Narottama dasa Thakura is lamenting. He's not lamenting. He's representing ourself. If one comes to that point of lamentation, that is also very nice. He immediately becomes purified. Lamentation means purification. So he says, keno va achaya prana kichu bali… "Why I am living? I do not make association with the devotees. I do not take part in the sankirtana movement. I do not understand what is Krsna. I do not understand what is Lord Caitanya. Then what for I am living?" This is lamentation. "What is my happiness? What is the standard of my happiness? Why I am living?" Narottama dasa kena na gela. "Why I did not die long, long ago? I should have died. What is the meaning of my living?" So it is not Narottama dasa Thakura's lamentation. Everyone of us should think like that, that "If we cannot make association with devotees, if we do not understand what is Krsna consciousness movement, if we do not come in touch with Lord Caitanya and associates, it was better for me to die. And there is no other remedy."

(From Srila Prabhupada's purport to Gaura Pahu)