Blog

Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas has such a sweet song, which is full of so much depth like a fully ripened, juicy, sweet mango. It brings so much pleasure and hope for us all. And the purport by His Divine Grace Srila prabhupada is very enlightening. Please enjoy the song. (ananga manjari. Das anu das anu das)

This song was sung by Narottama dasa Thakura, a great devotee and acarya in the Gaudiya Vaisnava-sampradaya, the disciplic succession coming down from Lord Caitanya. Narottama dasa Thakura has written many songs, which are recognised as authoritative by all vaisnavas. He has sung these songs in simple Bengali language, but the purport - the deep meaning of his songs is very significant.

 

In this song he says, 'gauranga bolite habe pulaka sarira. One has attained the perfection of chanting when as soon as he chants the name of Lord Gauranga, who initiated this sankirtan movement, at once there is shivering in his body. This is not to be imitated, but Narottama dasa Thakura is asking "When will that opportune moment come to us when there will be shivering of the body as soon as we chant Lord Gauranga's name?" And after the shivering - 'hari hari' bolite nayane ba 'be nira: "While chanting Hare Krsna, there will be tears in the eyes."

 

Then he says, ara kabe nitai-cander koruna hoibe. We are all asking about the mercy of Lord Nityananda. Nityananda is supposed to be the original spiritual master, so we have to approach Gauranga, Lord Caitanya, throught the mercy of Lord Nityanada.

 

What is the symptom of a person who has achieved the causless mercy of Lord Nityananda? Narottama dasa Thakura says that the symptom of one who has actually recieved the causless mercy of Lord Nityananda is that he has no more material desire. Ara kabe nitai-cader koruna hoibe samsara-basana mora kabe tuccha ha 'be.

Samsara-basana means "desire for material enjoyment," and Narottama dasa wonders when it will become very insignigicant.

 

Of course as long as we have material bodies we have to accept so many material things, but not in the spirit of enjoyment, but only to keep body and soul together.

 

Narottama dasa says further, rupa-raghunatha-pade hoibe akuti: "When shall I be ver much eager to study the books left by the six Gosvamis?" Akuti means "eagerness." Because Rupa Gosvami is the father of devotional service, he has written a book called Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, in which there are nice directions on devotional service. These topics are also dealt with in Caitanya-caritamrta and other books, and we have given teh summary of those directions in our book Teachings of Lord Caitanya.

 

One has to learn of the conjugal loving affairs of Radha-Krsna through the teachings of the six Gosvamis. Narottama dasa Thakura directs us not to try to understand the conjugal love of Radha-Krsna by our own endevour. We should try to understand this yugala-piriti, conjugal love, under the direction of the Gosvamis.

 

As long as the mind is too much absorbed in materialistic thought, one cannot enter into the kingdom of Vrndavan. But Narottama dasa Thakura says, visaya chariya kabe suddha ha 'be mana kabe hama herabo sri-brndabana: "When the mind is completely purified, being freed from material anxieties and desires, then I shall be able to understand Vrdavana and the conjugal love of Radha & Krsna, and then my spiritual life will be successful.