Shri Gaudiya Kanthahara
by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati | 83,221 words
Shri Gaudiya Kantahara (English translation) was published by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati to train devotees in the philosophy of Krishna-consciousness and to be able to quote the authoritative parts of the Vedas. A collection of over a thousand verses, sorted by tattva, includes general index, alphabetical index of verses. Verses in in Roman tr...
Nityānanda and Advaita
Two Main Branches of the Caitanya Tree
5.1
advaita ācārya, nityānanda, dui aṅga
dui-janā laña prabhura yata kichu raṅga
Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaitācārya are the two expansions of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu who assist His transcendental pastimes. (Cc. Ādi 5.146)
5.2
saokarṣaṇah kāraṇa-toya-śāyi
garbhoda-śāyī ca payobdhi-śāyī
śeṣaś ca yasyāṃśa-kalāḥ sa nityā-
nandākhya-rāmaḥ śaraṇaṃ mamāstu
May Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu be the object of my constant remembrance. Saokarṣaṇa, Mahāviṣṇu, Garbhodakṣāyī Viṣṇu, and Kṣīrodakṣāyī Viṣṇu, as well as Śeṣa are His expansions and the expansions of His expansions. That same Nityānanda Prabhu, is none other than Balarāma. (Cc. Ādi 1.7)
5.3
māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke
pūrṇaiśvarye śrī-catur-vyūha-madhye
rūpaṃ yasyodbhāti saokarṣaṇākhyaṃ
taṃ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṃ prapadye
I surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, who is known as Saokarṣaṇa in the midst of the catur-vyūha. He has full opulences and resides in Vaikuṇṭhaloka far beyond the material creation. (Cc. Ādi 1.8)
5.4
māyā-bhartājāṇḍa-saṅghāśrayāṅgaḥ
śete sākṣāt kāraṇāmbhodhi-madhye
yasyaikāṃśaḥ śrī-pumān ādi-devas
taṃ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṃ prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose partial representation called Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, lying on the Kāraṇa ocean, is the original Puruṣa, the master of the illusory energy and the shelter of all the universes. (Cc. Ādi 1.9)
5.5
yasyāṃśāṃśaḥ śrīla-garbhoda-śāyī
yan-nābhy-abjaṃ loka-saṅghāta-nālam
loka-sraṣṭuḥ sūtikā-dhāma dhātus
taṃ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṃ prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakṣāyī Viṣṇu. From the navel of Garbhodakṣāyī Viṣṇu sprouts the lotus stem that is the birthplace of Brahmā, the engineer of the Universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets. (Cc. Ādi 1.10)
5.6
yasyāṃśāṃśāṃśaḥ parātmākhilānāṃ
poṣṭā viṣṇur bhāti dugdhabdhi-śāyī
kṣauṇī-bhartā yat-kalā so 'py anantas
taṃ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṃ prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose secondary part is the Viṣṇu lying in the ocean of milk. That Kṣīrodakaṣāyī Viṣṇu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universe. Śeṣa Nāga is His further sub-part. (Cc. Ādi 1.11)
Baladeva is the Original Saokarṣaṇa
5.7
śri-balarāma gosāñi mūla-saokarṣaṇa
pañca-rūpa dhari' karena kṛṣṇera sevana
āpane karena kṛṣṇa-līlāra sahāya
sṛṣṭi-līlā-karya kare dhari' cāri kāya
Lord Balarāma is the original Saokarṣaṇa. He assumes five other forms to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa. He helps in the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and He does the work of creation in four other forms. (Cc. Ādi 5.8,9)
Balarāma and Nityānanda are non Different
5.8
prema-pracāraṇa āra pāṣaṇda-dalana
dui-kārye avadhūta karena bhramaṇa
For two purposes to spread the cult of bhakti and to defeat and subdue the atheists Lord Nityānanda, the most dedicated devotee of the Lord, moved throughout the country. (Cc. Antya 3.149)
The Glories of Nityānanda Prabhu
5.9
jagat mātāya nitāi premera mālasaṭe
palāya durdānta kalī paḍiyā vibhrāṭe
ki sukhe bhāsila jīva gauracañdera naṭe
dekhiyā śuniyā pāṣaṇḍīra buk phāṭe
[All glories to Nityānanda Prabhu!] Maddened by ecstatic love of Godhead, he overwhelmed the universe with ecstasy. He slapped his hands together like a warrior who is about to attack, and upon seeing this, the wicked Kalī fled in terror, fearing for his life. All souls were drowned in happiness because of the dancing of Śrī Gaurāṅga [and Nityānanda]. Seeing such dancing, or even hearing of it, melts the hearts even of great atheists. (Gītāvalī, Nagara-kīrtana, 8)
5.10
jaya jaya nityānanda, nityānanda-rāma
yāohāra kṛpāte pāinu vṛndāvana-dhāma
jaya jaya nityānanda, jaya kṛpā-māya
yāoha haite pāinu rūpa-sanātanāśraya
yāoha haite pāinu raghunātha-mahāśaya
yāoha haite pāinu śrī-svarūpa-āśraya
sanātana-kṛpāya pāinu bhaktira siddhānta
śrī-rūpa-kṛpāya pāinu bhakti-rasa-prānta
jaya jaya nityānanda-caraṇāravinda
yāohā haite pāinu śrī-rādhā-govinda
All glory, all glory to Lord Nityānanda Balarāma, by whose mercy I have attained shelter in the transcendental abode of Vṛndāvana. All glory, all glory to the merciful Lord Nityānanda, by whose mercy I have attained shelter of Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana. By His mercy, I have attained the shelter of the great Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and by His mercy I have found the refuge of Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara. By the mercy of Sanātana Gosvāmī I have learned the final conclusions of devotional service, and by the grace of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī I have tasted the highest nectar of devotional service. All glory, all glory to the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda, by whose mercy I have attained Śrī Rādhā-Govinda. (Cc. Ādi. 5.200-204)
Nityānanda is the Savior of the Most Fallen
5.11
jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha
purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha
mora nāma śune yei tāra puṇya kṣaya
mora nāma laya yei tāra pāpa haya
emana nirghṛṇa more kebā kṛpā kare
eka nityānanda vinu jagat bhitare
preme matta nityānanda kṛpā-avatāra
uttama, adhama, kichu nā kare vicāra
ye āge paḍaye, tāre karaye nistāra
ataeva nistārilā mo-hena durācāra
I am more sinful than Jagāi and Mādhāi and even lower than the worms in stool. Anyone who hears my name loses the results of his pious activities. Whoever utters my name becomes sinful. Who in this world but Nityānanda could show His mercy to such an abominable person as me? Because He is intoxicated by ecstatic love and is an incarnation of mercy, He does not distinguish between the good and the bad. He delivers all those who fall down before Him. Therefore He has delivered such a sinful and fallen person as me. (Cc. Ādi 5.205-209)
Freedom from Anarthas and the Desire for Bhakti
is Strengthened by the Mercy of Nitāi
5.12
saṃsārera pāra hai' bhaktira sāgare
ye dubibe se bhajuk nitāi-cāñdere
One who would cross over the ocean of material existence and swim in the bhakti ocean should worship the lotus feet of Nityānanda. (Cb. Ādi 1.77)
Nityānanda is the Foremost Preacher
5.13
caitanyera ādi-bhakta nityānanda-rāya
caitanyera yaśo vaise yāñhāra jihvāya
aharniśa caitanyera kathā prabhu kaya
tāñ're bhajile se caitanye bhakti haya
Lord Caitanya's first and foremost devotee is Nityānanda Rāya. The glories of Lord Caitanya are always on his tongue. Day and night Lord Nityānanda speaks only of Lord Caitanya. Whoever worships Him is a real devotee of Śrī Caitanya. (Cb. Ādi 9.217-218)
Nityānanda mad About Serving Śrī Caitanya
5.14
nityānanda avadhūta sabāte āgala
caitanyera dāsya-preme ha-ilā pāgala
Nityānanda, the wandering mendicant, is the foremost of all the servants of Lord Caitanya. He is like the gateway through which all service to Lord Caitanya must pass. He became mad in the ecstasy of service to Lord Caitanya. (Cc. Ādi 6.48)
Those who Have no Faith that Gaura and Nitāi
are Inseparable are Offenders and Atheists
5.15
dui bhāi eka-tanu samāna-prakāśa
nityānanda nā māna, tomāra habe sarva-nāśa
ekete viśvāsa, anye nā kara sammāna
"ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya" tomāra pramāṇa
These two brothers (Gaura and Nitāi) are like one body; they are identical manifestations. If you do not believe in Lord Nityānanda, 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. Ādi 5.175,176)
Faith in Gaura Without Nitāi, or Nitāi Without Gaura,
is Flickering Faith and in Opposition to Pure Devotional Service
5.16
kimvā, dooha nā māniñā hao ta' pāṣaṇḍa
eke māni' āre nā māni, ei-mata bhaṇḍa
It would be better to be an atheist by slighting both brothers than a hypocrite by believing in one and slighting the other. (Cc. Ādi 5.177)
Thus ends the Fifth Jewel of Gauḍīya Kaṇṭhahāra, entitled Nityānanda-tattva.