Wednesday, 11 Oct 2006-Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura -- Disappearance

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Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura

 

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--Syamasund ara!

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.

 

 

Narottama Dasa Thakura

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---

 

 

SRILA NAROTTAMA-PRABHOR- ASTAKA

by Srila Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura

 

Text 1

 

sri-krsna-namamrta- varsi-vaktra-

candra-prabha- dhvasta-tamo- bharaya

gaurangadevanucaray a tasmai

namo namah srila-narottamaya

 

"I offer respectful obeisances to Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, a

sincere follower of Lord Gaurangadeva. Emitting a shower of the nectar

of

the holy name, with its splendor, the moon of His mouth destroys the

darkness of ignorance."

 

Text 2

 

sankirtananandaja- manda-hasya

danta-dyuti- dyotita-dinmukha ya

svedasru-dhara- snapitaya tasmai

namo namah srila-narottamaya

 

"I offer my respectful obeisances to Srila Narottama dasa Thakura.

Blissful by singing Krsna's glories, he would become bathed in streams

of

perspiration and the splendor of his teeth and gentle smile would

illuminate

all directions."

 

Text 3

 

mrdanga-nama- sruti-matra- cancat-

padambuja-dvandva- manoharaya

sadyah samudyat-pulakaya tasmai

namo namah srila-narottamaya

 

"I offer my respectful obeisances to Srila Narottama dasa Thakura.

Hearing the mrdangas and the sound of the holy name, he would dance,

moving

his enchanting lotus feet and the hairs of his body erect in ecstasy."

 

Text 4

 

gandharva-garva- ksapana-svalasya -

vismapitasesa- krti-vrajaya

sva-srsta-gana- prathitaya tasmai

namo namah srila-narottamaya

 

"I offer respectful obeisances to Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. His

dancing dispelled the Gandharvas' pride. His devotional activities

filled

everyone with wonder. His songs made him famous."

 

Text 5

 

ananda-murcchavani- pata-bhata-

dhuli-bharalankrta- vigrahaya

yad-darsanam bhagya-bharena tasmai

namo namah srila-narottamaya

 

"I offer respectful obeisances to Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. He

would sometimes faint in ecstasy and fall to the ground, his body

decorated

with dust. The very fortunate would see him in that way."

 

Text 6

 

sthale sthale yasya krpa-prabhabhih

krsnanya-trsna jana-samhatinam

nirmulita eva bhavanti tasmai

namo namah srila-narottamaya

 

"I offer respectful obeisances to Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. In

place after place the splendor of his mercy uprooted the people's

thirst for

anything other than Krsna."

 

Text 7

 

yad-bhakti-nisthopa la-rekhikeva

sparsah punah sparsamaniva yasya

pramanyam evam srutivad yadiyam

tasmai namah srila-narottamaya

 

"I offer respectful obeisances to Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. His

firm faith in devotional service to Krsna is like a necklace of

precious

stones. His touch is like a sparsamani jewel. His words are like the

four

Vedas."

 

Text 8

 

murtaiva bhaktih kim ayam kim esa

vairagya-saras tanuman nr-loke

sambhavyate yah krtibhih sadaiva

tasmai namah srila narottamaya

 

"I offer respectful obeisances to Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. The

devotees always wonder: Is he devotional service personified? Is he the

essence of renunciation who has descended to the world of human beings

in

this form?"

 

Text 9

 

rajan-mrdanga- karatala- kalabhiramam

gauranga-gana- madhu-pana- bharabhiramam

sriman-narottama- padambuja- manju-nrtyam

bhrtyam krtarthayatu mam phalitesta-krtyam

 

"May the dancing of Sri Narottama's lotus feet, which is graceful

with the melodious sounds of karatalas and mrdangas, and which is sweet

with

the honey of Lord Gauranga, fulfill the spiritual desires of me, his

servant."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHANT HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE AND BE HAPPY

Your humble servant

radhabhava gaur das

 

 

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