Lālasāmayī Prārthanā
(from Prārthanā)

(1)

‘gaurāṅga’ bolite habe pulaka-śarīra
‘hari hari’ bolite nayane ba’ be nīra

(2)

āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe
saṁsāra-bāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha’be

(3)

viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha ha ’be mana
kabe hāma herabo śrī-bṛndābana

(4)

rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti
kabe hāma bujhabo se jugala-pīriti

(5)

rūpa-raghunātha-pade rahu mora āśa
prārthanā koroye sadā narottama-dāsa

(1) When will that opportune moment come to me when there will be shivering of the body as soon as I chant Lord Gaurāṅga’s name? And after the shivering, while chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, when will there be tears pouring down from my eyes?

(2) When will that day come when Lord Nityānanda’s causeless mercy is bestowed upon me so that my desire for material enjoyment becomes very insignificant?

(3) When my mind is completely purified, being freed from material anxieties and desires, then I shall be able to understand Vṛndāvana and the conjugal love of Rādha and Kṛṣṇa, and then my spiritual life will be successful.

(4) When shall I be very much eager to study the books left by the six Gosvāmīs? One has to learn of the conjugal loving affairs of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa through the teachings of these six Gosvamīs.

(5) Narottama dāsa always wishes to understand this conjugal love under the direction of the six Gosvāmīs.

PURPORT
by His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

This song was sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great devotee and ācārya in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, the disciplic succession coming down from Lord Caitanya. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has written many songs, which are recognized as authoritative by all Vaiṣṇavas. 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, ‘gaurāṅga’ bolite habe pulaka śarīra. One has attained the perfection of chanting when as soon as he chants the name of Lord Gaurāṅga, who initiated this saṅkīrtana movement, at once there is shivering in his body. This is not to be imitated, but Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is asking, “When will that opportune moment come to us when there will be shivering of the body as soon as we chant Lord Gaurāṅga’s name?” And after the shivering—‘hari hari’ bolite nayane ba ’be nīra: “While chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, there will be tears in the eyes.”

Then he says, āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe. We are all asking about the mercy of Lord Nityānanda. Nityānanda is supposed to be the original spiritual master, so we have to approach Gaurāṅga, Lord Caitanya, through the mercy of Lord Nityānanda. What is the symptom of a person who has achieved the causeless mercy of Lord Nityānanda? Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that the symptom of one who has actually received the causeless mercy of Lord Nityānanda is that he has no more material desire. Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe saṁsāra-bāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha’be. Saṁsāra-bāsanā means “desire for material enjoyment,” and Narottama dāsa wonders when it will become very insignificant. Of course, as long as we have 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 dāsa says further, rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti: “When shall I be very much eager to study the books left by the six Gosvāmīs?” Ākuti means “eagerness.” Because Rūpa Gosvāmī is the father of devotional service, he has written a book called Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, in which there are nice directions on devotional service. These topics are also dealt with in Caitanya-caritāmṛta and other books, and we have given the summary of those directions in our book Teachings of Lord Caitanya. One has to learn of the conjugal loving affairs of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa through the teachings of these six Gosvāmīs. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura directs us not to try to understand the conjugal love of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa by our own endeavor. We should try to understand this yugala-pīriti, conjugal love, under the direction of the Gosvāmīs.

As long as the mind is too much absorbed in materialistic thought, one cannot enter into the kingdom of Vṛndāvana. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha ha’be mana kabe hāma herabo śrī-bṛndābana: “When the mind is completely purified, being freed from material anxieties and desires, then I shall be able to understand Vṛndāvana and the conjugal love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and then my spiritual life will be successful.”

Another purport

Prabhupāda: This nice song was sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, one of the great ācāryas of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya. That is the sect of Vaisnavism started by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Gauḍīya means belonging to Bengal. There are five Gauḍa-deśa in the northern part of India, out of which, part of Bengal, West Bengal, is called Gauḍa-deśa. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura’s songs are very appropriate just to the conclusions of Vedic injunctions. So he sings this song, how one can rise up to the transcendental plane for associating directly with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, what is that process. The process is one should begin this

Kṛṣṇa consciousness under the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself and He is teaching people how to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Kṛṣṇa, He personally spoke about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, but people who are not very intelligent, who are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mūḍha… Mūḍha means rascal. And duṣkṛtina, miscreant, and narādhama. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. Such persons cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. But still, Kṛṣṇa was so merciful that in order to claim all these people, means the lowest of mankind, miscreant, and fools, and rascals, rejected, so He came in the form of Lord Caitanya to reclaim them. So God is so merciful that even some persons cannot understand Him… First thing is people cannot understand actually what is God, but God comes Himself to explain Himself. Still, they commit mistake. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes as a devotee to teach us about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So we have to follow the footprints of Lord Caitanya. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura teaches that “First of all, try to chant the name of Gaursundara.” Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. In this way, when we are a little bit attached with Gaurasundara, Lord Caitanya, then we automatically feel transcendental emotion. And that emotional stage is exhibited by shivering in the body. We should not, however, imitate such shivering to show to the public that “I have become a great devotee,” but we should execute devotional service nicely and faithfully.; then that stage will come automatically, shivering. As soon as one will chant the name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, there will be shivering. This is the first symptom that one is getting advanced in the perfectional stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka śarīre. He’s expecting. Although he was a great ācārya, still, he was expecting, “When that stage will come?” The wording of the song is as follows. G-a-u-r-a-n-g-a, gaurāṅga. Bolite, b-a-l-i-t-e. Habe, h-a-b-e. Gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka, p-u-l-a-k-a. Pulaka śarīra, s-a-r-i-r. Gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka śarīra hari hari, h-a-r-i h-a-r-i. Bolite, b-a-l-i-t-e. Hari hari bolite habe, h-a-b-e. Hari hari bolite kabe. Not habe, kabe, k-a-b-e. Nayane, n-a-y-a-n-e. Ba’be, b-a-b-e, Nīra, n-e-e-r. The meaning is that there will be not only shivering as soon as I utter the name of Gaurāṅga, but there will be torrents of tears in my eyes as soon as I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. this is the explanation.

The next line is āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe. (spells out) Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā koribe. This is also aspiration, that “When Nityānanda Prabhu, the constant associate of Lord Caitanya, will be pleased upon me?” Koruṇā koribe. Koruṇā koribe means He will be pleased upon me. Nityānanda Prabhu or Nitāi-cānd, is the original spiritual master. He is Baladeva. Bala means strength, and deva, the Personality of Godhead who gives strength. Therefore Nitāi-cānd is the symbol of spiritual master who gives strength to the disciples. This is the process of disciplic succession. We have to acquire the spiritual strength. No amount of material strength can help me in the advancement of spiritual life. We must derive the spiritual strength. Just like we have to take electricity from the powerhouse by directly connecting with the powerhouse. Not the wiring but the electricity. Similarly, this disciplic succession means the strength is descending from the original person through the spiritual master. That is the idea. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura explains that “When Nitāicānd will be pleased?” And the result of such pleasure of Nitāicānd is that one becomes free from all desires for material enjoyment.

āra kabe nitāi-cānd koruṇā karibe
saṁsāra-bāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha’be

(spells out). So by the mercy of Nitāi-cānd, one will get free from all desires of material enjoyment.

The next line is viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha ha’be mana. (spells out) This kabe means when, aspiring. Śuddha means purified. Ha’be, will be. Mana means mind. So when actually our spiritual master or Nityānanda Prabhu is pleased upon us, at that time the symptom will be that we shall no longer hanker after material enjoyment. When that stage of life is arrived, at that time only, we can understand what is Vṛndāvana, the abode of Kṛṣṇa. Vṛndāvana is not a material place, just like ordinary city or country. It is transcendental. So appreciation of Vṛndāvana will be possible when our mind is free from all material desires. Viṣaya chāḍiyā. Viṣaya means eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are called viṣaya. Viṣaya means objects. In the material world there are, these four objects are in view: how I shall eat, how I shall sleep, how shall I mate, how shall I defend. So as soon as one is purified of all material desires, these material objectives will not be a problem.

viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha ha’be mana
kabe hāma herabo śrī-vṛndāvana

So then we shall be able to understand what is Vṛndāvana and what is kingdom of God or Goloka Vṛndāvana.

And the next stage is that one has to understand what is the loving affairs, conjugal love, between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And that will be possible if we carefully study the literatures left by the Gosvāmīs. Just like Rūpa Goswami has left behind him bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Vidagdha-mādhava, Lalitā-mādhava. Many books. Especially that Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So

viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha ha’be mana
kabe hāma herabo śrī-vṛndāvana
rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti…

(spells out) Habe means “will be”. Ākuti eagerness. “When I shall be very much eager to understand what is spoken by the Gosvāmīs?” These are the processes. We have to derive the pleasure of Nityānanda. We have to understand the six Gosvāmīs, what they are speaking. We have to cleanse our mind from material desires. These are the qualifications to understand what is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise we shall be misled, we shall think Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa ordinary boy and girl. No. The activities are just like that, but it is all spiritual. There is no material contamination at all. There is no material inebrieties. Therefore, in such loving affairs, in such embracing, such kissing, in Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, that is all spiritual, eternal, blissful, full of knowledge, full of pleasure.

So at the present moment, in material condition, it is not possible to understand, but this is the purificatory process. We have to chant śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. This chanting process has got the spiritual value to lead us to the highest stage of understanding Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as we are capable of understanding what is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, then it is possible for getting admission in the spiritual world. So all people interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should follow the regulative principles, gradually raise himself one after another, and reach the highest successful transcendental platform of understanding Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. (end)