CONTENTS:
- NITYANANDA PRABHU IS THE CUSTODIAN OF CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU
- SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
- GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
1. NITYANANDA PRABHU IS THE CUSTODIAN OF CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU
Today is Nityananda Prabhu’s appearance day. Nityananda Prabhu appeared about 12 years before Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He appeared in a place called Ekacakra, West Bengal in an area that is known as Radhadesa. The place where the Ganges flow is a holy place however, where the Ganges does not flow it is considered to be not a holy place. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to deliver the fallen conditioned age of Kali, therefore Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates appeared in places that were not established as holy. Of course, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in Navadwip, that is no different from the spiritual sky but where Nityananda Prabhu appeared, where Ganges did not flow not quite a holy place, so we can see that Nityananda Prabhu actually came to deliver fallen souls. Mahaprabhu started His sankirtan movement then Nityananda Prabhu came out.
He appeared in a Brahmana family; His father’s name was Hadai Pandita and His mother’s name was Padmavati. Hadai Pandita was a very exalted brahmana and there is a saying that Hadai Pandita never told a lie. He always told the truth. When one sanyasi came to his house and the sanyasi when he was leaving, Hadai Pandita told him, “You blessed my house so what can I offer you?” The sanyasi told him, “Well, if you really want to offer me something then give me your son Nityananda Prabhu.” Nityananda Prabhu was the apple of his eye so much so that when Hadai Pandita used to go to the market place to buy something, when he would run some errands and when he would do some business he would take Nityananda Prabhu. He was Nityananda Prabhu’s constant companion and now this Brahmana came and asked him, “Give me your son.” Hadai Pandita’s condition was like King Dhasarata when Ramchandra left for the forest. So, in this way Nityananda Prabhu left home and took sanyas. He travelled all over India. Only when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu started His sankirtan movement then Nityananda Prabhu came out.
NOW WHO IS THIS NITYANANDA PRABHU?
In this altar we see GaurNitai and in that altar we see Krishna Balarama. It’s a replication, the same Nityananda Prabhu and Chaitanya Prabhu are Balarama and Krishna, so Nityananda Prabhu is Balarama. Who is Balarama? Balarama is Krishna’s first expansion. Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead and His first expansion is Balarama. From Balarama there are other expansions like Vasudev and then Narayana and Vishnu. So, we can see that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the source of all living entities and the expansions are Nityananda Prabhu. The first expansion in Vrindavan are the cowherd boys; all the cowherd boys are expansions of Nityananda Prabhu just like all the Gopis are expansions of Srimati Radharani. In the spiritual sky all the living entities those who are not shakti.
Shakti are expansions of Srimati Radharani and Jiva are expansions of Nityananda Prabhu. In the material nature the jivas are expansions of Sankarshan, again non different to Balarama. When the jivas have to go back to the spiritual sky where the shelter is? The shelter is Nityananda Prabhu; therefore, Nityananda is the original spiritual master reclaiming the living entities to be engaged in Krishna consciousness. Therefore, the spiritual master is considered to be the representative of Nityananda Prabhu, they are agents. The principal and the agent. The principal company is their manufacturer, Rolls Royce, they manufacture cars but they have agents who deliver the Rolls Royce cars. They are acting as agents similarly; the spiritual masters are agents of Nityananda Prabhu therefore it’s quite significant that we are holding initiation today on that day of Nityananda Prabhu’s appearance.
WHY IS APPEARANCE SO SIGNIFICANT?
Appearance is so significant because on that day, Nityananda Prabhu came onto this planet to deliver conditioned souls; very mercifully He came to deliver fallen souls. So that is the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came and his main support for His mission is Nityananda Prabhu. He is practically distributing His mercy through Nityananda Prabhu. One cannot get Radha Krishna without Nityananda Prabhu. Who is Radha Krishna? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Radha Krishna. One cannot receive Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy without Nityananda Prabhu. A very wonderful example in that respect is Srila Ragunatha das Goswami. Ragunatha das Goswami was trying to receive the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and he went when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu left Navadwip Ragunatha das Goswami came and requested, he was the son of a very important and rich person and he was the only son. Ragunatha das Goswami came to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who was at that time was in the house of Advaita Acharya. Advaita Acharya was very close to Ragunatha das Goswami’s father so when Ragunatha das Goswami came he had the opportunity due to the mercy of Advaita Acharya to meet Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
So, when Ragunatha das Goswami met Chaitanya Mahaprabhu he asked, “please take me also, please allow me to go with you” but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu refused. “Just remain in your household situation, enjoy whatever is necessary in a mood of detachment.” Then when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu settled down in Jagannatha Puri many times Ragunatha das Goswami tried to run away from home but each time he ran away his mother sent men to bring him back. Nityananda Prabhu came to a place called Panihati which is not very far from Ragunatha das Goswami’s place called Triveni. Ragunatha das Goswami went to meet Nityananda Prabhu and from a distance, he offered obeisances. Nityananda Prabhu was sitting under a banyan tree at the bank of the river Ganges surrounded by His associates so Ragunatha das Goswami offered obeisances from a distance and Nityananda Prabhu’s associates told him that Ragunatha das Goswami was offering obeisances. Nityananda Prabhu said “Oh that thief has come bring him here let me punish him.” Ragunatha das Goswami was brought to Nityananda Prabhu and Nityananda Prabhu gave the punishment. What is the punishment? “You have to feed all my associates and Me with chipped rice and yogurt.” That festival is famous as chira (chipped rice) dhadi (yogurt) festival. This festival is very famous and incidentally we got a place in Panihati right on the bank of the Ganges about 25 metres away from the place where Nityananda Prabhu had this pastime.
Why did Nityananda Prabhu address Ragunatha das Goswami as a thief? Because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Nityananda Prabhu’s property and Ragunatha das Goswami wanted to have that property without the permission of Nityananda Prabhu that is why he was called a thief. This is how we can see that we have to approach Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through Nityananda Prabhu otherwise we will be identified as a thief and we will be punished and this punishment may not be as ecstatic as feeding chipped rice to the Vaishnavas. This is how Nityananda Prabhu is the custodian of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, one cannot get Radha Krishna, hena nitai bine bhai radha krishna paite nai, one cannot approach Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So, if we want to approach Chaitanya Mahaprabhu we have to go through Nityananda Prabhu and a bona fide spiritual master is a representative of Nityananda Prabhu, he functions as an agent of Nityananda Prabhu. We are very fortunate that somehow or the other by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy we got to know about Nityananda Prabhu’s glories and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy. We have an opportunity to approach Radha Krishna. Thank you all very much. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
“A special sofa was waiting for Srila Prabhupada in the terminal, and the devotees arranged themselves on the floor around him. It was still early morning, but the airport was quite crowded, and many people stood around us, watching. When Tamal Krishna Maharaja and Upendra returned after checking in, Prabhupada asked if they were sitting together. Maharaja assured him that all three were travelling first class-he was sitting When the flight was announced and Srila Prabhupada was ready, I placed my head on his feet and did not move. Prabhupada caressed my head and shoulders; I was dreading the separation.”
(Extract from “Ocean of Mercy” book written by HH Bhakti Charu Swami)
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
- We have to approach Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through Nityananda Prabhu otherwise we will be identified as a thief and we will be punished; and
- Nityananda Prabhu is the custodian of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu therefore without mercy of Nityananda Prabhu one cannot get Radha Krishna, one cannot approach Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So, if we want to approach Chaitanya Mahaprabhu we have to go through Nityananda Prabhu and a bona fide spiritual master.
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)