Foreword

I first of all offer my obeisances to all the Vaisnavas aspiring to serve our beloved Spiritual Master, Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. I then offer my obeisances at his lotus feet holding in my heart the faith that he is Lord Nityananda Prabhu's non-different manifestation mercifully extending his shelter to the wayward souls of this world such as my fallen self.

By the grace of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and the inspiration of Srila Govinda Maharaj, this year's Nityananda Trayodasi festival marks the inauguration of the newly constructed Sri Hadai Pandit Padmavati-devi Smriti Kunja of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswata Krishnanusilana Sangha in Birchandrapur, West Bengal, the divine appearance place of Lord Nityananda Prabhu.

At the request of the devotees organising the festivities this English edition of the Sri Sri Nityananda Mahimamritam has been compiled for the satisfaction of our Spiritual Master, the Vaisnavas and all those who aspire for the all-important mercy of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Expanding upon the Math's original publication of the Sri Sri Nityananda Mahimamritam in Bengali I have collected an English representation of its original contents plus a novel compilation of Lord Nityananda Prabhu's divine glories as they have been expressed by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev- Goswami Maharaj. Moreoever, in an effort to represent the ontological method of understanding Lord Nityananda Prabhu's transcendental identity and Pastimes as taught by Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, I have structured the compilation so as to draw attention to a particular sequence of conceptualisation beginning with spiritual revelation and culminating in loving dispensation. To further this end, also included is a summary study of the revealed Scriptures delineating the essential truths about Lord Nityananda Prabhu according to the progression of thought stressed by Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj in his Sriman Nityananda Dvadasakam, and explained by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. My hope is that the attentive readers will imbibe this progressive, faith-yielding understanding and thereby be moved to invite Lord Nityananda Prabhu's profound grace and super-excellent gift further into the core of their hearts.

As I present this offering I must plainly state that any faults or unbecoming aspects of this presentation should only be attributed to my inevitably flawed efforts in compilation, and need never give rise to disrepute for the expressions of our divine guardians. Furthermore, any and all redeeming quality and dedication-inspiring beauty appreciated herein is surely to be considered the exclusive property of our divine guardians, and all honour must be offered to their self-revealing lotus feet.

In closing, I must appeal to His Divine Grace Srila Govinda Maharaj for his mercy, his mercy being the only capacity with which I have the potential to be successful in my heart's endeavour to please him. Moreover, I invoke the blessings of the Vaisnavas and our revered readers with whose goodwill my prayer for the grace of our Spiritual Master may be enriched and realistically realisable. May all be satisfied with this offering.

Humbly,
Kamal Krishna Das
Sri Nityananda Trayodasi February 2009

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