# The Glories of Haridāsa Ṭhākura Haridāsa Ṭhākura is the ācārya of the holy name (Nāmācārya), through whom Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited the glories of chanting. --- ## The Ācārya of the Holy Name ![[cc/antya/4/99#purport|O Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who is equal to you? You are one of the associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore you are the most fortunate]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/4/99|Antya 4.99-103]] --- Sanātana Gosvāmī replied: "The mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for which He has descended as an incarnation, is to spread the importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord. **Now instead of personally doing so, He is spreading it through you.** My dear sir, you are chanting the holy name 300,000 times daily and informing everyone of the importance of such chanting. Some behave very well but do not preach the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas others preach but do not behave properly. **You simultaneously perform both duties in relation to the holy name by your personal behavior and by your preaching. Therefore you are the spiritual master of the entire world, for you are the most advanced devotee in the world.**" —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/4/99|4.99-103]] --- ## Born in a Muhammadan Family, Became Nāmācārya ![[cc/antya/3/124#purport|According to external vision, Haridāsa Ṭhākura belonged to a Muhammadan family. Nevertheless, because he engaged himself in performing the yajña of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he became a regularly initiated brāhmaṇa]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/3/124|Antya 3.124]] Purport --- Haridāsa Ṭhākura, although born in a mleccha or yavana family, became Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura **because he performed the nāma-yajña a minimum of 300,000 times every day.** —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/3/124|Antya 3.124]] Purport --- ## Lord Caitanya Learns from Haridāsa ![[cc/antya/7/48|Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the teacher of the holy name, is among the most exalted of all devotees. Every day he chants 300,000 holy names of the Lord]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/7/48|Antya 7.48-49]] --- Lord Caitanya to Vallabha Bhaṭṭa: "I have learned about the glories of the Lord's holy name from Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and by his mercy I have understood these glories." —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/7/48|7.48-49]] --- ## Incarnation of Lord Brahmā ![[cc/antya/11/25#purport|By using the words tomāra avatāra ("your incarnation"), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that Haridāsa Ṭhākura is the incarnation of Lord Brahmā]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/11/25|Antya 11.25]] Purport --- Lord Caitanya to Haridāsa Ṭhākura: "Your role in this incarnation is to deliver the people in general. **You have sufficiently preached the glories of the holy name in this world.**" Haridāsa Ṭhākura is known as nāmācārya because it is he who preached the glories of chanting hari-nāma, the holy name of God. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that advanced devotees help the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His mission and that such devotees or personal associates incarnate by the will of the Supreme Lord. —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/11/25|11.25]] Purport --- ## Delivers the Prostitute by His Chanting After leaving his home, Haridāsa Ṭhākura stayed in the forest of Benāpola. He constructed a cottage in a solitary forest, planted a tulasī plant, and in front of the tulasī he would chant the holy name of the Lord 300,000 times daily. A landholder named Rāmacandra Khān was envious of Vaiṣṇavas and planned to dishonor Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He sent a prostitute to deviate him from his vows. For three nights the prostitute approached Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who continued chanting. By hearing his chanting, she also began to chant "Hari, Hari." By the third night, the prostitute's mind had completely changed. She confessed the plot and begged for mercy: "Because I have taken the profession of a prostitute," she said, "I have performed unlimited sinful acts. My lord, be merciful to me. Deliver my fallen soul." Haridāsa Ṭhākura instructed her: "Immediately go home and distribute to the brāhmaṇas whatever property you have. Then come back to this room and stay here forever in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. **Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra continuously and render service to the tulasī plant by watering her and offering prayers to her.** In this way you will very soon get the opportunity to be sheltered at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." The prostitute followed his instructions, shaved her head, and **following in the footsteps of her spiritual master, she began chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra 300,000 times a day.** Thus the prostitute became a celebrated devotee. Many stalwart Vaiṣṇavas would come to see her. **Seeing the sublime character of the prostitute, everyone was astonished. Everyone glorified the influence of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and offered him obeisances.** —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/3/99|3.99-143]] --- ## Defeats Māyā by Constant Chanting ![[cc/antya/3/250#purport|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]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/3/250|Antya 3.250]] Purport --- Māyā herself came to test Haridāsa Ṭhākura. For three nights she exhibited various feminine postures that would bewilder the mind of even Lord Brahmā. But Haridāsa Ṭhākura was always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and the holy name. After failing to captivate him, Māyā admitted: "I am the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I came here to test you. **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." Haridāsa Ṭhākura initiated her by saying, **"Just perform chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra."** In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa says: "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 was unable to captivate him because he was always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa by chanting the holy names of the Lord 300,000 times daily as a vow. —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/3/221|3.221-66]] and [[cc/antya/3/250|3.250]] --- ## Following Haridāsa Ṭhākura's Example ![[cc/antya/3/100#purport|Haridāsa Ṭhākura, being the ācārya of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, is called Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. From his personal example we can understand that chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and becoming highly elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very simple]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/3/100|Antya 3.100]] Purport --- Haridāsa Ṭhākura used to chant the holy name on his beads 300,000 times daily. One should not, however, imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, for no one else can chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra 300,000 times a day. Such chanting is for the mukta-puruṣa, or liberated soul. **We can follow his example, however, by chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra on beads every day and offering respect to the tulasī plant.** This is not at all difficult for anyone, and the process of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra with a vow before the tulasī plant has such great spiritual potency that simply by doing this one can become spiritually strong. Therefore we request the members of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement to follow Haridāsa Ṭhākura's example rigidly. **Chanting sixteen rounds does not take much time, nor is offering respects to the tulasī plant difficult. The process has immense spiritual potency. One should not miss this opportunity.** —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/3/100|3.100]] Purport --- **[← Back to Śrī Nāmāmṛta](wiki/compile/sri-namamrita)**