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Everyone in the gathering was pleased to hear Haridas's sweet words which were full of essence. There was a Tarka Pundit (Logician) named Gopal Chandra Chakravarthy in the gathering. He spoke condemning Haridas’ words thus,“All these are emotional words. Only illiterate people will chant the Lord’s Names loudly and roam about aimlessly. True knowledge comes only from shastra. How can sorrow be eradicated by Nãmajapa? All the statements in the shastras that extol the greatness of Nãma are all Arthavãda (statements of praise/panegyric).

Haridas immediately replied emotionally, “One who deems the greatness of Lord’s name as Arthavãda is a mere dry logician. It is a sin to do so without knowing the greatness of Nãma.

Gopal Chandra retorted-“All this is fool’s talk! Is it possible to believe that a great sinner like Ajamila became purified instantly on chanting Narayana Nãma in his deathbed? Doesn’t God, who is present in even the minutest atom, know that Ajamila called only his son named Narayana and not Him? Is this incident not Arthavãda?”

Haridas replied, “One who says this is only Arthavãda. I do not wish to speak anything more.” Gopal Chakravarthy said fiercely-“If it is true that the lowliness of a man vanishes by remembering/chanting Lord’s Names, I shall cut my nose.”

Haridas replied, “If the impurities of a man does not get eradicated with all their roots by Lord’s Names, I am ready to cut both my ears and nose.” Seeing the situation worsening, the others pacified both of them and asked them to be seated and slowly dispersed the gathering. The Jamindar was greatly annoyed by Gopal Chakravarthy’s behavior. They terminated him from employment, as he had become an offender of a Vaishnavite.

To be continued...

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