Appearance of Lord Nityananda

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

PAMHO, AGTSP

 

Most asupcious day in the age of Kaliyuga is the Appearance of Lord Nityananda.

Kindly glorify by reading His pastimes which I have just copied from Nityananda

Caritamrita by Vrndavana das Thakura.

 

It is only through your mercy that I would be able understand and relish the

pastimes of Lord Nityananda.

 

Your servant in mission of Srila Prabhupada

 

Nanda Gopal dasa

 

Nityananda Caritamrita

 

Ädi-lélä

Chapter One

 

The Birth and Childhood Activities of

Lord Nityänanda

 

 

All glories to Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, the ocean of mercy! All glories to Lord

Nityänanda, the friend of the fallen souls! All glories to Çré Advaita Äcärya,

whose life and soul are Çré Caitanya and Çré Nityänanda! All glories to Çréväsa

and Gadädhara Prabhus! All glories to Çré Viçvambhara, the beloved son of

Jagannätha and Çacé! All glories to all the devotees and associates of the

Lord!

There is a village called Ekacakra1 in Räòha-deça in West Bengal, where the

Supreme Lord Nityänanda appeared.

>From the day of His appearance, the whole of Räòha-deça became all-auspicious.

Famine, poverty, and other distresses at once disappeared. A short distance

from Ekacakra, the Deity of Maureçvara is present. Lord Nityänanda, who is

non-different from Lord Balaräma, had worshipped this Deity. In the village of

Ekacakra lived Haòai Paëòita. He was a qualified brähmaëa, very detached, and

full of compassion. His wife's name was Padmavaté, who was very chaste and an

exalted devotee. She was the mother of the universe. Both Haòai Paëòita and

Padmavaté Devé were very magnanimous. Lord Nityänanda appeared in their family

out of His own sweet will. On the auspicious thirteenth day of the waxing moon

in the month of Mägha (January-February), Lord Nityänanda made His appearance.

He was the eldest among the sons of Haòai Paëòita. Seeing His all-auspicious

symptoms, everyone's eyes filled with joy.

In time, Lord Nityänanda began to grow. Due to the influence of His illusory

energy, however, no one could recognize Him. Lord Nityänanda concealed His real

identity and happily played with His boyhood friends.

Whatever pastimes He enjoyed with His childhood friends were all related with

the pastimes of Lord Kåñëa. He and His friends formed an assembly of demigods,

and one of them acted as mother earth praying to the rest of them. Then they

led mother earth to the riverbank where all the children began to offer

prayers. One boy, hiding from the rest, loudly declared, "I will soon take

birth in Mathurä, Gokula."

One night, the Lord and His friends enacted the marriage of Vasudeva and

Devaké. Another night, while everyone was asleep, they made a jail cell

enacting the birth of Lord Kåñëa. They made one place into Gokula. Taking baby

Kåñëa there, he was exchanged with Mahämäyä, tricking Kaàsa. Another time, they

dressed someone as Pütanä. Someone climbed on her chest to suck her breast. One

day Lord Nityänanda and His friends made a çakaöa, or handcart, out of reeds

and then broke it. Another day, the Lord and His friends stole from the houses

of the neighboring cowherd men. The boys never left Nityänanda to go home, but

sported with Him day and night. The children's parents never complained, rather

they affectionately embraced Nityänanda. They said, "We've never seen such

transcendental sports. How does this child know so many of Kåñëa's pastimes?"

One day, the Lord made snakes out of leaves and took His friends to the water.

One of them jumped into the water and did not move. Later, the Lord brought him

back to consciousness. Another day, the Lord and His friends went to Tälavana

where they killed Dhenukäsura and then ate täla fruits. Lord Nityänanda and his

childhood friends went to the fields and enjoyed various pastimes such as the

killing of Bakäsura, Aghäsura, and Vatsäsura. In the afternoon, the Lord and

His friends returned home blowing buffalo horns.

One day they enjoyed the pastime of lifting the Govardhana Hill, and another

day they created a Våndävana where they enjoyed various sports. Once they

enacted Kåñëa's pastimes of stealing the gopé's clothes and another day enacted

His meeting the wives of the brähmaëas. On one occasion, a boy dressed up with

a false beard as Närada gave Kaàsa some secret news. Another day, a boy dressed

as Akrüra took Kåñëa and Balaräma to Kaàsa's capital. As Lord Nityänanda cried

in the mood of the gopés, it seemed to His friends that a river was flowing

from His eyes.

By the influence of Lord Viñëu's illusory energy, no one could recognize Lord

Nityänanda as He enjoyed pastimes with His friends. The children arranged a

city of Mathurä and then wandered through its streets. Someone played the role

of a gardener, while another accepted a flower garland from him. Someone

dressed as Kubjä and sandalwood paste was accepted from her. They made a large

bow and all shouted in joy when it was broken. They also enacted the pastimes

of killing Kuvalaya elephant and the wrestlers, Cäëüra and Muñöika. Thereafter

the Lord chastised Kaàsa by grabbing him by the hair and throwing him on the

ground. After killing Kaàsa, the Lord danced with His friends in such a way

that everyone watching Him began to laugh. In this way, Lord Nityänanda and His

friends imitated the pastimes of various incarnations.

One day, Lord Nityänanda dressed as Vämana and went to cheat Bali Mahäräja out

of his kingdom, which covered the three worlds. Someone playing an aged

Çukräcärya forbid Bali from giving the three steps requested by Lord Vämana.

Accepting the gift, the Lord placed His last step on Bali's head.

One day, Lord Nityänanda enacted the pastime of building a bridge across the

ocean with the boys playing the role of monkeys. They cut castor plants and

made a bridge across the water. Then all the boys shouted "Jaya Raghunätha!"

Lord Nityänanda, taking the role of Lakñmaëa with a bow in His hand, went in

anger to rebuke Sugréva. "O king of the monkeys, My Lord's in distress. Come

quickly or I'll kill you! How can you sit here enjoying with women while Lord

Rämacandra is lamenting on Mälyavän Mountain?"

Another day Lord Nityänanda spoke in anger to Paraçuräma, "O brähmaëa, I'm not

at fault. Leave here at once." Lord Nityänanda was thus absorbed in the mood of

Lakñmaëa. The boys, unable to understand this, thought it was just a game.

Another time the boys took the role of five monkeys and the Lord took the role

of Lakñmaëa. "Who are you monkeys, wandering in the forest? I am the servant of

Lord Rämacandra. Please tell me who you are!" They replied, "We are wandering

in fear of Bali. Please take us to Lord Rämacandra. We wish to take the dust of

His lotus feet." The Lord embraced them and led them to Lord Rämacandra, where

they all fell at His feet.

Once the Lord enacted the pastime of killing Indrajit, the son of Rävaëa.

Another day, in the mood of Lakñmaëa, He accepted defeat. They brought someone

in the role of Vibhéñaëa before Lord Rämacandra, and Lord Räma crowned him as

the King of Laìkä. One boy said, "I am the mighty Rävaëa. Now I'll release the

çakti-sela weapon. Stop it if You can, Lakñmaëa!" Saying this, the boy threw a

lotus flower at Lord Nityänanda, who in the mood of Lakñmaëa, fell to the

ground. After he fell unconscious, all the boys tried in vain to revive Him.

When they found no symptom of life in the body of Lord Nityänanda, they all

held their heads and cried. The Lord's father and mother came running there and

saw their son without a sign of life. They too fell senseless to the ground.

Everyone who saw this tragedy was struck with wonder. As the boys described the

entire incident, someone said, "I know why He's unconscious."

Once a great actor played the role of Dasaratha. Hearing that Räma had left for

the forest, he left his body." Someone else said, "There's a boy dressed as

Hanumän. If he gives Him medicine, then He'll be cured." Before the play the

Lord had instructed His friends, "When I fall unconscious, you all surround Me

and cry. After a while send Hanumän for some medicine. I will revive when he

puts the medicine to My nose." The Lord fell unconscious by His own sweet will,

but this bewildered all the boys. Since everyone there was so confused, they

forgot the Lord's instructions. They simply cried loudly, "O brother, please

get up!" Hearing people's comments, the boys remembered Lord Nityänanda's order

and the boy dressed as Hanumän immediately went for the medicine.

Another boy dressed as a renunciate welcomed Hanumän with fruits and roots. He

said to Hanumän, "My dear sir, please stay and grace my äçrama. It's a

wonderful fortune to meet such a person as you." Hanumän replied, "I must go

and complete my important mission. I'd like to stay but I cannot delay. You

must have heard that Lakñmaëa, younger brother of Lord Rämacandra, is

unconscious from the çakti-sela weapon of Rävaëa. I'm on my way to Gandhamädana

Hill to bring medicine. Only then He'll survive"

The renunciate then said, "If you must go, first take a bath and have something

to eat. Then you may go." The two boys repeated whatever Lord Nityänanda had

instructed them. Everyone gazed at them in astonishment as they listened to

their dialogue. On the request of the renunciate, Hanumän went to take a bath

in the lake where another boy in the lake grabbed hold of his feet. The boy

playing a crocodile tried to pull Hanumän into the water, but Hanumän pulled

the boy to the shore. After a short fight, Hanumän defeated the crocodile. On

returning to the renunciate's äçrama, Hanumän saw a mighty warrior. A boy

dressed as a räkñasa tried to swallow Hanumän. He challenged, "You defeated the

crocodile, but how will you defeat me? I will eat you. Then how will you revive

Lakñmaëa?"

Hanumän replied, "Your Rävaëa's a dog! I think him most insignificant. Get out

of my way." After first exchanging some harsh words, they began pulling each

other's hair. Finally, they began striking each other with their fists. Swiftly

defeating the demon, Hanumän went to the Gandhamädana Hill. There he fought

with some boys dressed as Gandharvas. Defeating the Gandharvas, Hanumän took

the Gandhamädana Hill on his head to Laìkä. Another boy playing a doctor

meditated on Lord Räma as he held the medicine to Lakñmaëa's nose. At that very

moment, Lord Nityänanda came to His senses. His parents and others all smiled

in relief. Haòai Paëòita embraced his son and all the boys were overjoyed.

Everyone asked, "Dear son, where have You learned all these plays?" Smiling the

Lord said, "These are all My pastimes."

In his early childhood, the Lord was most attractive. No one wanted Him to

leave his lap. Everyone had more affection for Lord Nityänanda than for his own

son. But none could recognize Him by the influence of Lord Viñëu's illusory

energy.

In His childhood, Lord Nityänanda had no other happiness than enjoying the

pastimes of Lord Kåñëa. All His friends left their parents to constantly sport

in the company of the Lord. I offer repeated obeisances at the feet of those

boys who enjoyed the association of Lord Nityänanda. From His childhood, Lord

Nityänanda had no interest other than enacting the various pastimes of Lord

Kåñëa. Who can describe the pastimes of Lord Ananta? They are only manifest to

one who has received His mercy.

Accepting Çré Caitanya and Çré Nityänanda Prabhu as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.

 

 

 

 

Nityananda's Baitakha @ Radha Kunda