Padavali: When shall I become a resident of Vrindavana (Narottama)

"When shall I become a resident of Vrindavana?"

– From Srila Narottama Das Thakur Mahasaya's Prarthana –

-o)O(o-

hari hari kabe habe vṛndāvana-vāsī /
nirakhiba naẏane yugala rūpa-rāśi //

“Hari, Hari! When will I become a resident of Vṛndāvana?
With my eyes, I shall see the charming forms of Śrī Yugala…”

tyājiba śaẏana sukha vicitra pālaṅka /
kabe vrajera dhūlāẏa dhūsara habe aṅga //

“Forsaking the joy of sleeping on a fancy bed,
When will my limbs be anointed with the dust of Vraja?”

ṣaḏa-rasa-bhojana dūre parihari /
kabe vraje māgiẏā khāiba mādhukarī //

“Casting afar the enjoyment of six food-flavors,
When shall I beg for mādhukarī in Vraja?”

parikramā kariẏā vrajera vane vane /
viśrāṁa kariba giẏā yamunā puline //

“Circumambulating Vraja from one forest to the next,
I’ll take rest, going to Yamunā’s bank.”

tāpa dūre kariba śītala vaṁśī-vaṭe /
kabe kuñje basiba giẏā vaiṣṇava nikaṭe //

“I’ll rid myself of burning heat at the cooling Vaṁśī-vaṭa;
When will I sit in the kuñja near the Vaiṣṇavas?”

narottama dāsa kahe kari parihāra /
kabe vā emana daśā haibe āmāra //

Narottama Dās says, “Forsaking all,
When will such a state be mine?”

Raganuga - 3.4: Smarana - The Practice of Meditation

In his Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (1.2.294-296), Sri Rupa Gosvami has presented three essential verses describing the practice of raganuga-bhakti. We shall now examine them one by one.

kRSNaM smaran janaM cAsya preSThaM nija samIhitam |
tat tat kathA rataz cAsau kuryAd vAsaM vraje sadA || (brs 1.2.294)

"One should remember the beloved Sri Krishna and His associate of one's own preference, being attached to narrations about them and always residing in Vraja."

Examining the commentaries of the predecessors, a number of important considerations can be drawn from this verse. Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti has explained (rvc 1.11) this verse as follows:

First, through the words "remembering Krishna", it is revealed that raga is a special feature of the mind, therefore one should remember; therefore the aspect of remembrance (smarana) is foremost on the path of raganuga. "Beloved" means the dearmost, Sri Krishna, the lord of Vrindavana, who enjoys pastimes suitable to His own mood. "His people" means Sri Krishna's people. Who are they? For this it is said, "of one's own preference", which means the desirable ones, such as Sri Radha, the mistress of Vrindavana, Lalita, Visakha, Rupa Manjari and others.

Although Sri Krishna is the object of one's desires in a passionate mood, the associates of Sri Krishna, the ladies of Vraja headed by Sri Radha, are even more the object of the devotee's desires on account of their having an excessive amount of passionate feelings which the devotee desires. "Live in Vraja" - this statement means that if it is not physically possible, at least in one's mind one should live in Vraja.

Thus residing - whether physically or mentally - in the sacred land of Vraja, filled with stimuli for the remembrance of the sweet pastimes of Vraja while remembering the pastimes of Sri Krishna and His associates one is particularly inspired by, filled with attachment for narrations about them, is the quintessence of raganuga-bhakti. How, then, is service to be rendered? Sri Rupa Gosvami explains this in the next verse.