NITYANANDA

Sri Nityananda Rama who is non-different than Lord Balarama and is the original Spiritual Master and also the most merciful of all. (C.C.: Adi 1.7)
sankarsanah kärana-toya-sayi
garbhoda-säyi ca payobdhi-säyi
sesah ca yasyämsa-kaläh sa nityä-
nandäkhya-rämah saranam mamästu

May Sri Nityänanda Räma be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Sesa Näga and the Vishnu’s who lie on the Kärana Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions. (C.C.: Ädi 1.8)
mäyätite vyäpi-vaikuntha-loke
pümaisvarye sri-catur-vyüha-madhye
rüpam yasyodbhäti sankarsanäkhyam
tam sri-nityänanda-rämam prapadye

I surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Nityänanda Räma, who is known as Sankarsana in the midst of the catur-vyüha [consisting of Väsudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha]. He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikunthaloka, far beyond the material creation. (C.C.: Adi 1.9)
mäyä-bhartäjända-sanghäsrayängah
sete säksät käranämbhodhi-madhye
yasyaikämsah sri-pumän ädi-devas
tam sri-nityänanda-rämah prapadye

I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityänanda Räma, whose partial representation called Käranodakasäyi Visnu, lying on the Kärana Ocean, is the original purusa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes. (C.C.:Ädi 1.10)
yasyämsämsah srila-garbhoda-säyi
yan-näbhy-abjam loka-sanghäta-nälam
loka-srastuh sütikä-dhäma dhätus
tam sri-nityänanda-rämah prapadye

I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityänanda Räma, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakasäyi Visnu. From the navel of Garbhodakasäyi Visnu sprouts the lotus that is the birthplace of Brahmä, the engineer of the universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets.
(C.C.:Ädi 1.11)
Lord Nityananada Rama appeared in Radha-desh in the village of Ekacakra Dhama (West Bengal). His parents were Hadai Pandita and Padmavati who were non-different than Vasudeva and Mother Rohini in Krishna-lila. At the age of 12, a Sannyasi visited Hadai Pandita. Hadai Pandita asked the sannyasi how he can serve him? The sannyasi asked if Nityananda can accompany him during his travel and since Hadai Pandita cannot refuse it though he felt great separation from his Son, Lord Nityananda left with the sannyasi. His parents and the neighbors all grieved accutely in separation of Nityananda so much so that even stones can that His parents profuse tears could have melted stones.
In His childhood, Lord Nityananda performed various pastimes of Lord Krsna with His boyfriends. Once He was performing Rama-lila playing the role of Laxmana who fought against all demons and than He was hit by a lotus flower thrown by Ravana as if he was hitting the sakti-sila weapon and Nityananda fell unconscious. Lord Nityananda had before the drama informed His boyfriends that after He fells unconscious the boys should weep for sometime than send for Sri Hanuman and when he holds the medicine to His nose His life will be revived but the boyfriends had forgotten it. Completely absorbed in the emotions of Laxmana, Lord Nityananda laid there unmoving seeing that His parents fainted and everyone present became completely astonished till someone remembered and boy playing Sri Hanuman ran off to gather some herbs and placed the medicine at His nose, and Lord Nityananda stood up giving relief to His parents and the crowd felt light hearted and jubilant.
In His childhood sometimes He will jump in the crocodile-infested monsoon flood water of Ganga and swim in the water floating, laughing and splashing. Adopting the mood of Lord Ananta Sesa, the Lord felt completely at home in the waters of the Ganga. Lord Nityananda took initiation from Laxmi-pati the guru of Madhavendra Puri and spent 20 years visiting all holy places of India till Chaitanya Mahaprabhu manifested His pastimes.
Lord Nityananda is also said to be non-different from Lord Sankarsana. Lord Chaitanya’s elder brother Visvarupa when He disappeared from home He entered the body of Nityananda Avadhuta. Lord Balarama’s two wives, Srimati Varuni Devi and Srimati Revati Devi, appeared during Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes as Vasudha Devi and Jahnava Devi, the two dear wives of Lord Nityananda. Lord Nityananda is the original devotee of Lord Chaitanya. It is only by Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s causeless mercy that the glorious pastimes of Sri Caitanya manifest in one’s heart. Lord Nityananda is considered as the original spiritual master. He alone possesses the distinctive function of the guru. Although Balarama enters Gaura-lila as Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Nityananda’s position is greater than Lord Balarama’s because He distributes prema. Krsna and Balarama are subordinate to Gaura-Nitai. When munificence is added Lord Balarama becomes Lord Nityananda. In the spiritual world, Lord Nityananda embodies the guru-tattva principle in four primary rasas from dasya to madhurya. He takes the form of Ananga-manjari, Srimati Radhika’s younger sister, to serve the Divine Couple in madhurya-rasa.
His pastimes are unlimited. With Lord Chaitanya, He inundated the sankirtana movement and under the orders of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He went to spread the love of Godhead to each and every house and delivered the most fallen Jagai and Madhai. He is considered as Avadhuta as He never cared for Himself. He did innumerable extraordinary deeds while engrossed in the ecstasy of Love of Krsna and always spoke very sweetly to all the devotees He met. One day Lord Nityananda threw away all His clothes and came naked before Lord Chaitanya and danced ecstatically calling out, ‘My Lord and master is Nimai Pandita, the Lord of the universe!’ Amused by the sight, Lord Chaitanya laughed, and then covered the Avadhuta’s body with cloth. Lord Chaitanya smeared perfume on Nityananda’s body and decorated Him with a flower garland and began glorifying Him.
Once Lord Nityananda was decorated with all the fineries and priceless jewels and a yound brahmana who was a rogue and a dacoit in Navadvipa desired to steal that all. Lord Nityananda knowing his wicked intentions went with his party to live in Hiranya Pandita’s house. The dacoit along with his associates waited for the Lord outside the house waiting for the most opportune movement. The first night all the dacoits and his associates were put into deep sleep by the Lord in a dreaming condition of what they will do with the jewelry while the Lord and His associates were chanting loudly inside the house and eating a sumptuous meal. Next night the dacoits suddenly saw sentries manifested outside the house guarding the house and each wearing a tilak on their forehead and tulasi beads around their necks chanting Lord Krsna’s holy name. Next night the dacoits with their weapons made another attempt to lay seize to Lord Nityananda’s residence. Suddenly they were struck by blindness. They stumbled forward, minds paralyzed and intelligence unable to function. Some plunged into moat surrounding the house and were attacked with leeches, insects and giant mosquitos while some fell into refuse garbage pit and were bitten by insects and scorpions while some walked into a bush of thorns and became entangled bruised by big thorns. While others who veered far from the house fell into a canal near the house and laid their groaning in pain with fractured legs and hands. Suddenly, they began to feel feverish. Lord Indra, send down sheets of rain and lightning. After rain they were pounded with large pieces of hail. Thus all the dacoits though they did not die, they were tossed in an ocean of excruciating pain and misery. After taking the punishment, the dacoit leader who was a young brahmana started thinking of the sequence of events and felt that Lord Nityananda is the Supreme Lord and started praying to the Lord. Lord Nityananda who is the most munificent Supreme Lord heard the piteous prayers of the dacoit leader and He immediately allieviated their misery. Suddenly, the dacoits found themselves able to see again. The dacoit leader entered in the Lord’s presence and fell down at His Lotus Feet. Totally absorbed in sublime ecstasy, he became oblivious of everything around him and started dancing with his arms raised high. Such was the spiritual influence of Lord Nityananda that the brahmana completely transformed himself.
Lord Nityananda performed innumerous pastimes. From Vasudha Devi, he had two children. Virabhadra (an incarnation of Ksirodakasayi Visnu) and Ganga Devi (non different from the river Ganga). After the demise of her younger sister Vasudha, this children were brought up by Jahnava Devi who is also considered to be an incarnation of Ananga Manjari.

Nityananda Prabhu ki Jai!