28. Nityananda pastimes from Sri Caitanya Bhagavata with commentary (Madhya 5.76-100)

Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata

Madhya-khanda -

By 

Vyasa Avatara Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura

Chapter Five: Lord Nityänanda's Vyäsa Püjä Ceremony and His Darçana of the Lord's Six-armed Form

TEXT 76

sarifare gaìgara majhe nirbhaya sarira caitanyera  vakye matra kichu haya sthira

He fearlessly swam through the waters of the Ganges, but He was  somewhat pacified by Caitanya's words.

TEXT 77

nityananda-prati daki' bale visvambhara "vyasa-puja  asi' jhata karaha satvara"

Visvambhara called to Nityananda, "Come quickly and celebrate Vyasapuja."

 TEXT 78

suniya prabhura vakya uthila takhane snana kari' grhe  ailena prabhu-sane

Hearing the Lord's words, Nityananda completed His bath and returned  to the house with the Lord.

TEXT 79

asiya milila saba-bhagavata-gana niravadhi 'krsna',  'krsna' kariche kirtana

All the devotees gradually assembled together and began to incessantly  chant the names of Krsna.

TEXT 80

srivasa pandita vyasa-pujara acarya caitanyera ajìaya  karena sar\'a-karya

Srivasa Pandita was appointed the head priest, and on Lord Caitanya's  instructions, he completed all formalities.

TEXT 81

madhura madhura sabe karena kirtana srxvasamandira  haila vaikuntha-bhavana

Everyone chanted so sweetly that the house of Srivasa was transformed  into Vaikuntha.

TEXT 82

sarva-sastra-jìata sei thakura pandita karila sakala  karya ye vidhi-bodhita

Srivasa Pandita was conversant with all scriptures. He per- formed all the  activities according to injunction.

Srivasa Pandita acted as the head priest for the Vyasa-puja. He properly  performed all the necessary functions. Srivasa Pandita was  most learned in the scriptures. His house is directly Vaikuntha. Profuse  kirtana was performed there.

TEXT 83

divya-gandha sahita sundara vana-mala nityananda  hate diya kahite lagila

 He placed an attractive garland of forest flowers in the hand of  Nityananda and spoke to Him.

TEXT 84

"suna suna nityananda, ei mala dhara vacana padiya  vyasadeve namaskara'

"O Nityananda, please listen. After reciting the appropriate mantras,  offer this garland and Your obeisances to Vyasadeva.

Srivasa Pandita placed a fragrant garland of forest flowers in the hand of  Nityananda and asked Him to offer obeisances to Vyasa.

TEXT 85

sastra-vidhi ache malaapane se diha vyasa tusta haile  sarva abhista paiba

 "It is the injunction of the scriptures that one should personal- ly offer a  garland to Vyasadeva, for if Vyasadeva is pleased all Your desires will be  fulfilled."

TEXT 86

yata sune nityananda—kare, 'haya haya' kisera  vacana-patha prabodha na laya

After hearing what Srivasa said, Nityananda replied, "Yes. Yes." But He  did not know which mantras He should recite.

TEXT 87

kiba bale dhire dhire bujhana na yaya mala hate kari'  punah cari-dike caya

 He murmurred something that no one could understand, and while  holding the garland in His hands, He looked around.

TEXT 88

prabhure dakiya bale srivasa udara "na pujena vyasa ei  sripada tomara"

Thereafter the magnanimous Srivasa informed the Lord, "Your Sripada is  not worshiping Vyasa."

TEXT 89

srivasera vakya suni' prabhu visvambhara dhaiya  sammukhe prabhu aila satvara

On hearing Srivasa's words, Lord Visvambhara quickly came before  Nityananda.

TEXT 90

prabhu bale,—"nityananda sunaha vacana mala diya  kara jhata vyasera pujana"

The Lord said, "O Nityananda, please hear Me. Quickly offer the garland  and then worship Vyasadeva."

TEXT 91

dekhilena nityananda prabhu visvambhara mala tuli'  dila taì'ra mastaka-upara

As Nityananda saw Lord Visvambhara standing before Him, He offered  the garland to Him.

Sri Nityananda was not inspired by the words of Srivasa, so He held the  garland in His hands, murmurred something, and looked around. When  Nityananda neglected to offer His obeisances and the garland to Sri  Vyasa and Srivasa informed Mahaprabhu about this, Mahaprabhu  instructed Nityananda Prabhu to worship Sri Vyasa with the garland.  Thereafter Mahaprabhu saw Nityananda offer the garland to Him. In this  way Sri Nityananda completed Vyasa-puja

 by offering a garland to that personality from whom everything  emanates and whose empowered incarnation is Sri Vyasa. All expansions,  incarnations, energies, and devotees are included within Lord  Sri Caitanyadeva. Therefore, according to the consideration of the  two verses, yatha taror mula-nisecanena and sattvam visuddham  vasudeva-sabditam1 , by worshiping Sri Caitanyadeva, who is the  original source of everything, all spiritual masters are automatically  worshiped. Also, in describing the chain of disciplic succession, the  scriptures state: "Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe became  the disciple of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.  Brahma's disciple was Narada. Narada's disciple was Vyasa. The  famous Madhvacarya personally received initiation from Vyasa.  Madhvacarya's disciple was the exalted Padmanabhacarya.  Padmanabhacarya's disciple was Narahari. Narahari's disciple was  Madhava. Madhava's disciple was Aksobhya. Aksobhya's disciple  was Jayatirtha, whose disciple was Jìanasindhu. Jìanasindhu's disciple  was Mahanidhi, whose disciple was Vidyanidhi. Vidyanidhi's  disciple was Rajendra, whose disciple was Jayadharma Muni. A  disciple of Jayadharma was Purusottama, whose disciple was  Vyasa tirtha. Vyasa tirtha's disciple was Sriman Laksmipati, who was  like a great reservoir of the nectar of devotional service. Laksmipati's  disciple was Madhavendra Puri, a great preacher of devotional ser

 1. yatha taror mula-nisecanena  trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah  pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam  tathaiva sarvarhanam acyutejya  "By giving water to the root of a tree one satisfies its branches,

twigs and leaves, and by supplying food to the stomach one

satisfies all the senses of the body. Similarly, by engaging in the

transcendental service of the Supreme Lord one automatically

satisfies all the demigods and all other living entities.

sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam

yad iyate tatra puman apavrtah

sattve ca tasmin bhagavan vasudevo

hy adhoksajo me namasa vidhiyate

"I am always engaged in offering obeisances to Lord Vasudeva in

pure Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is always pure

consciousness, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

known as Vasudeva, is revealed without any covering."

 vice. Among Madhavendra Purl's disciples were Sriman isvara Puri,  Advaita Acarya, and Nityananda Prabhu. I worship Lord Caitanya, who  accepted Sriman Isvara Puri  as His spiritual master."

TEXT 92

caìcara cikure malasubhe ati bhala chaya bhuja  visvambhara haila tat-hala

The garland looked most enchanting upon the curly hair of the Lord. At  that time Visvambhara manifested His six-armed form.

TEXT 93

saìhha, cakra, gada, padma, sri-hala-musala dekhiya  murchita haila nitai vihvala

On seeing the conch, disc, club, lotus, plow, and musala, Nitai was  overwhelmed and fell unconscious.

Being garlanded by Nityananda, Sri Caitanyadeva displayed His six- armed form. In His six hands He held the conch, disc, club, lotus, plow,  and musala. Upon seeing this, Nityananda fell uncon- scious in ecstasy.

TEXT 94

sad-bhuja dekhi' murcha paila nitai padila prthivitale— dhatu-matra nai

As soon as Nitai saw the six-armed form, He fell unconscious to the  ground with no symptoms of life.

TEXT 95

bhaya pailena saba-vaisnavera gana

"raksa krsna, raksa krsna", karena smarana

All the Vaisnavas became frightened and prayed, "O Krsna, please  protect Him. O Krsna, please protect Him."

 TEXT 96

huìkara karena jagannathera nandana kakse tali dei'

ghana xisala garjana

The son of Jagannatha roared loudly and repeatedly slapped His sides.

TEXT 97-98

murcha gela nityananda sad-bhuja dekhiyaapane  caitanya tole gaya Ixata diya

 "utha utha nityananda, sthira kara cita sankirtana  sunaha tomara samihita

When Nityananda fell unconscious on seeing the six-armed form, Lord  Caitanya personally picked Him up with His own hands and said, "O  Nityananda, get up and steady Your mind. Listen to the congregational  chanting that You have begun.

When Nityananda Prabhu fell unconscious on seeing the six- armed form  of Sri Gaurasundara, Mahaprabhu picked Him up and said, "Steady Your  mind and hear the saìkirtana inaugurated by

You."

TEXT 99

ye kirtana nimitta tomara avatara

se tomara siddha haila, kiba caha ara?

"The kirtana for which You have incarnated to inaugurate is going on  before You. What more do You want?

"Since there is a famine of Hari's glorification in this world. You have  incarnated from Goloka to glorify Hari and induce others to glorify Hari.  That act is now fulfilled, so what further prayer do You have?"

TEXT 100

tomara se prema-bhakti, tumi prema-maya vina tumi  dile karo bhakti nahi haya

"Loving devotional service belongs to You, for You are the  personification of ecstatic love. Unless You distribute this devo- tional  service, no one can possess it.

"You are the foremost amongst devotees and most dear to Mukunda. No  one is able to achieve the Lord's service without Your mercy. The wealth  of love and devotion belongs to You alone. You are directly the  personification of the Lord's service."