The marriage of Lord Nityänanda

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

PAMHO, AGTSP

 

Kindly, glorify Jahnva Mata the consort on Lord Nityananda on Her appearance

day on 29th April, by reading her pastimes of Her marriage with Lord

Nityananda. As I have no qualifications to glorify the pastimes all I have done

is directly copied the same from Nityananda Critamrita by Vrndavana dasa

Thakura.

Kindly use font type 'Balaramä' or 'Sca Goudy' or 'Palaka' to read the text

below.

 

Your servant in mission of Srila Prabhupada

Nanda Gopal dasa

 

The marriage of Lord Nityänanda

 

One day, Lord Nityänanda woke up early in the morning and, taking a servant

with Him, went towards Ambikä-nagara. He took along Uddhäraëa Datta who was a

merchant by profession and His intimate associate. He arrived at the doorstep

of Süryadäsa Paëòita1 and sent Uddhäraëa Datta inside the house.

Uddhäraëa Datta went inside and informed Suryädäsa of the Lord's arrival. He

rushed out to greet the Lord. Falling at the feet of Nityänanda Prabhu, he

offered his obeisances and with folded hands said, "What good fortune!"

The Lord said, "I've come to you with a purpose. I want to marry. Please give

Me your daughter's hand."

Paëòita knew the glories of Nityänanda Prabhu, but he forgot everything

bewildered by the Lord's illusory energy. The brähmaëa humbly said, "How is it

possible? We first have to consider many points like caste, stars, and family.

Although You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead Näräyaëa, You're an

outcaste and I'm a brähmaëa."

Hearing this reply, Nityänanda Prabhu left that place as everyone watched in

wonder. Süryadäsa Paëòita felt disappointed and went inside the house. He

contemplated, "Will my dream come true? O Lord Kåñëa, will it ever happen by

the arrangement of providence that Nityänanda will become my son-in-law?"

Pondering over this, he went inside the house. Gathering his relatives, he

informed them of the proposal. He said, "Last night, I had a wonderful dream. I

saw a wonderful person come to my house sitting on a chariot with a flag. He

was huge like a mighty wrestler. His complexion was golden and His eyes were

reddish. His chariot stopped in front of my house. He got down from the chariot

and smilingly asked, "Is this Paëòitajé's house?

"He carried a plough on His shoulder and held a stick in His hand. He gestured

for me to come. Flowers decorated His hair and He wore golden earrings. He

dressed with blue garments with anklets on His feet. He said to me, "'I'm going

to marry your daughter. You haven't recognized Me till today.'" Saying this, He

disappeared. Then I got up from the bed and found it was morning." As Jähnavä

heard the narration from within the room, her natural love for the Lord arose.

Tears of love began to flow from her eyes. She covered her face with a cloth,

but the cloth became soaked with her tears.

Paëòita continued, "O friends, now I've told you my wonderful dream." Someone

said, "We see so many things in dream. Nityänanda Prabhu is the Supreme Brahman

and we are but householders. How can we offer our daughter?" Süryadäsa Paëòita

was naturally soft hearted. He became distressed and cried, "Save me! Save me!"

All of a sudden, everyone heard crying inside the house. Something had happened

to Jahnavä. They rushed inside and picked up Jahnavä. They put her on the front

veranda. She was unconscious and her eyes rolled in their sockets. Her whole

body was cold and her face perspired.

A doctor came and diagnosed that she had epilepsy and there was no cure for it.

Seldom does a person in such a case survive. He thus treated her according to

the scripture. The doctor said, "Even after applying proper medication, there's

no improvement. Now try to arrange for her spiritual rites. Take her to the

bank of the Ganges for she is your eldest daughter."

Hearing the words of the doctor, Süryadäsa began to cry. Gaurédäsa, however,

consoled him saying, "I think we committed an offense at the feet of Avadhüta

Nityänanda. We must beg His pardon and bring Him back as soon as possible. As

long as we live in this world, we should try to maintain relationships. After

death, relationships no longer remain. If He can protect our daughter, then we

should arrange her marriage with Him. This is my advice to all of you. This is

our opinion. So let's all go to Nityänanda Prabhu and fall at His feet."

Lord Nityänanda was sitting under a banyan tree on the bank of the Ganges.

Tears trickled from His eyes as He chanted the name of Kåñëa. Gaurédäsa along

with his relatives went to Nityänanda Prabhu and fell at His lotus feet. The

Lord quickly picked him up while patting his back.

Nityänanda said, "You've all forgotten Me, O cowherd men?" Then He put His

hands on his shoulders. Süryadäsa Paëòita fell at the feet of Nityänanda Prabhu

and lamented, "You bewildered me completely. You're able to do anything, yet

You never inspired me to give up my attachment for varëäçrama-dharma. Please

give us the shelter of Your lotus feet and do good to all of us." Saying this,

the Paëòita took Lord Nityänanda home.

His daughter, Jahnavä, was lying at the doorstep. Jähnavä was covered with a

cloth and the sunshine fell on her. It appeared as if lightning were striking a

cloud. Her eyes bulged in their sockets as tears fell incessantly. Her curly

hair enhanced the beauty of her forehead. The signs of the final moments of

life appeared on her body. At that moment, the aroma of the Lord's body entered

her nostrils. As she smelled this aroma, she regained her consciousness touched

by the art of revival. She hurriedly covered her face with cloth and said,

"Where am I? What's happening?" Then she got up and entered the house.

Nityänanda Prabhu, the reservoir of transcendental pastimes, displayed His

six-armed form in the courtyard of Süryadäsa Paëòita. His two upper hands held

a bow and an arrow, His two middle hands held a plough and a stick, and His

lower two hands carried a sannyäsa-daëòa and water pot. His head was decorated

with a crown and His ears were decorated with earrings. His entire body was

radiant with valuable jewels and ornaments. Seeing this form of the Lord,

everyone fell at His feet. Paëòita prayed to the Lord with folded hands. All

the brähmaëas gathered there were struck with wonder seeing this form of the

Lord. Soon this form disappeared from everyone's vision and only Lord

Nityänanda remained. Smiling at everyone, Lord Nityänanda sat on the doorstep

of a Viñëu temple as all the brähmaëas and Vaiñëavas chanted, "Long life! Long

life!"

They all served Nityänanda Prabhu with great care and affection and made Him

comfortable. All the learned brähmaëas and the family priest planned to award

Him the sacred thread according to the Vedic injunctions. They disclosed their

plan to the Lord. The Lord accepted their proposal with laughter saying, "Do

whatever you like; I have nothing to say. Only Caitanya Gosäi is independent."

When everyone heard the Lord's approval, they became very happy. Then Paëòita

began to arrange for the marriage. He collected articles for a marriage that

would be as opulent as that of a prince. He gathered things by begging and by

his profession. He invited all his neighbors for the marriage ceremony. He

brought a large quantity of betel nuts and pan. The brähmaëa then called his

family priest and carefully chose an auspicious day for marriage.

>From that day, there was a constant celebration at the Paëòita's house. His

friends and relatives began to arrive day by day. The musicians played various

instruments and hundreds of brähmaëas were fed daily. The women distributed

vermilion, betel nuts, pan, oil, and sweets to all the ladies.

On the day of the marriage, the brähmaëas came to Süryadäsa Paëòita's house

after finishing their regular duties. They brought suitable items for

performing sacrifices such as flowers, kuça grass, sitting mats made of kuça

grass, wooden mortars, and spoons. They brought a stick, water pot, umbrella,

pair of shoes, belt, kaupéna, deerskin, brähmaëa thread, and ghee.

After all the brähmaëas prepared the sacrifice, the head priest asked

Nityänanda Prabhu to come to the sacrificial arena. As Nityänanda Prabhu sat in

the midst of the brähmaëas, they offered ghee in the sacrificial fire chanting

Vedic mantras. After completing the formalities required by the scriptures, the

brähmaëas put a stick and water pot in Nityänanda's hands. He wore saffron

colored kaupéna and cädara with a saffron bag on His shoulder. The Lord then

begged, "Mother, please give Me alms."

The wife of Süryadäsa Paëòita respectfully put gold, silver, and money in the

Lord's bag. When the priest told Süryadäsa Paëòita to bring the bride,

Nityänanda Prabhu said, "Do that later." Then Lord Nityänanda whispered

something in the ear of the priest who quickly said, "That's alright." Holding

a stick and water pot, Lord Nityänanda laughed loudly again and again. He wore

wooden shoes and held an umbrella in His hands. He appeared just like a young

brähmaëa lad to everyone. Seeing His enchanting form, the ladies smilingly

said, "He must be the younger brother of Çré Rämacandra. This is what we feel."

The Lord entered a secluded inner room and remained there for three days

continuously. Rising early in the morning of the forth day, the Lord looked at

the sun and the brähmaëas before coming out of the house. The most attractive

Nityänanda Prabhu then offered His obeisances to Lord Viñëu and sat on a wooden

throne. Hundreds of women from Navadvépa came to the house of Süryadäsa Paëòita

holding each other's hands and shoulders. They decorated their eyes with black

ointment and chewed betel nuts. They arrived at the house of the Paëòita while

swinging their hands and bodies. The priest came to perform the duties to be

done the day before the marriage while the ladies made auspicious sounds on all

sides. The priest tied yellow threads on the hands of Lord Nityänanda and

Jahnavä. She then went inside the house with her head down. The musicians

played auspicious sounds on various instruments. People dove and surfaced in

the ocean of joy.

As the ladies fetched water for the ceremony, some of them said, "Jahnavä's

indeed the most fortunate. Who else could have such a beautiful groom except

Revaté who previously got such a wonderful husband?" Someone said, "They look

exactly like Çaìkara and Parvaté." Others said, "They look like Lakñmé and

Näräyaëa." Another said, "It's like the meeting of Kämadeva and Raté." Yet

others said, "They're like Räma and Sétä." In this way, they spoke their minds

each to the other. They laughed and fell on each other as if drunk. They were

all simple young girls at the marriage of their friend and were unable to check

their jubilation.

The whole day passed in such blissful events. Finally, the auspicious time for

marriage arrived. Then Süryadäsa Paëòita told his relatives to decorate both

the bride and groom. Hearing this, everyone became very happy.

Nityänanda Prabhu came and sat in the courtyard of the Viñëu temple and

Gaurédäsa Paëòita began to decorate Him. Nityänanda was naturally most

enchanting. The Paëòita put tilaka and sandalwood paste on His forehead.

Naturally intoxicated with prema, Lord Nityänanda's eyes always moved in

circles. The Paëòita put black ointment on those eyes.

The Lord's beautiful raised nose was marked with tilaka and sandalwood paste.

The beauty of His face defeated the beauty of the moon. His broad chest was

decorated with sandalwood paste and flower garlands. He wore white garments and

a white brähmaëa thread. It appeared like Lord Ananta Çeña covering Lord

Balaräma. A crown adorned His head and He wore beautiful earrings. The golden

ornaments adorning Him shone brightly.

The artistic ladies sat in a private place and began to decorate Jähnavä with

undivided attention. They combed and braided her hair in various attractive

ways. Two colorful clusters of jute hung from her head to her back covering

both her ears. They made many beautiful braids with her hair beginning from her

forehead. Wiping her face with the corner of their saris, they decorated it

with kuìkuma. They adorned her forehead with the marks of tilaka and applied

black ointments to her eyes. They embellished her forehead and cheeks with many

beautiful dots of sandalwood paste. They put tilaka on her nose and became

captivated by her beauty. Then they began to dress her up. They put a golden

ring with a pearl hanging from it in the tip of her nose. It swung on the top

of her upper lip as she moved. It appeared as if honeybees were falling over a

sesame flower.

Jähnavä was wearing a golden känti-mälä with a locket that hung to her chest.

She was decorated in the most attractive manner and her beauty was matchless.

Golden earrings resembling campaka flowers decorated Her ears appearing like

lightening. The earrings were fixed at one place, yet they desired to touch her

other limbs. Golden bracelets and bangles bedecked Her hands. She wore golden

ankle bells on her beautiful reddish feet. After decorating her properly, they

put betel nut in her mouth and hung garlands of fragrant flowers on her neck.

They sprinkled scented oil all over her body.

Then all the relatives and friends of Süryadäsa Paëòita told him to take his

daughter and circle the groom. Paëòita at once accepted the proposal saying,

"Whatever you all say, I must follow." Everyone rushed in all directions to

gather the necessary items for the marriage. They brought various articles

before Süryadäsa Paëòita and set them before Lord Nityänanda. They then made

Him sit on a palanquin. The musicians began to play their instruments, filling

the entire sky with sound. The singers and dancers sang and danced perfectly in

tune with the music. Lord Nityänanda beheld all this dressed in divine

garments.

Sitting on a palanquin, Nityänanda Prabhu was taken on procession through the

streets as auspicious sounds of joy filled the four directions. The women of

the city lined their doorsteps with their babies on their laps to have a

glimpse of the groom. Young boys rushed to the spot and became overwhelmed with

happiness as they joined the singing. After roaming all over the city,

Nityänanda Prabhu, resembling a full moon, arrived at the doorstep of Süryadäsa

Paëòita.

Süryadäsa Paëòita offered incense, ghee lamp, sandalwood paste, and flower

garlands to Nityänanda Prabhu. He then led Him by the hand to the marriage

arena. Someone sprinkled scented water before Nityänanda as He walked. The

ladies began to make auspicious sounds of ulu-dhvani. Then He stood on a low

wooden platform. His radiance filled all directions.

Holding ghee lamps and flower garlands, all the brähmaëas circled Nityänanda

seven times. The ladies smiled covering their mouths with their saris and

falling on each other. They then brought the bride on a beautiful throne and

made her circle Nityänanda seven times. Jähnavä and Nityänanda glanced at each

other as everyone threw flowers and pan. Their spontaneous love for each other

awakened. After a long time when Jähnavä saw her beloved Lord, she held her

head down in shyness. They took Jähnavä inside the room and all the brähmaëas

began to complete all the formalities according to the injunctions. Süryadäsa

Paëòita offered jewelry, clothes, and other items to Nityänanda Prabhu and

formally accepted Him as a son-in-law. Then he brought his daughter and offered

her to Nityänanda Prabhu in charity as per the Vedic injunctions. Taking his

daughter and son-in-law inside, he made them sit on a divine bed decorated with

flowers. Many young girls also entered the room teasing and joking with the new

groom.

The whole night passed in joyful happiness. In the morning, Nityänanda Prabhu

took bath and sat down for the Vedic ceremony of putting sindüra (vermilion) on

the bride's head. The brähmaëas then performed the fire sacrifice according to

the Vedic rules. Finally, hundreds of brähmaëas were served a feast. Nityänanda

Prabhu lived happily at the house of Süryadäsa Paëòita for a few days.

One day, Çré Jähnavä was serving Nityänanda His lunch of Kåñëa prasäda with

utmost care. The younger daughter of Süryadäsa Paëòita, Vasudhä, whose mind was

firmly attached to Nityänanda since her childhood, came to assist. As she was

serving prasäda to Nityänanda Prabhu, all of a sudden the part of her sari

covering her head fell off. Since both her hands were engaged in serving, she

manifested two more hands and replaced her sari on her head.

Seeing this, Nityänanda Prabhu caught hold of her hand and made her sit on His

right side. Nityänanda then said to Süryadäsa Paëòita, "I'll take your younger

daughter with Me as a dowry." Süryadäsa Paëòita replied, "I have no objection.

There's nothing I can refuse You. I've surrendered my own caste, life, wealth,

house, associates, and everything else at Your lotus feet." Saying this,

Paëòita raised his hands and danced in ecstasy while chanting "Hari! Hari!" He

prayed, "O Kåñëa, O Yädava, please be merciful to me so that I may fix my mind,

body, and speech at the lotus feet of Nityänanda Prabhu." He explained all the

details to his relatives. They all smilingly approved everything. They said,

"We've also become lucky by your association. In fact, who has the power to

disobey the Lord?" With folded hands, everyone said to Süryadäsa Paëòita,

"You've actually purchased Kåñëa in Kali-yuga." Nityänanda Prabhu inspired

everyone of Ambikä-kälnä to float in the ocean of bliss.

Accepting the lotus feet of Caitanya and Nityänanda as my life and soul, I,

Våndävana däsa, sing the glories of Their lotus feet.