Song 4

(Śrī rāga-Diśā)

Refrain: Glory, glory to Lord Gaurāṅga! Alas! Alas! Why do I not taste the nectar of ecstatic love for Lord Gaurāṅga?

106. With a happy heart Nārada Munī gazed at Lord Gaura’s form. A thousand flooding streams of tears flowed from Nārada’s eyes.

107. Lord Gaura’s form was glorious like ten million moons or ten million suns. He was more handsome than Kāmadeva himself.

108. Nārada had no power to gaze at Lord Gaura’s effulgent form. The sage closed his eyes and trembled.

109. Covering His effulgence, the Lord glanced at Nārada and loudly called: "Look, O Nārada.

110. Regaining consciousness, the sage became rapt in meditation on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s form. With thirsty eyes he yearned to see again the form of Lord Gaura.

111. The Lord said: "Listen, O fortunate sage. You may go wherever you wish. No one can stop you. Wherever you go you will be loved.

112. "In Śivaloka, Brahmaloka, and the other celestial planets make a proclamation that into the Kalī-yuga I will descend in a golden form.

113. "There I will manifest the saṅkīrtana movement of chanting My holy names and glories. There I will preach the bliss of tasting the nectar of loving devotional service to Me.

114. "On the path od devotional service there are now hundreds and hundreds of branches. There is no end to the branches. There should be only one branch in the world. Therefore I will preach the glories of ecstatic spiritual love (prema).

115. "Accompnaied by My own associates and devotees, I will take birth on the earth. I descire to engage in loving devotional service (prema-bhakti)."

116. Hearing these words from the Lord’s graceful mouth, Nārada felt all his sorrows break into pieces by the mercy of the Lord’s feet.

117. Nārada Munī sounded his vīṇā and departed. His thoughts filled with the nectar of these words:

118. "What I wonderful fair form I saw! What a wonderful form with reddish eyes and great mercy I saw!

119. "What a form sweeter than nectar I saw! What a sweet smile I saw!

120. "Of all the avatāras, this avatāra is the best. Never have I seen such a great glory of ecstatic spiritual love.

121. "On this day my life has borne its fruit. On this day my eyes have borne their fruit. Now I have seen the blissful, glorious, merciful face of Lord Gaura.

122. "Never have I seen such an ocean of mercy. My heart will never forget Him. My eyes yearn to see HIm."

123. Thinking and thinking in this way, Nārada Munī traveled on the path. Arriving at Naimiṣāraṇya, he met his friend Uddhava.

124. First standing up and then offering pādya and arghya, Uddhava fell to the ground like a stick before Nārada Muni’s feet.

125. He thought: "I am fortunate. This is an auspicious day. At an auspicious moment I have come to Naimiṣāraṇya."

126. Nārada picked up Uddhava, embraced him, kissed him, and smelled his head.

127. Uddhava offered him a sitting place. Smiling and smiling, he spoke what was in his heart.

128. He said: "This day is glorious. Now my birth in this world has borne its fruit. Now I will tell you of a desire that has long stayed in my heart.

129. "Here in Naimiṣāraṇya, in ancient days Vyāsa compiled the Vedas. Still he could not destroy the illusion in his heart.

130. "Then, by your mercy, he heard the secret of spiritual life and wrote Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to deliver the world.

131. "You alone know the truth. O master, you know the heart of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Please tell me what will happen in the future.

132. "My heart yearns to deliver the people of Kalī-yuga. In Kalī-yuga the poeple are filled with sins. Their eyes and hearts are blind.

133. "In the Satya, Tretā, and Dvāpara yugas the people knew religion, but in the horrible Kalī-yuga no one knows religion. Everyone is a sinner

134. "If you feel compassion for me, please destroy my doubts and fears. No one is more compassionate than you."

135. Smiling with a happy heart, Nārada Munī said: "O Uddhava, O servant of Lord Hari, the question you ask is good.

136. "I will tell you a great secret. In my heart I also felt a great sorrow like yours.

137. "But now I know the people in Kalī-yuga are very fortunate. The people in Kalī-yuga are very fortunate. Others are not fortunate like them.

138. "In Satya-yuga and the other yugas the religion of the age (yuga-dharama) is very harsh. But in Kalī-yuga the religion of the age is only chanting the holy nasmes of Lord Hari.

139. "In Kalī-yuga simply by chanting the holy names and glories of Lord Harī the people are released from material bondage. Simply by singing and dancing, they no longer fear Yamarāja.

140. "Please carefully listen to other wonderful news, news of what in Dvārakā I saw with my own eyes.

141. "With words like nectar, Lord Kṛṣṇa told Rukmini: ‘In My heart I have decided to freely distribute to the people ecstatic love for Me.’

142. "As Lord Kṛṣṇa, Queen Rukmiṇī on His lap, sat on His throne, I, my heart filled with sorrows, approached Him.

143. "Seeing that I was sorrowful, Lord Kṛṣṇa asked me: ‘As I look at you, I must ask: Why have you become like this?’

144. "Approaching the lord’s feet, I told Him the thoughts in my heart. Happily smiling, the Lord said:

145. "‘Rukmīṇī talk Me the glories of ecstatic love for My feet. Hearing her words I, even though I am the Supreme Lord Himself, have become ovewhelmed by the greatness of that love.

146. "‘I will taste the bliss of that ecstatic love and I will make the whole world taste it also. Assuming a humble nature, I will manifest in the Kali-yuga.

147. "‘The Kalī-yuga is horrible. It is filled with sins. Religion is not present in it. Therefore, becoming humble, I will teach the world.’

148-149. "Speaking and speaking in this way, Lord Kṛṣṇa manifested a fair form splendid like gold, a form filled with ecstatic spiritual love, a form with a broad chest and two arms that touched His knees. Then He vowed: "I will widely distribute ecstatic spiritual love for Me.’

150. "I tell you: that is what I saw and heard. Now I will travel in the world of birth and death to tell the others.

151. "Eager to taste the ecstasy of loving devotional service, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will take birth on the earth. Manifesting a wonderful form, He will come to the Kali-yuga."

152. Hearing Nārada’s words, Uddhava was overcome with ecstasy. Falling at Nārada’s feet, he wept with joy.

153. He said: "These wonderful words have placed life into my lifeless body.

154. "Your words have brought coolness to be feverish body." Sounding his vīṇā, Nārada then happily departed.

155. Hearing this conversation of Nārada and Uddhava in the Jaimini-bhārata, Locana dāsa is now wild with bliss.

156. If you do not believe my words, then read it yourself in the 32nd chapter of that book.