Sharanagati

The meeting of Mahaprabhu [1] and Nityananda Prabhu [2] was just like an explosion of divine rasa [3], divine ecstasy. With great expectation They were coming together and They were meeting. One is the Supreme, the other is also the Supreme, but in different features. So this is an incredible idea – Lord Supreme wants to meet Himself. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is a double personality – inside Krishna, outside Radha – still concealed in a personality of a devotee, so we can say triple, combined personality. Nityananda Prabhu is one feature, one person, representing Balaram in Krishna lila [4].

He comes as an elder brother. We can say, He is senior also by duty, by service. He comes first to arrange the setup. Radha and Krishna, the Divine Couple, can come only to such places, which are prepared nicely. Тherefore Nityananda comes. Of course many others help this whole environment to be very favorable for Their appearance.

Nityananda plays a very special role in that. He is full of expectations. He wants to meet His beloved Lord Gauranga [5] and at the same time He also wants to connect the treasure house with the beggars. We are beggars and Mahaprabhu breaks the treasure house of prem (love divine). Who does help to distribute the values, the assets there? One main personality is Nityananda Prabhu. He is on our side. We know, we hope that Krishna is merciful. Right? This is our hope. Not only truthful, not only just, but merciful. When He comes as a devotee, He is more merciful. The combined feature is when Radha and Krishna are searching for each other so strongly, so desperately, that They come together joined in one personality. Then Their search after each other is fulfilled and more mercy is revealed. When Krishna’s and Radha’s features are combined, this is enhanced; this is not only one plus one, something extra is happening – merciful mood is just exploding! This is Mahaprabhu. We call Him “the Мerciful Incarnation” or “the Ocean of mercy” – this is how we see, how we feel that Mahaprabhu comes to us.

Who will tell us, that Mahaprabhu is here? Nityananda! That function is personified by Him. He comes to distribute even more. Mahaprabhu distributes, no doubt, because He is inviting into the sankirtan [6] movement practically everyone. Nityananda in addition conveys the message from door to door, to each and every house.

He’d got the service to enlighten people about the holy name of Krishna. What do you think –was He obedient servant or He had some private opinion? He was avadhuta [7] type that means – private opinion. He thought: “I’ve got an instruction to do this. But better I do something else.” Sometimes you have that feeling also? You have got an instruction from your master and then you decide to do another way. Because you know it better, right? So this is when you are coming close to that avadhuta style. “I know better.”

Of course, we all know that Nityananda was avadhuta type. But here is a little secret. He is not simply neglecting or rejecting the instructions, he had a special mood. He didn’t preach about Krishna naam (name), He started to preach about something else. How was that mantra?… “bhaja gauranga kaha gauranga laha gauranger naam…”  (Worship Gauranga, chant Gauranga, speak about the name of Gauranga). This was His mood, this was His preaching. He didn’t want to glorify some ancient, far-away God like Krishna, hiding in His places. He wanted to glorify His God, His personal beloved God.

Can we say that He was disrespecting the instruction to teach people about Krishna? No, because He was focusing their attention on Goura. “Govinda Radhe” is our slogan, our motto, still it might be very long for some. Therefore if they want to put this shorter, they pick only few syllables – one syllable from here, one from there. Then what comes? Go-ra! Therefore Nityananda was correct, He accomplished both the instruction and the feeling, His personal feeling. The instruction was: “Teach people about Krishna, Krishna naam.” But His feeling was: “I don’t mind this Krishna, but I do like my Goura!” In this way both goals were achieved. This is how these great personalities meet!

Actually, Nityananda Prabhu is working for us. He is supremely merciful, so much so, that He expands and extends His mercy through His representatives, the spiritual masters. We belong to the Mercy sampradaya [8]. The Mercy sampradaya is an ever-growing chain of mercy. We expect that Krishna is merciful. When Radharani (Radha) is there, She makes the whole situation even more merciful. Then Their mercy is combined in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and that condensed mercy is delivered to the audience by Nityananda, the original representative of guru [9]. Our masters distribute the same mercy. So in one sense we can say that Gurudev [10] is most merciful to introduce us to Nityananda and He will take us to Gаuranga, and then they will guide us to Radha Govinda.

But who is at the end of this chain? You are at the end of this chain. So if mercy is growing step by step, from Krishna to Radha it is enhanced. From Radha-Krishna to Goura is more enhanced; from Goura to Nityananda – even bigger; then from Nityananda to Gurudev – he is even more merciful, right? Then the vaishnava [11] is the ultimate cup of mercy. That means: you should be the most merciful! Bring people to the source, where you had taken your happiness. This is the best service!

In my understanding this is one of the main contributions of Nityananda Prabhu, that He didn’t consider whether you are qualified or not, but He was ready to bow down at the entrance of your door and ask you very humbly: “bhaja gauranga kaha gauranga laha gauranger naam!”

Feel blessed to belong to this Mercy sampradaya. Because it can heal the wounds.

[1] Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) – the greatest religious reformist in the middle ages who re-established the authenticity of the Vedic teachings for the devotion to Lord Krishna; according to the scriptures He is Radha and Krishna combined.

[2] Nityananda Prabhu (1474-unknown) – according to Gaudiya-Vaishnava tradition Nityananda is an incarnation of Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna in His revealed pastimes. He is considered the most merciful incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the sum total of all spiritual masters (adi guru).

[3] Rasa (mellow, taste, sweetness, emotional attitude) – mood of the emotional connection of the soul with the Supreme. The five kinds of spiritual connections of the pure soul with Lord Krishna are: shanta (“neutrality”); dasya (“servant”); sakhya (“friendship”); vatsalya (“parenthood”); madhurya (“intimate love”).

[4] Lila – pastimes of the Lord, Krishna.

[5] Gauranga, Goura – names of Mahaprabhu

[6] Sankirtan – congregational glorification of the holy names of Krishna

[7] Avadhuta (divine madman) – а mystic or saint who is beyond duality and common worldly

concerns and acts without consideration for standard social etiquette.

[8] Sampradaya – disciplic succession through which the divine knowledge is distributed.

[9] Guru – spiritual teacher

[10] Gurudev (guru-spiritual master; deva-heavenly being) – affectionate appellation for the personal spiritual master.

[11] Vaishnava – in this context: a devotee of Radha and Krishna