"I Have Spent My Life Uselessly."

In the powerful, enlightening devotional songs of the great Vaisnava acharya, Srila Narottam Das Thakur, we find the sweet, beautiful sentiment of transcendental lamentation. Even though Narottam Das is on the highest level of pure Krishna bhakti, in his song Iṣṭa-deve Vijñapti (Prayer to One's Beloved Lord) he humbly presents himself as someone who is completely bereft of Krishna consciousness:

"hari hari! bifale janama goṅāinu
manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā,
jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu

"O Lord Hari, I have spent my life uselessly. Having obtained a human birth and having not worshiped Radha and Krishna, I have knowingly drunk poison.

"golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana,
rati nā janmilo kene tāy
saṁsāra-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale,
jurāite nā koinu upāy

"The treasure of divine love in Goloka Vrịndavan has descended as the congregational chanting of Lord Hari's holy names. Why did my attraction for that chanting never come about? Day and night my heart burns from the fire of the poison of worldliness, and I have not taken the means to relieve it.

"brajendra-nandana jei, śacī-suta hoilo sei,
balarāma hoilo nitāi
dīna-hīna jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo,
tāra śākṣī jagāi mādhāi

"Lord Krishna, who is the son of the King of Vraja, became the son of Saci (Lord Caitanya), and Balarama became Nitai. The holy name delivered all those souls who were lowly and wretched. The two sinners Jagai and Madhai are evidence of this.

"hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta,
koruṇā karoho ei-bāro
narottama-dāsa koy, nā ṭheliho rāṅgā pāy,
tomā bine ke āche āmāra

"O Lord Krishna, son of Nanda, accompanied by the daughter of Vrishabhanu, please be merciful to me now. Narottam Dasa says, 'O Lord, please do not push me away from Your reddish lotus feet, for who is my beloved except for You?'"

Srila Prabhupada is very fond of this song. He sang it often and referred to it often. This is song, if sung feelingly, will draw us closer and closer to Krishna.

Narottam Das Thakur-a Great Vaisnava Acharya

Narottam Das Thakur-a Great Vaisnava Acharya

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: How to Do Bhakti in this Fast-Paced Life?

Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada and his followers.

How can a grihasta (married) couple do full surrender in this fast-going life?

Simran

Answer: Offer Everything to the Supreme Owner

By seeing everything that you own as the property of Krishna and engaging it all in His service, you can become a pure devotee of Krishna even in a fast-paced, modern-day life. Just consider how fast-going Arjuna must have been on the battlefield of Kurukshetra to defeat all of the enemy soldiers. Plus you must set aside quality time every day, preferably in the morning, to meditatively chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra on japa mala beads. Eat only Krishna prasadam (food offered with love and devotion to Lord Sri Krishna), and strictly avoid illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication, and gambling. In this way you can relish the sweetest happiness of pure Krishna bhakti in this life and attain the supreme destination, Goloka Vrindavan, upon leaving your body.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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