There was a tumultuous noise as they all chanted the holy names “Hari” and “Kṛṣṇa.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became overwhelmed with ecstatic love. (58) The Lord raised the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and placed it on His lap. Then He began to dance in the courtyard in great ecstatic love. (59) Because of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love, all the devotees were helpless, and in ecstatic love they also began to dance and chant congregationally. (60) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced for some time, and then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī informed Him of other rituals for the body of Ṭhākura Haridāsa. (61) The body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura was then raised onto a carrier that resembled an airship and taken to the sea, accompanied by congregational chanting. (62)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced in front of the procession, and Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, along with the other devotees, chanted and danced behind Him. (63) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bathed the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura in the sea and then declared, “From this day on, this sea has become a great pilgrimage site.” (64) Everyone drank the water that had touched the lotus feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and then they smeared remnants of Lord Jagannātha’s sandalwood pulp over Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s body. (65) After a hole was dug in the sand, the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura was placed into it. Remnants from Lord Jagannātha, such as His silken ropes, sandalwood pulp, food and cloth, were placed on the body. (66) All around the body, the devotees performed congregational chanting, and Vakreśvara Paṇḍita danced in jubilation. (67) With His transcendental hands, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally covered the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura with sand, chanting “Haribol! Haribol!” (68) The devotees covered the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura with sand and then constructed a platform upon the site. The platform was protected all around by fencing. (69)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced and chanted all around the platform, and as the holy name of Hari roared tumultuously, the whole universe became filled with the vibration. (70) After saṅkīrtana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bathed in the sea with His devotees, swimming and playing in the water in great jubilation. (71) After circumambulating the tomb of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the Siṁha- dvāra gate of the Jagannātha temple. The whole city chanted in congregation, and the tumultuous sound vibrated all over the city. (72) Approaching the Siṁha- dvāra gate, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spread His cloth and began to beg prasādam from all the shopkeepers there. (73) “I am begging prasādam for a festival honoring the passing away of Haridāsa Ṭhākura,” the Lord said. “Please give Me alms.” (74)
Hearing this, all the shopkeepers immediately came forward with big baskets of prasādam, which they jubilantly delivered to Lord Caitanya. (75) However, Svarūpa Dāmodara stopped them, and the shopkeepers returned to their shops and sat down with their baskets. (76) Svarūpa Dāmodara sent Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu back to His residence and kept with him four Vaiṣṇavas and four servant carriers. (77) Svarūpa Dāmodara said to all the shopkeepers, “Deliver to me four palmfuls of prasādam from each and every item.” (78) In this way varieties of prasādam were collected, then packed up in different loads and carried on the heads of the four servants. (79) Not only did Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī bring prasādam, but Vāṇīnātha Paṭṭanāyaka and Kāśī Miśra also sent large quantities. (80) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made all the devotees sit in rows and personally began to distribute the prasādam, assisted by four other men. (81)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not accustomed to taking prasādam in small quantities. He therefore put on each plate what at least five men could eat. (82) Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī requested Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Please sit down and watch. With these men to help me, I shall distribute the prasādam.” (83) The four men-Svarūpa Dāmodara, Jagadānanda, Kāśīśvara and Śaṅkara distributed the prasādam continuously. (84) All the devotees who sat down would not eat the prasādam as long as the Lord had not eaten. On that day, however, Kāśī Miśra had extended an invitation to the Lord. (85) Therefore Kāśī Miśra personally went there and delivered prasādam to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu with great attention and made Him eat. (86) With Paramānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sat down and accepted the prasādam. When He began to eat, so did all the Vaiṣṇavas. (87)
Everyone was filled up to the neck because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu kept telling the distributors, “Give them more! Give them more!” (88) After all the devotees finished accepting prasādam and had washed their hands and mouths, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu decorated each of them with a flower garland and sandalwood pulp. (89) Overwhelmed with ecstatic love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered a benediction to all the devotees, which all the devotees heard with great satisfaction. (90) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave this benediction: “Anyone who has seen the festival of Śrī Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s passing away, anyone who has chanted and danced here, anyone who has offered sand on the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and anyone who has joined this festival to partake of the prasādam will achieve the favor of Kṛṣṇa very soon. There is such wonderful power in seeing Haridāsa Ṭhākura. (91 93) “Being merciful upon Me, Kṛṣṇa gave Me the association of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Being independent in His desires, He has now broken that association. (94)
“When Haridāsa Ṭhākura wanted to leave this material world, it was not within My power to detain him. (95) “Simply by his will, Haridāsa Ṭhākura could give up his life and go away, exactly like Bhīṣma, who previously died simply by his own desire, as we have heard from śāstra. (96) “Haridāsa Ṭhākura was the crown jewel on the head of this world; without him, this world is now bereft of its valuable jewel.” (97) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then told everyone, “Say ‘All glories to Haridāsa Ṭhākura!’ and chant the holy name of Hari.” Saying this, He personally began to dance. (98) Everyone began to chant, “All glories to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who revealed the importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord!” (99) Thereafter, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu bade farewell to all the devotees, and He Himself, with mixed feelings of happiness and distress, took rest. (100) Thus I have spoken about the victorious passing away of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Anyone who hears this narration will certainly fix his mind firmly in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. (101)
From the incident of Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s passing away and the great care Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took in commemorating it, one can understand just how affectionate He is toward His devotees. Although He is the topmost of all sannyāsīs, He fully satisfied the desire of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. (102) When Haridāsa Ṭhākura was at the last stage of his life, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him His company and allowed him to touch Him. Thereafter, He took the body of Ṭhākura Haridāsa on His lap and personally danced with it. (103) Out of His causeless mercy the Lord personally covered the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura with sand and personally begged alms from the shopkeepers. Then He conducted a great festival to celebrate the passing away of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. (104)
Haridāsa Ṭhākura was not only the topmost devotee of the Lord but also a great and learned scholar. It was his great fortune that he passed away before Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (105) The life and characteristics of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are exactly like an ocean of nectar, one drop of which can please the mind and ear. (106) Anyone who desires to cross over the ocean of nescience, please hear with great faith the life and characteristics of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (107) Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya- caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps. (108)
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