Thakura Haridasa

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Thakura Haridasa

by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

 

 

Oh born of Moslem parents Haridas!

And trained in youth in Moslem creed

Thy noble heart to Vaishnava truth did pass

Thy holy acts thy candor plead!

Is there a soul that cannot learn from thee

That man must give up sect for God

That thoughts of race and sect can ne'er agree

With what they call Religion broad

Thy love of God and brother soul alone

Bereft thyself of early friends

Thy softer feelings oft to kindness prone

Led on thyself for higher ends!

I weep to read that Kazis and their men

Oft persecuted thee, alas!

But thou didst nobly pray for th' wicked then!

For thou wert Vaishnava Haridas!

And God is boundless grace to thee, Oh man!

United thee to one who came

To save the fallen souls from Evil's plan

Of taking human souls to shame

And He it was who led you all that came

For life eternal, holy, pure!

And gave you rest in Heaven's endearing Name

And sacred blessings ever sure!

Thy body rests upon the sacred sands

Of Svargardvar near the sea,

Oh, hundreds come to thee from distant lands

T' enjoy a holy, thrilling glee!

The waters roar and storming winds assail

Thy ears in vain, ah, Vaishnava soul!

The charms of Vrindavan thy heart regale,

Unknown the wheel of time doth roll!

He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die

When thou art living still in sound

The Vaishnavas die to live and living try

To spread the holy name around!

Now let the candid man that seeks to live

Follow thy way on shores of time,

Then posterity sure to him will give

Like one song in simple rhyme!

(A poem originally written by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in the early 1870's.)

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The Thakura in Puri

 

 

THE Thakura's family was in Ranaghat, and in his absence a son named Radhika Prasad was born. While in Dinajpur he had taken a law examination but had not passed it. In Champaran, however, he studied law very intently and after taking the examination in Chapra, he asked for a transfer to Puri. He received it, and taking copies of the Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita with him he duly proceeded there. He describes his going daily for darsana of Lord Jagannatha thus: "Every day I went to see Jagannatha at Sri Mandira. At the time of darsana I remembered the emotions of Sri Mahaprabhu, and I felt very blissful." For a few months he was alone in Puri, and then, after the puja season, he brought his family to a brick house he rented there. While staying alone in Puri, in 1871, the Thakura composed a poem in contemplation of the samadhi (tomb) of Srila Haridasa Thakura, the great Professor of the Holy Name, the ninth verse of which is especially well-known and is oft quoted by Gaudiya Vaishnavas.