(The Mercy of Gaura and Nityananda)

January 11 marks the anniversary of the passing of Srila Locana dasa Thakura, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya noted for his Bengali devotional songs.

parama karuna, pahun dui jana,
nitai-gauracandra
saba avatara sara siromani,
kevala-ananda-kanda

bhaja bhaja bhai, caitanya-nitai,
sudrdha visvasa kori
visaya chadiya se rase majiya,
mukhe bolo hari hari

dekha ore bhai, tri-bhuvane nai,
emona dayala data
pasu-pakhi jhure, pasana vidare
suni yara guna-gatha

somsare majiya, rohili padiya, 
se pade nahilo asa 
apana koroma, bhunjaye samana, 
kohoye locana-dasa

Purport

by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

This is a song by Locana dasa Thakura. Pahun 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 karuna). 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-which is simply to chant and dance. Therefore, Locana dasa requests everyone: bhaja bhaja 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 (visvasa kori). But what is the process? The process is visaya chadiya, 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.

Dekha 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 arc 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 arc 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 Lord Caitanya's movement."