Lord Nityananda (5)

[Guest guest]

MANAH-SHIKSHA

"Teachings to the Mind"

(from Narottama dasa Thakura's "Prarthana")

 

Text 1

 

nitai-pada-kamala, koti-candra-sushitala

je chayay jagata juray

heno nitai bine bhai, radha-krishna paite nai

driòha kori' dharo nitair pay

 

The lotus feet of Lord Nityananda are a shelter where one will get

the soothing moonlight not only of one, but of millions of moons. If the

world wants to have real peace, it should take shelter of Lord Nityananda.

Unless one takes shelter under the shade of the lotus feet of Lord

Nityananda, it will be very difficult for him to approach Radha-Krishna. If

one actually wants to enter into the dancing party of Radha-Krishna, he must

firmly catch hold of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda.

 

Text 2

 

se sambandha nahi ja'r, britha janma gelo ta'r

sei pashu boro duracar

nitai na bolilo mukhe, majilo samsara-sukhe

vidya-kule ki koribe tar

 

Anyone who has not established his relationship with Nityananda

Prabhu is understood to have spoiled his valuable human birth. Such a human

being is actually an uncontrollable animal. Because he never uttered the

holy name of Nityananda, he has become merged into so-called material

happiness. What can his useless education and family tradition do to help

him?

 

Text 3

 

ahankare matta hoiya, nitai-pada pasariya

asatyere satya kori mani

nitaiyer koruna habe, braje radha-krishna pabe

dharo nitai-carana du'khani

 

Being maddened after false prestige and identification with the

body, one is thinking, nOh, what is Nityananda? What can He do for me? I

don't care.î The result is that he is accepting something false to be truth.

If you actually want to approach the association of Radha-Krishna, you must

first achieve the mercy of Lord Nityananda. When He is merciful toward you,

then you will be able to approach Radha-Krishna. Therefore you should firmly

grasp the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda.

 

Text 4

 

nitaiyer carana satya, tahara sevaka nitya

nitai-pada sada koro asha

narottama boro dukhi, nitai more koro sukhi

rakho ranga-caranera pasha

 

The lotus feet of Nityananda are not illusion; they are a fact. One

who engages in the transcendental loving service of Nityananda is also

transcendental. Always try to catch the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda. This

Narottama dasa is very unhappy, therefore I am praying to Lord Nityananda to

make me happy. My dear Lord, please keep me close to Your lotus feet.

 

 

PURPORT

by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 

This is a very nice song sung by Narottama dasa Thakura. He advises

that nitai-pada, the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda (kamala means "lotus,"

and pada means "feet"), are a shelter where one will get the soothing

moonlight not only of one, but of millions of moons. We can just imagine the

aggregate total value of the soothing shine of millions of moons. In this

material world (jagat), which is progressing toward hell, there is always a

blazing fire, and everyone is struggling hard without finding peace;

therefore, if the world wants to have real peace, it should take shelter

under the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, which are cooling like the shining

of a million moons. Juraya means "relief." If one actually wants relief from

the struggle of existence and actually wants to extinguish the blazing fire

of material pangs, Narottama dasa Thakura advises, "Please take shelter of

Lord Nityananda."

 

What will be the result of accepting the shelter of the lotus feet

of Lord Nityananda? He says, heno nitai bine bhai: unless one takes shelter

under the shade of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, radha-krishna paite

nai-it will be very difficult for him to approach Radha-Krishna. The aim of

this Krishna consciousness movement is to enable us to approach

Radha-Krishna and associate with the Supreme Lord in His sublime pleasure

dance. Narottama dasa Thakura advises that if one actually wants to enter

into the dancing party of Radha-Krishna, he must accept the shelter of the

lotus feet of Lord Nityananda.

 

Then he says, se sambandha nahi Sambandha means "connection" or

"contact." Anyone who has not contacted a relationship with Nityananda is

understood to have spoiled his human birth. In another song also, Narottama

dasa says, hari hari bifale janama gonainu: anyone who does not approach

Radha-Krishna through a relationship with Nityananda has uselessly spoiled

his life. Britha means "useless," janma means "life," ta'r means "his," and

sambandha means "relationship." Anyone who does not make a relationship with

Nityananda is simply spoiling the boon of his human form of life. Why is he

spoiling it? Sei pashu boro duracar. Sei means "that," pashu means "animal,"

and duracar means "misbehaved" or "the most misbehaved." Without elevation

to Krishna consciousness through the mercy of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda,

life is simply spoiled in the animal propensities of sense gratification.

Narottama dasa says that ordinary animals can be tamed, but when a human

being is animalistic, having only animal propensities, he is most horrible,

for he cannot be tamed. Ordinary cats and dogs or even a tiger can be tamed,

but when a human being goes out of his way and neglects to take to the human

activity of Krishna consciousness, his higher intelligence will simply be

misused for animal propensities, and it is very difficult to tame him. The

enactment of state laws cannot make a thief an honest man-because his heart

is polluted, he cannot be tamed. Every man sees that a person who commits

criminal offenses is punished by the government, and also in scriptural

injunctions punishment in hell is mentioned. But despite hearing from

scripture and seeing the action of the state laws, the demoniac cannot be

tamed.

 

What are they doing? Nitai na bolilo mukhe. Since they do not know

who Nityananda is, they never say the names of Lord Nityananda and Lord

Caitanya. Majilo samsara-sukhe. Majilo means "becomes absorbed." They become

absorbed in so-called material enjoyment. They don't care who Lord Caitanya

and Nityananda are, and therefore they go deep down into material existence.

Vidya-kule ki koribe tar: if one has no connection with Nityananda, and if

he does not come to Krishna consciousness, his vidya, or his so-called

academic education, and kula, birth in a high family or great nation, will

not protect him. Regardless of whether one is born in a very big family or

nation or has a very advanced academic education, at the time of death

nature's law will act, his work will be finished, and he will get another

body according to that work.

 

Why are these human animals acting in this way? Ahankare matta

hoiya, nitai-pada pasariya. They have become maddened by a false concept of

bodily life, and thus they have forgotten their eternal relationship with

Nityananda. Asatyere satya kori mani: such forgetful persons accept the

illusory energy as factual. Asatyere refers to that which is not a fact, or,

in other words, maya. Maya means that which has no existence but is a

temporary illusion only. Persons who have no contact with Nityananda accept

this illusory body as factual.

 

Narottama dasa Thakura then says, nitaiyer koruna habe, braje

radha-krishna pabe: "If you actually want to approach the association of

Radha-Krishna, you must achieve the mercy of Lord Nityananda first. When He

is merciful toward you, then you will be able to approach Radha-Krishna."

Dharo nitai-carana du'khani. Narottama dasa advises that one firmly catch

the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda.

 

Then again he says, nitai-carana satya. One should not misunderstand

and think that as he has caught hold of maya, similarly the lotus feet of

Nityananda may also be something like that maya, or illusion. Therefore

Narottama dasa confirms, nitai-carana satya: the lotus feet of Nityananda

are not illusion; they are a fact. Tahara sevaka nitya: and one who engages

in the transcendental loving service of Nityananda is also transcendental.

If one engages in the transcendental loving service of Nityananda in Krishna

consciousness, he immediately achieves his transcendental position on the

spiritual platform, which is eternal and blissful. Therefore he advises,

nitai-pada sada koro asha: always try to catch the lotus feet of Lord

Nityananda.

 

Narottama boro dukhi. Narottama dasa Thakura, the acarya, is taking

the position that he is very unhappy. Actually, he is representing

ourselves. He says, "My dear Lord, I am very unhappy." Nitai more koro

sukhi: "Therefore I am praying to Lord Nityananda to make me happy." Rakho

ranga-caranera pasha: "Please keep me in a corner of Your lotus feet."