Śrīla Prabhupāda chanting - Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s Branches (CC Adi 11 Verses)
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta – Ādi-līlā, Chapter 11 : The Expansions of Lord Nityānanda
- nityānanda-padāmbhoja-
- bhṛṅgān prema-madhūnmadān
- natvākhilān teṣu mukhyā
- likhyante katicin mayā
After offering my obeisances unto all the devotees of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, who are like bumblebees collecting honey from His lotus feet, I shall try to describe those who are the most prominent.
- jaya jaya mahāprabhu śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya
- tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita yei, sei dhanya
All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! Anyone who has taken shelter at His lotus feet is glorious.
- jaya jaya śrī-advaita, jaya nityānanda
- jaya jaya mahāprabhura sarva-bhakta-vṛnda
All glories to Śrī Advaita Prabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu and all the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
- tasya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
- sat-premāmara-śākhinaḥ
- ūrdhva-skandhāvadhūtendoḥ
- śākhā-rūpān gaṇān numaḥ
Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is the topmost branch of the indestructible tree of eternal love of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I offer my respectful obeisances to all the subbranches of that topmost branch.
- śrī-nityānanda-vṛkṣera skandha gurutara
- tāhāte janmila śākhā-praśākhā vistara
Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is an extremely heavy branch of the Śrī Caitanya tree. From that branch grow many branches and subbranches.
- mālākarera icchā jale bāḍe śākhā-gaṇa
- prema-phula-phale bhari’ chāila bhuvana
Watered by the desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, these branches and subbranches have grown unlimitedly and covered the entire world with fruits and flowers.
- asaṅkhya ananta gaṇa ke karu gaṇana
- āpanā śodhite kahi mukhya mukhya jana
These branches and subbranches of devotees are innumerable and unlimited. Who could count them? For my personal purification I shall try to enumerate only the most prominent among them.
- śrī-vīrabhadra gosāñi—skandha-mahāśākhā
- tāṅra upaśākhā yata, asaṅkhya tāra lekhā
After Nityānanda Prabhu, the greatest branch is Vīrabhadra Gosāñi, who also has innumerable branches and subbranches. It is not possible to describe them all.
- īśvara ha-iyā kahāya mahā-bhāgavata
- veda-dharmātīta hañā veda-dharme rata
Although Vīrabhadra Gosāñi was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He presented Himself as a great devotee. And although the Supreme Godhead is transcendental to all Vedic injunctions, He strictly followed the Vedic rituals.
- antare īśvara-ceṣṭā, bāhire nirdambha
- caitanya-bhakti-maṇḍape teṅho mūla-stambha
He is the main pillar in the hall of devotional service erected by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He knew within Himself that He acted as the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, but externally He was prideless.
- adyāpi yāṅhāra kṛpā-mahimā ha-ite
- caitanya-nityānanda gāya sakala jagate
It is by the glorious mercy of Śrī Vīrabhadra Gosāñi that people all over the world now have the chance to chant the names of Caitanya and Nityānanda.
- sei vīrabhadra-gosāñira la-inu śaraṇa
- yāṅhāra prasāde haya abhīṣṭa-pūraṇa
I therefore take shelter of the lotus feet of Vīrabhadra Gosāñi, so that by His mercy my great desire to write Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta will be properly guided.
- śrī-rāmadāsa āra, gadādhara dāsa
- caitanya-gosāñira bhakta rahe tāṅra pāśa
Two devotees of Lord Caitanya named Śrī Rāmadāsa and Gadādhara dāsa always lived with Śrī Vīrabhadra Gosāñi.
- nityānande ājñā dila yabe gauḍe yāite
- mahāprabhu ei dui dilā tāṅra sāthe
- ataeva dui-gaṇe duṅhāra gaṇana
- mādhava-vāsudeva ghoṣerao ei vivaraṇa
When Nityānanda Prabhu was ordered to go to Bengal to preach, these two devotees [Śrī Rāmadāsa and Gadādhara dāsa] were ordered to go with Him. Thus they are sometimes counted among the devotees of Lord Caitanya and sometimes among the devotees of Lord Nityānanda. Similarly, Mādhava Ghoṣa and Vāsudeva Ghoṣa belonged to both groups of devotees simultaneously.
- rāmadāsa—mukhya-śākhā, sakhya-prema-rāśi
- ṣolasāṅgera kāṣṭha yei tuli’ kaila vaṁśī
Rāmadāsa, one of the chief branches, was full of fraternal love of Godhead. He made a flute from a stick with sixteen knots.
- gadādhara dāsa gopībhāve pūrṇānanda
- yāṅra ghare dānakeli kaila nityānanda
Śrīla Gadādhara dāsa was always fully absorbed in ecstasy as a gopī. In his house Lord Nityānanda enacted the drama Dāna-keli.
- śrī-mādhava ghoṣa—mukhya kīrtanīyā-gaṇe
- nityānanda-prabhu nṛtya kare yāṅra gāne
Śrī Mādhava Ghoṣa was a principal performer of kīrtana. While he sang, Nityānanda Prabhu danced.
- vāsudeva gīte kare prabhura varṇane
- kāṣṭha-pāṣāṇa drave yāhāra śravaṇe
When Vāsudeva Ghoṣa described Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda while performing kīrtana, even wood and stone would melt upon hearing it.
- murāri-caitanya-dāsera alaukika līlā
- vyāghra-gāle caḍa māre, sarpa-sane khelā
There were many extraordinary activities performed by Murāri, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sometimes in his ecstasy he would slap the cheek of a tiger, and sometimes he would play with a venomous snake.
- nityānandera gaṇa yata—saba vraja-sakhā
- śṛṅga-vetra-gopaveśa, śire śikhi-pākhā
All the associates of Lord Nityānanda were formerly cowherd boys in Vrajabhūmi. Their symbolic representations were the horns and sticks they carried, their cowherd dress and the peacock plumes on their heads.
- raghunātha vaidya upādhyāya mahāśaya
- yāṅhāra darśane kṛṣṇa-prema-bhakti haya
The physician Raghunātha, also known as Upādhyāya, was so great a devotee that simply by seeing him one would awaken his dormant love of Godhead.
- sundarānanda—nityānandera śākhā, bhṛtya marma
- yāṅra saṅge nityānanda kare vraja-narma
Sundarānanda, another branch of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, was Lord Nityānanda’s most intimate servant. Lord Nityānanda Prabhu perceived the life of Vrajabhūmi in his company.
- kamalākara pippalāi—alaukika rīta
- alaukika prema tāṅra bhuvane vidita
Kamalākara Pippalāi is said to have been the third gopāla. His behavior and love of Godhead were uncommon, and thus he is celebrated all over the world.
- sūryadāsa sarakhela, tāṅra bhāi kṛṣṇadāsa
- nityānande dṛḍha viśvāsa, premera nivāsa
Sūryadāsa Sarakhela and his younger brother Kṛṣṇadāsa Sarakhela both possessed firm faith in Nityānanda Prabhu. They were a reservoir of love of Godhead.
- gaurīdāsa paṇḍita yāṅra premoddaṇḍa-bhakti
- kṛṣṇa-premā dite, nite, dhare mahāśakti
Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita, the emblem of the most elevated devotional service in love of Godhead, had the greatest potency to receive and deliver such love.
- nityānande samarpila jāti-kula-pāṅti
- śrī-caitanya-nityānande kari prāṇapati
Making Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda the Lords of his life, Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita sacrificed everything for the service of Lord Nityānanda, even the fellowship of his own family.
- nityānanda prabhura priya—paṇḍita purandara
- premārṇava-madhye phire yaichana mandara
The thirteenth important devotee of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu was Paṇḍita Purandara, who moved in the ocean of love of Godhead just like the Mandara Hill.
- parameśvara-dāsa—nityānandaika-śaraṇa
- kṛṣṇa-bhakti pāya, tāṅre ye kare smaraṇa
Parameśvara dāsa, said to be the fifth gopāla of kṛṣṇa-līlā, completely surrendered to the lotus feet of Nityānanda. Anyone who remembers his name, Parameśvara dāsa, will get love of Kṛṣṇa very easily.
- jagadīśa paṇḍita haya jagat-pāvana
- kṛṣṇa-premāmṛta varṣe, yena varṣā ghana
Jagadīśa Paṇḍita, the fifteenth branch of Lord Nityānanda’s followers, was the deliverer of the entire world. Devotional love of Kṛṣṇa showered from him like torrents of rain.
- nityānanda-priyabhṛtya paṇḍita dhanañjaya
- atyanta virakta, sadā kṛṣṇa-premamaya
The sixteenth dear servant of Nityānanda Prabhu was Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita. He was very much renounced and always merged in love of Kṛṣṇa.
- maheśa paṇḍita—vrajera udāra gopāla
- ḍhakkā-vādye nṛtya kare preme mātoyāla
Maheśa Paṇḍita, the seventh of the twelve gopālas, was very liberal. In great love of Kṛṣṇa he danced to the beating of a kettledrum like a madman.
- navadvīpe puruṣottama paṇḍita mahāśaya
- nityānanda-nāme yāṅra mahonmāda haya
Puruṣottama Paṇḍita, a resident of Navadvīpa, was the eighth gopāla. He would become almost mad as soon as he heard the holy name of Nityānanda Prabhu.
- balarāma dāsa—kṛṣṇa-prema-rasāsvādī
- nityānanda-nāme haya parama unmādī
Balarāma dāsa always fully tasted the nectar of love of Kṛṣṇa. Upon hearing the name of Nityānanda Prabhu, he would become greatly maddened.
- mahā-bhāgavata yadunātha kavicandra
- yāṅhāra hṛdaye nṛtya kare nityānanda
Yadunātha Kavicandra was a great devotee. Lord Nityānanda Prabhu always danced in his heart.
- rāḍhe yāṅra janma kṛṣṇadāsa dvija-vara
- śrī-nityānandera teṅho parama kiṅkara
The twenty-first devotee of Śrī Nityānanda in Bengal was Kṛṣṇadāsa Brāhmaṇa, who was a first-class servant of the Lord.
- kālā-kṛṣṇadāsa baḍa vaiṣṇava-pradhāna
- nityānanda-candra vinu nahi jāne āna
The twenty-second devotee of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu was Kālā Kṛṣṇadāsa, who was the ninth cowherd boy. He was a first-class Vaiṣṇava and did not know anything beyond Nityānanda Prabhu.
- śrī-sadāśiva kavirāja—baḍa mahāśaya
- śrī-puruṣottama-dāsa—tāṅhāra tanaya
The twenty-third and twenty-fourth prominent devotees of Nityānanda Prabhu were Sadāśiva Kavirāja and his son Puruṣottama dāsa, who was the tenth gopāla.
- ājanma nimagna nityānandera caraṇe
- nirantara bālya-līlā kare kṛṣṇa-sane
From birth, Puruṣottama dāsa was merged in the service of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, and he always engaged in childish play with Lord Kṛṣṇa.
- tāṅra putra—mahāśaya śrī-kānu ṭhākura
- yāṅra dehe rahe kṛṣṇa-premāmṛta-pūra
Śrī Kānu Ṭhākura, a very respectable gentleman, was the son of Puruṣottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He was such a great devotee that Lord Kṛṣṇa always lived in his body.
- mahā-bhāgavata-śreṣṭha datta uddhāraṇa
- sarva-bhāve seve nityānandera caraṇa
Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura, the eleventh among the twelve cowherd boys, was an exalted devotee of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu. He worshiped the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda in all respects.
- ācārya vaiṣṇavānanda bhakti-adhikārī
- pūrve nāma chila yāṅra ‘raghunātha purī’
The twenty-seventh prominent devotee of Nityānanda Prabhu was Ācārya Vaiṣṇavānanda, a great personality in devotional service. He was formerly known as Raghunātha Purī.
- viṣṇudāsa, nandana, gaṅgādāsa—tina bhāi
- pūrve yāṅra ghare chilā ṭhākura nitāi
Another important devotee of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu was Viṣṇudāsa, who had two brothers, Nandana and Gaṅgādāsa. Lord Nityānanda Prabhu sometimes stayed at their house.
- nityānanda-bhṛtya—paramānanda upādhyāya
- śrī-jīva paṇḍita nityānanda-guṇa gāya
Paramānanda Upādhyāya was Nityānanda Prabhu’s great servitor. Śrī Jīva Paṇḍita glorified the qualities of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu.
- paramānanda gupta—kṛṣṇa-bhakta mahāmatī
- pūrve yāṅra ghare nityānandera vasati
The thirty-first devotee of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu was Paramānanda Gupta, who was greatly devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa and highly advanced in spiritual consciousness. Formerly Nityānanda Prabhu also resided at his house for some time.
- nārāyaṇa, kṛṣṇadāsa āra manohara
- devānanda—cāri bhāi nitāi-kiṅkara
The thirty-second, thirty-third, thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth prominent devotees were Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇadāsa, Manohara and Devānanda, who always engaged in the service of Lord Nityānanda.
- hoḍa kṛṣṇadāsa—nityānanda-prabhu-prāṇa
- nityānanda-pada vinu nāhi jāne āna
The thirty-sixth devotee of Lord Nityānanda was Hoḍa Kṛṣṇadāsa, whose life and soul was Nityānanda Prabhu. He was always dedicated to the lotus feet of Nityānanda, and he knew no one else but Him.
- nakaḍi, mukunda, sūrya, mādhava, śrīdhara
- rāmānanda vasu, jagannātha, mahīdhara
Among Lord Nityānanda’s devotees, Nakaḍi was the thirty-seventh, Mukunda the thirty-eighth, Sūrya the thirty-ninth, Mādhava the fortieth, Śrīdhara the forty-first, Rāmānanda the forty-second, Jagannātha the forty-third and Mahīdhara the forty-fourth.
- śrīmanta, gokula-dāsa hariharānanda
- śivāi, nandāi, avadhūta paramānanda
Śrīmanta was the forty-fifth, Gokula dāsa the forty-sixth, Hariharānanda the forty-seventh, Śivāi the forty-eighth, Nandāi the forty-ninth and Paramānanda the fiftieth.
- vasanta, navanī hoḍa, gopāla, sanātana
- viṣṇāi hājarā, kṛṣṇānanda, sulocana
Vasanta was the fifty-first, Navanī Hoḍa the fifty-second, Gopāla the fifty-third, Sanātana the fifty-fourth, Viṣṇāi the fifty-fifth, Kṛṣṇānanda the fifty-sixth and Sulocana the fifty-seventh.
- kaṁsāri sena, rāmasena, rāmacandra kavirāja
- govinda, śrīraṅga, mukunda, tina kavirāja
The fifty-eighth great devotee of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu was Kaṁsāri Sena, the fifty-ninth was Rāmasena, the sixtieth was Rāmacandra Kavirāja, and the sixty-first, sixty-second and sixty-third were Govinda, Śrīraṅga and Mukunda, who were all physicians.
- pītāmbara, mādhavācārya, dāsa dāmodara
- śaṅkara, mukunda, jñāna-dāsa, manohara
Among the devotees of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, Pītāmbara was the sixty-fourth, Mādhavācārya the sixty-fifth, Dāmodara dāsa the sixty-sixth, Śaṅkara the sixty-seventh, Mukunda the sixty-eighth, Jñāna dāsa the sixty-ninth and Manohara the seventieth.
- nartaka gopāla, rāmabhadra, gaurāṅga-dāsa
- nṛsiṁha-caitanya, mīnaketana rāmadāsa
The dancer Gopāla was the seventy-first, Rāmabhadra the seventy-second, Gaurāṅga dāsa the seventy-third, Nṛsiṁha-caitanya the seventy-fourth and Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa the seventy-fifth.
- vṛndāvana-dāsa—nārāyaṇīra nandana
- ‘caitanya-maṅgala’ yeṅho karila racana
Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, the son of Śrīmatī Nārāyaṇī, composed Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala [later known as Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata].
- bhāgavate kṛṣṇa-līlā varṇilā vedavyāsa
- caitanya-līlāte vyāsa—vṛndāvana dāsa
Śrīla Vyāsadeva described the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Vyāsa of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Vṛndāvana dāsa.
- sarvaśākhā-śreṣṭha vīrabhadra gosāñi
- tāṅra upaśākhā yata, tāra anta nāi
Among all the branches of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Vīrabhadra Gosāñi was the topmost. His subbranches were unlimited.
- ananta nityānanda-gaṇa—ke karu gaṇana
- ātma-pavitratā-hetu likhilāṅ kata jana
No one can count the unlimited followers of Nityānanda Prabhu. I have mentioned some of them just for my self-purification.
- ei sarva-śākhā pūrṇa—pakva prema-phale
- yāre dekhe, tāre diyā bhāsāila sakale
All these branches, the devotees of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, being full of ripened fruits of love of Kṛṣṇa, distributed these fruits to all they met, flooding them with love of Kṛṣṇa.
- anargala prema sabāra, ceṣṭā anargala
- prema dite, kṛṣṇa dite dhare mahābala
All these devotees had unlimited strength to deliver unobstructed, unceasing love of Kṛṣṇa. By their own strength they could offer anyone Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa.
- saṅkṣepe kahilāṅ ei nityānanda-gaṇa
- yāṅhāra avadhi nā pāya ‘sahasra-vadana’
I have briefly described only some of the followers and devotees of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu. Even the thousand-mouthed Śeṣa Nāga cannot describe all of these unlimited devotees.
- śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa
- caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa
With an ardent desire to serve the purpose of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.