20230203 Lord Nityānanda Trayodaśī Special Class

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: Today is the auspicious day of the appearance of Lord Nityānanda. Jaya Nitāi! He appears, today, the Māghī Trayodaśī. They are going to special darśana of Lord Nityānanda after this class. Of course, Lord Nityānanda, He appeared a little before Lord Caitanya in Rāḍhādeśa, in Ekacakra. And His mother was Padmāvatī and His father was Hāḍāi Ojhā.

And for 12 years, He played with His friends, different pastimes of the Lord. Sometimes, all the different lilas of Kṛṣṇa in Gokula and other places. Sometimes the pastimes of Rāmacandra, sometimes He played Lord Rāma and sometimes He played Lakṣmaṇa. All the children, they were playing the dramas with Him. And the parents were watching, how do these children know all these pastimes?! And sometimes they played all the devas, they went to the Śvetadvīpa and prayed to Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Lord Nityānanda, He took different roles – sometimes He played one of the devas and sometimes Lord Viṣṇu. There is a tree still there in Ekacakra which is like Anantaśeṣa. And the branches are like the hoods of a snake. Many dramas He played beneath that tree. One time He was playing the part of Lakṣmaṇa. And the son of Rāvaṇa, Indrajit, hit him with an arrow, and He was unconscious and Hanumān had to go and bring the herb from the mountain. But just at that time His mother came and called Him for lunch. But He was unconscious. They brought His father, “What happened? What happened? Call the doctor.” They brought the doctor. The doctor could not figure out what was wrong. Then the father asked, “What was He doing?” They said, “Well! He played the part of Lakṣmaṇa and Hanumān has to get the herb to revive Him.” So the father said, “Who is playing Hanumān? Bring the herb quick!” Then Rāma took the herb from Hanumān and put under the nose of Lakṣmaṇa or Nitāi. Then He became conscious. So their drama was very serious! So like this everyday, they played drama of different pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.

Then one sannyāsī came when Nitāi was 12 years old. The sannyāsī was talking about Kṛṣṇa and was very nice association. Then somehow, he asked, “Well, will you give me something?” Hāḍāi Ojhā said, “Why not? I will give you anything you want.” “Anything?” Nitāi’s father said: “Yes, anything!” “Are you sure you will give anything?” said the sannyāsī. “Yes I am a brāhmaṇa, whatever I say is true.” “Then I want Nitāi” said the sannyāsī. Hāḍāi Ojhā said: “Oh no, no! No, not Nitāi” “Nyet! Nyet Nitāi!” But he thought, “If I do not give him to the sannyāsī, I will teach my son lies. But if he gives Him, he cannot live.” So, since he promised, he thought, well I have to give him. Nitāi left with the sannyāsī and Hāḍāi Ojhā and Padmāvatī, they stood at a distance and watched Him walk away. Then they died! They could not survive the separation from Nitāi.

Nitāi went to South India and He purified all the holy places. All the accumulated sins that people left there, He wiped them out. In his travels He met Mādhavendra Purī, some say He was initiated by Mādhavendra Purī, some say He was initiated by the guru of Mādhavendra Purī. Then He went to Jagannātha Purī. He saw Lord Jagannātha and He was very ecstatic. Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā. Then He went to Vṛndāvana. And there He had a dream that Lord Caitanya had started His saṅkīrtana movement. In one of the caves of Govardhana, one of the cowherd boys of Vṛndāvana had stayed since the Dvāpara-yuga and was in the cave in Govardhana. So Śrīdāma, He called him out “Śrīdāma! Śrīdāma!” and so Śrīdāma came out from the cave. Śrīdāma asked, “Who are You? Everything is so small!” Because in Dvāpara-yuga they were very big! In Kali-yuga people are short. Although Lord Nityānanda was almost seven feet tall! But compared to Śrīdāma, He was short. Śrīdāma asked “Who are you?” Lord Nityānanda said, “I am Balarāma.” “You are Balarāma? Only Balarāma could beat me racing around Govardhana Hill.” So he started running. He and Nityānanda were having a race. They went around one corner of Govardhana and came out the far side. Crossed over the other corner. They were going all the way, going to the finish line. And Lord Nityānanda, He was winning. Haribol! So Śrīdāma said, “Alright, You are Balarāma! So what do You want?” Lord Nityānanda said, “Kānāi has appeared in Bengal and is starting the saṅkīrtana movement. Do you want to come?” Śrīdāma said, “Yes, why not?” Lord Nityānanda said that, “First you have to be Kali-yuga size.” So Nityānanda put His hand on Śrīdāma and shrunk him down to Kali-yuga size. Then the two of them, they went to Navadvīpa.

And then, Lord Caitanya had a dream that Balarāma had come to His house. Nityānanda, He went to the house of Nandana Ācārya. The next Gauḍīya Maṭha from ISKCON. And that is known as the Gosvāmī Maṭha. Lord Nityānanda stayed there and Lord Caitanya said that Nityānanda had come and He sent all His associates to find Him. They came back, they could not find Him! “Do you look for Him?” Lord Caitanya asked. “Yes, yes!” they said. “You cannot find Him by looking. He has to reveal Himself!” said Lord Caitanya. “But I can find Him!” said Lord Caitanya. So He took out a saṅkīrtana party and started doing saṅkīrtana around Navadvīpa. Then He went to Nandana Ācārya’s house. And He entered the house, the courtyard with the saṅkīrtana party. Then Lord Nityānanda hearing the chanting, He stood up. There Lord Nityānanda saw Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga saw Nityānanda! And then Lord Nityānanda cried out “Gaurāṅga!” Gaurāṅga called out “Nitāi” Gaurāṅga! Nitāi! Gaurāṅga! Nitāi! Then they ran together and embraced each other. The word went that the two brothers were getting united. Then they went out and did saṅkīrtana together. Lord Caitanya is the color of gold and Lord Nityānanda is a little reddish gold. People were saying, how is there two of them? Two Lord Caitanyas! They were chanting and dancing around Navadvīpa. So they had many pastimes together.

Lord Caitanya sent Nitāi out with Haridāsa Ṭhākura. And asked Him to get the people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So they went door to door asking the people to please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Every night, they would come back and give the report to Lord Caitanya. One day, they met Jagāi and Mādhāi, in a drunken stupor. And people said, don’t go to them, they are very violent people, they are bad people. But Nityānanda thought that, “Lord Caitanya has come to deliver the most fallen. So, I should deliver them to show Lord Caitanya’s mercy is unlimited.” They went to the two and told them, please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They could not believe it! They looked at each other and said “What did He say? Let us attack Him, come on! get Him!” They started running after Nitāi and Haridāsa. Then Nityānanda was running away, Haridāsa was a little chubby. So he thought they were finished! So, they ran, ran, went down a side alley. They hid behind a watery place, where the cows would eat and drink. Jagāi and Mādhāi looked, they could not see them and somehow ran on. And then they reported to Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya said, “Don’t take so much risk.” Nitāi said, “You have come to deliver the most fallen, so You should also deliver Jagāi and Mādhāi.”

Like that they went every day to different houses. Then they met Jagāi and Mādhāi again. Again Lord Nityānanda requested them, “Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa!” then Mādhāi hit Lord Nityānanda with his wine bottle. He caused His head to bleed. Lord Nityānanda said “Just because you caused me to bleed, I won’t give you love of Godhead?” When Lord Caitanya heard that they had attacked Lord Nityānanda who was such a sweet person, He came running to that place. And He invoked His Sudarśana cakra! “Cakra! Cakra!” The cakra came, ready to kill the two. Lord Nityānanda pleaded with Lord Caitanya, “If You kill them, You have to kill so many”. Of course, Jagāi had told Mādhāi, “Be kind, there is something about this person. You hit Him but He is still talking love. He is not an ordinary person.” So, Lord Caitanya was willing to forgive Jagāi but He said that Mādhāi had to get forgiven by Lord Nityānanda. Somehow, the two brothers bowed down. Nityānanda forgave Mādhāi. And Nityānanda pleaded for Mādhāi. Then they had to promise that they won’t do any sinful acts. Then they took a bath in the Ganges and came back and promised they would lead a holy life. Then Lord Caitanya said, “Alright I will take all of your sins. Give Me a tulasī leaf in My hand.” Mādhāi gave a tulasī leaf in the hand of Lord Caitanya. He took all the sins of Mādhāi. For a second, it seemed like the golden color of Lord Caitanya had turned black! Then it came back to gold! So Jagāi and Mādhāi, they began chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa! Mādhāi went to Lord Nityānanda and he said, “I have committed many offences against You, how will I be forgiven?” Lord Nityānanda said, “Just like a mother holds the baby, then the baby kicks the mother, she does not mind, same way I don’t mind.” “But I committed so many offences to the dhāma-vāsīs” said Mādhāi. “How can I get forgiven?” Lord Nityānanda told him “Make a bathing ghāṭa at the Ganges. By people going and bathing in your ghāṭa, you will get forgiven for your offences.” So he was very muscular, strong, he personally built the ghāṭa. In the month of May when the Ganges is at the lowest level. You can still see Mādhāi ghāṭa. Cannot see the ghāṭa but you can see the place. In Katwa, there is the samādhi of Jagāi and Mādhāi. Every day, they go chanting and dancing, crying and bathing in the Ganges.

Lord Caitanya, when He took sannyāsa, He went with Lord Nityānanda, but He wanted to go to Vṛndāvana. But Lord Nityānanda, He wanted Him to meet the devotees first. There are many pastimes, I am just skimming over. Some boys on the side of Ganges, Lord Nityānanda told them, “When Lord Caitanya asks you where is Vṛndāvana, point south.” Lord Nityānanda, He jumped in the Ganges and floated downstream. A little before Navadvīpa He got out. He just sat on the road and was crying. He was in ecstasy. He went to Navadvīpa and got mother Śacī, and said, “Come with Me to Śāntipur.” And He took Mother Śacī and many other devotees from Navadvīpa to Śāntipura. Meanwhile, Lord Caitanya was going south and He ended up in Śāntipura! Then He saw Advaita Gosāñi was in the river. “What is Advaita doing in Vṛndāvana?” then He realized that Lord Nityānanda had tricked Him! But Lord Advaita said, “Anyway, this side of the Ganges is Yamunā!” Then He put Lord Caitanya in a boat and they crossed the Ganges. Then He had pastimes with Mother Śacī. She told Him to make His base in Jagannātha Purī. Go sometime to Vṛndāvana but stay in Jagannātha Purī so she could get information more regularly.

Lord Advaita, He had prasāda to give Gaura Nitāi. Lord Caitanya said, “I am a sannyāsī so I will just take a little bit.” But Lord Nityānanda said, “I am hungry, I have not eaten in three days! Give Me prasāda. Don’t ask Him.” So, anyway there were many pastimes in Śāntipur where Lord Advaita was feeding Gaura Nitāi. Lord Nityānanda said “What is this? You are not giving Me anything?” He threw some rice from His plate on Advaita. And Advaita said, “I am just trying to feed a sannyāsī and you are offending my brahmanical stature”. Actually, Advaita was very happy! That place is still there in Śāntipur – Tīna-prabhura-viśrāma-sthāna”.

Actually, then Lord Caitanya went with Lord Nityānanda to Nīlācala. Then He went for like two years to South India. Meanwhile Lord Nityānanda stayed in Jagannātha Purī and engaged everyone in saṅkīrtana. Lord Caitanya told Lord Nityānanda to go back to Bengal and preach there, because They did not finish Their work. Lord Nityānanda said, “I need some assistants”. Lord Caitanya gave Him about 45-50 devotees. He went back to Bengal and it was very ecstatic. Like that, there were so many pastimes. Having arrived in Pānihāṭi and their pastimes there. How Raghunātha dāsa, he had the ciḍā-dadhi mahotsava. And how He flooded Bengal with Harināma saṅkīrtana. How He decided, on the order of Lord Caitanya, to take gṛhastha āśrama. Then He married Jāhnavā and Vasudhā, who were the incarnations of Revatī and Varuṇī.

Śrīdāma had become Abhirāma Ṭhākura. And he bowed down to Lord Nityānanda’s sons. They would all die. So finally, by Vasudhā, Lord Nityānanda had Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Vira-candra as their son. And the Ganges as His daughter. So when Abhirāma offered obeisances to them, they survived! But Vira-candra Prabhu would not take any milk from his mother! So Lord Nityānanda told Jāhnavā devī to give him initiation as a baby. So she gave him initiation and then he took milk from his mother.

Anyway, now I have to go down to see the Deities. Could not finish. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Jaya Nitāi! Haribol! Spacibo! (thank you).

Question: Once Guru Mahārāja said that Lord Nityānanda was dressed as an avadhūta and then Lord Caitanya told Him to dress as a gopa and He started to dress as a cowherd boy. I am curious how He was dressed as avadhūta?

Jayapatākā Swami: Anyway, you see the dress [audio break]

Question:

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Nityānanda [audio break] you know that Lord Nityānanda went down to Jagannātha Purī before Lord Caitanya [audio break] He was just obeying Lord Caitanya [audio break] It was His extreme love for Lord Caitanya. So even though He broke the request of Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya appreciated His [audio break] Some devotees may not approve Lord Nityānanda but Lord Nityānanda was simply [audio break] Lord Caitanya. [audio break] difference between Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda. Lord Nityānanda He went down to Jagannātha Purī again, He met with Lord Caitanya and embraced each other [audio break] Lord Nityānanda gave out love of [audio break] So someone may be more attracted to [audio break] Lord Caitanya is Rādhā Kṛṣṇa [audio break]

Question: Inaudible

Jayapatākā Swami: [Inaudible] liberation. But love of Kṛṣṇa is very hard to get. [Inauidble] Nitāi Gaura. If you want the mercy of Caitanya you have to first get the mercy of Nitāi.