Sri Radha-Pavan Bihari Ju (credit Vrinda News)

Around the Bengali year 1300, Sri Gaura Das Babaji was performing bhajan in Sri Sanatan Goswami’s bhajan kutir at Pavan Sarovar, in Sri Nandagram.  He came to be well known as a siddha purush.  He used to bring flowers from Gazipur, near Prem Sarovar, and make garlands for Sri Lalaji.  It was through this flower seva that he attained the grace of Sri Krishna.  After five or six years of doing this seva, this feeling came into his heart, that, “Till now I have done flower seva for Sri Lalaji, but he has not shown any compassion toward me.  Sri Krishnachandra’s heart is a bit hard.  Srimati Vrishabhanunandini’s heart, however, is made of pure mercy. If I had been doing Sri Ji’s flower seva all this time, she definitely would have had mercy on me.  Today I will go to Barsana.  I won’t stay here anymore.”  That afternoon he tied his patchwork blanket, etc. onto his back and just before sunset, he set out across the fields about a mile south of Nandagram. The cowherds were coming back into town – just then a dark, beautiful boy said to Babaji, “Babaji!  Where are you going?”
Babaji: “Lala, I’m going to Barsana.”
Boy: “No, Babaji!  Go back.”
Babaji: “No, Lala, I have lived in Nandagram for six years and haven’t gotten anything.”
Boy: “No, Babaji! You listen to me. Don’t you go.”
Babaji: “I won’t stay.  Get out of my way.”
But the boy stetched out his arms and stood in Babaji’s way.  Whichever way Babaji went, the boy blocked him with his two arms outstretched.   Then Babaji got mad and said, “Hey kid! What’s with this monkey business?”  Just then twilight set in.  The boy said, “Babaji!  But who will do my flower seva?”  When he said that, Babaji said, “Kid, who ARE you?”  Then he did not see the boy anymore, nor the cows and the calves.  Babaji Maharaj, weeping in anguish, rolled his body back and forth on the ground.  “Krishna!  You cheated me like this?  Ah!  I didn’t recognize you at all, I didn’t understand what you were saying!  Hey Dina-vatsal, lover of the wretched!  I am vile among men. Have mercy on me!”  In this mood, he returned to Nandagram at night, and cried all night long.  The Pujari received the instruction, “Look here!  Make sure Gaura Das does not abandon My flower seva.”  (Gaudiya Vaishnav Jivan, pgs. 82-83)

Pavan Sarovar (credit: brajtourism.com)

I am currently doing some translations from Sri Haridas Dasji’s Sri Sri Gaudiya Vaishnava Jivan, and I plan to post as I go. Sri Oudh Bihari Lal Kapoor has alreay presented many of these stories in his beautiful books The Saints of Vraja and the Saints of Bengal.  Although GVJ was OBL Kapoor’s main source for his books, he included info from other sources as well, and likewise GVJ contains many stories not found in Kapoor Ji’s books – both extra info on the more famous mahatmas as well as short but sweet stories of lesser-known saints.  Here I will try to highlight the information not in Kapoorji’s books, for the sake of those who already know the stories well.

Although I was not around to see Sri Haridas Das  or Sri OBL Kapoor, I am well aware of my debt to them and pray continually for their blessings.  Kapoorji and I share sambandha, too, in that our gurus were gurubhais; his Gurudev, Sri Gauranga Das Babaji Maharaj, was one of the eldest disciples of our paramgurudev  Srimad Ramdas Babaji Maharaj.  My Gurudev was one of  his youngest.

Here we go with our first story…

Sri Nityananda Das Babaji Maharaj (Goverdhan)

Sri Nityananda Das Babaji Maharaj lived at his guru’s place in Sri Vrindavan, learning Harinamamrta Vyakaran, and studying Srimad Bhagavata and other scriptures under the tutelage of Srila Madhusudan Goswamipad of Sri Radharaman Mandir. His Gurudeva was then over one hundred years old, and he was totally blind. He had Deities to serve – Sri Nityananda Dasji served Them, cooked, offered the food and served Prasad to his Gurudeva. Two of Gurudeva’s female disciples were there to perform the other services. Those two disciples were young women, and Nityananda Dasji was a young man – and Babaji Maharaj was blind. Nobody else lived in the house. Thinking, “How can I maintain my vairagya?” he asked the advice of many holy men. They all said, “Your Gurudev is a mahapurush, a Great Soul; he doesn’t accept water from the hand of a woman. If you leave, he will fast to the point of forsaking water. Your service to your Guru will itself protect you.” Sri Nityananda Dasji was then only twenty five years old. By remaining in this situation, little by little his mind became more and more disturbed. One day in a state of extreme agitation he started pacing back and forth in front of the women’s room until at last he headed right out the door, towards the back side of Goverdhan and through the forest near Pucchari where he fell into a deep hole in the ground and could not get out. After three days, in the middle of the night someone came and grabbed him, and pulled him right out of the hole, saying, “Why should you die like this? Do Nam kirtan as you go.” So saying, he disappeared, and Nityananda Dasji’s body was filled with a new power. Singing Nam Kirtan in a loud voice, he went to the banks of Manasi Ganga and started living there in a humble kutir. After about three days a Vaishnava came there and said, “Your Babaji Maharaj has sent me. The morning after you left, two Brahmin boys came from Bengal and took bhek from him, and now they are doing his seva. He told me to bring you back today – come, let’s go.” These words stunned Sri Nityananda Dasji. He thought, “Nobody knows that I left, what I’ve been doing, or what I had been doing; but Gurudev is the omniscient ishwar. By his mercy alone I have been saved from this crisis, and by Giriraja’s grace I attained a revelation of the Holy Name.” And he went with that Vaishnav back to his Sri Gurudev. The old Babaji had invited many of the old, old Vaishnavas whom he knew, and that day he held a festival. At the end of the festival he had those Vaishnavas sit down and, calling Nityananda Dasji, he had him do dandavat at the feet of each of them, and taking the hand of each mahatma, he placed it on Nityananda Dasji’s head and said, “All of you please bless Nityananda Das that he may be able to do intense bhajan and attain Sriman Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet.” Then he said to Nityananda Das, ‘Go to the foot of Giriraja and do bhajan in seclusion.” After that he went to stay at the foot of Giriraja and did nama sankirtana without stopping. One day as Pujyapad Sri Advaitadas Babaji Mahashay was doing parikrama, he stopped at Sakhitharatala and sat atop the bridge. He heard the sound of that Nam Sankirtan and was charmed. He followed the sound for about a hundred yards, and found a person in a dilapidated kutir doing Namkirtan enrapt in prema. Sri Advaitadas Babaji stayed in a neighboring kutir for five to seven days, and witnessed that Nityananda Dasji was always doing Nam Kirtan; he could not tell when he bathed, went for madhukari or answered nature’s call.
Pandit Sri Advaita Das Babaji MaharajIn this way Nityananda Dasji was chanting Nam Sankirtan with complete absorption; the Lila was revealing itself in his heart. Then one morning a Babaji came and said to him, “Your Babaji Maharaj will leave his body tonight. He is calling you, for he wishes to see you.” But Nityananda Dasji thought, “This is a game of Maya. Maya or Kali is coming after me to shatter my bliss.” So he thought, and he did not go. But that night at midnight all of a sudden the Name stopped coming from his mouth, and his heart was filled with darkness. In a panic he went running to his Gurudev, only to find that in truth, Babaji Maharaj was gone. After that, Nityananda Dasji became just like a madman wandering from one place to another. He asked many mahatmas what could be done. They told him, “Guru and Krishna were your support, but you did not take shelter of the Vaishnavas. ‘Azray loiYA bhaje, tAhe kRSNa nAhi tyaje, Ar sab sare akAraN.’ Ashray means Vaishnava-ashray. Now go to some lonely place; sit and worship your Gurudev and try to do Nam Sankirtan. Spread a mat and meditate that your Gurudev is sitting on it; circumambulate him, bow down to him, pray to him and try to chant the Holy Name.” Sri Nityananda Das Ji did this for one year, and on completion of one year, on that very day, his Gurudev appeared to him.

As he placed his head at Gurudev’s feet, a stream of tears began to flow from Gurudev’s eyes; he cried, “Oh my child! Why didn’t you come that day? Now what more can I do?” With these words, Gurudev disappeared. From that day on he observed mauna (a vow of silence), and chanted 100,000 Holy Names every day, sleeping only at two in the morning – he used to chant the syllables of the Holy Name in a very clear, very sweet, and deep voice. For the last five years of his life he lived at Govinda Kund in Goverdhan. One year before he left his body, he told Srila Advaitadas Babaji Maharaj, “Gurudev appeared to me in a sphurti and told me, “Your pain will last one year more.” That year in the month of Kartik, after niyam-seva, he said goodbye to Sri Advaita Das Babaji Maharaj and went to the banks of Manasi Ganga where he left his body on Ras Purnima day. (Gaudiya Vaishnav Jivan, p. 159-162)

eke-i gaur preyasi nAri, anya nAyikAre kahite ThAri

A young heroine, a beloved of Gaura, says to another  fair young woman:  Oh friend!  I know there is an unmarried girl in your house.  You had better find a match for her now; if you don’t, she will surely drink poison and die.  Yes, your heart is a great and well-bred young lady.  You must marry her to the golden-limbed Vishvambhara.  He is virtuous, cultured and kind, boundlessly beautiful, scholarly and quick-witted; the consummate connoisseur of the flavors of love.  Knowing all this, if you just give your “daughter” to him, she will become a queen!  And her husband will give her the jeweled necklace of bhAva, embellished by the ruby of rAga. He will ornament her ears with Krishna’s virtues; her wrists will be adorned with kirtan-bracelets.  The red garment of anurAga which Gaura will give her will never, ever fade.  Tears, shivering, perspiration, horripolation, laughter, and the other sattvik bhAvas will be as pearls adorning her.  You will give the sandalwood of love to the world, and you will get to eat the ambrosia of Harinama.  You will get a very large extended family, and Sri Guru and the Vaishnavas will come to your house.  Advaita, Nitai, Gadadhar, Srivas Thakur, the 64 Mahantas and the 12 Gopals – all of them will become your in-laws.  You will attain all of them as your own, thus your fame will be sung throughout the world.  The eight siddhis and nine niddhis, along with bhukti and mukti will fall at your feet while you dance.  Krishnananda says, “Listen, my dear girl!  There is no greater relationship than this!”

Sri Barha Babaji

Barha Babaji Manifests Himself Through His Disciple, Jema Devi

It was about 2p.m.  Babaji Maharaj had just sat down for ahnik when his younger godsister Jema Devi came in, her anklebells jingling.  She bowed to Babaji Maharaj and said, “Dada, the night before Ratha Yatra we had a great kirtan and danced till two in the morning.  Won’t you come to Kendraparha just once?”

Babaji Maharaj said, “How can I go, sister?  After the return Ratha Yatra I am going to Cuttack, then Calcutta.  And I’ll go to Nabadwip for Gurupurnima.  Gurudev is no longer with us (aprakat ho gaye).

Hearing the word “aprakat” (unmanifest), Jema Devi roared — “What’s that you say, Ram Das?  Am I aprakat?  Just look at who is standing here before you.  This year you will have to go to Kendraparha for Govindaji’s Chandan Yatra.”

It was not Jema Devi roaring, but Barha Baba Mahashay himself.  From time to time, he manifested himself through Jema Devi in this way.  This supremely fortunate lady was the younger sister of the king of Kendraparha (Orissa), Raja Shyamsundar Narendra.  Once in Puri, Jema Devi went to bathe in the sea and was overcome by the waves.  Hearing the onlookers’ screams, Barha Baba came and immediately jumped into the ocean.  He pulled Jema Devi’s dead body to the shore and brought her back to life.  Barha Baba used to spend much time at Puri.

Babaji Maharaj understood what was happening and bowed his head to the ground in obeisance.  Just then Jema Devi got up and walked out, her anklets tinkling all the way. (Mere Dadu, 154-155)

Chandanyatra in Kendraparha

After some time Babaji Maharaj came to Kendraparha (to the house of Jema Devi)… All the brothers and sisters of the family were Barha Baba’s disciples and vessels of his mercy.  The family worshiped Govindaji… a flute in his hand… on his right, Sri Lalitaji… on his left, Sri Radharani.  Babaji Maharaj bowed before Thakurji, sat down and started to sing padavali kirtan.

In the purdah (women’s enclave), the young kshatriya girl Jema Devi would dance without anyone’s noticing it.  Today she did the same.  But this time she was possessed by the spirit of Sri Barha Baba.  Her dance was Barha Baba’s dance!  In ‘Charitmadhuri’ it is mentioned that Barha Baba had two main styles of dancing.  For padavali kirtan, he would put both hands behind his head, and tossing his head forward bit by bit he would dance to the rhythm of the mrdangas and kartals.  The other style he used for Nam-kirtan.  Lifting his right hand high in the air, and with his left arm pointing downwards, he danced placing one foot over the other.  Jema Devi was expert at both of Barha Baba’s peculiar dance styles.  The sound of her anklebells, and the sweetness of her dancing increased the bliss of the kirtan.

Babaji Maharaj celebrated a 24-hour kirtan and Govindaji’s chandan yatra festival in Kendraparha.  From there he went to Cuttack and Calcutta before proceeding to Nabadwip. (Mere Dadu, 179)

O Beloved! I dreamt I saw a place surrounded by a river.  On its wide banks many people danced, just as we do here in Vrindavan on the bank of the Yamuna.  They were playing musical instruments like the mridanga, like we do.  And I saw a youth, the best of brahmins, with a golden body bright as lightning, drowning the world in a deluge of prema. (Srila Visvanath Cakravartipad’s svapnavilAsAmRtaM v.1, stavAmRta lahari)

Sri Sri Nidhuvans Northern Gate (Vrindavan)

Where the trees grow with curving branches, making natural archways and alcoves to hide the Divine Couple’s late-night love games; where the Divine Couple come to take shelter after the Ras; where even now nobody goes after dark for fear of death or madness, because the Divine Couple are still here, still performing their lila, and the Forest will not permit any obstacle to their happiness; where Radha and Krishna come together in heart and mind and  every limb. This is Nidhuvan.

Here Sri Banke Bihari appeared to Swami Haridas, first as two swarups.  But when the brilliance of Radharani’s complexion and her Love blinded him to Krishna’s presence, they merged to become a single murti.  Here a special murti of Srimatiji testifies to a certain secret lila, wherein She took on Krishna’s persona and dress, played his flute, and made him dance like a gopi in the Ras, along with her sakhis like Lalita and Visakha.  This is Nidhuvan.

Babaji Maharaj says, Brajer nibhrta kunjer nibhrta kunja, Nabadwip rupe vekata. This is Nidhuvan, This is Nadiya.  Radha and Krishna are always together and never apart – only in this secret of secret Kunjas is this statement made true.

Nidhuvan - Western Gate

Perhaps it was for that very reason that every year on the last ekadashi of Kartik, Babaji Maharaj would come to Nidhuvan to perform kirtan.  Based on four songs by the ancient rasik padakartas of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, the Svapnavilas Kirtan tells the story of Radharani’s unusual dream of one night.  The kirtan begins as follows.  (Click here to listen to a clip of Sri Ramdas Babaji Maharaj’s Svapnavilas Kirtan in Nidhuvan).

“nidhubane duhu~ jane, caudike sakhīgaṇe
śutiyāche rasera ālase
cakite candramukhī, uṭhilena svapna dekhi re,
kā~di kā~di kahen ba~dhu pāśe ||”

One morning Priyā-Priyatama were sleeping in Nidhuvan surrounded by their dear sakhīs, when suddenly Rādhārāṇī woke up crying.  Rādhārāṇī said to Śyāmasundar, “O Prāṇanāth! Wake up!  I have had the most amazing dream.

“I dreamt I saw a fair youth with a body bright as gold.  I have never seen anyone like him.  In a battle of beauty, his gorgeous figure would conquer a legion of kāmadevas. He was full of sweetest joy, the prince of bliss (rasarāja).

“His tender golden body was ornamented with bliss-jewels like shivering, horripolation and tears as he sang and danced in madness.  Seeing his incomparable form, the home of all loveliness and radiance, my eyes were soothed and my heart was spellbound.”

Rādhārāṇī anxiously cried, “O Prāṇa-Bandhu!  Why does my mind yearn so much for this other boy?  From the day I was born until today I have known nothing in waking, dreams or deep sleep but your beautiful body, dark as a monsoon cloud ready to rain, a deep well brimming with rasa. Why now this strange reversal?  In my life here in Vṛndāvan I have seen men and devatas, sylvan sprites and even Narāyaṇa himself. Seeing them never satisfied my mind, but this Gaurāṅga has stolen my heart!”

As she spoke Rādhārāṇī fell into a deep swoon.  Then rasika-nāgara Śrī Kṛṣṇa embraced Rādhārāṇī and kissed her again and again (as the poet Jagadānanda watches in delight).

Sri Gaura Svarup steals Radharanis heart in Svapnavilas

In Babaji Maharaj’s time, too, something happened here which I think is worth mentioning, and which is worth recalling when we sit to relish this kirtan.  This story is related in Sri Brajagopal Das Agrawal’s Hindi book on Babaji Maharaj’s life, Mere Dadu – Sri Ramdas Babaji Maharaj. It is also mentioned very briefly in The Life of Love, but Brajagopal Ji’s account is much more elaborate:

“It was around noontime, during a solar eclipse in the year 1922.  Babaji Maharaj had just returned from celebrating a Namayajna at the home of Munsif Ramchandra Babu in Raghunathpur.  This time he came to bless the city of Bankura with Nam Kirtan.  People danced with their arms in the air; the shopkeepers showered candy over the crowd; the women ululated and blew conchells.  The kirtan passed through Bara Bazaar, Kiraniganj, Poddarparha… soon they were near the red light district.  When they heard the sound of the kirtan, the prostitutes came out to have a look.

“All of a sudden, a gorgeous young woman fell to the ground, grabbed onto Babaji Maharaj’s feet and started wailing.  She said, ‘You are my Nitaichand!  You have to save this fallen woman, or I will never let you go!’  Far from touching women or wealth, Babaji Maharaj was totally unacquainted with the faintest scent of these.  Such a mahatyagi renunciant was he… yet now this voluptuous young prostitute had latched onto his feet.  With much difficulty his companions were able to pull her away.

Jagadguru Nityananda’s adbhut prakash Srila Babaji Maharaj’s compassion overflowed.  Trembling, with hair standing on end and tears of ecstasy pouring from his eyes, Babaji Maharaj gave mantra to the prostitute, whose name was Nayanatara.  Then, saying, ‘Nitai, Nitai!’ he sent her on her way.

But Nayanatara’s story does not end there.  Come, let’s hear the rest of her tale.  After getting the kripa of a samartha guru, Srila Babaji Maharaj, the very next day she left for Vraja.  Whatever she had, she gave away to the other women of her neighborhood.  Upon arriving in Vraja, she took bhek (vaisnava sannyas) from Tota Madhavadas Babaji Maharaj of Kusum Sarovar.   He arranged for her to stay with an elderly Vaishnavi in Abhiram Kunj, and told his bhek disciple Bhavananda Baba to make arrangements for her Prasad.

Bhavananda had tempered his body and mind through intense discipline and bhajan-sadhan, but somehow Nayanatara made him restless.  He kept going to her to bring Prasad by order of his bhek guru Sri Madhavadas Ji – but internally he kept on praying to his diksha guru Srila Babaji Maharaj, ‘Prabhu, please save me from this danger!’

Babaji Maharaj in the form of antaryami heard his plea.  It was Kartik.  One night as Bhavananda was doing his japa, his heart became restless, and disturbing thoughts overwhelmed his mind.  He decided at that moment, that if any impropriety were to occur that night, that he would go to Yamuna before sunrise and give up his life in her waters.  As soon as he made that decision, a Vaishnava came and said, ‘Babaji Maharaj has just arrived in Vrindavan.  He is sitting in the old mandir of Govindaji and doing kirtan.  He’s calling for you.  He wants you to come right now.’  Paying obeisance to Babaji Maharaj in his heart, Bhavananda followed that Vaishnava.  Seeing Babaji Maharaj’s weeping in kirtan, body trembling and thrilling in bliss, and hearing his voice overflowing with nectar, Bhavananda’s mind became peaceful.

As the sun rose, Babaji Maharaj finished the kirtan and got up.  Bhavananda went to him and fell at his feet.  Babaji Maharaj said, ‘Go to Nabadwip now.  Haridas Das* is waiting for you.’  Upon reaching Nabadwip, Bhavananda lived and performed bhajan in a hut at Prachin Mayapur ghat.

Ten or eleven years passed.  It was 1933.  Babaji Maharaj was in Vrindavan for the Ras Purnima festival.  He performed Svapnavilas kirtan in Nidhuvan.  In the course of the kirtan, he described how Shyamsundar told Radharani that he would appear in Nabadwip.  [In the words of Radharani], he sang, ‘You are going to leave Vraja?  We gopis will die without you.’  Babaji Maharaj spontaneously elaborated,

morA kemone bA~cbo
tomAre virahe ba~dhu kemone bA~cbo

Oh beloved!  How can I survive, separated from you?

Nayanatara was in the audience.  Hearing Radharani’s sorrowful words, she suddenly fell at Babaji Maharaj’s feet and entered nityalila. Bhavananda heard the news, but nobody heard from him after that.  Babaji Maharaj told my Gurudev Sri Gauranga Das Babaji, ‘When Bhavananda comes to Vrindavan, keep him with you.’  Bhavananda came to Vrindavan in his siddha deha, there is no doubt about that.  Jaya jaya sri guru, prema kalapataru, adbhuta yahako prakash.

Babaji Maharaj was the very form of sweetness and compassion.  He lived the example of ‘Hari in the form of Sri Guru’ by always keeping his eye on those who took refuge in him, protecting them and taking them across the ocean of material existence.  Chota Haridas gave up his life and sang kirtan for Mahaprabhu in a divine form.  It may be that Bhavananda, too, performed seva for Babaji Maharaj’s abhinnapran Sri Gauranga Das Ji in his manjari svarup – who knows?”

*The famous saint and servant of Gaudiya Vaishnava literature (Haribol Kutir, Nabadwip)

Narahari-Gaur-Gadadhar

Today is the day Sri Narahari Sarkar became invisible to the gross material eyes of the world.  As many of you know, Narahari Thakur had a special mood towards Sri Gaursundar.  In honour of him, I post a song in that mood by Narahari Thakur’s disciple Lochan Das.  Please forgive all the faults in the translation. I took a little poetic license in trying to make it rhyme.

nabadwIp nAgari Agari gorArase
kahite gauraGga kathA prem jale bhAse
bhAva-bhare-bhAvini pulaka-bhare bhorA
zravane nayane mane gorA gorA gorA
gorA-rUpa-guNa avataMsa pare kAne
dibA-nizi gaur bine anya nAhi jAne
gorocanA nibida koriyA mAkhe gAy
yatana koriyA gorA nAm likhe tAy
gorocanA haridrAr pUtali koriyA
pUjaye cokher jale prAN-phUl diyA
prem netre prem jal bahe dunayane
tAhe abhisiJce gorAr rAGA ducaraNe
pirIti naivedya tAhe vacana tAmbul
paricaryyA kare bhAv-samay-anukul
aGgakAnti-pradIpe karaye Aratrike
kaGkaNa-zabada ghaNTA Ananda adhike
aGgagandha-dhUpa dhUwA bahe anurAge
pUjA kari daraza-paraza-rasa mAge
dine dine anurAg baDite lAgilo
locan bale etodine jJAn zel gelo

The fair young girls of Nabadwip
Drunk on Gora’s love-libation
Swim in waves of tears of love
In their Gora-conversation

Amorous the lovers’ hearts
Forms thrilled with sweet amour
In their eyes and ears and minds
Just “Gaur! Gaur! Gaur!”

Gaura’s looks and spotless fame
Their dazzling earrings!
In daylight or in dark of night
they dream no other dreams

Joyously they paint their forms
With pigments gold and grand
And etch upon them Gaura’s Name
In scrupulous hand

With yellow cosmetic and spice
They make a little doll
To lay before Him teardrops
And the flowers of their souls

Pure water from the lovers’ eyes
Forms rivulets and flows
In an act of perfect worship to
Anoint His ruddy toes

The ceremonious “bhog” they give
Is Love’s sublime embrace
With it comes the “betel leaf”
Of whispers honey-laced

And at the right time, piously
They wait on Him in privacy

For lack of lamps the girls proffer
The brilliance of their skin
For want of bell and gong they give
Their bracelets’ jingling

They sway the censers of their forms
To offer their perfume
And toss the golden coins of loving
Looks across the room

“Day by day their passion grew,”
Says Lochana Das,
“Today at last the knife of sense
Was pulled out of their hearts.”

Pathbari’s visit to Vraja is coming up very soon!  This morning I biked over to Seva Kunj to get the schedule from Bipin Da.  It just so happened that the Ram Das Khalsa was finishing up a three-day Nam Yagna today and I got to string garlands for the day’s pooja.  I was delighted to get the seva, and the schedule, as well as some prasad, cooked by some very talented cooks I might add.  Thakurji had eaten well: fruit, pera and kitchri.  Bipin Da, jolly soul that he is, handed me a steel bowl full of prasad and asked me to sit on a plastic chair to eat it.  Not the usual way to eat in an ashram!  I said, “Really?”  And he told me, “Babus like you eat sitting in chairs. We (vairagis) have to sit on the ground.”  Am I a babu (gentleman), then?  Haha!

So here I sit with the treasured schedule in my hand, which reads as follows:

Sri Dham Vrindavan Yatra 2010

12th Nov – Leaving Howrah station at 4:45 on the Chambal Express for Sri Dham Vrindavan

13th Nov – 8:30PM arrive at Mathura Station and proceed to Vrindavan’s Basanti Bai Dharmasala

14th Nov – Morning – Darshan. Midday – prasad at Sri Rajani Baba’s ashram, Govindakund. Evening, 4PM – Suchak Kirtan at Sri Srinivas Acharya Prabhu’s Samadhi Mandir

15th Nov – Darshan of Yavat, Nandagram, Varshana, Gokul, Dauji and Mathura

16th Nov – Morning – Darshan, Midday – prasad at Sri Radharaman Nivas in Ramanreti. Evening – Adhivas Kirtan at Basanti Bai Dharmasala

17th Nov – Sri Ekadashi Vrata.  24-hour Nam Sankirtan.  Morning, 8AM – Swapnavilas Kirtan in Nidhuvan.  Afternoon – Darshan.

18th Nov – Morning – Nagar Sankirtan and Kirtan at Akrura Tirtha.  Afternoon Vaishnav Seva.  Evening – Adhivas Kirtan at Sri Boro Gaur Mandir.

19th Nov – Darshan and Snan at Sri Radhakunda and Kirtan celebrating the arrival of Mahaprabhu in Radhakunda, at Srila Das Goswami’s Samadhi.  Midday – Prasad at Sri Radharaman Bhajanasram.  Evening – Bhramar Ghat Kirtan (at Jaisingh Ghera)

20th Nov – 10AM – Akrur Ghat Kirtan at Boro Gaur Mandir followed by Prasad.  Afternoon – Darshan

21st Nov – Ras Purnima. Morning – Darshan.  Afternoon -At 4pm Kirtan and parikrama celebrating Sriman Mahaprabhu’s search for Krishna in Vrindavan begins at Boro Gaur Mandir (ends around midnight).

22nd Nov – Leave for Delhi

Sri Surdas replied, “Sri Nathji and Sri Vallabh are nondifferent.  If in my padas you do not see Shri Vallabh, you have missed the point altogether!”  With that he began to sing a song in praise of the Guru. This was to be his last pada. As its last line finished, he entered the nitya-lila.  And this is the song:

bharoso dhrdha Guru charanana tero
bharoso dhrdha Guru charanana tero

O Sri Gurudev, I take refuge at thy feet.  I have steadfast faith in you and you alone.

Sri Vallabha* nakha-chandra chatta bina
saba jaga bhayo andhero

Without the moonbeams shining from thy toenails, I see only darkness in this world.  (Thy guidance, like moonbeams, guides me in this world, darkened with ignorance).

Sadhana aura nahi yeh kali mein
Jaso haota nibero

In this terrible age of Kali, I see no other way to save myself.

Sura kaha kahai dvividha andhero
bina molaka chero

Surdas, blind in external and internal vision,
Is the bondservant of Sri Guru forever.

*(Dasa Abhaya kahe aur koi nahi
Sitaram dhana mero

Abhaya Das says I have no one else but Gurudev Sri Sitaram, my only wealth.)

*This song by Surdas, the famous musician disciple of Sri Vallabhacharya, was adapted for this recording as an offering to Sri Sitaram Das Omkarnath by disciple Sri Abhaya Das.

oi kama, krodha, choy jane
loiya phire nana sthane
vishaya bhunjaye nana mate

The six enemies led by lust and anger have dragged me from place to place, brought me to enjoy so many material pleasures.

shudhu tumi jadi kripa koro tabe amar braje jaowa hobe govinda

Oh Govinda!  I can only attain Vraja if you give me your mercy…

punah jadi kripa kori, ei adhame kese dhari
amay taniya tulaho brajadham, he!
tabe se dekhiye bhalo, nahile paran gelo
katha kohiteche das narottam, he!

If you have mercy again on me, grab this fallen one by the hair
Drag me forcefully to Braja Dham
If I see that land it is well, if not then I shall surely die
So says Narottam Das

niye chalo he
madhura vrindavane amay niye chalo he
he govinda gopinath
kohiteche das narottam, he!

Take me there!
Oh Govinda, Gopinath! Take me to sweet Vrindavan.
So says Narottam Das

Vrindavan Dham ki jay!

And here is that sweet Vrindavan!

“Sri Jiva Goswamipad, have mercy on me!”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Narottam.”
“Oh!  The son of Krishnananda, the King of Rajsahi?  Are you that Narottam?  Tell me, what has happened along your way?”
“Your two jyethas (elder uncles) gave me darshan, and told me that Mahaprabhu himself had fed me milk. I have come here to offer myself at your feet.  Please accept me as your disciple and teach me about Krishna bhajan.”
“Oh!  So you have seen Sri Rupa-Sanatana!  In that case, I cannot give you diksha.  You will have to be initiated by a Vaishnava of a similar status.  Go to Sri Lokanath Prabhu and take diksha from him.”

“Lokanath Prabhu?”

Narottama went to Lokanath Prabhu.  But Lokanath Prabhu said, “No, I’ve never given diksha to anyone, nor will I ever do so.  Now go.”

But Narottam would not give up.  He watched to see what Gurudev did at what time of day.  Quietly, secretly, he picked flowers for Gurudev and did other menial tasks for him.  He did all the seva he possibly could.  Whenever Gurudev went to answer nature’s call on the Yamuna’s bank, Narottama secretly cleaned the spot with his own hands.  One morning Lokanath Prabhu saw with his own eyes that Narottama, despite being a Prince, was cleaning away the excrement with his own hands.  Lokanath could not remain idle, but came running.  He grabbed Narottam’s hands and said,

“Narottam!  What have you done?    You are a Prince, but here you are cleaning my feces.  Do you know why I don’t accept sisyas?  If I accept seva from someone I will become indebted to him.  I rejected you, but still you serve me.

amay janme janme rni korili
ei ajachita seva kore

You have made me your debtor birth after birth
with your motiveless service

Come. I have never given diksha in my life, but I will give diksha to you.  You will be my first disciple, and you will be my last disciple.

Narottam Thakur took diksha from Prabhu Lokanath, and presented himself before Sri Jiva Goswami.

“How fortunate you are, Narottam!  Lokanath Prabhu does not give diksha to anyone, but he gave diksha to you.  You are exceedingly blessed.  Narottam, now you will have to learn sangeet. In Kaliyuga, sankirtan is our greatest method of worship.  Srimad Bhagavat says,

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih-sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah

That is to say,

sankirtan pravartak sri krishna caitanya
sankirtan yajne ta~re yei bhaje sei dhanya

Sri Krishna Caitanya is the founding father of sankirtan.  One who worships him with the sankirtan-yajna is blessed.

Go to the great sadhak and singer of Vraja, Haridas Swami, and learn from him.  Haridas Swami attained Sri Krishna through song.  Narottam went to him to learn singing.

Swami Haridas said, “I am fortunate to teach singing to such a great Vaishnava as you.  Sit down.  I shall teach you how to sing in the uchanga style.  I am calling out to Sri Bhagavan in the raga of the monsoon.  Learn this raga and serve Sri Krishna with it.  Now sing with me. “

barase badariya rimi jhimi…

ore prem nibi ay
ore prem nibi ay, vadan bhare
bol re harinam!

O dear one, come and take this Love for your own
and chant the Holy Name!

ei prem diyechilo brajer banka
ebe gaura gunadham

The Crooked One of Braja came and gave this Love
As Gaura, the abode of virtue

ekbar Haribol bale bhaso nayaner jale
ei hariname purna ha’be sakal manaskam

Say Haribol just once and swim in your tears. Harinam will fulfill all your heart’s cherished yearnings.

Once Narottam got Mahaprabhu’s prema, his father became very suspicious that Narottam would no longer stay at home.  So one day, without telling anyone, Narottam left for Vrindavan on foot.  Shouting “Glory to Nitai-Gaura!” he started on the path.

ami hari bolbo, ar madanmohan herabo go
ami jabo go brajendrapura, hobo go gopikar nupur
tader charane madhur madhur bajbo go

I will chant the Name of Hari, and gaze at Sri Madanmohan
I’ll go to the town of Braja’s king, become an anklet for the gopis’ feet
How sweetly, sweetly shall I sing then!

“Vrindavan! Vrindavan!  I must go to Vrindavan!”

Prince Narottam ran barefoot along the path as fast as he could.  As soon as he reached the next village, he fell unconscious.

Just then, a handsome gentleman came with hot milk in one hand and flowers in the other, and said, “Narottam!”

“Who? Who?”

“I am a Brahmin.  You still have far to go.  I can understand you are going to Vraja.  Drink some of this hot milk.  Go on, drink!”

“No, No!  I don’t want to eat anything.  I am going to Vrindavan!  I am going to Vrindavan!  Tell me, how far away is Vrindavan?  Please tell me!”

“You will certainly go to Vrindavan.  But if you disregard a Brahmin’s wishes, your Mahaprabhu will not have mercy on you.  Now drink.  Then you will have the strength to reach to Vrindavan.”

Oh, what sweet milk he drank, resting in the Brahmin’s arms!  “Good Sir, I’ve never had such sweet, delicious milk in my life!  What kind of milk is this?”

“Such is the milk in our village.  Now go on your way to Vrindavan.”

Narottam bowed at the Brahmin’s feet, and began to run down the road towards Vrindavan.

ogo brindavaner rakhal mela
sangete vinoda khela
tader charaner dhula makhbo go

I shall play in the sweet circle of Vrindavan’s cowherds
Smear the dust of their feet on my body, oh!

ami hari bolbo
ar madanmohan herabo go…

I’ll chant the name of Hari and gaze upon Sri Madanmohan…