Forest Fire of Material Existence

Hearing of the pastimes of the Lord is called kṛṣṇa-kathā. Similarly, there is a statement by Prahlāda Mahārāja that those who are always merged in the ocean of the nectar of describing the Lord's pastimes are liberated and have no fear of the material condition of life. The Siddhas (they are residents of Siddhaloka where all eight kinds of yogic perfections are in fullness) say that the mind of an ordinary person is full of anxieties. The example is given of the elephant who has suffered in a forest fire and who enters into a river for relief.

If persons who are suffering in the forest fire of this material existence will only enter into the nectarean river of the description of the pastimes of the Lord, they will forget all the troubles of the miserable material existence. The Siddhas do not care for fruitive activities, such as performing sacrifices and achieving the good results. They simply merge in the transcendental discussions of the pastimes of the Lord. That makes them completely happy, without care for pious or impious activities. For those who are always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no need to perform any kind of pious or impious sacrifices or activities. Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is itself complete, for it includes all the processes praised in the Vedic scriptures.

- Srimad Bhagavatam 4.7.35 Purport by Srila Prabhupada

Nature of God

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.7.34: The sages prayed: Dear Lord, Your activities are most wonderful, and although You do everything by Your different potencies, You are not at all attached to such activities. You are not even attached to the goddess of fortune, who is worshiped by the great demigods like Brahmā, who pray to achieve her mercy.

PURPORT: In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the Lord has no desire to achieve any result from His wonderful activities, nor has He any need to perform them. But still, in order to give an example to people in general, He sometimes acts, and those activities are very wonderful. He is not attached to anything. Na māḿ karmāṇi limpanti - although He acts very wonderfully, He is not at all attached to anything. He is self-sufficient. The example is given here that the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, is always engaged in the service of the Lord, but still He is not attached to her. Even great demigods like Brahmā worship the goddess of fortune in order to win her favor, but although the Lord is worshiped by many hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, He is not at all attached to any one of them. This distinction concerning the exalted transcendental position of the Lord is specifically mentioned by the great sages; He is not like the ordinary living entity, who is attached to the results of pious activities.

Bhagavad Gita 4.14
Na mam karmani limpanti
na me karma phale sprah
iti mam yo 'bhi janati
karmabhir na sa badhyate


There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.

Perfect Position of a Krsna Conscious Person

Conditioned souls, have no choice but to accept their precarious condition under material nature. The only remedy is to surrender to Visnu and always pray to be excused. One should depend only on the causeless mercy of the Lord for deliverance and not even slightly on one's own strength. That is the perfect position of a Krsna conscious person. The Lord is everyone's friend, but He is especially friendly to the surrendered soul. The simple process, therefore, is that a conditioned soul should remain surrendered to the Lord, and the Lord will give him all protection to keep him out of the clutches of material contamination.

- SB 4.7.30 Purport

Sri Guru Nityananda Prabhu

Srila Gour Govinda Swami from the book Sri Guru Nityananda Prabhu



"Nityananda Prabhu is very dear to Sriman Gauranga Mahaprabhu and He is mercifully disposed to the welfare of every living entity in the universe. He is always intoxicated with Krsna-prema and just a merciful glance from Him will turn anyone mad with love of Krsna. He comes to this material world in this Kali yuga to deliver the sinful persons. He is so merciful, unlimitedly merciful one cannot trace out the end of this mercy, it is unlimited mercy. He chants and does Hari-kirtan and preaches. He delivers the fallen souls here in the material world. In Bhagavad-gita it has been said, daivi hy esa guna-mayi, mama maya duratyaya. The manifestation of maya-sakti is very, very difficult to surmount. This maya-sakti is insurmountable. But Sri Nityananda Prabhu, by doing harinama-sankirtana just crushes the pride of this maya-sakti and He has shown a very easy way how to cross this material ocean of nescience. This bhakti, devotional service is like a creeper, bhakti-lata. And the root of that creeper is Nityananda Prabhu. Do you understand? So I prostrate myself at His lotus feet."

"The mula-guru-tattva, original guru-tattva is Nityananda-tattva. So by gradual descending Sri Guru has come to us which is the mercy manifestation of Nityananda Prabhu, that is Nityananda-tattva; He has come to us. So Nitaicand is both diksa and siksa-guru. He is guru-tattva. Only difference is the activities, lilas, nothing else."

Nityananda Prabhu is Spiritual Strength

Srila Prabhupada instructed devotees pray to Nityananda Prabhu and seek His mercy for their deliverance, just as He delivered the downtrodden brothers, Jagai and Madhai. He is the merciful and kind Baladeva, who gives spiritual strength with which one can approach Lord Krishna.

Therefore devotees chant “Nitai-Gaura.” Nityananda Prabhu is the original spiritual master. The spiritual master is the representative of Nityananda Prabhu. So when Nityananda Prabhu is pleased, then we become detached from this material attraction and get shelter of Lord Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada states:
“Nityananda Prabhu is Baladeva, Baladeva-tattva.
vrajendra-nandana yei, saci-suta haila sei,
balarama haila nitai

“Who was formerly the son of Nanda Maharaja, He has appeared as the son of Sacidevi.” Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mother’s name was Sacidevi. So Krsna… Krsna is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Balarama is Nityananda Prabhu. Now…

vrajendra-nandana yei, saci-suta haila sei,
balarama haila nitai

So Balarama… In the Vedic literature it is said, nayam atma bala-hinena labhyah; na bahuna srutena. So bala means strength. Sometimes some rascal philosophers, they take it that bala means bodily strength. They propagate this philosophy that “Unless you are bodily stout and strong, you cannot achieve spiritual salvation. You must be very strong and stout and eat meat and fight, and then you’ll get next spiritual birth” No. This bala, this strength, is different. This is spiritual strength….” Nityananda Prabhu is strength, spiritual strength and without mercy of Nityananda Prabhu you cannot approach Krishna."

Glories of Lord Nityananda

Nityananda Trayodashi in 2012 is observed on February 05

Some verses from Caitanya Caritamrita



“May Sri Nityananda Rama be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Sesa Naga and the Visnus who lie on the Karana Ocean, Garbha Ocean and Ocean of Milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions.” (C.C.Adi 1.7)

“I surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, who is known as Sankarsana in the midst of the catur-vyuha [consisting of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha]. He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikunthaloka, far beyond the material creation.” (C.C.Adi 1.8)

“I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose partial representation called Karanadakasayi Visnu, lying on the Karana Ocean, is the original Purusa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes.” (C.C.Adi 1.9)

“I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakasayi Visnu. From the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu sprouts the lotus that is the birthplace of Brahma, the engineer of the universe. The stem of that lotus is the
resting place of the multitude of planets.” (C.C.Adi 1.10)

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose secondary part is the Visnu lying in the Ocean of Milk. That Ksirodakasayi Visnu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universes. Sesa Naga is His further subpart” (C.C.Adi 1.11)
For two purposes to spread the cult of bhakti and to defeat and sub-due the atheists Lord Nityananda, the most dedicated devotee of the Lord, moved throughout the country. (Cc. Antya 3.149)

These two brothers (Gaura and Nitai) are like one body; they are identical manifestations. If you do not believe in Lord Nityananda, you will fall down. If you have faith in one, but disrespect the other, your logic is like the logic of accepting half a hen. (Cc. Adi 5.175,176)
Glories of Nityananda Prabhu from Chaitanya Bhagavat
Devotees understand that Lord Nityananda is Balarama Himself — the first expansion of Krsna.

Vrindavan das Thakur, author of Caitanya Bhagavat prays, “I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, whose long arms extend to Their knees. They have splendid golden complexions, and They inaugurated the congregational chanting of The Holy Names of the Lord. Their eyes resemble the petals of lotus flowers. They are the maintainers of all the worlds, the best of the brahmanas, the protectors of religious principles for this age. They bring happiness to the people of the world, and are the most merciful incarnations.”

One who would cross over the ocean of material existence and swim in the bhakti ocean should worship the lotus feet of Nityananda. (Cb. Adi 1.77)

Lord Caitanya's first and foremost devotee is Nityananda Raya. The glories of Lord Caitanya are always on his tongue. Day and night Lord Nityananda speaks only of Lord Caitanya. Whoever worships Him is a real devotee of Sri Caitanya. (C.Bhag. Adi 9.217-218)

Shade of Nityananda Prabhu's Lotus Feet

"Nitai-pada-kamala, koti-candra-susitala. If we take shelter of Nityananda Prabhu, then we get peace. Koti-candra-susitala. Just like in daytime, especially in the summer season, we become very much exasperated. But at night, in the evening, as soon as there is moonshine, we become very much satisfied. All day's labor and fatigue is immediately moved. So nitai-pada-kamala, the shade of Nityananda Prabhu's lotus feet, is koti-candra-susitala, as pleasing as one crore of moonshine. One moonshine gives us so much pleasure."

"So if we want actual peace of mind, if we actually want to be free form this material argument, then we must take the shelter of Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhu is the strength, spiritual strength. And without spiritual strength you cannot approach Krishna... So we must have spiritual strength. That source of spiritual strength is Balarama. Krishna's next manifestation. Krishna is manifesting Himself through Balarama. So we have to take shelter of Nityananda Prabhu. Nitai pada kamala, koti chandra susitala, je chayaya jagata judaya. The whole world is suffering but if you want peace, then you take the shelter of Nityananda Prabhu..."

- Srila Prabhupada

Forgetting Lord Nityananda

The following song is sung by Narottama dasa Thakura: ahankare matta hana, nitai-pada pasariya, asatyere satya kari mani Due to forgetting the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda and being puffed up by material possessions, wealth and opulence, one thinks the false, temporary material world to be an actual fact. This is the material disease. The living entity is eternal and blissful, but despite miserable material conditions, he thinks the material world to be real and factual due to his ignorance.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 5.14.5

Ekadashi Darshan - 03.02.2012

Colourful Vrindavan Darshan - 01.02.2012

Padyavali Text 14: Pure devotional service in Krishna Consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price - that is, intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay.*
Ramananda Raya



Padyavali 20: O Supreme Personality of Godhead, when someone desires to chant Your holy name, sins tremble in fear, the glory of material illusion faints unconscious, Yamaraja's scribe Citragupta becomes happy and gazes at the chanter's toenails with awe and reverence, and Lord Brahma prepares madhu-parka to worship him. O Lord, what more can we say than this?
author unknown



Padyavali 40: O Lord, I do not pray for heavenly happiness, I do not even aspire for liberation. Simply let, day after day, the nectar of Krishna's transcendental pastimes flood my ears.
Kaviratna



Padyavali 49: His loosened hair crowned with a peacock-feather and flowing over His shoulders, His handsome form bending in three places, and His feet crossing as He dances, merciful and charming Krishna plays His flute. Such is the Lord whom I worship.
Narada



Padyavali 51: Lord Krishna who is like a sun rising in the darkness, like a boat to the drowning, like a sweet raincloud to those dying of thirst, like a fabulous wealth to the poverty-stricken, and like an infallible physician to those afflicted with the most painful disease, has come to grant auspiciousness to us.