Shree Nityananda in Bengal

[Guest guest]

Members

 

Dharmapada

 

Re: Page 51 of Sri Krsna Caitanya by A.N. Chaterjee-

 

 

 

After leaving Sapta-gram; Nityananda and his comrades reaached Santipur and

Navadvip. Here, they literally carried the message of Caitanya to every

door. At Navadvip, Nityananda even preached among professional robbers and

dacoits who gave up their evil calling and accepted Krsna-bhakti as an ideal

of life. Thus, the most ferocious dacoits became transformed into faithul

worshippers of Krsna. It may be recalled, that, earlier, Nityananda had

reformed, at Navadvip, Jagai and Madhai, the two notable ruffians.

 

Nityananda next concentrated on places like Thanajora,

Baragachi, Dogachiya, Fulia, and in fact, carried the gospel of

Caitanya to all the remote villages, situated on both the banks of the

Ganges. At Khardaha, his audience included, among others, a large group of

Buddhist mendicants, male and female ( 2,500 in number, 1200 male and' 1300

female ). They were initiated into Vaisnavism. Another such group was

converted at Ram-keli.

 

Nityananda's mission was a grand success. He had thrown

open the gates of the religion of love to all and almost everybody. He had

preached to all classes and castes of people, including the

Sudras, Vaisyas ( merchants ) and other low castes, the corrupt Buddhist

sects, dacoits and wicked people, the poor and the rich. He also had a large

section of Braman followers.

 

The liberal approach of Nityananda was bound to make a

die-hards raise their eye-brows. An orthodox Brahman of Navadvip criticised

his work severely. Indignant at his close intimacy with the Sudras, he

reported the matter to Caitanya " . . . I do not understand as to why

Nityananda constantly lives in the company of the sudras. Surely he is

violating Shastric injunctions and I have enough reasons to doubt his

activities." This report, however, did not disturb Caitanya who, on the

contrary, took pains to make the Brahman understand the need of a liberal

religion for a11. In fact, Caitanya had expressed his deep appreciation of

his work to Nityananda thus:

The lower castes, the morally fallen and the like, have all been saved by

you. You have taught the message of devotion to the traders. Even the

ancient sages will approve all this." Indeed, Nityananda was working at the

behest of his leader. He preached in Bengal for a long period, tentatively

from 1517 A.D. till his last days. Vrndavana Das furnishes us with a long

list of followers and disciples of Nityananda.