Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.
Just a few minutes ago I was putting my deities to rest for the evening. As I looked at my son's Gaura deity I thought of this beautiful song which is one of my favorites.
Nitia Gauracandra give us the opportunity to relish the sweetness of Sri Radhika and her dear Gopicandra through the sweet medium of chanting and dancing. Bhajo bhajo bhai, caitanya-nitai: "My dear brother, I request that you just worship Lord Caitanya and Nityananda with firm conviction and faith."
I always enjoyed ACBSP’s explanation of this bhajan. Very short and sweet.
parama koruna, pahu dui jana
nitai gauracandra
saba avatara- sara siromani
kevala ananda-kanda
bhajo bhajo bhai, caitanya nitai
sudrdha biswasa kori'
visaya chariya, se rase majiya
mukhe bolo hari hari
dekho ore bhai, tri-bhuvane nai
emona doyala data
pasu pakhi jhure, pasana vidare
suni'jara guna-gatha
samsare majiya, rohili poriya
se pade nahilo asa
apana karama, bhunjaye samana
kahoye locana-dasa
PURPORT
by His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
This is a song by Locana Dasa Thakura. Pahu means "Lord," and dui jana means "two." Locana Dasa Thakura declares that the two Lords, Nitai-Gauracandra--Lord Nitai and Lord Caitanya-- are very merciful (parama koruna). Saba avatara-sara siromani. Avatara means "incarnation," and saba means "all." They are the essence of all incarnations. The specific significance of these incarnations is that prosecuting Their way of self-realization is simply joyful (kevala ananda-kanda), for They introduced chanting and dancing. There are many incarnations, like Lord Rama and even Krsna, who taught Bhagavad-gita, which requires knowledge and understanding. But Lord Caitanya and Nityananda introduced a process that is simply joyful--simply chant and dance. Therefore, Locana Dasa requests everyone, bhajo bhajo bhai, caitanya-nitai: "My dear brother, I request that you just worship Lord Caitanya and Nityananda with firm conviction and faith." Don't think that this chanting and dancing will not lead to the desired goal. It will. It is the assurance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that one will get all perfection by this process. Therefore one must chant with firm faith and conviction (biswasa kori').
But what is the process? The process is visayo chariya, se rase majiya. If one wants to be Krsna conscious by this process, one has to give up his engagement in sense gratification. That is the only restriction. If one gives up sense gratification, it is sure that he will reach the desired goal. Mukhe bolo hari hari: one simply has to chant, "Hare Krsna! Hari Hari!" without any motive of sense gratification.
Dekho ore bhai, tri-bhuvane nai. Locana Dasa Thakura says, "My dear brother, you just try and examine this. Within the three worlds there is no one like Lord Caitanya or Lord Nityananda, because Their merciful qualities are so great that They make even birds and beasts cry, what to speak of human beings."
Actually, when Lord Caitanya passed through the forest known as Jharikhanda, the tigers, elephants, snakes, deer, and all other animals joined Him in chanting Hare Krsna: It is so nice that anyone can join. Even the animals can join, what to speak of human beings. Of course, it is not possible for ordinary men to induce animals to chant, but if Caitanya Mahaprabhu could inspire animals to chant, at least we can encourage human beings to adopt this path of Hare Krsna mantra chanting. It is so nice that even the most stonehearted man will be melted. Pasana means "stone." It is so nice that even stone will melt.
But Locana Dasa Thakura regrets that he is entrapped by sense gratification. He addresses himself, "My dear mind, you are entrapped in this sense gratification process, and you have no attraction for chanting Hare Krsna. Since you have no attraction for the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, what can I say? I can simply think of my misfortune. Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, is punishing me by not allowing me to be attracted by this movement."