Footsteps of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura

Expressions researched:
"footprints of Sri Narottama dasa Thakura" |"follow narottama" |"following narottama"

SB Canto 7

Following Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, one should aspire to be a servant of the Lord's servant, life after life

SB 7.9.42, Purport: One can understand the science of the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by the paramparā system. In this regard, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vāsa: "Let me serve the lotus feet of the devotees of the Lord, and let me live with devotees." Janame janame haya, ei abhilāṣa. Following Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, one should aspire to be a servant of the Lord's servant, life after life. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also sings, tumi ta' ṭhākura, tomāra kukura, baliyā jānaha more: "O my Lord, O Vaiṣṇava, please consider me your dog." One must become the dog of a Vaiṣṇava, a pure devotee, for a pure devotee can deliver Kṛṣṇa without difficulty. Kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra. Kṛṣṇa is the property of His pure devotee, and if we take shelter of a pure devotee, he can deliver Kṛṣṇa very easily. Prahlāda wants to engage in the service of a devotee, and therefore he prays to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Lord, kindly give me the shelter of Your very dear devotee so that I may engage in his service and You may then be pleased." Mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā (SB 11.19.21). The Lord says, "Engaging in the service of My devotee is better than trying to engage in My devotional service."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We accept actually the Gosvāmīs. But following the footprints of Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura,one who is accepting the path of the six Gosvāmīs, we are servant of the servant of such persons

Lecture on SB 1.5.31 -- Vrndavana, August 12, 1974: So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific, based on the philosophy given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and expanded by the Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī and other assistants.

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā...

The six Gosvāmīs directly got the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore we have to understand this Vṛndāvana-dhāma through the Gosvāmīs. It is not that... Sometimes they say that we do not accept the Gosvām... (indistinct) We accept actually the Gosvāmīs. But following the footprints of Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, what kind of... Ei chay gosāi jāṅr mui tāṅr dās. One who is accepting the path of the six Gosvāmīs, we are servant of the servant of such persons [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Ei chay gosāi jāṅr mui tāṅr dās. Rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti kabe hāma bujhabo se jugala-pīriti. Jugala-pirīti, the love affairs of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. This is not ordinary thing. It is completely spiritual. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau, caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam [Cc. Ādi 1.5]. Vande... That verse I am forgetting. This is the process. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, it is not the affair of one young boy and young man. It is not that. It is the exhibition of the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. Hlādinī śaktir asmāt, so it is completely spiritual. Do not try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa playing immediately. "Oh, because I have come to Vṛndāvana, let me understand immediately Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā." It is not so easy. You have to undergo severe penances. Not severe. It is very easy. But we do not like to take. But the best thing is as Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, that

viṣaya chāṛiyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana

kabe hāma herabo śrī-bṛndābana

Viṣaya chāṛiyā, "so long I have got the propensity for sense gratification there is no possibility for understanding Vṛndāvana. There is no possibility." It is the statement of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He says viṣaya chāṛiyā kabe śuddha. Viṣaya means this āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. If you are still inclined for eating, sleeping and sex life, there is no possibility of understanding what is Vṛndāvana.

So these are the instructions. These are the confidential message given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers. That is yena. If you follow this yena gacchanti tat-padam, then you are sure going back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. And that is the highest perfection of life.