According to the Prema-vilāsa, when Mahāprabhu passed through Kanair Natshala, as He was dancing ecstatically in kīrtana, He began to call out Narottama’s name. When Nityānanda Prabhu asked Him why He was calling out this name, Mahāprabhu answered, “My Lord, You do not know Your own glories. On Your way to Jagannātha Purī, You shed tears out of divine love, day after day. I managed to capture Your divine love and save it. Now I wish to place it here by the Padmāvatī River in safe keeping for Narottama Dāsa.”

Mahāprabhu then went to the place known as Kutubpur on the Padmāvatī River, where He bathed and sang and danced in ecstasy. He then called out to the river, “O Padmāvatī! Take this love and keep it here in strict confidence. When Narottama comes and bathes here, give it to him.”

Padmāvatī inquired, “How will I recognize him?”

Mahāprabhu answered, “You will have no trouble recognizing Narottama, for as soon as he enters your waters, you will overflow.”

The place where Mahāprabhu placed prema for Narottama Ṭhākura’s sake was later given the name Premtoli. When Narottama Ṭhākura was twelve years old, he had a dream in which Nityānanda Prabhu told him to bathe in the Padmāvatī and take the prema, which had been stored there for him. One day he went to the Padmavati and as soon as he put his foot in the water, the river started to overflow. The Padmāvatī then remembered Mahāprabhu’s words and gave Narottama Ṭhākura the prema she had guarded all that time.

As soon as he experienced the ecstasies of prema, Narottama Ṭhākura’s character, his appearance, everything about him changed. 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. Finally, one day when his father and uncle were away on official business, he practised some deception on his mother and tricked his bodyguards so that he could leave his family for Vṛndāvana. This event took place on Kārtika-pūrṇimā.

According to others, Narottama Ṭhākura waited to go to Vṛndāvana until after the death of his father and handing over the responsibility for the zamindari to his cousin Santosh. Even though he was the son of a rich zamindar, in his desire to unite with the Lord, he was ready to abandon the pleasures of the body in a moment. Day and night, walking barefoot, crying, forgetting to eat and drink until finally, he fell unconscious under a tree. One golden-skinned brāhmaṇa came and offered him a cup of milk and said to him in a sweet voice, “O Narottama, drink this milk. Your cuts and bruises will go away. Your journey will be comfortable.”

After saying this, the brāhmaṇa vanished and the exhausted Narottama fell asleep. That night, he dreamt of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. The two Gosvāmīs placed their hands on his chest and fed him the milk that Mahāprabhu Himself had brought him. All of Narottama’s fatigue disappeared.

The Prema-vilāsa also describes how Narottama Ṭhākura took initiation from Lokanātha Gosvāmī in Vṛndāvana. Narottama Ṭhākura was born on the full-moon day of Māgha, his renunciation took place on the full-moon day of Kārtika, and he was initiated by Lokanātha Gosvāmī on the full-moon day of Śrāvaṇa.

Lokanātha Gosvāmī is a direct disciple and a personal associate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Indeed, he was the first Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava to be instructed by the Lord to go to Vṛndāvana, along with Bhūgarbha Gosvāmī. Lokanātha Gosvāmī set the standard for worship in a spirit of renunciation while in the holy dhāma. He was a viviktānandī Vaiṣṇava, i.e., a hermit who worships the Lord in solitude. In this spirit, he had vowed not to take any disciples. Narottama Dāsa too made a vow—to take initiation from no one other than Lokanātha Gosvāmī. Though he was the son of a king, Narottama Ṭhākura’s desire to receive Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s mercy was so great that he went in the middle of every night to clean the place he used as a toilet. He would also leave fine earth and water for him to clean himself afterwards. This is described as follows in the Prema-vilāsa:

Narottama went to the place where the Gosvāmī performed his bodily functions and did a special job of cleaning it. He sifted the earth to make fine, clean earth with which Lokanātha Gosvāmī could clean his hands. He would hide his coconut-leaf broom and take it out each night to sweep the place clean, his heart filled with joy. All these things he did as a regular service. He considered himself to be fortunate to have this service and that it made his body worthwhile. He would hold the broom to his chest, repeating, “This is the power that will help me attain my Lord’s lotus feet.” As he said these words, he cried and torrents of tears washed over his chest.

Lokanātha Gosvāmī was astonished to see that the place was daily being kept clean and free from foul smell. He became curious to find out who was doing it and so, one evening, he went and hid in the jungle, chanting japa the entire night in wait for the anonymous benefactor. At midnight, he saw someone engaged in cleaning the place and asked him who he was. When he found out that Narottama, the son of a king, was doing this task, he felt embarrassed and told him to desist. Narottama, however, immediately fell at Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s feet and began to cry. When Lokanātha Gosvāmī saw Narottama Ṭhākura’s humility and pain, his resolve softened and he finally gave him initiation. Thus Narottama Ṭhākura gave an outstanding example to the world of how one should serve one’s spiritual master.

“Narottama went there and engaged in whatever service was necessary to his guru, performing it with great enthusiasm. Lokanātha Gosvāmī was pleased by Narottama’s service and showed him the greatest mercy by initiating him in the mantra.” (Bhakti-ratnākara 1.345-6)

Without caring for his youth or his looks, he left home on the full moon day of the month of Kārtika. After wandering through many pilgrimage places, he finally came to Vṛndāvana where he became Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s disciple. On the auspicious day of Śrāvaṇī pūrṇimā, Lokanātha Gosvāmī initiated Narottama Ṭhākura. (Bhakti-ratnākara 1.292-4)

Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura was thus Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s one and only disciple. Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, the founder of world-wide Sree Chaitanya Math and Sree Gaudiya Maths, demonstrated similar one-pointed faith in service to the lotus feet of his spiritual master, and perseverance and patience in order to obtain his mercy. Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, like Lokanātha Gosvāmī, had vowed to take no disciples. He refused Śrīla Prabhupāda three times, but this did not break Prabhupāda’s will. When Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja saw his humility and intense desire, he finally relented and gave him mantra dīkṣā. Śrīla Prabhupāda was Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja’s only disciple.

After the disappearance of Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmīs, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī became the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradaya’s undisputed ācārya throughout Mathura, Bengal and Odisha and the chief of the universal court of Vaiṣṇavas at Vṛndāvana—the Viśva-vaiṣṇava-rāja-sabhā. Śrīnivāsa, Narottama, and Duḥkhī Kṛṣṇadāsa all studied the scriptures under Jīva Gosvāmī, receiving detailed personal instruction from him. Jīva Gosvāmī gave them the titles of Ācārya, Ṭhākura and Śyāmānanda, respectively.

Jīva Gosvāmī sent his three students to Bengal with the Vaiṣṇava scriptures. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī heard the news that the books had been stolen in Ban Vishnupur and then later that they had been recovered by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. This story has been told in this book in the chapter on Śrīnivāsa Ācārya.

Lokanātha Gosvāmī considered Narottama Ṭhākura’s previous life as a wealthy zamindar to be particularly suitable for preaching in his home area of northern Bengal and thought that with his status he would be able to teach the standards of renounced devotional behaviour. Out of compassion for that country’s people, he ordered Narottama Ṭhākura to return to his hometown of Kheturi. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya was aware of Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s intention, so when the books were stolen, he told Narottama Ṭhākura to continue on his way to preach in Kheturi and North Bengal. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya said, “Go quickly to Kheturi and carry out Lokanātha Prabhu’s orders.” (Bhakti-ratnākara 7.119)

Anchorite devotees (viviktānandīs), being absorbed in the intimate service of the Lord on the transcendental platform, normally have no taste for engaging in any welfare activity which brings only temporary succour to materialistic persons, bound by Māyā and absorbed in their bodily identification. Materialistic welfare activities are considered to be of great value only when there is a misunderstanding about the real goal of life—service to Kṛṣṇa. Lokanātha Gosvāmī taught the world through his disciple, on the principle that “a housewife teaches the daughter-in-law by instructing the daughter.” Though Narottama Ṭhākura himself was distraught with separation from his spiritual master, he nevertheless took his order seriously and returned to Kheturi where he began preaching the doctrines of pure devotional service to the people of northern Bengal. Narottama Ṭhākura’s humility and sorrow were expressed in his Prārthanā,

aneka duḥkhera pare, layechile vraja-pure
kṛpa-ḍora galāya bāndhiyā
daiva-māyā balātkāre, khasāiyā sei ḍore
bhavakūpe dileka ḍāriyā
punaḥ yadi kṛpā kari, e janāre keśe dhari
ṭāniyā tulaha vraja-dhāme
tabe se dekhiye bhāla, natubā parāṇa gela
kahe dīna dāsa narottame

“After I had suffered for such a long time, You finally tied the rope of mercy around my neck and dragged me to Vraja-dhāma. But now, the forces of fate and illusion have loosened that rope and I was thrown back down the well of material existence.

If You would only be merciful to me and grab me by the hair, pulling me back into Vraja-dhāma, then everything will seem right once again. If not, Narottama says, his life is over.”

On Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s orders, Narottama Ṭhākura installed six sets of deities in his temple in Kheturi: Śrī Gaurāṅga, Śrī Vallabhī-kānta, Śrī Vraja-mohana, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Rādhā-kānta, and Śrī Rādhā-rāmaṇa. The great festival that he held on that occasion is still remembered in the Vaiṣṇava world.

Narottama Ṭhākura arrived in the land of Gauḍa (Navadvīpa). He had been ordered by Lokanātha Gosvāmī to establish the deity service of both Gaurāṅga and Kṛṣṇa, to serve the Vaiṣṇavas and to preach the congregational chanting of the Holy Names. He immediately dedicated himself to carrying out these orders. First, he set about establishing the service of six sets of beautiful deities, whose names, taken together, bring joy to the heart of the devotees.

gaurāṅga vallabhī-kānta
śrī-kṛṣṇa vraja-mohana
rādhā-ramaṇa he rādhe
rādhā-kānta namo ’stu te
(Bhakti-ratnākara 1.422-6)

Prior to the festival at Kheturi, Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura travelled throughout Bengal and Odisha, visiting various places where Mahāprabhu had performed His pastimes, meeting the Lord’s associates and receiving their blessings. Amongst the places he visited were Uddhāraṇa Datta’s home in Saptagram; Khardah, where he met Paramesvarī Dāsa Ṭhākura, and Nityānanda Prabhu’s śaktis, Jāhnavā and Vasudhā; Khanakul Krishnanagar, the home of Abhirāma Ṭhākura; Śyāmānanda Prabhu’s home in Narasimhapur; the Sripats of Narahari Sarakāra Ṭhākura and Raghunandana Ṭhākura in Srikhanda; the birthplace of Nityānanda Prabhu in Ekacakra-dhāma; and in Jagannātha Purī, Gopīnātha Ācārya’s home, Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s samādhi temple, Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s place of worship, the Jagannātha Temple and Guṇḍicā Temple, the Jagannātha-vallabha gardens, Narendra-sarovara, etc.

Most of the associates of Mahāprabhu of that time and other leaders of the sampradāya came to Kheturi for the festival organized by Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura. A list of these has been given by Narahari Cakravartī in his books, Bhakti-ratnākara and Narottama-vilāsa: Śyāmānanda Prabhu, Jāhnavā Devī, Paramesvarī Dāsa, Kṛṣṇadāsa Sarakhela, Mādhava Ācārya, Raghupati Vaidya, Mīnaketana Rāma Dāsa, Murāri Caitanya Dāsa, Jñāna Dāsa, Mahīdhara, Śrī Śaṇkara, Kamalākara Pippalāi, Gaurāṅga Dāsa, Nakaḍi, Kṛṣṇadāsa, Dāmodara, Balarāma Dāsa, Śrī Mukunda, Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura; Raghunandana Ṭhākura and other devotees from Srikhanda; Śrīnivāsa Paṇḍita’s brothers Śrīpati and Śrīnidhi from Navadvīpa, Advaita Ācārya’s sons, Acyutānanda, Gopāla Miśra and Kṛṣṇa Miśra came from Śāntipura, and Hṛdaya Caitanya Prabhu and other devotees from Ambika Kalna.

Śrīnivāsa Ācārya acted as the officiating priest at the festival and performed the rituals of installing the deities. In the kīrtana festival held by Narottama Ṭhākura, Mahāprabhu and His associates appeared.

Who can describe the joy of that kīrtana? Mahāprabhu Himself descended with all His associates in its midst just like lightning in a conglomeration of rainclouds. (Bhakti-ratnākara 10.571-2)

The kīrtana was amazing: you could see Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Ācārya overcome with ecstasy and Gauracandra encircled by the devotees. What wonderful compassion the Lord displayed on that day! Who can understand these wonderful pastimes? What blessings He poured on Narottama and Śrīnivāsa, for they and their companions found the fulfilment of all their desires. (Bhakti-ratnākara 10.605-7)

After the Kheturi festival, Narottama Ṭhākura’s fame spread throughout the Vaiṣṇava world. Prominent brāhmaṇas like Rāmakṛṣṇa Ācārya and Gaṅgā Nārāyaṇa Cakravartī became his disciples.

Narahari Cakravartī extensively described Narottama Ṭhākura’s activities in his Narottama-vilāsa. One can understand his outstanding accomplishments by reading this book. Some of these are given here.

In Gopalpur village lived a brāhmaṇa named Vipra Dāsa. He had a poisonous snake living in his wicker grain-storage bin (golā). When Narottama Ṭhākura visited Vipra Dāsa’s house, the snake vanished, and deities of Gaura and Viṣṇupriya appeared in its place. “Gaurasundara and His beloved Viṣṇupriya came out of the golā and climbed into Narottam’s lap in plain view of everyone.” (Bhakti-ratnākara 10.202)

Everyone was quite amazed. These same deities are being served today in Gambhila.

A certain smārta brāhmaṇa scholar blasphemed Narottama Ṭhākura, calling him a śūdra. The result of this offence was that he was attacked by leprosy. After suffering for some time, he was given a vision of the Goddess in a dream. She told him to fall at Narottama Dāsa’s feet and beg for forgiveness, and it was only after he followed this advice that the brāhmaṇa was freed from his terrible disease.

Harirāma Ācārya and Rāmakṛṣṇa Ācārya, the sons of Śivānanda Ācārya, were taking a goat and a buffalo to be offered as a sacrifice to the Goddess on the order of their father. They met Narottama Ṭhākura and Rāmacandra Kavirāja on the way and were attracted by their effulgent beauty. Narottama Ṭhākura advised the two young brāhmaṇas to abandon worship in the modes of passion and ignorance that entailed violence to animals and to worship the Supreme Lord without any desire. The brothers immediately let the goat and buffalo go and bathed in the Padmāvatī River. They then took initiation from Narottama Ṭhākura and dedicated their lives to the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa and His devotees.

Śivānanda Ācārya became angry when he heard about this. He called a smārta scholar from Mithila named Murāri to come and defeat Narottama Ṭhākura’s Vaiṣṇava philosophy. However, Harirāma and Rāmakṛṣṇa were given divine blessings by their guru and were able to defeat every one of the smārta’s arguments with scriptural evidence. Defeated, Śivānanda Ācārya went to pray to the Goddess. She appeared to him that night in a dream and rebuked him for his enmity to the Vaiṣṇavas and told him to cease all such behaviour.

In the course of time, Gaṅgā Nārāyaṇa Cakravartī, Jagannātha Ācārya and other well-known brāhmaṇas came to Narottama Ṭhākura and became his disciples. This caused a stir in the smārta community and out of jealousy they went to complain to King Narasiṁha: “Narottama is a śūdra who makes disciples of brāhmaṇas. He is using some kind of mystic powers or hypnotism to convert them. He should be stopped.”

After discussing the matter with King Narasiṁha, it was decided that a scholar named Rūpa Nārāyaṇa should be summoned to debate with Narottama Ṭhākura. This brāhmaṇa had won numerous debates of this sort and was known as a mahā-digvijayī. The king himself would set off with Rūpa Nārāyaṇa toward the village of Kheturi. Rāmacandra Kavirāja and Gaṅgā Nārāyaṇa Cakravartī were upset to see the wicked intentions of the king and his paṇḍita. When they heard that the Rājā and his entourage were resting overnight in Kumarpur village, they went in disguise as a potter and a seller of betel leaves and nuts and set up stalls in the village market. When the students of the smārta brāhmaṇas came through the market, Rāmacandra and Gaṅgā Nārāyaṇa spoke with them in Sanskrit. The brāhmaṇas were astounded that even ordinary stall-keepers in the village were able to speak in Sanskrit. Rāmacandra and Gaṅgā Nārāyaṇa began a debate with the brāhmaṇas, defeating every smārta argument that they put forward. The king and other brāhmaṇas were amazed to hear this and personally came there only to be defeated in their arguments. Rāmacandra Ācārya and Gaṅgā Nārāyaṇa Ācārya established the pure doctrine of devotional service.

The king and his Digvijayī Paṇḍita were rendered speechless by the scholarship of the two ordinary stall-keepers. When they learned that the two men were disciples of Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, the king said to his paṇḍita, “If Narottama Ṭhākura’s common disciples can defeat you in a debate, there is no need of going to see him.”

But once again, the Goddess appeared to King Narasiṁha and Rūpa Nārāyaṇa and ordered them to go to Narottama Ṭhākura and pray for forgiveness for their offences. The two of them did so and became devotees of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

In the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Abhidhāna, the following comments are found: “Narottama Ṭhākura’s āśrama was in a place called Bhajanaṭuli, about two miles from the capital city, Kheturi. Narottama Ṭhākura did his preaching through kīrtana. He created an amazing melody of kīrtana known as garāṇahāṭī. He wrote two books, Prārthanā and Prema-bhakti-candrikā, which are the very life of the devotees. He has written songs that are appropriate for every devotional mood, and this is what touches the devotees’ hearts. These two books are so popular that they have been published countless times. Narottama Ṭhākura’s influence can be appreciated even in distant Manipur where everyone agrees that the Vaiṣṇava religion spread through his spiritual potency. His devotional songs are sung in every home throughout Manipur state.

Śrīnivāsa Ācārya’s disciple Rāmacandra Kavirāja was Narottama Ṭhākura’s dearest companion. Narottama Ṭhākura received news of Rāmacandra Kavirāja’s disappearance first; not long afterwards, he heard of Śrīnivāsa Ācārya’s disappearance, he wrote the following song in the mood of separation which is capable of melting even a stone-like heart.

je ānila prema-dhana karuṇā pracura
hena prabhu kothā gelā ācārya ṭhākur
kāhāṅ mora svarūpa rūpa, kāhāṅ sanātana?
kāhāṅ dāsa raghunātha patita-pāvana?
kāhāṅ mora bhaṭṭa-yuga, kāhāṅ kavirāja?
eka-kāle kothā gelā gorā naṭarāja?
pāṣāṇe kuṭiba māthā anale paśiba
gaurāṅga guṇera nidhi kothā gele pāba
se saba saṅgīra saṅge je kaila vilāsa
se saṅga nā pāñā kānde narottama-dāsa

“Where has Ācārya Ṭhākura, who out of great mercy for the world brought the wealth of love, gone? Where are my Svarūpa and Rūpa, where is Sanātana? Where has Raghunātha Dāsa, the deliverer of the most fallen, gone? Where are Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa and Gopāla Bhaṭṭa? Where is Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja? Where has the king of dancers, Gaurāṅga, 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, Gaurāṅga? Deprived of the association of all those companions of the Lord, Narottama Dāsa can do nothing but cry.

Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura was the topmost of the followers of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Mahāprabhu’s close associate. His unparalleled devotion to Rūpa Gosvāmī can be recognized from the following song:

śrī rupa mañjarī pada sei mora sampada
sei mora bhajana pūjana
sei mora prāṇa-dhana sei mora ābharaṇa
sei mora jīvanera jīvana

sei mora rasa-nidhi sei mora vāñchā-siddhi
sei mora vedera dharama
sei vrata, sei tapa sei mora mantra japa
sei mora dharama karama

anukūla habe vidhi se pade haibe siddhi
nirakhiba ei dui nayane
se rūpa mādhurī-rāśī prāṇa-kuvalaya-śaśī
praphullita habe niśi-dine

tuwā adarśana ahi garale jārala dehi
cira-dina tāpita jīvana
hā hā prabhu kara dayā deha more pada-chāyā
narottama laila śaraṇa

Śrī Rūpa-mañjarī’s feet are my treasure; they are my object of worship, they are my devotional service. They are the wealth of my life, they are my ornament, they are the life of my life.

They are my ocean of nectar, they are the perfection of my desires, they are my Vedic prescripts. They are my vow, they are my austerity, they are the mantra that I chant. They are my religious duty.

When providence is kind to me, and I will find perfection by attaining Śrī Rūpa-mañjarī’s feet and will be able to behold them with my own eyes. The abundant sweet beauty of her lotus feet will shine like the moon upon the lily of my heart, causing it to blossom in jubilation day and night.

The snake of your absence has burned up my body with its poison; I have suffered this pain for so long. O my master, be merciful to me, give me the shade of your feet for I, Narottama, seek refuge there.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmāmṛta-varṣi-vaktra-
candra-prabhā-dhvasta-tamo-bharāya
gaurāṅga-devānucarāya tasmai
namo namaḥ śrīla-narottamāya

I offer my repeated obeisances to Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, the glorious follower of Gaurāṅga, Who completely destroys the darkness of ignorance of the living entities from its root with the nectarean rays of Kṛṣṇa’s Holy Name which emanate from His moon-like face.

saṅkīrtanānandaja-manda-hāsya-
danta-dyuti-dyotita-diṅ-mukhāya
svedāśru-dhārā-snapitāya tasmai
namo namaḥ śrīla-narottamāya

I offer my repeated obeisances to Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, who lights up every direction with the effulgence of his teeth, revealed as he laughs out of the joy of harināma-saṅkīrtana and is bathed in torrents of tears and perspiration out of Divine Love.

mṛdaṅga-nāda-śruti-mātra-cañcalat-
padāmbujāmanda-manoharāya
sadyaḥ samudyat-pulakāya tasmai
namo namaḥ śrīla-narottamāya

I offer my repeated obeisances to Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, whose body is covered with horripilation and whose lotus feet dance enchantingly, being set into motion as soon as he hears the sweet sound of the mṛdaṅga.

gandharva-garva-kṣapaṇa-svalāsya-
vismāpitāśeṣa-kṛti-vrajāya
sva-sṛṣṭa-gāna-prathitāya tasmai
namo namaḥ śrīla-narottamāya

I offer my repeated obeisances to Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, whose fame has spread through the songs he has written and whose dance and song, indeed, every action in kīrtana amazes even the most proficient and brings shame to the Gandharvas.

ānanda-mūrcchāvanipāta-bhāta-
dhūlī-bharālaṅkṛta-vigrahāya
yad-darśanaṁ bhāgya-bhareṇa tasmai
namo namaḥ śrīla-narottamāya

I offer my repeated obeisances to Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, who can be seen only by one who has an unlimited good fortune, whose figure is decorated with the dust that covers it as he falls to the ground unconscious in divine ecstasy.

sthale sthale yasya kṛpā-prapābhiḥ
kṛṣṇānya-tṛṣṇā jana-saṁhatīnām
nirmūlitā eva bhavanti tasmai
namo namaḥ śrīla-narottamāya

I offer my repeated obeisances to Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, who established the almshouse of mercy everywhere, causing every person’s desires, other than those for service to Kṛṣṇa, to be uprooted.

yad-bhakti-niṣṭhā pala-rekhikeva
sparśaḥ punaḥ sparśa-maṇīva yasya
prāmāṇyam evaṁ śrutivad yadīyaṁ
tasmai namaḥ śrīla-narottamāya

I offer my repeated obeisances to Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, whose devotional faith is like a line etched in stone, whose touch is like that of the philosopher’s stone that fulfils all desires and whose every word is as authoritative as that of the Vedas.

mūrtaiva bhaktiḥ kim ayaṁ kim eṣa
vairāgya-sāras tanumān nṛloke
saṁbhāvyate yaḥ kṛtibhiḥ sadaiva
tasmai namaḥ śrīla-narottamāya

I offer my repeated obeisances to Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, who forever appears to the fortunate learned scholars of transcendental knowledge as devotion itself incarnate, or as the embodiment of the essence of renunciation in this mortal world.

Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura performed disappearance pastime on the kṛṣṇa pañcamī in the month of Kārtika.