aspettando l'apparizione del Signore Nityananda

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Some nectar about Lord Nityananda in brief:

 

Lord Nityananda is the eternal associate of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme

Personality of Godhead. Rarely is the name Nimai (Caitanya Mahaprabhu) taken

without that of Nitai (Lord Nityananda). Mahaprabhu cannot be approached or

understood without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, who is the cardinal guru

of all the universes and serves as an intermediary between Mahaprabhu and

His devotees. He is the Lord's active principle in both creation and lila.

He is the second body of the Lord, manifesting as Balaram to Sri Krishna,

Lakshman to Sri Ram and Nityananda Prabhu to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. All other

forms and expansions of the Lord emanate from this second body. Nityananda

Prabhu is thus the source of Sankarshan, all the Vishu's, and Ananta Sesa.

As Vishnu tattva He and Advaita Acarya are worshipped in the same category

as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In the manifested earthly lila, Nityananda Prabhu is

senior to Caitanya Mahaprabhu by more than a decade. He is statuesque, like

His Master, with the whitish complexion of Lord Balarama. His garments

resemble a cluster of blue lotus flowers and His effulgence is said to

surpass the grandeur of a rising moon at sunset. He has a deep melodious

voice, constant singing the glories of Sri Krishna and carries a red stick

with benedictions for the devotees, but feared by the demoniac. He has the

carefree mood of a wild avadhuta, so absorbed is He in the love of Godhead,

and no one knows what He will do next.

 

Nityananda Prabhu was born in Ekacakra, a small village in present West

Bengal, around the year 1474. His birthsite is commemorated by a temple

named Garbhasva and is visited by throngs of pilgrims today. His father,

Hadai Ojha and mother Padmavati, were pious Brahmans originally from

Mithila. Nityananda Prabhu was born on the auspicious thirteenth day of the

bright fortnight of the month of Maga. As a child, Nitai (as Nityananda

Prabhu was called), loved to enact the pastimes of Sri Krishna or Lord Rama.

He did this so authoritatively and with such rapture, that the entire

village would be immersed in the love of Godhead.

 

Nitai's favorite part was that of Lakshman, and He enacted it with so many

apparently authentic scenes not described in the Ramayana, that people would

wonder if He was making it up or actually relishing His own pastimes. The

village of Ekacakra was completely absorbed in the love of little Nitai,

where He spend the first 12 years of his earthly life. In the 13th year, a

travelling sannyasi, said to be the famous Lakshmipati Tirtha, enchanted by

Nitai"s devotion and service, requested Nitai from his parents, as a

travelling companion. His parents, bound by Vedic culture, could not refuse

the request of a guest and reluctantly parted with Nitai. However,

devastated by the separation with Nitai, that Hadai Pandit soon gave up his

life.

 

Nitai traveled with Lakshmipati Tirtha for about 20 years, during which He

visited all the holy places in the country, reminiscent of the manner that

Balarama traveled while the battle at Kurukshetra raged on. Nitai is said to

be later on initiated by Lakshmipati Tirtha. He also associated with another

of Lakshmipati Tirtha's famous disciple, Madhavendra Puri, who although his

godbrother, was revered by Nitai was as a spiritual master. Madhavendra Puri

is famous for establishing the sweet truth of Madhurya-rasa which later

become an integral part of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Among the other disciples of

Madhavendra Puri is Advaita Acarya, and Isavara Puri (the spiritual master

of Caitanya Mahaprabhu).

 

Nityananda Prabhu met Caitanya Mahaprabhu in 1506, when He was 32 years old

and the Lord 20 years. It is said that when Nityananda Prabhu reached the

land of Nadia, He hid in the house of Nandanacarya, to heighten the ecstasy

of meeting through separation. Caitanya Mahaprabhu aware of the arrival of

His eternal associate dispatched Haridas Thakur and Srivas Pandit to search

out Nitai, but they failed. Finally unable to bear the separation any

longer, Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself went directly to Nityananda Prabhu and

the ecstasy of the meeting was so transcendental that every one witnessing

it were awed by the sublime experience. A temple called Sri Gaura-Nityananda

commemorates this meeting place in Nadia.

 

Nityananda Prabhu in His role as the original spiritual master, was

instrumental in spreading the yuga dharma of sankritana all over the Gaudia

desh (Bengal, Orrisa). His mercy knew no bounds, and people fortunate to

come in contact with Him were inundated with the love of Godhead. It was by

His mercy that Raghunatha dasa, one of the six Goswamis started the famous

Danda Mahotsava festival of Panihatti, a tradition that continues to this

day, and was thus able to serve Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He extended His mercy

to even fallen souls like Jagai and Madhai, delivering them from the sinful

lives and protecting them from the wrath of even Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Indeed

His mercy knew no bounds, and fortunate were the people who tasted the

nectar of His instructions.

 

When Nityananda Prabhu returned to Bengal at the request of Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, His decided to abandon His avadhuta status and become a

grahastha (householder). He married Jahnava devi and Vasudha, the two

daughters of Suryadasa Sarakhel, who the brother of Gauridasa Pandit (an

intimate associate of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the spiritual master of the

famous Shyamananda Pandit). Nityananda Prabhu had a son (Virchandara) and a

daughter (Gangadevi) from Vasudha. Soon after Vasudha passed away and

Jahanva devi looked after the children. She later initiated Virchandra, and

also became an instructing spiritual master to the likes of Shyamananda

Pandit, Shrivasa Pandit and Narottama dasa Thakur. Jahnava devi is revered

as a Vaishnavi and she established the pre-eminent positon of women in the

Vaishanava tradition.

 

Lord Nityananda wound up His earthly pastimes, by merging into the deity of

Krishna, known as Bankim Ray, not far from Ekacakra. Vaishanava acaryas

emphatically state that people who try to understand Caitanya Mahaprabhu

without getting the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu will never succeed. and one

must pray very sincerely to Lord Nityananda Prabhu as the adi-guru (original

spiritual master) to be delivered to the Lotus feet of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu. The presence of Nityananada Prabhu is always felt in the

presence of one's own guru, for the guru is considered to be the living

manifestation of Nityananda Prabhu's love and mercy, and his sakti (power)

is what gives the disciple the ability to perform devotional service and

experience spiritual bliss.

 

(This article is courtesy of http://www.iskcondc.org/ )