Narottama Dasa Thakur ( Narottama Dāsa --hākura IAST ; 1534 - 1611 ) - Vaishnava saint , poet and musician who preached Gaudiya Vaishnavism in Orissa and Bengal . [1] The author of many songs glorifying Radha and Krishna .
The biography of Narottama is contained in Prema Vilas . Narottama was born in Kheturi in the district of Rajasha , in East Bengal (now Bangladesh ), in the family of King Krishnananda Datta and Narayani-devi. After the death of his father, Narottama transferred his royal duties to his oldest paternal cousin and settled in the holy pilgrimage site of Vrindavan . [2] In Vrindavan, Narottama met with Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami . Narottama received spiritual initiation from Lokanatha Goswami , who sent him to study with Jiva Goswami . Later, Narottama, along with other sadhus , traveled to Bengal with the goal of distributing works on Gauda-Vaishnava theology, previously compiled by Rupa and Sanatana Goswami.
In 1574, Narottama Dasa organized a festival in Kheturi, which began to be held annually and played a large role in uniting disparate groups of Gaudiya Vaishnavas and in the formation of a common Gaudiya Vaisnava theology. [3] Narottama Dasa is best known for his bhakti poetry, where he describes love feelings in the pastimes of Radha and Krishna . His prayers "Sri Rupa Manjari Pada" and "Sri Guru-carana-padma" [4] are regularly sung in the temples of the Gaudiya Math and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as part of a religious ritual.
The most famous literary works of Narottama include Prarthana and Prema-bhakti-chandrika (Moonlight of Love). [5] [6] Narottama is also credited with a small-sized essay called Hatapaltana, but its content is not in harmony with the historical events of that time, which is why some consider it a fake. Narottama also translated the Smarana Brazier into Bengali . In this work, in eleven slokas, the daily eight pastimes of Radha and Krishna are described.
Many Hare Krishna acaryas often recited the prayers of Narottama. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada said the following about them:
 | No need to understand the language. They are like thunder. Everyone heard the sound of thunder - it can not be confused with anything. Similarly, these songs are above the material platform and respond like thunder in our hearts. [7] |  |
Biography
Narottam Dasa Thakur was born in 1534 (the year Chaitanya passed away) on the full moon day of the winter month of Magha according to the Hindu calendar. Narottama was born in Kheturi in the district of Rajasha, in East Bengal (now Bangladesh ), in the family of King Krishnananda Datta and Narayani-devi. Appearing as the son of a king, Narottama showed all the signs of a mahapurusha (an exalted divine personality): he had long arms, a deep navel, golden skin color and beautiful eyes like petals of a lotus flower .
During the traditional rite of passage anna-prashnam for the newborn Harottam, when the child was supposed to eat grain food for the first time, his parents resisted him. Narottam did not intend to eat what he was offered, in disgust, refusing food. But shortly afterwards, when a Vaisnava came with the same food, but first offered to Krishna , Narottam gladly ate it. Then everyone understood that for the first time the child refused to eat for only one reason - this food was not prasadam .
Over the years, Narottam became an exemplary student, versed in all academic disciplines, as well as in holy shastras . At school, he was sruti-dhara (capable of remembering everything he hears immediately). He quickly mastered Sanskrit and the Vedas . All his life he remained a brahmacari . Most of all, he loved, sitting at the feet of an elderly brahmana named Krishnadas, to hear about the pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Narottam enjoyed these stories throughout his childhood and decided to build his life in accordance with the teachings of Chaitanya.
Once Caitanya, in a state of ecstasy, exclaimed: “Narottam! Narottam! ”(It was long before the birth of Narottam). After which Caitanya expressed his desire to go to the bank of the Padma River and leave there love for Krishna so that Narottam would take her later. The Padma River asked Caitanya how she could recognize Narottama, and he replied that he would be the person whose waves would rise on the river.
So, when Narottam Das was 12 years old, Nityananda Prabhu appeared to him in a dream and said: “Tomorrow, at dawn, you should take a bath in the Padma River. You will receive Gaura- prema, love of God. ” Waking up, Narottam immediately acted according to the instructions of Nityananda. As soon as he entered Padma, waves rose on it, and the river, remembering the instructions of Caitanya, brought him the treasure of prema in its waters. Narottam immediately felt the great change that had happened in him. At that moment Caitanya appeared before him and lovingly embraced him. When their bodies touched, he felt how the very essence of Caitanya filled his soul. Then, Narottam's skin, dark by nature, acquired a shade of molten gold - the distinctive color of Gauranga's body. When, after a long time, Narottam did not return home, his parents sent their servants to look for him. Narottama was found frantically dancing on the banks of Padma. They did not recognize him right away. It is said that even his parents did not recognize him when he returned home from the river.
King Krishnananda was afraid that his son would flee to accept renunciation. Therefore, he ordered his best guards to follow him from morning to evening.
After several months, Narottam became famous throughout Bengal as a divinely inspired young man. Once, one influential Muslim ruler of the province of Jaigirdar asked for his audience, wanting to receive the blessings of young Narottam. Krishnananda could not refuse and sent his son to the palace of Jaigirdar. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Narottam fled from the guards and went to Vrindavan . At that time, Narottam was only 16 years old.
The path to Vrindavan was long and thorny, but soon Narottam arrived in Mathura near the place where Krishna appeared. Having bathed in the Yamuna River, Narottam learned that Sanatana , Rupa , Raghunatha Bhatta and some other great Vaisnavas had recently left this world. Grieving for the untimely departure of the exalted Vaisnavas whom he idolized, Narottam lost his feelings of grief. Of all the Vaishnavas of Vrindavan, Lokanatha Goswami made a special impression on Narottam, whose exceptional modesty and asceticism were well known (the famous Jiva Goswami was another mentor of Narottam in the spiritual sciences). Earlier, Caitanya appeared in a dream to Lokanath Goswami and mysteriously informed him that “the best (uttama) of people” (nara), that is, Narottam, would come to him. But Caitanya appeared to Narottam himself, saying that he should go to Vrindavan and serve Lokanatha. Well, since Caitanya did not give another name, Narottam initially decided that it was a “lord (nath) of this area” (loki), that is, Krsna.
But how can one serve Krsna? Only through his faithful servants. Therefore, for two years, Narottam selflessly served Lokanatha Goswami, doing dirty work, and achieved special mercy to become his disciple, and the only one, since Lokanatha Goswami did not give initiation to anyone, either before or after. Lokanatha Goswami gave Narotam, during the initiation of the Radha-Krishna mantra, as well as the Gayatri mantra. In addition, Lokanath Goswami opened to Narottama his ministry in the spiritual world as Champaka-manjari, which serves Radha .
In an effort to visit the holy places directly related to the activities of Caitanya, Narottama went to Navadvipa and Puri . After some time, having visited the participants of Caitanya-lila, he returned to Kheturi and never returned to Vrindavan. A letter from Lokanath Goswami was waiting for him in Kheturi asking him to introduce murti worship in Kheturi Gram. For the ceremony of establishing the murti and holding the great festival, Narottama chose the auspicious day of Gaura-purnima - the anniversary of the appearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Hundreds of Chaitanya satellites, as well as their followers, received invitations. Accompanied by her retinue, Jahnava Devi came to Kardahan for a holiday. Having led the Vaishnava assembly, she resolved all their disputes by formulating a single basis for the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
Narottama organized the ceremony of setting up the five murtas of Radha-Krishna, whose names were Vallabhi-kantha, Sri Krishna, Vraja-mohan, Radha-kantha and Radha-Raman, as well as the majestic murtis of Caitanya and his wife. These murtis were consecrated by Srinivas . According to the Vaishnava philosophy set forth in the scriptures, Krsna agrees to accept service through the properly established Archa-vigraha so that bhaktas can understand and awaken in themselves a personal understanding of God, focusing their minds on His visible image. Murti Vraja-mohana - the only one who never left Vrindavan can be seen to this day in the temple of the same name in the same place.
It is said that the kirtan of Narottama at this festival reached such spiritual strength that Caitanya himself appeared with his companions to attend it. In the Bhakti-ratnakara it is described that by his divine appearance, Caitanya shone among the devotees, like a flash of lightning.
The holiday in Kheturi is considered one of the important milestones in the history of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Since the writings of the Six Gosvamis, the closest disciples of Chaitanya, were stolen ( Shrinivasa took part in the almost detective story of the return of these spiritual values), at first Narottam was not able to distribute their message. Therefore, he had to resort to other methods. He did this with a holiday in Kheturi, which was later celebrated every year. Thus, Vaisnavas got the opportunity to get acquainted with the teachings of Goswami Vrindavan and how it was reflected in the Bengal movement of bhakti .
Very soon, Narottama became the most famous guru in all of Bengal. His refined poetry, which reflected the whole philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, combined with his beautiful voice, attracted students from all over India.
His main works are Prarthana, a collection of thirty-three songs in Bengali , and Prema-bhakti-chandrika, a poem that summarizes the entire depth of the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. In addition, he translated the Sanskrit work “Smarana-mangala” in Bogali poetic form, in 11 slokas of which the games of Radha and Krishna are described for 8 parts of the day.
Narottama Dasa Thakur became the author of many songs infused with devotion to the spiritual master, devotees of devotional service, the six Gosvamis, Gaura - Nityananda and Radha-Krishna . Although these prayer songs are composed in plain Bengali, they confirm the philosophical conclusion of the sastras and canons of bhakti. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada often sang his bhajans , considering them indistinguishable from the Vedic scriptures . He often quoted them in his lectures on the Bhagavatam . Prarthana and Prema-bhakti-chandrika Narottamas were his favorite works. He often used the following quote from Prema-bhakti-chandrika:
| Radha and Krishna are the goal of my life and death. They are the lords of my breath. Performing my bhajan only for Them, I rise and plunge into the waves of the ocean of prema . I pray that I will always be able to maintain this conviction in my heart as the highest ideal. |
The departure of Narottam das Thakur is described as follows. In 1611 , when Narottam Das Thakur was 77 years old, he learned that some Vaishnavas close to him, Ramachandra Kaviraj and Srinivasa, had already returned to the spiritual world. Unable to survive separation from them, Narottama Dasa Thakur gathered the devotees in the temple of Caitanya and began an ecstatic kirtan . In the end, Narottama could not stand the love of Krishna in separation and decided to reunite with Him in the spiritual world. In the house of Ganganarayana Chakravarti in Murshidabad, he went into a trance, completely immersed in Radha-Krishna-lila. A few days later, Narottama Dasa Thakur left this world in front of numerous witnesses, among whom were his students. He led the devotees to the banks of the Ganges . Narottama entered the river without ceasing to chant the names of Krishna with Rama Krishna and Ganganarayana Chakravarti. When they began to wash his body, it simply disappeared into the sacred waters of the Ganges.
Notes
- ↑ Dimock, Jr, EC Doctrine and Practice among the Vaisnavas of Bengal // History of Religions: journal. - 1963. - Vol. 3 , no. 1 . - P. 106 . - DOI : 10.1086 / 462474 .
- ↑ Narottama Dasa Thakura . www.stephen-knapp.com. Date of treatment April 30, 2008. Archived March 18, 2012.
- ↑ The Pastimes of Narottama Dasa Thakura Neopr (Link not available) . www.krishna.com. Date of treatment April 30, 2008. Archived on February 5, 2008.
- ↑ Sri Rupa Manjari Pada
- ↑ O'Connell, JT Gaudiya Vaisnava Symbolism of Deliverance (uddhara, nistara, ...) from Evil (English) // African and Asian Studies : journal. - 1980. - Vol. 15 , no. 1-2 . - P. 124-135 . - DOI : 10.1163 / 156852180X00112 .
- ↑ Valpey, K. Re-visioning Iskcon (neopr.) // The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant. - 2004.
- ↑ Goswami, Satsvarupa dasa (2002), Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta Vol 1-2 (2 nd ed.), Bhaktivedanta Book Trust , ISBN 0892133570
Literature
- Shrivatsa Goswami (1983), "Interview With Shrivatsa Goswami" , in Steven J. Gelberg, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna: Five Distinguished Scholars on the Krishna Movement in the West, Harvey Cox, Larry D. Shinn, Thomas J. Hopkins, AL Basham, Shrivatsa Goswami , New York: Grove Press, p. 196-258, ISBN 0394624548 , < https://books.google.com/books?id=rcgFRgAACAAJ >