258 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Antya-lila, Ch. 3
PURPORT

The village of Bendpola is situated in the district of YaSohara, which is now in
Bangladesh. Benapola is near the Banagano station, which is at the border of
Bangladesh and may be reached by the eastern railway from Shelda Station in
Calcutta. Haridasa Thakura, being the acarya of chanting the Hare Krsna maha-
mantra, is called Namacarya Haridasa Thakura. From his personal example we can
understand that chanting the Hare Krsna mantra and becoming highly elevated in
Krsna consciousness is very simple. Without difficulty one can sit down any-
where, especially on the bank of the Ganges, Yamuna oy any sacred river, devise a
sitting place or cottage, plant a tulasi, and before the tulasi chant the Hare Krsna
mahd-mantra undisturbed.

Haridasa Thakura used to chant the holy name on his beads 300,000 times
daily. Throughout the entire day and night, he would chant the sixteen names of
the Hare Krsna mahd-mantra. One should not, however, imitate Haridasa Thakura,
for no one else can chant the Hare Krsna mahd-mantra 300,000 times a day. Such
chanting is for the mukta-purusa, or liberated soul. We can follow his example,
however, by chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra on beads
every day and offering respect to the tulasiplant. This is not at all difficult for any-
one, and the process of chanting the Hare Krsna mahd-mantra with a vow before
the tulasi plant has such great spiritual potency that simply by doing this one can
become spiritually strong. Therefore we request the members of the Hare Krsna
movement to follow Haridasa Thakura’s example rigidly. Chanting sixteen rounds
does not take much time, nor is offering respects to the tulasi plant difficult. The
process has immense spiritual potency. One should not miss this opportunity.

TEXT 101
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ASICS AFH CASE SACH AR ded
brahmanera ghare kare bhiksa nirvahana
prabhave sakala loka karaye pUjana
SYNONYMS

brahmanera ghare—in the house of a braéhmana; kare—does; bhiksa nir-
vahana—asking alms of food; prabhave—by spiritual potency; sakala loka—all
people; karaye pdjana—worship.

TRANSLATION

For his bodily maintenance he would go to a brahmana’s house and beg
some food. He was spiritually so influential that all the neighboring people
worshiped him.
