All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

The Holy Appearance Day of
Lord Nityananda Prabhu

Page One | Page Two

"Without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu
I will not get Mahaprabhu's mercy."

"The incarnation of Nityananda Prabhu is Gurudev." The Divine Trinity of Gurus: Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabupada.

By His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

From The Divine Servitor, Part Two

Service to the Guru and Vaisnava is our life, and we must try to perform that service. No doubt we cannot always satisfy Guru and Vaisnava, but the main thing is to have the tendency and inner desire to satisfy them. Transcendental power comes down through the channel, and if we want it, we must try in this way. Through the Guru and the Vaisnavas, transcendental power comes to us and gives us devotional strength. That strength is the service to Guru and Vaisnava. Narottama Das Thakur wrote nitaiyer karuna habe, vraje radha krsna pabe. When we can please Guru and Vaisnava, they will give their mercy and then we must surely get service to Radha-Govinda andMahaprabhu. This is very clear. In this

tomara karuna mage trikala vilase gandharvvika-giridhari seva-matra ase 'Past, present, and future - for all eternity, we beg your mercy. Only by your mercy will one receive devotional service to Sri-Sri Gandharvvika-Giridhari.'

way Nityananda Prabhu is very merciful and He takes the conditioned souls from the very low level up to the high level: that is the power of Nityananda Prabhu. The incarnation of Nityananda Prabhu is Gurudev. Always He distributes the mercy of Mahaprabhu and He gives entrance to the lila of Radha-Krsna. He is actually the first treasurer of the whole of the transcendental world. He is the master of the whole of that realm, and when we may get entrance to Goloka, Vraja-dham, we shall receive the mercy of Radharani's servitors. But first, to serve Nityananda Prabhu is most necessary; we must satisfy Nityananda Prabhu.

In Sri Chaitanya-Charitamrta it is related that Raghunath Das Goswami many times tried to go to join with Mahaprabhu's mission in Jagannath Puri, but he was always unsuccessful and could not meet with Him. Many times he tried to go to the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but his father tried to keep him in household life and therefore Raghunath was very sad.

One day he heard that Nityananda Prabhu had come to Panihati near Raghunath Das Goswami's father's house. Immediately he went to see Nityananda Prabhu thinking, "Without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu I will not get Mahaprabhu's mercy."

So he went to Nityananda Prabhu. Seeing him Nityananda Prabhu was happy and said, "You are a thief. Always you are trying to go to Mahaprabhu in the manner of a thief, but first you arrange a festival to feed all the devotees gathered here for My satisfaction. If you can satisfy Me in this way, I shall give you direct entrance to Mahaprabhu's lotus feet."

At that time wherever Nityananda Prabhu went He was accompanied by many devotees; also on that occasion in Panihatigram many were present.

Raghunath Das was very happy to hear Nityananda Prabhu's order and said, "Yes Prabhu, I shall try." So from many villages he collected large quantities of yoghurt, milk, flat rice, bananas, sandesh and many other eatables in order to feed the devotees. He made all arrangements. Nityananda Prabhu with His associates, servitors and devotees all very happily took that maha-prasadam. Nityananda Prabhu said, "Yes, now you have finished your grhasta life. Your household life is now finished, and you will attain to Mahaprabhu's lotus feet."

 

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"I am fully indebted to Sri Gurudev"

By His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

From Sri Guru and His Grace, Chapter Four

To get the grace of Nityananda Prabhu, we should try as far as possible to study the character of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, to serve Him, to serve His dhama, and His devotees. That will easily help us attain the grace of Nityananda Prabhu. And there will always be so many practical dealings in our present stage, but we must always keep the highest ideal over our heads. With this ideal we shall be able to make progress. Our ideal, our highest model - that is our all in all in life. To be acquainted with the conception of the highest ideal and to be on the path of realization of that goal is the greatest wealth in one's life.

Srila Raghunatha Das Goswami prays, "I only aspire after one thing. I cherish the hope that one day I may be welcomed into the plane where Radhika and Madhava are in Their glory, sitting and playing." That should be our prospect. This is found in Raghunatha Das Goswami's prayer to his Guru. He says:

nama-srestham manum api saci-putram atra svarupam
rupam tasyagrajam uru-purim mathurim gostavatim
radha-kundam giri-varam aho radhika-madhavasam
prapto yasya prathita-krpaya sri gurum tam nato 'smi

"I am fully indebted to Sri Gurudev. Why? He has given me so many things. He has given me the highest conception of the holy name of Krsna, the highest form of sound which contains the highest form of thought, aspiration, ideal, everything. And next he has given me the mantra." The name is there within the mantra. Without the name, the mantra is nothing. If the name of Krsna is withdrawn and replaced with another name, the mantra will give the opposite result. The name of Krsna is all in all. And within the mantra, the name is couched in a particular way as a sort of prayer.

And then he says, "He has given me the service of that great savior, the son of Mother Sachi, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is like a golden mountain standing to show the direction of krsna-lila. And Gurudev has brought me to the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu's most favorite personal assistant, Svarupa Damodara, who is the representation of Lalita-devi, the most favorite friend of Radhika.

"Then he has brought me in connection with Sri Rupa, who was ordered to distribute the highest kinds of devotional love, rasa." Vaidhi-bhakti, the worship of the Lord in awe and reverence, is of a lower order. But raganuga-bhakti, spontaneous love, the hearts innermost dealings, was distributed through Srila Rupa Goswami. Mahaprabhu considered Sri Rupa the best to deal with raganuga-bhakti.

sri bhakti sundara deva prabhu siromani gosvami govinda jaya anandera khani 'All glories to Sri Bhakti Sundar Govinda Goswami, who is our supreme master and is like a reservoir of joy.'

Das Goswami says, "Then, by his grace, I have achieved the association of Srila Sanatana Goswami, who adjusts our position in relation to raganuga-bhakti. He explains the path of vaidhibhakti, and gives us sambandha-jnana: the knowledge of what is what, a proper acquaintance with the environment." Then he says, "Gurudev has given me Mathura Mandala, where Radha and Govinda have Their pastimes; where the forest, the hills, every creeper, shrub, and grain of sand, everyone is bearing the acquaintance of Radha-Krsna lila, and wherever I shall cast my glance they will help me in my remembrance of Radha and Govinda. I have received all these things from my Gurudev: Vrndavana, where the cows and the milkmen have their village constructed. I am becoming acquainted with their association, their nature, and their feelings of love for Krsna.

"By the grace of Gurudev, I have become acquainted with Radha-kunda, the favorite place of Radha and Govinda for Their pastimes, and this great Govardhana. And lastly he has given me the hope that one day I can get the service of Sri Sri Radhika and Madhava. I have been given all these assurances by my Gurudev, so I bow my head with all my respects to his lotus feet."

So, if we are conscious of all these spiritual matters, then we can think that we have approached our Gurudev properly. What is our Guru? What is his mission? It is filled with all these things. Devoid of that, what is our interest?

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"My Only Hope is Dayal Nitai"

By His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

From The Divine Servitor, Part Two

"...seeing our intention they must surely help us by giving guidance as to which way we can go and what will be beneficial for us."

Here where we are living is the mundane plane where in a cyclic way we are receiving birth after birth throughout the fourteen worlds. But our goal is to cross over this environment to Paravyoma Dham and to Goloka Dham: that is our destination. By repeatedly trying, one day we must be successful in reaching that goal. Another way for us to go is by the merciful blessings of Guru and the Vaisnavas. They are not blind, but seeing our intention they must surely help us by giving guidance as to which way we can go and what will be beneficial for us. What we may get by way of inspiration is received from the caittya-guru, the internal Guru. Other directives we receive from the mahanta-guru, the external manifestation of Sri Guru.Therefore our future is very bright no doubt, but we must follow the directives of Srila Guru Maharaj and try to go to our transcendental destination. This is our only duty; there is no other duty.

It is very fortunate when the opportunity to engage in direct service to Krsna comes for the jiva souls, and Krsna gives that through Guru. Therefore Nityananda Prabhu, that is Sri Guru, is the only hope in our lives. Lastly we have seen how Srila Guru Maharaj was always chanting "Dayal Nitai, Dayal Nitai, Dayal Nitai." He said, "My only hope is Dayal Nitai, Dayal Nitai."

Nobody could understand the meaning within that, but by the mercy of Srila Guru Maharaj I immediately guessed it. Srila Guru Maharaj is showing us the proper line. He has crossed over all the stages of practising life; that is called paramahamsa, and now he is showing us our fortune, that is Dayal Nitai. By the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu we must be successful, therefore our practising life must go in that direction. This is my advice to you all and also I am trying, and praying to Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas, "Please give me that type of increasing inspiration and power to preach to others and be successful as a servitor myself."

 

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sri-guru karuna-sindhu, adhama janara bandhu, lokanatha lokera jivana ha ha prabhu koro doya, deho more pada-chaya, ebe jasa ghusuk tribuvana 'O spiritual master, ocean of mercy, and friend of the fallen souls, you are the teacher of everyone and the life of all people. O master! Be merciful unto me and give me the shade of your lotus feet. May you glories now be proclaimed throughout the three worlds.'