Shri Bihariji, the Darling Thakur of Swami Haridas
The Holi of Braj is renowned the world over. Shri Bihariji, the darling Thakurji of Swami Shri Haridas plays Holi with joyous abandon for five days at a stretch, from Ekadashi to Purnima.
Lathmar Holi of Barsana
Every year thousands of sentimental devotees keep pouring in from every corner of India to see the lathmar[1] holi of Barsana and the lively colourful holi of Shri Bihariji in Vrindavan. Many pilgrims had come over this year too.
Holi in Vrindavan
Shri Maharajji was very delighted to get drenched in this heavy shower of colours. On
all five days he would go in the morning and evening for the darshan of Bihariji and come back to the Ganga Mandir absolutely drenched. If this soaking with colours was less on some particular day he would be dejected. This year the condition was the same but Shriji had been in a state of bhava avesha or trance like state of religious rapture
for the past few months, this would certainly make some difference. There is no need to
mention that Shriji would be absorbed in some lila or divine play. in his inner spiritual world. Whichever of Shriji's acquaintances would arrive on Holi, would come to
the Ganga Mandir to see Shriji.
Dr. Sarin of Agra had come to Shri Dham Vrindavan and he had implicit faith in Shriji. He came to the Ganga Mandir to
meet Shriji.
Shriji in Bhava Stitihi
At that time Shriji was in bhava stithi and was sitting in a room on the first floor. Therefore I made Doctor Sahab sit on the ground floor. Shriji was sitting on the topmost step of the room with one knee resting on the ground, and the other raised, with his cheek perched on the left palm. Tears were streaming down from his eyes like the showers of Sawan and Bhadon[2]. I was talking to Doctor Sahab when a sudden loud crashing sound was heard. On getting up instantly I saw that Shriji had tumbled down by seven steps and was lying unconscious, stuck between two leaves of the last step. His body had twisted and got stuck in the door in such a way that two people disentangled it with great difficulty. Lifting Shriji they made him lie down on a thin mattress. This
swooning state remained for about an hour.
Shri Radharaman Charan Dasji Maharaj
It is worth remembering at
this juncture that approximately one hundred years back, Shri Radharaman Charan Dasji Maharaj who was the guru of Shri Ramdasji Baba and grand guru of Shri Gaurang Das Baba had stayed in this very Ganga Mandir which is situated near the Ranapati Ghat. This fact is recorded in 'Charit Sudha' his biography. He had resided in Shri Navadweep Dham. The whole of Bengal and Vrindavan is familiar with his life story. The spiritual atoms of such great personage were pervading Ganga Mandir.
As you have read Shriji was happy in not meeting outsiders. It was against his nature to increase acquaintanceships. If someone happened to
drop in by chance Shriji would talk
about a couple of casual matters and then either try to send him away or making some excuse, go away himself.
Shri Maharajji used to say, “ I have no need for contact with the masses. Let just one person come to me but he must be
inquisitive and keen to tread on the spiritual path. I don't want to increase my contact with people who come to see me out of curiosity.
Moreover, I don’t' have the slightest desire to get fame.
Attaining the Feet of Lord Krishna
I consider that person to be a perfect saint who has attained oneness with God, when he makes even one person reach the feet of the Lord.”
Shriji used to remain steeped in a state of inner spiritual
consciousness. His engrossed state was clearly apparent in his conversation and even while he was laughing and joking with someone. Sometimes he would reach bhava unmade, the state of being intoxicated by divine madness while laughing and cracking jokes.
At times while talking to someone Shriji would instantly say, “ Give me a pencil” and taking the pencil he would write down his self-composed pada on the wall itself. It was very difficult for a new person to understand this. His state of higher consciousness which was beyond natural consciousness was always visible.
Likewise, one day Shriji was strolling in the courtyard of Ganga Mandir when unexpectedly signs of bhava
stithi[3] became visible. His eyes turned red and standing still for some seconds, he immediately began scolding everyone loudly. He picked up a stick lying nearby and got ready to hit us. Shriji was doing all this in a state of spiritual consciousness because no anger was perceptible when he scolded or picked up the stick. We were inclined to laugh on seeing this new amusingly unpredictable state. He took off all his clothes, wrapped a piece of sacking around his waist and picking another piece of sacking, covered himself. He braided his long locks and tied them on the head like matted hair.
A Water Pot
Picking up a small round water pot, he went out.
“I will leave,' Displaying great sense of anger, Shriji stepped out of the door and headed towards the banks of the Yamuna.
When we tried to stop him he was greatly annoyed, “ Go away or else you will get slapped by
my hand.”
We were not apprehensive as we were well acquainted with Shriji's states of bhava stithi but turned back on seeing his mental condition. Shriji came back in a short while and staring at us with the same glaring eyes he entered a small dark room of the Ganga Mandir and bolted it from inside. He came out precisely after an hour. We saw that he was fully composed and his bodily posture was
serene and calm with a happy frame of mind. He had some written paper in his hand. When we took the paper from him we
saw that there was a pada of one hundred and eight lines written on it. The dingy room was so pitch dark that one hand could not see the other. We were astonished at
how how he would have written such a lengthy composition in such darkness. The pada beautifully depicts Lord Krishna.
Its first line is:
'kund malti malli pushp dal kamal vividh gunn pakshi sulobhit | '
A Bird Tempted by Lotus Flowers
'There is a variety of flowers like jasmine, marigold, lotus etc., to tempt the birds.'
(The full text of this composition is given in 'Alibhav Nirjhar' verse no 143.)
Shriji would always try to conceal his bhava. However, when the force of excessive spiritual emotion broke all barricades and spilled out it was visible.
Hide Tears Shed for Krishna
Shriji always used to say that even if a tear of prema[4] becomes
perceptible it is like losing your invaluable wealth.
lochan jalu rah lochan kona, jaisen param kripan kar sona |
( Balkand, Shri Ramcharit Manas)
'The tear should remain deep inside the corner of one's eye
just as a great miser hides his gold.'
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Shedding Tears for Krishna
Only Lord Krishna should be present to see the tears of selfless love. He must certainly come to wipe them off with the fringe of His yellow sash. One day Shri Maharajji went to see the enactment of the 'Maharasa' with his inner circle of associates in the Kaladhari Bagicha. While seeing the Rasa he began going into bhava avesha .
Enactment of the Maharasa
A great crowd had gathered to see the 'Maharasa.' Abashed, he tried his best to control himself, sitting with his head bent but the spiritual emotion kept getting stronger. Gradually he rested his head on the ground. I was holding Shriji from behind. The Rasa came to an end and the thronging crowd left. But he kept lying in a swoon. Slowly I turned over his body and made him lie down straight. A few mahatmas residing there gathered around him. Some began fanning him while others went and got some water. After an hour when
Shriji regained normal consciousness we slowly brought him to the Ganga Mandir. Here too he continued to lie down in a semi-conscious
state. In the morning at 4 o' clock he went into a trance like state again and swooned. In that condition a pada flashed forth at this juncture. Its first line is as follows:
'kapol chandramuk shri parimandit, kundal dhuti parchhai | '
Kundals Dangle on Krishna's Moonlike Face
'The cheeks of Krishna's moonlike face were adorned with splendour, reflecting the lustre of His kundals[5].'
(The full text of this composition is given in verse no 207 of 'Alibhav Nirjhar.')
Priceless Pearls Are Verses Written by Shriji
Thus
the sea of Shriji's spiritual emotions used to overflow every day in the Ganga
Mandir. The deposited padas, which are very much like gems and pearls,have
become an immensely valuable wealth for his close associates.
[1] Lathmar holi:
a local celebration of
the Hindu festival of
Holi which takes place
well before the actual
Holi in the town
of Barsana. It means
that Holi in which
people hit with sticks
or lathis,. The name
means "that Holi in which
[people] hit with sticks" (laṭh
is a thick traditional
staff).
Legend has
it that Lord Krishna
visited beloved Radha's
village on this day
and playfully teased Her and
her friends. Taking offence
at this, the women
of Barsana chased him
away. Since then, men
from Krishna's village, Nandgaon, visit
Barsana to play Holi
in the town which
has the distinction of
having the only temple
dedicated to Shri Radha
in India.
In the
sprawling compound of the
Radha Rani temple in
Barsana, thousands gather to witness
the Lath Mar holi
when women beat up
men with sticks or
laths.
[3] Bhava stithi:
or awakening of
spiritual consciousness, is a state
of communion with God. It
is related to the
sub-conscious mind (chitta). For
that time one transcends
one’s usual state
of identification with a worldly
existence. The awareness of
one’s own existence
also reduces. Thus in
a state of spiritual
emotion one transcends the
little ‘i’ and identifies
with the big ‘I’
and it gives us
a spiritual experience of Bliss or anand
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