Śrī Nityānanda Dvādaśakam

‘Śrī Nityānanda Dvādaśakam’ (Twelve Prayers in Praise of Lord Nityananda) is a Sanskrit composition by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja delineating the ontological position and appearance of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu.

(1)

yo ’nanto ’nanta-vaktrair niravadhi hari-saṁkīrtanaṁ saṁvidhatte

yo vā dhatte dharitrīṁ śirasi niravadhi kṣudra-dhūlī kaṇeva

yaḥ śeśaś-catra-śayyāsana-vasana-vidhaiḥ sevate te yad-arthāḥ

śrī-nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Lord Nityānanda’s representation as Ananta Śeṣa possesses unlimited mouths which propagate and glorify Lord Hari’s Holy Names and attributes. Ananta Śeṣa constantly holds the weight of the Earth planet upon His innumerable hoods as if it were an insignificant particle of dust. Ananta Śeṣa serves the Lord in several ways, manifesting Himself as the Lord’s personal umbrella, resting place, and clothing. Let us eternally worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(2)

aṁśair yaḥ kṣīraśāyī sakala bhuvanapaḥ sarva jīvāntarastho

yo vā garbhodaśāyī-daśa-śata-vadano veda-sūktair vigītaḥ

bramāṇḍāśeṣa garbhā prakṛti-pati-patir jīva-saṅghāśrayāṅgaḥ

śrī nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Lord Nityānanda’s partial manifestation as Kśīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu functions as the preservation principle of the entire universal creation, and is localized within every soul (paramātma). Another eminent expansion of Lord Nityānanda is Garbhodaśāyī Viṣṇu, that all-imposing figure whose thousands of heads are eulogized in the Vedic orations. Lord Nityānanda’s presence is further extended in His expansion as Kāraṇodaśāyī Viṣṇu, the supplying principle encompassing unlimited universes. Lord Nityānanda is the master of the Lord of material nature, Kāraṇodaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is the shelter of all living entities. Let us eternally worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(3)

yasyāṁśo vyuha-madhye vilasati parama-vyomni saṁkarṣaṇākhya

ātanvan śuddha-sattvaṁ nikhila-hari-sukhaṁ cetanaṁ līlayā ca

jīvāhaṅkāra-bhāvāspada iti kathitaḥ kutracij-jīvavad yaḥ

śrī-nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Lord Nityānanda’s presence is further extended within the spiritual abode of Vaikuṇṭha in His partial manifestation known as Saṅkarṣaṇa. In Vaikuṇṭha, Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa performs spiritual Pastimes which are fully transcendental, situated in pure goodness, and all-pleasing to Lord Hari. As mentioned in the revealed scriptures, Lord Nityānanda is the individual temperament of ego existing within the living entity, and He sometimes appears just like an ordinary living entity. Let us eternally worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(4)

yaścādi vyuha-madhye prabhavati sagaṇo mūla-saṅkarṣaṇākhyo

dvārāvatyāṁ tad-ūrddhe madhupuri vasati prābhavākhyo vilāsaḥ

sarvāṁśī rāma-nāmā vrajapuri ramate sānujo yaḥ svarūpe

śrī-nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Lord Nityānanda who is the fountainhead of the primary Saṅkarṣaṇa, exists in full splendour separate from the original quadruple expansion, and is known as Mūla Saṅkarṣaṇa. That all-attractive personality, Śrī Saṅkarṣaṇa, performs His wonderful Pastimes in the spiritual realm in the regions known as Mathurā and Dvārakā. The transcendental city of Dvārakā is situated just below the city of Mathurā. It is in these spiritual places that Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa and His associates Aniruddha and Pradyumna exhibit Their particular pastimes scripturally known as prabhāva-vilāsaḥ. Nityānanda Prabhu in the form of Lord Balarāma is the ultimate source of all incarnations, and sportively plays in the charming village of Vrajapura with His younger brother Lord Kṛṣṇa. Let us eternally worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(5)

śrī-kṛṣṇa-premanāmā parama-sukhamayaḥ ko’pyacintyaḥ padārtho

yad gandhāt sajjanaughā nigama-baṅhumataṁ mokṣam apy ākṣipanti

kaivalyaiśvarya-sevā-pradagaṇa iti yasyāṅgataḥ premadātuḥ

śrī nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Pure unalloyed love for Lord Krishna, which is inconceivable to all, embodies the most supreme and intense happiness. When the devotees of the Lord realize the joy of such love, they cast away the innumerable doctrines offered by the Vedas, including the soul’s emancipation. Lord Nityānanda openly bestows pure love, automatically including worship of the non-differentiated Brahman and service offered in Vaikuṇṭha, which is dominated by opulence and grandeur. Let us eternally worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(6)

yo bālye līlayaikaḥ parama-madhurayā caikachakrānagaryyāṁ

mātā-pitror janānā matha nija-suhṛdāṁ hlādayaṁś citta-chakram

tīrthān vabhrāma sarvānupahṛta janako nyāsinā prārthitaś ca

śrī-nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

When Nityānanda Prabhu was a small boy, He performed sweet and charming Pastimes in the village of Ekacakra. His Pastimes invoked the deepest heartfelt happiness in His mother, father, relatives, and close friends. Once, a renunciate arrived at the house of Nityānanda and prayed to the boy’s father for his son. Lord Nityānanda was placed in the hands of the renunciate and left to visit the holy places of pilgrimage, wandering throughout the length and breadth of India. Let us eternally worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(7)

bhrāmaṁ bhrāmañca tīrthān yati-mukuṭa-maṇi mādhavendra prasaṅgāt

labdhollāsaḥ pratikṣya prakaṭita caritaṁ gaura-dhāmājagāma

śrī-gauraḥ śrīnivāsādibhir api yamāvāpālaye nandanasya

śrī nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Nityānanda travelled from place to place with the crest jewel of the renounced order, Śrī Mādhavendra Purī. In the pure association of Mādhavendra Purī, Lord Nityānanda experienced the most joyful symptoms of ecstasy. After this, the Lord journeyed to Nabadwīp, where He eagerly waited for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to reveal His benevolent nature to the world. Shortly following Nityānanda’s arrival. Lord Caitanyadeva Himself, in the company of Śrīnivās Paṇḍita and Haridāsa Ṭhākura, went to the house of Śrī Nandanācārya and found Nitāi there. Let us eternally worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(8)

prāptājño gaura-candrādakhilajana gaṇoddhāra-nāma-pradāne

yaḥ prāpya dvau surāpau kalikaluṣa-hatau bhrātarau brahma-daityau

gāḍha-prema prakāśaiḥ kṛta-rudhira-vapuś cāpi tāv-ujjahāra

śrī-nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Nityānanda Prabhu was ordered by the golden moon, Śrīman Mahāprabhu, to deliver the masses by the wide distribution of Lord Krishna’s Holy Names. One evening, Lord Nityānanda encountered those two drunken and sinful brothers, Jagāi and Mādhāi, who were previously brahma-daitya demons of the first order, acting under the devastating spell of Kali-yuga. Suddenly, Nitāi was attacked by Mādhāi, whereupon His body became smeared with blood. In response, Lord Nitāi exhibited deep affection for the welfare of the two brothers and rescued them from their abominable condition. Let us eternally worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(9)

sākṣād-gauro gaṇānāṁ śirasi yad avadhūtasya kaupīna-khaṇḍaṁ

saṁdharttuñ cādideśāsava yavana vadhū spṛṣṭa-dṛṣṭo ’pi vandyaḥ

brahmādyānām apīti prabhu-parihṛtakānām api sveṣṭa-pīṭaḥ

śrī-nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Lord Gaurāṅga instructed His family members and followers to wear pieces of Lord Nityānanda’s kaupīna respectfully on their bodies. So pure and impeccable is the character of Nitāi that even if He is seen holding the hand of a Yavana’s wife and carrying a bottle of wine, nonetheless He remains supremely worshippable by the great demigods such as Lord Brahmā. Lord Nityānanda is also the desirable object of those exalted devotees who can steal away the heart of the Lord. Let us eternally worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(10)

uddharttuṁ jñāna-karmmādy-apahata-caritān gaura-candro yad āsau

nyāsaṁ kṛtvā tu māyā mṛgamanusṛtavān grāhayan kṛṣṇa-nāma

tach-cāyevānvadhāvat sthala-jala-gahane yo ’pi tasyeṣṭa-ceṣṭaḥ

śrī nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Accepting the renounced order of life and distributing the Lord’s Holy Names, Lord Gaurāṅga chased after those souls who had been spoiled by the doctrines of dry argumentative logic and motivated fruitive activity. Like Lord Gaurāṅga’s own shadow, Nitāi Prabhu accompanied the Lord over land and through rivers, waterways, and jungles. In addition, Lord Nityānanda is the desired goal of all Gaurāṅga’s endeavours. Let us eternally worship that grand personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who can freely grant the association of that golden Lord Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(11)

śrī-rādhā-prema-lubdho divasa-niśi-tadāsvāda-mattaika līlo

gauro yañcādi deśa svaparikara-vṛtaṁ kṛṣṇa-nāma pradātum

gauḍe ’bādhaṁ dadau yaḥ subhaga-gaṇa-dhanaṁ gaura-nāma-prakāmaṁ

śrī-nityānanda-candraṁ bhaja bhaja satataṁ gaura-kṛṣṇa-pradaṁ tam

Day and night Lord Caitanya was intoxicated with the intense desire to taste the sweetness of Śrī Rādhikā’s divine love for Krishna. Śrīman Mahāprabhu instructed Lord Nityānanda and His associates to go out and profusely distribute the Holy Names of Lord Krishna. However, Lord Nityānanda instead plentifully distributed Lord Gaurāṅga’s Name, the most precious fortune available to the living entities, with no impediment at all. Let us worship that great personality Śrī Nityānanda-candra, who freely grants the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who is none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa.

(12)

śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-līlā-rasa-madhura-sudhāsvāda-śuddhaika-mūrtau

gaure śraddhāṁ dṛḍhāṁ bho prabhu-parikara-samrāṭ prayacchādhame ’smin

ullaṅghyāṅghriṁ hi yasyākhila-bhajana-kathā svapnavach caiva mithyā

śrī-nityānanda-candraṁ patita-śaraṇa-daṁ gaura-daṁ taṁ bhaje ’ham

O Nityānanda Prabhu, emperor amidst the personal associates of Śrīman Mahāprabhu! Kindly grant this fallen soul deep and resolute faith in that pure and divine figure of Śrī Gaurāṅga. Lord Gaurāṅga’s personality exclusively embodies the sweet nectar relished deep within the devotional mellows of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Krishna’s Pastimes. But if Your lotus feet are over-looked, than all so-called devotional orations and prayers meant for the highest worship become false, like a dream. I worship You, that great personality Nityānanda-candra, who openly bestows shelter to the most fallen souls, freely granting the association of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva.

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Śrī Nityānanda Dvādaśakam

Śrī Nityānanda Dvādaśakam