Narottam das thakur biography of mahatma gandhi

He was renowned for his skill in Sanskrit grammar, poetry, prosody, etc. At the age of twelve Narottama dasa Thakura had a vision of Lord Nityananda in a dream. Nityananda told Narottama to bathe in the Padma Riverwhereupon he would receive love of Godhead. Following the instructions of Lord Nityananda, Narottama bathed in the Padma, and the Goddess of the river appeared and on the order of Lord Chaitanya gave him pure love of Godhead.

Narottam das thakur biography of mahatma gandhi: Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura Appearing as

As the golden boy walked by, all the onlookers wondered who this enchanting young boy was, and when he reached his home, his own mother could not recognise him and wondered about the identity of the extraordinary boy. He then explained to his mother that he was her very own son and related to her the incident that had changed his complexion from dark to golden.

One morning when the young prince Narottam, born in a royal family in West Bengal, went to the river Padma for his daily bath, the river imparted unto him the transcendental love of Godhead that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had left for him with the river Padma. Thereafter, experiencing great love for Shyamsundar, he left home at the tender age of sixteen and started his journey towards Jagannath Puri to take darshan of Mahaprabhu along with Sri Shyamananda Prabhu and Srinivas Acharya.

However, on the way they received news of the disappearance of Mahaprabhu and his associates and feeling great distress, changed their route and started towards Vrindavan, hoping to meet Sri Rupa and Sanatan Goswami. However, they also brought their pastimes in this world to an end and this plunged the three devotees in great grief. When they finally reached Vrindavan, they took shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Jiva Goswami and received instructions on all transcendental subject matters from him.

However, since Srila Jiva goswami was not initiating anyone, he instructed Narottam to take shelter of Srila Lokanath Prabhu.

Narottam das thakur biography of mahatma gandhi: Narottama was born on Maghi

Following the instructions of his shiksha guru, Narottam das thakur went to Sri Lokanath Prabhu and begged for initiation, but he also refused saying that he did not want to have any disciples. Thereafter, resolving to please Lokanath Prabhu, Narottam would every morning go and clean the area where Lokanath Prabhu would go to pass stool. This soon came to the attention of Lokanath Prabhu and he decided to check who is doing it.

When he discovered that it was Narottam, being pleased with his humble service, he gave him initiation, and Srila Narottam das Thakur started performing his bhajan under the guidance of his Diksha guru Sri Lokanath Prabhu and his Siksha guru Srila Jiva goswami. Thereafter, in Kheturi dham he performed the very first Gaura Purnima festival, in which Jahnava Ma, the eternal consort of Nityananda Prabhu, was personally present and she cooked a great feast for all the assembled Vaishnavas.

During this festival, after the installation of the Deities, during the uproarious kirtan, all the devotees had the divine darshan of Panca Tattva dancing in the kirtan. Though still a young man, Narottama das would only maintain himself by observance of the vow of madhukari, which means that he would only eat what he could beg by going from door to door of the householder devotees, just as a bumble bee goes from flower to flower to take pollen.

By this strict vow Narottama kept no kitchen or store of foodstuffs.

Narottam das thakur biography of mahatma gandhi: Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he

He simply relied only upon the mercy of the Lord. Narottama dasa Thakura would preach relentlessly, removing the misconceptions of the age, and would invoke his disciples to follow suit. This was one of Narottama dasa Thakura's main preaching points — that a Vaishnava is not a mleccha, nor yavana, nor Brahmin, nor sudra, etc. Vaisnavism should only be gauged according to one's surrender and realization in Krishna consciousness.

There should be no consideration of birth, age, caste, creed, shoe size, education, social status, who one is initiated by, the year one took initiation, or when one first came in contact with devotional service. Nor is Krishna consciousness advancement dependent on household duties, taking sannyasa, ritualistic performances, group agreement, or the like — simply how one is absorbed in one's service to the lotus-eyed Lord.

This is the conclusion of Narottama dasa Thakura's preaching strategy. Where has Acharya Thakur gone, he who out of great mercy brought the wealth of love as a gift to the world. Where are my Svarupa and Rupa, where is Sanatan? Where has Raghunath Das, the deliverer of the most fallen, gone? Where are Raghunath Bhatta and Gopal Bhatta? Where is Krishnadas Kaviraj?

Where has the king of the dance, Gauranga, suddenly disappeared to? I will beat my head against the rocks or enter the flames--but where can I go to find that ocean of virtue, Gauranga? Narottama Das is crying because he is deprived of the association of all those companions of the Lord. In the wallpaper: Lord Chaitanya and His associates.

I offer my repeated obeisances to Shrila Narottama Das Thakur, who lights up every direction with the effulgence of his teeth, revealed as he laughs out of the joy of Harinama-sankirtan; to him who is bathed in torrents of tears and perspiration. After a great deal of suffering, you finally dragged me to Vraja-dham, tying the rope of mercy around my neck.

But now, the forces of fate and illusion have loosened that rope and thrown me back down the well of material existence. A brahmachari for his entire life, Narottama Das visited all the places of pilgrimage. He was on the highest platform of devotional achievement. Bhakti-ratnakara 1. Narottama Thakur was Champaka Manjari in Krishna-lila.

Eternally assisting Rupa Manjari in her service to Radha and Krishna, Champaka Manjari had mercy on the conditioned souls of this earth and appeared as Narottama in the village of Kheturi, about twelve miles from Rampur Bowaliya in the Gopalpur subdivision of Rajshahi district. This took place on the full moon day of the month of Magh sometime around the middle of the 15th century of the Shaka era.

Narottama was born on the Maghi Purnima. From that day on he thrived and grew like the waxing moon. Raja Krishnananda had a younger brother named Purushottam Datta, who had a son named Santosha. In order to show that His associates can take birth in any caste, Krishna had Narottama take birth in a kayastha family. He was constantly absorbed in meditation on the wonderful qualities of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu.

The Lord and His associates appeared to him in his dreams. As tears poured from his eyes, Narottama would offer prayers of surrender to Shri Krishna Chaitanya, Nityananda, Advaita and the other associates of the Lord. Finally, the Lord and His associates appeared to him in a dream and consoled him with kind words. According to the Premavilasa, when Mahaprabhu passed through Kanair Natashala, as He was dancing ecstatically in kirtan, He began to call out the name Narottama.

You do not know your own glories. When we went to Jagannath Puri, you shed tears out of divine love, day after day. I managed to capture your divine love and save it. Mahaprabhu then went on to the Padmavati River to the place known as Kutubpur, where He bathed and sang and danced in ecstasy. When Narottama was twelve years old, he had a dream in which Nityananda Prabhu told him to bathe in the Padmavati and take the prema which had been stored there for him.

He went the next day to the Padma and as soon as he put his foot in the water, the river started to overflow. His parents noticed the transformation and did everything they could to bring him back to his normal state, but failed. Having drunk the wine of divine ecstasy, Narottama had become intoxicated and the bonds of family life could no longer hold him back.

Narottama began to wonder how he could escape from his material entanglements. Having been introduced to Narottama, who they could understand had received the mercy of Lokanatha and Jiva Goswami, they too bestowed their mercy upon him. It is said in the Bhakti-Ratnakara that both Vasudha, who was the knower of all truths, and Shri Jahnava bestowed their incomparable mercy upon Narottama das.

Four days later, Narottama, after having spent much time discussing Krishna-katha in great ecstasy with Shri Jahnava and Vasu thakuranis, bade them farewell and left for the town of Khanakula Krishnanagar to see the place of Abhiram Gopal Thakura who was passing his days in great pain of separation from Sri Chaitanya and Nityananda Prabhu. Seeing him in that condition, Narottam wept a great deal.

The Gopinath deity of Abhiram Thakura was wonderful. Narottam took darshan of the deity and recited many prayers and verses in praise of the Lord before the deity. The next day, after taking his leave Narottama had some inspiration from within and set out for Jagannatha Puri. Constantly absorbed in thinking of the eternal associates of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Narottam das reached Puri very quickly.

Reaching Puri Narottama paid his obeisance at the lotus feet of Gopinatha Acharya and the Acharya warmly embraced him, Gopinath Acharya said, "This very day I was hoping that you might arrive. All the devotees were very happy to have a pure hearted soul like Narottam in their midst, and they took him to have darshan in the temple of Sri Jagannatha.

While taking darshan of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra, Narottama offered many beautiful prayers in their glorification and bowed down before them again and again. After this he went to the samadhi of Sri Haridas Thakura and became immersed in the ocean of Krishna prema. After this he went to the house of Gadadhara Pandit, and began to shout at the top of his lungs in a loud voice, "O life and soul of Gauranga!

O Gadadhara! Thereafter he took darshan of the Tota Gopinath deity and offered his respects at the lotus feet of Shri Mamu Goswami Thakur who was at that time engaged in the service of Shri Gopinath. Then Narottama das drew near to that part of the Gopinath deity where it is said that Mahaprabhu merged into, when he disappeared from this earth by entering into the deity in the presence of his devotees.

Seeing Narottama's extreme bhava at separation from the Lord, all the devotees began crying tears of prema. Then he went to the Gundicha temple for darshan, and remembered the Lord's pastimes in the Jagannatha-vallabha gardens. Then he visited the Narendra Sarovara, and many other places where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had performed many leelas.

After several days, having experienced great transcendental joy in the association of the devotees of Jagannatha Puri, and having visited all the places of Mahaprabhu's pastimes, he took his leave and left for Shri Nrishinghpura. Once there, he went to Syamananda Prabhu's house. Seeing Narottama after such a long time, Syamananda Prabhu was overcome with joy.

In the ecstasy of Krishna-prema the two of them joyfully embraced one another. Syamananda Prabhu kept Narottama in Nrishingpura for many days, not allowing him to leave. Shri Narottama das sanctified the town of Nrishingpura by immersing everyone there in a nectarine flood of Sankirtan. Together Syamananda and Narottama would discuss Krishna-katha in great ecstasy, unaware of day or narottam das thakur biography of mahatma gandhi. After some time, Narottama das bade farewell to Syamananda Prabhu and set out for Gaudadesh.

He arrived in Shri Khanda. Offering his respects to Narottama in return, Narahari blessed him many times, touching him on the head with his hand. Shri Raghunandan embraced him affectionately. They asked him to tell them all about the devotees in Jagannatha Puri. In this way, Narottama went from one place to the next in Shri Khanda, his transcendental pleasure always increasing.

Narottama spent many days in Shri Khanda in great happiness, performing Sankirtan and dancing in the association of the devotees there. He fell before the house of Gadadhar das, offering his respects, and Gadadhar das affectionately embraced him. Narottama das stayed there for two days, and then left to see the birthplace of Shri Nityananda Prabhu in the Radadesh.

There, an old brahmana who was affectionately disposed towards Narottama showed him the different holy places where Nityananda prabhu had performed his leela. Remembering the holy names of Hadai Pandit and Padmavati Devi, Narottama fell to the ground, his voice choked up with ecstasy. After seeing the holy birthplace of Nityananda, Narottama started out for Kheturi Gram.

As the Bhakti Ratnakara says, "After inquiring about the way to Kheturi Gram from the local people, he quickly came to the banks of the Padmavati. Crossing the Padmavati, he arrived in Kheturi. Upon his arrival, all the people of the village wanted to be the first to meet him. Since Narottam das had been away for so long, there was a big welcoming celebration.

Hearing of his arrival, the residents of Kheturi Gram all began making preparations to welcome him. Raja Krishnananda and Shri Purushottama Datta, the father and uncle of Narottama das had already passed away, but Purushottama, Narottama's uncle had a son whose name was Santosh Datta. After the passing of King Krishnananda and Purushottama, he inherited much wealth and material enjoyment.

Santosh was the foremost of saintly narottam dases thakur biography of mahatma gandhi in the village. And when he heard that Narottama das was about to bless that town with his holy footsteps after such a long time, in order to be the first one to greet Narottama, he rushed out with the rest of the devotees to wait for him on the road outside Kheturi Gram.

Soon, Narottama could be seen in the distance. Upon seeing him, Santosh, after bowing prostrate with full obeisance, went forward with tears in his eyes, falling on the ground again and again to take the dust of Narottama's lotus feet. At this, Narottama affectionately embraced Santosh and asked how he had been faring all this time, asking him many questions about his health, happiness and well-being.

Raja Santosh datta had previously wanted that a temple be built and a deity installed. Now he begged Narottama das for his permission. Following the instructions of Lord Nityananda, Narottama bathed in the Padma irregardless, and the Goddess of the river appeared and on the order of Lord Chaitanya, gave him pure love of Godhead. Though still a young man, Narottama das would only maintain himself by observance of the vow of madhukari, which means that he would only eat what he could beg by going from door to door of the householder devotees, just as a bumble bee goes from flower to flower to take pollen.

By this strict vow Narottama kept no kitchen or store of foodstuffs. He simply relied only upon the mercy of the Lord. Narottama dasa Thakura would preach like anything, removing the misconceptions of the age, and would invoke his disciples to follow suit.