Sharanagati

“Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is by nature very much inspired in rendering transcendental loving service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Now, being ordered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He distributed this loving service anywhere and everywhere. I offer innumerable obeisances unto the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, who is so kind that He spread the service of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu all over the world. Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to address Nityānanda Prabhu as His elder brother, whereas Nityānanda Prabhu addressed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as His Lord.”[1]

You see the fine dealings! The superior says: “You are My brother, elder brother!” Elder brother means – you are senior to Me, you are authority to Me. But the other party never forgets His original position and says: “You are My Lord! I am Your servant.” So what do we see here? This is a clash of rasa, because one respects the other as a brother and the other says: “I am Your servant.” One is family rasa, other is serving rasa. Is there a clash indeed? Not. Because those dealings are only instructing us. It is said that whatever comes from above, we should accept that. If there is an invitation for dance, we should dance. If there is an invitation to work, then we work. If there is an invitation for intimate talks, then we talk intimately. If there is an instruction to keep silent, then we try to do that. So whatever comes from above we should accept it very nicely and enter freely into that invitation.

Once I have seen a picture of a spiritual master, standing on top of a bed, with a sword in his hand and fighting a duel with one of his disciples. He was also standing on this bed and they were like fighting. And I said: Wow! This is rasa! If the spiritual master invites you to fight a duel with him, you should enter, you should do it. But try to preserve his life. It is not necessary to show that you are a good fighter, even a better fighter than him. Because this is another part of fine rasa.

Like in the case of father and son. The son’s power is insignificant compared to the father. Nevertheless when the son pulls the finger of the father and says: “Come with me!” then the father will go. And according to Shrila Shridhara Maharaj this very special connection is called affection, it is called love.

“Although Nityānanda Prabhu is none other than Balarāma Himself, He nonetheless always thinks of Himself as the eternal servant of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Nityānanda Prabhu requested everyone to serve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, chant His glories and utter His name. Nityānanda Prabhu claimed that person to be His life and soul who rendered devotional service unto Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In this way, Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu introduced the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to everyone without discrimination. Even though the people were fallen souls and blasphemers, they were delivered by this process.”[2]