SRI CAITANYA BHAGAVATA

Madhya Lila Chapter 11


O Lord Gauranga, O most precious treasure, O unlimited ocean of love of Godhead, where do You come from? You are the Lord and maintainer of the helpless, the true friend of the down trodden.

All glory to You, Lord Visvambhara, the most powerful and most regal of the brahmanas. Victory to all Your associates who are like honey bees attracted to the nectar of Your lotus feet. You are as dear to Paramananda Puri as his own life, and You are the greatest wealth Svarupa Damodara possesses. You are very dear to Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, and the heart of Jagadisha and Gopinath.

Lord Visvambhara continues performing His pastimes in Navadvipa, not visible to every eye. The blessed Srivasa Pandita sits in his house situated in the central island of Navadvipa, and sees the endless and marvelous pastimes of the Lord. He serves the Lord with pure love, and sees the Mahaprakasa lila pastime with the other Vaisnavas.

Lord Nityananda, residing in Srivasa Pandita's house, loved and respected him as His father. Lord Nityananda was always manifesting the mood of a little child who drank Malini's (Srivasa's wife) breast milk.

Malini's breast had long dried up, but on Lord Nityananda's touch, milk flowed again in her breast. She was amazed at such miraculous happenings. Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered her not to reveal this to anyone. Everyday she saw Lord Nityananda's child-like behavior.

Lord Visvambhara said to Lord Nityananda, "Listen Nityananda, so that You avoid arguments and fights with anyone, do not behave recklessly in Srivasa's house." Lord Nityananda objected, "Krsna, You can never see Me acting recklessly. You cannot find another person as well behaved as I am." Lord Visvambhara replied, "I know You too well." Nityananda said, "Let Me hear You point out My mistakes and ill behavior."

Smiling, Lord Caitanya said, "You want to know Your mistakes? You throw showers of rice in every room." Lord Nityananda defended, "But this is the work of a madman, and such mischief must be stopped. You want to falsely blame Me, and not give Me any food to eat. If You want to eat it all Yourself, that is alright with Me, but why do You defame Me before everyone?"

Lord Caitanya replied, "I feel ashamed to rectify misconduct, but I am trying to rectify You." Lord Nityananda smiled and said, "That is very good! You must always teach Me whenever You see Me misbehaving. You are correct in assuming that I am the culprit." Then He broke into peals of laughter.

Lord Nityananda became immersed in an ocean of happiness. His ambient receded(?) into oblivion as He removed His cloth and tied it around His head, standing naked before all. He pranced about in great leaps, bubbling with laughter, staggering sometimes like a drunken man.

Gadadhara Pandita, Srivasa Pandita and Haridasa beheld this sight of the Lord's special mercy, for it was meant to teach a lesson to the whole world.

Lord Visvambhara held Nityananda and said, "What are you doing? Such behavior is inappropriate in a householder's home. You just told Me that You were not mad, however, the next moment You contradict Your own words."

For one who is oblivious to the external world, what reactions can words have on him? Lord Nityananda was floating on waves of ecstasy. Lord Visvambhara had to Himself dress Nityananda Prabhu. Such are His inconceivable activities.

Lord Caitanya's words fell on deaf ears, for Lord Nityananda was totally unaware of everything, just like a mad lion.

He would not even eat with His own hands - Malini had to feed Him. Malini, the chaste and righteous wife of Srivasa Pandita could sense Lord Nityananda's inner feelings. So she served Him like a mother serves a son.

One day, a crow stole a small bell metal(?) container and flew out of sight. This greatly upset Malini devi. Then the crow suddenly returned, but without the container. Malini devi was well aware of how her husband would react once he saw that the ghee vessel of Krsna's was missing. His temper was nothing short of a thunderstorm. She felt helpless, and began to weep.

Just then, Lord Nityananda came by and saw the tears streaking down Malini devi's face. Smiling, he asked, "Why are you crying? Tell me the cause of your distress? I will take care of everything."

Malini devi tearfully replied, "O listen Gosain, a crow flew away who knows where, with the ghee vessel. He assured her, "Mother stop weeping and worrying. I will get Your vessel back."

The Lord spoke to the crow, smiling pleasantly, "O crow, go and bring back the vessel quickly." Lord Nityananda resides in everyone's heart. Who has the power to disobey His orders? The crow immediately flew off, followed by the distraught eyes of Malini devi. The crow returned soon with the vessel in its beak, and placed it near Malini devi. Malini devi could very well understand the extraordinary potency of Lord Nityananda from this incident.

Swooning with ecstasy, she began offering prayers to the Lord, "For one who can bring to life His guru's dead son from the custody of Yamaraja, and for one who maintains this cosmic manifestation, what is so wonderful in bringing back a small vessel from a crow? On His head rests the unlimited creation, and He does not even feel its weight while performing His pastimes. The endless ocean of resilience is destroyed just by chanting His name. Influencing a crow to return the small vessel it had stolen is not an extraordinary deed for Him.

In the past, as Laksmana, You were guarding Sita devi while living in the forest. Yet You only looked at Her feet and no other part of Her body. Your powerful arrows then later defeated and exterminated the entire demon family of Ravana. Therefore, winning back this small vessel is indeed an insignificant deed.

At whose lotus feet, river Jamuna devi begged forgiveness and offered chosen prayers of glorification, who has the potency to maintain all the fourteen worlds, what marvel is it for Him to get back a small vessel from a crow? Yet none of Your activities can be diminished, since all of Your activities, however easy and small they may seem, are transcendental and the Absolute Truth. Such is the clear verdict of the Vedas."

Lord Nityananda smiled as He listened to her prayers, then remarked in His child-like manner, "I want to eat". Whenever Malini devi saw Lord Nityananda, milk oozed from her breasts out of spiritual parental love. Lord Nityananda, in order to fulfill her spiritual desires, sucked on her breast like a child. These are some of the inconceivable pastimes of Lord Nityananda. My capacity to describe all this is limited. The pastimes of the Lord are already widely known all over the world.

His activities are extraordinary and difficult to understand. Those who know Him in truth can easily believe in all His pastimes. Lord Nityananda is always totally engrossed in ecstasy. He moves about Nadia as does the brilliant sun travel across the azure vault.

A mystic yogi or a learned scholar or anybody may think or say anything about Lord Nityananda. People may comment that Lord Nityananda is not a close associate of Lord Caitanya. I do not care to hear about any such remarks. I only pray that His lotus feet remain imprinted in the depths of my heart.

In spite of hearing His glory, many atheists criticize Lord Nityananda. I kick them in the head, wishing the Lord's mercy on them. Lord Nityananda is so lost in His transcendental pastimes in Srivasa Pandita's house that Lord Gauranga has to look after Him.

One day, Lord Caitanya was sitting in His house together with His wife, Visnupriya devi, whose exquisite beauty is matched only by Laksmi devi's. She prepared betel pan for the Lord, and He received it, smiling with pleasure. In this way, He spent His nights and days with her, lost in the pleasure of each other's company. Mother Saci's heart exulted(?) to heights of unknown joy as she saw the happy couple. Lord Caitanya knew the reason for His mother's exhilaration; therefore He spent much time with His wife.

Around this time, Lord Nityananda, who was always immersed in bliss, came to Lord Caitanya's house in a restless mood. He stood before everyone, naked like a innocent child, not feeling any shame.

Lord Caitanya enquired, "Nityananda, You are without clothes?" Nityananda replied with a smile, "Yes, it is so." Lord Caitanya commanded, "Nityananda, wear your clothes." He replied, "Today I leave." Lord Caitanya insisted, "Why?" Nitai said, "I cannot eat any more." Lord Caitanya said, "When I say something, why do you answer with a completely different subject?" Nitai replied, "I want all around attention."

Angrily Lord Caitanya said, "It is not My fault." Nitai replied, "My Lord, Saci devi is not here." Lord Caitanya said, "Be merciful and wear Your clothes." Lord Nityananda said, "I will eat." Like this, Lord Nityananda is always in the serving mood of Lord Caitanya; while one hears the other speaks, and Lord Nityananda wanders all over Nadia laughing joyfully.

Lord Caitanya got up and personally dressed Nityananda, as Nitai continued His chuckling. Sacidevi smiled seeing Nityananda's activities. She felt a motherly affection towards Him, thinking of Visvambhara. His words strongly reminded her of her older son, and sometimes He even looked like Him. Unknown to anyone, mother Saci felt equal love for both Lord Nityananda and Lord Visvambhara.

When Lord Nityananda came out of His trance, He dressed himself. Sacidevi gave Him five milk cakes to eat. Nitai put one of the sweets in His mouth, and threw the other four sweets far away. Much alarmed, Saci devi said, "Alas, why are you throwing it away?" Lord Nityananda replied, "Why did you put all the sweets in one place?" Saci devi said, "I do not have anything more. What will You eat now?" Lord Nityananda answered, "Ask for it and it will be certainly there."

Saci devi went inside the room only to be greeted by a wonderful surprise. She saw that the four sweets thrown away by Nitai were there. She thought out aloud, "Where were the sweet cakes thrown, and how can they be here now?" Saci devi was amazed and amused. She removed the dust particles from the sweet cakes, and returned to Nityananda. She found Him eating laddus, and enquired, "Where did You get those laddus?" Lord Nityananda replied, "I saw you were disappointed when I threw the sweet cakes away, so I brought them back."

Seeing these miracles, Sacidevi wondered in her mind about who could possibly know the extraordinary qualities of Nityananda Prabhu. To Nityananda Prabhu she said, "Nityananda, why do You bewilder me in this manner? I know very well that You are the Supreme Lord. Please therefore remove your illusory potency for me."

Lord Nityananda, exhibiting the mood of a young boy, went running after Sacidevi to touch her feet as she tried desperately to escape him. Such are the super-excellent(?) activities of Lord Nityananda. They bring pleasure to the pious devotees, but to the envious they bring pain.

Those envious sinful wretches who criticize Lord Nityananda become so contaminated that even Ganga devi who purifies everything, runs away from them. Lord Nityananda is the Supreme Lord of the Vaisnavas. As Ananta Sesa, He holds the universe on His hood. Although I have no attachment for Lord Nityananda and Lord Caitanya, I pray that the treasure of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda be firmly situated in the inner recesses of my heart. This is the earnest desire for which I beg at the feet of all Vaisnavas. Let Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Balarama, be my supreme Lord and master.

Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda are my life and soul.

I, Vrndavana Dasa, offer this song at Their lotus feet.

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