CONTENTS:
- WHO IS NITYANANDA PRABHU? FINAL PART
- SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
- GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
1. WHO IS NITYANANDA PRABHU? FINAL PART
Nityananda Prabhu’s activities was unpredictable, He was like a madman and therefore some people could not appreciate Nityananda Prabhu, they didn’t think that He was an exalted spiritual personality so that is why it has been described that if someone accepts Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and does not accept Nityananda Prabhu, some people did not. We accept Nityananda Prabhu, He is a great spiritual personality, He is even considered to be God but they did not accept Nityananda Prabhu because His activities were like a madman. Like sometimes Nityananda Prabhu would go to a wine shop and people would be drinking and He would associate with them, He would tell them Krishna katha. Sometime Nityananda Prabhu would jump in the river and sport with the crocodiles.
Haridas Thakur used to accompany Nityananda Prabhu and he used to come to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and complain, “He is mad as a hatter. I am not going to go out with Him “But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to console him. Some people, not Haridas Thakur of course, and some people did not accept Nityananda Prabhu and started to blaspheme Nityananda Prabhu. It has been described that those who accept Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but do not accept Nityananda Prabhu Yamaraja will come for them that means they won’t get devotion to Krishna. It is similar to if someone accepts Govinda but doesn’t accept Lord Shiva, his attachment to Govinda will not be recognized because Lord Shiva is the greatest devotee of Govinda. If somebody accepts the Lord but doesn’t accept His devotee his devotion is useless. Nityananda Prabhu’s activities no matter how inconceivable they may be we must accept them with proper respect and reverential attitude.
Devotees headed by Srivas Pandita are fully conversant with the science of Lord Nityananda but for some fun they could not find Him. It’s just pastimes as I have said, they are playing a drama on a huge platform on this earth planet. After a while Lord Chaitanya said with a smile, “Come with Me, and let us go see Him.” All the devotees joyfully went with the Lord while chanting All glories to Lord Krishna. On the way Lord Chaitanya called, “Murari, Murari have you not seen avaduta Nityananda?” Saying this He began to smile. He said, “He is now staying at Nanadan Acharya’s house, come with Me we are going there.” I am telling you the truth while walking the Lord repeatedly chanted HARI HARI. His whole body shivered and His voice chocked. Five or seven lines of tears flew from His eyes.
The lustrous golden Lord was unable to walk sometimes He leaped up to five steps ahead like a powerful lion and sometimes looked behind like a mad elephant. Out of ecstasy the Lord would make a loud noise again and again which was as grave as the noise of the cloud. In this way Lord Gaurasundar along with His associates finally reached the house of Nandan Acharya. Everyone saw the jewel like personality sitting in the house of Nandan Acharya, His effulgence was equal to that of millions of sons. He was sitting in His own mood deeply absorbed in His own ecstasy in meditation and He was smiling all the time. Aware that Lord Nityananda was in a deep trance of devotion Lord Visvambara and His associates offered obeisances.
Everyone stood aside with awe and reverence no one said a word, they simply stared at him. Then Mahaprabhu Visvambara came before Lord Nityananda who at once understood His beloved and worshipable Lord was present. The form of Visvambara was as beautiful as that of Cupid. He wore an attractive dress, a flower garland and sandalwood pasted was smeared on His forehead. The lustre of gold appeared most insignificant as compared to the body of the Lord. Even the moon God hankers to see His enchanting face. The Lords teeth resembled a set of pearls and seeing His attractive hair one becomes unconscious, seeing His two broad pink eyes one wonders are there any more lotus flowers? His two long hands stretched down to His knees.
A fine thin Brahman thread beautified His broad chest, His forehead was wonderfully decorated with marks of tilak and His body looked enchanting even without any ornaments. His fingernails defeat the beauty of millions of jewels, His attractive smile is nectar. Lord Visvambara stood in front of Lord Nityananda who had once recognized the Lord of His heart. Lord Nityananda out of joy was stunned, He starred at Lord Visvambar without blinking His eyes, He desired to lick Visvambara with His tongue and drink His beauty through His eyes. Nityananda desired to embrace Visvambara with His hands and smell Him with His nose. Lord Nityananda simply became stunned and everyone was so astonished that He did not speak or move. Lord Gauranga the life and soul of everyone beheld the situation and began to invent ways to reveal Lord Nityananda.
With a gesture the Lord instructed Srivas to recite a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam. Understanding the Lord’s intention Srivas Pandita at once recited a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam glorifying Krishna’s attractive form:
SB 10.21.5
barhapidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram
bibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malam
randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrndair
vrndaranyam sva-pada-ramanam pravisad gita-kirtih
TRANSLATION
Wearing a peacock feather ornament upon His head, blue karnikara flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayanti garland, Lord Krishna exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrindavan, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories.
Out of great ecstasy Lord Nityananda remained inert as Lord Gauranga told Srivas to continue, after a short while Lord Nityananda began to cry. Repeatedly hearing the verse from Srimad Bhagavatam Lord Nityananda became maddened and roared like a lion and the sound shook the universe. He jumped in the air so forcefully that everyone thought that all his bones would break to pieces what to speak of others even the Vaishnavas became afraid, they all prayed, “O Krishna please save Him, O Krishna please save Him.”
Lord Nityananda rolled on the ground and his whole body became wet with tears. Seeing the attractive form of Visvambara Lord Nityananda breathed heavily sometime He would laugh loudly and sometimes he felt great happiness in His heart, sometimes He danced, sometimes He clapped His hands and sometimes He jumped forcefully. A golden effulgence showed from the beautiful body of Lord Nityananda, brightly shining ornaments decorated His charming bodily limbs, yellow cloth adorned His waist and He wore a turban decorated with champak flowers on His head. Tinkling ankle bells sounded as He walked. Tears filled His deerlike eyes, His enchanting smile appeared as if the lightening had fallen down on earth. His captivating smile disturbed the chastity of women, His grave voice resembled the sound of a cloud.
His roaring sound subdued the mad elephant in the form of Kali, He walked like an intoxicated elephant, and tears of love constantly flowed from His smiling face. Over flooded with love of God, Lord Nityananda’s body showed symptoms of ecstatic love such as shivering, standing of hair on end and perspiration. He held a golden stick in His hand as He defeated the pride of Kali. His lotuslike palms were simply wonderful. He was decorated with armlets, bangles, necklace, bracelets and ankle bells. His two earrings were as bright as the sun. He rolled on the ground and sometimes He stood up saying, “Please hold Me.” Then He would ask everyone, “Where is that cowherd boy Kanai, Krishna?” Sometimes He uttered strange words and sometime He cried and laughed, sometimes He asked for honey and sometimes He praised His consort Revati, sometimes He hopped, sometimes He said one thing and the next moment something else. No one could understand what He said. The fragrance of His bodily limbs caused all the young girls and the married women to leave their houses without hesitation.
Lord Nityananda fell on the ground to offer obeisances to Lord Visvambara and humbly offered prayers with sweet words. Lord Nityananda fell at the lotus feet of His Lord. Both of Them tried to catch hold of each other’s feet. Both the Lords embraced each other and cried. Lord Nityananda looked at Visvambara’s face and smilingly said, “Where were You? I have searched the entire world but could not get any news of You. Finally, I have heard that the son of Nanda Maharaja is living in Navadwip in Gauradesh hiding His real identity. I have come here to catch this thief. Today I have caught You how will You escape?” Saying this Lord Nityananda began to laugh, cry and dance. Lord Gauranga also danced with Nityananda seeing Lord Nityananda’s ecstatic madness for Lord Krishna Gaurachandra cried along with all the Vaishnavas.
The happiness of Lord Nityananda increased without limit. Although everyone tried to pacify Him, they were unable, when all the devotees failed to calm Him Visvambara personally embraced Him. As soon as Visvambara embraced Him Lord Nityananda surrendered His life to Visvambara still. Lord Nityananda offered His life to Him to whom it belongs and thus remained inert in the lap of Lord Chaitanya. Lord Nityananda floated in the water of Chaitanya’s love and just as Laksmana lay on the lap of Lord Ramchandra being hit by the Shakti weapon of Ravana, Lord Nityananda assumed pierced by the arrows of love and devotion. Gaurachandra cried with Nityananda on His lap. Both Lord felt an indescribable happiness. Their love and affection for each other is like that of Sri Rama and Laksmana.
There is no other example of their affection between Gaurachandra and Nityananda except this. After a while Lord Nityananda revived, all the devotees began to chant HARI HARI seeing the lap of Lord Nityananda on Visvambara, Gadadhar smiled and thought, “This is contradictory, Lord Ananta always carries Visvambara on His lap, today His pride has been smashed in the lap of the Lord.” Gadadhar Pandita knows the influence of Nityananda and Nityananda knows the heart of Gadadhar.
Now will be Sringhar aartik of Sri Radha MadanMohan, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Sri GaurNitai. Nityananda Prabhu ki Jai! Nityananda Triodasi Mahotsava ki JAI! Gaurpremanande Hari HARIBOL!
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
“The devotees had planned and worked long and hard for the Cross Maiden program, and the arrangements were magnificent. A huge pandal, an expensive outdoor tent, had been set up with a big, beautifully decorated stage, and thousands of people gathered to listen to Srila Prabhupada speak. His health was not good and he was physically weak, but when he started to speak his voice became stronger, his posture more erect. His statements, as always, were straight and bold, showing his concern for the suffering conditioned souls. Standing behind him and fanning him as he spoke, I could see how enlivened he became while preaching.”
(Extract from Ocean of Mercy, a book written by HH Bhakti Charu Swami Page 119)
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
- We accept Nityananda Prabhu, He is a great spiritual personality, He is even considered to be God;
- It has been described that those who accept Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but do not accept Nityananda Prabhu, Yamaraja will come for them that means they won’t get devotion to Krishna;
- It is similar to if someone accepts Govinda but doesn’t accept Lord Shiva, his attachment to Govinda will not be recognized because Lord Shiva is the greatest devotee of Govinda;
- If somebody accepts the Lord but doesn’t accept His devotee his devotion is useless; and
- Nityananda Prabhu’s activities no matter how inconceivable they may be we must accept them with proper respect and reverential attitude.
(The content of this E-magazine is based on a lecture given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami in ISKCON Ujjain on Nityananda Triyodasi, 31 January 2017)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)