Chapter 5 - Nityānanda-tattva

Nityānanda and Advaita

Two Main Branches of the Caitanya Tree

5.1

advaita ācārya, nityānanda, dui aṅga

dui-janā laña prabhura yata kichu raṅga

Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaitācārya are the two expansions of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu who assist His transcendental pastimes. (Cc. Ādi 5.146)

5.2

saokarṣaṇah kāraṇa-toya-śāyi

garbhoda-śāyī ca payobdhi-śāyī

śeṣaś ca yasyāṃśa-kalāḥ sa nityā-

nandākhya-rāmaḥ śaraṇaṃ mamāstu

May Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu be the object of my constant remembrance. Saokarṣaṇa, Mahāviṣṇu, Garbhodakṣāyī Viṣṇu, and Kṣīrodakṣāyī Viṣṇu, as well as Śeṣa are His expansions and the expansions of His expansions. That same Nityānanda Prabhu, is none other than Balarāma. (Cc. Ādi 1.7)

5.3

māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke

pūrṇaiśvarye śrī-catur-vyūha-madhye

rūpaṃ yasyodbhāti saokarṣaṇākhyaṃ

taṃ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṃ prapadye

I surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, who is known as Saokarṣaṇa in the midst of the catur-vyūha. He has full opulences and resides in Vaikuṇṭhaloka far beyond the material creation. (Cc. Ādi 1.8)

5.4

māyā-bhartājāṇḍa-saṅghāśrayāṅgaḥ

śete sākṣāt kāraṇāmbhodhi-madhye

yasyaikāṃśaḥ śrī-pumān ādi-devas

taṃ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṃ prapadye

I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose partial representation called Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, lying on the Kāraṇa ocean, is the original Puruṣa, the master of the illusory energy and the shelter of all the universes. (Cc. Ādi 1.9)

5.5

yasyāṃśāṃśaḥ śrīla-garbhoda-śāyī

yan-nābhy-abjaṃ loka-saṅghāta-nālam

loka-sraṣṭuḥ sūtikā-dhāma dhātus

taṃ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṃ prapadye

I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakṣāyī Viṣṇu. From the navel of Garbhodakṣāyī Viṣṇu sprouts the lotus stem that is the birthplace of Brahmā, the engineer of the Universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets. (Cc. Ādi 1.10)

5.6

yasyāṃśāṃśāṃśaḥ parātmākhilānāṃ

poṣṭā viṣṇur bhāti dugdhabdhi-śāyī

kṣauṇī-bhartā yat-kalā so 'py anantas

taṃ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṃ prapadye

I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose secondary part is the Viṣṇu lying in the ocean of milk. That Kṣīrodakaṣāyī Viṣṇu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universe. Śeṣa Nāga is His further sub-part. (Cc. Ādi 1.11)

Baladeva is the Original Saokarṣaṇa

5.7

śri-balarāma gosāñi mūla-saokarṣaṇa

pañca-rūpa dhari' karena kṛṣṇera sevana

āpane karena kṛṣṇa-līlāra sahāya

sṛṣṭi-līlā-karya kare dhari' cāri kāya

Lord Balarāma is the original Saokarṣaṇa. He assumes five other forms to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa. He helps in the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and He does the work of creation in four other forms. (Cc. Ādi 5.8,9)

Balarāma and Nityānanda are non Different

5.8

prema-pracāraṇa āra pāṣaṇda-dalana

dui-kārye avadhūta karena bhramaṇa

For two purposes to spread the cult of bhakti and to defeat and subdue the atheists Lord Nityānanda, the most dedicated devotee of the Lord, moved throughout the country. (Cc. Antya 3.149)

The Glories of Nityānanda Prabhu

5.9

jagat mātāya nitāi premera mālasaṭe

palāya durdānta kalī paḍiyā vibhrāṭe

ki sukhe bhāsila jīva gauracañdera naṭe

dekhiyā śuniyā pāṣaṇḍīra buk phāṭe

[All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu!] Maddened by ecstatic love of Godhead, he overwhelmed the universe with ecstasy. He slapped his hands together like a warrior who is about to attack, and upon seeing this, the wicked Kalī fled in terror, fearing for his life. All souls were drowned in happiness because of the dancing of Śrī Gaurāṅga [and Nityānanda]. Seeing such dancing, or even hearing of it, melts the hearts even of great atheists. (Gītāvalī, Nagara-kīrtana, 8)

5.10

jaya jaya nityānanda, nityānanda-rāma

yāohāra kṛpāte pāinu vṛndāvana-dhāma

jaya jaya nityānanda, jaya kṛpā-māya

yāoha haite pāinu rūpa-sanātanāśraya

yāoha haite pāinu raghunātha-mahāśaya

yāoha haite pāinu śrī-svarūpa-āśraya

sanātana-kṛpāya pāinu bhaktira siddhānta

śrī-rūpa-kṛpāya pāinu bhakti-rasa-prānta

jaya jaya nityānanda-caraṇāravinda

yāohā haite pāinu śrī-rādhā-govinda

All glory, all glory to Lord Nityānanda Balarāma, by whose mercy I have attained shelter in the transcendental abode of Vṛndāvana. All glory, all glory to the merciful Lord Nityānanda, by whose mercy I have attained shelter of Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana. By His mercy, I have attained the shelter of the great Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and by His mercy I have found the refuge of Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara. By the mercy of Sanātana Gosvāmī I have learned the final conclusions of devotional service, and by the grace of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī I have tasted the highest nectar of devotional service. All glory, all glory to the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda, by whose mercy I have attained Śrī Rādhā-Govinda. (Cc. Ādi. 5.200-204)

Nityānanda is the Savior of the Most Fallen

5.11

jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha

purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha

mora nāma śune yei tāra puṇya kṣaya

mora nāma laya yei tāra pāpa haya

emana nirghṛṇa more kebā kṛpā kare

eka nityānanda vinu jagat bhitare

preme matta nityānanda kṛpā-avatāra

uttama, adhama, kichu nā kare vicāra

ye āge paḍaye, tāre karaye nistāra

ataeva nistārilā mo-hena durācāra

I am more sinful than Jagāi and Mādhāi and even lower than the worms in stool. Anyone who hears my name loses the results of his pious activities. Whoever utters my name becomes sinful. Who in this world but Nityānanda could show His mercy to such an abominable person as me? Because He is intoxicated by ecstatic love and is an incarnation of mercy, He does not distinguish between the good and the bad. He delivers all those who fall down before Him. Therefore He has delivered such a sinful and fallen person as me. (Cc. Ādi 5.205-209)

Freedom from Anarthas and the Desire for Bhakti

is Strengthened by the Mercy of Nitāi

5.12

saṃsārera pāra hai' bhaktira sāgare

ye dubibe se bhajuk nitāi-cāñdere

One who would cross over the ocean of material existence and swim in the bhakti ocean should worship the lotus feet of Nityānanda. (Cb. Ādi 1.77)

Nityānanda is the Foremost Preacher

5.13

caitanyera ādi-bhakta nityānanda-rāya

caitanyera yaśo vaise yāñhāra jihvāya

aharniśa caitanyera kathā prabhu kaya

tāñ're bhajile se caitanye bhakti haya

Lord Caitanya's first and foremost devotee is Nityānanda Rāya. The glories of Lord Caitanya are always on his tongue. Day and night Lord Nityānanda speaks only of Lord Caitanya. Whoever worships Him is a real devotee of Śrī Caitanya. (Cb. Ādi 9.217-218)

Nityānanda mad About Serving Śrī Caitanya

5.14

nityānanda avadhūta sabāte āgala

caitanyera dāsya-preme ha-ilā pāgala

Nityānanda, the wandering mendicant, is the foremost of all the servants of Lord Caitanya. He is like the gateway through which all service to Lord Caitanya must pass. He became mad in the ecstasy of service to Lord Caitanya. (Cc. Ādi 6.48)

Those who Have no Faith that Gaura and Nitāi

are Inseparable are Offenders and Atheists

5.15

dui bhāi eka-tanu samāna-prakāśa

nityānanda nā māna, tomāra habe sarva-nāśa

ekete viśvāsa, anye nā kara sammāna

"ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya" tomāra pramāṇa

These two brothers (Gaura and Nitāi) are like one body; they are identical manifestations. If you do not believe in Lord Nityānanda, you will fall down. If you have faith in one, but disrespect the other, your logic is like the logic of accepting half a hen. (Cc. Ādi 5.175,176)

Faith in Gaura Without Nitāi, or Nitāi Without Gaura,

is Flickering Faith and in Opposition to Pure Devotional Service

5.16

kimvā, dooha nā māniñā hao ta' pāṣaṇḍa

eke māni' āre nā māni, ei-mata bhaṇḍa

It would be better to be an atheist by slighting both brothers than a hypocrite by believing in one and slighting the other. (Cc. Ādi 5.177)

Thus ends the Fifth Jewel of Gauḍīya Kaṇṭhahāra, entitled Nityānanda-tattva.