Narada Muni Bajay Vina

This morning we were reading from the First Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, Chapter Five entitled “Nārada’s Instructions on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for Vyāsadeva”.

…”Thus the sage amongst the gods [Nārada], comfortably seated and apparently smiling, addressed the ṛṣi amongst the brāhmaṇas.” (SB 1.5.1)

After reading for some time we were reminded of the famous song “Narada Muni Bajay Vina” by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and thought we would share it with you today.

Narada Muni Bajay Vina
by Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Lyrics in Bengali, English Translation, and Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

nārada muni, bājāy vīṇā
‘rādhikā-ramaṇa’-nāme
nāma amani, udita haya,
bhakata-gītā-sāme

1) When the great soul Narada Muni plays his vina, the holy name, Radhika-raman, descends and immediately appears amidst the kirtan of the Lord’s devotees.

amiya-dhārā, bariṣe ghana,
śravaṇa-yugale giyā
bhakata jana, saghane nāce,
bhoriyā āpana hiyā

2) Like a monsoon cloud, the holy name showers nectar in their ears. All the devotees, due to great ecstasy, repeatedly dance to their hearts content.

mādhurī-pūra, āsava paśi’,
mātāya jagata-jane
keho vā kānde, keho vā nāce,
keho māte mane mane

3) All the people of the universe become maddened upon entering this intoxicating shower of nectar. Some people cry, some dance and others become fully intoxicated within their minds.

pañca-vadana, nārade dhori’,
premera saghana rol
kamalāsana, nāciyā bole,
‘bolo bolo hari bolo’

4) Lord Siva, embracing Narada Muni, repeatedly makes loud screams of ecstatic joy, and Lord Brahma, dancing very ecstatically, says, “All of you kindly chant, Haribol! Haribol!”

sahasrānana, parama-sukhe,
‘hari hari’ boli’ gāya
nāma-prabhāve, mātilo viśva,
nāma-rasa sabe pāya

5) In great happiness the thousand-faced Ananta Sesa chants “Hari! Hari!” By the influence of the transcendental vibration of the holy name, the whole universe becomes ecstatically maddened and everyone tastes the mellows of the holy name.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma, rasane sphuri’,
pūrā’lo āmār āśa
śrī-rūpa-pade, yācaye ihā,
bhakativinoda-dāsa

6) Thakura Bhaktivinoda, the humble servant of the Lord, says, “The holy name of Krishna has fulfilled all my desires by vibrating on everyone’s tongue.” Bhaktivinoda therefore prays at the feet of Sri Rupa Goswami that the chanting of harinam may continue like this always.

Purport
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

This is a song sung by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. The purport of this song is that the great soul Narada Muni is playing on his stringed instrument, called the vina, and vibrating Radhika-ramana, one of Krsna’s names. So, as soon as he plucks the strings and chants, all the devotees immediately respond to him, and it becomes a very beautiful vibration. Amiya-dhara, barise ghana. As the singing goes on with the stringed instrument, it appears that there is a shower of nectar, and all the devotees then dance in ecstasy to the fullest extent of their satisfaction. Then, as they dance, it appears that they become intoxicated by drinking the beverage called madhuri pura. And as one becomes almost mad by drinking, similarly, all the devotees became mad in ecstasy. And some of them are crying, and some of them are dancing, and some of them, although they cannot dance publicly, are dancing within their hearts. Then Lord Siva embraces Narada Muni and begins to dance and cry out in ecstasy, and when Lord Brahma sees Lord Siva dancing with Narada Muni, he joins in and says, “All of you kindly chant ‘Haribol! Haribol!'” Then gradually the king of heaven, Indra, also joins in with great satisfaction and begins to dance and to chant “Hari hari bol!”

In this way, by the influence of the transcendental vibration of the holy name of God, the whole universe becomes ecstatic, and Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “When the whole universe becomes ecstatic in this way, my desires are satisfied, and I therefore pray unto the lotus feet of Rupa Gosvami that the chanting of harinama may go on nicely like this.”

Text pasted from: Krsna Kirtan Songs