american money & indian culture

Sri-gauḍa-manḍala-bhūmi. Gauḍa means West Bengal. Lord Caitanya appeared in West Bengal, Navadvipa, and He especially flooded that part of the country with the sahkirtana movement. That part of the country has special significance for it is non-different from Vrndavana. It is as good as Vrndavana. Living in Vrndavana and living in Navadvipa are the same. Narottama dasa Thakura says, sri-gauḍa-manḍala-bhūmi, jeba jane cintamani. Cintamani means the transcendental abode. ta'ra haya braja-bhūme bas. If one simply understands that this land of Navadvipa is not different from Vrndavana, then he actually lives in Vrndavana. One should not think that he is living in Bengal or any material country; the places where Lord Caitanya had His pastimes are as good as Vrndavana.

Lord Caitanya's distribution of this love of God is compared with an ocean (rasarnava). What kind of ocean? Not the salty ocean that one cannot taste. The water of this ocean is so nice that if one drinks even one drop, he will like it more and more. It is not ordinary ocean water, of which one cannot taste even a drop. Therefore it is called rasarnava. In this ocean there are different waves; an ocean does not stand still, for it is not impersonal or void. And as the ocean is always dancing with waves, similarly the ocean of transcendental love of Krsna as introduced by Lord Caitanya has constant waves, constant sound. One has to dive deep into that ocean. If one knows the secret and says, "Let me dive deep into the ocean of the transcendental loving movement introduced by Lord Caitanya," he immediately becomes one of the confidential devotees of Radha and Krsna.

Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura concludes this song by saying, grhe va vanete thake, 'ha gaurahga' bale ḍake. It is not necessary that one become a mendicant or give up his family life and society. One can remain wherever he finds it suitable, whether as a householder, as a brahmacari, as a vanaprastha, or as a sannyasi. Vanaprasthas and sannyasis are supposed to live outside of the city. Vanete means "forest." Formerly, those who were in spiritual consciousness used to live in the forest to become free of the turmoil of city life. But that is not possible now. In this age no one can go into the forest. That requires practice, and no one is practised to that line. Therefore, generally one is recommended to live with his friends, wife, and children. That doesn't matter, but he must take to the process of Krsna consciousness as introduced by Lord Caitanya. It is not difficult. The real thing is that one has to accept the movement of Lord Caitanya-chanting, dancing, and eating krsna-prasada. Even if one is in family life, there is no difficulty. He can just sit down, chant Hare Krsna, dance nicely, and then take krsna-prasada. Everyone can do this. Those who have renounced this world, sannyasis, also can do it; there is no difficulty. Therefore, Narottama dasa Thakura says that it doesn't matter whether one is a brahmacari, grhastha, or sannyasi. He says, "If you have taken to these principles of life, I desire your company, because you are a devotee of Lord Caitanya." In this way, Narottama dasa Thakura finishes the song.Song by Narottama Dasa Thakura]    (More...)