Prabhupāda: Yes. Ṭhākura Haridāsa was living in a cottage which was . . . just like I am living here, and the garage site a little far off, Haridāsa was living a little distance. So when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to go to the sea for taking bath, He, every day, every morning He used to go to Haridāsa Ṭhākura and taking his informa . . . “Haridāsa, what you are doing?” Because Haridāsa was Muhammadan by birth, so out of his meekness he did not go to the temple. But in those . . .
Especially in those days they were very strict. They do not allow anyone except Hindus to enter the temple. Nowadays, of course, there is law. If somebody is . . . actually has come to the Hindu way of life, he’s allowed. Our Jayagovinda and others were allowed to see Jagannātha temple. But in those days there were no such system, and Haridāsa, out of his own accord, he did not wanted to disturb. But Lord Caitanya, God Himself, used to come to see him every day.
So one day when Caitanya came, he looked little bit depressed. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, “Haridāsa, you do not look very well today. What is the matter?” “Sir, I’m not very feeling well. And because I do not feel well, I could not finished my chanting.” He was chanting daily 300,000 times. “So I could not finish my chanting.” So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: “All right. You are growing old, and you may not follow the rules now strictly. You can make it lesser.”
Haridāsa Ṭhākura said: “No, Sir, so long my life is there I shall try to follow. When the life is over, that is different thing. But I have got one desire, if You fulfill.” “What is that?” “Now, I can understand that You will also leave this world very soon. So I cannot tolerate that. So best thing is that before You’ll go, I’ll go. And my another request is that You shall stand before me, and I shall leave this body.” So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: “Oh, if that is your desire, that will be all right. That is not difficult.”
So next day, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu came, Haridāsa Ṭhākura said: “Sir, today I wish to leave, so You please stand before me.” So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also could understand that he’s leaving. So He asked His devotees to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and in the presence of Caitanya Mahāprabhu he left.
Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu took this body, and Himself He went . . . He carried the body Himself. He was very stout and strong. And He was dancing and . . . then He went to the seaside, and He bathed the body, and in His own hands He buried Caitanya, uh, Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s body within the sand. So that burial place is still there in Purī, Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s samādhi.
Then He personally went to the shopkeepers and begged prasādam: “You give Me some prasādam.” All people gave Him so many things. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so well-known. So He asked all the devotees to take prasādam after the burial ceremony was over. In this way Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s . . . niryāna. This is called departure of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
(Excerpt from Conversation on Lord Caitanya’s Play – August 4, 1969, Los Angeles)
We Should Be Very Strongly inclined to Krishna Consciousness Like Haridasa Thakura: https://youtu.be/COrsK7-9yDs?si=-6Y8dFBZJNtrbR6j
Don’t Imitate Haridasa Thakura: https://youtube.com/shorts/JwNrPNfzSjg?si=201xB2LZ8kVVK2zn
