– All glories to Çré Guru and Çré Gauräìga – HARIDÄSA ÖHÄKURA One of The World’s Greatest Saints By Çréla Bhakti Siddhänta Saraswaté Öhäkura (Translated by Çrépäda Bhakti Vijïäna Bhäraté Mahäräja) Originally published by Sri Chaitanya Sridhara Sangha, The Netherlands, 1986 Now available for download through www.vaisnava.com and www.scsmath.com Haridäsa Öhäkura was entirely devoted to the service of to undergo very rigid vows, as propagated in the yoga Lord Hari. This great devotee made his appearance in this system. world in the village of Buòhana towards the end of the 15th The following of vows or the accepting of the sannyäsa Century. In order to understand the significance of his order all pointed to the paths of intelligence, the sympathy appearance, it is necessary to have some ideas about the of enjoyment, and the liberation of spiritual suicide. state of the society of Bengal at that period. The caste The Hindus as time had absolutely no respect for the system had lost all its propriety and its so-called purity and path of pure devotion, as they had many doubts regarding was simply only another name for malpractices, because of the highest attainment of life, which is simply the pure gross abuse to the principles of sanätana-dharma. chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord. It was during these At that time the so-called opinion of religious dark times of Bengal approximately 30-35 years before the communities was nothing more than a narrow-minded appearance of Lord Çré Chaitanya Mahäprabhu that Lord sectarian view. The Hindu society had become swollen Brahmä, as the personality of Haridäsa Öhäkura, displayed with the pride of caste-consciousness and showed contempt his transcendental activities in the village of Buòhana. The for those who formed the lower caste society, in the name actual site of Buòhana is not known at the present day. It is of religious endeavour. The people were selfish in different not possible to find any information about the boyhood ways, in order to maintain themselves. The caste-conscious activities of Haridäsa Öhäkura in any authoritative section of society became hostile to the Vaiñëavas (the literatures. We cannot rely or place our trust on any recent worshippers of Lord Viñëu), and attacked the sanätana- books on the subject, because they offer fictitious accounts, dharma in many ways. The chronic disease of caste- bearing the names of old authors. consciousness penetrated through the bones and marrow of It is the opinion of some, that the appearance of Lord the Hindu society. Brahmä in the Yavana community was the atonement for On the other hand the narrow-minded Muslim society his offence of stealing the cows and cowherd boys. Then was oppressing the Hindu community with different forms again there are some who hold the opinion that Prahläda of malice, hatred and aggression. The followers of the Mahäräja had become visible through the activities of Muslim religion failed to appreciate the real greatness of Haridäsa Öhäkura. It has been mentioned in the Gaura sanätana-dharma, and never slackened in their attempts to Ganodeça Dépikä that Prahläda Mahäräja and Lord Brahmä impede the progress of the religion of the Hindus. were Haridäsa Öhäkura. The passionate aggressive spirit of these two parties When Haridäsa Öhäkura had grown up, he had no brought untold suffering on the society in Bengal. The interest in the principles and social customs of the Yavana wealthy class of society were uninterested in religious community, but could be seen only constantly chanting the practices and the opinion that luxury, materialistic pleasure Holy Name of the Supreme Lord Hari. There is no mention and material power were the all-in-all was prevalent. of any formal initiation or personality who inspired him to Everyone within the Hindu community was so busy in the incessantly take the Name of the Supreme Lord. In the external display of religious practices, that it would not be example of Haridäsa Öhäkura we can see that he propagated exaggerating to say that there was not a single person who that the living entity should pray to the Supreme Lord to had any understanding or sympathy for the real method of give up anyu expectations for material desires. pure devotion. Everyone was under the misconception that After he reached this decision of fully surrendering unto to attain the spiritual kingdom in the next world, one had the Supreme Lord by accepting His Name, he left the village ofBuòhana and took his residence in a solitary place Haridäsa Öhäkura away from the service to the Holy Name known as Benapola. Here he began to loudly chant the of Kåñëa. She tried in the early evening hours, the midnight Holy Name of Lord Çré Kåñëa. At that time it was the hours as well as the approach of dawn to produce an effect custom that those born in a Yavana family were bound to in his heart. He was firm in his conviction in chanting the use the Yavana language for the purpose of worshipping Holy Name of Kåñëa. He was not enchanted by her God. But such narrowmindedness never occurred in the gestures. heart of the magnanimous Haridäsa Öhäkura. He came with When he was not obstructed in his service to the Lord, an attitude of disconcern, always accepting the universal which would have made another contitioned soul fall away principles. The highest charity which could be given to the from spiritual life, she had a change of heart and realised living entity was to remain where he sat, always chanting her attempt to gain his attention had failed. the Holy Name of God in Benapola. He was endeavouring So she returned at sunrise to Khan, reporting everything so much in his attempt to take full shelter of the Lord’s as it happened. The hard-hearted Khan instructed her to try Holy Name that there was a feeling of hostility towards him again at night to captivate the heart of Haridäsa Öhäkura. among the Hindu community. When she went under the instruction of Khan, she Some pure-hearted persons were delighted when they again continued to put herself in such a way as to prevent saw his practices of unprecedented love for the Holy Name the devotional practices of a pure devotee. Three successive of the Lord, though others, who were very encious, were nights passed away with Haridäsa chanting and still she not really subdued by the devotional endeavours of could not seem to divert him from the service to the Haridäsa. One of the degrading leaders by the name of Supreme Lord. When she would request him to engage in Rämachandra Khan was very well known in those parts. He illicit sex with her, he would answer by persisting that he formed a party of persons who devised a method to hamper would join her later. After he had finished chanting his Haridäsa Öhäkura in his devotional services. required number of Names of Kåñëa, he could never be Khan had an immense following and great material diverted by sinful activities, even though they might be prosperity, which made him very proud. Then Khan advised close by. some of his evil-minded friends to prepare themselves for But a person who is interested in liberation is unable to the bad deeds of harassing a pure devotee of the Lord. forego the temptation of such lusty desires. While the Haridäsa Öhäkura had originally belonged to another supernatural character of Haridäsa Öhäkura changed the district, so he was an alien to this area. When he came to lusty heart of the prostitute, the following night she threw the village where Khan was the leader, he had intentions of herself at his feet and in a repenting spirit said: “I am constantly chanting the Mahä-mantra Hare Kåñëa Hare addicted to the sinful activities of lust and fully Kåñëa Kåñëa Kåñëa Hare Hare Hare Räma Hare Räma Räma contaminated by it. You are the greatest of all devotees and Räma Hare Hare. are engaged in the service of Lord Kåñëa. The evil He did not give any support to the bad deeds of Khan. propensities of my heart have been destroyed by your Although Haridäsa Öhäkura was born in a Yavana family association and by the force of your transcendental nature. I he would always utter Hare Kåñëa, the Holy Name of the am now ready to take the transcendental knowledge, Lord in the Sanskrit language and accordning to Khan this following in the footsteps od the great spiritual masters who was improper by the injunctions of Vedic scriptures. Then teach the Çrémad-Bhägavatam. By your casual mercy give Khan voluntarily decided to create trouble for Haridäsa me direction, by which I can follow the path of pure Öhäkura, as he thought that he was a weak-minded person, devotion.” being sentimental for the present moment. Khan thought Haridäsa Öhäkura, who was very compassionate to all that Haridäsa had become a sädhu renouncing sense the living entities, forgot about the bad profession of the enjoyment and going away from the material world, taking prostitute and rescued her from the deep well of sensual to the path of spiritual life. The Khan decided to send a desires by engaging her in chanting the Mahä-mantra Hare prostitute in order to degrade the spiritual character of Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa Kåñëa Kåñëa Hare Hare Hare Räma Hare Haridäsa Öhäkura. Räma Räma Räma Hare Hare. Such mercy can only be met That evening at the approach of darkness, Haridäsa was by the causeless mercy of a pure devotee. chanting the Holy Name of the Lord with undivided As time passed by, Haridäsa Öhäkura understod from attention.