On Haridas’ Samadhi.
A Poem by Thakur Bhaktivinode
[A SARAGRAHI VAISHNAVA]
- O! Born of Moslem parents, Haridas!*1
And trained in youth in Moslem creed,
Thy noble heart to Vaishnava truth did pass!
Thy holy acts the candour plead! - Is there a soul that cannot learn from thee
That man must give up sect for God?
That thought 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 Kazees 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, O man!
United thee to one who came
To save the fallen souls from Evil's plan
Of taking human souls to shame.2 - 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! - The body rests upon the sacred sands
Of Swargadwar3 near the sea,
Oh! Hundreds come to thee from distant lands
T' enjoy a holy thrilling glee! - The water roars and storming winds assail
Thy ears in vain, Ah! Vaishnava soul!
The charms of Brindaban 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 a holy life 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!
1 *Haridas was the son of a Kazee who lived within a few miles of Jessore. While yet a boy, the religious sentiment received a very great development in him and he could not understand that pure spiritual love was the only absolute religion of man. He was very much averse to cruelty to animals and turned a Vaishnava in preference to the faith of his community. The Kazees and others met together and ordered him to be beaten very hard in the bazaars of Kalna. We read it in the "Chaitanya Bhagabat" that when he was being cruelly beaten, he was praying God that his persecutors might be pardoned.
2 It is said that Haridas after leaving Jessore came to Nadia and lived for sometime in Santipur, on the banks of the Ganges. The great "Chaitanya Mahapravoo" of Nadia was born after Haridas had come to Santipur. But When "Chaitanya" came of age and began to preach the highest truth of Vaishnavism, Haridas very gladly enlisted himself as a follower of "Mahapravoo". In a short time Haridas met him at Puri of Jagannath and there lived till the time of his passing. His body was interred by "Chaitanya Deba" on the sea shore.
3 large portion of the beach at Puri goes by the name of Swargadwar in which the Samaja or tomb of Haridas is found. Popularly the place is considered sacred.
