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During the battle of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna took a pledge not to use any weapon. But when He saw that His most beloved devotee, Arjuna, would be killed by Bhishmadeva’s arrow, He broke His promise. The Lord pulled the wheel from the chariot and pointed it toward Bhishmadeva. Upon seeing the Lord’s pledge broken for the sake of His devotee, Bhishmadeva happily surrendered and began glorifying Him. The Lord threw away the wheel, which landed at the place Ekachakra Dham.
Lord Nityananda’s appearance made this holy place even more glorified. Nityananda Prabhu is most merciful, even more merciful than Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Because approaching Him is easier, and one who is accepted by Him is never rejected by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His lotus feet are compared to the soothing effect of millions of moonlights.
Appearance of Lord Nityananda
Lord Nityananda made His divine appearance at Ekachakra Dham in 1474; this day is also celebrated as Nityananda Trayodashi. The auspicious event took place on Trayodashi, the 13th lunar day of the Shukla Paksha, in the month of Magha. He was born to Hadai Pandita and Padmavati, who named Him Nitai. His birthplace was later named Garbhavasa, and it became a place of worship for the devotees.
A great Acharya beautifully describes Lord Nityananda's divine form: His forehead is decorated with tilaka, and His curly hair moves gently as He moves. A crown decorated with gunja berries rests upon His head. His slender waist is compared to that of a lion, and He wears a blue cloth around His hips. The nectarian sound of His ankle bells makes His beautiful form even more enchanting.
Who is Nityananda Prabhu
Nityananda Prabhu is Lord Balarama Himself. Srila Narottam Das Thakur composed a very nice Vaishnava song, hari hari biphale janama, explaining who Lord Nityananda is.
brajendra-nandana jei, śacī-suta hoilo sei,
balarāma hoilo nitāi
Lord Krishna, who is the son of the King of Vraja, became the son of Mother Sachi as Lord Chaitanya, and Balarama became Nitai. Anyone who wants to understand Krishna must take shelter of Balarama. Therefore, Balarama comes as Nityananda, who is guru tattva. A guru is a representative of Balarama or Nityananda because he presents Krishna.
Lord Nityananda serves the divine couple Radha and Krishna as Ananga Manjari in Goloka Vrindavan. She is the sister of Srimati Radharani, daughter of King Vrishabhanu and Queen Kirtida.
The lotus feet of Nityananda are not illusion; they are a fact. If one really wants to get peace, then he must tightly hold the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda. Without taking His shelter, one cannot approach Radha and Krishna.
Nityananda Prabhu Pranam Mantra
By reciting Pranam Mantras, we offer our respectful obeisances, glorify the transcendental qualities of the personality, and beg for their mercy.
nityanandam aham naumi
sarvananda-karam param
hari-nama-pradam devam
avadhuta-shiromanim
Translation: I bow down to the Supreme Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is the awarder of the highest joy to all, the bestower of the holy name, and the crest jewel of all paramahamsa mendicants.
Childhood Pastimes of Nitai
Lord Nityananda was very attractive and influential from His childhood. He always remained absorbed in Krishna’s pastimes and made others remember Him. Everyone had more affection for Nityananda than they had for their own sons. He used to perform dramatic pastimes with His friends that appeared completely real. Seeing His extraordinary activities, everyone wondered if He was an incarnation of the Lord.
Advent of Lord Krishna
Little Nitai, with His friends, used to perform various pastimes, and everyone relished their plays. The boys formed a divine council; some took the role of Mother Earth and submitted a petition. They went to the bank of the Milk Ocean and offered their heartfelt prayers to Lord Krishna. A boy behind the scenes called out in a loud voice, “I shall appear in Gokula, Mathura.”
One evening, Nitai performed the marriage ceremony of Sri Vasudeva and Devaki Devi. They closed all the doors and windows to create a prison and enacted the birth of Lord Krishna in the middle of the night. They tricked the wicked King Kamsa by exchanging Lord Krishna with a baby girl, Mahamaya, and carried Him to Gokula.
In Gokula, these boys performed various pastimes, dressed a young boy as Putana, and had someone climb on her breast to suck her milk. Just like Lord Krishna, Nitai entered the milkmen's houses with His young friends and stole butter. While grazing cows, He dressed His friends as Bakasura, Aghasura, and Vatsasura and enacted Lord Krishna's pastimes of killing those demons. Playing His horn all the way, He returned home at sunset with the cows and His young friends.
The entire place became Vraj Bhumi, and these boys never wanted to leave His company. Everyone wondered how a mere child knew all the pastimes of Lord Krishna.
Hanuman Lifting the Gandhamadana Hill
One day, Lord Nityananda was absorbed in the mood of Lakshmana. His friends, however, could not understand this and thought it was just a game. Five boys took the role of monkeys: Sugriva and his four ministers, Hanuman, Nala, Nila, and Tara. A boy took the role of Ravana and said, “I am Ravana. Now I am releasing the shakti-shela weapon.” He threw a lotus flower at Nitai, and little Nitai fell to the ground unconscious.
All the boys tried to revive Him, but nothing happened. They began to cry aloud. Hearing the cries, His father and mother came running, and seeing no sign of life in their son, they also fell unconscious.
His friends recalled that Nitai had told them that if He fell unconscious, they should immediately send Hanuman to Gandhamadana Hill to bring life-restoring medicine.
While going to Gandhamadana Hill, Hanuman faced many obstacles to his service. He met a renunciate, defeated a crocodile, overcame a demon and the Gandharvas, and finally reached the hill. Carrying the hill on his head, he returned with the life-restoring medicine. The boy who was playing the role of a physician remembered Lord Rama and placed the medicine before Nitai's nose. Lord Nityananda regained His consciousness, and seeing this, His parents regained their lives.
Departs Ekachakra to Begin Pilgrimage
Lord Nityananda performed His childhood pastimes for 12 years at Ekachakra, and everyone became very attached to Him. After completing twelve years, Lord Nityananda Ram went with Laxmipati Tirtha on pilgrimage. The sannyasi requested Lord Nityananda's parents to allow Nitai to accompany him. Nitai was their beloved son and the very life and soul of the family, but being deeply religious, they could not refuse his request.
Lord Nityananda Ram first visited the temple of Vakresvara and then walked through the forests of Vaidyanatha. He travelled to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag, and Mathura, where He visited the birthplace of Lord Krishna. He performed parikrama of Govardhana Hill and wandered through all twelve forests of Vrindavana. After visiting all the places of pilgrimage, He visited Jagannath Puri; on seeing Lord Jagannath, He went into ecstasy. The Lord again travelled to Mathura, completely absorbed in thoughts of Krishna.
He met with Sri Madhavendra Puri during His pilgrimage. Nityananda Prabhu’s exalted position was immediately recognized by him due to being a great devotee of Lord Krishna. When they saw each other, they became overwhelmed with transcendental love. They spent many blissful days together discussing the confidential topics of Krishna, relishing the nectar of pure devotional love in each other's association.
Meeting with Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Lord Nityananda was absorbed in the thoughts of Lord Krishna while living in Vrindavan. He heard that Lord Krishna had already appeared in Navadvipa Mayapura as Gaura Chandra, the son of Sachi Devi. Lord Nityananda arrived in Navadvipa and stayed at the house of Nandana Acharya, remaining unknown to everyone. Nandana Acharya felt his life was successful as he had seen and got the chance to serve Nityananda Prabhu.
Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu had a dream that His beloved Nityananda had arrived in the town. He informed all the devotees and sent Srivasa Pandit and Haridasa Thakura to search for Him. After hearing that Nityananda was not in Navadvipa, Mahaprabhu personally took the devotees with Him to Nandana Acharya's house.
When the devotees saw Lord Nityananda, they were filled with wonder as His dazzling effulgence shone like millions of suns. Mahaprabhu told Srivasa Pandit to sing a verse from the Bhagavatam in order to show the exalted identity of Lord Nityananda.
barhāpīḍaṁ naṭa-vara-vapuḥ karṇayoḥ karṇikāraṁ
bibhrad vāsaḥ kanaka-kapiśaṁ vaijayantīṁ ca mālām
randhrān veṇor adhara-sudhayāpūrayan gopa-vṛndair
vṛndāraṇyaṁ sva-pada-ramaṇaṁ prāviśad gīta-kīrtiḥ
~ ŚB 10.21.5
Translation: Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karṇikāra flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayantī garland, Lord Kṛṣṇa exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vṛndāvana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories.
After hearing this verse, Lord Nityananda uttered Ha Krishna! and fainted; devotees saw eight ecstatic symptoms in His body. Mahaprabhu held Him to His chest and glorified Him before the assembled devotees.
Panihati Chida Dahi Festival
Panihati Chida Dahi Festival commemorates the divine mercy bestowed by Lord Nityananda upon His dear devotee, Raghunatha Dasa. Following the Lord's instruction, Raghunatha lovingly served countless devotees with various preparations of chida, flattened rice, and dahi, yogurt. The celebration was so grand that many people stood in the Ganges to honor the prasadam when no seating remained. Even today, devotees observe this sacred pastime by preparing chida-dahi, chanting the Holy Names, and remembering Lord Nityananda's boundless compassion.
Discover the full pastime of the Panihati Chida Dahi Festival and learn how Lord Nityananda bestowed His causeless mercy upon Raghunatha Dasa in our detailed article.
Deliverance of Jagai and Madhai
Once Lord Nityananda and Haridasa Thakura were walking on the main street, and they saw a huge crowd assembled there. The two brothers named Jagai and Madhai were creating a disturbance. They were born in a brahmana family, but due to bad association, they turned into debauchees. They used to break the four regulative principles: no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling, and no illicit sex.
Nityananda Prabhu thought that if these two brothers were delivered, then the name of Lord Chaitanya would be even more glorified. Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura went to the brothers and asked them to chant the Holy Name of the Lord. Angered by their words, the two brothers started abusing Lord Nityananda Prabhu and chased Him and Haridasa Thakura for a considerable distance.
In the evening, Mahaprabhu became pleased on hearing that His beloved devotees had tried to deliver the two foolish brothers. The next day, when Nityananda Prabhu went to see the brothers, Madhai threw a piece of earthen pot at Him. It hit Him on the forehead, and He immediately started bleeding. Nityananda Prabhu, being very merciful, requested them to chant the Holy Name of the Lord.
Jagai was amazed to see His merciful behavior, and he at once fell at His feet and asked Him to pardon his sinful brother. When Madhai attempted to hurt Nityananda Prabhu again, Jagai tried to stop him. The news reached Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and He immediately rushed to the spot in great anger. The Lord invoked His Sudarshan Chakra to kill these demons, but Nityananda Prabhu reminded Him of His mission.
The Lord had incarnated to deliver the fallen souls of this age of Kali. Both the brothers fell at the lotus feet of the Lord, but the Lord refused to accept them because they had hurt His beloved Nityananda. On Nityananda Prabhu’s request, He excused them on one condition: from that day onward, they would completely give up sinful life.
Conclusion
Lord Nityananda came here to deliver the people of this age. Five hundred years ago, there were only two debauchees, Jagai and Madhai, but now more than ninety percent of the population is like Jagai and Madhai. Only by following in the footsteps of Nityananda Prabhu can we come to the right path.
Anyone who follows Him must preach this cult of Krishna Consciousness without caring about the challenges along the way. Lord Chaitanya always protects one who tries to propagate this mission.
