Inappropriate Association - Chota Haridas
Antya 2
When Chota Haridas, a renunciant living in Jagannatha Puri, was requested to obtain some rice for Sri Caitanya, he approached the elderly Madhavidevi, who was a highly respected devotee. Sri Caitanya appreciated the rice but immediately questioned where it came from. When He discovered that Chota Haridas had inappropriately obtained it from a lady, He became angry and banished him, considering this a deviation from the principles of sannyasa.
Utterly distraught, Haridas fasted for three days. Various devotees petitioned Sri Caitanya to reconsider His strong reaction, but the Lord was unrelenting. He opined that since Haridas had violated the proper conduct of a sannyasi, this was the appropriate punishment. The devotees lovingly encouraged Haridas, but he eventually committed suicide by drowning himself at Prayaga. Thereafter, unknown to the devotees, Haridas received a spiritual body and had the great fortune of associating with and receiving the mercy of Sri Caitanya.
Though Sri Caitanya’s reaction may seem harsh, His overarching purpose was to establish the need for purity and integrity in the renounced order. He left no room for hypocrisy or duplicity. To further elucidate the instructions from this incident, Srila Prabhupada includes a commentary from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur at the end of the chapter.
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