33. Nityananda pastimes from Sri Caitanya Bhagavata with commentary (Madhya 11.26-50)

Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata

Madhya-khanda -

By 

Vyasa Avatara Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura

Chapter 11

The Characteristics of Nityananda

TEXT 26

yä'ra bähya nähi, tä'ra vacane hi läja? nityananda bhäsaye änanda-sindhu-mäjha

Can anyone's words embarrass a person who has lost his external consciousness? Nityananda floated in an ocean of ecstasy.

Can one who is not aware of the external world feel shamed by arbitrary talk? Since Nityananda Prabhu was merged in an ocean of ecstasy, He was completely aloof from the good and bad of the external world.

TEXT 27

äpane dhariyä prabhu paräya vasana e-mata acintya nityänandera kathana

The Lord then personally caught hold of Nityananda and dressed Him. Such are the inconceivable pastimes of Nityananda.

TEXT 28

caitanyera vacana-aìkuça måtra mäne nityananda matta-simha ära nähi jäne

Nityananda was like a maddened lion and could not be control- led by anything other than Lord Caitanya's words, which were like a sharp iron hook.

The word vacanäìkuça refers to a controlling stick in the form of words.

TEXT 29

äpani tuliyä hate bhäta nähi hhäya putra-präya hari' anna mäliné yogäya

He did not eat rice with His own hands. Mäliné would feed Him as her own son.

TEXT 30

nityänanda-anubhava jäne pati-vratä nityänanda-sevå hare yena putra mätä

Chaste Mäliné knew the glories of Nityänanda. Thus she served Nityänanda as an affectionate mother would serve her son.

Chaste Mälinédevé, the wife of Çréväsa, treated Nityänanda as her affectionate son. Just as a mother serves her own son, Mälinédevé served Nityänanda in the same way considering Him as her own son.

TEXT 31

eka-dina pitalera bätï nila käke udiyä calila kàha ye vanete thäke

One day a crow took a brass bowl and flew away into the forest.

TEXT 32

adrçya haiyä häha hon räjye gela mahä-cintä mälinéra cittete janmila

Soon the crow flew out of sight and a great anxiety filled the heart of Mäliné.

TEXT 33

bäté thuï sei häha äila ära bära mäliné dehhaye çünya-vadana tähära

Leaving the bowl somewhere, the crow returned. Mäliné saw that the bowl was not in its beak.

mahä-tévra thähura-pandita-vyavahära çrï-krsnera ghrta-pätra haila apahära

çunile pramäda habe hena mane ganï nähiha upåya hichu, händaye mäliné

Çréväsa Pandita would become extremely angry because the bowl that was used for offering ghee to Krsna had been stolen. Thinking that he would create havoc as soon as he heard about it, Mäliné did not say anything but simply kept crying.

Çréväsa was a great devotee of Krsna. Thinking that Çréväsa Pandita would become extremely angry on learning that a crow has taken away an ingredient of the Lord's service due to his wife's carelessness, Mälinédevé became afflicted with a burden of distress.

TEXT 36

hena-käle nityananda äilä sei sthäne dekhayemähné kände ajhora nayane

At that time Nityananda came there and found Mäliné crying profusely.

TEXT 37

häsi' bale nityananda,—"hända hi kärana? hon duhhha bala?—saba kariba hhandana"

Nityananda smiled and said, "Why are you crying? Tell Me the reason for your distress and I will take care of everything."

TEXT 38

mälinï balaye,—"çuna çrépäda gosäìi ghrta-pätra käke lai' gela kon thai"

Mäliné replied, "Listen, Gosäìi! A crow stole a ghee bowl and left it somewhere."

TEXT 39

nityänanda bale,—"mätä, cintä parìhara ami diba bätï, tumi krandana sambara"

Nityänanda said, "Dear mother, do not worry. I will give you the bowl. Please stop crying."

TEXT 40

käka-prati häsï prabhu balaye vacana "käka, tumi bäté jhäta änaha ekhana"

The Lord smiled and said to the crow, "O crow, return the bowl, at once."

TEXT 41

sabära hrdaye nityänandera vasati tära äjìä laìghibeka hähära çahati?

Lord Nityänanda resides in the heart of everyone, therefore who has the power to transgress His order?

TEXT 42

çuniyä prabhura äjìä häha udï yäya çohähulï mäliné häkera dike cäya

Being ordered by the Lord, the crow immediately flew away as Mäliné, who was overwhelmed with lamentation, looked on.

TEXT 43

ksaneke udiyä käka adrçya haila bäté mukhe hari' punah sekhäne äila

Within a short time the crow flew out of sight and then returned there with the bowl in its beak.

TEXT 44

äniyä thuila bäté mälinéra sthäne nityänanda-prabhäva mäliné bhälajäne

The crow set the bowl down in front of Mäliné, who knew perfectly well the influence of Nityananda.

TEXT 45

änande mürchita hailä apürva delihiyä nityänanda-prati stuti kare dändäiyä

Seeing this wonder, Mäliné lost consciousness out of ecstasy. Then she stood up and prayed to Nityananda.

TEXT 46-47

"ye jana änila mrta gurura nandana yejana pälana kare sakala hhuvana

yamera ghara haite ye änite pare käka-sthäne häté äne,—ki mahattva tare?

"For He who brought back the dead son of His spiritual master, who maintains all the universes, and who can bring a soul back from the abode of Yamaräja, it is not at all glorious to bring a bowl back from a crow.

The first line of verse 46 is explained as follows: During Their Mathurä pastimes, Lord Baladeva and Çré Krsna once went as brahmacäìs to Sändépani Muni's äçrama in Avantépura for studying the scriptures. In order to instruct everyone, They served Their spiritual master in various ways and learned sixty-four varieties of knowledge in sixty-four days. When after completing Their studies They expressed a desire to give some guru-daksinä, Sändépani Muni, who had seen Their uncommon characteristics, requested Them to bring his dead son back from the great ocean at Prabhäsa-tïrtha. Both Balaräma and Krsna thus mounted a chariot and went to Prabhäsa-tértha, or Dvärakä. When They then demanded the son of Their spiritual master from the ocean, the deity of the ocean in- formed Them that the son of Their spiritual master had been killed by a demon named Paìcajana. On hearing this, Balaräma and Krsna entered the water, went to the palace of Paìcajana, and killed him. But when They did not find Their spiritual master's son within the belly of the demon, They went to the abode of Yamaräja. Yamaräja

duly worshiped Çré Krsna and Balaräma and according to Their order brought the dead son of Their spiritual master back to life and offered him to Them. (Çìmad Bhägavatam, Tenth Canto, Chapter Forty-five)

TEXT 48-49

yäìhära mastakopari ananta bhuvana léläya nä jäne bhara, karaye pälana

anädi avidyä-dhvamsa haya yäìra name ki mahattva täìra, bätï äne käka-sthäne?

"For He who holds innumerable universes on His head and yet' does not feel their weight and for He whose holy name destroys one's nescience that has no beginning, what is the wonder that He brings a bowl back from a crow?

For a description of the Lord's holding innumerable universes on His head one should refer to Çrémad Bhägavatam (5.17.21, 5.25.2, 12, and 6.16.48) and the Gaudéya-bhäsya commentary of Ädi- khanda (1.13).

For a description of the destruction of nescience by the Lord's holy name one should discuss Çrémad Bhägavatam (3.9.15, 6.2.7, 6.2.7, 11-12, 6.1.15, 6.3.24, 38, and 6.16.44), the first verse of Çiksästaka, and Bhakti-rasåmrta-sindhu (Daksina-vibhäga 1.51).

TEXT 50

ye tumi lahsmana-rüpe pürve vana-väse nirantara raksaka ächilä sétä-päçe

"While living in exile in the forest as Laksmana, You constantly remained by the side of Sétä as her protector.

For a description of this pastime, refer to the Rämäyana, Aranya- kända, Chapters Twenty-four and Forty-three.