PURPORT

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svāmī Prabhupāda

This is a song by Narottama dāsa Thakura, a great ācārya of the Gaudīya Vaisnava Sampradaya. He has written many songs about the Vaisnava philosophy, and they are approved as completely corresponding with Vedic instructions. So here Narottama dāsa Thakura is singing that the whole world is suffering under the blazing fire of material existence. Therefore, one takes shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda. So we should relish this instruction of Narottama dāsa Thakura, that in order to get relief from the pangs of the blazing fire of this material existence, one should take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, because they are as cooling as the moon rays of millions of moons combined together. That means one will immediately find a peaceful atmosphere. Just like a man works the whole day, and if he comes under the moonshine, he feels relief. Similarly, any materialistic man who comes under the shel- ter of Lord Nityananda will immediately feel that relief. Then he says, nitai-pada-kamala, koți-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata judāy, hena nitāi bine bhāi, rādhā-krşņa pāite nai, dhara nitai-carana du’khāni. He says that “If you are anxious to go back to home, back to Godhead, and become associated with Rādhā and Krsna, then the best policy is to take shelter of Nityananda.” se sambandha nāhi jā’ra brthā janma gela ta’ra: “One who has not been able to contact Nityananda, should think that he has simply spoiled his valuable life.” Brtha janma gela, brthā means for nothing, and janma means life and gela ta’ra means spoiled, because hehas not made connection with Nityananda. Nitya means eternal, ananda means pleasure. Material pleasure is not eternal. That is the distinction. Therefore those who are intelligent are not interested in this flickering pleasure of the material world. Each one of us, as a living entity, is search- ing after pleasure. But the pleasure which we are seeking is flickering and temporary. That is not pleasure. Real pleasure is nityananda, eternal pleasure. So anyone who has no contact with Nityananda, it is to be understood that his life is spoiled. Se sambandha nāhi ja’ra, brthā janma gela tär, sei paśu bara durācār. Narottama dāsa Thakura uses here a very harsh word. He says that such a human being is an animal, an uncontrollable animal. As there are some animals that cannot be tamed, so anyone who has not contacted Nityananda should be considered as an untamed animal, sei paśu bara durācāra. Why? Because nitai nā balila mukhe: “He never uttered the holy name of Nityananda.” And majila samsāra- sukhe, “and become merged into this material happiness.” Vidyā-kule ki karibe tä’ra. “That nonsense person does not know how his education, family, tradition and nationality will help him.” These things cannot help him. These are all temporary things. Simply, if we want eternal pleasure, we must contact Nityananda. Vidyā-kule ki karibe tā’ra. Vidyā means education, and kula means family, nationality. So we may have a very nice family connection, we may have very nice national prestige, but after ending this body these things will not help me. I’ll carry my work with me, and according to that work, I shall have to accept by force another type of body. It may be something other the than human body. So these things cannot protect us or give us real pleasure. So Narottama dāsa Thakura advises that vidyā-kule ki karibe tä’ra.

Then he says, ahańkāre matta haiya, “Being maddened after false prestige and identification.” False identification with the body, and the prestige of bodily relationship is called ahankare matta haiyā. One is mad after this false prestige. Ahankare matta haiyā, nitai-pada pāsariyā. Due to this false prestige we are thinking, “Oh, what is Nityananda? What can He do for me? I don’t care.” So these are the signs of false prestige, ahańkāre matta haiyā, nitai-pada pāsa…, asatyere satya kari māni. The result is that I am accepting something which is false. For example, I am accepting this body. I am not this body. Therefore, with false identifica- tion I am becoming entangled more and more. So one who is puffed up with this false prestige, ahankare matta haiyā, nitai-pada pāsariyā, asa- tyere satya kari māni, accepts something wrong as right.

Then he says, nitāiyera karunā habe, braje rādhā-krşņa pābe. If you are actually serious about going back to home, back to Godhead, then please seek after the mercy of Nityānanda. Nitāiyera karunā habe, braja rādhā krşņa pābe, dhara nitai-carana du’khani: “Please catch the lotus feet of Nityananda.” Then he says, nitaiyera carana satya. One may think that as we catch hold of so many shelters, but in this material world, later on they prove false. Similarly, suppose we catch hold of the lotus feet of Nityananda, it may also prove false. But Narottama dāsa Thākura assures that nitaiyera carana satya: “It is not false. Because Nityananda is eter- nal, His lotus feet are also eternal.” Tānhāra sevaka nitya and anyone who takes to the service of Nityananda, they also become eternal. Without being eternal nobody can serve the eternal. That is the Vedic injunction. Without becoming Brahman, one cannot approach the Supreme Brahman. Just like without being fire, nobody can enter into the fire. Without being water, nobody can enter into the water. Similarly, without being fully spiritualised, nobody can enter into the spiritual kingdom. So nitaiyer carana satya. If you catch the lotus feet of Nityananda then you become immediately spiritualised. Just like if you touch electricity, immediately you become electrified. That is natural. Similarly, Nityananda is eternal happiness. If you touch Nityananda some way or other, then you become also eternally happy. Tānhāra sevaka nitya. Therefore one who has come in contact with Nityananda has become eternal, nitaiyera carana satya, tänhāra sevaka nitya, drdha kari dhara nitaira pāya. So just catch Him very tightly.

Narottama bada duhkhī, nitāi more kara sukhī. At the last, Narottama dāsa Thakura, the composer of this song, appealed to Lord Nityananda, “My dear Lord, I am very unhappy. So You please make me happy. And You kindly keep me in the corner of Your lotus feet.” That is the sum and substance of this song.