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EDITORIAL July 26, 1999 VNN4375 Comment on this story Gaura Pahu BY PARMANANDA PURI DASA EDITORIAL, Jul 26 (VNN) — Dear Prabhus and Maharajas. Please accept my humble obaisences. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada used to sing certain bhajans that he liked very much, one of them is Gaura Pahu by Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. However for many years I never saw the translation to this song, that Srila Prabhupada sang with such spiritual emotion. This is the translation I have recieved from one learned vaisnava friend. "I did not worship Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu, and thus I became full of suffering. I refused to accept the treasure of pure love of Krsna, and thus I became lost. " "I rejected the treasure of love of Krsna and deliberatly struggled to become poor. I dived into a host of sinful deeds. " "I rejected the association of the saintly devotees, and instead tried to enjoy among the impious nondevotees, In this way I became caught in the noose of Karma. " "I continually drank the virulent poison of sensegratification. I refused to swim in the nectar of Lord Caitanyas sankirtana movement. " "Why do I stay alive? What happiness do I have? Why did this Narottama dasa Thakura not die long ago?" Srila Prabhupada has written a nice purport to this song also Purport to Gaura Pahu Los Angeles, January 10, 1969 Prabhupada: Gaura pah na bhajiya goinu, prema-rathana-dhana helaya harai"u. This is another song by Narottama dasa Thakura. He's saying that "I have invited my spiritual death by not worshiping Lord Caitanya. " Gaura pah na bhajiya goinu. Gaura pah means "Lord Caitanya, " and na bhajiya, "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 emanicipation, 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 Krsna, one can easily understand this fact, and by worshiping Lord Caitanya, following His principles and ways, one can chant Hare Krsna and very easily come to the platform of spiritual understanding. But Narottama dasa Thakura says on our behalf that we are neglecting this. Therefore we are inviting spiritual death. Then he says that prema-rathana-dhana helaya harai"u. Spiritual life means to develop real love. The... 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 Krsna, with God. Because we are created for that purpose. To love means to love Krsna. 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. The... 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 Brahma, 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 Bhagavata 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-bhta prasannatma. Prasannatma 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-sa"ga chai khainu asatyera vilasa. "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. Sata prasa"gad mama vrya-savido. One can understand about God only in association of devotees. Therefore we are advocating this Krsna 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 the, 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-sa"ga chai asatyera vilasa. And as soon as we give up the association of these devotees, immediately maya will catch me. Immediately. Maya is just side by side. As soon as we give up this company, maya says "Yes, come in my company. " Without any company, nobody can remain neutral. That is not possible. He must associate with maya or Krsna. So everyone should be very much serious to keep association with devotees, with Krsna. Krsna means... When we speak of Krsna, "Krsna" means Krsna with His devotes. Krsna is never alone. Krsna is with Radharan. Radharan is with the gops. And Krsna is with the cowherd boys. We are not impersonalists. We do not see Krsna alone. Similarly, Krsna means with Krsna's devotees. So Krsna consciousness means to keep association with the devotees of Krsna. Visaya visama visa satata khainu. And he says that "I have drunk always the most dangerous poison of sense gratification. " Visaya visama visa. Visaya means sense gratification. Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. These are called... These four principles are called visaya. And visama means dangerously. And visa 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. Visaya visama satata khainu. "I know this (is) poison, but I am so much intoxicated that I am drinking this poison every moment. " Gaura-krtana-rase maghana na painu. "And I could not merge myself into the sa"krtana 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 sa"krtana movement. So at the last, Narottama dasa Thakura is lamenting. He's not 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 va achaya prana kichu bali... "Why I am living? I do not make association with the devotees. I do not take part in the sa"krtana movement. I do not understand what is Krsna. 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 dasa kena na 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 dasa Thakura's lamentation. Everyone of us should think like that, that "If we cannot make association with devotees, if we do not understand what is Krsna 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. " This is the substance of this song. (end) Your servant Parmananda Puri Dasa Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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