Lord Nityananda  Lord Nityananda
Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and His Lotus Feet

Śrī Nityānandāstakam

BY Śrīla Vṛndāvan Dāsa Ṭhākura

Eight Beautiful Verses Glorifying Lord Nityānanda
Translated by Swarupa Damodara dasa


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(1)
śarat-candra-bhrāntiṁ sphurad-amala-kāntiṁ gaja-gatiṁ
hari-premonmattaṁ dhṛta-parama-sattvaṁ smita-mukhaṁ
sadā ghūrṇan-netraṁ kara-kalita-vetraṁ kali-bhidaṁ
bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi

I perpetually worship Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the root of the Krsna-bhakti tree, whose bright face mocks the full autumn moon, whose pure complexion glistens, whose gait is like that of a maddened elephant, who is always intoxicated in Krsna-prema, who embodies pure spiritual energy, whose face holds a gentle smile, whose eyes are always rolling due to His absorption in Krsna-prema, whose lotus hand holds a glowing staff, and who, by the performance of nama-sankirtana, pierces the influence of Kali-yuga.

(2)
rasānām āgāraṁ svajana-gaṇa-sarvasvam atulaṁ
tadīyaika-prāṇa-pratima-vasudhā-jāhnavī-patiṁ
sadā-premonmādaṁ parama-viditaṁ manda-manasāṁ
bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi

I perpetually worship Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the root of the Krsna-bhakti tree, who is the mainstay of all the rasas, who is everything to His devotees, who is beyond compare, who is the master of both Vasudha and Jahnava-devi, who consider Him more dear than their own lives, who is always maddened in Krsna-prema, and who is unknown only to those of meager intelligence.

(3)
śacīsūnu-presthaṁ nikhila-jagad-iṣṭaṁ sukha-mayaṁ
kalau majjaj-jīvoddharaṇa-karaṇoddāma-karuṇam
harer-vyākhyānād vā bhava-jaladhi-garvonnati-haraṁ
bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi

I perpetually worship Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the root of the Krsna-bhakti tree, who is very dear to Sri Saci-nandana, who is worshipped by the entire universe, who is the embodiment of happiness, who possesses infinite mercy for delivering the souls who are drowning in the age of Kali, and who, by the performance of sri-harinama-sankirtana, thwarts the progressing false pride of the ocean of repeated birth and death.

(4)
aye bhrātar nṛṇaṁ kali-kaluṣināṁ kiṁ nu bhavitā
tathā prāyaścittaṁ racaya yad-anāyāsatamime
vrajanti tvām itthaṁ saha bhagavatā mantrayati yo
bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi

I perpetually worship Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the root of the Krsna-bhakti tree, who said to Sri Krsna Caitanya, "Hey brother Gauranga! What will be the destination of the sinful souls of Kali-yuga and how will theyt be redeemed? Please devise a method by which they will easily attain You."

(5)
yatheṣṭam re bhrātaḥ! kuru hari-hari-dhvānam aniśaṁ
tato vaḥ saṁsārābudhi-taraṇa-dāyo mayi laget
idaṁ bāhu-sphoṭair aṭati raṭayan yaḥ pratigṛhaṁ
bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi

I perpetually worship Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the root of the Krsna-bhakti tree, who wandered around Bengal and, approaching the door of each and every home, threw open His arms and exclaimed, "O brothers! All of you should eternally perform sri-harinama-sankirtana together. By doing so, I will take the responsibility to deliver you all from the ocean of material existence."

(6)
balāt saṁsārāmbhonidhi-haraṇa-kumbhodbhavam aho
satāṁ śreyaḥ-sindhunnati-kumuda-bandhuṁ samuditaṁ
khala-śrenī-sphūrjit-timira-hara-sūrya-prabham ahaṁ
bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi

I eternally worship Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the root of the Krsna-bhakti tree, who is the Agastya Muni who forcibly swallows the ocean of repeated birth and death, who is a rising full moon which increases the ocean of the saintly persons' welfare, and who is a sun which dissipates the darkness of ignorance cast by the various classes of miscreants.

(7)
naṭantaṁ gāyāntaṁ harim anuvadantaṁ pathi pathi
vrajantam paśyantaṁ svam api na dayantaṁ jana-gaṇam
prakurvantaṁ santaṁ sakaruṇa-dṛg-antaṁ prakalanād
bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi

I eternally worship Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the root of the tree of Krsna-bhakti, who wandered on every path in Bengal dancing, singing, and calling out "Hari bol! Hari bol!" and who lovingly bestowed merciful sidelong glances upon those who were not compassionate to even their own selves.

(8)
su-bibhrāṇaṁ bhrātuḥ kara-sarasijaṁ komalataraṁ
mitho vaktālokocchalita-paramānanda-hṛdayam
bhramantaṁ mādhuryair ahaha! madayantaṁ pura-janān
bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi

I eternally worship Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the root of the Krsna-bhakti tree, who held the supremely soft lotus-hand of His brother Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, whose heart became filled with the highest bliss when the two brothers gazed into each other's faces, and who wandered here and there delighting the townspeople with His sweetness.

(9)
rasānām ādhāraṁ rasika-vara-sad-vaiṣṇava-dhanaṁ
rasāgāraṁ sāraṁ patita-tati-tāraṁ smaraṇataḥ
paraṁ nityānandāstakam idam apūrvaṁ paṭhati yaḥ
tad-aṅghri-dvandvābjaṁ sphuratu nitarām tasya hṛdaye

May Sri Nityananda Prabhu place His lotus feet in the heart of one who lovingly recites this unprecedented Nityanandastaka, which is the reservoir of rasa, the greatest treasure of the most exalted of rasika Vaisnavas, and the storehouse of the essence of bhakti-rasa.

This astaka is sung in the melody known as 'Sikharini'.

 

Different Translation

  1. I worship Lord Nityananda, the unlimited root of the tree of devotional service. He appears like an autumn moon, very splendid and free from any taint. Maddened with pure love for Lord Hari, His eyes constantly roll about and he walks as gracefully as an elephant. He is the Absolute Truth, His face is smiling, and holding a staff in His hand, He disperses the influence of the age of Kali.

  2. I worship Lord Nityananda, the unlimited root of the tree of devotional service. He is the abode of the mellows of devotional service, no one can be compared to Him and He is the be all and end all for His devotees. He is the Lord of Jahnava Devi, the goddess Who considers Nityananda more dear than life. He is always maddened with pure love of Godhead and the unintelligent non-devotees, cannot understand that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

  3. I worship Lord Nityananda, the unlimited root of the tree of devotional service. He is very dear to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the son of Sacidevi and He is worshipped by the entire universe. He is very cheerful and He delivers the souls immersed in the Kali-yuga. By chanting the holy name of Lord Hari, He removes the false ego born from the ocean of material life.

  4. I worship Lord Nityananda, the unlimited root of the tree of devotional service. He spoke to Lord Caitanya saying, "O, brother! The people will become infected with all the sins of Kali-yuga. How will they be able to atone for these sins? Please give them some way by which they can easily approach You."

  5. I worship Lord Nityananda, the unlimited root of the tree of devotional service. He went to each and every house and raised His arms saying, "O, brothers! If you will, please constantly chant the holy name of Lord Hari! If you do this, you will become free from the ocean of birth and death in the material world. Please give this gift of your liberation to Me."

  6. I worship Lord Nityananda, the unlimited root of the tree of devotional service. He is like Agastya Muni who forcibly swallows the ocean of material existence, and He is the rising full moon which is the friend of the lotus flowers and which increases the ocean, which is the welfare of the saintly devotees. He is the blazing sun which removes the darkness which is the community of demons.

  7. I worship Lord Nityananda, the unlimited root of the tree of devotional service. He traveled on every path singing and dancing and repeating, "Hari! Hari!" Without considering His own interests, He was merciful to the people and he gave them His merciful side long glance.

  8. I worship Lord Nityananda, the unlimited root of the tree of devotional service. He held the beautiful lotus hand of His brother, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and when They glanced at each others faces, Their hearts became full of transcendental bliss. They wandered through the towns of Bengal and delighted the people there.


These eight verses glorifying Lord Nityananda are the abode of the mellows of devotional service and they are the wealth of the pure devotees expert at relishing these mellows. These verses are very excellent, transcendental, and unprecidented. May the two lotus feet of Lord Nityananda continually appear in the hearts of those who read these verses and remember the Lord.

 

Lord Nityananda's Lotus Feet 

"Nitāi-pada-kamala means the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda. Koṭi-candra-suśītala.
It is just a shelter where you will get the soothing moonlight not only of one, but of
millions of moons. Just we have to imagine what is the aggregate total value of the
soothing shine of millions of moons. Koṭi-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata jurāy
."


Manaḥ-śikṣā (Nitāi-pada-kamala)

from Prārthanā by Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura


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nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,
je chāyāy jagata jurāy
heno nitāi bine bhāi, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,
dṛḍha kori' dharo nitāir pāy

“The lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda are a shelter where one will get the soothing moonlight not only of one, but of millions of moons. If the world wants to have real peace, it should take shelter of Lord Nityānanda. Unless one takes shelter under the shade of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda, it will be very difficult for him to approach Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. If one actually wants to enter into the dancing party of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, he must firmly catch hold of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda.”

se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r,
sei paśu boro durācār
nitāi nā bolilo mukhe, majilo saṁsāra-sukhe,
vidyā-kule ki koribe tār

“Anyone who has not established his relationship with Nityānanda Prabhu is understood to have spoiled his valuable human birth. Such a human being is actually an uncontrollable animal. Because he never uttered the holy name of Nityānanda, he has become merged into so-called material happiness. What can his useless education and family tradition do to help him?”

ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā,
asatyere satya kori māni
nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni

“Being maddened after false prestige and identification with the body, one is thinking, Oh, what is Nityānanda? What can He do for me? I don't care. The result is that he is accepting something false to be truth. If you actually want to approach the association of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, you must first achieve the mercy of Lord Nityānanda. When He is merciful toward you, then you will be able to approach Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you should firmly grasp the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda.”

nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāṅhāra sevaka nitya,
nitāi-pada sadā koro āśā
narottama boro dukhī, nitāi more koro sukhī,
rākho rāṅgā-caraṇera pāśa

“The lotus feet of Nityānanda are not illusion; they are a fact. One who engages in the transcendental loving service of Nityānanda is also transcendental. Always try to catch the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda. This Narottama dāsa is very unhappy, therefore I am praying to Lord Nityānanda to make me happy. My dear Lord, please keep me close to Your lotus feet.”

 

Lord Nityānanda Prabhu’s Appearance Day
Nitāi-Pada-Kamala Purport
--
Los Angeles, January 31, 1969
690131PU.LA


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Prabhupāda: (sings)
Nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata jurāy
.

This is a song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava-sampradāya. He has written many songs about the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, and they are approved as completely corresponding with Vedic instructions. So here Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing that “The whole world is suffering under the blazing fire of material existence. Therefore, if one takes the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda...,” whose birthday is today, 31st, January, 1969. So we should relish this instruction of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura that in order to get relief from the pangs of blazing fire of this material existence, one should take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda because it is as cooling as the moon rays combined together of millions of moons. That means one will immediately find peaceful atmosphere. Just like a man works whole day and if he comes under the moonshine he feels relief.

Similarly, any materialistic man who comes under the shelter of Lord Nityānanda will immediately feel that relief. Then he says,

nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,
je chāyāy jagata jurāy,
heno nitāi bine bhai, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du’khani

He says that “If you are anxious to go back to home, back to Godhead, and become associate with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, then the best policy is to take shelter of Nityānanda.” Then he says, se sambandha nāhi jā’r, bṛthā janma gelo tā’r: “One who has not been able to contact Nityānanda, then one should think of himself that he has simply spoiled his valuable life.” Bṛthā janma gelo, bṛthā means for nothing, and janma means life. Gelo tā’r, spoiled. Because he has not made connection with Nityānanda. The Nityānanda, very name, suggests... Nitya means eternal. Ānanda means pleasure. Material pleasure is not eternal. That is the distinction. Therefore those who are intelligent, they are not interested with this flickering pleasure of material world. Every one of us, as living entity, we are searching after pleasure. But the pleasure which we are seeking, that is flickering, temporary. That is not pleasure. Real pleasure is nityānanda, eternal pleasure. So anyone who has no contact with Nityānanda, it is to be understood that his life is spoiled.

se sambandha nāhi jā’r, bṛthā janma gelo tā’r,
sei paśu boro durācār

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura uses here very harsh word. He says that such human being is an animal, an uncontrollable animal. As there are some animals that cannot be tamed, so anyone who has not contacted Nityānanda, he should be considered as an untamed animal. Sei paśu boro durācār. Why? Because nitāi nā bolilo mukhe: “He never uttered the holy name of Nityānanda.” And majilo saṁsāra-sukhe, “and become merged into this material happiness.” Vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. “That nonsense does not know that what will his education and family and tradition and nationality will help him?” These things cannot help him. These are all temporary things. Simply, if we want eternal pleasure, we must contact Nityānanda. Vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. Vidyā means education, and kula means family, nationality. So we may have a very nice family connection or we may have very nice national prestige, but after ending this body, these things will not help me. I’ll carry my work with me, and according to that work, I shall have to accept by force another type of body. It may be something other than human body. So these things cannot protect us or give us the real pleasure.

So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura advises that vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. Then he says, ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā. “Being maddened after false prestige and identification...” False identification with the body and prestige of bodily relationship, it is called ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā. One is mad after this false prestige. Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā. Due to this false prestige we are thinking, “Oh, what is Nityānanda? What can He do for me? I don’t care.” So these are the signs of false prestige. Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsa..., asatyere satya kori māni. The result is that I am accepting something which is false. For example, I am accepting this body. This body, I am not this body. Therefore, with false identification I am becoming entangled more and more. So one who is puffed up with this false prestige, ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pā..., asatyere satya kori māni, he accepts something wrong as right. Then he says, nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe. If you are actually serious about going back to home, back to Godhead, then please seek after the mercy of Nityānanda. Ahaṅkāre...

nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braja rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du’khāni

“Please catch up the lotus feet of Nityānanda.” Then he says, nitāiyer caraṇa satya. One may think that as we catch hold of so many shelter, but in this material world later on they prove false, similarly, suppose we catch hold of the lotus feet of Nityānanda; it may also prove false. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura assures that nitāiyer caraṇa satya: “It is not false. Because Nityānanda is eternal, His lotus feet is also eternal.” Tāṅhāra sevaka nitya. And anyone who takes to the service of Nityānanda, they also become eternal. Without being eternal, nobody can serve the eternal. That is the Vedic injunction. Without becoming Brahman, one cannot approach the Supreme Brahman. Just like without being fire, nobody can enter into the fire. Without being water, nobody can enter into the water. Similarly, without being fully spiritualized, nobody can enter into the spiritual kingdom. So nitāiyer caraṇa satya. If you catch nitāiyer, the lotus feet of Nityānanda, then you become immediately spiritualized. Just like if you touch electricity, immediately you become electrified. That is natural. Similarly, Nityānanda is eternal happiness, if you touch Nityānanda some way or other, then you become also eternally happy. Tāṅhāra sevaka nitya. Therefore one who has in contact with Nityānanda, they have become eternal.

nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāṅhāra sevaka nitya,
dṛḍha kori’ dharo nitāir pāy

So just catch Him very tightly. Narottama boro duḥkhī, nitāi more koro sukhī. At the last Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, the composer of this song, he is appealing to Nityānanda, “My dear Lord, I am very unhappy. So You please make me happy. And You kindly keep me in corner of Your lotus feet.” That is the sum and substance of this song. (end)