Gaura pahū nā bhajiyā goinu, prema-rathana-dhana helāya hārāiṅu. This is another song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He's saying that "I have invited my spiritual death by not worshiping Lord Caitanya." Gaura pahū nā bhajiyā goinu. Gaura pahū means "Lord Caitanya," and nā bhajiyā, "without worshiping." Goinu, "I have invited spiritual death." And adhame yatane kari dhanu tainu. "Why I have invited the spiritual death? Because I am engaged in something which is useless and I have rejected the real purpose of my life."
Adhama means valueless things. And dhana means valuables. So actually, everyone of us, neglecting our spiritual emancipation, we are engaged in material sense gratification, and therefore we are losing the opportunity of this human form of body to elevate myself on the spiritual platform. This human body is especially given to the conditioned soul to take a chance for spiritual emancipation. So anyone who does not care for spiritual emancipation, he is inviting spiritual death. Spiritual death means to forget oneself, that he's spirit. That is spiritual death.
So in the animal life it is fully forgetfulness. They cannot be reminded at any circumstances that they are not this body, they are different from this body. It is only in this human form of body, human form of life, one can understand that he is not this body, he's spirit soul. So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa, one can easily understand this fact, and by worshiping Lord Caitanya, following His principles and ways, one can chant Hare Kṛṣṅa and very easily come to the platform of spiritual understanding. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says on our behalf that we are neglecting this. Therefore we are inviting spiritual death.
Then he says that prema-rathana-dhana helāya hārāiṅu. Spiritual life means to develop real love. Everyone says love. There are so many signboards, so many papers, "love, love." But there is no love. This is illusion. It is all lust. Love for intoxication, love for sex, love for this... This is going on. So actual love means... Love, this word, can be applicable only with Kṛṣṅa, with God. Because we are created for that purpose. To love means to love Kṛṣṅa. So that is wanted. That is spiritual love.
So prema-rathana. I could achieve that transcendental position of love, but I am neglecting. Therefore I am calling my spiritual death. And these things are happening due to my past misdeeds. Due to my past deeds, misdeeds, I have got a type of body. Everyone who has got this material body, it is due to past misdeeds. Sometimes we call pious deeds. Actually, so long one gets this material body there is no pious deeds. Pious deeds means no more material body. That is pious deeds. Otherwise it is to be taken as a fact that even Brahmā, who is the chief living entity within this universe and has got a mass of years as duration of life, all power, still, that is also considered as misdeeds. Because he has got the material body.
So we are going deep down and down, one after another, body, by our misdeeds. In the Bhāgavata also it is stated that they do not know that by this sense gratificatory process they will have another body. And the body is the cause of material pangs. Because I have got this body, therefore I feel headache, I feel stomachache. I feel this and that. But, as soon as we are out of this material body, there is no more material pangs. It is simply joyful life. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg 18.54].
[One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.]
Prasannātmā means joyful. As soon as one gets spiritual life. So due to my past deeds, I am missing this opportunity. Apana kara mada seva...
And why it is happening? Sat-saṅga chāḍi khainu asatyera vilāsa. "I have given up the association of devotees, but I am associating with common nonsense men." Asatyera. Asat and sat. Sat means spirit. And asat means matter. So association of material attachment means implication in this material conditional life. So one has to make association with devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido. One can understand about God only in association of devotees.
Therefore we are advocating this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, society. Actually, you'll find, one who comes to this society, by associating a few days, a few weeks, he becomes conscious and he comes forward for initiation and further advancement. So this association is very important. And those who are conducting different centers and temples, they should be very responsible men. Because everything will depend on their sincere activities and character. If they are insincere, then that will not be effective. One may come and associate with us, but if we are insincere, then it will be not be effective. But if the devotees are sincere, anyone who will come in contact with a devotee, he'll change. That is the secret.
Sat-saṅga chāḍi asatyera vilāsa. And as soon as we give up the association of these devotees, immediately māyā will catch me. Immediately. Māyā is just side by side. As soon as we give up this company, māyā says "Yes, come in my company." Without any company, nobody can remain neutral. That is not possible. He must associate with māyā or Kṛṣṅa. So everyone should be very much serious to keep association with devotees, with Kṛṣṅa.
When we speak of Kṛṣṅa, "Kṛṣṅa" means Kṛṣṅa with His devotees. Kṛṣṅa is never alone. Kṛṣṅa is with Rādhārāṅī. Rādhārāṅī is with the gopīs. And Kṛṣṅa is with the cowherd boys. We are not impersonalists. We do not see Kṛṣṅa alone. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa means with Kṛṣṅa's devotees. So Kṛṣṅa consciousness means to keep association with the devotees of Kṛṣṅa.
Viṣaya viṣama viṣa satata khāinu. And he says that "I have drunk always the most dangerous poison of sense gratification." Viṣaya viṣama viṣa. Viṣaya means sense gratification. Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. These are called... These four principles are called viṣaya. And viṣama means dangerously. And viṣa means poison. If one is simply engaged with these four principles of life, just like animals then it is to be supposed that he's simply drinking poison. That's all.
Viṣaya viṣama satata khāinu. "I know this be poison, but I am so much intoxicated that I am drinking this poison every moment." Gaura-kīrtana-rase magana nā painu. "And I could not merge myself into the saṅkīrtana movement started by Lord Caitanya." Oh, that is actually the fact. Those who are too much attached to materialistic way of life, or always drinking the poison of sense gratification, they are not attracted by the saṅkīrtana movement.
So at the last, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is lamenting. He's representing ourself. If one comes to that point of lamentation, that is also very nice. He immediately becomes purified. Lamentation means purification. So he says, keno vā āchaya prāṅa kichu bali... "Why I am living? I do not make association with the devotees. I do not take part in the saṅkīrtana movement. I do not understand what is Kṛṣṅa. I do not understand what is Lord Caitanya. Then what for I am living?"
This is lamentation. "What is my happiness? What is the standard of my happiness? Why I am living?" Narottama dāsa kena nā gela. "Why I did not die long, long ago? I should have died. What is the meaning of my living?" So it is not Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's lamentation. Everyone of us should think like that, that "If we cannot make association with devotees, if we do not understand what is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, if we do not come in touch with Lord Caitanya and associates, it was better for me to die. And there is no other remedy."
Prabhupada commentary
4This nice song was sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, one of the great ācāryas of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṅava sampradāya. That is the sect of Vaiṣṅavism started by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. "Gauḍīya" means belonging to Bengal. There are five Gauḍa-deśa in the northern part of India, out of which part of Bengal, West Bengal, is called Gauḍa-deśa. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's songs are very appropriate just to the conclusion of Vedic injunctions. So he sings this song, how one can rise up to the transcendental plane for associating directly with Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa, what is that process.
The process is one should begin this Kṛṣṅa consciousness under the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṅa Himself, and He is teaching people how to become Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Lord Kṛṣṅa, He [break] personally spoke about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, but people who are not very intelligent, who are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mūḍha—mūḍha means rascal—and duṣkṛtina, and miscreant; and narādhama—
[break] narādhama means lowest of the mankind—such persons cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. But still, Kṛṣṅa was so merciful that in order to claim all these people, means the lowest of mankind, miscreant, and fools and rascals, rejected, so He came in the form of Lord Caitanya to reclaim them.
So God is so merciful that even some persons cannot understand Him... First thing is people cannot understand actually what is God, but God comes Himself to explain Himself. Still, they commit mistake. Therefore Kṛṣṅa comes as a devotee to teach us about Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So we have to follow the footprints of Lord Caitanya.
And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura teaches that "First of all, try to chant the name of Gaurasundara."
śrī-kṛṣṅa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]
In this way, when we are a little bit attached with Gaurasundara, Lord Caitanya, then we automatically feel transcendental emotion. And that emotional stage is exhibited by shivering in the body. We should not, however, imitate such shivering to show to the public that "I have become a great devotee," but we should execute devotional service nicely and faithfully; then that stage will come automatically, shivering.