Text 30] The Passing of Haridasa Thakura 15

TRANSLATION

“‘My dear Lord, You are the fully independent Personality of Godhead. You
act by Your own free will. You cause the whole world to dance and act as You
like.

TEXT 30

SLAF ASSAM Caica Sianie shaw |
faceia BGS MNSyz “ase Saal 1 oo 0

aneka nacaila more prasdda kariya
viprera sraddha-patra khainu ‘mleccha’ hafia

SYNONYMS

aneka—in many ways; ndcdila—You have made dance; more—me; prasdda
kariya—by Your mercy; viprera—of the brahmanas; sraddha-patra—the dish of
the sraddha ceremony; khdinu—I have eaten; mleccha hafid—although born in a
family of meateaters.

TRANSLATION

“(My dear Lord, by Your mercy You have made me dance in many ways. For
example, | was offered the sraddha-patra that should have been offered to
first-class brahmanas. | ate from it even though I was born in a family of meat-
eaters.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, in his Anubhasya, quotes from the
Visnu-smrti in reference to sraddha-patra.

brahmandpasada hy ete
kathitah pankti-ddsakah

etdn vivarjayed yatnat
sraddha-karmani panditah

According to this verse, if one is born in a brahmana family but does not behave
according to brahminical standards, he should not be offered the sraddha-patra,
which is prasdda offered to the forefathers. Advaita Acarya offered the sraddha-
patra to Haridasa Thakura, not to a brahmana who had been born in a brahmana
family. Although Haridasa Thakura was born in the family of meateaters, because
he was an advanced devotee he was shown more respect than a first-class
brahmana.
