till the full number is completed. Be seated at the door-step and listen to my kirtan. Your object will be fulfilled after you have listened to the end”. Continuing to sing the kirtan Thakur Haridas passed successively the three divisions of the night and the approaching hours of dawn and at last beheld the sun rise in the morning. Mayadevi still waited for the return of another night. In this way, waiting on the Thakur’s favor through the three divisions of three successive nights, having failed to delude Thakur Haridas, she at last announced herself to him. Devi said, “You are a great devotee of God. By seeing you and listening to your kirtan of Krishna my purified mind is eager to take the Name of Krishna. I beseech your favor. Instruct me regarding Krishna”. And, then, making her obeisance to him, she continued, “I am Maya. I came to test you. I succeeded in deluding all jivas, even Brahma, with the single exception of yourself whom alone I have failed to bewitch. The Name of Rama I obtained formerly from Shiva. By associating with you I feel impelled to take the Name of Krishna”. Haridas, thereupon, bade her sing the samkirtan of Krishna. No one need be surprised that Mayadevi herself made love to one whom she recognized as superior to all her seductions.
The author is unknown
