Prayer to One's Beloved Lord
(from Prarthana)
hari hari! bifale janama gonainu
manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya,
janiya suniya bisa khainu
2
golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana,
rati na janmilo kene tay
samsara-bisanale, diba-nisi hiya jwale,
juraite na koinu upay
3
brajendra-nandana jei, saci-suta hoilo sei,
balarama hoilo nitai
dina-hino jata chilo, hari-name uddharilo,
tara saksi jagai madhai
4
ha ha prabhu nanda-suta, vrsabhanu-suta-juta,
koruna karoho ei-baro
narottama-dasa koy, na theliho ranga pay,
toma bine ke ache amara
(1)O Lord Hari I have spent my life uselessly. Having obtained a human birth and having net worshiped Radha and Krsna, I have knowingly drunk poison.
(2) The treasure of divine love in Goloka Vrndavana 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.
(3) Lord Krsna, 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.
(4) O Lord Krsna, son of Nanda, accompanied by the daughter of Vrsabhanu, please be merciful to me now. Narottama Dasa says, "O Lord, please do not push me away from Your reddish lotus feet, for who is my beloved except for You?"
(from Prarthana)
'gauranga' polite habe pulaka-sarira
'hari hari' bolite nayane ba'be nira
2
ara kabe nitai-cander koruna hoibe
samsara-basana mora kabe tuccha ha'be
3
visaya chariya kabe suddha ha'be mana
kabe hama herabo sri-brndabana
4
rupa-raghunatha-pade hoibe akuti
kabe hama bujhabo se jugala-piriti
5
rupa-raghunatha-pade rahu mora asa
prarthana koroye sada narottama-dasa
hari haraye namah krsna yadavaya namah
yadavaya madhavaya kesavaya namah
2
gopala govinda rama sri-madhusudana
giridhari gopinatha madana-mohana
3
sri-caitanya-nityananda sri-adwaita-sita
hari guru vaisnaba bhagavata gita
4
sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunath
sri jiva gopala-bhatta dasa-raghunath
5
ei chay gosair kori carana vandan
jaha hoite bighna-nas abhista-puran
6
ei chay gosai jar-- mui tar das
ta-sabara pada-renu mora panca-gras
7
tadera carana-sebi-bhakta-sane bas
janame janame hoy ei abhilas
8
ei chay gosai jabe braje koila bas
radha-krsna-nitya-lila korila prakas
9
anande bolo hari bhaja brndaban
sri-guru-vaisnaba-pade majaiya man
10
sri-guru-vaisnaba-pada-padma kori as
nama-sankirtana kohe narottama das
Prayer to the Sakhis
(from Prarthana)
radha-krsna prana mora jugala-kisora
jivane marane gati aro nahi mora
2
kalindira kule keli-kadambera vana
ratana-bedira upara bosabo du'jana
3
syama-gauri-ange dibo (cuwa) candanera gandha
camara dhulabo kabe heri mukha-candra
4
gathiya-malatir mala dibo dohara gale
adhare tuliya dibo karpura-tambule
5
lalita visakha-adi jata sakhi-brnda
ajnaya koribo seba caranaravinda
6
sri-krsna-caitanya-prabhur daser anudasa
seva abhilasa kore narottama-dasa
1) The divine couple, Sri Radha and Krsna, are my life and soul. In life or death I have no other refuge but Them.
2) In a forest of small kadamba trees on the bank of the Yamuna, I will seat the divine couple on a throne made of brilliant jewels.
3) I will anoint Their dark and fair forms with sandalwood paste scented with cuya, and I will fan Them with a camara whisk. Oh, when will I behold Their moon like faces?
4) After stringing together garlands at malati flowers I will place them around Their necks, and I will offer tambuta scented with camphor to Their lotus mouths.
5) With the permission of all the sakhis, headed by Lalita and Visakha, I will serve the lotus feet of Radha and Krsna.
6) Narottama Dasa, the servant of the servant of Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu, longs for this service to the divine couple.
Lamentation Due to Separation from the Lord and His Associates
(from Prarthana)
je anilo prema-dhana koruna pracur
heno prabhu kotha gela acarya-thakur
2
kaha mora swarup rupa kaha sanatan
kaha dasa raghunatha patita-pavan
3
kaha mora bhatta-juga kaha kaviraj
eka-kale kotha gela gora nata-raj
4
pasane kutibo matha anale pasibo
gauranga gunera nidhi kotha gele pabo
5
se-saba sangira sange je koilo bilas
se-sanga na paiya kande narottama das
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 ?
2) Where are my Svardpa Damodara and Rupa Gosvami? Where is Sanatana? Where is Raghunatha Dasa, the savior of the fallen?
3) Where are my Raghunatha Bhatta and Gopala Bhatta, and where is Krsnadasa Kaviraja? Where did Lord Gauranga, the great dancer, suddenly go?
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?
5) Being unable to obtain the association of Lord Gauranga accompanied by all of these devotees in whose association He performed His pastimes, Narottama Dasa simply weeps.
The Glories of Sri Gauranga
(from Prathana)
gaurangera duti pada, jar dhana sampada,
se jane bhakati-rasa-sar
gaurangera madhura-lila, jar karne pravesila,
hrdoya nirmala bhelo tar
2
je gaurangera nama loy, tara hoy premodoy,
tare mui jai bolihari
gauranga-gunete jhure, nitya-lila tare sphure,
se jana bhakati-adhikari
3
gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kori' mane,
se jay brajendra-suta-pas
sri-gauda-mandala-bhumi, jeba jane cintamani,
tara hoy braja-bhume bas
4
gaura-prema-rasarnave, se tarange jeba dube,
se radha--madhava-antaranga
grhe ba vanete thake, 'ha gauranga' bo'le dake,
narottama mage tara sanga
The Worship of Sri Guru
(from Prema-bhakti-candrika)
sri-guru-carana-padma, kevala-bhakati-sadma,
bando mui savadhana mate
jahara prasade bhai, e bhava toriya jai,
krsna-prapti hoy jaha ha'to
2
guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya,
ar na koriho mane asa
sri-guru-carane rati, ei se uttama-gati,
je prasade pure sarv asa
3
cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei,
divya-jnan hrde prokasito
prema-bhakti jaha hoite, avidya vinasa jate,
vede gay jahara carito
4
sri-guru karuna-sindhu, adhama janara bandhu,
lokanath lokera jivana
ha ha prabhu koro doya, deho more pada-chaya,
ebe jasa ghusuk tribhuvana
1) The lotus feet of our spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his grace one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of Krsna.
2) My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from his lotus mouth. Attachment to his lotus feet is the perfection that fulfills all desires.
3) He opens my darkened eyes and fills my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my Lord birth after birth. From him ecstatic prema emanates; by him ignorance is destroyed. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.
4) Our spiritual master is the ocean of mercy, the fiend of the poor, and the lord and master of the devotees. O master! Be merciful unto me. Give me the shade of your lotus feet. Your fame is spread all over the three worlds.
A Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Sri Gauranga
(from Prarthana)
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu doya koro more
toma bina ke doyalu jagat-samsare
2
patita-pavana-hetu tava avatara
mo sama patita prabhu na paibe ara
3
ha ha prabhu nityananda, premananda sukhi
krpabalokana koro ami boro duhkhi
4
doya koro sita-pati adwaita gosai
tava Krpa-bale pai caitanya-nitai
5
ha ha swarup, sanatana, rupa, raghunatha
bhatta-juga, sri-jiva ha prabhu lokanatha
6
doya koro sri-acarya prabhu srinivasa
ramacandra-sanga mage narottama-dasa
Teachings to the Mind
(from Prarthana)
nitai-pada-kamala, koti-candra-susitala,
je chayay jagata juray
heno nitai bine bhai, radha-krsna paite nai,
drdha kori' dharo nitair pay
2
se sambandha nahi ja'r, brtha janma gelo ta'r,
se pasu boro duracar
nitai na bolilo mukhe, majilo samsara-sukhe,
vidya-kule ki koribe tar
3
ahankare matta hoiya, nitai-pada pasariya,
asatyere satya kori mani
nitaiyer koruna habe, braje radha-krsna pabe,
dharo nitai-carana du'khani
4
nitaiyer carana satya, tahara sevaka nitya,
nitai-pada sada koro asa
narottama boro dukhi, nitai more koro sukhi,
rakho ranga-caranera pasa
The Feet of Sri Rupa Manjari
(from Prarthana)
sri-rupa-manjari-pada, sei mora sampada,
sei mor bhajana-pujana
2
sei mora prana-dhana, sei mora abharana,
sei mor jivanera jivana
3
sei mora rasa-nidhi, sei mora vancha-siddhi,
sei mor vedera dharama
4
sei brata, sei tapa, sei mora mantra-japa,
sei mor dharama-karama
5
anukula habe vidhi, se-pade hoibe siddhi,
nirakhibo e dui nayane
6
se rupa-madhuri-rasi, prana-kuvalaya-sasi,
praphullita habe nisi-dine
7
tuwa adarsana-ahi, garale jaralo dehi,
ciro-dina tapita jivana
8
ha ha rupa koro doya, deho more pada-chaya,
narottama loilo sarana
1) The lotus feet of Sri Rupa Manjari are my treasure, my devotional service, and my object of worship.
2) They give my life meaning, and They are the life of my life.
3) They are the perfection of rasa, and they are perfection worthy of attainment. They are the very law of the Vedic scriptures for me.
4) They are the meaning of all my fasts and penances and my silent uttering of my mantras. They are the basis of religion and activities.
5) By the purifying process of favorable devotional service one will attain perfection and with these two eyes be able to see.
6) His transcendental form is shining like moonlight in my heart, and my heart therefore shines and reciprocates. In other words, the ordinary moon lights up the night, and its shine illuminates other objects; but the moon of the effulgence of the form of Sri Rupa Manjari shines into the heart and makes the heart also shine back to the spiritual sky. This moon shines not only in the nighttime, but day and night.
7) Your absence from my vision is like a dose of strong poison, and I will suffer till the end of my life.
8) Narottama Dasa Thakura says: "Please give me your mercy and the shade of your lotus feet."
Prayer to the Vaisnava
(from Prarthana)
ei-baro karuna koro vaisnava gosai
patita-pavana toma bine keho nai
2
jahara nikate gele papa dure jay
emona doyala prabhu keba kotha pay
3
gangara parasa hoile pascate pavan
darsana pavitra koro--ei tomara gun
4
hari-sthane aparadhe tare hari-nam
toma sthane aparadhe nahi paritran
5
tomara hrdoye sada govinda-visram
govinda kohena--mora vaisnava paran
6
prati-janme kori asa caranera dhuli
narottame koro doya apanara boli'
(1) 0 Vaisnava Gosvami, please be merciful to me now. There is no one except you who can purify the fallen souls.
(2) Where does anyone find such a merciful personality by whose mere audience all sins go far away?
(3) After bathing in the waters of the sacred Ganges many times, one becomes purified, but just by the sight of you, the fallen souls are purified. This is your great power.
(4) The holy name delivers one who has committed an offense to Lord Hari, but if one commits an offense to you, there is no means of deliverance.
(5) Your heart is always the resting place of Lord Govinda, and Lord Govinda says, "The Vaisavas are in My heart."
(6) I desire the dust of your holy feet in every birth I may take. Please consider Narottama yours, and be kind upon him.
