Although Haridāsa Ṭhākura, as a Vaiṣṇava, did not take seriously the brāhmaṇa’s offense, the Supreme Personality of Godhead could not tolerate it, and thus he made the brāhmaṇa suffer the consequences. (212) A characteristic of a pure devotee is that he excuses any offense by an ignorant rascal. A characteristic of Kṛṣṇa, however, is that He cannot tolerate blasphemy of His devotees. (213) Haridāsa Ṭhākura was unhappy when he heard that the brāhmaṇa Gopāla Cakravartī had been attacked by leprosy. Thus after informing Balarāma Ācārya, the priest of Hiraṇya Majumadāra, he went to Śāntipura, the home of Advaita Ācārya. (214) Upon meeting Advaita Ācārya, Haridāsa Ṭhākura offered Him respect and obeisances. Advaita Ācārya embraced him and showed respect to him in return. (215)
On the bank of the Ganges, in a solitary place, Advaita Ācārya made a cavelike home for Haridāsa Ṭhākura and spoke to him about the real meaning of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad- gītā in terms of devotional service. (216) Haridāsa Ṭhākura accepted food daily at the house of Advaita Ācārya. Meeting together, the two of them would taste the nectar of discourses on the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa. (217) Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, “My dear Advaita Ācārya, let me submit something before Your Honor. Every day You give me alms of food to eat. What is the necessity of this? (218) “Sir, You are living within a society of great, great brāhmaṇas and aristocrats, but without fear or shame You adore a lower- class man like me. (219) “My dear Sir, Your behavior is uncommon. Indeed, sometimes I am afraid to speak to You. But please favor me by protecting me from the behavior of society.” (220)
Advaita Ācārya replied, “My dear Haridāsa, do not be afraid. I shall behave strictly according to the principles of the revealed scriptures. (221) “Feeding you is equal to feeding ten million brāhmaṇas,” Advaita Ācārya said. “Therefore, accept this śrāddha- pātra.” Thus Advaita Ācārya made him eat. (222) Advaita Ācārya was always absorbed in thoughts of how to deliver the fallen souls of the entire world. “The entire world is full of nondevotees,” He thought. “How will they be delivered?” (223) Determined to deliver all the fallen souls, Advaita Ācārya decided to cause Kṛṣṇa to descend. With this vow, He began to offer Ganges water and tulasī leaves to worship the Lord. (224) Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura chanted in his cave on the bank of the Ganges with the intention of causing Kṛṣṇa’s descent. (225) Because of the devotional service of these two persons, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu descended as an incarnation. Thus He preached the holy name of the Lord and ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa to deliver the entire world. (226)
There is another incident concerning Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s uncommon behavior. One will be astonished to hear about it. (227) Hear about such incidents without putting forth dry arguments, for these incidents are beyond our material reasoning. One must believe in them with faith. (228) One day Haridāsa Ṭhākura was sitting in his cave, reciting the holy name of the Lord very loudly. (229) The night was full of moonlight, which made the waves of the Ganges look dazzling. All directions were clear and bright. (230) Thus everyone who saw the beauty of the cave, with the tulasī plant on a clean altar, was astonished and satisfied at heart. (231) At that time, in that beautiful scene, a woman appeared in the courtyard. The beauty of her body was so bright that it tinged the entire place with a yellow hue. (232) The scent of her body perfumed all directions, and the tinkling of her ornaments startled the ear. (233)
After coming there, the woman offered obeisances to the tulasī plant, and after circumambulating the tulasī plant she came to the door of the cave where Haridāsa Ṭhākura was sitting. (234) With folded hands she offered obeisances at the lotus feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Sitting at the door, she then spoke in a very sweet voice. (235) “My dear friend,” she said, “you are the friend of the entire world. You are so beautiful and qualified. I have come here only for union with you. (236) “My dear sir, kindly accept me and be merciful toward me, for it is a characteristic of all saintly persons to be kind toward the poor and fallen.” (237) After saying this, she began to manifest various postures, which even the greatest philosopher would lose his patience upon seeing. (238) Haridāsa Ṭhākura was immovable, for he was deeply determined. He began to speak to her, being very merciful toward her. (239)
“I have been initiated into a vow to perform a great sacrifice by chanting the holy name a certain number of times every day. (240) “As long as the vow to chant is unfulfilled, I do not desire anything else. When I finish my chanting, then I have an opportunity to do anything. (241) “Sit down at the door and hear the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā- mantra. As soon as the chanting is finished, I shall satisfy you as you desire.” (242) After saying this, Haridāsa Ṭhākura continued to chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus the woman sitting before him began to hear the chanting of the holy name. (243) In this way, as he chanted and chanted, the morning approached, and when the woman saw that it was morning, she got up and left. (244) For three days she approached Haridāsa Ṭhākura in this way, exhibiting various feminine postures that would bewilder the mind of even Lord Brahmā. (245)
Haridāsa Ṭhākura was always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the feminine poses the woman exhibited were just like crying in the forest. (246) At the end of the night of the third day, the woman spoke to Haridāsa Ṭhākura as follows. (247) “My dear sir, for three days you have cheated me by giving me false assurances, for I see that throughout the entire day and night your chanting of the holy name is never finished.” (248) Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, “My dear friend, what can I do? I have made a vow. How, then, can I give it up?” (249) After offering obeisances to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the woman said, “I am the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I came here to test you. (250) “I have previously captivated the mind of even Brahmā, what to speak of others. Your mind alone have I failed to attract. (251) “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. Please be kind to me by instructing me about the ecstasy of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā- mantra. (252-253)
“There is now a flood of the eternal nectar of love of Godhead due to the incarnation of Lord Caitanya. All living entities are floating in that flood. The entire world is now thankful to the Lord. (254) “Anyone who does not float in this inundation is most condemned. Such a person cannot be delivered for millions of kalpas. (255) “Formerly I received the holy name of Lord Rāma from Lord Śiva, but now, due to your association, I am greatly eager to chant the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa. (256) “The holy name of Lord Rāma certainly gives liberation, but the holy name of Kṛṣṇa transports one to the other side of the ocean of nescience and at last gives one ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. (257) “Please give me the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and thus make me fortunate, so that I also may float in the flood of love of Godhead inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” (258) After speaking in this way, Māyā worshiped the lotus feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who initiated her by saying, “Just perform chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā- mantra.” (259)
After thus being instructed by Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Māyā left with great pleasure. Unfortunately, some people have no faith in these narrations. (260) Therefore I shall explain the reasons why people should have faith. Everyone who hears this will be faithful. (261) During the incarnation of Lord Caitanya to inaugurate the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, even such personalities as Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the four Kumāras took birth upon this earth, being allured by ecstatic love of Lord Kṛṣṇa. (262) All of them, including the great sage Nārada and devotees like Prahlāda, came here in the guise of human beings, chanting the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa together and dancing and floating in the inundation of love of Godhead. (263) The goddess of fortune and others, allured by love of Kṛṣṇa, also came down in the form of human beings and tasted the holy name of the Lord in love. (264)
What to speak of others, even Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, personally descends to taste the nectar of love of Godhead in the form of the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. (265) What is the wonder if the maidservant of Kṛṣṇa, His external energy, begs for love of Godhead? Without the mercy of a devotee and without the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, love of Godhead cannot be possible. (266) In the activities of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the three worlds dance and chant, having come in touch with love of Godhead. This is the characteristic of His pastimes. (267) The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that anyone who chants it-including all living entities, moving and nonmoving, and even Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself-becomes imbued with love of Kṛṣṇa. This is the effect of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā- mantra.(268)
I have heard from the mouth of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī all that Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī recorded in his notes about the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (269) I have briefly described those pastimes. Whatever I have written is by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, since I am an insignificant living being. (270) I have described but a fragment of the glories of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Hearing this satisfies the aural reception of every devotee. (271) 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. (272)
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