Our Primary Need

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, evening class
Sri Varaha Dvadasi, 6 February 2020, part 12
Translated from Bengali

Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the jewel of the twice-born, appeared in the month of Magh, on the supremely pure day of sukla-trayodasi that is liberation personified (Mukti Devi). [His Divine Grace answers an interjected question: Nityananda Prabhu liked jackfruit, date juice and begun-pora (fried eggplant)...]

Nityananda Prabhu is asraya-vigraha.

আশ্রয় লইয়া ভজে তারে কৃষ্ণ নাহি ত্যজে,
আর সব মরে অকারণে

asraya laiya bhaje tare krsna nahi tyaje
ara saba mare akarane

"Krishna never leaves those who have taken shelter in Him. All others simply die in vain."

(By Srila Narottam Das Thakur, Prarthana, 17)

Always remember this.

I have just remembered that I wrote something. Sriman Mahaprabhu told Sriman Nityananda Prabhu to preach Krishna Katha in Gauda Mandal, but Sriman Nityananda Prabhu said,

ভজ গৌরাঙ্গ, কহ গৌরাঙ্গ, লহ গৌরাঙ্গের নাম রে
যে জন গৌরাঙ্গ ভজে, সেই আমার প্রাণ রে

bhaja gauranga, kaha gauranga, laha gaurangera nama re
ye jana gauranga bhaje, sei amara prana re

"Worship Gauranga! Say Gauranga! Take Gauranga's Name! Those who worship Gauranga are My heart and soul!"

Many say that Sriman Nityananda Prabhu did not follow Sri Gaura Hari's order, that He ignored it. This is not true. Sri Krishna Tattva and Sri Gaura Tattva is one. What is Gauranga Mahaprabhu? He is a combined form of Sri Radha and Krishna, that is why Vasudev Ghosh sang,

যদি গৌর না হ'ত তবে কি হইত
কেমনে ধরিতাম দে ।
রাধার মহিমা প্রেমরস-সীমা
জগতে জানাত কে ? ॥

yadi gaura na ha'ta tabe ki ha-ita
kemane dharitam de
radhara mahima, prema-rasa-sima
jagate janata ke?

"If Gaura had not come, then what would have happened? How would we have maintained our lives? Who would have revealed to the world Radha's glory and the extremes of Her ecstatic divine love?"

(Srila Vasudev Ghosh Thakur)

If Sri Gauranga had not come, we would not have been able to know anything about Sri Radha's glory. Many do not like Nityananda Prabhu's behaviour, clothes, etc.—such people should know that Sriman Nityananda Prabhu is avadhut. He did not follow any rules and regulations of this world. When Mahaprabhu gives someone a certificate, it is not necessary for them to get a certificate from anywhere else. Sriman Mahaprabhu also warned everyone not to ever criticise Sriman Nityananda Prabhu, not even by mistake—those who criticise Him will fall into a terrible hell. You all know that Madhai hit Nityananda Prabhu with a piece of clay pot. Mahaprabhu became very angry about it and called His Sudarsan Chakra, but Sriman Nityananda Prabhu begged Mahaprabhu for Madhai—Madhai fell at Nityananda Prabhu's feet, and Sriman Mahaprabhu did bestow His mercy on Madhai. I wrote this here (in the introduction to Sri Nityananda Mahimarta, Second Bengali Edition). [His Divine Grace continues reading:]

প্রেমে মত্ত নিতয়ানন্দ কৃপাবতার ।
উত্তম, অধম, কিছু না করে বিচার ॥
যে আগে পড়য়ে, তারে করয়ে নিস্তার ।
অতএব নিস্তারিলা মো-হেন দুরাচার

preme matta nityananda krpa-avatara
uttama, adhama, kichhu na kare vichara
ye age padaye, tare karaye nistara
ataeva nistarila mo-hena durachara

"Because He is intoxicated by ecstatic love and is an incarnation of mercy, He does not distinguish between the good and the bad. Nityananda Prabhu does not consider who is good and who is bad, He saves anyone who falls before Him. Therefore He has delivered such a sinful and fallen person as me."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 5.208-209)

Some preach that it is necessary to first become a devotee of Krishna, but Krishna Himself said, "Those who say they are My devotees are not My devotees. Those who are devotees of My devotees, are My devotees." How can you become a devotee of Krishna if you cannot first serve Srila Gurudev, who is Krishna's own associate? Some say, "I have got the treasure of divine love (Krsna-prema-dhana painu)", but Sriman Mahaprabhu said He had not got any Krishna-prema. Vraja gopis said, "We have no devotion whatsoever to Krishna! We could not serve Krishna. We do not have the devotion that Prahlad had." It is necessary to first worship Nitai—when you get Nityananda's mercy, then you will get Gauranga's mercy, and when you get Gauranga's mercy, you will get the right and qualification to serve Sri Radha Govinda in Goloka Vrindavan. "Nitaiyer karuna habe Vraje Radha Krsna pabe (নিতাইয়ের করুণা হবে ব্রজে রাধাকৃষ্ণ পাবে, ধর নিতাইয়ের চরণ দুঃখানি)—when Nitai bestows His mercy you will reach Radha-Krishna in Vraja."

Many sahajiyas imitate Nityananda Prabhu and they say, "Gaudiya Math's sadhus do not worship Sriman Nityananda Prabhu." They should know that genuine Gaudiya Vaishnavs do worship Sriman Nityananda Prabhu. They do not say "Jay Nitai! Jay Gaura!" like sahajiyas and come to rob people's houses. Real devotees do not see Nityananda Prabhu as an object of enjoyment ("I will show people Nitai and get some money from them").

At first, Srila Raghunath Das Goswami had tried many times but he could not get free from material bondage—Sriman Mahaprabhu told him, "Go back to your home, do not become crazy."

মর্কট-বৈরাগ্য না কর লোক দেখাঞা ।
যথাযোগ্য বিষয় ভুঞ্জ' অনাসক্ত হঞা ॥

markata-vairagya na kara loka dekhana
yatha-yogya visaya bhunja' anasakta hana

"Do not show your false renunciation to people. Serve accepting material things, but without attachment."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 16.238)

However, Sriman Nityananda Prabhu bestowed His mercy on him in Panihati—He did Vaishnav-seva through him, the festival that became known as danda-mahotsav ("punishment festival"). Sriman Nityananda Prabhu bestowed such mercy on him that He kept His feet in Raghunath Das Goswami's head and, blessing him, sent him to Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu then engaged him in the service to Svarup Damodar, calling him 'Svarup's Raghu'.

Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami pleased Nityananda Prabhu's dear devotee Ramdas Minaketan and attained Sriman Nityananda Prabhu's mercy. Becoming pleased with Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami, Sriman Nityananda Prabhu came to him in a dream. After that, Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami described the appearance of Nityananda Prabhu in a very beautiful way.

When Mahaprabhu went to Puri, Nityananda Prabhu broke His danda into three parts and threw into the Bhargi River. The meaning of this is that if you are to take up a danda, you have to make a vow of tridandi-sannyas, promising to serve with your actions, thoughts, and speech. In this way, inspired by the behaviour of Nityananda Prabhu, Bhagavan Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad established tridandi-sannyas in his sampradaya, giving tridandi-sannyas to his disciples. My Sri Gurupadpadma gave an even more beautiful vision on tridandi-sannyas: he said that being a tridandi-sannyasi means to be humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, and treating others with respect.

Therefore, we all must know that it is necessary to take shelter at the holy lotus feet of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu. It means first of all to take shelter of a bona fide guru—surrendering to those who are always busy preaching Mahaprabhu's teachings, always busy serving Mahaprabhu, it is necessary to follow their instructions without any duplicity or insincerity. Service to Hari and the Guru is our covetable objective. You cannot chant the Holy Name if you make offences—you can only chant the letters of the Name or offences to the Holy Name; but if you chant the Names of Gaura Nityananda, there can be no offence in that. Our Param Gurudev Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksar Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj did not chant so much on his mala in his last years—he would only always chant loudly, "Nitai Gaura Hari bol, Nitai Gaura Hari bol." Then, we must understand how necessary Sriman Nityananda Prabhu is for our spiritual life. Sriman Nityananda Prabhu's glory is unlimited. It is not possible at all for such a low soul as myself to speak about them, so I am finishing here and I am again begging you all—please engage yourself in the service of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu. This is my prayer to you all.

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay.

I am finishing here.

বাঞ্ছাকল্পতরুভ্যশ্চ কৃপাসিন্ধুভ্য এব চ ।
পতিতানাং পাবনেভ্যো বৈষ্ণবেভ্যো নমো নমঃ ॥

vanchha-kalpatarubhyas cha krpa-sindhubhya eva cha
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

"Again and again I offer my obeisance unto the Supreme Lord's devotees, who are saviours of the fallen, oceans of mercy, and wish-fulfilling trees."

[His Divine Grace then chants 'Hari Haraye Nama Krsna', recited the Jaya Dhavani and concludes the evening class.]

[As His Divine Grace pronounces, "Hadai Pandit, Padmavati Devi ki jay," His Divine Grace notes:] When Nityananda was taken away, Hadai Pandit did not eat many days, grieving about his son. Somebody says Madhavendra Puri took Him, but this is not so—the name is not mentioned anywhere. When Nityananda Prabhu was doing the parikrama of Vrindavan, He met with Madhavendra Puri, this is sure.

— : • : —

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