Lord Nityananda's Appearance Day 28th January.
Outside the Gaudiya Vaishnava community (Hare Krsna Movement is part of this community) not many are aware of Lord Nityananda. This humble rendition is to enlighten you on the greatness and importance of this very important personality in Sanathan dharma. This year Shree Nityananda Jayanthi is celebrated on the 28th January.
Lord Nityananda is the eternal associate of Shree Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rarely is the name Nimai (Shree Caitanya Mahaprabhu) taken without that of Nitai (Lord Nityananda). Mahaprabhu cannot be approached or understood without the mercy of Shree 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 (pastimes). He is the second body of the Lord, manifesting as Lord Balarama to Shree Krishna, Shree Lakshman to Shree Ram and Nityananda Prabhu to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. All other forms and expansions of the Lord emanate from this second (expansion) body. Nityananda Prabhu is thus the source of Lord Sankarshan, all the Vishnu’s forms, and Ananta Sesa. As Vishnu tattva He and Advaita Acarya are worshipped in the same category as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In the manifested earthly Lila, Nityananda Prabhu is senior to Caitanya Mahaprabhu by more than a decade. He is statuesque, like His Master, with the whitish complexion of Lord Balarama. His garments resemble a cluster of blue lotus flowers and His effulgence is said to surpass the grandeur of a rising moon at sunset. He has a deep melodious voice, constant singing the glories of Shree Krishna and carries a red stick with benedictions for the devotees, but feared by the demoniac. He has the carefree mood of a wild avadhuta (liberated man), so absorbed is He in the love of Godhead, and no one knows what He will do next.
Nityananda Prabhu appeared in Ekacakra, a small village in present West Bengal in East India, around the year 1474. His appearance site is commemorated by a temple named Garbhasva. His father, Hadai Ojha and mother Padmavati, were pious Brahmans originally from Mithila. Nityananda Prabhu was born on the auspicious thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Magha (January-February). As a child, Nitai (as Nityananda Prabhu was called), loved to enact the pastimes of Shree Krishna or Lord Rama. He did this so authoritatively and with such rapture, that the entire village would be immersed in the love of Godhead.
Nitai's favorite part was that of Lakshman, and He enacted it with so many apparently authentic scenes not described in the Ramayana, that people would wonder if He was making it up or actually relishing His own pastimes. The village of Ekacakra was completely absorbed in the love of little Nitai, where He spend the first 12 years of his earthly life. In the 13th year, a traveling sannyasi, said to be the famous Lakshmipati Tirtha, enchanted by Nitai’s devotion and service, requested Nitai from his parents, as a traveling companion. His parents, bound by Vedic culture, could not refuse the request of a guest and reluctantly parted with Nitai. However, devastated by the separation with Nitai that Hadai Pandit soon gave up his life.
Nitai traveled with Lakshmipati Tirtha for about 20 years, during which He visited all the holy places in the country, reminiscent of the manner that Lord Balarama traveled while the battle at Kurukshetra raged on. Nitai is said to be later on initiated by Lakshmipati Tirtha. He also associated with another of Lakshmipati Tirtha's famous disciple, Madhavendra Puri, who although his god brother was revered by Nitai was as a spiritual master. Madhavendra Puri is famous for establishing the sweet truth of Madhurya-rasa which later becomes an integral part of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
Nityananda Prabhu met Caitanya Mahaprabhu in 1506, when He was 32 years old and the Lord was 20 years. It is said that when Nityananda Prabhu reached the land of Nadia, He hid in the house of Nandanacarya, to heighten the ecstasy of meeting through separation. Caitanya Mahaprabhu aware of the arrival of His eternal associate dispatched Haridas Thakur and Srivas Pandit to search out Nitai, but they failed. Finally unable to bear the separation any longer, Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself went directly to Nityananda Prabhu and the ecstasy of the meeting was so transcendental that every one witnessing it were awed by the sublime experience. A temple called Shree Gaura-Nityananda commemorates this meeting place in Nadia.
Nityananda Prabhu in His role as the original spiritual master was instrumental in spreading the Yuga dharma of sankritana all over the Gaudia desh (Bengal and Orrisa). His mercy knew no bounds, and people fortunate to come in contact with Him were inundated with the love of Godhead. He extended His mercy to even fallen souls like Jagai and Madhai, delivering them from the sinful lives and protecting them from the wrath of even Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Indeed His mercy knew no bounds, and fortunate were the people who tasted the nectar of His instructions.
When Nityananda Prabhu returned to Bengal at the request of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His decided to abandon His avadhuta status and become a grahastha (householder). He married Jahnava Devi and Vasudha, the two daughters of Suryadasa Sarakhel. Nityananda Prabhu had a son (Virchandra) and a daughter (Ganga Devi) from Vasudha. Soon after Vasudha passed away and Jahnava Devi looked after the children. She later initiated Virchandra, and also became an instructing spiritual master to the likes of Shyamananda Pandit, Shrivasa Pandit and Narottama dasa Thakur. Jahnava Devi is revered as a Vaishnavi and she established the pre-eminent position of women in the Vaishnava tradition.
Lord Nityananda wound up His earthly pastimes, by merging into the deity of Krishna, known as Bankim Ray, not far from Ekacakra. Vaishnava acharyas emphatically state that people who try to understand Caitanya Mahaprabhu without getting the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu will never succeed and one must pray very sincerely to Lord Nityananda Prabhu as the adi-guru (original spiritual master) to be delivered to the Lotus feet of Shree Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The presence of Nityananda Prabhu is always felt in the presence of one's own guru; for the guru is considered to be the living manifestation of Nityananda Prabhu's love and mercy, and his Shakti (power) is what gives the disciple the ability to perform devotional service and experience spiritual bliss.
1) nityanando 'vadhutendur vasudha-prana-vallabhah
jahnavi-jivita-patih krsna-prema-pradah prabhuh
Twelve principle names of Shree Nityananda Prabhu are:
* Nityananda -- He Who embodies eternal bliss
* Avadhutendu -- The Moon of divine madmen
* Vasudha-prana-vallabha -- The beloved of the life-breath of Vasudha
* Krsna-prema-prada -- He Who bestows ecstatic love for Lord Krsna
* Prabhu -- The Lord and Master of the devotees
2) padmavati-sutah sriman saci-nandana-purvajah
bhavonmatto jagat-trata rakta-gaura-kalevarah
* Padmavati-suta -- The dear son of Padmavati
* Sriman -- He of transcendental majesty
* Saci-nandana-purvaja -- The older brother of mother Saci's son
* Bhavonmatta -- He Who is maddened in overwhelming ecstatic emotions
* Jagat-trata -- The savior of the universe
* Rakta-gaura-kalevara - He Whose complexion is golden tinged with red
3) sri nityananda candrasya nama-dvadasakam subham
ya idam pratyaham pratah praty utthaya pathen narah
"That person who recites these twelve auspicious holy names of the moonlike Nityananda-chandra every day upon arising in the morning...
4)sa klesa-rahito bhutva prapnuyat sva-mano-ratham
turnam caitanya-devasya karuna-bhajanam bhavet
"Such a person becomes free from all difficulties & attains all their most cherished desires. Very soon they become the object of Lord Chaitanya-deva's mercy."
hadayi-pandita-tanuja krpasamudra
padmavati-tanaya tirtha-padaravinda
tvam prema-kalpa-tarur arti-haravataro
mam pahi pamaram anatham ananya-bandhum
"O son of Padmavati and Harai Pandit, Ocean of grace, whose lotus feet are veritably places of pilgrimage. You are the remover of distress, the desire tree of Divine love. I am a vile wretch, with no master and no other friend. Please save me!"
How to observe this extremely auspicious day: - After you have taken a bath in the morning and wearing clean clothes go to your prayer place and offer incense, lamp and flowers (all seven times in a clockwise around the picture of Lord Nityananda. You should not have anything to eat or drink until noon of the 28th. For those that are diabetic well try your best to observe the fast to the best of your abilities. Then you can break your fast just after noon with food that has been offered to Lord Krsna. Please try to chant the maha mantra (hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare) as many times as you can on this most auspicious day. In the evening when you go to your local temple offer fruits and milk or any foodstuffs that you can afford to the Deities. Jai Shree Radha-Krsna.
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