Tag Archives: Nitai

Nityananda Trayodasi

by

Hare Krishna,

20th Feb, 2016, Gurgaon

Nityanand_Trayodasi

Today is the most auspicious Nityananda Trayodasi, Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s appearance Day.

Lord Nityananda is the eternal associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rarely is the name Nimai (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) taken without that of Nitai (Lord Nityananda). Mahaprabhu cannot be approached or understood without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, who is the cardinal guru of all the universes and serves as an intermediary between Mahaprabhu and His Devotees. He is the Lord’s active principle in both creation and lila. He is the second body of the Lord, manifesting as Balaram to Shri Krishna, Lakshman to Shri Ram and Nityananda Prabhu to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. All other forms and expansions of the Lord emanate from this second body. Nityananda Prabhu is thus the source of Sankarshan, all the Vishu’s, and Ananta Shesha. As Vishnu tattva He and Advaita Acharya are worshipped in the same category as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Nityananda Prabhu appeared on this day 13th day of waxing moon in the month of Magha in Ekachakra. There was big massive drought in the whole area but as soon as Nitai came out from the womb of Padmavati, as the son of Hadai Pandit, there were beautiful rains and instantly crops and flowers and fruits and grains started growing abundantly. He was so beautiful and so kind. Nobody knew who he was. That He was Balaram himself. He was God… When He would sit on somebody’s lap, he had a beautiful golden complexion and his limbs were so soft, he was described like a little puppet made out of butter. Even if somebody had the most difficult problems in life, tremendous frustration, anxiety disappointment, bewilderment, they knew, if they took Nitai on their lap and just looked at his beautiful lotus like eyes and saw his beaming smile, whatever worries, frustrations and anxieties disappeared forever. They could never comeback.

(www.radhanathmaharaj.net)

Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura advises that Today is Nityananda Prabhu’s avirbhava, appearance day. Let us at least remember today nitai-pada-kamala. That is wanted… Nitai carana satya, tahara sevaka., nitai-pada sada koro asa. Therefore we should always expect to be under the shelter of nitai-pada-kamala. Narottama boro duhkhi. Narottama dasa Thakura, he’s acharya. He is presenting himself… That is acharya. Means he is not duhkhi, but he’s presenting himself as duhkhi. That is acharya. Acharyas, they are never duhkhi. But taking the common man’s position, he says, narottama boro duhkhi. Or, in other words, Narottama… Narottama means the best of the human being. So here in this material world one may be the best of the human being, very exalted position, but everyone is duhki, unhappy. Narottama boro duhki, nitai more koro sukhi: “Only Nityananda can make me happy. Otherwise not possible.” Rakho ranga-caranera pasa. So today is Nityananda Prabhu’s appearance day. We shall always pray Nityananda Prabhu, “Kindly keep me under your shelter so that. I am very duhki; I am very unhappy. Under the shelter of Your lotus feet I shall be happy.” And that is real happiness.

( Srila Prabhupada, lecture on Nityananda Trayodasi, Bhuvaneshvara, Feb 2, 1977)

Srila Prabhupada Serving In The Mood Of Lord Nityananda
The soul of every living being is pure. The soul of every living being is intimately loved by god. Nityananda Prabhu saw everything on that platform. And interestingly, our beloved guru maharaja Srila Prabhupada, how similar his mission was to lord Nityananda Prabhu’s. Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur in 1922 gave practically the same instruction as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave to Lord Nityananda Prabhu. “Go to the west and without discrimination give love of god in the English language all over the world”. Who has have ever given an instruction like that before? In the spirit of Nityananda Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada took that in his life and soul and he went, just as Nityananda Prabhu was like an ascetic beggar going house to house.

Nitaynanda_Prabhu_feet

Nitai Guna-Mani amar by Srila Locana Dasa Thakura (Sri Caitanya Mangala)

“My Lord Nityananda is the Jewel of all Transcendental Qualities”

(1)
nitai guna-mani amar, nitai guna-mani
aniya premer banya bhasailo avani

(2)
premer banya loiya nitai aila gauda-dese
dubilo bhakata-gana dina hina bhase

(3)
dina hina patita pamara nahi bachhe
brahmar durlabha prema sabakare jache

(4)
abaddha karuna-sindhu nitai katiya muhan
ghare ghare bule prema-amiyar ban

(5)
lochan bole hena nitai jeba na bhajilo
janiya suniya sei atma-ghati hoilo

(Translation by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja)

It is said that Nityananda Prabhu is more merciful, more magnanimous, more munificent than Gauranga Mahaprabhu. So we are singing that song, nitai guna-mani amara, nitai guna mani…

1. Srila Lochana Dasa Thakura says, “Nitai came to Gauda-desa with a flood of krishna-prema, with a flood of love of Godhead. He made the whole world inundated with that flood of prema.”

2. And with that flood, He came and inundated the whole land. Dubilo bhakata-gana dina hina bhase, those who are bhaktas, devotees they all drowned, they all blissfully drowned in that premer banya. But the dina hina, the fallen souls they floated, they floated!

3. Nityananda Prabhu offers this pure love of Godhead, indiscriminately. It is pure love of Krshna that is rarely obtained. He distributes this prema with two hands! Two hands! He never discriminates whether one is patita or pamara, most degraded, qualified or not qualified. Brahmar durlabha prema, it is very difficult even on the part of Brahma to get this prema, but Nitai gives it indiscriminately.

4. That prema is sindhu, like an ocean; karuna-sindhu, an ocean of mercy. It is said that Nitai broke down the strong embankment of that ocean of love. He completely devastated that dam. That ocean of love is an unlimited ocean. So then a flood came, it rushed in! It was a heavy rush that flooded into every home, ghare ghare bule prema-amiyar ban, and inundated the whole world.

5. Srila Locan Dasa Thakura says, “He is an unfortunate fellow who doesn’t take shelter of Nitai and does not do the bhajana of Nityananda Prabhu, not begging for the mercy of Nitai. He willingly commits self-suicide,  atma-ghati hoilo.

All glories to Nityananda Trayodasi.

All Glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Nityananda Prabhu’s lotus feet

by

Hare Krishna

5th April, 2015. Gurgaon

lotus_footprints_nityananda

Since many months I was looking for a picture of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu’s lotus feet first for my study wall and later for my altar. I checked at the main shops near the temple, when I visited Vrindavan, but could not get them. As time passed by my search narrowed down to look for only Nityananda Prabhu’s lotus feet. I had seen one in a metal foil two years back at a devotee’s home but no one could help me where to get them. I spoke to a couple of devotees about my desire to worship Nityananda Prabhu’s lotus feet and help me get them.

Jaya Nityananda Prabhu

Nothing happened for weeks and then on 28th March this year I received a call from my dear friend Shyamsundar Prabhu around 9pm. Prabhuji told me that he is calling from Vrindavan and asked me if I was still looking for Nityananda Prabhu’s feet, I  hungrily replied in affirmative, hoping he has finally found some source. Only, it was better.

Prabhuji was currently at the gift shop next to the bakery on the main entry side of Krishna Balram temple. There he heard a Brajwasi trying to sell something he found on the road to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper was unwilling to buy it as it was old. The Brajawasi was keen to get some money for it and the shopkeeper was saying that the best he can do is that he can leave it at the shop and check with him every week if it has been sold or not. Prabhuji then heard shopkeeper say that it is Nityananda Prabhu’s feet. Shyamsundar Prabhu immediately intervened in their animated discussion and asked to look at it and then saw that they were indeed Nityananda prabhu’s feet! Prabhuji remembered my desire and was calling me to find out if I would accept them as they were old and a bit scratched too. My heart jumped and I said Yes immediately. Prabhuji gave money to the Brajawasi and took their possession.

Prabhuji returned next day evening from Vrindavan and dropped at my home to deliver them. As I opened their wrapping, my heart skipped a beat seeing their beauty and all the clear markings on the feet. I was over the moon, they were perfect for my altar. I thanked prabhuji profusely for this mercy, coming out of blue from Vrindavan dham and via a brajavasi! What could be more joyous.

The amazing part is that Prabhuji shared that he too received Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet in a similar fashion. Some years back he was walking inside the Mayapur temple complex and he spotted something shinning on the ground, he picked it up and found that it was Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet. Still more amazing was when I narrated this incident to Amitabh Prabhu next day he shared that he too received  Nityananda Prabhu’s lotus feet in a similar manner at Vrindavan. There is simply no stopping of  Their mercy ! All glories to Nityananda Prabhu!

Below is the picture of Nityananda Prabhu’s lotus feet resting comfortably in our altar.

IMG_0648

I am copying the famous prayer Nitai Pada Kamala, by Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura, for the pleasure of the devotees and as a gratitude of Nityananda Prabhu’s mercy on this most fallen soul. I am simply overwhelmed. 

nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala
je chāyāy jagata jurāy
heno nitāi bine bhāi, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi
dṛḍha kori’ dharo nitāir pāy

The lotus feet of Lord Nityananda are a shelter where one will get the soothing moonlight not only of one, but of millions of moons. If the world wants to have real peace, it should take shelter of Lord Nityananda. Unless one takes shelter under the shade of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, it will be very difficult for him to approach Radha-Krsna. If one actually wants to enter into the dancing party of Radha-Krsna, he must firmly catch hold of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda.

se sambandha nāhi jā’r, bṛthā janma gelo tā’r
sei paśu boro durācār
nitāi nā bolilo mukhe, majilo saḿsāra-sukhe
vidyā-kule ki koribe tār

Anyone who has not established his relationship with Nityananda Prabhu is understood to have spoiled his valuable human birth. Such a human being is actually an uncontrollable animal. Because he never uttered the holy name of Nityananda, he has become merged into so-called material happiness. What can his useless education and family tradition do to help him?

ahańkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā
asatyere satya kori māni
nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du’khāni

Being maddened after false prestige and identification with the body, one is thinking, oh, what is Nityananda? What can He do for me? I don’t care. The result is that he is accepting something false to be truth. If you actually want to approach the association of Radha-Krsna, you must first achieve the mercy of Lord Nityananda. When He is merciful toward you, then you will be able to approach Radha-Krsna. Therefore you should firmly grasp the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda.
nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāhāra sevaka nitya
nitāi-pada sadā koro āśa
narottama boro dukhī, nitāi more koro sukhī
rākho rāńgā-caraṇera pāśa

The lotus feet of Nityananda are not illusion; they are a fact. One who engages in the transcendental loving service of Nityananda is also transcendental. Always try to catch the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda. This Narottama dasa is very unhappy, therefore I am praying to Lord Nityananda to make me happy. My dear Lord, please keep me close to Your lotus feet. 

All glories to the lotus feet of Nityananda Prabhu.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.