Introduction by Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Words of enlightenment

Prabodhini Katha

This is no ordinary book. Only those in whose hearts sraddha, firm faith in Lord Caitanya has appeared, who have taken shelter of the Holy Name and have faith in bhakti, can understand this book[1]. Among the various types of sadhana-bhakti, all perfection is achieved by taking shelter of the Name and this is the most important step for the sadhaka. These instructions of Sriman Mahaprabhu are found in His Siksastaka. Sri Mahaprabhu appointed Hari Dasa Ṭhakura as the acarya of these teachings.

Authoritative books state that Srila Hari Dasa Thakura was born into a yavana family[2]. We know this for sure. Hari Dasa accepted his birth in a rural village called Budhana. After some time, due to his previous samskara[3] he felt attracted to hari-bhajana. Leaving his home, he built a small kutira[4] in the Benapula forest and lived there, constantly engaging in nama-sankirtana and smarana. Since some hostile people opposed him and his practices, Hari Dasa left that place and went to live on the banks of the Ganga.

Some evil people sent a prostitute[5] to corrupt him, but she heard Hari-nama from the mouth of Hari Dasa and eventually became a devotee. He offered her his kutira in Benapula and then Hari Dasa left that area.

Continuously chanting Hari-nama, he crossed the Ganga and reached Saptagrama where he lived in the house of Srila Yadunandana Acarya. In that village, and in the association of the Acaryas, he attended the meetings hosted by Sri Hiranya and Govardhana who were landowners with the title of Majumdar. He had many debates dealing with the glories of Sri Nama with a brahma bandhu[6] called Gopala Cakravarti. Hiranya and Govardhana did not allow him to continue doing brahmana work and then he, Gopala Cakravarti, fell ill with leprosy. The cause was the numerous Vaishnava-aparadhas[7]. At that time, Govardhana’s son Raghunatha Dasa, who was very young, by the mercy of Hari Dasa was attracted to the path of Vaisnavism.

When Hari Dasa heard of Gopala Cakravarti’s sufferings, he felt saddened and left that place. He went to reside in the house of Srimad Advaita Prabhu in Phuliyagrama and performed nirjana-hari-bhajana[8] in a cave on the banks of the Ganga. Generally, a devotee hates fame and wants to renounce the association of worldly people, but the glories of a devotee cannot be hidden. As his light of bhakti spread, the jealousy of the Muslims arose, and Hari Dasa was arrested and tortured by the muluk-pati[9]. Hari Dasa was full of mercy for all living beings. Without even considering what they had done to him, he blessed everyone, left that place and returned to his cave.

A few days later Mahaprabhu came to that holy place. In the company of Sri Advaita, Hari Dasa met Sriman Mahaprabhu and sought refuge at His feet. From then on, he was appointed by Mahaprabhu as the acarya of nama-pracara[10].

Later, Mahaprabhu moved to Sri Purusottama[11] and during that time Hari Dasa lived in Siddha Bakula.

When Hari Dasa left this world, the Lord Himself placed him in samadhi by the sea and during the ceremony they performed sankirtana and concluded it with a viraha-mahotsava[12].

This is a Lila of Sriman Mahaprabhu, and those devotees who are advanced in bhakti preach His teachings to the world.

After asking Hari Dasa some questions, the Lord revealed nama-tattva[13] through His mouth. All these things are extensively described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, and in many other books describing bhakti.

Having been encouraged by devotees on various occasions, I have compiled an anthology of all the books describing Sri Hari Dasa’s preaching on nama-tattva. I have also received some books on our Hari Dasa from devotees living far away. Seeing among them writings of sahajiyas, baulas, and other meaningless statements, I immediately discarded them. One or two of those books agreed with pure Vaishnava philosophy. In one of the texts, a rasika has given the meaning of the sixteen Holy Names of thirty-two syllables. I was glad I received it and read it. It appears that Sri Hari Dasa instructed a pure devotee about the Holy Name and that pure devotee wrote this book in the name of his Gurudeva.

After reading these books, I would like to profusely thank the devotee community of Srihatta province. In all these books I found the instructions of Hari Dasa in relation to Hari-nama and they are all collected in this book, Sri Hari-nama Cintamani. To increase the happiness of the Niskincana-bhakta[14], we have published this book. We think that those who are not Niskincanas and those who are not exclusively devoted to the Holy Name should not read this book, nor do we wish to participate in debates on this topic.

There are many methods of sadhana-bhajana, but the method of bhajana where one takes exclusive refuge of the Name is of only one type. Since the time of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, great devotees have followed this bhajana-pranali[15] which was explained to us by Sri Hari Dasa. Since ancient times, the Vaishnavas residing in the forests of Vraja have been following this process of bhajana, and sometime later we have seen the bhajananandi with our own eyes. The Vaishnavas of Sri Purusottama-ksetra also follow it. At the end of Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Sri Sanatana and Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami have clearly written about this exclusive bhajana-pranali of living in a solitary place and constantly engaging in sravana, kirtana and smarana of Sri-Hari-nama without offense.

This Sri Hari-nama Cintamani is a book written in payara meter, and even those who have no experience in Sanskrit, including women, children and those who do not know the teachings of Mahaprabhu can understand His teachings. It is for this reason that I have not included any Sanskrit quotes, which might cause some disturbance. There is another anthology called Pramana-mala which contains proofs from the Sastras for every sentence contained in this Hari-nama Cintamani.

If Sri Krishna wishes, this book will soon be published by devotees for devotees.

A servant of the Akincana

Sri Bhaktivinoda

[1] The word “faith” is used to translate the Sanskrit term “sraddha,” which is sometimes explained as accepting something out of pure feeling and sometimes as an initial desire for spiritual life. When this is developed, another level of sraddha, full unshakable faith, comes. Srila Prabhupada explains this point: “Sraddha, to advance in spiritual life, in the beginning there is sraddha, faith. This is faith. Sraddha… Not exactly faith. Sraddha means respectful: “Oh, it’s beautiful.” This is called sraddha…” (lectures on Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1972). Furthermore, “the first initial stage is called sraddha, or attraction towards the Supreme Lord…” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.6.16, explanation) 

[2] Generally, those who are not part of the Vedic culture are called Yavana, in particular populations from the Middle East and Muslims.

[3] Actions performed in a previous life.

[4] A small house.

[5] According to some, this courtesan was called Hira.

[6] A brahmana by birth but devoid of brahminical qualities. For this reason, they were called “friends of the brahmanas.”

[7] Offenses against devotees.

[8] Solitary chanting of Hari’s Names.

[9] A Muslim leader.

[10] The teaching of the glories of the Holy Name.

[11] Jagannatha Puri.

[12] Festival of separation.

[13] The intrinsic truth about the Holy Name.

[14] Those devotees who have renounced everything for Krishna.

[15] Method of worship.

This is a section of the book “Harinama Cintamani (English)”.

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