Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

 

 

PAMHO, AGTSP

 

 

 

There are seven original and most important Temples of Vrndavana:

 

 

Temple Founder

 

 

Madam- Mohan Sanatana Goswami

 

Govindaji Rupa Goswami

 

Radha-Gopinatha Madhu Pandit Goswami

 

Radha-Damodara Jiva Goswami

 

Radha-Syamasundara Syamananda Pandita Goswami

 

Radharamana Gopal Bhatta Goswami

 

Radha-Gokulananda Lokanatha Goswami

 

 

 

 

Radha-Gokulananda Temple

 

 

 

 

Lokanatha Goswami, who performed bhajana at this spot, founded this temple.

Visvanatha Cakravrati Thakura worshiped the small, but beautiful Deity of

Gokulananda. Also kept in this temple are the deities of Lokanatha Goswami

(Radha-Vinoda), Baladeva Vidyabhusana (Vijay Govinda), and Narottama Dasa

Thakura (Caitanya Mahaprabhu). Also here is the small Govardhana-sila given

to Raghunatha dasa Goswami by Lord Caitanya, which has the Lord's thumb

impression upon it.

 

 

 

Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda ki Jay Jay!!

 

Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura

 

(Disappearance day on 22nd Oct..)

 

Appearing as the son of a King, Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura (Sri Thakura

Mahasaya) showed all the bodily symptoms of a mahapurusa (an exalted divine

person). He had long arms, a deep navel, and golden-complexion, beautiful

eyes shaped like the lotus petals. In school, he was sruti dhara (able to

memorize whatever he hears), although he quickly mastered Sanskrit and the

Vedas, he hankered to serve Krishna. He was a lifelong Brahmachari. By the

mercy of the holy name Gaura-Nitai, Narottama became detached, left his

opulent family, and ran to Vrndavana. He took diksa from Sri Lokanatha

Goswami and siksa in Gaudiya philosophy from Sri Jiva Goswami.

 

When he arrived in Navadvipa-dhama all the devotees asked

him about the health and activities of the Goswamis in Vrndavana. They were

eager to hear the news from Vrndavana. After visiting all the of Gauranga's

pastime places in Gaura Mandala, Narottama Dasa did the same in Sri Ksetra

Dhama (Jagannatha Puri). Then he went to see the devotees and Sri Caitanya's

pastimes spots in Santipur, Sri Khanda, Kanthak Nagar, Ekacakra, and Kheturi

Gram. In Kheturi, Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura arranged the famous Kheturi

Mahotsava. This was the first "Gaura-Purnima" festival to honor the divine

appearance day of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. During the festival six

Deities were installed: Sri Gauranga Deva, Sri Vallabhi Kanta, Sri Vraja

Mohana, Sri Krishna, Sri Radha Kanta, Sri Radha Ramana.

 

With his sweet voice Narottama Dasa began a wonderful

kirtana.

 

His chanting filled the heavens, and brought down tears of prema from the

eyes of the devotees, who were all sporting in the ocean of ecstasy. "In the

midst of their kirtana, the munificent Sri Caitanya Himself and all His

personal associates appeared and joined in the sankirtana. Like a flash of

lightning in the midst of a mass of beautiful blue clouds, Sri Caitanya

Himself appeared in the crowd of devotees through a divine manifestation."

(bhakti-ratnakar)

 

"At that time, although Mahaprabhu had left this world years

before, many different devotees saw Mahaprabhu in different ways. Those of

Sri Navadvipa dhama saw Him more intimately as Nimaicandra or Visvambhara,

as they knew Him during His youth. Those devotees were attracted to

Mahaprabhu in sakhya and vatsalya rasa. The followers of the six Goswamis,

who only knew Mahaprabhu as a sannyasi, related to Him in the mood of dasya

rasa. And hundreds of devotees also worshiped Lord Caitanya in an aisvarya

mood of awe and reverence.

 

"This festival is considered a major achievement in Gaudiya

Vaisnavism. Hundreds and hundreds of devotees were invited, including direct

disciples of Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, and Advaita Acarya. At this

time, many differences existed in the interpretation of Gaudiya Vaisnavism.

Acaryarani Jahnava Devi came from Kardaha with her entourage. Presiding over

all the Vaisnavas, she resolved their diverse conclusions into one

consistent Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy."

 

"For the first time, the festival featured many kirtana

styles which integrated the glorification of Lord Caitanya with the

glorification of Lord Krishna and His pastimes. And because so many

Vaisnavas were present at one place, it automatically made the Kheturi

festival extraordinary. It also acted as an important step towards unifying

all the Gaudiya Vaisnavas." (Sri Navadvipa-dhama parikrama) Narottama Dasa

Thakura wrote many devotional songs about the spiritual master, the

devotees, and devotional service, the six Goswamis, Gaura-Nityananda and

Radha-Krishna. Although composed with sweet melodies in simple Bengali

Language, Narottama Dasa's songs give sastric siddhanta and devotional

inspiration. Srila Prabhupada often sang these bhajanas. Considering them

non-different from Vedic sastra, He quoted them in his Bhagavatam lectures.

Prarthana and Prema-bhakti-candrika are Narottama's most famous works. The

following excerpt comes from Prema-bhakti-candrika: "Radha and Krishna are

my goal in life and death, and They are the masters of my breath. Performing

my bhajana only for Them, I rise and fall in the ocean of prema. I pray that

I can always maintain this conception within my heart as my highest ideal.

 

"Let me serve the Lotus feet of Radha-Govinda. Let my mind be filled with

dedication to Their divine forms that defeat the beauty of Cupid and Rati.

With a straw between my teeth I fall at Their divine feet and present my

humble appeal: 'O Kishora-kishori! O son of Nanda Maharaja--Syamasundara!

And O daughter of King Vrsbhanu, Sri Radha. You enchant even Hari and Your

bodily complexion is the color of a golden lotus. O Krishna, with a bodily

color like an indranila gem (blue jewel), Your beauty mocks cupid.

 

'O topmost dancers--Sri Radha and Sri Krishna--please dance

within my mind. O You whose beauty increases the charm of your dazzling

ornaments, day and night I only wish that I shall go on singing Your glories

in great ecstasy.'

 

Narottama Dasa serves Srimati Radhika as Camaka-manjira. His

samadhi is in Radha Gokulananda's temple courtyard.