The Appearance Day of Lord Nityananda
Today is the appearance day of Lord Nityananda. Here is a wonderful song by Narottam das Thakur in which he describes the shade of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda as being so nice and cooling that all materialists, who are always in the blazing fire of material activities, may come under the shade of His lotus feet and be fully relieved and satiated:
nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,
je chāyāy jagata jurāy
heno nitāi bine bhāi, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,
dṛḍha kori' dharo nitāir pāy
se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r,
sei paśu boro durācār
nitāi nā bolilo mukhe, majilo saṁsāra-sukhe,
vidyā-kule ki koribe tār
ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā,
asatyere satya kori māni
nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni
nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāṅhāra sevaka nitya,
nitāi-pada sadā koro āśā
narotamma boro dukhī, nitāi more koro sukhī,
rākho rāṅgā-caraṇera pāśa
Nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata jurāy.
Srila Prabhupada spoke as follows on this song in 1969:
This is a song by Narottam Das Thakur, a great acharya of the Gaudiya-vaiṣṇava-sampradaya. He has written many songs about the Vaisnava philosophy, and they are approved as completely corresponding with Vedic instructions. So here Narottam Das Thakur is singing that "The whole world is suffering under the blazing fire of material existence. Therefore, if one takes the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda...," whose birthday is today, 31st, January, 1969. So we should relish this instruction of Narottam Das Thakur that in order to get relief from the pangs of blazing fire of this material existence, one should take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda because it is as cooling as the moon rays combined together of millions of moons. That means one will immediately find peaceful atmosphere. Just like a man works whole day and if he comes under the moonshine he feels relief.
Similarly, any materialistic man who comes under the shelter of Lord Nityananda will immediately feel that relief. Then he says,
nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,
je chāyāy jagata jurāy,
heno nitāi bine bhai, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khani
He says that "If you are anxious to go back to home, back to Godhead, and become associate with Radha and Krishna, then the best policy is to take shelter of Nityananda." Then he says, se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r: "One who has not been able to contact Nityananda, then one should think of himself that he has simply spoiled his valuable life." Bṛthā janma gelo, bṛthā means for nothing, and janma means life. Gelo tā'r, spoiled. Because he has not made connection with Nityananda. The Nityananda, very name, suggests. Nitya means eternal. Ānanda means pleasure. Material pleasure is not eternal. That is the distinction. Therefore those who are intelligent, they are not interested with this flickering pleasure of material world. Every one of us, as living entity, we are searching after pleasure. But the pleasure which we are seeking, that is flickering, 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 jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r,
sei paśu boro durācār
Narottam Das Thakur uses here very harsh word. He says that such human being is an animal, an uncontrollable animal. As there are some animals that cannot be tamed, so anyone who has not contacted Nityananda, he should be considered as an untamed animal. Sei paśu boro durācār. Why? Because nitāi nā bolilo mukhe: "He never uttered the holy name of Nityananda." And majilo saṁsāra-sukhe, "and become merged into this material happiness." Vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. "That nonsense does not know that what will his education and family and 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 koribe tār. Vidyā means education, and kula means family, nationality. So we may have a very nice family connection or 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 than human body. So these things cannot protect us or give us the real pleasure. So Narottama Das Thakur advises that vidyā-kule ki koribe tār.
Then he says, ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā. "Being maddened after false prestige and identification.." False identification with the body and prestige of bodily relationship, it is called ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā. One is mad after this false prestige. Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā. Due to this false prestige we are thinking, "Oh, what is Nityānanda? What can He do for me? I don't care." So these are the signs of false prestige. Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsa..., asatyere satya kori māni. The result is that I am accepting something which is false. For example, I am accepting this body. This body, I am not this body. Therefore, with false identification I am becoming entangled more and more. So one who is puffed up with this false prestige, ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pā..., asatyere satya kori māni, he accepts something wrong as right. Then he says, nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe. If you are actually serious about going back to home, back to Godhead, then please seek after the mercy of Nityananda.
nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braja rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni
"Please catch up the lotus feet of Nityananda." Then he says, nitāiyer caraṇa satya. One may think that as we catch hold of so many shelter, 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 Narottam Das Thakur assures that nitāiyer caraṇa satya: "It is not false. Because Nityananda is eternal, His lotus feet is also eternal." Tāṅhāra 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 spiritualized, nobody can enter into the spiritual kingdom. So nitāiyer caraṇa satya. If you catch nitāiyer, the lotus feet of Nityananda, then you become immediately spiritualized. 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. Tāṅhāra sevaka nitya. Therefore one who has in contact with Nityananda, they have become eternal.
nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāṅhāra sevaka nitya,
dṛḍha kori' dharo nitāir pāy
So just catch Him very tightly. Narottama boro duḥkhī, nitāi more koro sukhī. At the last Narottam Das Thakur, the composer of this song, he is appealing to Nityananda, "My dear Lord, I am very unhappy. So You please make me happy. And You kindly keep me in corner of Your lotus feet." That is the sum and substance of this song.
--end of quoted lecture--
This lecture was given in Los Angeles on January 31, 1969
Lord Nityananda's Lotus Feet
Please accept my humble obeisances.
How to do attentive chanting when we are surrounded with unlimited anxieties?
Regards,
Vikram M.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,
je chāyāy jagata jurāy
heno nitāi bine bhāi, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,
dṛḍha kori' dharo nitāir pāy
se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r,
sei paśu boro durācār
nitāi nā bolilo mukhe, majilo saṁsāra-sukhe,
vidyā-kule ki koribe tār
ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā,
asatyere satya kori māni
nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni
nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāṅhāra sevaka nitya,
nitāi-pada sadā koro āśā
narotamma boro dukhī, nitāi more koro sukhī,
rākho rāṅgā-caraṇera pāśa
Nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata jurāy.
Srila Prabhupada spoke as follows on this song in 1969:
This is a song by Narottam Das Thakur, a great acharya of the Gaudiya-vaiṣṇava-sampradaya. He has written many songs about the Vaisnava philosophy, and they are approved as completely corresponding with Vedic instructions. So here Narottam Das Thakur is singing that "The whole world is suffering under the blazing fire of material existence. Therefore, if one takes the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda...," whose birthday is today, 31st, January, 1969. So we should relish this instruction of Narottam Das Thakur that in order to get relief from the pangs of blazing fire of this material existence, one should take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda because it is as cooling as the moon rays combined together of millions of moons. That means one will immediately find peaceful atmosphere. Just like a man works whole day and if he comes under the moonshine he feels relief.
Similarly, any materialistic man who comes under the shelter of Lord Nityananda will immediately feel that relief. Then he says,
nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,
je chāyāy jagata jurāy,
heno nitāi bine bhai, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khani
He says that "If you are anxious to go back to home, back to Godhead, and become associate with Radha and Krishna, then the best policy is to take shelter of Nityananda." Then he says, se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r: "One who has not been able to contact Nityananda, then one should think of himself that he has simply spoiled his valuable life." Bṛthā janma gelo, bṛthā means for nothing, and janma means life. Gelo tā'r, spoiled. Because he has not made connection with Nityananda. The Nityananda, very name, suggests. Nitya means eternal. Ānanda means pleasure. Material pleasure is not eternal. That is the distinction. Therefore those who are intelligent, they are not interested with this flickering pleasure of material world. Every one of us, as living entity, we are searching after pleasure. But the pleasure which we are seeking, that is flickering, 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 jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r,
sei paśu boro durācār
Narottam Das Thakur uses here very harsh word. He says that such human being is an animal, an uncontrollable animal. As there are some animals that cannot be tamed, so anyone who has not contacted Nityananda, he should be considered as an untamed animal. Sei paśu boro durācār. Why? Because nitāi nā bolilo mukhe: "He never uttered the holy name of Nityananda." And majilo saṁsāra-sukhe, "and become merged into this material happiness." Vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. "That nonsense does not know that what will his education and family and 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 koribe tār. Vidyā means education, and kula means family, nationality. So we may have a very nice family connection or 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 than human body. So these things cannot protect us or give us the real pleasure. So Narottama Das Thakur advises that vidyā-kule ki koribe tār.
Then he says, ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā. "Being maddened after false prestige and identification.." False identification with the body and prestige of bodily relationship, it is called ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā. One is mad after this false prestige. Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā. Due to this false prestige we are thinking, "Oh, what is Nityānanda? What can He do for me? I don't care." So these are the signs of false prestige. Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsa..., asatyere satya kori māni. The result is that I am accepting something which is false. For example, I am accepting this body. This body, I am not this body. Therefore, with false identification I am becoming entangled more and more. So one who is puffed up with this false prestige, ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pā..., asatyere satya kori māni, he accepts something wrong as right. Then he says, nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe. If you are actually serious about going back to home, back to Godhead, then please seek after the mercy of Nityananda.
nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braja rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni
"Please catch up the lotus feet of Nityananda." Then he says, nitāiyer caraṇa satya. One may think that as we catch hold of so many shelter, 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 Narottam Das Thakur assures that nitāiyer caraṇa satya: "It is not false. Because Nityananda is eternal, His lotus feet is also eternal." Tāṅhāra 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 spiritualized, nobody can enter into the spiritual kingdom. So nitāiyer caraṇa satya. If you catch nitāiyer, the lotus feet of Nityananda, then you become immediately spiritualized. 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. Tāṅhāra sevaka nitya. Therefore one who has in contact with Nityananda, they have become eternal.
nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāṅhāra sevaka nitya,
dṛḍha kori' dharo nitāir pāy
So just catch Him very tightly. Narottama boro duḥkhī, nitāi more koro sukhī. At the last Narottam Das Thakur, the composer of this song, he is appealing to Nityananda, "My dear Lord, I am very unhappy. So You please make me happy. And You kindly keep me in corner of Your lotus feet." That is the sum and substance of this song.
--end of quoted lecture--
This lecture was given in Los Angeles on January 31, 1969
Lord Nityananda's Lotus Feet
Have the Cooling Effect of Millions of Moons
Answers by Citing the Vedic Version
Question: How to Chant When in Anxiety?
Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja,Please accept my humble obeisances.
How to do attentive chanting when we are surrounded with unlimited anxieties?
Regards,
Vikram M.
Answer: Be Grateful for the Anxiety
Being surrounded by unlimited anxieties is the best situation in which to chant. This is why Queen Kunti prayed to always be in anxiety. So instead of being bewildered by the anxieties, be grateful that Krishna has revealed to you the true nature of this material world and take complete shelter of the Lord's holy names for total relief.Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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