35. Nityananda pastimes from Sri Caitanya Bhagavata with commentary (Madhya 11.76-99)

Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata

Madhya-khanda -

By 

Vyasa Avatara Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura

Chapter 11

The Characteristics of Nityananda

TEXT 76

prabhu kahe,—"krpä kari' paraha' vasana" nityananda bale,—"ami kaìba bhojana

The Lord said, "Please be kind and put on Your cloth." Nityananda said, "I will eat."

TEXT 77

caitanya-äveçe matta nityananda räya eka çune, ära bale, häsiyä vedäya

Lord Nityananda was fully intoxicated with ecstatic love for Lord Caitanya. He heard one thing and replied something else. In this way He laughed as He wandered about.

TEXT 78

äpane uthiyä prabhu paräya vasana bähya nähi—häse padmävatéra nandana

The Lord then got up and personally put clothes on Nityananda. The son of Padmävaté lost all external consciousness and smiled.

nityänanda-caritra dehhiyä äi häse viçvarüpa-putra-hena mane mane vase

On seeing these characteristics of Nityänanda, mother Çacé smiled. Within her mind she treated Nityänanda as her son

Viçvarüpa.

TEXT 80

sei-mata vacana çunaye saba mukhe mäjhe måjhe sei-rüpa äi mätra dekhe

Often mother Çacé heard Nityänanda speak exactly like Viçvarüpa and saw Him in the form of Viçvarüpa.

TEXT 81

kähäre nä kahe äi, putra-sneha kare sama-sneha kare nityänanda-viçvambhare

But she did not disclose this to anyone. She showed equal affection to both Viçvambhara and Nityänanda.

TEXT 82

bähya päi' nityänanda parilä vasana sandeça düena äi karite bhojana

On regaining His external consciousness, Nityänanda put on His clothes and mother Çacé gave Him some milk sweets to eat.

The word sandeça refers to a particular type of sweet made from condensed milk.

TEXT 83

äi-sthäne paìca kséra-sandeça päiyä eka khäya, ära cäri pheìe chadäiyä

When mother Çacé gave five pieces of sandeça to Nityänanda, He ate one and threw away the rest.

"haya hay a"—hale äi—"kene pheläilä?" nityananda bale,—"kene eka thäìi dilä?"

"Alas! Alas!" said mother Çacé, "Why did You throw them away?" Nityananda replied "Why did you give them to Me all at

once?"

TEXT 85

äi bale,—"ära nähi, tabe ki khäibä?" nityananda bale,—"cäha, avaçya päibä"

Mother Çacé said, "I have no more sweets. What will You eat now?" Nityananda replied "If you desire, you will certainly find them."

TEXT 86

gharera bhitare äi aparüpa dekhe sei cäri sandeça dekhaye parateke

To her amazement, mother Çacé found those four pieces of sandeça intact within the room.

The word parateke means "in one's presence" or "in front of."

TEXT 87

äi bale,—"se sandeça kothäya padila? gharera bhitare kon prakäre äila?"

Mother Çacé asked, "Where did the sandeça fall? How did they come within the room?"

TEXT 88

dhulä ghucätyä sei sandeça laiyä harise äilä äi apürva dekhiyä

Being struck with wonder, mother Çacé removed the dust from the sandeça and happily came outside.

äsï dekhe nityänanda sei lädu khäya äi bale,—"bäpa, ihä päilä kothäya?"

On returning, mother Çacé saw that Nityänanda was eating those same sweets. She said, "Dear son, where did You get those?"

TEXT 90

nityänanda bale,—"yähä chadäìä pheliluì tora duhkha dekhi' täi cähiyä äniluì

Nityänanda replied, "These are the same sweets I threw away. Seeing your distress, I brought them back."

TEXT 91

adbhuta dekhiyä äi mane mane gone nityänanda-mahimä näjäne konjane?

Seeing these wonders, mother Çacé contemplated, "Who is that person who does not know the glories of Nityänanda?

TEXT 92

äi bale,—"nityänanda, kene more bhända?" jänila éçvara tumi, more mäyå chäda"

Mother Çacé said "O Nityänanda, why do You deceive me? I know You are the Supreme Lord. Therefore please remove Your illusion."

In order to deceive the living entities, the Supreme Lord provides various kinds of illusion in their thinking. The conditioned souls then accept temporary objects as eternal. This is the influence of the Supreme Lord.

TEXT 93

bälya-bhäve nityänanda äira carana dharìbäre yäya,—äi kare paläyana

In the mood of a child, Nityananda tried to grab mother Çacé's feet, but she ran away.

TEXT 94

ei-mata nityänanda-caritra agädha sukrtira bhåla, duskrtira kärya-vädha

The characteristics of Nityananda are unfathomable; for pious persons they are beneficial, and for sinful persons they create obstacles.

Fortunate living entities obtain beneficial results from the char- acteristics of Nityananda. Unfortunate living entities achieve obstacles in their activities due to their misconceptions.

TEXT 95

nityänanda-nindä kare ye påpistha jana gaìgä o tähäre dekhi' kare paläyana

Even the Ganges runs away from a person who blasphemes Lord Nityananda.

Being unable to realize the actual identity of Nityananda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, many conditioned souls who are bound by the wheel of karma from time immemorial blaspheme Him. But on seeing such offenders, who commit offenses through their blasphemy, the Ganges, who takes away one's sinful reactions, runs away from them rather than destroying their sins. If the Supreme Lord becomes angry, then Nityananda, who is manifested as the spiritual master, can remove the Lord's anger; but if one commits an offense at the feet of the spiritual master, who is the manifestation of Nityananda, it is extremely difficult to nullify such an offense.

TEXT 96

vaisnavera adhiràja ananta ïsvara nityänanda-mahäprabhu çesa mahédhara

Lord Nityänanda is Ananta Çesa, the supreme controller, the maintainer of all the universes, and the king of the Vaisnavas.

Lord Ananta is described in the Matsya Puräna (2.48.37) as follows:

yastnäd brahmädayo devä munayaç cogra-tejasah na te 'stam adhigacchanti    tenänantas tvam ucyase

"Since the demigods such as Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva and the powerful effulgent sages could not reach the end of Your glories, therefore, O Lord, You are known as Ananta." In Çrïmad Bhägavatam (1.18.19) it is stated as follows:

yo 'nanta-çahtir bhagavän ananto mahad-gunatväd yam anantam ähuh

"The Personality of Godhead, unlimited in potency and transcen- dental by attributes, is called Ananta." In Çrïmad Bhägavatam (4.30.31) it is stated as follows:

na hy antas tvad-vibhüténäm    so 'nanta iti gïyase

"Because there is no end to Your opulences, You are celebrated by the name Ananta." In the Rg Veda it is stated:

ananta-çahtïh paramo    ananta-véryah so 'nantah

"He who possesses unlimited energies, who is the supreme control- ler of all controllers, and who possesses unlimited strength is known as Ananta."

TEXT 97

ye te kene nityänanda-caitanyera nahe tabu se carana-dhana rahuha hrdaye

Whatever relationship Nityänanda may have with Lord Caitanya, I still keep His lotus feet within my heart.

TEXT 98

vaisnavera päye mora ei manashäma mora prabhu nityänanda hau baìaräma

I offer my respectful obeisances at the feet of the Vaisnavas and pray that Nityananda, who is nondifferent from Balaräma, may always remain my master.

TEXT 99

çri krsna-caitanya nityänanda-cända jäna vrndävana-däsa tachu pada-yuge gäna

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu as my life and soul, I Vrndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.