Prārthanā · Songs 37-45

Text 1

Lord Nityananda's lotus feet are a shelter where one will get the soothing moonlight not only of one, but of millions of moons. The shade of Lord Nityananda's lotus feet give relief from the sufferings of material existance. If one does not take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, then it will be very difficult for him to approach Radha and Krsna. Therefore, with firm conviction, one should take shelter of Lord Nityananda's lotus feet.

Text 2

Anyone who has not contacted a relationship with Lord Nityananda is understood to have spoiled his human birth. Such a person is just like a misbehaved animal. Such persons never say the name of Lord Nityananda. Such persons simply become absorbed in so-called material enjoyment. What benefit will such persons obtain by their so-called academic education or birth in a high family or great nation?

Text 3

These persons have become maddened by a false concept of bodily life, and thus they have forgotten their eternal relationship with Nityananda, and instead accept the illusory material energy as factual. If you actually want to approach the association of Radha-Krsna, you must achieve the mercy of Lord Nityananda first. When he is merciful toward you, then you will be able to approach Radha-Krsna. For this reason one should firmly catch the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda.

Text 4

The lotus feet of Lord Nityananda are not illusion; they are a fact, and therefore one who engages in the transcendental loving service of Nityananda is also transcendental. For this reason one should always try to catch the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda. O Lord Nityananda, this Narottama dasa is very unhappy, and therefore I am praying that You please make me happy. Please keep me in a corner of Your reddish lotus feet.

Text 1

O brother, please worship the lotus feet of Lord Gauranga. I have not worshipped them, but instead have dived into the poisonous well of materialistic household-life, and as a result my five life-airs are burning with the poison of material life.

Text 2

Day and night I burn in the poisonous fire of the threeforld miseries of material life, and as a result I repeatedly faint. mys senses are overwhelmed by lust, agreed, and numberless other enemies, and I am averse to the great treasure which is the lotus feet of Lord Gauranga.

Text 3

O brother, give up all fear and shyness, and take shelter of merciful Lord Gauranga. Lord Gauranga rescues those who are most wicked at heart, and therefore He is known as Patita-pavana, the savior of the fallen.

Text 4

If you place Lord Gauranga, the brahmana king of dancers, within your heart, then what will death be able to do to you? Narottama dasa says: There is no one equal to Lord Gauranga. Even if one will not become His devotee, still Lord Gauranga will freely give him the treasure of love of Krsna.

Text 1

Anyone who has accepted the two lotus feet of Lord Caitanya can understand the true essence of devotional service. If one is captivated by the pleasing pastimes of Lord Caitanya, the dirty things in his heart will all become cleansed.

Text 2

One who simply takes the holy name of Gaurasundara, Sri Krsna Caitanya, will immediately develop love of God. To such a person I say; Bravo. Very nice. Excellent; If one appreciates the merciful pastimes of Lord Caitanya and feels ecstasy and sometimes cries, this process will imediately help him to understand the eternal pastimes of Raha-Krsna.

Text 3

Simply by ynderstanding that the associates of Lord Gauranga are eternally free from material contamination, one can immediately be promoted to the transcendental abode of Lord Krsna. If one simply understands that the land of Navadvipa is not diifferent from Vrndavana, then he actually lives in Vrndavana.

Text 4

If one says: "Let me dive deep into the waves of the nectarean ocean of the transcendental loving movement introduced by Lord Caitanya," he immediately becomes one of the confidential devotees of Radha and Krsna. It does not matter whether one is a householder living at home or a vanaprastha or sannyasi living in the forest, if he chants "O Gauranga", and becomes a devotee of Lord Caitanya, then Narottama dasa begs to have his association.

Text 1

My dear Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, please be merciful to me, because who can be more merciful than Your Lordship within these three worlds.

Text 2

Your incarnation is just to reclaim the conditioned, fallen souls, but I assure You that You will not find a greater fallen soul than me. Therefore my claim is first.

Text 3

My dear Lord Nityananda, You are always joyful in spiritual bliss. Since You always appear very happy, I have come to You because I am most unhappy. If You kindly put Your merciful glance over me, I may also become happy.

Text 4

My dear Advaita Prabhu, husband of Sita, Your are so kind. Please be kind to me. If Your are kind to me, naturally Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda also will be kind to me.

Texts 5 and 6

O Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, O Sri Sanatana Gosvami, O Sri Rupa Gosvami, O Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, O Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami and Sri gopala Bhatta Gosvami, O Sri Jiva Gosvami, O my master, Sri Lokanatha Gosvami, O Sri Srinivasa Acarya, I beg you all to please be merciful to me. Narottama dasa prays that he may always have the company of Ramacandra Cakravarti.

Text 1

He who brought the treasure of divine love and who was filled with compassion and mercy--where has such a personality as Srinivasa Acarya gone?

Text 2

Where are my Svarupa Damodara and Rupa Gosvami? Where is Sanatana? Where is Raghunatha dasa, the savior of the fallen?

Text 3

Where are my Raghunatha Bhatta and Gopala Bhatta and wehre is Krsnadasa Kaviraja? Where did Lord Gauranga, the great dancer, suddenly go?

Text 4

I will smash my head against the rock and enter into the fire. Where will I find Lord Gauranga, the reservoir of all wonderful qualities?

Text 5

Being unable to obtain the association of Lord Gauranga accompanied by all of these devotees in whoseassociation He performed His pastimes, Narottama dasa simply weeps.

Text 1

I did not worship Lord Gauranga Prabhu, and thus I becme full of suffering. I refused to accept the treasure of pure love of Krsna, and thus I became lost.

Text 2

I rejected the treasure of love of Krsna and deliberately struggled to become poor. I dived into a host of sinful deeds.

Text 3

I rejected the association of the saintly devotees, and instead tried to enjoy among the impious non-devotees. In this way I became caught in the noose of karma.

Text 4

I continually drank the virulent poison of sense-gratification. I refused to swim in the nectar of Lord caitanya's sankirtana movement.

Text 5

Why do I stay alive? What happiness do I have? Why has Narottama dasa not died long ago?

Text 1

My crooked mind delights in sense-gratification, but not in the association of the saintly devotees. Why do I follow this dangerous pathy? O Lord Hari, Lord Hari, how have I become so attached to materialism?

Text 2

In the past I continually heard the philosophy of Krsna consciousness from Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Srila Rupa Gosvami; Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, and Srila Lokanatha Gosvami, who is like a great ocean of devotional truth. By hearing their words the pain within my mind subsided, and I attained an auspicious condition of life.

Text 3

Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda, Lord Advaita, and the devotees who are Their personal associates have descended from the spiritual world to the town of Nadiya. They have not taken birth as ordinary mortals do. How wonderful are Their transcendental activities! I am not like Them. I simply trudge along carrying a great heap of illusory materialistic burdens.

Text 4

Haridasa Thakura and the other devotees travelled about absorbed in a sonstant festival of the glorification of Lord Krsna, but i myself was unable to see these blissful pastimes. How sad is my tale. I have wasted my life. Fie, fie on Narottama dasa.

Text 1

O brother, please haer my words with rapt attantion. The lotus feet of the Vaisnavas the most valuable treasure of this world. These Vaisnavas continually take shelter of Lord Krsna and worship Him, They never abandon their Lord. They are liberated. They are free from the cycle of birth and death.

Text 2

The water which has washed the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas bestows devotional service in pure love of God, and there is nothing as effective for attaining this divine love. I place the dust from the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas upon my head. I wear no other ornament.

Text 3

The purifying power of the waters at the various holy places of pilgrimage is described in the Puranas, although this issomething of a deceptive trick. Actually there is not anything as purifying as the water which has washed the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas. This water fulfills all desires.

Text 4

Moment after moment my mind finds constant pleasure in the association of the Vaisnavas. I always seek out the company of those who are devoted to Lord Krsna. Poor-hearted Narottama dasa breaks down and cries. How has this fallen condition come upon me?

Text 1

O saintly Vaisnavas, although I am very fallen and misbehaved, I nevertheless place this appeal before you: My destiny has immersed me in this fearsome ocean of repeated birth and death. Please grab me by the hair, and pull me to the opposite shore.

Text 2

My destiny is very powerful. I am not able to hear the knowledge of spiritual life, and I am always bound by the ropes of karma. I cannot see any way to escape my condition. I see only suffering. Helpless and stricken with grief, I cry.

Text 3

My blind mind cannot see what path is auspicious or inauspicious. My blind mind is helplessly dragged from here to there by lust, anger, greed, bewilderment, madness, and pride.

Text 4

My mind became immersed in the impermanent satisfaction of the senses, and I could not understand the reals goal of life. for this reason I did not aspire to attain Your lotus feet. Narottama dasa says--Now that I am able to see, hear, and touch the Vaisnavas, I have become free form all fear.