Unwavering Faith In The Holy Name: Inspiring Story Of Thakur Shri Haridas Ji

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When saints become famous, Maya sends her representatives to test them. People stand up out of envy and try to destroy their fame without any reason. There was a landlord named Ramchandra Khan. He thought I have so much land and money, but no one respects me. This Saint named Haridas Thakur begs for food and just chants the name of God all day without doing anything else, but still, everyone bows down to him. How should I destroy his fame?

Whenever a saint is tested, three things are sent before him as an examination. First is a Woman to test out if he becomes lusty. The other two are adversity and fame. Ramchandra Khan decided to bring down Haridas Thakur Ji. He appointed a prostitute to do the job. He instructed the prostitute to go to Haridas Thakur’s house and start shouting, and he would gather neighbours, and she could then tell everyone that Haridas Thakur enjoyed with her; he would fall in the eyes of everyone. But he did not know that Haridas Thakur was the servant of the Lord and God Himself was his protector.

Haridas Thakur Delivers The Prostitute

The prostitute was beautiful, intelligent, a trickster, and clever. She went to Haridas Thakur Ji’s hut, where he was immersed in chanting the holy name of the Lord. To entice him, she tried speaking with him, but he kept chanting. She waited from morning until evening, but Thakur Haridas Ji insisted on finishing the chanting before speaking with her. He chanted three lakh holy names of God daily; she kept waiting. She kept looking at his face and hearing the holy name from him. 

She left and returned the next day, decorated and dressed to corrupt him. He was still chanting; she wanted to talk in between, but he kept chanting. She kept on hearing him. She left, returned on day three and angrily said, why don’t you talk to me? He said I will talk to you; let me finish my chanting first. Hearing his words, her heart transformed. She thought I am such a sinner; I am trying to corrupt such a great man.

Three lakh names were to be completed by the end of the day. He kept chanting. She started crying and also started chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Haridas Ji saw this and thought that the Lord had now blessed her. Haridas Thakur Ji now agreed to speak with her. She was sorry that she wanted to corrupt him. She was crying and requesting to be accepted by him in his service.

The Prostitute Becomes Haridasi

Haridas Ji said you are not a prostitute anymore. My Lord is great, but His name is even greater than Him. There is no discrimination in the name of my Lord. Anyone can chant and get the ultimate welfare. Donate the money you accumulated through wrong deeds to the poor and start chanting the holy name from today onwards. This name will purify you. She said I would never go back to my place. Haridas Ji asked her to stay in the hut and chant the name, and he left the place.

She took renunciation and chanted the name in the same hut. Her name became Haridasi. Haridas Ji left the hut at that very moment. He left for Shantipur for Advaita Acharya’s house. The prostitute wore torn clothes and chanted the name continuously. That landlord who had sent her lost his senses. I sent the prostitute to defame him, but the prostitute was now elevated. People started respecting that prostitute the same way they respected Haridas Ji. People started coming to see her (for darshan). 

This is the glory of God’s name. Ramchandra Khan got the consequences of his misdeeds. He was accused of a crime committed against the king. All his property was confiscated, and he was sent to prison. For those who insult the devotees and degrade them, their misery is certain.

Qazi Decides To Punish Haridas Thakur

Whenever a devotee is tested, the first test is temptation. When one walks on the path of God, he should be prepared for repeated tests. The second test is adversity. Haridas Thakur Ji considered God’s name his life. He saved the prostitute and made her Haridasi. After that, he came to Advaita Acharya Ji to Shantipur. He started chanting at Phulia near Shantipur in a small thatched hut in a secluded village.

At that time, King was a follower of the Muslim religion. Whoever spoke against their religion was punished. The Qazi of the kingdom learned that Haridas Ji was a Muslim by birth but still chanted Hare Krishna. Seeing the influence of Haridas Ji, he became jealous of him. He decided to punish Haridas Ji. He presented the matter in front of the king first. A case was filed against him in the royal court. Thakur Haridas Ji was handcuffed, shackled and brought to court. 

The king seated him respectfully and asked him if he had converted his religion out of his own choice. Why did you become an infidel? You will be sent to hell; I feel very sorry for you. I don’t want to punish you after seeing you. Please apologise and read the Kalma; I can reduce the punishment; otherwise, you will receive terrible punishment.

Thakur Haridas convinced the king that he did nothing wrong by starting to chant the holy name of God, but Qazi interrupted and said they didn’t want to hear anything. He told the king that Haridas was committing unrighteousness; He was an infidel and should be punished. Qazi said he should be punished so no one dares to stand against them again. The punishment should be a death penalty, but not a straight one. He should be beaten in 22 markets so that everyone sees the result of going against one’s religion. The king agreed. The executioners immediately tied his hands and started beating him with whips.

Haridas Thakur Beaten In Twenty-Two Markets

He kept on chanting the name of the God. The whips kept wounding him and pulling his skin out. He kept chanting “Hari Bol”. Such a great man, amidst such terrible pain and suffering, he never sighed. Streams of blood were flowing from his back, and the cruel executioners continued beating him. He kept on saying, “Hari Bol”. This world is blessed and pure with chanting of people like him. Today, we can practice chanting of the name of God because of the glory of these great men. It is all because of their strength. They are like representatives of God who incarnated to show the power of devotion and loyalty to God.  

With a bright face and a wide smile, he kept chanting Hari’s name while being whipped continuously. Those watching him were screaming and crying with sorrow. They were witnessing the cruelty of the executioners who were tormenting a great innocent man, but who dared to speak against the king’s orders? He was beaten in 22 markets; his flesh started to fall apart. The executioners were surprised that he didn’t sigh even once; he was just saying, “Hari Bol.” 

Haridas ji kept praying to God not to punish the Qazi, the king or the executioners. Haridas Ji said “Hari Bol” one last time and fainted. The executioners saw there was no pulse, and they declared him dead. The Qazi saw that he died and threw his body into the Ganga. The touch of Ganga was like nectar for him. Ganga Ji carried him in her lap. He was not drowning. He came to consciousness and said, “Krishna Krishna.” Ganga Ji washed his wounds and scars with her waves. The touch of Ganga water relieved all the pain. He reached the shore, and people picked him up and took him in their laps near Phulia to his hut. 

Haridas Thakur’s Miraculous Return

The news about his beating spread all around. A huge crowd gathered for Haridas Ji’s darshan. He started doing kirtan. All wounds healed with the touch of Ganga water, and he did not need any medicine. When the king heard that he was alive, he couldn’t believe it. He had been beaten so badly that he couldn’t be alive. The king and the Qazi came to see him. They saw him as healthy, effulgent, and doing kirtan. The king looked towards Qazi and said they had committed a serious crime. No one could survive after receiving such punishment. The king prostrated before Thakur Haridas Ji and begged forgiveness. 

Haridas Ji said it’s not your fault; maybe this was my bad karma that settled. The king requested to serve Haridas Ji. Haridas Ji asked for only one service for the King. He asked never to be disturbed again and let the kirtan of the lord continue. Haridas told the king and the Qazi not to be sorrowful about the incident. He said there is a law of happiness and sorrow in the human body. Every living being has to suffer his karma. It was my karma that made it happen. I suffered some of my karma.

After hearing this, the king fell down to his feet again. All the Vaishnavas came and bowed to him. Haridas Ji said that I heard the blasphemy of my lord and the holy name in the king’s court, which was the reason for the punishment. And God covered, embraced and hugged me throughout the beating; I did not feel a single whip. There was no pain at all.

The Glory Of The Holy Name

The biggest fruit of a worshiper’s life is falling in love with the Lord’s name. Do not leave the holy name due to temptation, fear, or adversity. If sorrow comes, bear it with a smile. Keep chanting, Radha Radha. Never lose your faith in God. Knowledge will arise. You will be able to bear every situation. You will get ecstasy within. That has not happened until now, so the mind runs around in other things. 

The day your heart becomes filled with ecstasy, you will not be able to remove your mind from the name of God. The heart is dry, so it indulges in lust and sense objects. Once you taste the holy name, you will not feel like enjoying external subjects. Hold on to the holy name. You will start feeling the company of the Lord. Practice chanting; everything will be done with the holy name: knowledge, detachment, devotion, love, or whatever you want. Everything will be achieved. 

Shared By: Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Ji Maharaj

Original Video Of Shri Hit Premanand Ji Maharaj On Thakur Haridas Ji: