Krishna, Gauranga and Pagal Haranath P a g e | 1 Krishna, Gauranga and Pagal Haranath By L. Hari Hara Iyer That Krishna, Gauranga and Haranath are manifestations of the supreme being in human garb is not only the experience of their respective devotees, but also a conclusion derived from the statement of the Avatars themselves. It is related in the Bhagvata that God Brahma seeing Krishna sporting with cowherd boys of Brindavan exclaimed – What a great fortune indeed has befallen Nandagopa and other residents of Vraja, who have in their midst as their friend one who is none other than the absolute eternal Para Brahma (Bhagavata, Canto X, Ch. Xiv, St. 32). This view is confirmed by the Krishna’s own word by the Geeta. He said, “I am the soul seated in the hearts of all creatures, O! Gudakesa. I am the beginning, middle and end of all things” (Geeta Ch. X, St. 20). Gauranga appeared as Balagopal to a Brahmin mendicant, who had came for alms to Sri Jagannath Mishra’s (Gauranga’s Father) home. He said to the mendicant “During my previous avatar as Krishna you visited the home of Nandagopa, as a mendicant as you do at present and felt great delight in witnessing my Balaleelas, appreciating your devotional I have given you a chance to see me in my present avatar as well”. When one of the devotees of Haranath, named Himu Kaka twitted him with the remark “Avatars like Krishna and Gauranga showed in their own physical forms extra-ordinary beauty and charm and great physical power, you have exhibited no such symptoms. How then are we to believe that you are an Avatar ?” Sri Haranath replied, “That is the particularity in my Avatar. I have assumed only an ordinary form just as you devotees have, but if one wants evidence of the Avatar state in me one has simply to seat before my photograph and chant the divine name ”. This remark of his is absolutely true. During sankeertan of Sri Kusum Haranath we have been fortunate enough to see many miracles, proving not only his divinity but his identity with Krishna Himself. Once Bhagwan Das R. Mody, an ardent devotee of Haranath, was engaged in a conversation with the Lord, His human frame disappeared and its place stood the all enchanting form of Krishna. The vision lasted for a few minutes during which his brother could note how well it tallied with descriptions given in Bhagavata and other sacred literature. To Tamalini Ma (a lady devotee), Sri Haranath appeared as Jagannath of Puri during Atharabari Janmotsav in 1923. Gauranga Avatar was necessitated by the fact that Krishna while being served by Sri Radha Devi with intense devotion noticed that she felt an inexpressible joy, which however, was different from the joy. He himself felt as the object of her loving attention and service. He became eager to taste her joy Himself as Gauranga. That was why like Radha, he was ever taking the name of Krishna in his life and be roamed about from door to door begging nothing of people except the chanting of Krishna’s Name. He exhibited all the symptoms of divine love, that had been witnessed in Sri Radha’s person such as weeping, tremor, horriplation, loss of consciousness etc, Incidentally he was able to show the world by his own example what ideal devotion is, and how everyone simply by chanting the name of Krishna could evolve into a devotee like Radha and get enlisted Krishna’s service both here and Goloka which is his eternal abode. This latter task of Gauranga viz, that of redeeming the world by devotional means remained incomplete by reason of the fact that he was a Brahman Sannyasi bound by strict rules to lead a life of seclusion and privacy. He would not even look at a woman nor would be deign to mix with worldly minded people like princes, merchants and high officials. That is to say more than half the world remained outside His holy HG Designer The Page is Designed and Edited by Haragourab Mallick **Mail to – [email protected] Krishna, Gauranga and Pagal Haranath P a g e | 2 contact. Hence the same Gauranga (rather the same Krishna) came again as a new Avatar in the shape of Haranath. On the occasion of His janmotsav at puri in 1925, Sri Haranath stated that nothing in that place seemed new to him; it’s roads, ghats and temples had been familiar objects since a remote past. When his devotees later on, pressed him to be more precise. He admitted that He was Gauranga in his previous Avatar, and who stayed as sannyasi continuously in Puri for 18 years. Sri Haranath remained a house holder throughout his life, defied the rules of caste and moved like an ordinary man, with nothing in his dress and appearance to indicate that he was a holy man. He did not claim that he was an authority in religious matters; He did not initiate people in mantra ; he practiced no Yoga or penance; he did not delivered lectures or write treaties on religion and philosophy. Yet people always found His company charming and elevating. He spoke freely about religious truth and explained their significance. With all people, he was able to establish spiritual fellowship, understanding their thoughts and impulses without the necessity of their explaining them to him, and above all guiding them along the path of love and devotion to God. There was charm in manners and his speech, with guidance and encouragement with his entire behavior He convinced everyone of the necessity to lead a moral life and at the same time to keep the mind centered in God by constant repetition of His holy name. He stated that religious life did not necessarily mean austerity such as fasting or vigils or laborious acts like prostration before images or circumambulations round temples. It was simply keeping the mind pure with thoughts of God, and making the heart broader with kindness and sympathy for the poor, distressed members of the social fabrics. Side by side with this, there must be constant, nay incessant repetition of the divine name to discipline the mind and soul. He maintained that the last process viz.. repetition of name systematically will lead the devotee to the stage of Prema or self-less love for God, such as the Gopies had. This, according to Him, was the “summum bonum” of life; to gain which is to gain Krishna himself and make him our own coveted treasure. HG Designer The Page is Designed and Edited by Haragourab Mallick **Mail to – [email protected] .