Sri Nityananda-trayodasi

Giriraj Swami: I welcome you all on the most auspicious occasion of Sri Nityananda-trayodasi, to the sacred abode of their Lordships- Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai and other Lordships who are their worshipable deities and Srila Prabhupada’s western world headquarters. Today, in honor of Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s Appearance Day we shall read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, Chapter Seventeen, “The Pastimes of Lord Caitanya in His Youth.”

TEXT 12

tabe nityānanda-svarūpera āgamana
prabhuke miliyā pāila ṣaḍ-bhuja-darśana

TRANSLATION

After this function at the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, Nityānanda Prabhu appeared, and then He met with Lord Caitanya and got the opportunity to see Him in His six-armed form.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu was born in the village of Ekacakrā, in the district of Birbhum, as the son of Padmāvatī and Hāḍāi Paṇḍita. In His childhood He played like Balarāma.

CONTENT

So, before we plunge into the līlā I should say a little about the tattva so we understand who Lord Nityananda and even Lord Balarama are. In brief, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains that the absolute truth is realized in three features: Brahman—the impersonal effulgence from the Lord’s body; Paramātmā—the localized Supersoul within the heart of all living beings; and Bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead—Krishna. And realization of Bhagavān is the last word in realization of the absolute truth. Brahman is realization of the sat or eternity aspect of the absolute truth; Paramātmā is realization of sat and cit. Cit is the knowledge aspect of the absolute truth; and Bhagavān is realization of sat, cit, and ānanda (bliss), that bliss that we are always desiring. The Vedānta-sūtra says, ānanda-mayo ‘bhyāsāt, that the absolute truth is by nature blissful. Because we are parts and parcels of Him we are also by nature blissful. But when we come into the material world and become covered by the material body, our original nature is covered and we always feel uncomfortable because we are by nature eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. And when we are covered by the material body, we experience temporary existence, ignorant existence, and miserable existence. So the Supreme Lord understanding the plight of the conditioned souls and feeling compassionate towards them appears within the material world in order to enlighten them with spiritual knowledge, so they can understand their actual identities and their relationships with the Supreme Lord and act in that relationship and ultimately develop pure love of Godhead which alone will satisfy the soul’s desire for ānanda.

So Krishna comes and displays His pastimes in order to attract conditioned souls to become devoted to Him. But as described in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, after leaving His pastimes on Earth he laments that He did not give the people directly vraja-bhakti or kṛṣṇa-prema. And so He came again as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to give that kṛṣṇa-prema through hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, through the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. And Krishna’s first expansion in the spiritual world is Lord Balarama. Lord Balarama is the original spiritual master. And when Krishna comes as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Balarama comes as Nityananda Prabhu. And Balarama, He expands in the spiritual world into Mahā-saṅkarṣaṇa, who is the origin of all the expansions of Godhead, quadruple expansion. And then the forms of Narayana in the spiritual world, the purusha avatars, Maha-Vishnu from whose pores, from His breathing countless universes emanate. And that Maha-Vishnu or Karanodakashayi Vishnu, He again expands as Garbhodakashayi Vishnu and He lies down in the watery portion of each universe. And from His navel sprouts a lotus on which Lord Brahma sits and the universe is created. And then again, He expands as the Supersoul, Paramātmā—Kshirodakshayi Vishnu within the hearts of all living beings, within every atom and between every atom. So we cannot imagine how great He is. As Srila Prabhupada says, “We say God is great but we don’t know how great He is.” But from the Vedic literatures we can get a sense of how great God is.

The reason I mention this: one reason is so that we understand who Lord Nityananda is properly and don’t mistake Him. And the other reason is that when you hear about Lord Nityananda’s merciful activities and then you consider that Maha-Vishnu generates countless universes just by His breathing, He is a portion of a portion of a portion of Lord Nityananda, so how great Nityananda is. And when you keep that in mind, when you hear to what extent He is ready to extend Himself for the deliverance of us fallen souls, it is completely astonishing. So yes, He was born in the village of Ekacakra as the son of Padmavati and Haidai Pandita; brahmans, very perfect brahmans. And as soon as Nitai was born, He became the center of attraction for everyone in the village of Ekacakra. And astonishingly, all the residents of Ekacakra loved Nitai more than they loved even their own children. Generally, every parent loves his or her own child more than other children but in Ekacakra everyone loved Nitai more. So after growing up a little bit He told His parents, “I want friends,” because up until then He was at home. So they arranged that other children of a similar age would come and play with Him. But their play was not ordinary, they would re-enact the pastimes of Krishna and His different incarnations. Nitai would teach them the stories from the scripture and then they would play different roles and they would really enact the pastimes in a way in real life. For example, when Nitai taught them about stealing butter, how Krishna and Balarama would steal butter, He would generally play Krishna. So Krishna and Balarama and the other cowherd boys, they would actually go into the homes of the residents of Ekacakra and steal their butter. And when they enacted the pastime of Krishna’s appearance, yes, one boy would go to the, it was the river, it was considered to be the Yamuna and pray, that we are being burdened by demons. And then one of the children hiding, in a loud voice would say, “Do not fear, I shall take birth in Mathura and I will deliver all the devotees and kill all the demons.” So then when they were to enact the appearance pastime, they actually came out at midnight, came out of their homes and at midnight they actually enacted that pastime.

Now they were just little children, they didn’t even know how to read yet. So the elders were astonished and they asked Nitai that you don’t even know how to read yet and we also haven’t taught you all of these pastimes but these dramas are exactly according to scripture, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other shastras, how do you know? Nitai replied, “These are my pastimes.” But they thought he is just a small child; he was telling them who He was but they weren’t getting it. “Oh, he is a small child just speaking some cute things.” All right I will read the next sentence from the purport.

PURPORT (continued)

In His childhood He played like Balarāma. When He was growing up, a sannyāsī came to the house of Hāḍāi Paṇḍita and begged to have the paṇḍita’s son as his brahmacārī assistant. Hāḍāi Paṇḍita immediately agreed and delivered his son to him, although the separation was greatly shocking, so much so that Hāḍāi lost his life after the separation.

CONTENT

So this is also very mysterious. When Nitai was twelve years old, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. And Nitai knew that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was His eternal Lord and master and that Nitai himself had appeared on earth in order to assist the Lord in His pastimes, specifically of establishing the saṅkīrtana movement and distributing love of Godhead through the chanting of the holy names. But He thought that the residents of Ekacakra, my parents and all the residents are so attached to me they can’t even bear to let me out of their sight for a moment, how will they ever allow me to leave Ekacakra and join Chaitanya Mahaprabhu?

So just after having this thought, a sannyasi appeared in Ekacakra gram and visited the home of Hadai Pandita and Padmavati. And Hadai Pandita and Nitai, assisted by Nitai, very faithfully served the sannyasi. And the whole night the sannyasi stayed awake with them, telling them stories of Krishna. In the morning Hadai Pandita, in a very genuine mood of appreciation and gratitude and service asked the sannyasi, “Is there anything we can do for you? Is there anything we can give you? It will be our greatest pleasure and duty to fulfil your desire.” And the sannyasi replied, “I am about to embark on a pilgrimage to all the holy places in India and I am all alone. I need an assistant, so please give me your son Nitai.”

These words struck the tender heart of Hadai Pandita like a thunderbolt and he was stunned. He did not know what to say because he had already given his word to the sannyasi who was a great devotee that he would give him whatever he asked. So if he broke his word he would be ruined. But at the same time if he gave him Nitai he would die of separation because Nitai was his life. So in this dilemma, he went to his wife Padmavati and asked her what he should do. She said, “Whatever you decide I will accept.” So he thought within himself, Is there any similar situation in shastra, because devotees always try to base their decisions on the instructions and examples of the great authorities in shastra. And he thought of Maharaja Dasaratha, when Vishwamitra Muni came and asked him to send his sons with him to kill some demons that were creating a disturbance. He didn’t want to do it but he did it. So Hadai Pandita told the sannyasi, “Yes,” and he told Nitai, “You are going with the sannyasi.”

There is so much to say but we don’t have so much time. And so Nitai went with the sannyasi to visit the different places of pilgrimage.

PURPORT (continued)

Hāḍāi Paṇḍita immediately agreed and delivered his son to him, although the separation was greatly shocking, so much so that Hāḍāi lost his life after the separation. Nityānanda Prabhu traveled on many pilgrimages with the sannyāsī. It is said that for many days He lived at Mathurā with him, and at that time He heard about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes in Navadvīpa.

CONTENT

So yes, Nityananda Prabhu did travel with the sannyasi and eventually He decided to remain in Vrindavan at a place called Shringar Vata until Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was matured in His age and in His pastimes that Nityananda Prabhu could join Him. Because in His early days Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was manifesting the past times of being a dry scholar and argumentative logician. But when he went to Gaya. . . Anyway, so Nityananda Prabhu, He understood that, “Now Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is ready to begin the saṅkīrtana movement, so I must come and join Him and assist Him.”

PURPORT (continued)

Therefore He came down to Bengal to see the Lord. When Lord Nityānanda came to Navadvīpa, He was a guest at the house of Nandana Ācārya. Understanding that Nityānanda Prabhu had arrived, Lord Caitanya sent His devotees to Him, and thus there was a meeting between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu.

CONTENT

So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He had an intuition that Nityananda Prabhu would be coming. And He told his devotees that very soon a very powerful, spiritual personality will be coming to Navadvipa. And then He had a dream. He told the devotees that He had a dream and in the dream this amazing spiritual personality came on a chariot and the chariot parked in front of his house. And that wonderful resplendent personality started to inquire, “Is this the house of Nimai Pandit? Is this the house of Nimai Pandit?” And in the dream when Nimai Pandit came out of the house and saw Nityananda Prabhu, He was astonished by His beauty. But He felt that He knew Him although He had never seen Him before. So He asked Him, “Who are you?” And Nityananda Prabhu replied, “I am your brother and very soon we will meet.”

So when Nityananda Prabhu came to Navadvipa he came to the home of Nandana Acharya and told him, “Do not tell anyone I am here. I am going to hide here until Chaitanya Mahaprabhu finds me.” Meanwhile, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sent Srivasa Thakura and Haridasa Thakura to find that personality. He said, “You go everywhere in Navadvipa, you must find this person.” So the two of them went. They went to all the temples, all the bathing ghats, all the houses of the devotees, all the houses of the brahmans, all the shops, market places, they went everywhere. For nine hours they searched but they could not find Him. So they came back and informed Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and He said, “No one can find Nityananda Prabhu unless He reveals Himself to them. You all come with me.” And He went straight to the house of Nandana Acharya and there was a great meeting of the two. Actually, each of these past times could be elaborated, they are very dramatic.

Once when I was in India, based in Bombay, Mrs. Gopikumari Birla of the Birla family, which was the richest in India, she invited me to a performance of caitanya-līlā at an institution called Prempuri Ashram which is still there, in the Chowpatty area, near Chowpatty in Bombay. And I was a very rigid brahmachari, I never went to any such performance. But she was an important lady and it was a very nice gesture of her to want to invite me, so I went. And when they came to the part where Nimai and Nitai met, it was so dramatic, the one was going- Nimai! The other one—Nitai! Nimai—Nitai! Nimai—Nitai! And then they embraced and then they both fell on the ground in ecstasy. And it was very moving and I realized that when devotees perform kṛṣṇa-līlā or caitanya-līlā, Krishna and Chaitanya and Nityananda, They actually manifest themselves. From a dramatic point of view, they were children, that’s how they do those līlās in India. They weren’t very accomplished actors. But there was a great power to that performance because I felt that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu and all their associates actually manifested.

So, there is much to be said. Even in these few verses and purports Srila Prabhupada mentions many past times and each pastime could be described in detail with great relish. But Nityananda Prabhu was an avadhūta. Time just does not permit me to tell the whole story of the deliverance of Jagai and Madhai. But He was an avadhūta, He would act in a very wild way. And the first time after Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura approached Jagai and Madhai, Jagai and Madhai became so infuriated, and they were big powerful demons, they became so enraged, so insulted that no one messes with Jagai and Madhai, and these people are telling them to chant the name of Krishna and worship Krishna and take Krishna as the treasure of their life and give up all their sinful activities. They were enraged; “who do these people think they are? Let us kill them.” They were big powerful men and drunk. And so they were chasing after Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura and they were running for their lives. Of course, it is a pastime, they didn’t have to run for their lives but in that mood of devotees they were running for their lives. And Jagai and Madhai were chasing after them with all their strength. And they were running very fast. But on the way Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura were enjoying joking exchanges. And Nityananda Prabhu said to Haridasa, “You were caned in twenty-two market places but you were saved. So why don’t you pray to the Lord to save us?” And he said, “Yes that is true, I was. But I wasn’t associating with a madman like you then. Now what can I do? All the town people warned us, ‘Don’t go near these demons, they will kill you,’ and you didn’t listen. Now what can I do?” And then Nityananda Prabhu said, “Don’t blame me. I am not responsible. Blame your master Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He is a brahman but He sits like a king giving orders. And He is telling us to go out into the town of Navadvipa and approach anyone without any consideration of whether they are qualified or unqualified and tell them to chant the name of Krishna, worship Krishna and take Krishna as the treasure of their life. It is His fault.”

So like that they were joking and meanwhile Jagai and Madhai were in hot pursuit. But they were a little heavy and drunk so eventually Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura escaped. So they went to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and told Him what happened. And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, “I will call my Sudarsana Chakra and kill them.” And Nitai said, “No, no. Don’t do that, don’t do that. In this age Your mission is different. And in Kali-yuga, almost everyone will be like Jagai and Madhai, you will have to kill everyone. Please don’t do that. Give them to Me, I will take care of them.” And Advaita Acharya said, “Very soon, in one or two days, because of Nityananda Prabhu’s desire these demons will be delivered.”

So meanwhile Nityananda Prabhu, He was speaking with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Haridasa Thakura, he was older. So he is speaking to Advaita Acharya that, “You don’t know how hard it is to have Nityananda as my saṅkīrtana partner. He is a madman. Sometimes He will see alligators in the river and He will jump in to play with them and everyone is in such anxiety, they feel He is going to be killed. And people come up to me and say, ‘What is your Nitai doing? Can’t you stop him?’ But what can I do?” And he said, “Sometimes He approaches the young girls who come to the river to take bath and tells them ‘I want to marry you’ and they become shocked and offended and they run home and tell their parents, the good brahmans, and Nitai just laughs. And the parents come to me and say, ‘Can’t you do something about this Nitai?’ But what can I do? And now this is the last straw. Everyone warned us not to approach these demons—sinful, intoxicated, powerful demons. And He went right up to them and we almost lost our lives.”

And Advaita Acharya replied, “Why should you be surprised that Nityananda is associating with Jagai and Madhai. It is very natural that drunkards should associate with each other, all the three of them are totally drunk. So why should you be surprised? But you Haridasa, you are a respectable, sober, learned devotee. Why should you associate with them?” So there are many many stories of Nityananda Prabhu’s wild activities. Of course, he was full of love for Krishna and full of compassion for all fallen souls but He would enjoy like that.

So once we were with Srila Prabhupada in Indore for Gita-jayanti-mahotsava and the organizers had given Srila Prabhupada a house. And near his house, I think in the same compound area, there was another house. And there was a man named Vairagi Baba. He was tall, tall and big. I didn’t make the connection at the time, maybe he fancied himself somehow like Nityananda Prabhu. He was tall and big and handsome and had these whompers and jump around in kirtan. And Prabhupada was really trying to engage him; he did invite him. We did a program with him in Bombay. So one day there was some function at that other house near Prabhupada’s house, and I went in and I saw Vairagi Baba sitting on a sofa drinking tea. And I was sort of whatever naive or innocent, I said, “Vairagi Baba, what are you doing, drinking tea?” He said, “I am avadhūta.” So I didn’t know what avadhūta meant then. So I went back to Srila Prabhupada and I related the incident. I said, “What is that avadhūta?” He said, “Avadhūta means a liberated soul who is beyond the regulative principles and generally it refers to Lord Nityananda.” But he made a face like, “He is not a liberated soul beyond the regulative principles, he just likes to drink tea.”

So of course, Nityananda Prabhu is glorified throughout the shastras, especially Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Caitanya-bhāgavata, and later books and in the songs of our acharyas—Narottama dasa Thakura and Bhaktivinoda Thakura. And it is really clear that by the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, and this is also an instruction for the story of Jagai and Madhai, one gets the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So in one lecture, and it is also in Narottama dasa Thakura’s songs that without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu one cannot enter Vrindavan and the service of Radha and Krishna. So Srila Prabhupada said that to approach Radha and Krishna one needs the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; and to get the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu one needs the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu; and to get the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu one must approach people like Jagai and Madhai.

Now when you actually read this pastime or hear it in detail you understand how sinful Jagai and Madhai were. They were actually Jai and Vijay who took birth first as Hiraṇyakṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, then as Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa, and then as Sisupala and Dantavakara, very big demons. And the fact that Nityananda Prabhu approached them in such a loving and compassionate mood is extraordinary. That first time they ran to Mahaprabhu. Then a second time when Nityananda Prabhu was wandering through Navadvipa He met them again. And He again repeated that same request. But Nityananda Prabhu, when He would approach people He would tell them that, “yes, chant Krishna’s name, worship Krishna, accept Krishna as the treasure of your life.” And He would say that, “If you do that, I will be sold to you, I will become your property.” And He would approach people and if they didn’t agree He would fall down at their feet. That is why I was saying He, who is an expansion of an expansion of an expansion who is generating the universes from His breathing. And another expansion is like the Supersoul of the universe, the soul of the universe and another expansion of that expansion is the Lord within everyone’s heart. That person would literally fall at their feet and beg them, roll in the dust of their feet, and beg them to please chant Krishna’s name. So to preach you have to be so humble.

Once when Srila Prabhupada first came to Bombay, he was staying at Kailash Seksaria’s house on Marine Drive in Bombay. So Kailash Seksaria arranged a program on the terrace of his building and invited many of the wealthy and elite of Bombay to attend the program. And it was very glamorous, Marine Drive overlooking the Arabian Sea and nice breezes coming from the ocean and it was lit up, it was night. And Srila Prabhupada, in an extraordinary display of humility, he just wanted them to chant Hare Krishna. And he said, “I am bowing at your feet with a straw in my mouth. Please just chant Hare Krishna.” He tried to get them to just say those two words, Hare Krishna. And he spoke with such humility and such force, it wasn’t just like we say; like that one devotee said to Srila Prabhupada, “Oh, Srila Prabhupada, I am the most fallen.” And Srila Prabhupada said, “You are not the most anything!” So it is not that; like a phrase, but with so much heartfelt feeling Srila Prabhupada said, “I have come before you as a beggar, straw in my teeth falling at your feet. Please chant Hare Krishna.” And they were embarrassed. All these big people, very affluent, well-dressed, sophisticated people, but because of Prabhupada’s appeal they did, somehow, they did it. They chanted Hare Krishna.

Prabhupada often quoted as our method for preaching a verse from Prabodhananda Sarasvati which he paraphrased when he was speaking to those aristocratic people in Bombay, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatyakāku, dante, my teeth—taking a straw in my teeth and falling at your feet and flattering you a hundred times. And Prabhupada would explain that when you appreciate someone, they become very eager to hear what you have to say. “Oh, this person is very intelligent. This person has actually appreciated my wonderful qualities.” And then he will say, “Yes, yes, what is it that you want to say? You are approaching me with such humility and praising me so much, what do you want to say?” And then Prabhupada would continue the verse, he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrādcaitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam, that whatever you have learned, you are a very great and noble and intelligent person, whatever you have learned kick it out and just surrender to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

So that preaching method, if you want to call it that, was exhibited by Nityananda Prabhu. He would literally roll in the dust of the feet of the people and beg them. He is the Supreme Lord, God almighty. So, so much love and compassion He has and He is approaching us, indirectly He is approaching us, and how are we going to respond? So Srila Prabhupada, he was in the same mood. He has written so many books; sixty volumes of books or eighty volumes of books, and what is the message, what is the message? It is the same message- chant Krishna’s name, worship Krishna, accept Krishna as the treasure of your life. It is the same message. And Nityananda Prabhu, He wanted to approach Jagai and Madhai. Up until then they were approaching all pious people and they were taking the holy name being requested like that by Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura. And they were developing love for Krishna. But Nityananda Prabhu thought, Yes, we are approaching many pious people and they are taking up the order and they are becoming pure lovers of Krishna. But no one will know the full glories of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu unless demons take up the order. And specifically, Jagai and Madhai were big demons. And Nityananda Prabhu’s desire was fulfilled by the deliverance of Jagai and Madhai. The glories of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy spread everywhere.

Even the demigods, they were astonished. They had never seen such mercy because in their three previous births the Lord had killed them. And this birth, He didn’t kill them but He gave them prema-bhakti which even the greatest demigods and sages and rishis don’t get; so, inconceivable mercy. And Srila Prabhupada, he did the same thing; approaching people who, not to the extent of Jagai and Madhai but, in essence they were the same, eating meat, taking intoxicants, having illicit sex, doing everything. And so Srila Prabhupada is the perfect representative of Nityananda Prabhu or servant of Nityananda Prabhu because he has done exactly what Nityananda Prabhu did, wanted to do throughout the world. He has made people everywhere aware of the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, that the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is so extraordinary that meat eaters, intoxicators and so on are becoming pure devotees. And because of Srila Prabhupada, he describes in the purport to one song that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took a channel. He dug a channel from that ocean of love of God and He brought it to every house. He was doing that literally. He was going to every house, every person He met and asking them to chant Krishna’s name in Bengal and Srila Prabhupada did that throughout the world. And now how many people are worshiping Gaura-Nitai? Millions. There is probably millions of homes and hundreds of temples that have deities of Gaura-Nitai. So this was Nityananda Prabhu’s desire, this was His purpose in approaching Jagai and Madhai. And Srila Prabhupada took that same desire and used the same method, adjusted it a little bit for us as we are now and thus the glory of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu is glorified all over the world by Srila Prabhupada’s activities.

And on this occasion, we should pray to Nityananda Prabhu to inspire us and empower us with that mood of humble entreaty to approach anyone and everyone without discrimination. In those days, Nityananda Prabhu could say, “Chant Krishna’s name, worship Krishna, accept Krishna as the treasure of your life,” and people would know what He was saying. But in Europe and America and other places where Srila Prabhupada went people didn’t have any idea who is Krishna. He wrote in the introduction to the Krishna book, when people see the picture on the cover, they will ask who is this man and who is this woman with him? So he wrote books, volumes of books to explain who is Krishna, what does it mean to chant Krishna’s name, what does it mean to worship Krishna, why should we accept Krishna as our life and soul.

So when we approach people with Srila Prabhupada’s books, in essence it is the same activity as what Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura did in Navadvipa; just approaching and begging them to chant Krishna’s name, worship Krishna, follow Krishna’s instructions, preach Krishna’s message. So this is paramparā. It is paramparā but in a way it is more than paramparā. I would dare to say that of all the acharyas in our line after Nityananda Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada most embodies that mood. And the same way he would send us out. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when He sent out Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura, He told them to come back every night and report to Him their saṅkīrtana results. And in Bombay it was different. I was approaching wealthy people but it is the same thing, in the evening I would come and report to Srila Prabhupada. And one day, generally I would ask them to become life members and then they would get all of Prabhupada’s books. But if they didn’t want to become life members, I would ask them to buy a set of books, and if not then buy at least a few books, and if not at least give some little amount. But that one day somehow no one did anything practically. So I came back and reported to Srila Prabhupada and he said, it is very important instruction, that “If you sincerely try your best to please Krishna, Krishna will be satisfied even if others are not.” So that means the people I approach might not be satisfied but Krishna will be satisfied. It could even mean the managers back at the temple won’t be satisfied, “Oh you didn’t bring in anything,” but if you sincerely try your best to please Krishna, Krishna will be satisfied. So in a sense we don’t have to worry about the result. Of course, if we serve in that humble mood there will be results but we don’t have to be concerned. And Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura, they got a lot of criticism especially because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was having His all-night kirtans at Srivasa Thakura’s home and they weren’t allowing just anyone in. If someone was proud, they couldn’t come in. So there were all those proud people in Navadvipa who were very upset with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srivasa Thakura.

So when Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura were coming up, they were blaspheming them, they were criticizing them, “Oh they are from that Nimai Pandit and Srivasa Pandit. Don’t give to them, don’t let them in your houses. They are actually thieves. The reason they are coming to your house is they want to check it out and see what you have in your house, so then at night they can come back and steal it.” So there was lot of criticism, a lot of criticism. But by this incident of not just delivering Jagai and Madhai but giving them kṛṣṇa-prema, everyone was convinced. And although Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave them prema-bhakti and accepted them in His circle of confidential associates, Madhai still felt very bad. He felt very bad because in his intoxicated state when Nityananda Prabhu approached him for the second time, he picked up this clay pot, liquor pot, and smashed it against Nityananda Prabhu’s head with all his strength. And that broke open a cut in Nityananda Prabhu’s head and blood was profusely pouring out covering His whole face and body. Even then Nityananda Prabhu persisted and He said, “I don’t feel pain from being hit by you but I feel pain because of how you are misusing your life. Please chant Krishna’s name.” And Madhai was so intoxicated and so demonic that he picked up another pot and he was going to smash that on his head, he actually wanted to kill him and Jagai intervened. He said, “Madhai, don’t do that, don’t do that. Can’t you see He is a genuine saintly person? He is taking all this risk out of love and compassion for you. Don’t do that to Him.” And then of course, the news went to Mahaprabhu and He came.

So afterwards, Madhai approached Nityananda Prabhu that, “Yes I have been relieved of all my sinful reactions and I have been given pure love for Krishna but still it just bothers me so much that with all my strength I smashed that pot on your head.” And Nityananda Prabhu said, “I don’t take that seriously at all. Just like a child might kick a parent but the parent doesn’t take it seriously and it doesn’t really hurt the parent. So I don’t take it seriously, it didn’t even really hurt.” So then Madhai said, “Well, what about all the other people I caused pain to,” because they were really big demons. They would plunder people’s homes, they would rape even the daughters of brahmans, they would set people’s house on fire. They really wreaked havoc in people’s lives, they would kill people; really bad. He said, “What about all of them? I don’t even know all the people I hurt, I was so intoxicated, I wouldn’t even be able to recognize them.” So Nityananda Prabhu said, “You should go to all the bathing ghats by the Ganges and clean them and decorate them. And everyone who comes to take bath (because everyone would bathe in the Ganges, they didn’t have plumbing like we have) you prostrate yourself at their feet and you beg them that, ‘If I have done anything that has caused any pain to you or anyone you love, please forgive me.’ And you serve them very humbly.” And Madhai did that. And people, when they saw how humble he had become, their hearts melted. But there were still some people who were so angry at him for what he had done to them and their loved ones that they couldn’t forgive him. And so they would take a rock and throw it at his head. But he was so humble that he would pick up the rock and bring it back to them and said, “I am so sinful, one time is not enough, throw it again.” And then their hearts would melt and they would embrace Madhai.

So when you think of Srila Prabhupada how he was on the bowery and that young man, he was taking the modern New York version of wine, commonly known as LSD or whatever it was, he just went mad. He went mad and he was ready to kill Srila Prabhupada. And Srila Prabhupada had to go running down the steps of that loft and Bowery Street, running for his life. It is just like Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura running for their lives from Jagai and Madhai. So I cannot imagine anyone since Nityananda Prabhu and His associates who has taken up that mission of approaching without discrimination, anyone and everyone, and giving them that message. And through all of you, you are doing the same thing. You are approaching people without consideration and giving them the message in the form of Srila Prabhupada’s books or the hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana party which also carries books and magazines. It is the same, exactly the same. And by that activity we will get the mercy of Lord Nityananda and Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But we should also practice. They gave us the hari-nāma, so we should take up the hari-nāma on our beads, to follow all the instructions and that will give us the life, the spiritual potency to serve as instruments for Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s and Nityananda Prabhu’s and Srila Prabhupada’s love and mercy upon all fallen souls.

Hare Krishna!

So I guess we will officially end because we are over time. But I will stay on if anyone has any questions or comments. And I must thank Svavasa Prabhu for organizing this community to be instruments of Lord Nityananda’s and Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.

And you will be going to that place where Gaura Nitai delivered Jagai and Madhai, so please bring back some of that dust. On your clothes and in your heart.

Hare Krishna!