THE CHASTISEMENT OF JUNIOR HARIDAS
Painting by
Jadurani Devi Dasi
(1975)

Junior Haridasa violated the strict rules of the renounced order of life, and thus Lord Caitanya banned him from His association. After a year of torment in separation from the Lord, Junior Haridasa conclusively decided to attain shelter at His lotus feet. Thus he entered deep into the water at Triveni, the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna at Prayaga, and in this way gave up his life. Immediately after committing suicide in this way, he went in his spiritual body to Lord Caitanya and received His mercy. But he still remained invisible. In a spiritual body resembling a Gandharva's Junior Haridasa, although invisible, would sing at night for Lord Caitanya to hear. No one but the Lord knew of this.

One day Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired from the devotees,

"Where is Haridasa? Now you may bring him here."

The devotees all replied,

"One night at the end of a full year, Junior Haridasa got up and went away. No one knows where he has gone."

While hearing this, Lord Caitanya mildly smiled. Thus all the devotees were very astonished.

One day Jagadananda, Svarupa Damodara, Govinda, Kasisvara, Sankara, Damodara, and Mukunda all went to bathe in the sea. They could hear Haridasa singing from a distant place as if calling them in his original voice. No one could see him, but they could hear him singing in a sweet voice. Govinda and some of the other devotees then made this guess:

"Haridasa must have committed suicide by drinking poison, and because of this sinful act he has now become a brahmana ghost. We cannot see his material form, but we still hear his sweet singing. Therefore he must have become a ghost."

Svarupa Damodara, however, protested:

"This guess is wrong. Junior Haridas chanted the Hare Krsna mantra throughout his entire life and served the Supreme Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Moreover, he is dear to the Lord. Therefore he must have died in a holy place. Haridasa cannot have been degraded; he must have attained liberation. This is a pastime of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's. You will all understand it later."

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