Śrī Śrī Guru, Śrī Śrī Nitāi-Gaurāṅga, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa jayataḥ!

Śri Nityananda Vamśa Vistar

Nityananda and His Descendants
Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur

Bhakti Books

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Published by Dauji Dau Dayal Das @ Bhakti Books (UK) and Sri Hari
Bhakti Pracarini Sabha (Navadvip)
Other Publications of Bhakti Books:
Śrī Ślokāmritam - The Sublime nectar of Vaisnava Verses
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Śrī Kirtanāmritam – The Sublime nectar of Vaisnava Songs
Śrīmad Bhagavad-gīta - The Beautiful Song of God
A Sweet Taste of Bhakti – Prabhupād Śrīla Premgopāl Goswāmī
Bhakti Fundamentals – A Handbook of Sadācar & Daily Practice
The Essence of Śrī Prema Bhakti Candrika – Premgopāl Goswāmī
Śrī Rādhā dāsyam - Prabhupād Śrīla Premgopāl Goswāmī
Living Rāgānuga Bhakti – Prabhupād Śrīla Premgopāl Goswāmī
Nitai Pada Kamala - Prabhupād Śrīla Premgopāl Goswāmī
Jewels of the Heart – Talks by Prabhupād Śrīla Premgopāl Goswāmī
Śrī Guru and His Grace - Prabhupād Śrīla Premgopāl Goswāmī
Mantra-mayī Upāsanā – Meditating with Ślokas while Taking Harinam
Ananga Manjari Samputika – Commentary by Premgopal Goswami
Mahāprabhu’s Final Message for the World – Raman Bihari das Babaji
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Facebook page: Prabhupad Srila Premgopal Goswami; YouTube playlists:
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Acknowledgements: Krishna Das (Kolkata) for translation, Anasuya

didi (Radha Kund) for translation input, Madhavi (Prague) for cover
design, Śrivas (Navadwip) for transliteration and translation input,
others who prefer to remain anonymous and Dauji for everything
else (research, editing, layout, production coordination & publishing).

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Contents

Preface .....................................................................................7
Foreword ..................................................................................9
Introduction ............................................................................11
Mangalacarana………………………………………………………………………15

Adi-līlā (Chapters 1-3)

1. The Cause of Śrī Biracandra’s Appearance..........................17
1. Śrī Nityananda accepts household life on the order of Caitanya...17
2. Śrī Nityananda Arrives in Gauḍadesh and Inaugurates Sankirtan. 21
3. Śrī Nityananda’s Marriage with Vasudha & Jahnava......................24

2. The Divine Appearance of Śrī Biracandra Prabhu.................41

1. Śrī Biracandra Takes Birth as Śrī Nityananda’s Son........................42
2. Abhiram Tests the Authenticity of Newly-born Biracandra...........43
3. Advaita Acarya comes to Take Darshan of His Lord.......................46

3. The Propagation of Biracandra’s (Nityananda’s) Dynasty..... 49

1. Narayani manifests from the ocean in Puri....................................49
2. Nityananda ends His manifest pastimes.........................................52
3. Biracandra’s Initiation by Jahnava Ma............................................55
4. Biracandra weds Narayani and enters household life....................58
5. Biracandra Settles in Khardaha......................................................64
6. The Nārā-Nāri’s Pastime.................................................................66
7. Attachment versus Detachment.....................................................68
8. The Propagation of Śrī Biracandra's Dynasty................................70
9. Bhakti Tattva should be Kept Confidential.....................................71

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Madhya-līlā (Chapters 4-8)
4. Śrī Jahnava Thakurani’s 1st pilgrimage to Vrindavan.............73
1. Biracandra’s Second Marriage........................................................73
2. Śrī Jahnava Ma’s Pilgrimage to Vrindavan......................................74
3. Śrī Nityananda Tattva.....................................................................78
4. Gopijanavallabha Prabhu’s pastimes..............................................79
5. Śrī Nityananda’s Glories..................................................................82

5. Śrī Jahnava Thakurani’s 2nd Pilgrimage of Vrindavan............85

1. Śrī Jahnava Ma’s Pilgrimage of Ekacakra........................................85
2. Śrī Jahnava Ma’s Pilgrimage of Vrindavan......................................91
6. Śrī Śrī Nitai-Gauranga Tattva.................................................97
5. Śrī Biracandra’s Harinam Sankirtan Pastimes.....................105
1. Biracandra Propagates Harinam Sankirtan far and wide..............107
2. Delivering the Muslim King of Dhaka...........................................111

8. Śrī Biracandra’s Causeless Mercy.......................................117

1. Biracandra Showers Mercy on the Northern Provinces......117
2. Durllabh Chatri - The Recipient of Biracandra’s Mercy.......120
3. Śrī Biracandra’s Pilgrimage to Ekacakra...............................124

Antya-līlā (Chapters 9-10)

9. The Nectarean Pastimes of Śrī Biracandra..........................127
1. Biracandra’s Tour of Radhadesh and Ekacakra...................128
2. Biracandra and Gati Govinda the Son of Śrīnivas................129
3. Biracandra and Parameṣvar das Mallik..............................133
4. Biracandra and Śrīnivās Ācārya...........................................138
5. Biracandra and Nandan Ācārya...........................................139
6. Biracandra and King Birhambhir..........................................142

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10. Śrī Biracandra’s Pilgrimage to Śrī Vrindavan.....................151
1. Biracandra becomes absorbed in Rādhā bhāva..................152
2. Nityananda meets Śrīdam in Vraja......................................153
3. Delivering the jivas in the Jharikhanda forest.....................155
4. The Story of Delivering Śiva and the King of Kāśī................157
5. Biracandra in Vraja Bhāva...................................................162
6. Biracandra and Jiva Goswami..............................................163
7. Biracandra in the Mood of Mahaprabhu in Vraja................165
8. Śrī Radha Kunda Pastimes...................................................171
9. Śrī Govardhan parikrama.....................................................174

Appendix
1. Śrīmatī Jahnava Thakurani’s Biography...............................177
2. A Prayer to Śrī Jahnava Thakurani…………………………………….181
3. Śrī Ananga Mañjarī Aṣṭakam…………………………………………….182
4. A Summary Biography of Śrī Biracandra Prabhu.................185
5. Śrī Gaṅgā Mata’s Biography................................................191
6. Śrī Gaṅgā Mata Stavanam…………………………………………….....194
7. Prabhupād Śrīla Premgopāl Goswāmī’s line……………………..201

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Dedication
To Prabhupad Śrīla Premgopal Goswami for his inspirational
harikatha and his unwavering love for us. By his blessing, inspiration
and encouragement this rare and unique scripture has manifested in
the English language.

A Biographical Sketch of Premgopal Goswami

Premgopal Goswami was born on the 4th September, 1972, in
the temple of his forefathers, Sri Radha Madan-mohan, Navadwip.
He is a pure Vaiṣnava in a family of exalted Vaiṣnavas and the 14th
generation direct descendant of Lord Nityananda. He is a highly
talented and gifted person, yet is endowed with real humility and is
easily approachable. He is highly proficient in the Vedic and Vaiṣnava
scriptures, and shares his knowledge and his heart generously with
his followers. He has composed, lyrics and melody, many rasika
devotional poems, and he sings like an angel. He is a beautifully
compelling speaker, and his deep realizations empower him to give
his listeners the higher taste of pure bhakti. He spends most of his
time tirelessly travelling and generously sharing his wisdom and his
sweet mood with the fortunate souls who hear his talks. All who
comes into his divine presence are blessed and enthused in their
spiritual practice on the path of pure bhakti.
Premgopal Goswami is a family man; he is married and has
one daughter. He travels widely, propagating the message of pure
love as it was preached by Nitai-Gauranga. He is a prolific speaker
and gives daily talks on his Facebook page in English. Some of his
talks have been made into books: A Sweet Taste of Bhakti, Bhakti
Fundamentals, The Essence of Sri Prema Bhakti Candrika, Living
Raganuga Bhakti, Sri Radha Dasyam, Nitai Pada Kamala (Nityananda
tattva), Sri Guru and his Grace (Guru tattva), Jewels of the Heart, and
Sri Ramananda Samvad. (These, as well as other books published
under his guidance such as Ananga Manjari Samputika, are available
as eBooks and paperbacks. See page 2 above).

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Preface
For the pleasure of Śrī Śrī Guru, Śrī Śrī Nitai-Gauranga and Śrī Śrī
Radha-Krishna we are happy to present this edition of Śrī Nityānanda
Vamśa Vistar. The default translation of the Bengali title would be
“The Expansions of Nityananda’s Dynasty” but the subtitle
“Nityananda and His Descendants” is more elegant. Vamśa means
‘dynasty’ or ‘family’ and refers to Nityananda’s blood line. Vistāra
means ‘Exapansion’ and refers to ‘Nityananda Parivar’, Nityananda’s
disciplic lineage, the parampara line coming from Him (and from His
consort Jahnava Thakurani, the mother of our Gaudiya Vaiṣnava
sampradaya). Nityananda Parivar is one of the Traditional Gaudiya
Vaiṣnava Lines. Gaudiya means the followers of Mahaprabhu in
Gaura līlā and of Śrīmatī Radharani in Krishna līlā. Whatever sanga or
line we happen to belong to, we are all members of one family, Nitai-
Gaura Parivar. The publication of this book is therefore a cause of
celebration for those who consider themselves followers of Nitai-
Gauranga.

This 500 years old scripture consists mostly of the biography of Śrī
Biracandra Prabhu but includes some pastimes of Śrī Nityananda
Prabhu and Śrī Jahnava Thakurani, which have not been described in
other books. It provides a unique overview of the life and teaching of
Śrī Biracandra Prabhu, the son of Śrī Nityananda, who was a second
manifestation of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

By the desire of Prabhupad Srila Premgopal Goswami, this

publication has become available in English. It is the culmination of a
few years of painstaking efforts to get this rare book by Srila Vrindvan
Das Thakur, translated and published. We are grateful and indebted
to the many devotees who helped to manifest this delightful book.

Jay Nitai!

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Nitai’s Glories
(Sri Caitanya-Bhagavat, Madhya-khanda 3.124 & 3.171)
The topmost uttama-adhikārīs are pure devotees of the Lord. This is
confirmed in the Srimad Bhagavatam (11.2.45) as follows:
sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyed bhagavad-bhāvam ātmanaḥ
bhātāni bhagavaty ātmany eṣa bhāgavatottamaḥ
“The most advanced devotee sees Sri Krishna, the soul of all souls,
within everything. Consequently he sees everything in relation to the
Supreme Lord and understands that everything that exists is eternally
situated within the Lord.”

Being the foremost of such liberated souls, the mahā-bhāgavata Sri

Nityānanda Prabhu is the origin of all pure devotees of the Lord. He is
most effulgent and is the basis of spiritual illumination. The reflection
of His bodily effulgence revives the constitutional position of the
living entities. Those who are under His shelter can also have similar
effulgence. In the material conception of life there is an absence of
spiritual effulgence. Until one achieves spiritual realization, he cannot
be freed from the contamination of forgetting his real, spiritual
identity (svarūpa). When the spiritual effulgence that emanates from
Nityānanda and destroys the darkness of ignorance enters the heart
of a person, it vanquishes the darkness of ignorance.

ati gūḍha nityānanda ei avatāre

caitanya dekhāya yāre, se' jahite pāre
“In this incarnation Śrī Nityānanda is most confidential. One can
know Him only when Śrī Caitanya reveals Him (Nityananda tattva is
most confidential and can only be realized by Śrī Caitanya's mercy).”
Only the dear servants of Sri Gauranga can, by His mercy,
understand the nature and activities of Sri Nityananda. It is
impossible for ordinary souls to realize the tattva of Sri Nityananda.
The truth regarding Nityananda is realized only by the grace of Sri
Caitanya’s merciful form as the caitya-guru, the Guru in the heart.

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Foreword
Nityananda Vamśa Vistār is a complex, intricate and
intriguing composition; a Vaiṣnava scripture composed by Śrī
Vrindavan Das Thakur1, author of Sri Caitanya Bhagavat, in his
maturity. He narrates it in a poetic verse form with precise meter and
rhyme. It is poetry in motion and therefore he says at the end of each
chapter (stanza), “Thus I sing this Vamśa Vistār.” It is written in classic
Bengali, the language of Śrī Nitai-Gauranga and of Śrī Caitanya-
caritāmrita. It is said that Bengali is the language of sweetness
(bangla miśti bhaśya) referring both to its nature as the most poetic
and spiritually conducive language, and to its ability to describe the
sweet human-like amorous pastimes of the Divine Couple known as
madhurya rati (literally ‘loving sweetness’).
To translate and edit such work into proper English is mission
impossible. It is not really possible to reproduce the brilliant poetic
verses of this work in English. It consists of lofty ideals, descriptions
of transcendental pastimes, subtle double meanings, allusions,
intricate linguistic constructions and spiritual terms that are so
utterly different from what can be expressed in English (or any other
Western language), that one feels like a dwarf trying to catch the
moon or like a lame person trying to climb mountain Everest. English
simply lacks the vocabulary and conceptions of transcendental reality
and transcendental rasa.
On top of that, even the original Bengali book is so rare that
it was only with great difficulty that we managed to obtain an old and
faded copy. That a translation manifested despite all these
impediments, is a miracle and a testimony to the powerful mercy of
Guru and Nitai-Gauranga.

1
Who is said to be Srila Vyasadev in Krishna lila. Vyasadev compiled the
Srimad Bhagavtam and many other Vedic scriotures, too vast and
complicated for any ordinary human to be able to read in one lifetime.

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 It is said that Nityananda tattva is very confidential and
difficult to understand:
ati gūḍha nityānanda ei avatāre
caitanya dekhāya yāre, se’ janite pāre2
Sri Caitanya Bhagavat, Madhya-khanda 3.171
“In this incarnation Śri Nityānanda is most confidential. One can
know Him only when Śri Caitanya reveals Him. (Nityananda tattva3 is
very confidential and one can realize it only by Śrī Caitanya’s mercy).”

We hope that this book will serve to make it easier for us, Kali-yuga
jivas, to understand Nityananda tattva better and feel closer to Nitai
and Gauranga, as well as to Jahnava Thakurani, Biracandra, Ganga
Mata and their descendents and followers. Our aspiration is to
become a part of this unique spiritual family, Nitai-Gaura Parivar.

By Nityananda’s inconceivable mercy the impossible can become

possible and even a dumb person can recite poetry or manifest a
book of transcendental nature. Following the wish of Premgopal
Goswami and by his blessing, we have made a humble attempt to
make this rare scripture available to the English speaking world. We
beg the forgiveness of the readers and the scholars for the inevitable
mistakes and shortcomings of this edition. Our only prayer is that our
respected readers may find inspiration and encouragement for their
bhajan in the pages of this book.

Jay Nitai! Gaura Hari Bol!

2
This śloka appears to have been slightly changed in the English edition:
baḍa (boro) gūḍha nityānanda ei avatāre/caitanya dekhāya yāre, se’ dekhite
pāre. But the meaning is essentially the same.
3
See the book ‘Nitai Pada Kamala’, an elucidation of Nityananda tattva by
Prabhupada Srila Premgopal Goswami.

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Introduction

Nityananda Vamśa Vistār is about the expansion of Nityananda’s

family lineage and about the propagation of Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtan
mission in the world. It is partially about Śrī Nityananda and His
consorts, Śrī Vasudha Devi and Śrī Jahnava Ma, but mainly about Śrī
Biracandra Prabhu (aka Virabhadra). Below is Krishna das Kaviraja’s
description of Śrī Biracandra Prabhu in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmrita, Adi
līlā, 11th Capter, ‘The Expansions of Lord Nityananda’ with the
commentary of Prangopal Goswami, the great Vaiṣnava Ācārya (as
well as the great grandfather and parameṣthi Guru of Premgopal
Goswami under whose guidance this edition was compiled).

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 11.8–12

śrī-vīrabhadra gosāñi skandha-mahāśākhā
tāra upaśākhā yata asa khya tāra ekhā [8]
Śrī Vīrabhadra Gosāñi (pronounced Gośāi in current Bengali, short
form of Goswami) is a great branch on the trunk [of Śrī Nityānanda
Prabhu’s family tree]. He has innumerable sub-branches and it is
impossible to describe them all.

Kṛpā-kaṇā-prakāśinī-vyākhyā (Commentary of Prabhupad Śrīla

Prangopal Goswami)

śrī-vīrabhadra gosāñi: He is the eldest son of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu.

skandha-mahāśākhā: “A great branch on the trunk” means a

principal or large branch of the trunk of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, or, it
means a great branch similar to a trunk, that is, although it is a
branch, it is large like a trunk and rather not like a common branch.
Why? Vīrabhadra Prabhu is of the nature of the Lord (Īśvara-tattva),
and thus equally capable, like a trunk of the desire-tree of bhakti, of

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bestowing the fruit of prema. Therefore, He can also be called a
trunk, but because He appeared from the trunk of Śrī Nityānanda, He
has been counted among the branches and in particular is called a
“great branch on the trunk” (skandha-mahāśākhā). With this same
intention, the variant “trunk-like branch” (skandha-sama śākhā) can
also be found here and there. All these points will be further
elaborated on in the explanation of the following verses.

īśvara ha-iyā kahāya mahā-bhāgavata

veda-dharmātīta hañā veda-dharme rata [9]

Although He is the Lord, He induces others to call Him a great

devotee. Although He is beyond Vedic dharma, He remains engaged
in Vedic dharma.

Kṛpā-kaṇā-prakāśinī-vyākhyā:
In Śrī Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, it is said:
sa karṣaṇasya yo vyūhaḥ payobdhi-śāyi-nāmakaḥ
sa eva vīracandro’bhūc caitanyābhinna-vigrahaḥ

“He who in the array of Saṅkarṣaṇa is known as Payobdhi-śāyī

[Kṣīrodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu] has appeared bearing the name Vīracandra,
and his form is non-different from Śrī Caitanya.”

Therefore, when He is of the nature of the Lord (Īśvara-tattva), why

is He not a trunk of the desire-tree of bhakti like Śrī Nityānanda and
Advaita? To dispel this doubt, these two verses are spoken [9–10].

Firstly, although He is the same as the Lord (Īśvara-tattva), He

induces others to call Him a great devotee – (kahāya-mahā-
bhāgavata), that is, because He would perform bhakti like a great
devotee, people would call Him a great devotee. Secondly, as He is of
the nature of the Lord (Īśvara-tattva), He is beyond the dharma
prescribed by the Vedas. Therefore, He does not have to perform

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Vedic dharma. Still, as an 13aitany, He would perform the dharma of
bhakti prescribed in the Vedas to educate society and maintain the
integrity of Vedic dharma, and He would perform Vedic karma and
sādācara in such a way that they would not be contrary to bhakti,
that is, so that bhakti would also be maintained. Why? If He did not
behave in this way, then common people would follow His example
and give up their engagement in Vedic karma.

Thirdly, as He is of the nature of the Lord (Īśvara-tattva), the entire

prowess befitting the Lord would manifest in Him, yet externally with
the attitude of a bhakta He would accept all the characteristics
befitting a bhakta, such as humility, and behave like a bhakta.

For these three reasons, and because He appeared in these manifest

pastimes (prakaṭa-līlā) in the world in the form of the son of Śrī
Nityānanda Prabhu, He has been called a branch rather than a trunk,
as a branch arises from a tree’s trunk. So, the specification is this:
because He is of the nature of the Lord (Īśvara-tattva), He has been
called “a great branch on the trunk” (skandha-mahāśākhā).

antare īśvara-ceṣṭā, bāhire nirdambha

caitanya-bhak -maṇḍapera ho mū a-stambha [10]

Internally His actions are those of the Lord, but externally He is

prideless. He is the main pillar in the pavilion of bhakti erected by Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Kṛpā-kaṇā-prakāśinī-vyākhyā:
He is a fundamental pillar of the festival pavilion of the bhakti
propagated by Śrī Caitanya. As a festival pavilion rests upon its
fundamental pillars, so Śrī Vīrabhadra Prabhu became a principal
assistant in regard to the practice (ācāra) and propagation (pracāra)
of the bhakti-dharma Śrī Gaurasundara propagated, that is, at a

13
subsequent time He abundantly propagated its practice and so forth
throughout human society.

adyāpi yāhāra k pā mahimā ha-ite

caitanya-nityānanda gāya saka a jagate [11]

It is by the glorious mercy of Śrī Vīrabhadra Gosāñi that people all

over the world have the chance to chant the names of Caitanya and
Nityānanda.
sei vīrabhadra-gosāñira a-inu śaraṇa
yāhāra prasāde haya abhīṣṭa-pūraṇa [12]
I take shelter of this Vīrabhadra Gośāi, by whose grace all desires are
fulfilled.
In the purport to the above śloka in the BBT edition of Śrī
Caitanya-caritāmrita, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad has
written: “I therefore take shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Vīrabhadra
Gośāi, so that by His mercy my great desire to write Śrī Caitanya-
caritāmrita will be properly guided.”
We can only echo the sentiment expressed above and say:
“We take shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Biracandra Prabhu so that by
His grace our great desire to publish an English translation of Śrī
Nityānanda Vamśa Vistar will be properly guided.”
May Jahnava Ma, and Nityānanda and His descendents bless
everyone who helped to manifest this book in English as well as every
one of our respected readers.

Jay Nitai! Jay Gaura! Jay Sri Radhe!

14
Mangalacarana

Let me sing the glories of the two Lords, Śrī Krishna Caitanya and
Prabhu Nityananda whose compassion knows no bounds:

ājānu-lambita-bhujau kanakāvadātau
sa kīrtanaika-pitarau kama āyatākṣau
viśvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma-pā au
vande jagat-priya-karau karuṇāvatārau (1)
Śrī Caitanya Bhagavat 1.1.1
“I worship the incarnations of mercy, Śrī Gaura-Nityānanda, whose
arms extend to Their knees, whose complexions are dazzling, who
inaugurated the Saṅkīrtana movement, whose eyes are large like
lotus petals, who nourish the entire universe, who are the best of the
brāhmaṇas, who protect the yuga-dharma, and who are engaged in
performing pleasing activities for the welfare of the whole world.”

nityānandam ahaṁ vande premānanda-svarūpakam

caitanyāgraja-rūpeṇa pavitrīk ta bhū-talam [2]
Let me glorify Prabhu Nityananda, the fountain of love (personified
Premānanda). His mercy made the earth holy. He precedes Śrī
Caitanya as the torchbearer

śrī-caitanya-prabhuṁ vande premām ta-rasa-pradam

śrī-vīracandra-rūpeṇa prakaṭi-bhūta bhū-talam [3]
I glorify Śrī Caitanya with my throat chocked with the nectarean taste
of love for Him. Paying prostrated obeisances, I surrender myself to
the lotus feet of Śrī Biracandra.

advaitā ghri-yugaṁ vande mūrtimān ya k pā svayam

yat prasādāt pāmaro’pi hare k ṣṇeti gāyati [4]
All glories to Śrī Advaita-candra who is the embodiment of mercy. By
His grace even the sinners can loudly chant Harinam.

15
 śrī-vīra durjana prati daṇḍirevarado kuṇḍa-kuñjara
ka i prati khaṇḍivira ghorābdī-marjana
kuru karuṇāya vīra rādhikā prema-guṇa-gupta-prakāśī vīra [5]
Śrī Vīracandra Prabhu is the punisher of the wicked, like an elephant
uprooting the banks of a lake with his tusks. He puts an end to the
hypocrisy of Kali, cleansing that ghastly ocean of nescience. Please be
merciful, O Vīra, the valiant and hidden revealer of Rādhikā’s love.

śrī-vīracandra ka itāmaha vīracandra sabhakta-praphullita-kavindra

śrī-jāhnavādya-nayane kṣaṇa-dīpta-candraḥ premām ta-vitaraṇe
paripūrṇa-candra [6]
Śrī Biracandra is the moon that makes the devotees’ heart blossom
and destroys the darkness of the age of Kali. He is the twinkle of
moonlight in the eyes of Śrī Jahnava and others, and the full moon
who spreads the nectar of Love of God (Krishna Prema).

prātaḥ soma karā vanaurbandī-k ta śrī-vigraham

prema-bhaktākṣa bhū-sthāpya sañcārita jagat trayam [7]

Vrindavan das Thakur says: “Now that Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu and
Śrī Nityananda Prabhu’s manifest pastimes have ended, there are still
some pastimes left to be described. I pray at the lotus feet of all the
Vaiṣnavas that, being causelessly merciful, bestow your blessings
upon me so that I will be able to describe these pastimes properly. By
Your blessings I may be able to fulfil my desire, for I am like a thirsty
small bird eager to drink the ocean of Śrī Nityananda and Śrī Krishna
Caitanya’s pastimes. Thus let me sing (i.e. narrate this poetic
composition) with great eagerness, about Śrī Nityananda-candra’s
qualities and about the character and pastimes of Śrī Biracandra
Prabhu, the nondifferent manifestation of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

16
 Adi-līlā – Chapter One
The Cause of Śrī Biracandra’s Appearance
jaya jaya śrī k ṣṇa caitanya nityānanda
jaya śrī Advaita-candra sarvānanda kanda
All glories, all glories to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Nityānanda, and all
glories to Śrī Advaita-candra, the abode of bliss.

1. Śrī Nityananda Prabhu accepts Household Life on the

Order of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Once in Nilachala (Jaganath Puri, Kṣetra Dham) the two Lords

sat in a secluded place and had a confidential talk. Mahaprabhu told
Nityananda, “I would like You to go to Gauḍadesh (present Bengal)
and enter family life. Then only can all the householders be delivered.
By entering family life You will be able to propagate bhakti
everywhere. I will once again come to Your temple and appear in
Your home in the form of Your child (Biracandra). By Your potency
You will naturally be able to recognize Me. Once again I will deliver
the world by distributing pure Bhakti (in the form of Biracandra). The
scriptures do not mention this incarnation and no one can
understand my inconceivable līlā without Your blessing. Therefore
those who don’t know Me in truth will not understand this. Without
Your mercy no one can know Me, therefore only You will be able to
reveal My tattva. In the previous yuga (Dvapara) My Yadu dynasty
was destroyed, but Your dynasty (Nityananda Vamśa) will flourish all
over the word.”
Nityananda Prabhu replied, “You are the ultimate doer and
the cause of everything. You are the puppeteer and I am your
puppet. You make Me dance as You like. Who is independent of You?
You sanction the actions of all. You caused Me to become an

17
avadhut.4 Thus I traveled around the land looking for You. You hid
Yourself from Me and it was only after many years that You enabled
Me meet You. Then You kept Me by Your side and gave Me Your
constant darśan. You bestowed bhakti upon Me and made me a
devotee and a Vaiṣnava. You bestowed Krishna prema upon Me. You
made me relish the bliss of kirtan and dance in ecstatic love. Now You
wish to make Me a ‘worldly enjoyer’ (viṣayī) while You Yourself have
accepted the renounced order of life (sannyasa)?”
“As a mendicant I gave up all considerations of varnāśrama. I
gave up lusting after the company of beautiful women and instead
You made me mad for kirtan. I renounced all material comforts and
became a mendicant, a beggar. But now You are asking Me to accept
household life?! What are you asking Me?! Do You really want Me to
become a householder?! How can anyone understand your
inconceivable actions?! Why do You torture Me in this way?”
“However, O My Lord, I don’t have any other goal or any
saviour apart from You. You are My life and soul, You are the dearest
friend of My life, you are the wealth of My heart, You are indeed the
Lord of my life. I am eternally Your order carrying servant.5

4
‘Avadhut’ is a renounced mendicant who is transcendentally situated
beyond the social rules and conventions (varnāśram), and beyond the
scriptural injunctions governing everyone’s conduct.
5
Nityananda is non-different from Gauranga just as Balaram is non-different
from Krishna, but His mood is that ‘I am His servant and He is My Lord’:
“Prabhu Nityananda is the embodiment of all kinds of services such as
managing and decorating the residential place of the Lord and being His
paraphernalia such as His bed, throne, sandals, cloth, pillow, cushions,
umbrella etc. He always increases the happiness of Murali-manohar Śrī
Krishna. He also acts as the Lord’s carrier in the form of Garuda, as an elder
brother in the form of Balaram, as a younger brother in the form of
Lakṣman, as the resting place in the form of Ananta-Śeṣa, and as Ananga
Manjari in madhurya rasa. Thus Prabhu Nityananda considers Himself as the
eternal order-carrying servant of the Lord.” (Quoted from Ananta-Samhita).

18
Therefore, I cannot ignore Your order. Whatever order You give Me -
I will place it on My head.” Saying this, Nityananda Prabhu fell silent.
Holding Nityananda’s hand, Mahaprabhu told him: “My dear
Nityananda, you are the personification of My bliss. You are the
abode of My happiness and the treasure house of My wealth. You
always assist Me in My pastimes. You are My śakti (energy) I am the
source of Your power (energetic). The energetic cannot exist without
the energy. You are Me and I am You; Never was there a time when
you and I were different. Whoever thinks we are different does not
know Me and cannot understand My activities. We are like two
halves of a mung dahl, non-different. We are one at heart, one soul
in two bodies. Therefore, we are always together and I always follow
Your instructions. Whether I move or speak or do anything, it is all by
Your wish only. Actually You give me ecstatic bliss and it is only
because of You that I have incarnated in Kali yuga.”
Nityananda replied, “That is all a lie. Your words are
deceptive. Why do You speak such big words? Why do You have such
a desire in Your heart to send Me away? In a previous yuga You
wanted to teach brahma-jnana to the gopis and for this reason You
sent Uddhava to meet them. They left everything and renounced
their family and chastity to worship You and still they could not
reunite with You. You always relish the sufferings of Your own family
members. You made Your mother, father, relatives and friends
senseless with grief. What, then, can I say for myself? I am merely
Your servant. Whatever You say I will do, I cannot reject your orders.
But please tell me the truth, when will I get Your darshan again? How
will I be able to tolerate the pain of separation from You?”
Mahaprabhu said, “You do not have to come to Nilachal
every year. Whenever You desire to see Me - You will see me;
wherever you dance and whenever Saci Mata cooks for Me - there I
will manifest Myself; have no doubt of this.”
“In a few days I will disappear but I will reappear in Your
home as Your son (Biracandra). It is a hidden incarnation; it is not

19
described in the Vedas. However, it is true indeed! It will happen
exactly like this. I Myself am telling You this; there is no other way.
There will be all glory and victory at Your home.”
Hearing this, Nityananda fell to the ground and took the
footdust of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet. The two brothers
embraced each other and began to cry tears of separation.
In this way they stayed awake all night and the next morning
they did their usual morning routines and practices together. Then
they went to Lord Jagannath temple and took darshan of his sweet
form. From that day on the Lord became absorbed in (Radharani’s
mood of) separation from Krishna. He became immersed Radha
bhava, and in the company of Svarupa Damodar and Ramananda
Roy6 relished the qualities of Śrī Radha. These devotional mellows
cannot be known without the intimate associates of Mahaprabhu
(antaranga bhaktas).
Accepting the dharma for this age of Kali, Harinam Sankirtan,
and internally relishing Radharani’s mood of love in separation from
Krishna, these two mellows were bestowed by Śrī Sacinandana
Gaurahari. “Relish the nectar of the holy name – prem nām
sankirtan!” Mahaprabhu gave these teachings to the whole world.
Thus Mahaprabhu had this confidential talk with Nityananda.
Only their intimate associate Svarupa Damodar was there, no one
else knew about that conversation and later he revealed it to others.

6
Svarupa Damodar is Lalita sakhi and Ramananda Roy is Viśakha sakhi in
Krishna līlā. This is established by Viśvanath Cakravarti Thakur in Gaura-
gana-svarupa-tattva-candrika and other scriptures. They were helping
Mahaprabhu in the Gambhira to relish Radha bhāva, being Her chief sakhis
in Braj. Ramananda Roy is famous for his conversation with Mahaprabhu
about the ultimate goal of life (Ramananda Samvad, Cc Madhya Chapter 8)
and Svarupa Damodar for his diaries (Svarupa Kaḍacha) recording
Mahaprabhu’s līlā in Jaganath Puri Dham. Unfortunately his diaries have
become extinct and only parts of it survived.

20
 2. Śrī Nityananda Arrives in Gauḍadeśa and Manifests His
Sankirtan Pastimes

One by one, all the devotees left Jaganath Puri on the pretext of
visiting other Holy places and Mahaprabhu bade them all farewell.
Nityananda left for Gauḍadeśa (Bengal) with his intimate
associates. They walked the path fully immersed in love for Krishna.
They danced their way singing about His qualities and pastimes, their
hearts melting in the ocean of nectarean love. Nityananda was
maddened by prema as if intoxicated by drinking honey wine and
about to swoon. Being overwhelmed by the bhava of Gaura-Govinda
(‘Golden Govinda’ i.e. Gauranga), He flooded everyone with waves of
prema.
Walking like that in bliss, Nityananda and his party finally
reached the banks of the river Ganga and came to the house of
Rāghava Pandit7 at Pānihātti. Hearing of their arrival, men, women,
children and old people of the locality all came running, desiring to
see the Lord with His associates and becoming mad in ecstasy.
From the banks of the Triveni (the confluence of the three
sacred rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati) to the village of Pānihāti
there were countless people following the tumultuous kirtan. There
is no telling how much prasadam people had and how much
prasadam people took to their homes. An unlimited amount of
prasadam was distributed and nobody could understand where it
was coming from or who provided it. During daytime Nityananda and

7
Rāghava Pandit is Dhaniṣtha sakhi in Krishna līlā . Having appeared as
Rāghava Pandit in Gaura līlā , he was now serving Nityananda in a similar
way. The scriptures say that Śrīmatī Rādhārānī is always present in the
foodstuffs cooked by him and therefore he was renowned for his ecstatic
prasadam preparations.

21
his party were invited for prasad seva (honoring of sacred food -
prasadam) and during the night they were engaged in doing kirtan.
There was no counting of how many kirtaniyas sang at the time of
Nityananda Prabhu’s dancing and how many peacock feather fans
and chamaras were used to fan the singing and dancing devotees.
As He was dancing, Nityananda’s long hair was waving to and
fro. He was wearing an earring on one ear and a decorated turban.
His face was radiating light. His body was adorned by many jewels:
armlets, finger rings, a garland and necklace of blue sapphires on His
neck and golden jingling ankle bells on His lotus feet. Just to hear this
description one’s sinful reactions go far away.
When the bumblebees drink the honey from the lotuses and
cannot contain it, honey drips from their mouths. In the same way,
honey-like tears flowed down from His lotus eyes. His waist is like
that of a lion and His broad chest is like that of an elephant. His long
arms reach to His knees and his body looks like that of a warrior.
His tender limbs were constantly manifesting signs of ecstatic
love. He was fully absorbed in love for Gaura. His body became
reddish due to being immersed in prema bhava (transcendental
loving moods). The dancing of this kirtan debauchee was not a
peaceful dance but a wild one due to being gaura-anuragi, in love
with Gaura.
Again and again He shouted ‘’Gauranga!’’, ‘‘Gauranga!” What
an amazing sight! How can one even try to understand His
extraordinary movements? While dancing He forcefully urged
everyone to chant “Gauranga!” “Gauranga!”
His eyes rolled in ecstasy and he started laughing madly and rocking
left and right while chanting “Krishna!” “Krishna!” just like an
elephant swaying from side to side by the striking of a goad.
Sometimes He was seeing Syamasundar, the great dancer, in
His heart. Then, feeling very fortunate and absorbed in great ecstatic
love he would burst out crying while calling out Krishna’s name,
“Where has the Lord of My life gone? Oh Śrī Nanda-nandana,

22
where shall I find You? My heart is exploding, please appear with
Your smile and give Me Your darśan! Keep Me alive by giving Me
Your embrace. Having not attained You, I should give up My life.
Where shall I go? Where shall I get the son of Nanda, the holder of
the flute.”
Sometimes he would cover His face with His hands and
whisper, “Oh Lord of my life!” And while crying, He would fall to the
ground in a swoon, unable to restrain Himself. Thus Nityananda
Prabhu relished the mood of rāgānuga bhāva (spontaneous
attachment to the Lord) in his heart.
Sometimes, in the mood of Ananga Manjari, he would say
“Radha is my Īśvari, the Goddess of My life, and I am Hers.”
Sometimes in the mood of Balaram he roams around saying,
“Krishna! Krishna! Let us take the cows out for grazing in Vrindavan.”
Sometimes, in sakhya bhava (the fraternal mood of friendship with
Krishna) He would shout, “Oh My Brother! Oh My Brother!” while
laughing in bliss. Sometimes he would turn His face up and beg
Vidhātā (Providence) to give Him wings to fly up in the sky.
In this way, various emotions flared up in Nityananda. Who
can fathom Nityananda Prabhu’s confidential moods? Who can
fathom His various bodily transformations? His ecstatic moods are
very difficult for us ordinary humans to understand. Even Lord Śiva,
Lord Brahma and Ananta Śeṣa fail to understand His mysterious
nature.

23
 3. Śrī Nityananda’s Marriage with Vasudha & Jahnava

One day, after waking up in the morning, Nityananda Prabhu

went to Ambika Kalna with one of his servants, Uddharan Datta,8
who was a vaiśya by caste. When Nitai arrived, he sent Uddharan
Datta to get Surya das Pandit9 from inside the compound. Hearing of
Nitai’s arrival Surya das came out running and fell at the lotus feet of
the Lord. He said, “I am extremely fortunate that You have come to
my home.”
Nityananda Prabhu said, “I came to Bengal to get married
and I have come for your daughter. Having absolute faith in the truth
of Mahaprabhu’s words, I have been covered by His deluding potency
and now I wish to get married. But I must warn you that I am not
really a brahman.”
Surya das Pandit became somewhat bewildered: “I am very
insignificant Prabhu. But how is it possible for me to give You my
daughter in marriage? How can a member of the renounced order
become a householder again? I am afraid that this is forbidden by the
varnāśram system. Even if You are the Supreme Narayan, how can I
give up my brahman caste? According to this system You are in the
renounced order and I am a household brahman. I cannot break the
rules. I have to abide by the rules and regulations of the varnāśram.
Hearing this Nityananda prepared to leave. Then the people
who gathered there became surprised at the Pandit’s reply and

8
Uddharan Datta is one of the twelve Gopals associates of Balaram in Vraja,
Subāhu sakha. He accompanied Prabhu Nityananda on His pilgrimage to
Vraja and other holy places. His samadhi is situated at Uddharanpur in
Katwa and his śrīpāt (residence) is situated in Saptagram.
9
Surya das Pandit was born in Śaligrama and later settled at Ambika Kalna.
In his past incarnation he was born as king Kakudmi (GGD 65) who gave his
daughter Revati to Balaram. He wrote Bhoga-nirnaya-paddhati. His wife
was Bhadravati devi.

24
thought, “He must be in a confused state of mind.”
Being in two minds about it Surya das thought, “I saw those
same lotus feet last night in my dream. Nityananda is eternally my
Prabhu and even though I am a householder still this would be the
perfection of my life to give Him my daughter in marriage. My Prabhu
will become my son in law?! But what about the rules and
regulations of varnāśram which forbid this?! Oh Krishna!”
Absorbed in such conflicting thoughts, he called his family
members together to discuss the matter and relate his dream to
them.
“In my dream, at the end of night, I saw a mahajan, a great
soul, riding a tāladhvaja10 chariot. He was bright-golden in
complexion and had a very strong, warrior-like body. His eyes were
beautiful like lotus buds and His glance was like that of royalty.”
“In a grave manner He was continually uttering, ‘Krishna!’,
‘Krishna!’ The limbs of His body were made of prema and he was
swaying left and right. He stopped His chariot at my door and
motioned me to come closer. He was holding a plow on His shoulder;
He wore an earring in one ear, a flower decoration in His top knot, a
blue dhoti, ankle bells on His feet and a garland of wild flowers
around His neck. A Kaustubha gem was shining on His broad chest.
His lips were reddish and His smile was a torrential rain of sweetness.
His lotus face was decorated with a glittering tilak. He told me, ‘I have
come to marry your daughter even though you have not yet
recognized Me.’ After saying this He disappeared and my dream
broke as I woke up.”
Vasudha was in the next room and overheard the description
of the dream. Spontaneous feelings of divine love arose in her heart.
She sat absorbed in deep meditation and tears of love flowed from
her eyes soaking her clothes. She knew, “This mysterious mahajan is

10
Tāladhvaja means a date tree flag and is another name for
Balaram.
25
my Lord, my eternal husband.”
The family members discussed the transcendental dream and
said, “It must have been Nityananda Himself you saw in your
prophetic dream. He is indeed a brahman by birth.” Surya das
replied, “But He acts like an avadhut. How could we give Him our
gentle Vasudha in marriage?” The heart of Surya das became
afflicted by conflicting emotions and in this bewildered state of mind
he simply kept praying, “Oh Krishna please save me!”
Suddenly from inside the house came a loud crying of
distress: “Oh Vasudha! What’s wrong? What happened to her?”
Everyone rushed inside the house to help. Vasudha had become
unconscious, her limbs became numb and her eyes rolled up. Her
body became cold and her clothes became soaked with sweat. The
family members brought Vasudha out and laid her at the entrance to
the temple. The Ayurvedic doctors came and after examining her and
treating her according to the prescribed methods, could not find any
remedy for the fever. Finally they said there was nothing they could
do to save her; in their opinion she was in morbid state of the three
dośas and would soon die from the sannipat fever (epilepsy). Packing
up their books and medicines their advice was to take her to the
banks of the Ganga and prepare her for the last rites. Hearing this
news Surya das started crying in distress. His brother Gauri das
Pandit11 consoled him, “I can see that this is all the plan of the
avadhut. Please bring Him back and surrender at His lotus feet. One
can act only as long as one lives. When death comes, where do all
relationships go? Anyone who can bring Vasudha back to life, we will
give her to him. Please listen to my words: Let us all go to Nityananda
and fall at His lotus feet. “
Following Gauri das Pandit’s advice, Surya das along with

11
Amongst the twelve cowherd boys of Braj, Gauri das Pandit was Subal
Sakha. In Vrindavan, at a place called Dhira Samira is Gauri das Pandit's
samadhi, as well as his worshipful Deities, Śrī Śrī Shyama Ray.

26
Gauri das and their companions went to the banks of Ganga where
Nityananda Prabhu was sitting with Uddharan Datta under a Banyan
tree chanting “Krishna! Krishna!” with tears rolling down from His
eyes.
They all fell down paying obeisances at Prabhu’s lotus feet.
Nitai avadhut gave them a loving slap on the back and while raising
them up said to Surya das, ”Oh you foolish cowherd man, you forgot
everything!” Saying this he affectionately held his neck in a fraternal
gesture.
Surya das Pandit then began crying and while holding onto
Prabhu’s feet he said, “You looted everything and made me forget
You. You have not made me give up my dharma. This is only Your līlā.
You can do anything, for nothing is impossible for You. You are the
independent controller and we are ordinary householders, yet You
wish to enter our family. Please do as You wish. May Your lotus feet
be always victorious!” Saying this he brought Nityananda Prabhu
back to his house.
The women then brought the dead Vasudha from bathing
her in the Ganga and laid her at the gate of the house with a white
cloth covering her body. As if lightning flashes against a dark rain
cloud, nectar streamed from her rolled up lotus eyes. Her hair was
curly and a crescent moon was shining on her forehead. Above her
garment arose a ray of light which then entered through her lips and
marked the final stage before death.
However, miraculously, when Nityananda came close to her,
a breeze brushed against His body and carried the exquisite fragrance
of His body to her nostrils. When Vasudha smelled the fragrance of
Nityananda’s body, she rose up from the dead like a thunderbolt
hitting a cloud, and covered her head out of shyness. Nityananda’s
bodily fragrance was like the elixir of immortality which brought
Vasudha back to life. She got up and walked into the house saying,
What happened? What happened?” Everyone was awe struck and
exclaimed, “Aho! How incredible! What a miracle!”

27
 By His līlā śakti, His pastime potency, Nityananda, then
manifested yet another special pastime. As the residents of the
house, in gratitude, began to worship their ancient household deity
of Narayan, the deity assumed a six-armed form. His upper two arms
held the bow and arrow (Lakṣman), his middle two arms held the
plow and mace (Balaram) and his lower pair of arms held a danda
and a kamandalu – begging bowl (Nityananda in His avadhut form). A
crest shone beautifully on His head, He wore brilliant earrings and his
limbs were decorated with dazzling jeweled ornaments. Seeing this
astonishing manifestation everybody fell to the ground and offered
obeisances and salutations in the courtyard. Surya das Pandit began
to offer pranams (obeisances) and elaborate vandana (prayers)
eulogizing this manifestation while Nityananda Prabhu sat on the
throne of Viṣnu laughing heartily at this scene. The brahmanas
present there were astonished to get darshan of such an amazing
manifestation of the avadhut’s form and exclaimed: “Jay Nitai! Jay
Nitai!” (All glories, all victory to Nitai!). They said, “Surya das is the
most fortunate person on Earth because his Narayan deity has
become fully alive, and his son-in-law (Nitai) is that very same
Narayan.”
The high born Kulina brahmanas and the kula-acarya
brahmanas (family gurus), unanimously wanted Surya das Pandit to
give Vasudha’s hand in marriage to Nityananda. However, in order to
perform the marriage ceremony they needed to know the gotra
(family lineage or caste) of the bridegroom. Because Nityananda was
an avadhut (a mendicant transcendental to social conventions and to
the caste system), they suggested He should perform the Vedic
purificatory rites for accepting the Brahminical thread. Thus he would
formally give up the renounced order of an avadhut and re-enter the
Brahminical caste so that He could properly accept a wife.
Nitai simply smiled and said, “So be it. Do as you wish. I don’t
know anything; I only know that nobody is at any moment
independent of the desire of Caitanya Gosai (Gauranga).”

28
 The brahmanas became very happy to hear His reply and
prepared all the necessary arrangements for the wedding rituals. It
was as if a prince was getting married. Invitations were sent far and
wide to brahmanas and others from far and wide to take part in the
wedding ceremony. Exotic things like betel nuts (tambula) and guha
spices were duly procured. An auspicious day was chosen for the
priest to perform the marriage ritual and until that day, every day
was a marvelous festival with lavish prasadam, including many
varieties of fried sweets. Every day the brahmanas were sumptuously
fed and betel nuts and spices (tambula) was served for refreshing the
mouth. Sindhur (vermillion) and betel nuts were distributed to the
women folk.
One day the brahmanas gathered and jokingly asked Nitai,
“O Śrīpād, we see You going begging for bhoga foodstuffs but being a
brahmana, You should also cook for yourself.” Nityananda Prabhu
replied, “Sometimes I do the cooking and sometimes Uddharan Datta
cooks for Me. In this way the cooking gets done.”
Hearing this, the brahmanas felt some interpidation and
asked, “Is Uddharan Datta a Vaiṣnava? What is his gotra (lineage)?
And where does he come from?” (Traditionally brahmanas accept
food only if it is cooked and offered by brahmanas and never by non-
brahmanas).
Nityananda replied, “He is a resident of Triveni and he
belongs to the Suvarna-vanika caste (goldsmiths) desiring to get gold
from this home.” Hearing this the brahmanas began to laugh. They
understood that this arrangement was the will of God.
Nitai continued, “Everyone should ask themselves, ‘Is my
conduct according to the Lord’s desire?’ By His power only we can
speak and move. He sits in everyone’s heart and He directs our
speech and actions. No one is independent of Him. He brings people
together and makes them talk in a certain way with each other. Who
can understand the pastimes of the independent Supreme Lord? He
performs His inconceivable pastimes simply to uplift and deliver the

29
conditioned souls of this mortal world.”
The next day the brahmanas got together and devised a plan
to bring Nityananda back into the varnāśram system by giving Him
sannyasa. After finishing their evening āhnik the brahmanas
assembled there started the sannyasa ceremony. They brought all
the necessary ingredients for the ritual such as sacrificial wood,
flowers, fragrant oils, Kusha grass, asana (a mat for sitting at a fire
sacrifice), ghee (clarified butter), umbrella, wooden sandals, danda (a
stick carried by renunciants), kamandalu (a small metal bowl used by
renounced mendicants for begging alms), kaupins (loin cloth used by
renunciants), brahman thread and everything else as prescribed in
the Vedas.
They called for Nityananda and sat Him amidst them. They
chanted the appropriate Vedic hymns and mantras while offering
oblations of ghee to the blazing fire (svaha!). They strictly followed all
the rules enjoined by the Vedic injunctions, sanctified the sannyasi’s
paraphernalia and then gave Nityananda the danda, kamandalu,
kaupins, outer garment on his shoulder. Then they told Him: “Now go
and beg alms from the mother of the house, the wife of Surya das.”
Nitai went begging, calling out, ‘Bhavati bhiksāṁ dehi Mātā’
(O mother, Please give me some alms).
The wife of Surya das brought gold and silver coins and gave
it to Nitai. Then the brahmana who accompanied Nityananda
whispered to her, “This is just the dowry. Now you should give Him
your daughter (the future bride) as your donation.”
Nityananda whispered in the brahmana’s ear, “Yes indeed, in
my heart I have come for her daughter, not for all these mundane
things.” The brahmana replied, “Yes that will soon take place. They
will surely give You their daughter in marriage, don’t worry!”
With the danda and kamandalu in His hands Nityananda
began laughing uproariously. Seeing the form of the Lord wearing
wooden sandals and sannyasa dress and carrying an umbrella, a
danda and a begging bowl, the women folks laughed merrily to see

30
this amusing pastime and said, “Here is a new Batu (Madhumangal).
What kind of a joke is He playing? Why is He accepting sannyasa vesh
(the renounced order) when He wants to get married?”
After the sannyasa ceremony, Nityananda entered the main
room and stayed there three days in seclusion. After this period had
ended the brahmana opened the door and let Him see the sun-
chariot (rising sun) as a purificatory ritual. Then he took Him to the
Viṣṇu temple, offered his obeisances and asked the charming
Nitaicand to take His seat.
Clinging to each other the womenfolk of the town came by
the hundreds to get darshan of the effulgent bridegroom Lord.
Chewing betel nuts and wearing kajal (collyrium) around their eyes
they came there swinging their bodies.
Then a brahmana priest came to perform the auspicious
adhivās ceremony (the day prior to the wedding ceremony). The sky
resounded with the auspicious ululu sounds made by the women.
Then the priest brought out a thread and tied together the hands of
the bride and groom.
Then the bride, Vasudha Devi, came out from the house
lowering her head out of modesty and shyness. She was welcomed
by the tumultuous sound of kirtan accompanied by many
instruments to make the occasion auspicious. The devotees
attending the wedding ceremony felt unlimited bliss. The womenfolk
brought water in clay pots from river Ganga and while walking to the
temple conversed among themselves:
“How fortunate is Vasu to get such a handsome man as her
husband!”
“She must be Revati, having the same Lord Balaram as her
husband!”
Some said, “It must be Parvati and Śiva Śankar reuniting!”
Some said, “It must be Kamadev and his consort Ranjita!”
Others said, “Here is Narayan and Kamala, the Goddess of Fortune!”
Some said, “It is indeed Sita and Rama that we see!”

31
 Others said, “They are indeed Vraja’s Kishora-Kishori!”
Yet others said, “No words can describe the beauty of these
two. The effulgence of the groom’s body is indescribable and the
beautiful limbs of the bride enchant the whole world.”
It was as if the bride and groom enchanted Cupid himself. In
this way the women glorified the enchanting couple to their hearts’
content. Even though some of them were young and came from
wealthy families, they couldn’t restrain themselves. They laughed
and laughed in bliss, sometimes falling to the ground in a swoon,
sometimes dancing and singing in ecstasy.
Thus the day passed in a blissful mood and the whole town
celebrated until night time arrived. Then Surya das Pandit said, “Now
you can do śringar, dressing and decorating the bride and the
bridegroom for the marriage.” Hearing this everybody’s hearts
became overwhelmed with love.
With great care Nityananda was made to sit in the Viṣnu
mandap (temple bower) and Gauri das Pandit came to personally
decorate Him and dress Him up. Previously, in Vrindavan līlā, Nitai
was Rohini-nandana Balaram and Gauri das Pandit was his cowherd
friend Subal Sakha. In truth, there is no difference between the two
incarnations. In the same amazing way that Subal Sakha used to
dress and decorated Balaram in Krishna līlā, Gauri das Pandit was
now dressing and decorating Nityananda Ram in Gaura līlā.
In fact, Nityananda is the enchanter of Cupid. He had
sandalwood pulp and tilak on his forehead and His eyes were rolling
in the intoxication with prema. Kajal (collyrium) decorated his eyes,
chandan (sandalwood paste) his forehead and tilak adorned his nose.
His effulgent face enchanted everyone. He wore white garments and
the auspicious white Brahman thread. His broad chest was the
essence of all clouds and marked with chandan, it was as if the whole
creation was being decorated. On his head He wore a turban and in
his ears dazzling earrings. He wore shining golden ornaments on His
limbs which shone even more brightly due to his bodily effulgence. In

32
that way He was dressed and decorated as if He were the almighty
Lord served by the unlimited Ananta Śeṣa.
Expert female dressers and brahmanis (brahmanas’ wives)
gathered in a secluded place and dressed and decorated Vasudha
with great care and attention.
They decorated her hair, made a top knot in the middle and
tied it with a golden thread. Then they made an enchanting braid
that was tied with flower decorations and the loose remaining hair
was tied into small plats. They placed a garland on her neck, a tika
(an ornament) on her forehead and earrings on her ears. They
cleaned her face and put kumkum (red powder) on the parting of her
hair. They decorated her eyes with kajal and the middle of her
forehead with tilak. Then they decorated her forehead with a variety
of beautiful designs and put the veil in place. In that way they spent a
long time meticulously decorating her.
Her limbs were decorated with ornaments and on her breast
they put sandalwood pulp. A pearl jewel hang from her nose down to
her lips, sesame flower-like earrings were hanging from her ears, long
and shorter golden necklaces decorated her breast. Golden
champaka flowers were entwined around her ears, bangles and ankle
bells. Alta (red lac) decorated her lotus feet and a flower garland was
placed on her neck. Sandalwood pulp mixed with aguru perfume was
applied over her body. The women gave her tambula (betel nuts) to
chew (to make her lips red). Vasudha was thus decorated as befitting
a queen, entirely for the pleasure of her husband to be, Nityananda
Ram.
While this marriage ceremony was going on, Śrī Jahnava Devi
was sitting meditating in seclusion and she kept Nityananda’s lotus
feet in her heart, knowing Him to be her eternal consort.

“Constantly holding in my heart the lotus feet of both Śrī Jahnava and
Śrī Nityananda, I, Vrindavan Das, with great delight in my heart sing
the glories of their pastimes.”

33
 Then the friends of Surya das Pandit requested him: “Please
bring the bridegroom outside so we can get His darśan.” Hearing this,
the Pandit accepted their suggestion but then the groom had gone
wondering somewhere and couldn’t be found. However, Pandit
promised them that he would fulfill their desire to see the ‘friend of
all souls’ (groom). Hearing this, everyone’s hearts became pacified.
They brought a palanquin and placed it at the door of Pandit’s house.
Nitai was finally found and was made to sit on it and taken for a
wedding procession through town. Countless instruments
accompanied the kirtan and made a tumultuous sound. The
kirtaniyas sang and danced in harmony while Prabhu was carried
along wearing a divine expression on His face. In this way Nityananda
was performing his inexplicable pastimes at that place.
As auspicious sounds of joy resounded everywhere, the
womenfolk rushed outside their homes with small children in their
laps to greet the groom. Many kirtans were sung in ecstatic mood
and many people came out to join the Harinam Sankirtan procession,
not being able to tell where the kirtan was coming from, “Was it
coming from Heaven or from Earth?” No one could tell.
Meanwhile, innumerable food preparations were brought to
the temple hall of the Pandit’s house to be duly offered to Thakurji.
Thousands and thousands of ghee lamps were lit and it became as
bright as daylight. Many hundreds of Vidyadharis (celestial dancers)
joined the dancing. The demigods came in human form to get
darshan of Nityananda’s beautiful lotus face. I cannot describe in
words the blissful scene and overflowing joy both humans and
demigods have experienced in that assembly.
This is how Nityananda Roy, the Supreme Controller,
unfolded his human-like pastimes for the benefit of the Kali yuga
people. Such confidential pastimes are hidden in the Vedas and
rarely does anyone ever get to know about them.
In this way Nityananda roamed all over town and finally
arrived back at the Pandit’s house. His beautiful limbs shone

34
effulgently and it was as if the full moon came in. First the Pandit
worshipped Nitai with arati and fragrant flower garlands while the
women made auspicious ululu sounds. Then Nityananda was led to
the temple hall for the marriage ceremony. The brahmana priests
prepared many ghee lamps and made everyone offer them to Nitai.
The women brought in the bride and made her circumambulate the
groom. Then the divine couple was made to circumambulate the
altar seven times while the women giggled, covering their mouths
with the edge of their saris.
Thereafter Nityananda uncovered Vasudha’s face and they
offered each other betel nuts and flower harlands. Their natural
feeling of love for each other was spontaneously awakened. Vasudha
had eagerly waited to see the Lord of her life after long separation,
and now that she saw Him for the first time, she thought in her mind,
“You are mine and I am Yours” but due to shyness she lowered her
head and kept silent.
Then the couple was given various gifts such as clothes,
ornaments and gold and the brahmana priests conducted all the
appropriate rituals. Then she was taken back inside the house. First
Surya das Pandit accepted the groom and then he brought the bride
and offered her to Nityananda. Then he took the couple inside the
house and led them to the beautifully decorated bridal chamber.
They were accompanied by many young handmaidens. They spent
the whole night awake in the bridal chamber joking and making fun.
Thus the night passed in great joy and the next morning the
scripturally enjoined fire yajña ritual was performed. The festivities
concluded with a big prasadam feast where hundreds upon hundreds
of brahmanas and other guests were sumptuously fed.
Some days later Nityananda Ray was sitting in the house,
taking Krishna prasad while Jahnava kept on serving him more and
more preparations. This younger sister of Vasudha, daughter of Surya
das, had deep, unwavering attachment to Nityananda. While serving
Him, her veil fell off her head while she was holding a tray. Instantly

35
she manifested two extra arms to cover her head. When Nitai beheld
this astonishing manifestation, he concluded in His mind, “Today I
have known for sure that Jahnava is My śakti!”
After washing his mouth and hands Nitai came back and sat
on the couch. Then when Vasulakṣmi came in, He made her sit on his
left side. Receiving the touch of the Lord, Devi (goddess) Vasudha
floated on waves of bliss. Smiling softly and taking betel nut in her
hand she put it in her Prabhu’s mouth. At that moment Śrī Jahnava
came in and seeing her Lord she became very shy. Seeing her,
Nityananda held her hands and made her sit on His right side. In His
heart He knew for certain, “She is My eternal beloved.”12
The next day Nityananda Prabhu, after duly considering the
matter, approached Surya das Pandit and told him, “You did not give
Me anything as a dowry. Would you give Me your younger daughter
in marriage as My dowry?”
Hearing this Surya das said, “What else do I have but Your
orders? My caste, house, family, wealth and my very life I would at
once offer it all to Your lotus feet.” Saying this he raised his arms up
in a gesture of self-surrender and filled with great love he began
dancing in bliss, “Hari bol! Hari bol! Jay Nitai! Jay Gaur! Heh Krishna!
Heh Yadava! When will that day come that I will have unflinching
faith in Nityananda and my body, mind and words will all be

12
As a combined form of Revati (Baladeva’s consort) and Ananga Manjari
(Śrīmatī Radharani’s younger sister in Vraja līlā), Śrī Jahnava Devi appeared
in Gaura līlā as the daughter of Surya das Pandit. After the disappearance of
Prabhu Nityananda the bright glories of Jahnava Devi manifested as she
became the Ācārya (leader) of the whole Gaudiya Vaiṣnava sampradaya. She
initiated many, including Biracandra, established the deity of Śrīmatī
Radharani next to Krishna in all Gaudiya temples, and inaugurated the
famous Kheturi festival. Finally, she went to Vrindavan and disappeared by
merging into Śrī Gopinath Ji.

36
exclusively dedicated to Him?”
Saying this he brought all his family members together and
informed them of his decision to give Jahnava in marriage to Nitai.
Laughingly he told them, “Well, well, well, we are getting a good deal
here. And anyway, who can disobey the order of their Prabhu?”
Hearing this auspicious news they were all filled with great
happiness and said, “Very good, excellent! We are all indebted to you
for looking after us and we can only repay you by following your
orders.” Surya das laughed hard upon hearing their reply as some of
them added, “In this age of Kali you have brought Krishna Himself
here into our house.”
In this way, in Ambika Kalna, Nityananda Ray drowned
everyone in an ocean of blissful love for Krishna manifesting His
pastimes according to His sweet will. He enjoyed many blissful
pastimes with His two eternal consorts, Śrī Vasudha and Śrī Jahnava.
One day Nityananda desired to manifest his opulence
(aiśvarya, majestic form) and perform His pastime as Maha Viṣnu,
lying down very happily on the couch as if He was lying on the causal
ocean. While Nityananda-Haladhar lied on His bed with his plow, His
two beloveds served Him like Lakṣmi serves Narayan. Vasu-lakṣmi
massaged His lotus feet and sweetly smiling Jahnava offered tambula
and camphor to His mouth. The three of them were surrounded in
the four directions by many maidservants. Some were fanning Him
with a camara (Yak tail whisk-fan) and others with a peacock feather
fan. Nityananda Prabhu was smiling in satisfaction and His face shone
brightly. Thousands of umbrellas were being held over His head by
Ananta Śeṣa’s unlimited hoods. At that time many exalted spiritual
personalities, desiring to see Nityananda Prabhu’s special
manifestation, came there. Among them were sages such as Sanaka,
Narada, Vyasadev and Śukadev. They came with folded hands and
eulogised Him by reciting stavas and stutis (prayers and
glorifications) full of devotional moods.
Nityananda’s glistening limbs became more and more

37
effulgent and this effulgence radiated inside and outside the house.
Even thousands and thousands of full moons couldn’t compare to His
effulgence. Seeing such effulgence radiating out from the house,
Surya das and Gauri das came running there and watched the scene
in great astonishment. They saw the Lord, their human-like son-in-
law, lying on the couch exhibiting His aiśvarya form of Maha Viṣnu
while Surya dasa’s two daughters manifested their divine four-armed
forms by His side. His bright golden complexion looked very
beautiful. He manifested His four-armed form, wore blue cloths and a
sash of bells around His waist. His whole body was decorated with
beautiful ornaments and a garland of wild flowers extended to His
lknees. He held a plow and a mace club in two hands and with the
other two He was holding japa beads and chanting Krishna’s holy
name.
All His associates came to see this embodiment of light
calling out, “Oh Prabhu! Oh Prabhu!” They all prayed with folded
hands, “All glories to Baladev! All glories to Sankarṣan! We have
never seen such an indescribably beautiful form of the Lord!” The
two brothers became overwhelmed with ecstasy and fell
unconscious. The fortunate devotees present there eulogized Nitai
and kept repeating, “Jay! Jay! All glories, to Balaram!”
Seeing the two brothers in a swoon, Nityananda Prabhu
snapped out of His aiśvarya mood. He withdrew His opulences and
His four-armed form and resumed his human-like appearance. Going
from one devotee to another, He raised them up from their swoon,
saying, “Wake up, get up.” By Nityananda Prabhu’s touch, the two
brothers regained their consciousness. Putting a cloth around their
necks as a sign of humility and holding the lotus feet of their Lord,
they recited various prayers eulogizing Him. Nitai bestowed His
merciful glance upon them and smilingly told them: “Life after life
you have been Krishna’s beloved servants.” In this way He consoled
them and then bade them all farewell.
Then Nityananda Prabhu decided to establish His Śrīpāt

38
(residence) in Kardaha. He thought, “Now I will establish My Śrīpāt
and open the market place of the holy name to obey the order of My
Lord Śrī Krishna Caitanya.”
At once He went to Kardaha and there He manifested His
Śrīpāt from His heart. He manifested this holy abode of His pastimes
as a spiritual shelter for the devotee householders and then
inaugurated the worship of Śrī Śyamasundar (the Śalagram Śila
deity).13
Vasudha and Jahnava served His lotus feet continuously and
Nityananda Prabhu enjoyed many loving pastimes with them. The
two had prayed at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya to have Nityananda
as their husband life after life and now that this desire was fulfilled,
their happiness knew no bounds. Thus Jahnava and Vasudha,
Nityananda’s two eternal consorts, fully manifested their power and
their love in His company.

I, Vrindavan das, narrate these very confidential pastimes.

Thus ends the first Chapter, Adi-Līlā, of Śrī Nityananda Vamśa Vistar,
“The Cause of Biracandra Prabhu’s Appearance.”

13
The Śyamasundar deity was installed there later by Biracandra.

39
40
 Adi-līlā – Chapter Two

The Divine Appearance of Śrī Biracandra Prabhu

jaya jaya prabhu nityānanda ba arāma

caraṇa āśraya diyā pūrṇa kara kāma
All glories, all glories to Nityananda-Balaram. Please fulfil my
innermost desire by giving me shelter at Your lotus feet.

Preamble
All glories to Nityananda who is supremely merciful. Oh my Lord,
please bestow Your causeless mercy on a sinful person like me.
All glories to Nityananda Ram the greatly munificent Lord, the
shelter of everything, the controller of all controllers, the ocean of
rasa, the beloved of the people of Vraja, the second expansion of
Krishna, the master of Vasudha-Revati and Jahnava Ma, the abode of
both divine male and divine female (puruṣa and prakriti in one form).
His heart belongs to Gauranga, His mind dwells in Gauranga, He acts
for the pleasure of Gauranga, He is inseparable from Gauranga.
He gives His divine association to the fallen people of Kali yuga
who are busy savouring the inferior taste of mundane rasa and who
are therefore blind to the divinity of Gauranga Gośai.
He illuminates the path of ragānuga bhakti and relishes the
mellows of love for Śrī Hari in the form of Gauranga.
There is no other goal but pure love; there is no other worthy
way of worship but that which leads to the attainment of pure love.
Krishna is very merciful to the fallen souls and that is why He has
decided to descend once again (first in the form of Śrī Gauranga and
then in the form of the hidden avatar Śrī Biracandra) to bestow His
mercy by delivering the conditioned souls through Śrī Nāma
Sankirtan.

41
 1. Śrī Biracandra Takes Birth as Śrī Nityananda’s Son

Vasudha-Lakṣmi and Jahnava Devi served their household deity

of Narayan (i.e. Śalagram śila or Nityananda Prabhu) in pure
goodness and topmost humility. These two beloveds of Nityananda,
His pleasure potencies, are worshipable for all women. They are the
source of all material nature. They are the universal mothers and
their mercy is unlimited like the ocean of milk. In order to destroy the
darkness of Kali yuga and deliver the fallen souls, they have brought
forth Śrī Biracandra and have taken the role of his mothers (Vasudha
as his natural mother and Jahnava Ma as his spiritual mother).
Biracandra’s form was very handsome, there were thirty two
auspicious marks on His body and He appeared as the ornament of
all ornaments. Being very happy with the appearance of His Lord in
the form of His human-like son, Nityananda Candra laughed and
laughed uproariously, capturing the hearts and minds of all.
The Vedas state that Īśvara never takes birth. He only appears and
disappears to deliver the conditioned souls of this world. His
transcendental pastimes merely look like mundane, human-like
affairs. Who else but the devotees can understand such pastimes? By
His inconceivable potency, the Supreme Lord can do anything,
anytime. At an auspicious moment, an auspicious time of the day
(lagna), on the day of goddess Durga’s awakening, the ninth day of
the dark fortnight of the month of Śarat (autumn), Biracandra
appeared by His own sweet will. Everyone floated in happiness upon
the appearance of the Lord. The three realms resounded with the
chanting of “All glories to Śrī Hari!” Both realms of the demigods and
the humans floated in joy and eulogised, “Blessed is Vasulakṣmi. She
has conceived a son who is none other than Gaura Narayan.” She
conceived him on the fourth day of the light fortnight in the month of
Mārgaśīrṣa and he remained in the womb effulgently for fifteen
months.

42
 His effulgence was like that of a golden lotus. His movements
and gestures were very graceful. He was dressed handsomely and his
arms extended to his knees. His waist was slender like a lion’s and his
chest very broad. His beautiful lotus feet were marked with many
auspicious signs such as the flag, the thunder and a goad. He smiled
profusely and the sweetness of his smile was incomparable.
Simply by his darshan one’s heart becomes purified. All the
womenfolk came to get baby Biracandra’s darshan and laughing in
bliss they praised Vasu saying, “Blessed are you!” “Fortunate is
Vasulakṣmi. This chaste lady has conceived a son who enchants the
whole world.” Seeing this enchanting child, everyone unanimously
considered him to extraordinary and amazing and concluded, “He
must be some great personality.”
Vrindavan das declares, “He is not an ordinary child, he is the
eternal Absolute Truth in full. Gaura has descended again in the form
of Biracandra and whoever could not see Gauracandra previously,
can now see Him again.”
In His world-enchanting form of a sweet boy, Biracandra
performed many pastimes. He grew up day by day like the waxing
moon.

2. Abhiram Tests the Authenticity of Newly-born Biracandra

One day Nityananda Prabhu was sitting outside in the

courtyard and at that time Abhiram14 came by, calling from the gate,
“Oh my elder brother.” Then he came into the courtyard laughing
and Nityananda welcomed him and embraced him by the neck.
Abhiram said, “I have heard that You have had a child. Please let me

14
Abhiram Thakur is Śrīdam sakha of Vraja, Radharani’s brother. He came to
Gauḍadeśa in the self-same Vraja form on Nityananda’s order and
Nityananda gave him the name Abhiram Gopal.

43
see him. I would like to pay him my obeisances.” Nityananda replied,
“Indeed you know everything. Although I was wondering who has
come from where?” In this way the two talked in a code language
only they could understand. Embracing each other’s neck they cried
in fraternal love.
Hearing the news that Abhiram has come to pay his
obeisances to the new-born, Vasudha Devi was anxious and thought,
“What will Krishna do this time? I know that by offering his
obeisances to deities which are not properly worshiped, they break
into pieces. What will happen to my baby?”15
Baby Biracandra was lying in his cot holding a beautiful piece
of cloth (suranga) to his breast. He kept his lotus eyes half-closed and
it was as if his pupils were like black bees trapped inside a lotus at
night. His eyes were decorated with kajal (collyrium) and his
forehead with a black dot of cowdung paste (traditional protection
for babies against the evil eye). His hair was tied in a top knot.
Whoever saw his enchanting appearance felt a surge of bhava in
their hearts.
Vasulakṣmi then took her son in her lap and seeing Abhiram
approaching, she handed Biracandra over to Jahnava who happily
took him in her lap and started stroking his head. Seeing the
extraordinary beauty of baby Biracandra, Abhiram stared at him
unblinkingly as if his eyes were stuck open and all his senses became
fully satiated by Biracandra’s darśan. It was as if the reddish rays of
the sun had entered the room illuminating Biracandra’s beautiful

15
Vrindavan das does not mention it here, but according to other granthas,
Abhiram came and paid his obeisances to each of the six new-born baby
sons of Nityananda and Vasudha preceding Biracandra and each one of
them died as a result of this. It is said that in Krishna līlā they were the six
sons of Devaki killed by Kamsa preceding the birth of Krishna and that in a
previous kalpa they were the six sons of Brighu cursed by Lord Brahma to
die upon their next birth because they made some offence to him.

44
features, his raised nose and beautiful forehead, his long arms
extending to his knees, his broad lion-like chest and his palms and
soles which were marked with auspicious signs, all signifying a great
personality.
Seeing this Abhiram became blissful and bowing down to
Biracandra’s lotus feet he touched his head to the baby’s feet in a
gesture of obedience.16 Than standing up he looked at Biracandra
and again paid his obeisances three times in a row. Prabhu
Biracandra, rising from His yoganidra sleep-like state, smiled and
climbing off Jahnava’s lap started walking like a human toddler.
Abhiram Thakur was beside himself with bliss and said, “Yes, indeed,
this is my Lord, my Prabhu Gauranga: The same soft beauty, the
same perfectly formed body, the same moon-like face and lotus eyes,
the same beautiful knee-length arms, the same gestures and gait.”
Then, with tears of happiness gushing out of his eyes, he repeatedly
exclaimed, “He is the same one, the very same one, my sweet Lord.”
After circumambulating the child Biracandra, he once again
paid obeisances to him and then floating on the waves of prema he
called out, “Hari! Hari!” Then he came out of the room playing a horn
and a flute. Nityananda made him sit down and they had a talk.
Abhiram wore a crown of peacock feathers, a gunja mala and a
flower garland. His ears were decorated with crocodile-shaped
earrings and his arms with armlets. He wore a sash of bells around his
waist and jingling anklets on his feet. His body complexion was like
that of a Ketaki flower. He was non-different from Śridam, the son of
king Vriṣabhanu, the brother of Śrimati Radharani. He was the self-
same gopa (cowherd boy) - only his name now was Abhiram. After
spending only one night there he left and continued wandering in a
joyful mood without taking rest.

16
It is told that upon bowing his head to touch Biracandra’s feet, the baby
kicked him so hard that the stout Abhiram went flying back and fell flat on
his back, then jumping up in ecstasy he exclaimed, “This is my Prabhu!”

45
 Thus revealing Himself in the guise of a human-like child,
Biracandra continued performing His childhood pastimes, giving
unlimited happiness to Nityananda Chandra.

3. Advaita Acarya Comes to Take Darshan of His Lord

One day Advaita Gośai came from Śantipur to Kardaha and
when He saw the child Biracandra he became delighted at heart but
outwardly expressed it an enigmatic way. Although Sitanath (Advaita
Acarya) knows bhakti tattva and realised that this Biracandra is no
other than the same Gauracandra, in his mind he considered, “The
one who was previously a thief (Krishna) has appeared in the house
of Him who breaks all the rules and regulations of varnāśram. One
day this Nityananda is an avadhut and the next day he becomes a
householder!? That thief who has taken birth in the house of a thief
is always a thief. How can anybody catch hold of such a tricky
person?”
This was Advaita Acarya’s hidden way of describing the deep
truth of Biracandra’s appearance. Gauracandra is Advaita’s life and
soul and without the mercy of Advaita Gosai nobody can understand
these mysterious pastimes.
In ecstatic love, Advaita offered obeisances profusely. The
love He felt for His Lord was immeasurable. He called out
inexplicably, “That’s the same thief; that is the very same thief.” Who
can understand all these matters of pure love?
Seeing this, everyone was astonished and began to wonder,
“Who is this great personality who took birth in the house of
Nityananda?”
Advaita circumambulated the child, and along with many
accompanying Vaiṣnavas returned home.
Such were the delightful childhood pastimes of Biracandra.
His form was so sweet that He attracted the minds of everybody.
Whoever saw His beautiful form would become absorbed in His

46
beauty. What more can I say, His beauty attracted the minds of
thousands of cupids.
Brahma and the other demigods would come there daily in a
hidden way to relish Biracandra’s ever new mind captivating
pastimes and see His human-like childhood form. They offered Him
their prayers, “Oh, Lord! Without Your mercy nobody can understand
You! Oh Prabhu, You are performing Your inconceivable pastimes
here on Earth in this dark age of Kali, being the Independent
Controller.” In this way the demigods glorified the Lord with selected
prayers. Hearing these prayers, Biracandra, who appeared to the
demigods to be Narayan Himself, became satisfied and smiled.
The child Biracandra wore a necklace with a tiger’s tooth and
special anklets (magarā khāru) on His feet for protection. All the
different mellows (rasas) of devotional service were manifest in His
form. How could Providence manifest such an astonishing form?
What to speak of others, even Nityananda Himself was bewildered by
His son and could not stop gazing at Biracandra’s beautiful form. He
did not consider Him ”My son” but saw Him as “My Prabhu.” He
knows that there is no difference between Biracandra and
Gauracandra and that the appearance and disappearance of His Lord
in this way is only a display of His human-like pastimes which are
hinted of in the Vedic scriptures.

I place my hopes and my very self at the lotus feet of Śrī Biracandra
Goswami and narrate His glories in this Vamśa Vistar.

Thus ends the 2nd Chapter, Adi-līlā, of Śrī Nityananda Vamśa Vistar,
“The Divine Appearance of Śrī Biracandra Prabhu.”

47
48
 Adi-līlā – Chapter Three

The Propagation of Biracandra (Nityananda’s) Dynasty

śrī vīracandra ka i-tāmasa saṁhāra candra-
sva bhakta kaumuda praphullita kari candra
Śrī Biracandra is the moon which dispels the darkness of Kali-yuga.
He is the moon which illuminates the devotees’ lotus-like hearts and
makes them blossom.

Nityananda is the twinkle of the moon in the eyes of Śrī

Jahnava Ma and the full moon which bestows the nectar of prema.

All glories, all glories to Śrī Nityananda the embodiment of

mercy. Whoever takes His name and chants “Jay Nitai!” with faith,
attains perfection on the path of bhakti.

1. Narayani manifests from the ocean in Puri

There was once a pure-hearted brahmana in Mahesh by the
name of Sudhamoy, who was fixed in His worship of Viṣnu and
Vaiṣnavas. His father-in-law was Kamalakar Pipalai17 and his wife’s
name was Vidyamala. She was a chaste lady and had pure devotion
for Lord Viṣnu. She was fully devoted to her husband, considering
him her life and soul, and therefore she lived to serve him. However,
because she was childless, she felt that her life was unfulfilled. “My
life goes in vain being deprived of a daughter or a son. What
happiness is there in such a life? Why do I stay here without any
attachment?” Sudhamoy said, “Oh chaste lady, I also feel likewise. To
tell the truth, I am anxious to go on pilgrimage to Puri. Let us join the

17
He was one of the Dvādaśa (Twelve) Gopals in Vraja by the name
Mahabal.

49
Vaiṣnava yatrika (The Gaudiya Vaiṣnavas party who were going every
year on pilgrimage to Puri to observe the Chaturmasya vrat in the
association of Mahaprabhu and His associates). Let’s go and take
darshan of the beautiful deity of Śrī Mukunda at the Chandan Yatra in
Puri (This takes place on the auspicious day of Akṣaya Tritiya in May,
two months before the Jaganath Ratha Yatra). By Lord Jaganath’s
mercy this desire has awakened in your heart. Surely Krishna will
fulfil our desire. Let us go and see Lord Jagannath Dev in Puri.” Being
happy with their decision, Sudhamoy and his wife chanted “Haribol!
Haribol!” and floated on an ocean of joy.

The next day Sudhamoy invited all the brahmanas and the
yatris (pilgrims) for a prasadam feast and fed them sumptuously with
the four kinds of food cooked by his wife. He gifted away all his
possessions to the priests. He paid his respects by offering garlands
and sandalwood pulp to every guest, including those who were also
going on the pilgrimage to Puri. It was indeed a grand farewell
festival.

The next morning Sudhamoy and his wife started their

journey for Puri with the Vaiṣnava pilgrims engaging in harikatha and
kirtan along the way. Whatever remaining possessions he had like
money and jewellery he took along to be engaged in Lord Jaganath’s
service. After the long journey they finally reached Nilachal (Jaganath
Puri). He did not feel any fatigue because during the journey he,
along with the others, were constantly chanting the holy name.

Seeing the beautiful face of Śrī Jaganath Dev he felt blessed

and considered his life successful. They circumambulated the holy
Dham and visited all the holy sites of pilgrimage. They became
blissful by attending the great festival of Jaganath Ratha yatra and he
spent all his savings there.

50
 They stayed in Puri for the four months of the rainy season
(Chaturmasya) and visited all the holy places there. Then Sudhamoy
told his wife, “Let us go to the ocean shore, find a secluded place and
engage in deep spiritual practice (bhajan). In this way we may get the
mercy of Lord Yadubar.” Thereafter, they constructed a small hut
made with rids by the side of the ocean and became absorbed in
constantly chanting the Holy names of Murari.

After a long time of faithfully persevering with their

dedicated practice of bhakti, the ocean god (Varuna) became pleased
with their bhajan and appeared to them in a human-like form,
bringing with him a little girl. He gave this girl to the brahmana
couple saying, “Please accept this girl and carefully bring her up. She
will deliver you and all your ancestors from the samsara cycle of
repeated birth and death. Ganga Devi gave her to me to give her to
you. She is a manifestation of the Lord’s mercy. She is not an ordinary
person. There is nobody like her in the three worlds. She is known by
the name of Narayani. She is none other than the pleasure potency
of the Supreme Controller (Narayan) and always stays by His side.
Therefore the only worthy bridegroom for her would be the divine
manifestation of Lord Narayan Himself.”

Sudhamoy said, “But I am a poor brahmana, how can I

possibly bring up and serve the Goddess of Fortune?”

The ocean god replied, “Don’t worry, have no fear. This is not
a bad dream but a good one, a great benediction, the result of your
faithful bhajan and hard austerities. She will always be very
affectionate towards you, but at the same time she will always be
absorbed in thoughts of her Lord. The Lord who was previously
Gauracandra, has reappeared as the son of Nityananda bearing the
name Śrī Biracandra. After performing his pilgrimage pastimes He will
come here to Jagannath Puri and meet you. You should offer Him
your daughter in marriage and He will accept her as His wife. Thus my

51
service to the Lord will be fulfilled.” Having said this, the ocean god
disappeared.

The brahmana couple became very happy to accept this ‘girl’

into their care. They were always praying for the day when they
would meet the Lord, “When will Prabhu Biracandra grant us his
darshan?” This became their constant meditation.

2. Nityananda Ends His Manifest Pastimes

Now please listen to the glories of Nityananda. Those who
hear with faith this of pastime of Nityananda’s son will no doubt
attain the Supreme Lord Gauranga. All glories, all glories to
Nityananda the embodiment of compassion. By whose mercy one’s
knowledge of bhakti-yoga attains perfection. By remembering whose
name one gets free from the bondage of samsara, by chanting whose
name one attains freedom from the endless cycle of birth and death.
Whoever takes His name (“Jay Nitai!”) attains the loving service of Śrī
Gauranga. Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Svayam Bhagavan, the source
of all incarnations of the Lord (avatari) and His brother Nityananda is
His second body, non-different from Him.

Prabhu Nityananda was always lamenting in separation from

Śrī Caitanya. Everything He spoke was always about Caitanya. He
constantly meditated about serving Caitanya Gosai with His body,
mind and soul. He always talked about Caitanya with heartfelt words,
loudly chanting His glories. His chanting of Gauranga’s qualities and
pastimes filled the whole universe with bliss. He urged everyone,
“Please sing in praise of Gauranga and you will attain Śrī
Nandanandana Krishna in Braj.” Embracing Gauranga’s name in His
heart, Nitai knew no one but the devotees of Gauranga.

Nitai remained in Kardaha where Vasudha and Jahnava were

always rendering perfect devotional service to their Lord, but Nitai

52
was not happy because of feeling intolerable separation from
Gauranga. Being absorbed in Gaura prema He was sighing deeply and
had no awareness of whether it was day or night. Whenever He saw
the deity of Śyamasundar, He would see Gauranga instead. Who can
understand Nityananda’s heart?

One day, while entering the temple, Nityananda merged into

the Śalagram Śila deity of Śyamasundar and vanished from sight. But
then He re-emerged because He thought, “My manifest pastimes are
not yet complete. I must go to Ekacakra on pilgrimage and take
Vasudha and Jahnava with Me.” Thus they journeyed to Ekacakra and
there they got the incomparable darshan of Bankim Roy. They stayed
there for some days and took daily darshan of the beautiful deity of
Bankim Roy. However, one day while taking darshan of Bankim Roy,
Nityananda uddenly merged into the deity and disappeared, thus he
ended His manifest pastimes.

It is too painful for me to describe this viraha pastime of my

Prabhu Nityananda. His disappearance takes away my life airs. All the
Vaiṣnavas felt deep pangs of separation and were in great distress
now that they would never see their beloved Nitai again.

After Nityananda’s disappearance, Biracandra became the

life and soul of everyone. But His mood had changed and He became
pensive. He sat absorbed in deep meditation and thought, “What
shall I do now? Where should I go? I cannot say. My Nitai has left me.
My Lord has disappeared forsaking me.” His intimate devotees
beseeched Him with tear-filled eyes, “We all look up to You and
consider You our shelter now that Nityananda has left us. We will
follow You and Your instructions because we have full faith in You
and know Your position as the Independent Controller.”

Thereafter, Biracandra Prabhu held a great tirobhava

mahotsava (disappearance festival) in honour of Nityananda Prabhu.

53
During the procession He blessed everyone by showering them with
flowers. Everyone consoled Him and expressed their heart-felt grief
at Nityananda’s disappearance. His uncle and Abhiram Gopal Thakur
arranged for all the foodstuffs for the great feast. Invitations were
sent far and wide to the great souls (mahantas) of many places
declaring, “On an auspicious day the installation ceremony of
Mahaprabhu will take place.” They all came to participate in the
grand ceremonial bathing (abhishek) of Biracandra and performed
other rituals designating Him as the next leader of the Vaiṣnava
community.

Biracandra duly sent donations to those Vaiṣnavas who could

not come. Only the unfortunate non-devotees who did not care to
attend Biracandra’s festival, will remain far away from His lotus feet
life after life and will not be able to chant the holy name purely. One
should not associate with those who, upon seeing the pure devotee
of the Lord, do not feel joy in their hearts. Śastra declares that one of
the six offences against a Vaiṣnava is to not feel happy at heart upon
seeing him or her.

“Oh fortunate souls, reading this poetic composition with

rapt attention and love in your hearts, hear this glorification of
Prabhu Nityananda’s lineage (Nityananda Vamśa Vistar)!”

In this way the festival was drawing to an end and at that

time Advaita Acarya came with His associates and honoured
Biracandra by performing a grand coronation ceremony (abhishek).
Knowing in His heart the truth about Biracandra, Advaita once again
thought: “That same thief has come once again to steal everyone’s
hearts.” Thereafter He left to go back home to Śantipur being deeply
absorbed in thoughts of Lord Gauranga and feeling love in separation
for His Lord.

54
 3. Biracandra’s initiation by Jahnava Ma
One day Biracandra Roy confided in his mother Jahnava Ma
that he wanted to dedicate himself completely to the worship of the
Lord. Ma Jahnava took him to a secluded place and asked him what
was he thinking of doing. Biracandra Prabhu, although being the
Independent Controller, said in a very humble mood, “Whatever the
Lord wants to do with me, I will do that. I am just His servant, His
instrument. He is my protector and my provider. I don’t know what
else to say. The Lord knows exactly how to utilize us for our
advancement towards the highest truth.” Thus he was teaching us by
his personal example the proper Vaiṣnava attitude of humility.

Then Biracandra went out, sat on a throne surrounded by his

intimate associates and said, “We will go to take bath in the Ganga
and worship Ganga Devi.” Then his associates prepared all the
necessary items for Ganga Devi worship. Biracandra said, “We will go
to a very far and secluded bathing place.” Thus they brought a boat
to take them there and while starting the boat journey they chanted
loudly the kirtan of the holy name. Getting in the boat, Biracandra
Prabhu was in a state of bliss brought about by love of God.

The boat was heading towards Śantipur because Biracandra

was planning to go there and take initiation from Advaita Acarya,
since Advaita was the senior-most Vaiṣnava after the disappearance
of Nitai-Gauranga. Śrī Jahnava Ma who knew Biracandra’s mind,
called Chandraśekhar urgently and told him: “Quickly bring
Biracandra to me by hook or by crook before he goes to Śantipur. He
is heading there with the intention of taking initiation from Advaita
Acarya. But this is not right. It is not meant to be and would cause a
big problem. Go immediately and bring him back.”

Candraśekhar rushed anxiously to the bank of the Ganga in

great agitation and started loudly shouting, calling Biracandra to

55
come back. However, the Sankirtan on the boat was so loud that they
could not hear him. Then the old flute-playing kirtaniya Mineketan
Ramdas,18 who had full faith in Nityananda with his body, mind and
words, happened to be present on the bank of Ganga and asked
Candraśekhar, “Oh Pandit, why are you in such anxiety? What is the
matter?” The latter replied, “Prabhu Biracandra Roy is heading to
Śantipur to take initiation from Advaita Acarya but this is all wrong
and Jahnava Ma is calling Him back.”

Mineketan Ramdas cried, “Alas, Alas!” and started to shout

very loudly, “Stop! Stop!” But the kirtan on the boat was very loud
and Biracandra couldn’t hear him. Then Ramdas, who could perform
mystical feats with his flute, became angry and forcefully threw it at
the boat, breaking the boat in two. Biracandra nonchalantly got off
the sinking boat and walked on the water back to the shore wearing
His wooden sandals while his associates jumped off and swam to the
bank. When Biracandra came to the bank of the Ganga, Ramdas
started to eulogise Him, “You are the Lord in the hearts of all living
entities and I am a poor wretched soul. You are the spiritual master
of the entire universe, the Guru who gives both instructions (śikṣā)
and initiation (dīkṣā) through the sacred (Gopal) mantra. Your glories
are heralded throughout the three worlds.” Being pleased with
Ramdas’s prayers and knowing him to be full of prema, Prabhu
embraced him affectionately and bestowed his blessings on him.

18
Mineketan Ramdas, used to carry his deity of Balaram with him wherever
he went. Mineketan Ram's body was very strongly built, such that he could
carry Balaram upon a simhasan mounted on his back. The simhasan itself
weighed perhaps twenty kilos. When he became somewhat advanced in
years and it was difficult to carry the simhasan, he entrusted the worship of
his Balaram to the pujari of Lord Gauranga in Katwa.

56
 After taking bath in Ganga, Biracandra started heading back
to his house but Ramdas lovingly held his hand and led him to where
Jahnava Ma had just finished bathing in the Ganga. There they saw
Śrī Jahnava Ma sitting absorbed in deep meditation. Śrī Jahnava Ma is
the embodiment of pure love for Radha-Krishna. She is blissfully
absorbed in madhurya rasa and is always internally engaged in her
confidential service to the Divine Couple in her eternal svarupa as Śrī
Ananga Manjari.

She was sitting on the bank of the Ganga, absorbed in

chanting the holy names on her beads and when she turned around,
she saw her young son Biracandra approaching. Then, because she
did not wish to make an offence to the holy name (by breaking her
japa round in the middle) she instantly manifested two extra pairs of
arms. To His amazement, Biracandra saw her six-armed (sadbhuj)
form. With two hands she held her chanting beads, two hands she
used for covering her head with the edge of her sari, and in her two
other hands she held a mace and a plough while her body assumed
an effulgently beautiful white complexion.

After a brief moment, Śrī Jahnava Ma withdrew her extra

arms and resumed her normal human-like appearance. Biracandra
was astonished and fell at her lotus feet saying, “I have made an
offense to you, Ma. Please forgive me and give me your mercy in the
form of the sacred (dīkṣā) mantra, thus delivering me beyond this
material existence.”

Thus Śrī Jahnava Ma gave Biracandra the wealth of the Gopal

(dīkṣā) mantra.19 Consequently, he became overwhelmed with waves

19
According to some sources, Biracandra actually went to Śantipur to seek
initiation from Sri Sita Thakurani but she sent him back, telling him to seek it
closer to home, in recognition of the superior spiritual position of Jahnava
Ma who is Ananga Manjari in Vraja-lila.

57
of Krishna prema arising in his heart and began to spontaneously
chant and sing Krishna’s names and qualities. He became so restless
that no one could restrain Him. He started dancing wildly and rolling
in the dust while shouting: “I have got it! I have got it!” He grabbed
hold of the feet of the Vaiṣnavas present, rubbed their footdust on
his limbs and lamented, saying: “O Krishna, O My Lord, alas, alas.
Where is my Krishna? Where is Śrī Nandanandana? Please keep me
alive by giving me Your darshan just this once.” In this way Biracandra
Ray became completely overwhelmed by ecstatic love.

Thereafter, he became absorbed in performing Harinam

Sankirtan (congregational chanting of the Holy names) with his
associates and in His heart he saw the beautiful face of the flute
playing Śyamasundar. Thus He was constantly floating in the ocean of
love of Krishna and could only be pacified by singing the holy name.

4. Biracandra Weds Narayani and Enters Household Life

One day the one who knows everyone’s mind came to know
in his own mind, “It is time for me to enter family life. My eternal
beloved is waiting for me. I shall go to Nilachal for darshan and meet
her there.” After celebrating the appearance day festival (avirbhava
mahotsav) of Nityananda Prabhu on the trayodaṣi (thirteenth day) of
śukla pakṣa (the bright fortnight) in the month of Magha (January-
February) – Biracandra along with a party of many Vaiṣnavas started
off their journey. They walked along floating blissfully on the sounds
of Harinam Sankirtan. Then after many days walking they finally
reached Nilachal Dham and were met by the local devotees headed
by Sarvabhauma Bhattācārya.20

20
He was the son of Maheśvar Biśārad, brother of Vidya-vacaspati. His birth
name was Vasudeva. By his extraordinary scholarship he earned the title
‘Sarvabhauma Bhattācārya’. When Navadvip was overtaken by the Muslims,

58
 Abhiram Thakur introduced Biracandra to all the Nilachal
devotees saying, “They are all very dear to Mahaprabhu.” Hearing
this, Biracandra embraced each and every one of them.

Biracandra performed many astonishing pastimes in

Puruṣottam Kṣetra (Puri). The son of Maharaja Prataparudra came to
meet Him and together they took part in the Dola Yatra (swing)
festival of Śrī Govindadev. Following in the footsteps of Mahaprabhu,
he went daily to Jagannath Mandir to take darshan and see the
Lord’s lotus eyes.

The devotees gave great respect to Biracandra and

considered him to be the same Śri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
“He has that same enchanting form, same character, same ecstatic
singing and dancing in Sankirtan and same display of pure love - this
is no other then our same Lord Caitanya. Gauracandra has once again
appeared in the form of Biracandra. Just see His lotus eyes, golden
complexion, long knee-length arms, broad chest and all His other
auspicious marks. He wears earrings, ankle bells on His feet and
bracelets on His arms, and He dresses most attractively.”

the family left Navadvip and settled in Kaśi Dham. Sarvabhauma was
summoned by the king of Puri, Prataparudra, and was appointed the
superintendent of the Śri Jaganath Mandir. From that time onwards he lived
at Śri Puruṣottam Kṣetra (Jaganath Puri). He was an incarnation of
Brihaspati, the Guru of the demigods, and by his scholarly genius he became
the Guru of big mayavadi sannyasis. After taking sannyas Śriman
Mahaprabhu went to Puri and met Sarvabhauma for the first time in the
temple of Śri Jaganathdev. Later Mahaprabhu stayed at his house, defeated
his Mayavada philosophy and brought him to the path of pure bhakti.
Sarvabhauma surrendered to Mahaprabhu after getting darshan of His
sadbhuja form and then he promptly composed one hundred verses in
praise of Mahaprabhu known as Śri Caitanya Śataka.

59
 “Just by seeing his face, one loses all desire for material
enjoyment, for mystic perfections, or for the cultivation of
knowledge culminating in impersonal liberation. Any disease, grief
and lamentation go far away simply upon getting Biracandr’s darśan.
Having seen him we will now become free from the cycle of birth and
death and will not take birth again in this material world.”

Daily the devotees performed tumultuous kirtan, dancing in

ecstasy and chanting Hari’s name. Biracandra absorbed himself in
kirtan and his eyes shed profuse tears like syringes of water. Thus
Biracandra and His party stayed for many days in Nilachal and all the
local residents and Vaisnavas unanimously agreed: “This is the very
same Śrī Krishna Caitanya.”

Following in the footsteps of Mahaprabhu, Biracandra went

on a pilgrimage of south India. He performed many amazing pastimes
in various places. Like Mahaprabhu before Him, Biracandra had gone
all over south India to uplift the people and introduce nām sankirtan.
Whoever He met spontaneously began to chant “Hare Krishna! Hari!
Hari!” In this way He delivered many humans, animals and birds.
Then He went back to Nilachal performing loud nām sankirtan and
delivering the three worlds.

Sudhamoy’s tree of great fortune has now born fruit. Walking

along the sea shore near Puri, Biracandra reached the house of the
fortunate brahmana couple. When Sudhamoy and his wife saw
Biracandra Prabhu coming, they fell at His feet to offer obeisances.
Gradually Prabhu consoled them and then said to Sudhamoy,
“Whatever you have kept for me, please bring it now.” Sudhamoy
replied, “I am very poor and fallen, what can I give you? Please come
and see for yourself if there is anything in my hut.” Biracandra
followed him into the hut and there He saw Narayani worshipping
Narayan (Śalagram Śila) with sandalwood pulp and a fragrant flower
garland. She was no other than Lakṣmi Devi herself who manifested

60
from the ocean. Now her eternal consort, Narayan Himself in the
form of Biracandra, had come to meet her.

In her heart, Lakśmi Devi Narayani knew this and thought,

“Surely this is the Lord of my life. I could not be possibly attracted like
this except by my Lord. This garland is meant for my Narayan.”
Without hesitation she placed the garland on Biracandra’s neck, thus
acknowledging their eternal relationship. Witnessing this, Sudhamoy
began to recite auspicious invocation prayers.

Then Sudhamoy arranged for Prabhu and His associates to

reside in the nearby village of Chilka and the people of the village
provided them with all the necessary amenities and foodstuffs.

Tying a cloth around his neck (as a mark of humility)

Sudhamoy approached the associates of Biracandra and said, “In my
home lives the daughter of the ocean god. He gave her to me to look
after and instructed me that a great personality will come to me to
marry her. Please relieve me of my anxiety by disclosing his identity.
What is his lineage (gotra), whose son is he and where is he from?”
Then they informed Sudhamoy, “He is none other than the son of
Nityananda, who is the son of Haḍai Bandyopadhyaya Pandit of the
Śāndilya gotra from Ekacakra, a lineage of very learned scholars. His
name is Biracandra. Nityananda is the crown jewel of this lineage and
His son Biracandra is likewise its full moon. He is renowned
throughout the land for his great beauty, good qualities and
impeccable character.”

Sudhamoy then described this to all his brahmana friends

and they all became very happy and approved of the proposed
marriage, “Well done, very good.” Consulting with the other
brahmanas he selected an auspicious day for the wedding. However,
being very poor Sudhamoy was unable to give a proper dowry. He
approached Biracandra in anxiety and said, “Prabhu, being very poor,

61
I can only give you five Haritaki (Myrobalan) fruits as dowry.” Hearing
this, Biracandra smiled and said nonchalantly, “So be it.”

At the very auspicious time of twilight, when the cows come

back from the grazing grounds to their barns, the marriage ceremony
was duly inaugurated, without much pomp and ceremony. Even
without proper dress of a groom Biracandra looked like the
enchanter of cupid. At that time the ocean god Varuna came there in
a human form and sat in a secluded place. He approached Biracandra
and said, “Oh Brahmana, whatever you want for a dowry, I will
provide anything that is required. You are the most fortunate
bridegroom ever, what else can I say? I am most fallen and envious
but today I have become most fortunate, for I have seen with my
own eyes the divine couple Lakshmi-Narayan. You are non-different
from Lord Jagannath Dev, whose form is made of eternal bliss.”

Thereby the ocean god Varuna manifested all kinds of riches,

precious stones and exquisite jewelleries as well as heaps of delicious
foodstuffs. Thus Sudhamoy could gift Biracandra the most opulent
dowry. Opulent prasadam was arranged for all the guests. Celestial
singers and dancers (Kinnaras and Gandharvas) descended to that
poor village from the heavenly planets and even Narada Muni
himself appeared there with his Vina. Thus celestial demigods, ṛṣis
and munis mixed with ordinary humans at Biracandra’s wedding and
all were chanting Vedic hymns and glorifying the divine couple.
Narayani was dressed and decorated exquisitely by Mohini Devi and
Varuna personally dressed and decorated the bridegroom (śringar).

At twilight time the couple were brought together to take

each other’s darśan. They exchanged garlands and threw flowers on
each other. The brahmana priests chanted the appropriate Vedic
mantras over the fire yagya and at that auspicious time the fortunate
Sudhamoy offered Narayani to Biracandra in marriage. Then Varuna
led the newly-wed divine couple away to his own abode of great

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opulence and made the two lie down on a bed of flowers. Having
been separated for a long time, the two stared lovingly at each
other’s face for ages and could not be satiated.

In the morning Biracandra Prabhu got up, performed His

ablutions and then met his associates headed by Vakreṣvar Pandit.21
He said, “Now it is time to go back to my home place in Bengal.”
Vakreṣvar Pandit replied, “Your wish is my command.” He then went
to the palace to inform king Cakradev, the son of Gajapati
Prataparudra, of Biracandra’s imminent departure. King Cakradev
was very powerful. He was considered to be the second holder of the
cakra and was the ruler of Orissa and protector of numerous people.
Vakreṣvar Pandit manifested his spiritual potency when meeting the
king and just upon his darśan, an ocean of prema awakened in the
king’s heart. He fell at the feet of Vakreṣvar Pandit to pay his
prostrated obeisances and kept saying, “I have been blessed, I have
been blessed.” He then pleaded, “Please give me your mercy in the
form of the sacred mantra.” After bathing and worshiping Lord
Jaganath, they both went to a secluded place and Vakreṣvar Pandit
made him his own by giving him the Radha-Krishna (Gopal) mantra.

Upon receiving the mantra, the king’s body started to shake,

tears rolled from his eyes and he fell at the feet of Vakreṣvar Pandit
again and again. The thought came to him, “I would become a
renunciant.” He then said to Vakreṣvar, “Please tell me what is your
order. I will do as You say.” The Pandit said, “The lotus feet of

21
Vakreṣvar Pandit was a disciple of Śri Gadadhar Pandit. He was Aniruddha
in Krishna līlā as well as a combined form of Tungavidya and Śaśirekhā
sakhis of Vraj. He had great expertise in Sankirtan dancing and singing. He
was very powerful and could dance in one mood for 24 hours nonstop. He
lived in Kṣetra-dham (Puri) and was the pujari of the Śri Radha-kanta deity of
Kāśīmiśra.

63
Biracandra Prabhu conquer all. He has accepted the daughter of
Sudhamoy in marriage and now he wishes to go back to Bengal.
Please make all the necessary arrangements for the newly married
couple to journey safely back to their land and then come to get
blessed by their darśan. Let’s not delay.” The King happily said, “Your
order is my command.”
The king took Vakreṣvar’s order on his head and very quickly
arranged a decorated palanquin with an elephant carrier and soldiers
to clear the road and ensure a safe journey. Then Vakreṣvar Pandit
introduced the king to Biracandra and Prabhu gave him his blessing.
Now Biracandra was ready to leave and Sudhamoy bade him
farewell. Then Biracandra went to bid farewell to Sarvabhauma
Battācarya, who was one of the main associate of Mahaprabhu in
Puri, and Sarvabhauma gave him enormous amount of Jaganath
mahaprasad. Finally he went to the temple to see the beautiful forms
of Jaganath, Baladev and Subhadra. He offered Them his heartfelt
prayers and obeisances, and bade Them farewell.

5. Biracandra Settles in Khardaha

Sitting on a divine palanquin beside his Lakṣmi, Biracandra,
accompanied by his party, headed north towards Bengal engaging in
blissful Sankirtan congtinuously the whole way in great jubilation.

The party gradually reached Biracandra’s śrīpāt (residence

place in Kardaha). The local devotees followed them to the bathing
place (ghat) of the Jahnavi (Ganga), with tumultuous kirtan. The
Vaiṣnavas were dancing, playing mridangas and other instruments
and chanting loudly, welcoming back the pilgrims, and the townsfolk
came running out of their homes to see the auspicious event.

Seeing the divine couple on the palanquin, the people

considered it the success of their eyes. Biracandra Prabhu appeared
to be the enchanter of Cupid himself and Narayani looked like

64
Cupid’s wife Rati, her limbs shining with dazzling effulgence. The
effulgent beauty of one enhanced the effulgent beauty of the other.
It is impossible to describe in words how sweetly attractive they
were. Their graceful beauty put to shame millions of Cupids.
Whoever got their darshan cried, “Blessed be! Blessed be! How
fortunate we are to see Lakṣmi-Narayan with our very own eyes. The
Lord got married and has brought His bride along.”

Biracandra’s younger sister Ganga Mata Goswamini, who is a

potency of Nityananda, welcomed the couple home with
outstretched arms and embraced them both. The eyes of the two
mothers (Vasudha and Jahnava) became wide open with loving
affection beholding the bride and the groom. Thereafter Biracandra
took Narayani back to his house holding her by the hand.

A big feast was arranged and many preparations were made

in great happiness. Biracandra’s associates said, “Biracandra has
become a householder; now he has come of age. Nityananda’s family
tree has now grown big brunches and become mature.”

The person managing all their household affairs was Śrī

Madhava Acarya,22 the husband of Ganga Mata Goswamini. He took

22
Madhava Acarya (aka Madhavananda) was the disciple and the son-in-law
of Nityananda. He was born in Nanyāpur village near Katwa. His father was
Viśveśvar Acarya and his mother was called Mahalakṣmi. He lost his mother
in early childhood and his father took sannyas, therefore he was raised by a
childhood-friend of Viśveśvar, Bhagirathāchārya. After studying many
scriptures Madhava earned the title Acarya. He established his śrīpāt at
Jirat, Balagarh. He also had great expertise in singing and playing musical
instruments. His book ‘Pada-kalpataru’ consists of songs in glorification of
Nityananda. In Krishna līlā he was Maharaja Śantanu, the husband of Ganga
Devi.

65
the role of a household priest and conducted all the appropriate
household rituals according to proper Vaisnava etiquette (sadacara).

These are the eternal pastimes of Biracandra Roy. He

descended for the purpose of distributing the ultimate goal of life,
Krishna prema - pure love of Krishna. Only if he wants anybody to
know about his tattva and his pastimes, will he reveal such
knowledge to them. Biracandra Prabhu has unlimited spiritual
opulences. He is a glorious embodiment of the sweetness of
Vrindavan’s bhakti-rasa. And he himself is always absorbed in
relishing the sweetness of spontaneous love in the mood of Braj
(Vraja bhava). Thereafter he started giving harikatha in secluded
places which only his confidential associates were allowed to attend.

6. The Nārā-Nāris Pastime

By his own sweet will Biracandra decided to manifest
another extraordinary pastime. There was an ashram in Kardaha of
twelve hundred Buddhist monks called the Nārās.23 Due to their hard
austerities and strict renunciation they acquired great mystic powers
and became disrespectful to Biracandra and his associates. Therefore
Biracandra chastised them and diminished their power by creating
the Nāris. Let me describe this event in detail, Oh moonlike devotees.

One day the Nārās came to Biracandra’s residence early in

the morning and aggressively demanded to be fed, shouting “Bir,
Bir.” Biracandra was still asleep after performing Harinam Sankirtan
late into the night with his intimate associates. Śrī Vasudha and
Jahnava were in the middle of cooking breakfast for their deity of
Śyamasundar with great care and loving devotion. At that time the
Nārās came there shouting, “Ma, Ma, our bellies are burning with

23
Nārās is also spelled Nāḍas. At that time the Bengalis used to call the
Buddhist monks Nāḍa and Neḍi.

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hunger, give us something to eat.” They were puffed up with their
mystic powers and thus had no respect for Biracandra Prabhu and
the devotees.

Hearing this, Śrī Jahnava Ma felt compassion for them and

said, “Please wait awhile. We are still cooking and the deity has not
been offered bhoga yet. When Śyamasundar will be offered bhoga,
then you will get to eat.” Hearing this, the Nārās became impertinent
and refused to wait, “Our stomachs are burning with hunger. You
must feed us right away or we will punish you.” Thus, in anger, they
cursed, “Let there be fire, let there be fire” and set the house on fire
by their mystic powers. The house started to burn and everyone
began shouting and running hither and thither in panic, trying to put
out the fire.

Hearing this great tumult Biracandra Roy woke up at once

and by looking at the fire with his lotus eyes, the fire was quenched.
Prabhu became very angry and considered what to do. He, by whose
slight movement of the eyebrows the whole universe can be
destroyed, decided to chastise the Nārās in a tricky way that will
deprive them of their power and remove their pride. Employing his
own deluding potency (maya) he instantly manifested, by the mere
gesture of his eyebrows, thirteen hundred beautiful women called
Nāris. The Nāris were sixteen years old teenage girls at the prime of
their youth. They were so brightly beautiful that they enchanted the
entire world.

Seeing the exquisitely attractive Nāris in front of them, the

Nārās became completely bewildered by Cupid and were captivated
by the Nāris’ feminine beauty. Thus they forgot everything and gave
up their vow of celibacy. Biracandra Prabhu laughed at the fun.
Calling over the Nārās, he gave each one of them one or two Nāris to
marry. Thus most of the Nārās went away satisfied and became
materialistic householders.

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 A few of the Nārās, however, who were a bit more
intelligent, realised Biracandra’s power and his ploy to deprive them
of their celibacy. Therefore they fled in great fear of Biracandra and
his Nāris. They slipped away and hid under the water of the Ganga.
Using their mystic powers they remained hidden under water for a
month or two. When they finally emerged from the Ganga, they took
shelter of Biracandra and became devotees. They came to be known
as the samyogi Vaiṣnavas and became fortunate by Biracandra’s
mercy. Later on they accompanied him on his pilgrimage tours. Such
was the power of Biracandra’s deluding potency manifested by this
pastime. Those few Nārās who did not want to accept the Nāris and
become householders, made an ashram and it became their place of
perfection. They worshipped Bhakti Devi and stayed far away from
women. They associated with the devotees and faithfully worshipped
Śrī Govinda Dev. They were successful in subduing their senses and
always engaged in Harinam Sankirtan, thus they attained perfection.
However, by Biracandra’s influence, even some of the former Nārās
who became householders and went away with their Nāri wives to
raise families, eventually became attracted to bhakti. In this way
Biracandra diminished the influence of the Buddhists in Bengal.

7. Attachment versus Detachment

Those who give up the (intimate) company of women will
very easily float on the ocean of Krishna prema. Those Nārās who
fled out of fear of female association became dedicated to the path
of bhakti. Wherever they established their ashrams became famous
pilgrimage places of spiritual perfection. Conversely, Bhakti Devi runs
away from those who are devoured by the crocodile of lust for
women. Therefore, giving up the intimate association of women and
of lusty men, always worship Govinda Murari in the company of
saintly devotees (sadhu sanga). Controlling the senses by engaging
them in devotional service, hear and chant the glories of Krishna
constantly.
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 If you ask me what will be the destiny of family men whose
minds are attached exclusively to wealth, sons and women, I would
say that such unfortunate jivas can never be delivered.24 However,
those who have faith in Nityananda and Gauracandra, even if they
are full of faults, will be delivered and cross the ocean of material
existence (samsara). Nitai-Gauranga manifested here to rescue the
fallen souls provided such persons fix their minds on the lotus feet of
the two Lords. Those who worship Nitai-Caitanya faithfully will be
delivered. Those staying in family life with wife and children but who
always remember the lotus feet of Nitai-Caitanya will truly become
lovers of Krishna and will attain His lotus feet after receiving a
spiritual body (svarupa) with which they can cultivate divine
emotions – spiritual moods (bhavas) appropriate for serving the
Divine Couple Śrī Radha-Krishna in Braja. The auspicious names of
Nitai-Caitanya are worshipable for all devotees and one who
cultivates his devotion to Them is very fortunate. Therefore I am
pleading with you to always worship Nitai-Caitanya.

Even though most ordinary householders are preoccupied

with wife, children and accumulation of wealth – there is a way of
uplifting them and delivering them from the clutches of maya. That
way is by the mercy of Nityananda and Gauracandra. The two

24
Brahma told Krishna (SB 10.14.36) that the materially attached are
prisoners of their own attachments:
tāvad rāgādayaḥ stenās
tāvat kārā-g haṁ g ham
tāvan moho ' ghri-nigaḍo
yāvat k ṣṇa na te janāḥ
“My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, unless people become Your devotees, their material
desires become thieves, their homes remain their prisons, and their
affectionate feelings for their family members remain their foot-shackles.”

69
Prabhus will deliver them. Just have staunch faith in Nitai-Gauranga.
Even those who are entangled in material life, if they worship Nitai-
Gauranga with fixed determination, will get Their mercy. The
householders that live with their families but always remember Nitai-
Gauranga will no doubt attain Krishna prema. They will gradually get
the right mood and devotional relationship with Krishna. Always
follow the principles of loving devotional service (bhakti) and chant
Nitai-Gauranga’s names. Those who do so, the Braja pastimes of
Radha-Krishna will become everything for them. Whoever hears the
pastimes and qualities of Biracandra with faith, will attain Krishna
prema and all the miseries and problems in their lives will go far
away.

8. The propagation of Śrī Biracandra's Dynasty

Later on Biracandra desired to expand Nityananda’s dynasty (family
lineage) and he propagated three sons and one daughter.25 It is said
that they manifested from his heart and then entered the womb of
their mother Śrīmatī Viṣnupriya. All of them can destroy the seeds of
sinful desires in the hearts of the conditioned souls. Biracandra’s first
son was Gopijanavallabha, the second Ramakrishna and the third
Ramacandra.26 Biracandra’s youngest daughter, Bhuvana Mohini was
given in marriage to Prabaticaran Mukherjee, a resident of Fuliya.

25
According to Vaiṣnava Dig-darśini, Biracandra and Śrīmatī Viṣnupriya had
three daughters: Naradurga, Navagauri, and Bhuvana-Mohini.
26
Premgopal Goswami’s Nityananda Vamśa line descends from Ramacandra
Goswami, the youngest son of Biracandra, and his wife Govinda Priya, who
is the third guru in our line after Jahnava Thakurani and Narayani Devi.

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 9. Bhakti Tattva should be Kept Confidential

The matters discussed here are secret devotional truths

(confidential tattvas) and should not be disclosed to the foolish and
unfaithful. One should listen to it attentively and accept it literally -
otherwise one would be a great fool.

There is no greater mantra than the Hare Krishna maha

mantra. Other mantras in the scriptures are out of the Vaiṣnava line
and are meant for the sense enjoyers (bhogis), the fruitive workers
(karmis) and the mystic yogis (siddhis).

Those that practice bhakti in an independent mood will fall

down; consequently they would become sinners and would not even
be able to hear about the Lord. One should avoid their association
and stay far away from them. One should not even talk to an
offender who has rejected his guru. These matters should not be
revealed to those who are devoid of devotion to Nityananda. Neither
should it be revealed to the mundane religionists (dharmis), the
fruitive workers (karmis), to those who strive for mystic perfections
(yogis), to those who seek knowledge with the aim of impersonal
liberation (jñānis) and to those who worship other devatas
(demigods) nor to the gross sense enjoyers (bhogis) who are lusty,
angry, proud, greedy and envious. All of them can never know bhakti
tattva in truth nor have respect for devotees.

Those who always walk on the path of pure bhakti, their life
become auspicious. Always follow the confidential instructions of
Nityananda Prabhu. Make your heart one with the heart of the
Vaiṣnavas. May these words from Nityananda’s heart become your
life and soul. Share this only with like-minded and affectionate
devotees. Confidential devotional topics should not be openly
disclosed or discussed.

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 “I am merely a mouthpiece for my Lord Nityananda. I
narrated this composition to Biracandra Prabhu and he told me to
keep it confidential. He said one should hear it submissively,
considering oneself an insignificant servant of Nityananda Prabhu.
Otherwise one should not hear it, because it would only have an
adverse effect. Having heard this narration, Prabhu was very pleased.
He embraced me and smiled upon me. Placing my hopes at
Biracandra Prabhu’s lotus feet, I Vrindavan Das narrate this Vamśa
Vistar.”

Thus ends the 3rd chapter of Adi-līlā, Śrī Nityananda Vamśa Vistar,
“The Propagation of Śrī Biracandra Prabhu’s Dynasty.”

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 Madhya-līlā – Chapter Four

Śrīmatī Jahnava Thakurani’s 1st Pilgrimage to Śrī Vrindavan

jaya jaya nityānanda patita pāvana
jaya vīracandra nityānanda jāra dhana
All glories, all glories to Nityananda the saviour of the most fallen. All
glories to Biracandra, whose wealth is Nityananda.

All glories to He who is the life and soul of Vasudha and Jahnava. All
glories to Biracandra who is none other than Sacinanadan, the son of
Saci Devi.

1. Biracandra’s Second Marriage

Then Biracandra Prabhu married for the second time with the greatly
fortunate Śrīmati Devi (who is said to be a manifestation of
Viṣnupriya). In beauty, virtues and qualities she was like Lakṣmi Devi.
Vasudha and Jahnava welcomed their new daughter-in-law very
happily. Then Śrī Jahnava Ma bestowed her mercy upon Śrīmati by
giving her dikṣā, offering her at the lotus feet of Prabhu. The greatly
chaste Śrīmati served Biracandra faithfully like an ideal Vedic wife
and Narayani Devi was always very affectionate to her co-wife.

Just as Sarasvati and Lakṣmi perform their loving service to Narayan,

similarly Narayani and Śrīmati served Biracandra with pure love. They
are the mothers of the universe and like Vasudha and Jahnava are
loved by everyone. The two daughters-in-law happily served the two
mothers-in-law and made Vasudha and Jahnava float on a sea of
happiness.

They served their family deity of Śyamsundar, dressing Him, cooking

for Him, singing for Him and cleaning the temple. Similarly, they
served Biracandra faithfully for they knew that Biracandra is the
second form of Nityananda by whose influence all sins run away.

73
Biracandra’s three sons were endowed with divine forms and
qualities. There was no limit to their gentleness, peacefulness,
service mood and purity. They were fixed in the mode of pure
goodness. Biracandra is the moon and his three sons are the moon
rays which cool all living entities suffering in the forest fire of
material existence.

2. Śrī Jahnava Ma’s Pilgrimage to Vrindavan

One day Śrīmati Jahnava Thakurani told Biracandra, “I am very

pleased with your devotion. Please give me your blessings so that I
can go to Vrindavan. Vrajendra-nandan is calling me and my heart is
painfully hankering to answer His call.”

Hearing this, Biracandra folded his hands and said, “What offense
have I committed that you will now leave me and go to Vrindavan?
You are the best personality among both puruṣa and prakriti (male
and female). You are indeed nondifferent from Radha-Krishna’s form.
You are the form of Vrindavannath (Krishna) and Vrindavaneṣvari
(Radha) combined. You are simultaneously Nityananda Prabhu and
Gauranga Śrī Hari, you are Ananga Manjari, and you are the one who
resides in my heart. You are my worshipable deity who is perfect in
the matters of bhava. What else can I say, you are indeed completely
independent to follow your heart’s desire. We all live to please you. If
you leave me, my life airs will not stay for even a moment. Holding
on to your lotus feet I am pleading with you to let me go with you to
Vrindavan. Why should I stay in household life without you?”

Jahnava Thakurani replied, “This is not the right time for you to go to
Vrindavan. You should come later to your eternal home.” With a
heavy heart, Biracandra took Thakurani’s order on his head and then
he cried out the holy name in the pain of imminent separation and
that auspicious sound penetrated the earthly and heavenly spheres,
reaching out all the way to the spiritual world.

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Thereafter, accompanied by many Vaiṣnavas, servants and
maidservants, amid a great farewell festival, Jahnava Ma started her
auspicious pilgrimage journey to Śrī Vrindavan Dham.
Gopijanavallabha Goswami who was immersed in the mood of Vraja
(Vraj Bhāva) accompanied the party. He provided a beautifully
decorated palanquin and the mother of the universe (jaganmata) Sri
Jahnava, very gracefully sat in it. All the Vaiṣnavas walked along
loudly chanting the holy name, “Hari, Hari!” Walking along the bank
of Ganga they stopped at Kantaka (Katwa) and there they held a
great three days festival in honour of the place where Mahaprabhu
shaved His hair and took sannyas. Many Vaiṣnavas came there to
meet Jahnava Ma and get her darśan.

Then Thakurani said, “We should continue our journey by the way of
Radhadesh. I will go there first because of my attachment to
Nityananda Prabhu’s birth place, Ekacakra.”

On their way they reached a village called Mangalkott (near

Bardwan) where a wealthy businessman by the name Candan
Mandal lived. He was a Vaiṣnava eager for pure bhakti. He made a
luxury chariot with great efforts for Thakurani hoping that it would
help her on her journey to Vrindavan. Accompanied by his associates
he went to the path wearing a cloth around his neck as a sign of
humility and fell flat on the ground when he saw Thakurani
approaching. Thakurani asked:”Who is that falling flat on the road?”
Ramai Thakur said, “This is a businessman, a vaiśya by caste, his
name is Candan. He considers himself the servant who serves in his
own house and is inviting you to stay at his place.” Hearing this
Thakurani told Candan, “Get up and chant Hare Krishna. Nam Prabhu
will fulfil the desires of your heart.”

Hearing this, Chandan got up and started dancing and chanting, “Hari
Hari!” He danced, sang, cried and rolled in the dust. He roared loudly:
“Jay Nityananda!” The hairs of his body stood on end and tears rolled

75
from his eyes. The abode of compassion made him a recipient of her
mercy, and thus his body became spiritualised. Then Thakurani
ordered, “Let us all go to Candan Mandal’s house.”

Hearing this, Candan became very happy. With his near and dear
ones he became busy to arrange for a royal welcome to Jahanava’s
party. He sprayed the dusty path with water and then carpeted it
with new cloth. He placed clay pitchers (kailash) with coconuts and
banana trees for auspiciousness at the entrance and decorated it
with strings of mango leaves and wild flower. Ghee lamps and
incense were lit throughout the house and sandalwood paste for
honouring the guests was prepared. Then he prepared an arati tray
with incense, ghee lamp, fragrant flowers and all sixteen item of
worship (upacars) and placed it by the altar of the family temple.
Chandan Mandal prepared everything for worshipping and
welcoming Jahnava Thakurani: A comfortable asan for sitting, water
for drinking in a golden cup, a whisk for fanning, new wooden
sandals, etc.

He then offered everything to Jahnava Ma: his wife, sons, wealth and
his very life without duplicity and surrendered at her feet. He said, “I
don’t have anything but Nityananda Ray.” He laughed, cried, danced,
rolled on the ground and chanted, “Ha my Nitai, Ha Śrī Krishna
Caitanya, Ha Vasu Jahnava!” The house filled up with joyful devotees
and everybody started to cry in happiness considering that their
human existence had finally born fruit.

Immense effulgence filled the place and different people present saw
a different manifestation of Jahnava Thakurani according to their
inherent mood. Some saw her four-armed form; some saw her eight-
armed form. Some saw that Brahma, Śiva and other demigods were
worshiping her. Some saw her in the form of Durga and some saw
her as Jahnavi. Some saw her in the form of Gayatri Devi and some as
Vaiṣnavi Devi. Some saw her as the combined form of male and

76
female (Nityananda-Ananga). Some saw her as Vrindavaneśvari
(Radha) in Her effulgent abode of Vrindavan. Some saw their
Yutheśvari (gopi group leader) in her. Some saw the gopis and
manjaris singing, dancing and playing instruments. Some saw the
effulgent whitish Balaram and sapphire-indigo Śyam herding the
cows with their sakhas headed by Śrīdam. Everyone saw the forms in
their minds according to their individual moods (bhāva).

Everyone got a special darshan. It was indeed an extraordinary sight!

It was none other than Nityananda who made all these
manifestations visible. Whoever does not believe this and has no
faith in Nityananda is a great offender. I do not wish to see the face
of one who has no faith in Nityananda

Nityananda is the embodiment of the sacred mantra. He is the guru

of the five kinds of rasas (the five different mellows of loving
relationship with Krishna). His only wish is to serve Krishna and make
Krishna happy. In servantal mood he massages Krishna’s feet. In
fraternal mood he becomes Krishna’s confidential friend. In parental
mood he lavishes profuse affection on Krishna. In conjugal mood
(madhurya rati) he serves Krishna in the form of Ananga Manjari,
Radha’s younger sister. Srimati Radharani and Her sister Ananga
Manjari are the foremost personalities among the gopis. They are the
pleasure potencies of Krishna. Ananga Manjari sometimes gives
conjugal pleasure to Krishna upon the order of Śrīmatī Radhika when
Krishna wishes for such.

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 3. Śrī Nityananda Tattva
ati gūḍha nityānanda ei avatāre
caitanya dekhāya yāre se' jānite pāre
CB Madhya 3.171
“In this incarnation Śrī Nityānanda is most confidential. One can
know Him only when Śrī Caitanya reveals Him (Nityananda tattva is
most confidential and can only be realized by Caitanya's mercy).”

Thus Nityananda-Balaram serves Krishna in Vraja in all five ways, in

servantal mood, in friendship, in parental affection and in beloved
mood. Nitai serves Krishna both when Krishna manifests His pastimes
of opulence (aishvarya mood) and when He manifests His pastimes
of intimate, sweetness mood (madhurya). Thus Rohini-nandan is
always ready to serve Krishna in every mood and every capacity.
He is the main bestower of the four goals of human life,
mundane religiosity (dharma), material wealth (artha), sense
enjoyment (kama) and liberation (moksha). He fulfils the desires of
every living entity. But He is most pleased when one desires the fifth
and ultimate goal of Krishna prema. He descends to deliver the fallen
conditioned souls. Those devoid of devotion to Nityananda are
unfortunate fools. One should not associate with such people for
they have no love for Nitai.
Nityananda Ray is the lord of my life. His form gives pleasure
to Gauracandra. Without devotion for Nityananda there is nothing
else for the conditioned souls and both their present and future lives
will be destroyed. Sacinandana Gaurahari is the combined form of
Radha and Krishna, yet that Sacinandana is non-different from
Nityananda Ram.
nityam śrī rādhīka nāma ānanda k ṣṇa vigraha
ubhayam mi itam nāma nityānandeva sundhare

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In the Dharani śeṣa samvad of the Brahmanda Purana it is stated:
“When the eternal name of Śrī Radhika and the blissful form of
Krishna are combined - that is the beautiful Nityananda.”27
If you don’t have faith in my words, the ground will crack
under your feet and you will see that my words come true. Those
who firmly follow the path of bhakti their hearts become very pure
while those who have no faith in the words of the scriptures, their
hearts remain contaminated by doubts.

4. Gopijanavallabha Prabhu’s pastimes

Jahnava Thakurani stayed at Chandan’s place for three days and
Chandan would not let her leave. Then he told Thakurani, “By your
mercy I have made a special chariot for you. It has not been offered
yet to Viṣnu so that Krishna will directly bestow His mercy upon me if
you ride in it first. Please don’t hate me for this Prabhu but I am
pleading with you to get in my chariot, then all my heart’s desires will
be fulfilled.” Chandan swayed to and fro while chanting the name of
the saviour of the fallen, Jahnava. Placing a piece of straw in his
mouth he surrendered himself to her by falling at her feet and so did
his wife and son. He said, “You are the mother of the universe and
we are all your children. We are lower than the lowest of all your
children. But you are the sustainer of all, regardless of their
qualifications and status. I take shelter of you. Please have mercy on
this servant and fulfil my wish.”

27
Not everyone accepts that Nityananda is the combined form of Radha and
Krishna because Mahaprabhu is considered to be that tattva. However,
Premgopal Goswami points out that different Goswamis’ granthas have
different conceptions. It is stated in Ananga Manjari Samputika by Ramai
Thakur that Radha, Krishna and Balaram are the same in tattva: rādhā kṛṣṇa
bālaram eka vastu tina nāma.

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 Hearing his eulogy and plea, Jahnava Thakurani smiled benignly.
She then ordered Gopijanavallabha Gośai, “Get on the chariot and
ride it to deliver Chandan Mandal. By this act he will get the highest
destination for his whole family. He is a special recipient of the mercy
of the Lord of my life. Nityananda would be very happy to bless him.”
Hearing this, Gośai placed Thakurani’s order on his head and climbed
onto the chariot to fulfil Chandan’s heartfelt desire.
Performing this pastime Gośai went riding the chariot and from
all sides people started to chant the Holy name, “All glories to Krishna
Ram! Hari bol! Hari bol!” The nectarean sound of Krishna’s name
filled all directions. This chariot festival is an auspicious occasion
celebrated once a year but Nām Prabhu (The holy name) should be
always celebrated by continuous chanting.
While riding the chariot, Gopijanavallbha revealed his opulence
(aiśvarya) by manifesting his four-armed form of Viṣnu, wearing a
yellow dhoti and a garland of forest flowers. Everyone there got this
special darshan of Gośai, whether they were advanced, less advanced
or materialistic devotees, all got to see this amazing form. Thus
Biracandra’s son gave his mercy to everybody by Jahnava’s wish. All
the people gathered around and recited prayers with tear-filled eyes.
Riding on the chariot, Gośai accepted Chandan Mandal’s worship by
glancing at the all the puja items Mandal offered him. Chandan and
his people pulled the chariot along by ropes and everyone joined
them by holding on to the ropes.
The tumultuous kirtan was accompanied by mridangas and
karatals along with bells, conch shells, the clapping of hands and the
sound of other instruments such as Turi, Veri, Damak and Khanjari. In
great bliss everybody chanted the name of Hari, the Hare Krishna
kirtan. By having Gopijanavallabha’s darshan, their threefold miseries
fled far away. By Prabhu’s mercy they did not feel hunger or thirst.
They prayed, “Oh merciful Goswami, please keep us close to Your
lotus feet!” If one has not heard the pastimes of such an
embodiment of compassion, one is deprived of real nectar.

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 Then the merciful Gośai declared, “Now noontime has arrived
and you have all been labouring hard since this morning pulling the
chariot and performing kirtan. Now it’s time to stop and go back.
After bathing and taking prasad, you should all stay in Candan
Mandal’s place and spend the rest of the day and all night long doing
Krishna Sankirtan.” Everyone enthusiastically replied, “Let us stay
here, let us stay here and do kirtan.” Getting off the chariot
Gopijanavallabha Prabhu touched mother earth respectfully. Having
never witnessed such merciful pastimes, Mandal fell at the feet of
Gośai and said, “Oh Prabhu, you are full of mercy. As much ground as
the chariot covered today, that much ground is now yours and has
become your possession. It has become a holy place and I am beside
myself with joy.” Prabhu gracefully accepted it with a slight smile.
Coming back, Gopijanavallabha recounted to Śrīmatī Jahnava
Devi everything that had happened that day of the chariot festival
and Jahnava gave him her blessings. That place became a place of
worship. As part of his līlā, Gopijanavallabha Prabhu established his
Śrīpāt (residence place) there and manifested a pleasant temple
there surrounded by trees, vines and creepers and it became known
as the ‘Abode of Creepers (Latā Dhām).’ Prabhu has imbued this
Dham with his own energy. By his spiritual potency Prabhu
performed his pastimes establishing many temples and deities. In
fact, wherever he went someone donated land for that purpose. In
every place there were some souls ready to be saved and Prabhu
always bestowed His blessings and delivered them, thus releasing
them from the cycle of repeated birth and death (samsara).

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 5. Śrī Nityananada’s Glories

ye śunaye nityānanda-prabhura ākhyāna

tāhāre mi iba gauracandra bhagavān
One who hears the topics of Nityānanda Prabhu will attain the lotus
feet of Lord Gauracandra. (Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, Antya-khanda 5.705)

Nityananda Prabhu is the maddened elephant of Kali-yuga and

his son Biracandra is like a lion while Biracandra’s sons are the lion’s
cubs. On this path of pure bhakti, Nityananda is a thief in the dress of
a saint, stealing everyone’s hearts. He teaches bhakti in this material
world, the sacred mantras and the scriptures. He always takes care of
others. He cries with His associates, drowning me in an ocean of bliss.
The offenders don’t know the name of Nityananda Prabhu.
However, in the future everybody will be able to see that in order to
save the fallen souls He would give them the intelligence to come to
the path of bhakti. He always treated others with parental bhava as if
they were His own children. Like Gauranga He never considered
one’s qualifications and thus He became the deliverer of the fallen
and miscreants of the whole universe. With great care and attention
He always thought of how to deliver them. And now His mission
continues through His son Biracandra and his descendants.
Even those envious offenders and rascals who would not
hear anybody’s glorification, Nityananda is their deliverer. As an owl
cannot see the rays of the sun, they cannot see His glories and the
glories of His personal energy Śrīmatī Jahnava Thakurani. Those who
are envious of Nityananda, I beat them on their heads. Such
offenders are committing suicide and in the whole creation nobody
can save them.
Nityananda Prabhu is the spiritual master of the entire
universe; He is the personification of Love of God and a wish-fulfilling
tree. Prabhu does not see the faults of those that commit offenses

82
unknowingly, but the fault-finders who knowingly criticize the
devotees, their own words will kill them.
Keep your heart and soul fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord.
All glories to Nityananda Prabhu, all glories, all glories! I am a beggar
content with whatever I get but I have no other goal and shelter than
Nityananda the son of Padmavati. He is the giver and maintainer of
my life.
All glories to Gauracandra, the son of Saci. By His mercy one
can get the lotus feet of Nityananda. By Nityananda’s mercy one can
get the lotus feet of Gauranga. All glories to the father of the
universe Viśvambhar-Gaurahari. All glories to the Lord of my life
Viśvambhar. Let me always see You both inside and outside. Without
Nitai-Gauranga there is no other goal. Life after life may You two
brothers be me wealth.
May all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord be merciful unto
me and fulfil my hope to be a servant of Nityananda life after life.
Conversely, I pray that I may not see the face of anyone who is
against Nityananda.
May Prabhu Biracandra always reside in my heart and Śrī
Vasudha’s and Jahnava’s lotus feet be the wealth of my life. The lotus
feet of Biracandra are my only hope and thus I narrate this Vamśa
Vistar.

Thus ends the 4th Chapter, Madhya-līlā, Śrī Nityananda Vamśa Vistar,
‘Śrī Jahnava Thakurani’s 1st Pilgrimage to Vrindavan.’

83
84
 Madhya-līlā – Chapter Five

Śrī Jahnava Thakurani’s 2nd Pilgrimage of Vrindavan

jaya jaya nityānanda caitanyera ārya
jaya nityānanda sarva bhakti śirodhārya
All glories to Nityananda the older brother (ārya) of Śrī Caitanya. All
glories to Nityananda the protector and shelter of the path of bhakti.

All glories to Nityananda the life of Vasudha and Jahnava. All glories
to Nityananda the saviour of the most fallen sinners. All glories to
Biracandra, the son of Nityananda, who is nondifferent from Lord
Caitanya and who is the embodiment of mercy.

1. Śrī Jahnava Ma’s Pilgrimage of Ekacakra

Now hear this beautiful narration of Jahnava Prabhu’s pilgrimage to

Vrindavan. Jahnava Prabhu always kept Ramdas (Abhiram), Ramai
Thakur (Ramacandra), Sundarananda28 and Jñān das29 close to her.
She said, “Now we shall go to Radhadesh to visit my Prabhu’s
birthplace in the village of Ekacakra. This is my heart’s desire.” All the
devotees said, “Very well, very well, let us go there.”

Chanting the name of Śrī Hari they started the journey with Jahnava
Prabhu being carried on the palanquin. The village people cried and

28
Sundarananda Thakur was a disciple of Prabhu Nityananda and one of the
Twelve Gopals. He is Vasudam sakha of Vraj. His śrīpāt is in Haldā
Maheshpur in the Jaśohar district. He performed a miracle by bringing forth
Kadamba flowers from a Lemon tree.
29
Jñān das was a recipient of mercy of Prabhu Nityananda. He was born in
the Kāndara district of Western Bengal.

85
cried following her for some way. Prabhu consoled them
affectionately with loving words. In this way, performing her
pastimes, she gave so much love and affection to everyone. She, who
is the combined form of Lakśmi, Ganga and Sīta and the embodiment
of mercy, came to bless everyone with her darśan. Finally everyone
returned to their homes being sad at heart and feeling the pain of
separation from her. Chandan Mandal handed his business over to
his son and along with his wife accompanied Jahnava Ma.

Walking and walking to the joyous sound of ‘Hari! Hari!’ the party
gradually reached some town. They stayed there overnight in full
bliss and the next day they reached one village and took rest in the
pastime place known as Kundali Tala. All the brahmanas of the village
came to honour Jahnava Ma and take her darśan.

The son of a brahmana named Madhav came there and offered

proper welcome to Jahnava and the Vaiṣnava devotees. He provided
them with comfortable accommodation and foodstuffs for cooking.
Then he invited Prabhu to take prasadam at his home.

After taking prasadam and rest, they started kirtan at sunset. Feeling
intoxicated with bliss the village people started to dance and became
mad with ecstatic love. Everyone became astonished to see
Gopijanavallabha Gośai’s dancing. Being empowered with the
potency of Nityananda he inspired all with Nitai’s divine madness.

Some people saw the serpents from the netherworld (pātāl), with
jewels shining on their heads, come to join in the ecstatic dance.
Others saw the demigods coming from the heavenly planets in their
airplanes to see the ecstatic kirtan. Everybody was dancing with
upraised arms in ecstatic love, loudly chanting, “Hari bol, Hari bol!” In
this way six hours of the night had passed and the kirtan ended with
loud chanting of “Hari Hari!”

86
In Kundali Tala, surrounded by many devotees, Madhav recounted
Nityananda’s pastime at this place, “Nityananda Prabhu accepted the
renounced order. He took the position of an avadhut (a person who
does not follow any conventional rules) and accepted the four
directions as His home (meaning He had no home). He wore a single
earring on His right ear and with the left hand held the stuff (danda)
of a mendicant. He wandered for many years from one holy place to
another. After wandering for a long time He came back to His
birthplace Ekacakra. He found that the residents of the village were
deserting it and fleeing out of fear. They offered Him obeisances and
said, “A giant python has come to Ekacakra and is terrorising
everyone. We went to propitiate him with gifts and asked him, ‘Why
are you making us all fearful? You are coming in your form of Ananta
Śeṣa. You are the maintainer for the whole universe. You are the
eternal, omnipresent Lord. Why are you causing us trouble?’ But the
python answered, ‘I am the destroyer of all living entities. I came to
eat you all. Every day you should send me one person from each
household for my meal.’ Hearing this we all became scared and
started fleeing, leaving our land.” Hearing this, Nityananda Prabhu
started laughing uproariously. He made them come back to the
village, reassuring them that He would protect them. Nitai Avadhut
sat by the hole of the python and invited him to come. Suddenly a
giant hooded snake manifested. Nitai held the snake with His hands
and whispered a secret mantra in the snake’s ears. Surrendering at
the feet of the Lord, the snake crawled back inside his hole. Then
Prabhu took out His earring and plugged the hole with it to prevent
the snake from coming out and troubling the villagers. Thereafter the
kundal (earring) has been expanding day by day. The news of this
miraculous pastime spread out like wildfire and many people came to
surrender to the Lord. Nityananda Prabhu rested here for seven days,
and Kundali Tala became famous as a holy place of pilgrimage. All the
residents of Ekacakra know about this pastime of Nityananda.”

87
Hearing this katha all the devotees became immersed in an ocean of
bliss because of their faith in Nityananda. In this way Nityananda
Avadhut used to wander all over the country delivering the
conditioned souls by granting them darshan of His divine form.
Nityananda Ray shows the same compassion to all living entities,
distributing the wealth of Harinam all over the universe. By His own
pristine qualities He attracts even the offenders, the cruel and
miscreants. But those who have no faith in such a personality as
Nityananda live in vain and have nothing but misfortune.

“O brother! I pray that I will get a human birth again so that I will
once again see Caitanya-Nitai with my own eyes. If you have firm
faith you will be able to see the two divine brothers. The faithless will
never be delivered. They will become miscreants like Jarasanda and
Śiśupāl and attain only infamy and misery. If, despite hearing these
narrations, one does not develop faith, whatever good fortune he
has will be destroyed (literally: “Let his head crack into pieces”). If
you hear anyone criticizing Nityananda Prabhu you should kick the
head of such an offender. All glories, all glories to Śrī Krishna Caitanya
and Nityananda. Worship these two brothers with fixed
determination and you will be always blissful. Keep Nitai-Gauranga in
your heart and you will float in the bliss of pure love. That is your
greatest wealth and the ultimate blessing.”

In this way the devotees spent the whole night discussing the topics
of bhakti and prema and sharing their loving feelings with each other.
Feeling the greatest bliss in their hearts they didn’t know where the
night had gone. Thus the night passed in great joy and total
absorption in harikatha.

At the break of dawn they dispersed to observe their morning duties

(such as ablutions, bathing and performing ahnik). Then they came to
offer obeisances at the lotus feet of Jahnava Prabhu. Thereafter they
continued their travelling and finally reached Nityananda Prabhu’s

88
birth place of Ekacakra which is a most beautiful place and is non-
different from Vrindavan. Just to see it one’s heart becomes
delightful. There the trees and creepers are very attractive and like in
Vrindavan they offer everything to Krishna. Drunken bumblebees are
humming and the birds are singing with love: “All glories to
Nityananda and Gauranga!” Seeing all this, Jahnava Devi became
astonished and felt great bliss in her heart. She realized this was
none other than the hidden Śvetadwīpa (the spiritual abode of Nitai-
Gauranga’s eternal pastimes).

Jahnava Prabhu got down from the palanquin and along with her
associates became elated by the darshan of Śrī Bankimdev (which is
the deity Nityananda merged into when He ended His manifest
pastimes). Gopijanvallabha Prabhu, feeling blissful at heart, started a
tumultuous kirtan along with the other devotees.

Hearing this kirtan all the villagers became overjoyed and told each
other: “Indeed the embodiment of the Supreme Controller (Īśvara)
has come again. Such a great fortune for us all, we are so blessed.”
Everyone – men, women, children and old people - realized that to
hear such kirtan was a rarely attained wealth.

Jahnava Prabhu became fully fixed on Bankimdev and with great

relish worshiped and served Him. In this way they spent many days
submerged in an ocean of happiness, taking part in the mahotsav
festival of continuous kirtan (akanda kirtan) and relishing the nectar
of bhakti rasa.

Then Ma Jahnava, remembering Nityananda and Caitanya, became

sorrowful due to deep feeling of separation from her two Lords. Thus
she decided with firm determination, “Now I should go to Vrindavan
without further delay.” In this way Śrī Jahnava Ma fixed her mind on
going to Vraja. She called Gopijanavallabha Prabhu to a secluded
place and gave him the maha mantra. She instructed him about the

89
preaching of bhakti and the principles of worship, the proper path of
following the saintly devotees, the proper Vaiṣnava conduct
(sādācar), and studying the bhakti scriptures as an eternal duty. Then
she ordered him to go back home and said: “I am going to see
Vrindavancandra (Krishna, the moon of Vrindavan). I can no longer
tolerate the separation. My heart is anxious for the Lord of my life.
Let’s not delay any further. You take all the servants, maidservants
and Vaiṣnavas with you. Let only Ramai and Sundarananda come with
me. Let four men carry the palanquin and I will take only one
maidservant.”

Hearing this, Gopijanavallabha Gośai fell unconscious to the ground

upon hearing of his impending separation from her. Jahnava Ma
raised him up with her own lotus hands. She held his chin and
smelled his hair in motherly affection.30 Thus she blessed him and
infused him with her potency. The mother of the universe
(Jaganmata) then called out, “Krishna, Krishna.” She served Śrī
Bankimdev for the last time and honoured His prasadam remnants.

30
Sri Jahnava Ma is both the grandmother of Gopijanavallabha (being the
adopted mother of Biracandra) and his spiritual master. Coincidentally, Gita
Mata Goswamini is both the grandmother and dīkṣā guru of Premgopal
Goswami. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that even though Jahnava is the
head of our whole Gaudiya Vaiṣnava sampradaya, her position as the
mother of our Nitai-Gaura parivar (family) remains largely unacknowledged.

90
 4. Sri Jahnava Ma’s Pilgrimage of Vrindavan
Thereafter Śrīmatī Jahnava resumed her pilgrimage journey to
Vrindavan. She preached wherever she went and thus she became
the spiritual master of the whole universe by propagating the path of
pure bhakti and delivering the miscreants. The road from there to
Vrindavan was considered dangerous because of dacoits and
therefore Ramai Thakur took some warriors with him and went in
front of the party to protect it.
Gradually they reached the holy place of Gaya. Seeing the
impression of the lotus feet of Viṣnu she became absorbed in love. All
of the temple’s servitors and priests took shelter of her and she gave
the brahmanas gifts in charity. She stayed in Gaya for three days and
daily fed all the guests with freshly made sweet delicacies.
Next they arrived in the holy place of Kaśi. She took darshan
of the deity of Viśveṣvar (Śiva) and bathed in the holy river Ganga.
They stayed in Kaśi for three days and then resumed their journey
amid enthusiastic chanting of “Nitai-Gauranga.” Their happiness
increased by seeing the northern side of the Ganga and while
chanting “Krishna, Krishna” they next came to the holy place of
Prayag. Once again Jahnava became ecstatic by seeing the deity of
Madhav and tears flowed from her eyes. She felt great happiness
taking a bath in the holy Triveni (the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna
and Sarasvati). She pleased the local brahmanas by giving them
ample gifts in donation. Offering her obeisances to Madhavji and
chanting Krishna’s holy names she became absorbed in love. Then
the party continued their journey being immerse in the nectar of love
for Nityananda and Gauracandra.
As they got closer to Vrindavan, Jahnava Ma started
exclaiming, “Alas! Alas! Ha Vrindavancandra.” Upon entering the
abode of Braja Jahnava came off the palanquin to offer her
obeisances and continued walking barefoot out of respect for the
Dham (for Vraj raj). Seeing the heart-throbing beauty of Vrindavan

91
her eyes grew wide open with astonishment. Vraja prema awakened
in her heart and she became mad with ecstatic love. She felt that
after interminably long separation she had finally come back home to
her own abode, “Where is Śrīmati Radhika, the Goddess of my life
(Praneśvari)? Where is the Lord of my life, the soul of my soul
(Praneśvara)? Where is Krishna-Balaram?” Jahnava became restless
in ecstatic love. “What shall I say? What shall I do? My heart is
breaking in separation.” She swooned and fainted to the ground.
Upon regaining consciousness she again cried tears of love
(premāśru) and said, “After such a long time I have finally become
fortunate.”
After a long while, Jahnava managed to control her ecstatic
emotions (bhava) and accompanied by her associates she came to
the temple. Meanwhile Ramai Thakur broke the news of her arrival
and hearing this, the local Vaiṣnavas headed by Rupa and Sanatan
came to greet her. They fell flat like a stick to offer their (śastānga)
pranam. Upon seeing Rupa and Sanatan she remembered her
previous līlā and went into ecstatic trance. In the mood of Ananga
Manjari she exclaimed, “Where is my mother Kirtida? Where is my
mother Rohini? Where is my father Vṛṣabhānu? Where is my Radhika
the Goddess of Vraja?” In this way she drowned everyone in the rasa
of Vraja prema. All of a sudden, the whole place began to shimmer
and vibrate and became filled with bright effulgence. Then the
touchstone of Vrindavan, Vrindavaneśvari Śrīmati Radhika, appeared
right in front of them. They saw Jahnava in the form of Ananga
Manjari, the younger daughter of Vṛṣabhānu Maharaja, wearing her
dress and displaying her manjari bhava. Getting darshan of this
transcendental vision, Rupa and Sanatan became astonished and fell
unconscious to the ground.
Then the vision disappeared and Jahnava Ma resumed her
usual appearance. Seeing Rupa and Sanatan in a swoon, the universal
guru and mother of the world, Jahnava, rushed to bring them back to
consciousness. She blessed the two with the touch of her lotus hands

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and called, “Rise up! Rise up!” Regaining consciousness, Rupa-
Sanatan got up and with folded hands started to offer her prayers. All
the Vaiṣnavas swam in an ocean of bliss upon hearing their rasika
words. They praised her saying, “You are the universal spiritual
master and the universal mother. You are the intimate beloved of
Hari; you are the wish-fulfilling desire tree for everyone; you are the
controller of Vrindavan, the bestower of prema for Krishna, His
principal śakti. No one is dearer to Krishna than you. In your
association Krishna tastes the ultimate nectar of madhurya rati.”31
In this way the two brothers offered prayers and hearing this,
the mother of the universe became pleased with them and said, “Just
to see you two friends my heart melts with affection.32 You are
indeed the recipients of my Prabhu’s mercy and you are overflowing
with pure love and devotion.” Mother Jahnava bestowed her
auspicious glance upon everyone present and they all felt blessed.
Then Mukhya Haridas (the pujari of Govinda Dev temple,
disciple of Śrī Ananta Acarya who was a disciple of Gadadhar Pandit)
and Gośai Das (pujari of Madan Mohan and also a disciple of
Gadadhar pandit) brought the prasadi garlands to Jahnava and she
accepted it with profound devotion by offering it her pranam.
Then she went for darshan of Śrī Gopinathji and some
devotees went ahead of her and opened the temple’s doors. She
came in uttering with deep attachment, “Ha Gopinath.” Entering the
temple she became stunned and stared without blinking at the

31
Such prayers are usually reserved for Śrīmatī Radhika but they are not
inappropriate for Ananga Manjari since in tattva she is nondifferent from
Radha, being Her primary kaya vyuha (direct expansion) and having the
unique position of being both a manjari and a nāyikā gopi.
32
Jahnava addresses Rupa Sanatan as ‘friends’ hinting at her eternal
relationship with them as girlfriends (sakhis), in their manjari svarupa as
maidservants of Śrīmatī Radhika.

93
beautiful moon-face of the Lord. She could not utter a word and her
lips were trembling. Suddenly the doors of the altar flung closed.
Who could understand the astonishing pastime that followed? What
happened next was inexplicable and inconceivable to the mundane
minds of conditioned souls.
Jahnava found herself on the altar and Śrī Gopinathji pulled
her by her dress and made her stand on His left while Śrīmatī Radhika
moved to His right. When the pujari reopened the altar doors
everyone was awe struck to see that Jahnava became the golden
deity of Ananga Manjari, shining brightly beside Gopinath. Beautiful
Radharani rejoiced to have Her younger sister join Her. The altar had
transformed into a kunja and now Gopinath, His face blossoming
with joy, had His two beloveds on either side and the three of Them
emanated an indescribably beautiful splendour.
Everyone was astonished and perplexed by what had just
happened. Was it that Gopinath, the supreme relisher of rasa (rasika
siromani), desired to reveal some hitherto unknown confidential
truth to His faithful ones?
Nityananda and Gopinath are non-different. This truth has
been stated in Dharani Śeṣa Samvad. Nityananda is Gopinath and
Jahnava is Ananga Manjari. The younger sister of Radhika is the chief
beloved of Śrī Krishna besides Radhika. Nityananda-Balaram’s female
form in madhurya rati is Ananga Manjari and to make Radhika happy
she serves Krishna according to Radhika’s desire.
Śrī Krishna Caitanya is the combined form of Radha-Krishna
and He enjoys many pastimes with Nityananda-Ram. The one
Absolute Truth manifests in many forms to relish His own pastimes.
The one undivided truth manifests in two separate forms in order to
relish loving exchanges. When Krishna desires to perform conjugal
pastimes, Balaram manifests His female form as Ananga Manjari to
serve Krishna in that way. Śrīmatī Radhika and Śrī Jahnava are
nondifferent, just as Ananga Manjari and Nityananda are

94
nondifferent. They are one in truth (same vastu), only their forms are
different.
Who can understand the unlimited pastimes and unlimited
ways Balaram serves Krishna? He is simultaneously puruṣa (male) and
prakriti (female). He can manifest both a male and a female form in
order to please His Lord. He is full of majestic opulences - aiśvaraya –
yet it is covered by His unlimited sweetness – madhurya.
Along with Their eternal associates (parikars), Nityananda
and Gauranga have appeared in Nabadwip, the realm of audarya
(compassion) to freely bestow the wealth of pure love, Krishna
prema.33 They manifest in Vrindavan, in different forms, to relish
madhurya rati (conjugal) pastimes. Such is Their inconceivable,
eternal pastimes. The Vedas say that They merely appear and
disappear but in truth They are never separated even for a moment.
Their apparent appearance and disappearance is simply to give a
chronological description for the limited understanding of the
mundane minds of conditioned souls.
The lotus feet of Śrī Jahnava and Śrī Nityananda Prabhu are
my shelter and my ultimate goal life after life. Placing my hopes at
the lotus feet of Śrī Biracandra Prabhu I, Vrindavan das, narrate
(singing) this Vamśa Vistar.

Thus ends the 5th Chapter, Madhya-līlā, of Śrī Nityananda Vamśa

Vistar, ‘Śrī Jahnava Thakurani’s 2nd Pilgrimage of Vrindavan.’

33
Not simply Krishna Prema but specifically Radha dasyam–manjari bhāva:
anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ ka au
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śri Vidagdha-mādhava, 1.2/ Cc Ādi-līlā, 1.4
“May Śrī Śacīnandana Gaurahari, resplendent with the radiance of molten
gold, be forever manifest within the innermost core of your hearts. He has
descended in the age of Kali, out of causeless mercy, to bestow that which
had not been given before, unnatojjvala-rasa, the most elevated, purest
love for Śrīmati Rādhikā – manjari bhāva.”

95
96
 Madhya-lila - Chapter Six

Śrī Śrī Nitai-Gauranga Tattva

jayati jayati nityānanda avatāra rūpa
jayati jayati rādhā prāṇa bandhu svarūpa
All glories, all glories to the transcendental form of this incarnation of
Nityananda. All glories, all glories to His form as the most intimate
friend of Radha (Ananga Manjari).

All glories to the enjoyer of rasika pastimes (Rasa-līlā-bihari). All

glories to He who propagates (the confidential knowledge of) love for
Śrī Radha-Krishna. Śrī Nityananda Ram is most dear to Śrī Caitanya;
He is always fulfilling each and every desire of the Lord. Who can
describe the love between Caitanya and Nityananda? Only
Nityananda Prabhu in His form of Ananta Shesh with His thousand
heads - if He so desired. Only Nitai-Gauranga know fully the love they
have for each other and only they can reveal it to whomever they
make their recipient of mercy.
All glories to Śrī Nityananda Ray, the personification of
compassion. Simply by chanting His name even once, one can attain
all perfection on the path of bhakti. Jay Nitai!
These are the pastimes Nityananda Ram performs for the
benefit of the conditioned souls. Those who hear His pastimes with
faith are fortunate souls. The faithless are unfortunate and they don’t
even know that Yamaraj (the lord of death) is waiting to punish them
due to their misuse of their free will. I have nothing to do with such
persons who are the living dead of this world.
Let my mind always dwell on the lotus feet of my Prabhus. By
propagating the holy name which is imbued with prema (prema
nāma sankirtan) They manifested the spiritual world here in the
material world. The devotees realize the transcendental pastimes of
the Lord and while chanting the holy name in Sankirtan, divine inner
revelations (sphurtis) appear in their hearts. Such divine pastimes

97
manifested in the character and activities of Biracandra who
possessed the form and the symptoms of Lord Caitanya.
The potencies of the Lord are said to be three: internal,
external and marginal (svarūpa śakti, maya śakti and jīva śakti).34
Those in whose hearts Bhakti Devi (The personified deity of bhakti)
has awakened can understand and recognise the signs of an
incarnation when He or She appears. Such confidential knowledge is
spontaneously revealed in the hearts of those who are on the path of
sacred love (pure bhakti) for Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Those on the
path of fruitive activities (karma), dry knowledge (jñāna), mystic
perfections (siddhi yoga) or study of the Vedas are devoid of bhakti
and cannot realize such truth.
In Kali Yuga Śrī Nitai and Śrī Caitanya are the embodiments of
mercy. They have descended to deliver the conditioned souls. Raising
my arms I declare, “Oh, brothers! In this Kali Yuga there is no other
way of salvation, no other spiritual practice (dharma) or worthy
activities (karma) except Harināma, the chanting of the holy name.”35

34
The spirit souls of this world have the unique ability to be either in the
material world under the spell of the external, deluding material potency of
Krishna or in the spiritual world under His internal, spiritual potency. Thus
they are called the marginal potency of the Lord. They have the potential,
and therefore the choice, to be in either material or spiritual consciousness.
However, without re-establishing their eternal connection with Radha-
Krishna via a bona fide Guru, these tattvas cannot be realized by them.
35
nāma-sankīrtana ka au parama upāya - Congregational chanting of
the holy name is the supreme goal and spiritual practice in Kali yuga (said
Mahāprabhu to Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāmānanda Rāya). (Cc Antya 20.8)
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva keva am
ka au nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
Bṛhan-Nāradīya-Purāṇa 38.126/CC Ādi 17.21
The only way for attaining perfection in Kali-yuga is the chanting of
Harināma. There is no other way, no other way, no other way!

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They distributed the sweet holy name imbued with prema and
whoever chants those Names will attain devotional mellows (bhakti
rasa). In this Kali Yuga Śrī Krishna becomes controlled by whomever
chants His holy names with pure love imbued with the nectar of
devotional mellows (bhakti rasa). Krishna is controlled by such love.
It is true indeed that Krishna becomes bound wherever the devotees
chant His name with love, “Nām is the Lord (taraka brahma), Nām is
the Lord, Nām is the Lord Himself.” There is no doubt about this.

Śrī Krishna and Krishna’s name are non-different (one in tattva).

Bearing this in mind, one should connect with Śrī Krishna through
chanting His holy names with pure love. Chant with unwavering
determination and love, and certainly that bluish cowherd boy, the
son of Nanda, will give you His mercy. But if one is chanting
mechanically, one will not be able to attain perfection on this path.
One cannot attain this pure love simply by shaving one’s head and
wearing Vaisnava tilak. Harinām - the king of all mantras - is the life
and soul of the path of bhakti. All the revealed scriptures declare that
only by the mercy of the holy name can one attain the fifth and
ultimate goal of human life, love of God – Krishna prema.

Śrī Nityananda is the form of the spiritual master and so is Śrī Advaita
Ācārya. Their form is nondifferent from Śrī Krishna Caitanya, the
combined form of Śrī Radha-Krishna. Śrī Radha and Krishna are
nondifferent from Their sacred (Gopal) mantra given by the dīkṣā
guru and the guru is nondifferent from the guru mantra. Śrī
Nityananda, Śrī Gauracandra and Śrī Advaita are nondifferent from
Their mantras. They have appeared in Kali-yuga as the instructing and
the initiating spiritual masters. They manifest in this form to uplift
and deliver the conditioned souls. One who accepts this is of first
class intelligence and one who does not is an offender devoid of
intelligence.

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Śrī Gaura Raya and His associates continue to perform their pastimes
even today and some fortunate souls can see this. The unfortunate,
cynical atheists do not accept this but Yamaraj is eagerly waiting to
give them their just punishment.

I have nothing to do with such people. Let them live and die in vain.
Let my mind always reside at the lotus feet of my Lord. What is the
use of any good qualities one may have if they are devoid of devotion
for Śrī Nityananda? May I never see the face of such foolish atheists.
On the other hand, even if one is devoid of virtues but has love for
Nitai, he is worshipable. Attachment to Nitai is the ultimate fruit of
worship. Whoever remembers Nitai even once, I take the dust of
their feet on my head as my ornament.

Now please listen to the glories of Śrī Nityananda. Even the four
Vedas cannot describe Him adequately, nonetheless His name is
there from time immemorial but it was kept hidden (aprakat). Now
He has appeared in a visible form which is marked with many divine
signs. The devotees are cognizant of this because by doing Sankirtan
such divine revelations appear in their hearts. The internal symptoms
of Śrī Nitai-Gauranga have manifested in the form of Śrī Biracandra.
Śrī Krishna-Balaram whose glories have been sung in the Vedas, have
reappeared in Kali yuga as Śrī Caitanya-Nitai. Śrī Balaram is the cause
of Śrī Krishna’s happiness. Balaram’s sole desire is to give pleasure to
Krishna and make Him happy. Thus He takes many forms to serve
Him in all rasas in Vrindavan.

tathāhi—śrī-brahmāṇḍa-purāne, dharanī-śeṣa-saṁvāda (In the

Brahmanda Purana, Dharani-śeṣa-samvad, it is stated):
go oke dvibhujaḥ k ṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
tat-prakāśa-rūpoyaṁ dvitīyo deha-rūpakaḥ
varṇa-mātraṁ prathakañ ca svarūpair naikam eva hi
kānti- āvanyam aiśvaryaṁ sarvakaṁ na saṁśayaḥ

100
In Goloka Vrindavan Krishna manifests His transcendental human-
like, two-armed form full of knowledge, eternity and bliss. And He
has a second form, Balaram, which is simultaneously different and
non-different from Him. Nityananda is that same Sankarṣan-Balaram.

He is worshiped with the six syllable mantra but He can also be

worshiped with the fifteen syllable Kama-gayatri mantra because
they are one and the same.

k ṣṇatvaṁ sena rāmosau golokojjva ādi-vākaraḥ

yatra v ndāvane kuñje krīḍāya rādhikā k jña yauḥ
pumaṁ se ba arāmoyaṁ dvoya-lī ādi-poṣakaḥ
viśeṣaḥ k ṣṇacandrasya goṣṭha-krīḍādi-nāyakaḥ
nānā-svaṣṭādika-tattvaṁ sarama-śaktibhir yuta
rādhā-rāsa-yuktāśā k ṣṇa-śakti-samanvita
(Translation unavailable)
Sometimes He has a male form (Baladeva) and serves with that form
and sometimes He has a female form (Ananga Manjari) and dances in
the Rasa līlā as one of the gopi lovers of Krishna.

That very same Balaram of Krishna līlā has become Nityananda in

Gaura līlā and that same Krishna appeared as Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu.

tathāhi—Sri Upaparāne (It is stated in the Upapurānas):

nityaḥ śrī-rādhikā cavia ānanda-k ṣṇa-vigrahaḥ
dvayo vigraha-saṁyogo nityānandābhidhiyate
In the Upapuranas it says that the Supreme Goddess Śrī Radhika is
the pleasure potency of Śrī Krishna and there is a second form of
Hers that eternally gives pleasure to Krishna (Ananga Manjari).

Krishna says in the Śrīmad Bhagavatam, “I am the controller of

everything and the ultimate shelter for everyone. There is no other
goal for the conditioned spirit souls except Me.”

101
 aham evāsam evāgre nānyad yat sad-asat param
paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca yo ’vaśiṣyeta so ’smy aham
SB 2.9.33/CC Ādi 1.53, Madhya 25.113
Before the creation of this world, only I existed. The gross and the subtle, up
to the indefinable Brahman – in other words the cause (sat) and the effect
(asat) – did not exist. Nothing other than I existed. What manifested in the
form of creation is also I, and after annihilation only I will remain.

Tathāhi—Sri Nāradiye-
divijā bhuvi jāyārddhaṁ bhakti-rūpiṇaḥ
ka au sa kīrtanārambhe bhaviṣyāmi śacī-sutaḥ
tathāhi—śrī-vāmana-purāṇe—
śuddha-gaura-sudīrghā ga trisnāta kṣīra-sambhavaḥ
dayā uḥ kīrtana-grāhī bhaviṣyāmi ka au yuge
kali-ghora-tamacchannān safrvānācāra-varjitān
śacī-garbho ca saṁbhūya tāraṣiṣyāmi nārada
(Translation unavailable)

dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuv ttaṁ

channaḥ ka au yad abhavas tri-yugo 'tha sa tvam
SB 7.9.38
“O Mahāprabhu, in the age of Kali, You do not assert Yourself as the
Supreme Godhead. Because Your incarnation is hidden in the age of
Kali You are known as Triyuga, or the Lord who manifests His
supremacy in only three ages.”

That same Krishna along with his associates and his chief feminine
potency descended in kali yuga and distributed prema to the jivas.
k ṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣāk ṣṇaṁ
sā gopā gāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ sa kīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
(bhajāmi kali-pāvanam)

102
 SB 11.5.32/CC Ādi 5.32
“In the age of Kali, Kṛṣṇa appears with a golden complexion (akṛṣṇa).
He is constantly singing the two syllables kṛṣ and ṇa, and He is
accompanied by His associates, servitors, weapons and confidential
companions. Intelligent people worship Him by performing
saṅkīrtana-yajña.”
(An expanded translation): “I worship Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, who
delivers the living entities of Kali-yuga (kali-pāvanam) through the
congregational chanting of the holy names (śrī-nāma-saṅkīrtana-
yajña). He describes the name, form, qualities and pastimes of Śrī
Kṛṣṇa; He performs kīrtana of the two syllables kṛṣ and ṇa; His
complexion is fair; He is surrounded by His aṅgas (Śrī Nityānanda
Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Prabhu), upāṅgas (servitors: Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita
and other pure devotees) and pārṣadas (confidential companions like
Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara, Śrī Rāya Rāmānanda, Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita
and the Six Gosvāmīs); and He is endowed with His weapon (astra) of
Harināma, which destroys ignorance.”

The śastric evidence above proves conclusively that in Kali yuga

Svayam Bhagavan Śrī Krishna would appear in a hidden form, as Śrī
Gauracandra, Krishna with the mood and complexion of Srimati
Radharani. One who does not accept this is foolish. Who needs such
persons of wicked intelligence? I don’t want to see the faces of those
who are antagonistic to Nityananda and Gauracandra.

Balaram is Ananga Manjari in His female form and being a girlfriend

(sakhi manjari) of Radha she serves in the intimate nikuñja pastimes
of the Divine Couple. That same Balaram is Nityananda and Ananga is
Jahnava. Thus in different forms He/She sports with Krishna in
different rasas, sometimes as a cowherd boy in fraternal love and
sometimes as a sakhi giving conjugal pleasure to Govinda Bihari in
madhurya rati.

103
The form of Nityananda is the direct expansion of Caitanya. As the
original (adi) Guru he gives the sacred mantra (dīkṣā) and reveals
Himself through the sacred mantra.

Those who see any difference between Nityananda and Caitanya will
invariably suffer in a special hell. Nityananda-candra and Gaurahari
are one soul in two bodies. I hold this truth firmly on my head. Let my
mind constantly remember Nityananda and Gauracandra. Always
remembering Them is the perfection of my sadhana-bhajan.
Nityananda and Caitanya are my Lords. May I never forget the lotus
feet of the two divine brothers. “Ha Caitanya-Nitai, when will that
day be mine that I will be surrounded on all sides by devotees.”

Desiring the lotus feet of Śrī Biracandra Prabhu, I, Śrī Vrindavan Das
narrate this Vamśa Vistar.

Thus ends the 6th Chapter, Madhya-līlā, of Śrī Nityananda Vamśa-

Vistar, named ‘Sri Nitai-Gauranga Tattva.’

104
 Madhya-līlā - Chapter Seven

Biracandra’s Harinam Sankirtan Pastimes

śrī vīra durjjana prati daṇḍa vīra
durdaṇḍa ku gara prati khaṇḍi vīra
My hero is Śrī Biracandra who chastises the miscreants; He is the
hero who resembles a regal elephant.

Preamble
Biracandra is the hero who uncovers Śrī Radhika’s secret pastimes
and reveals the nectar-filled lotus feet of Nityananda. He is the abode
of love for Śrī Gauracandra. May the bumblebee of my mind always
dwell in this abode of Caitanya-rasa who has appeared bearing the
name Biracandra. He appeared once again in the age of Kali to save
the fallen conditioned souls who are blinded by ignorance. He made
them float in the ecstasy of Krishna prema. He is gentle, self-
restrained and merciful. He is the life and soul of the devotees. The
Lord whose appearance is very rare has now come again to relieve
the Earth from the scorching age of Kali. Who else in the three worlds
is as powerful as the Biracandra lion who can conquer all his
opponents?
Vrindavan das laments, “My heart’s desires remain
unfulfilled. And being deluded I have been deprived of His mercy.”
All glories to Nityananda the shelter of the whole universe.
Creation, maintenance and destruction are all conducted by His own
will. The primary demigods, Lord Brahma and the primordial sages
declare that no one is dearer to Śrī Caitanya than His elder brother Śrī
Nityananda. In His various forms Śrī Nityananda serves in all rasas:
servantal mood, friendship, parental affection and conjugal love
(dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and śringar rasa). Only by the mercy of Lord
Caitanya can anyone know the glories of Śrī Nityananda.
Śrī Nityananda is the supreme Guru and the topmost
devotee. In the form of Sankarṣan He is situated in Vaikuntha and

105
through His Viṣnu expansions He manifests the entire creation.
Therefore He is the shelter of all living entities.
In His original form He is the elder brother of Govinda. He
sports with Krishna along with the other cowherd friends (sakhas). In
His form of a beloved consort He sports with Krishna in confidential
rasika pastimes in the flower bowers (kunjas) of Vrindavan.
Without the association of intimate devotees no one can
know these highest, confidential pastimes. Those sinful persons of
low intelligence who consider that Krishna and Balaram are different
from each other simply destroy themselves.
Even the Vedas cannot understand the pastimes of the Lord.
Krishnacandra is enjoying in His eternal form but the blasphemers
will always criticize His pastimes and even blaspheme the scriptures -
who can understand the deluding potency of Lord Caitanya? Of the
unlimited (infinite) He is the essence. How can I, a minute
(infinitesimal) and insignificant spirit soul know His limits? How can I
comprehend His unlimited glories? Whatever insignificant words I
may speak must be on the strength of Śrī Caitanya’s nectarean lips.36
I do not know what I am saying, I intend to say one thing and
end up saying something else. My mind is agitated by the nectarean
qualities of Nityananda and it makes my heart tremble. It is only by
the inspiration of Caitanya that I am able to write anything. Oh my
dear devotees please do not take offence at this. Let my heart always
remain at the lotus feet of Nitai. My heart is greedy to relish the
nectarean pastimes of Nityananda. Without wasting a single moment
my mind is always remembering Him. These narrations are very
confidential, ever fresh and unlimited. Oh readers, please relish the
nectarean pastimes of Biracandra Prabhu, Nityananda’s son.

36
Śrīla Vrindavan das Thakur is the son of Narayani Devi who once, when
she was four years old, received the chewed betel nuts prasadi remnants
from Mahaprabhu in Śrīvasa’s place. The author is alluding to that incident
here.

106
 1. Biracandra Propagates Harinam Sankirtan far and wide
Gathering His associates Biracandra declared:
“Mahaprabhu came to manifest prema-nām-sankirtan in this
age of Kali. His mission was the propagation of Harinam. The holy
name (Hare Krishna maha-mantra) is the quintessence of the four
Vedas. Without Harinam it is impossible to attain perfection in the
practice of the nine processes of bhakti - the path of love. This has
manifested after a very long time and is very rare. Sanatan dharma is
essentially about experiencing Bhagavan directly. With the passage of
time many people tend to be indulged in misdeeds (vikarma).
Therefore Nityananda Prabhu has appointed me as the guardian of
devotion and has sent me an ‘army’ of great devotees (mahanta
Vaiṣnavas) to carry out His mission.”
Biracandra Prabhu continued, “I will wander throughout the
world and wherever I see anyone opposing to bhakti I will manifest
my four-armed form and will destroy them with my chakra weapon.
Whoever does not take to the path of love will be destroyed by time
on account of their own misplaced desires. In this way, I will wonder
with love in one hand and chastisement in the other.”
Declaring this He went roaming the country with many pure
souls and disciples. Sometimes he travelled by palanquin and
sometimes by horse carriages. His companions carried the flag-
banners of many colours: red, white, black and yellow bearing the
symbols of the full moon and the half moon, and these flags (carried
on long bamboo sticks) were flapping high in the air. Performing
auspicious kirtan they all danced and chanted the holy name “Hari,
Hari.” The sound of that tumultuous kirtan penetrated through to the
heavenly, earthly and underground realms. The residents of Earthly
realm, the demigods in the heavenly planets (devaloka), the snake
people of the underworld (nagaloka) and even the residents of the
hellish planets (naraloka) – all responded enthusiastically by chanting
“Hari, Hari.”

107
 Biracandra went travelling in great opulence and many
servants and companions. Thus many fortunate souls got his blessing
and the chance to serve him in many ways such as fanning him with
camaras and peacock feather fans. His associates became absorbed
in joy to see Prabhu Biracandra bestowing his compassionate glance
upon everyone. Being filled with love they all went with him.
Some saw him in his four-armed form holding the flute in
two hands and a golden stuff with the other two. He was wearing a
gunja mala and uttering “Krishna” with a chocked voice.
All glories, all glories to ‘Mahaprabhu’ Biracandra Rāya. He
made the whole universe float with love for Śrī Krishna Caitanya. He
manifested the form of Gauracandra in the mood of Vraja and
distributed Krishna’s holy name without considering anybody’s
qualifications. He instructed everyone, “Chant the name of Gaura,
worship Gaura and become a loving servant of Gaura. Keep
Nityananda’s lotus feet in your heart and internally relish the love of
Radha-Krishna in Vraja.” Prabhu Biracandra Rāya instructed
everybody in this way and thus performed His magnanimous
pastimes.
His palanquin was decorated with silver and golden threads
and he sat there gracefully like royalty. His ears were decorated with
pearl earrings; on his hand he wore a ring with a brightly shining
Chandrabhasa gem; his reddish body was covered with silken cloth
and his chest bore the sacred thread. His moonlike face was
decorated with a gentle smile and his golden and tender limbs
radiated astonishing effulgence. He continuously gave love to
everyone He met on His way.
The Nārās (ex Buddhist monks converted by Biracandra) who
joined the party became maddened in love and made rapid
advancement by performing Sankirtan. They danced like mad lions
chanting “Hari Bol, Hari Bol” and playing various instruments like
mridangas, mandirā, dampha, karatals and śringa. Thus the kirtan
was heard in all four directions.

108
 Travelling through the land and wielding the weapon of
Harinam Biracandra defeated the mundane scholars and converted
the atheists. In this way he conquered the Eastern Provinces of
Bengal (now Bangladesh) with love.
Jñāna das, Krishna das and Ram das were some of
Biracandra’s intimate devotees and always stayed close to him.
Nityananda das37 and Ramai Thakura walked beside the palanquin
and the chief of the Nārās, Nrisimha das, was leading the procession
in front. All the devotees who accompanied Prabhu became full of
prema. By taking shelter of them one can overcome the disease of
material existence (bhava roga) and transcend the three modes of
nature.

37
Nityananda Das was a disciple of Śrī Jahnava Thakurani. He was born in
the Vaidya clan of Śrīkhanda. His father’s name was Atmaram Das and his
mother’s Saudamini. His childhood-name was Balaram Das. Śrī Jahnava devi
gave him the name Nityananda Das. When in his childhood Nityananda Das,
having lost his parents became anxious, Śrī Jahnava devi ordered him in a
dream—“Come to Khardaha and receive mantra from me.” Being ordered in
a dream Nityananda Das came to Khardaha and took shelter at Śrī Jahnava.
Since then he was brought up by Jahnava with affection and continued to
live in Khardaha. At the time of Śrī Jahnava’s first visit to Vrindavan, he
accompanied her. After returning from Vraj Śrī Jahnava advised him to live
in Śrīkhanda and ordered him to broadcast the glories of Śrīnivas and
Narottam. In the same way, by receiving the divine command of Śrī
Gauranga in a dream, he wrote the book Śrī Prema-Vilasa. He incorporated
the letters written by Śrī Jiva Gosvami as a half vilasa. He completed Prema-
Vilasa on the day of Krishnā Trayodashi in the Phalguna month, 1601. He
wrote this book during the last portion of his life and was not able to correct
the language, a fact he mentioned in the book. Before writing this book he
had written another book named Śrī Biracandra-carita.
[This book is very rare and perhaps has become extinct; if it comes
to the sight of any of you dear devotees, please let me know so we can get it
published - This footnote is by the Bengali publisher of NVV].

109
 In every village and town on the way they held a great kirtan
festival and all the residents became astonished to see this. Thus
Harinam Sankirtan became the wealth of the whole country. By the
grace of Biracandra the names of Śrī Krishna Caitanya and Śrī
Nityananda became widely known. In all four directions the kirtan
party could be heard chanting the names “Śrī Krishna Caitanya,
Prabhu Nityananda.” Biracandra Rāya danced in the middle of the
kirtan party manifesting extraordinary energy and his effulgence
spread around for miles. He distributed the Harinam maha mantra to
every spirit soul and by singing it himself - he made everyone else
sing it. Thus all the people took Harinam and became Vaiṣnavas.
Some people saw Prabhu in his four-armed form clapping to
the rhythm with two hands and raising the other two arms in a
dancing pose. Different people saw him exhibiting different
complexions. Some saw Him as having a golden complexion, some a
blackish one and some a reddish complexion. The sound of the Vina
and the sound of Krishna’s flute, the Vamśi, were heard in the four
directions. He wore bracelets, bangles and jingling ankle bells. Some
saw him holding a plough and some saw him holding a flute. Others
saw him holding the stuff and the begging bowl of a renounced
mendicant (avadhut). In this way He went from village to village and
blessed the people by giving them prema bhakti.

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 2. Delivering the Muslim King of Dhaka
After some days they reached the Eastern Provinces (now
Bangladesh) and entered the king’s capital Dhaka. The king was a
yavana, a meat-eating Muslim. Biracandra Prabhu decided in his
mind, “I will deliver this king.” He then told Nrisimha Das: “Go ahead
taking our Vaisnava flags to the king’s residence and give him the
message that a Gośai has come from Gauḍadesh to perform kirtan at
his palace.”
Taking this order on his head Nrisimha das, accompanies by
three other flag carrying devotees went fearlessly to the king’s
palace. He came in front of the king and said, “A Gośai resident of
Gauḍadesh is wishing to bestow his mercy on you by performing
kirtan in your palace. Please let us come soon.” Saying this he planted
four flags (the bamboo poles holding the flag) in the king’s courtyard.
Seeing this bravery of Nrisimha das, the king’s courtiers were struck
with wonder and became dumb-founded. The king broke the silence
by laughingly ordering his men, “These Hindus have become over
confident. Destroy their foolish hopes. Uproot their flags and throw it
in the trash heap.” Immediately four of the king’s strongmen caught
hold of the flag and tried to uproot it with all their might. However,
not only they couldn’t uproot it but their hands got stuck to the
bamboo poles and they became stunned and speechless. Then eight
more of the king’s men came to try and uproot the flags but suffered
the same fate. Hundreds of strong Muslims came to help and show
off their prowess but as soon as they touched the flag poles they all
suffered the same fate. Seeing this, other Muslims fled the place in
fear. (Knowing that the king was still holding on to his pride)
‘Mahaprabhu’ Biracandra manifested another form of chastisement.
Seven huge flames of fire flared up. Some men were scorched while
others were shivering with cold from these same mystical fires. Such
were the wonderful tricks of Biracandra’s illusory potency.

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Then the Naras who accompanied Biracandra’s party jumped over
the city walls in one jump and standing on a high platform joined the
fun by passing an incessant flow of urine flooding the whole city of
Dhaka. The flood of urine kept flowing and reached the king’s palace.
First it burst open the palace gates and then the entire palace began
to crumble. All the residents were screaming for help. Sitting on his
high throne, the king became stupefied and thought, “It must be that
powerful mystic, that Gośai from Gauḍadesh, who is behind this.
There are no clouds and no rain yet it is flooding everywhere.” He
ordered his minister, “Go and find out what’s happening and bring
back a report.” Then the minister came back with the strange news,
“The city is being flooded by the urine of the fakirs (the Muslim word
for the Naras).” Just then the palace ladies came rushing out of the
inner chambers shouting in great anxiety, “Alas, we are dying, save
us! We are drowning! Where has this strange flood come from?” The
finance minister, who was a Hindu by the name Subuddhi, advised
the king, “Be careful, this Gośai is not an ordinary Hindu but a
powerful saint. Don’t offend him any further or you will see further
calamities.”

Realizing that it was no other than the Supreme Lord Himself (Allah-
Narayan) whom he offended, the king at once came down from his
throne. He tied a cloth around his neck as a sign of humility and with
folded hands came in front of Nrisimha das. Folding his hands
respectfully he fell at his feet and began pleading for forgiveness,
“Please save me, please keep me alive. Please have mercy on this
lowly mleccha (meat-eater). What prayers can I offer? I am just a
fool. Your Gośai must be the Supreme Controller. Please protect me.
Out of my ignorance and unmitigated pride I ignored His wish and so
I received an appropriate punishment in the form of all these
calamities. Now I have lost everything and only my life is left. Please
forgive my offenses. Kindly have mercy on me and take me to your
Gośai.”

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Seeing the king’s humility Nrisimha’s heart melted with compassion
and he mercifully told the king: “Don’t worry, Krishna has heard your
prayers. Come with me while chanting ‘Hari, Hari’. When Prabhu
hears that you beg for his mercy, he will bestow it upon you. The holy
name is very dear to Biracandra Raya and he forgives all the offenses
of anyone who chants Krishna-nāma. All your offenses will be
destroyed simply by chanting Krishna’s holy name. Approach him in a
humble mood giving up all pride. I will take you to his lotus feet.”

Biracandra Prabhu had just finished his bathing. The mleccha king
saw him in the distance manifesting an eight-armed blackish form
wearing a yellow dhoti, holding a conch, a disc, a mace, and a lotus.
In his two other hands he held the Gandiva bow (the bow of Arjuna
gifted to him by Agni) and with the other two he held a japa mala
and was chanting Krishna-nāma. He saw Biracandra’s associates
manifesting divine forms, holding mighty weapons and their necks
decorated with garlands extending to their knees. They were all
chanting ‘Hare Krishna Hare Rāma.’ They were shining with
incomparable effulgence greater than millions of suns and moons.
Then he saw his own Pirs (Muslim saints) bowing at the feet of
Biracandra Prabhu and giving up their own names of God (Allah) they
were all chanting ‘Krishna Krishna.’ Being astonished, the king
thought, “This indeed is that divine Gośai. I had great pride in my
heart that our saints and religion are better than the Hindu saints and
religion. However, now that I got the Gośai’s direct darshan, I see
that hundreds of our Pirs are falling at his feet. Giving up my pride, I
must admit that Hindu Pirs are the greatest and that God belongs to
everyone regardless of their religion. It is stated in our scripture the
Koran that when one sees such an exalted saint, one should
surrender to him.”

While the king was thinking in this way, Prabhu smilingly asked
Nrisimha das: “Please tell me who is this man?” Nrisimha das said:
“He is the king of this country. Please bestow your mercy on him so

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that his evil mentality is rectified. Although he committed an offense
at your feet, he has now come to surrender to you and beg your
forgiveness. Please forgive his offenses and offer him your blessing.”
Prabhu smiled and bestowed his merciful glance on the king. Giving
up his royal pride, the king prostrated before Biracandra and then
with folded hands began to offer prayers, “You are the Supreme Lord
appearing in a human form. No one is independent of you. You are
the real saint; you have no second and no one is like you. You are the
Lord of the universe and of all creation. You do not distinguish
between friends and enemies, between this or that religion. You
bestow your all-auspicious glance upon even the most fallen and
deliver the worst people from the cycle of repeated birth and death
(samsara). You are the shelter of all spirit souls and you are their
ultimate goal. Even though I am a lowly mleccha deserving
punishment, please accept this fallen soul and make me the recipient
of your mercy. Let everyone see how you deliver the most fallen. Let
us go to my palace so that everyone in the land will get a chance to
see your lotus feet!”

The king took Biracandra and his party to his city and arranged
comfortable accommodation for them in the house of a brahmana.
He then arranged a high stage with a beautiful bedstead for
Biracandra to sit on and give darshan. Thus that place became
witness to the victory of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s preaching mission.

The king and his company remained standing out of respect when
taking darshan, and many people gathered there for darshan of
Prabhu. Biracandra’s form was so graceful that it conquered
thousands of Cupids. The Hare Krishna maha mantra was constantly
present on his tongue and whoever saw him spontaneously began to
chant the holy name, ‘Krishna, Krishna, Hari.’ In this way he
showered his blessings on all without discriminating between high
and low, thus Muslims and Hindus alike chanted Krishna’s holy name.
Biracandra’s heart is full of compassion for all jivas and for this

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reason He sent Nrisimha das to the Muslim king’s palace to deliver
him.

The king surrendered once again at the feet of Nrisimha das and said,
“I have taken a lowly birth and I have no qualifications but I heard
that the Gośai belongs to everyone. This is stated in our Koran and in
your Purana. Therefore we Muslims also belong to him.” Having said
this, the king placed new cloths and costly jewels in a chest and
offered it to Nrisimha das. Nrisimha das and his men then uprooted
the four flags and accompanied by the king went back to Biracandra.
Having received the treasure chest of jewels from the king, the lord
began to laugh and gave the king the real jewel of the holy name. He
told the king, “Now you and your men chant Hare Krishna.” Hearing
the holy name directly from Prabhu’s lotus mouth, the king began to
chant, ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.’ Then Prabhu said, “All you
fortunate souls are now delivered.” In this magnanimous way,
Prabhu gave his mercy to all the Yavanas (Muslims). Such are the
wonderful pastimes of the Supreme Controller, Prabhu Biracandra.

After this pastime of chastising the Muslim king and delivering him
and the Eastern Provinces of Bengal, the party departed chanting
‘Hari, Haribol.’ After leaving Dhaka Biracandra went to the north of
Bengal and continued to distribute the holy name imbued with
prema. By his influence, those following other paths such as the
pursuit of knowledge or the worship of Śakti gave it up and began to
worship Krishna. He empowered everyone he met with proper
knowledge, gave them love for Krishna, and strength to practice
bhakti. He widely distributed the names of Śrī Nityananda and Śrī
Krishna Caitanya and manifested all their pastimes and qualities. He
gave everyone instructions on how to worship Radha and Krishna. He
propagated the yuga dharma of Krishna-nāma Sankirtan
(congregational chanting of the sweet holy names). In Kali yuga there
is no other dharma than chanting the name of Krishna, no real
religion without chanting the sweet holy names. Anybody can attain

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liberation easily simply by chanting Krishna’s name even once. In this
way, giving Krishna-nāma and bhakti, Prabhu delivered the Eastern
and Northern provinces of Bengal. Who can describe the unlimited
glories of Biracandra Prabhu?

In the revealed scriptures is it described that Krishna will come at the

end of the age of Kali in the form of Kalki and that is the only Yuga
avatar. The sinful low-class people take Śrī Krishna Caitanya to be
false and say, “How can another incarnation of Krishna manifest in
Kali Yuga? What is this avatar of Krishna in Kali yuga? In which śastra
is it stated that Krishna manifests His pastimes at the beginning of
Kali yuga? We only know of the Kalki avatar who is to come at the
end of Kali yuga. Therefore this Krishna Caitanya avatar is some false
fabrication.” These sinful atheists simply fill their bellies and engage
in false dramas and songs which are completely worldly. Śrī Caitanya
appeared in a hidden form as a devotee to uplift the most fallen and
the worst offenders. This was the mission of Mahaprabhu which
Biracandra Raya was set to continue. Everything else is a drama, a
mere delusion of the material potency of Krishna. To deliver these
atheists he infused them with his potency and made them chant
‘Govinda’. In this way he made all the criticizing atheists of that time
cry and chant ‘Jaya Nityananda, jaya Śrī Krishna Caitanya’.
Whoever hears this sweet narration with faith will attain the
lotus feet of Śrī Krishna Caitanya. I Vrindavan das sing this Vamśa
Vistar and place all my hopes at the lotus feet of ‘Mahaprabhu’
Biracandra.

Thus ends the 7th Chapter, Madhya-līlā, of Śrī Nityananda Vamśa

Vistar, ‘Biracandra Propagates Harinam Sankirtan far and wide.’

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 Madhya-līlā - Chapter Eight

Śrī Biracandra’s Causeless Mercy

nityānandam ahaṁ vande ka amvita-muktikaṁ
taret saṁsara-ghorāvidhaṁ yata padāśraya viryata iti

I bow to Nityānanda, who inherently abounds in the state of

transcendence. By the power of taking shelter at His feet, one crosses
over this ghastly material existence.

jaya jaya ba adeva nityānanda rāma

k pā koro sphurti hao tomāra guṇa nāma

All glories, all glories to Baladev-Nityananda Ram. Kindly manifest

Your auspicious qualities and names in our hearts.

Nityananda Prabhu has made me (the author, Vrindavan Das Thakur)

an object of His compassion. To infuse life in the living dead of this
world He distributed prema freely.

1. Biracandra Showers Mercy on the Northern Provinces

Many kinds of non-devotees lived in the Northern Provinces: Śaivites

(Śiva worshippers), Śaktas (Durga worshipers), Karmis (fruitive sense-
enjoyers), Yāgis (tantrics) and Muslims. They followed all kinds of
non-devotional practices. Some used alcohol, meat, fish and skull
garlands as part of their practice. Some performed the austerity
(tapa) called kārmikhābhu in order to summon Mahipāl and in the
great yatra festival of Yogipāl and Bhogipāl38 they would wear torn
blankets and sacks. However, by the influence of Prabhu Biracandra,
they all started to perform Harinam Sankirtan, calling out the names

38
These are various Tantric practices.

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of Nitai-Caitanya. Eventually they took to the worship Radha-Krishna
in Vrindavan.
Even though He chastised the miscreants, nonetheless
Prabhu Biracandra was the embodiment of compassion and He made
the envious, the corrupt, the low-born and the yavanas (Muslims)
give up their habitual mentality and instead chant and remember the
names, qualities and pastimes of Krishna. In this way he attracted
everyone’s heart with his beauty and compassion, and by giving them
devotion to Krishna nāma, delivered them and gave them Krishna
prema. Such was the avatar ‘Mahaprabhu’ Biracandra. He cast his
spell and bound me in the net of his compassion.
In full ecstasy Biracandra went to the village of Maldaha on
the bank of the Mahananda river. There the fortunate king of
Gauḍadesh invited him and his party to take rest. The local people
came to get his darshan and they became astonished upon seeing
the Lord. Some people said, “He must be Cupid himself.” Others said,
“He is Bhagavan Himself, He radiates such intense effulgence.”
Others said, “Just see what a beautiful lotus face and what a
beautiful smile.” All the villagers became transfixed upon seeing his
sweet manifestation. Some said, “Being the embodiment of
compassion he made the lives of beggars successful by giving them
the wealth of prema.”
Another astonishing miracle of Biracandra’s presence was
that whoever got his darshan Krishna nāma spontaneously appeared
on their tongue. Even the Muslims of that area came to offer him
prayers and upon seeing him they started chanting Krishna’s names.
Every day Biracandra and his company held kirtan festivals from
house to house and all the residents became Vaisnavas. They offered
him gold coins, jewels, cloths, horses and palanquins and worshiped
him by falling at His feet.
One evening Prabhu was at the house of a fortunate soul
doing kirtan with all the Vaisnavas. Suddenly, a storm brewed up, the
sky became covered with dark clouds and heavy rain poured down

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extinguishing the street lamps. The people became unhappy at heart
fearing they would not be able to attend the kirtan and would miss
Prabhu’s darshan. Being the indwelling Supersoul in everyone’s heart
and knowing their anxiety, Prabhu went outside and turning his face
up he called out to the cloud (weather beings), “Go and rain
somewhere else. You are disturbing the kirtan. What pleasure is
there in breaking the ecstasy of the earthly beings? You are
upsetting the devotees. You should move on right now.” This is the
nature of a sadhu that he is only unhappy because of the
unhappiness of others (para dukha dukhi). Who has the power to
disobey the order of the One who is the master of Bhava and Aja
(Śiva and Brahma). The storm clouds instantly disappeared and the
rain stopped. In gladdened hearts the devotees continued their
kirtan with renewed enthusiasm, loudly chanting “Haribol! Haribol!”
The people became awestruck to see the miraculous impact of the
Gośai and they all joined the tumultuous kirtan chanting “Hari Hari!”
Everybody offered ghee lamps and incense and the air was
permeated with the scent of kasturi (mask), sandalwood and fragrant
Kashmiri flowers. Hearing the ecstatic kirtan, the demigods showered
the kirtan arena with flower petals. With unrestrained bhava,
everyone felt the bliss of kirtan and became filled with Krishna
prema. The kirtan carried on without a break and the leading
kirtaniyas played on in tree hours shifts, thus giving Biracandra and
themselves a chance to take a break. Such are the wonderful
pastimes of Biracandra Raya.
Leaving aside all designations from unlimited births everyone
came to see Prabhu and just by getting his darshan they gave up all
their sinful habits. Whoever saw him spontaneously uttered ‘Krishna,
Hari.’ He attracted and gave his blessings to all classes of people
regardless of whether they were high or low class.

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 2. Durllabh Chatri - The Recipient of Biracandra’s Mercy

On the way to Ramakeli, one respectable brahmana came to invite

Prabhu to his home. He was accompanied by many associates,
palanquin carrying elephants and horses. Staying at a distance he and
his people offered their obeisances again and again to Prabhu. The
Vaisnavas accompanying Prabhu encouraged him, “Please come,
please come closer.” Prabhu asked, “Who is this fortunate soul?” The
Vaisnavas told Prabhu, “He is the minister of the king, the son of
Keśava Chatri, a famous scholar. His name is Durllabh Chatri and he
came to see you.” Then Prabhu ordered him, “Please come closer.”
Durllabh approached slowly and then fell like a rod at Prabhu’s feet.
He was mesmerized by the beauty of the lord; he could not believe
his eyes. Recognizing the Lord of his heart, he thought, “When I was
young I saw Gauranga and now seeing this Goswami I can see He has
all the signs of being that same Gaurasundar, except previously He
was in sannyas veśa and now He is in grihastha veśa (veśa means
both dress and mood).” Slowly Durllabh began to speak, “Previously
Prabhu came to Ramakeli and met Śrī Rupa, Śrī Sanatan and my
father.”39 “They all became blessed by meeting you. My father
remembered you until his last breath. Always hearing your glories
from my father my mind was captivated. At the end of last night I had
an auspicious dream, a great personality appeared to me. He had
lotus eyes, long arms and broad shoulders. His soft smile defeated
the charm of the moon. He spoke these sweet words to me, “’I will
fulfil your innermost desire to see me, a desire you have cherished
for a lifetime. Being merciful to you I will come to your house and will

39
In 1515 with the aim of going to Vrindavan, Mahaprabhu came to
Ramakeli through Panihata-Kumarhatta-Shantipur. At that time Rupa and
Sanatan met Him secretly. This pastime is vividly narrated in Śrī Caitanya
Caritamrita.

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fill your ears with my kirtan.’” Saying this Prabhu disappeared. Since
then I have become mad with expectation. Showering an abundance
of mercy on a worldly materialistic sinner like me you brought me
close to you by pulling the rope of mercy. You are indeed Śrī
Caitanya. You are Narayana himself. You are Ramachandra, You are
Brahma Sanatana. You are Viśnu, you are Krishna, You are Haladhara.
You are the sustainer of the three worlds; You are the source of all
avatars. In Kali yuga you have showered so much mercy on the jivas;
granting them your darshan you went door to door and. And now
you have come again to deliver all spirit souls, going from house to
house and giving them your audience and our blessing.” Durllabh fell
at the feet of Prabhu and Prabhu made him his own by putting his
lotus feet on his head. With deep humility the gentlemanly Durllabh
requested, “I wish to arrange a great festival, kindly give your
permission.” Laughingly Gośai replied “Very well. So be it.” All the
devotees echoed by chanting ‘Hari Hari.’

Being blessed Durllabh happily started for the town and going to the
market he started buying many food items for the feast: Curd, milk,
rabri, curdled milk, ghee, sugar, molasses and also many other sweet
items such as manrā, manoharā and perā. He brought big amount of
khājā, ksirishā, gangājali, khanrasār and many other sweets as well
as Mangoes, Jackfruits, Coconuts and Bananas Nuts, chick-peas,
grapes and dates, all in huge amounts. He arranged for all the
foodstuffs to be carried by shoulder yokes to coconut and mango
trees garden on the bank of the Mahananda. There hundreds of men
with spades cleared the place and made the kirtan arena very
beautiful.
Filling hundreds of new clay pitchers with Ganga water they brought
them by a human chain and poured them to make the place dust
free. Durllabh made an exclusive contract with a shopkeeper in the
market and declared, “Whatever one wishes he can eat here.” Saying
this he gave coins to the hands of the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper

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accepted them all, bowing his head. Then he (Durllabh) ordered him
“Make all the items first class; You will get more money at the end
for whatever you give away. I have taken a vow that whatever food
item one will ask today, I will give him that. Have any doubt in this.
Whatever anyone wants to eat and however much they want, I will
give them that much. You should give everyone anything they want
without exception. Bring all your products and food stuff and set up a
stall by the festival site. Whoever comes, you should give them as
much they want. If anyone complained they did not get full facility, I
would punish the person responsible for such negligence.” Hearing
this order the hearts of all the stall keepers became fearful. The
shopkeepers gave as much food items as everyone wanted. All the
beggars and the downcast having eaten to their full satisfaction
began chanting in great happiness ‘Hari Bol Hari Bol.’

Some people said, “Blessed be, Blessed be, Oh Gośai Mahaprabhu.

Who would dream of meeting such a merciful Lord.” Some said, “We
have never seen such a magnanimous personality.” Some said,
“Indeed, Bhagavan has made Himself known here.” Some said, “Such
pastimes are impossible for a mere human.” Some said, “All glories,
all glories to Krishna, Hari.” Others said, ““Only in the Mahabharata
have we heard that once upon a time there was such a magnanimous
king named Yudhisthira who could perform such an opulent yagya.”
Praising Prabhu in this way, all the people danced and sang; chanting
‘Hari’ they filled their mouths with the holy name. Being filled with
prema they accompanied Prabhu in kirtan. First class brahmanas
came along after bathing and completing their worship and started
to make arrangements for the yagya. The kirtaniyas started the
Sankirtan chanting ‘Hari Bol! Hari Bol!’ Hearing this kirtan the
residents of Svarga (upper heavenly planets), Marta (lower heavenly
realm) and Patala (underworld planets) all echoed ‘Hari! Hari!’ Filling
their eyes with this great kirtan festival everyone, from eight (years
old) to eighty, sang the glories of Hari. So great was the joy

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experienced in that village of Maldana that the people said, “We
have now attained Vaikuntha, the realm of freedom from anxiety.”

Such was the power manifested by Biracandra. Millions of jivas took

pleasure in Sankirtan. Seeing such blissful kirtan in the Earthly realm,
Brahma and the other demigods descended from the heavenly
planets and taking the guise of humans they joined the kirtan and
chanted ‘Hari Bol! Hari Bol!’ Seeing this astonishing pastime of the
heroic Gaura Biracandra, Vasuki appeared bringing with him the
entire underworld of the Nagas (serpent people) and assuming the
guise of humans they all joined the ecstatic kirtan, chanting ‘Krishna
Krishna, Rama Rama, Hari Bol! Jay! Jay!’

All the residents of the Heavenly, Human and Serpent realms

gathered together and performed Sankirtan chanting ‘Hari, Krishna,
Krishna.’ Such were the transcendental pastimes performed by Gaura
Raya on Earth. In the form of Biracandra he once again flooded the
world with love. Who can fathom how the Lord performs His
unprecedented pastimes? Who can fathom His inconceivable mercy?
Just as Viśvabhar and His associates relished the ecstatic bliss of
Sankirtan previously in Nabadwip, Biracandra and his associates were
now relishing the same Sankirtan bliss in the village of Maldana. Who
can narrate such pastimes without his mercy? I am merely giving a
summary of these pastimes, a mere indication of the actual truth.

Seeing the perfect arrangements for the Sankirtan festival, Prabhu

Biracandra, the epitome of compassion, became pleased and
showered his blessings in the form of his benedictive smile. He then
offered the bhoga food preparations to Krishna and thus turned it
into maha-prasadam. The prasadam was then distributed to
everyone and the people sat in rows and took it to their hearts’
content.

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Durllabh received the maha-prasadam remnants and tied it in a cloth
for his extended family. He offered Biracandra two thousand coins
and one thousand gold coins, a special horse and two multi-
fashioned outfits. He then offered Biracandra the ownership of the
festival grounds and wrote a lease dedicating the place as a śripat, a
residence of the Lord. He placed a chader (shawl) around his neck as
a mark of humility and read the lease out for Biracandra’s pleasure.
Bestowing his mercy on him, Prabhu accepted it and said, “From now
on this place will be known as śripat, a holy place.” From then on,
Maldana became famous as holy place of pilgrimage. Such are the
glories of Biracandra. He then bade farewell to Durllabh and sent him
back home to Ramakeli.

3. Śrī Biracandra’s Pilgrimage to Ekacakra

Then Biracandra desired to go to the Western part of Bengal.
Distributing prema to many jivas on the way, he gradually reached
Ekacakra Dham, the birthplace of his father Nityananda Prabhu. Upon
reaching this holy place he paid his obeisances and waves of prema
awakened in him. Getting darshan of the Bankimdev deity he became
joyful at heart. Paying obeisances he recited many stavas and stutis
(prayers and hymns of glorification). How beautiful was the posture
of the flute holding Lord. Biracandra was seeing Him as Vrajendra-
kumar Himself. Being filled with prema Prabhu was lost for words
and was lamenting, “Alas! Alas! Oh Lord of my life! Oh Krishna!” Then
he started to roar “Nityananda! Nityananda! Alas Prabhu
Gauracandra! Alas Sacinandan Gaurahari!” Tears of prema streamed
from his eyes and his bodily hairs stood up like Kadamba filaments.

He kept repeating the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna.” After a long

time he calmed down and came back to external consciousness. He
then spoke softly some words of instruction, “We shall fast today to
honour this holy place and tomorrow morning we will hold a great
great festival (mahotsava).”

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 The devotees took his order on their heads and then
performed a tumultuous kirtan that reached to heaven. The
donations collected from their travels in the Eastern and Northern
provinces were spent on making the appropriate arrangements for
the feast. From early morning twenty to thirty brahmanas started to
cook for the feast. They prepared many kinds of subji (vegetable
stew), dhal soup and rice, chapattis, puris, pakoras and other kinds of
ghee-fried items, sweets such as madhukulya and payakulya, and
many types of fruit. The potters provided many clay pots and clay
cups for water. Thousands of banana leaves were cut and washed for
plates. The feast grounds was cleaned and smeared with cow dung
and a pandal (decorated canopy) was set up. When the cooking was
done the bhoga offerings were placed on brass trays and Prabhu
placed Tulasi leaves on every preparation and then made the offering
himself. Śri Bankimdev ate happily and Prabhu Biracandra became
very happy. In a joyful mood the Vaisnavas performed kirtan during
the offering. The brahmanas were seated first to honour prasadam
and Prabhu served them with his own hands. When they became
fully satiated and left, the place was cleaned and then the
householder Vaisnavas sat to take prasadam chanting ‘Hari Bol!’ in
joy. Prabhu and his associates were the last to honour prasadam –
such was the traditional etiquette. Prabhu and his party stayed there
for three days and thereafter Ekacakra became known also as
Biracandrapur.
Continuing his preaching tour of Radhadesh he saw that
everyone there was taking the name of Caitanya but not the name of
Nityananda. Thus he got everyone to chant both names together,
“Nitai Caitanya!” and glorify both, “All glories to the son of Saci and
the son of Padmavati. All glories to Nityananda and Caitanya.”
Chanting like this everyone became blissful and took Radha-Krishna’s
lotus feet to their hearts. Drowning in the nectar ocean of Radha-
Krishna’s loving pastimes and knowing nothing but the worship of
Radha-Krishna and Harinam, the people of Radhadesh became

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greatly fortunate. Just as Prabhu Nityananda had previously flooded
the land with prema, now Prabhu Biracandra flooded everyone with
the same ecstasy of prema. The pastimes of Prabhu Biracandra are
the essence of immortal nectar. If one hears this with faith he or she
will attain the great fortune of becoming a member of Gaura’s family
(Gaura parivar).
Desiring the lotus feet of Śrīmati Jahnava and Sri Nityananda
I, Vrindavan Das, narrates this Vamśa Vistar.

Thus ends the 8th chapter, Madhya-līlā, of Nityananda

Vamśa Vistar, ‘Biracandra’s Causeless Mercy.’

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 Antya-līlā - Chapter Nine

The Nectarean Pastimes of Śrī Biracandra

jaya jaya nityānanda aja bhavādi īśvara
jaya mahāprabhu vīra karuṇā sāgara
All glories, all glories to Nityananda the Īśvara of controllers like Aja
(Brahma) and Bhava (Śiva) the controllers of all the demigods. All
glories to Mahaprabhu Biracandra the ocean of compassion.

aprekṣika gati nityānanda candramayī prabhu

yad icchayā pāmaro’pi uttama-ś okam īyate

All glories to the ultimate goal, the moon-like Nityananda Prabhu. If

you wish to recite nectarean prayers, simply call out ‘Nitai-Caitanya’.

Preamble
There is no one more merciful than Them, nor will there ever be.
Always keep Them in the lotus of your heart. How amazingly sweet
are the pastimes Nitai-Caitanya performed, dancing, singing and
playing like madmen even though they are the gravest of all
incarnations. They brought to Earth Their hidden treasure and
distributed it freely to all. What are the glories of a touchstone
compared to those of Caitanya-Nitai? A touchstone turns iron into
gold but the people who chant the holy name become like precious
jewels. Performing nāma Sankirtan, Caitanya-Nitai went door to door
chanting the holy names in full bliss and in that way delivered every
spirit soul in the three worlds. No matter how fallen or untouchable
people were, Nitai-Caitanya distributed the holy name without any
consideration of caste or creed and thus the symptoms of Kali yuga
were nullified. “All glories to the names of Nityananda Ram and Śrī
Krishna Caitanya.” Chanting like this the fallen souls swooned in
prema rasa.

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Vrindavan das laments, “Only I am so unfortunate that the desire for
chanting Their names and relishing the mellows of ecstatic love while
rolling in the dust remains unfulfilled. All glories to Nityananda who
is compassion personified. Just by chanting His name even once with
faith, all of one’s wishes come true. Only a sinner like me does not
have faith in His name. Being captivated by desires for material
enjoyment, my mind does not run after it. What shall I do? Where
shall I go?” My mind is restless and refuses to dwell on the virtues of
Nitai-Caitanya. “Just this once, ha Nitai, ha Caitanya, please bestow
Your mercy on me. Just this once be merciful upon me and let my
mouth not utter anything else than Your names. Just this once let my
ears not hear anything except Your virtuous pastimes, let my eyes
not see anything else but Your forms, let my hands be engaged only
in Your service, let the poison of worldliness not arise in my mind. Let
my heart always dwell at Your lotus feet. Oh my Lords, be merciful
unto me and grant me these wishes.” Now hear the virtuous
pastimes of Prabhu Biracandra. By hearing this you will feel blessed
and your lamentation and suffering in material life will disappear.

1. Biracandra’s Tour of Radhadesh and Ekacakra

When Biracandra toured Radhadesh, he tirelessly travelled through

every village. As soon as the people heard that he was coming, all the
village residents would rush to meet him, exclaiming, “Here comes
the Lord!” Whoever got his darshan even once had Krishna prema
awakened in their hearts. The people brought offerings of milk,
coconuts and bananas. Some brought clothes, some various
jewelleries, and some offered him flower garlands. Chanting ‘Krishna,
Krishna’ they fell at Prabhu’s feet and Prabhu blessed them by raising
both hands up and saying, “May Gaura Viśvambhara bless you all.”
Hearing his blessing they all felt happy, feasting their eyes on his
lotus face. Thereafter they went back to their homes chanting the
holy name.

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Seeing the holy place of Śrī Kundali Mahaprabhu Biracandra became
very restless and exclaimed, “Alas! Alas! Oh Nitai! Where have You
gone leaving me behind?” Then lamenting “Hā Krishna Caitanya” he
swooned and fell to the ground. The devotees were amazed to see
his ecstatic symptoms of prema, swooning and falling unconscious
out of love in separation. In an attempt to bring him back to external
consciousness, they started nāma sankirtan, chanting, “Jay Nitai-
Caitanya. Jaya Nityananda. Jaya Gaurahari.” When the sound of the
kirtan entered his ears Biracandra got up roaring “Nityananda,
Caitanya” and started dancing in the centre of the kirtan party.
Performing Sankirtan the devotees sang in praise of Śrī Hari. By
performing Sankirtan, Biracandra delivered everyone and taught
them, “Chant the holy name constantly. Always chant ‘Krishna, Hari.’
Seeing the mercy of the lord the people of Raḍhadesh began to
constantly chant ‘Nityananda, Gauracandra.’ Hearing this, Prabhu
became very pleased and then declared, “I will now head towards
the bank of the Ganga.” Saying, “Your wish is our command” the
devotees swiftly started walking east in the direction of the Ganga.
Prabhu was riding a horse accompanied by some servants guarding
him with sticks.

2. Biracandra and Gati Govinda the Son of Śrinivas

On his way, Biracandra met the lame Gati Govinda coming on a
palanquin. When Gati saw Prabhu from a distance, he ordered the
palanquin carriers to stop and put him down. He then got off the
palanquin and offered his obeisances. Riding the horse Prabhu soon
came near Gati, whipped him three times and said, “Considering Śrī
Raghunandan40 from Śrī Khanda to be a śudra you are going home

40
Śrī Raghunandan Thakur was the son of Mukunda Datta and the nephew
of Narahari Thakur, who were close associates of Śrīman Mahaprabhu. In
Krishna līlā he was Kamadev. Abhiram Thakur revealed his exalted position
by offering him his obeisances.

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without worshipping him?!” Hearing this Gati became dumbfounded
and a little fearful. He thought, “Biracandra is the indwelling Lord
(Supersoul) in everybody’s heart. He knows what is in my heart.”
Holding Prabhu’s lotus feet, he offered repeated obeisance and said,
“You have given me great mercy by punishing me. In fact, by
chastising me you have accepted me as your disciple. Now please
keep me alive by giving me the sacred mantra.” Hearing Gati’s
humble appeal, Prabhu became pleased. He first held Gati’s hands
and then placed his lotus hands on Gati’s head. By giving him the
mantra he made him his own. Gati said, “Life after life you are my
lord and master.” With tears streaming down from his eyes he raised
his hands up and exclaimed, “I got it! I got it!”

All the Vaiṣnavas came and surrounded Prabhu and Gati. They took
rest under a banyan tree and enquired, “Who is this special soul?”

Then Prabhu introduced the recipient of his mercy and described

him: “When I went touring the South I met Śrīnivas Acarya,41 the

41
As a partial manifestation of Śrīman Mahaprabhu, he appeared in the
village of Chakundi in the district of Burdwan. His father was Śrī Gangadhar
Bhattacharya (later known as Caitanya das) and mother Lakṣmipriya. He
came to live with his mother in the house of his maternal uncle in Jajigrama.
Being advised by Narahari Thakur he went to Kṣetra Dham (Puri) a few
times. After finishing his travels in Gauḍadesh he went to Vrindavan and
received initiation from Śrī Gopal Bhatta Gosvami. After studying the
scriptures under Śrī Jiva Gosvami he received the title ‘Acarya’. He returned
to Gauḍa with the Six Goswamis’ granthas, which were kidnapped by king
Birhambhir in Viṣnupur. Later he retrieved the granthas and converted king
Birhambhir. Staying in Viṣnupur and Jajigram, he propagated the dharma of
pure bhakti of Gauranga. Śrīnivas Acarya had two wives, three sons and
three daughters. His two wives were Śrī Īśvari Devi and Śrī Gauranga-Priya.
He had three sons - Gati Govinda, Vrindavan Acharya, and Radha-Krishna
Acharya, and three daughters—Hemalata Thakurani, Kanchan Latika
Thakurani and (missing text).

130
disciple of Gopal Bhatta Goswami,42 who had unflinching faith in the
lotus feet of Nityananda and Caitanya. Gati Govinda is his son.”

Biracandra continued, “Śrīnivas told me about himself and here is his

story: “I am the son of Caitanya das43 from the village of Jajigram. My
residence is near the house of Narahari Sarkar44 of Śrī Khanda. Once
in the Tailanga province I became absorbed in Krishna katha for three
days in the house of a brahmana. That brahmana asked me for
initiation. Hearing this I became happy and accepted him. But later
some wicked brahmana poisoned his mind and told him, ‘How can a
brahmana take initiation from a śudra?’ Hearing this I became
anxious and left the place immediately. I went to Vrindavan and
there I got the mercy and the shelter of Śrī Gopal Bhatta Gośai. After

42
He is one of the Six Goswamis. In Krishna līlā he was Śrī Guna Manjari. He
was the son of Venkata Bhatta, from Śrī Rangan in South India. His uncles
were Tirumalla Bhatta and Prabodhananda Bhatta. During his travels in
South India Śrīman Mahaprabhu observed the Chaturmasya vow in his
house. At that time, by serving Mahaprabhu, the child Gopal Bhatta became
the recipient of His mercy. According to the instructions given to him by
Mahaprabhu, after the death of his father and two uncles he accepted the
renounced order and went to Vrindavan. There, by the power of his prayer,
his Śalagram śila manifested the famous deity of Śrī Radharaman Jiu. He
compiled the prototype notes for Hari-bhakti-vilasa which later Sanatan
Goswami distilled into a book.
43
He was a resident of the village Chakundi. His original name was Śrī
Gangadhar Bhattacharya. By witnessing the sannyasa-līlā of Śrīman
Mahaprabhu in Katwa he became maddened in love and started to wonder
around like a mad man shouting ‘Caitanya Caitanya’. Seeing his mood the
residents of the village gave him the name Caitanya Das. Thus he became
famous as Caitanya Das. It was he whose well-qualified son was Śrīnivas
Acarya.
44
Narahari Das Thakur. He was an associate of Śrī Gauranga. In Vraja he was
Śrī Madhumati Sakhi.

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some time he sent me back to Bengal (along with Narottam das
Thakur and Śyamananda) with the scriptures compiled by the six
Goswamis. Now I live a simple life as a householder, serving the
Vaiṣnavas and taking shelter of Krishna. But one desire is in my mind:
“Who will continue this service and worship our Thakurji? If You so
desire, please give me a son, even a lame or blind one, who can
continue this service. Then I will be very grateful.”

I said, “Yes, of course, I will give you the son you desire. Please bring
your wife.” She came and offered her obeisances. Then I gave her the
remnants of my chewed betel nuts. I gave her my affection in the
form of my chewed tambula (betel leaf and nuts) prasadam. Feeling
blessed she gratefully ate it and by my power she soon became
pregnant. In due course of time she gave birth to this son Gati. I have
accepted him as the recipient of my mercy and affection.”

Hearing this narration all the devotees became very happy and said,
“Gati is the beloved of Gaura, the recipient of Biracandra’s mercy.”

Holding the feet of Gośai, Gati said, “Prabhu, you came this far to
give me your mercy. Now my life has become completely auspicious.
But I have one wish on my mind. Please place your lotus feet in my
home.” Being under the control of his devotees, Biracandra accepted
the invitation and said, “So be it. I will come to your place.” Thus he
stayed at the home of that fortunate soul and everyone there
became blessed.

From there they went to Vanbhumi (Viṣnupur), holding great

Sankirtan festivals in every town and village. Numerous people were
converted and became quality devotees by Biracandra’s mercy.
Prabhu taught everyone the dharma of Harinam Sankirtan, “In the
age of Kali there is no other dharma or karma. No other spiritual
practice except this.”

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 bhajo Krishna, bolo Krishna, laho Krishna nām

“Worship Krishna, chant Krishna and take Krishna’s name. By doing

this you will certainly attain the abode of Krishna. You should see
everyone with equal vision, and householders should properly serve
all guests because that is their dharma.” Those who accepted
Prabhu’s instructions became very fortunate. They chanted the holy
name and happily served all guests.

3. Biracandra and Parameśvar das Mallik

Upon entering Vanabhumi (Viṣnupur), Biracandra became happy at
heart finding a place which was pleasantly beautiful. It was secluded
and the river water was clean. Thus he said, “I will rest and take a
bath (snan) here.” As he was resting under a mango tree, a horn
sounded announcing the arrival of a gentleman from the other side
of the river whose name was Parameśvar das Mallik. Having heard
that the dear son of Nityananda and his associates have come, he
came there very cheerfully and fell like a rod at the feet of Prabhu.
Holding his feet he cried, ‘Nityananda!’ and said, “My father (baba)
Nityananda is the life and soul of all fallen souls. He saved a fallen
wretch like me. Oh sustainer of my life! When will I ever see Your
moon like face again? How can I maintain my sinful life without my
Prabhu?” Shedding tears at the lotus feet of Prabhu, he continued,
“Oh my son Biracandra, I have recognised you. You are Nityananda
Himself and you are Sacinandana, you are Krishna and you are Viṣnu
– the source of creation and the Supersoul of the Universe. Granting
your darshan to such an insignificant person as me you have blessed
me and my people; such is your great mercy.” Mallik cried, being
restless out of love. Seeing this, Biracandra was amazed and knowing
Mallik to be a recipient of Nityananda’s mercy, he began to cry out
“Hā Nitai! Hā Nitai!” His merciful lotus eyes brimmed with tears and
he became compassionate. He raised Mallik up and gave him a loving
embrace. Mallik surrendered himself to Prabhu and after offering

133
many prayers in supplication, took Prabhu and his party to his house.
Being filled with devotional mood, he and his entire family fell at the
lotus feet of Biracandra. He made him sit in the reception hall on a
beautifully decorated throne (asan) and washed his lotus feet with
fragrant water. He then drank Prabhu’s caranāmrita and distributed
it to his whole family. He sprinkled the holy foot-water of Prabhu all
over his house. Seeing the perfect sadācara and mood of his servant,
Prabhu bestowed his mercy on him by giving him his prasadam, a
favour rarely attained even by Brahma.

Mallik approached Gati and asked him, “Where did you become a
companion of Prabhu?” Gati then narrated his story and hearing it,
Mallik became very pleased and from that day on accepted Gati as
his dearly beloved friend. After offering gifts to all the Vaiṣnava
companions of Biracandra, Mallik personally washed their feet,
offered them his prostrated obeisances and made them sit
comfortably.

Then all the devotees became busy in rendering different services to

Prabhu. Someone brought cool water and made it fragrant; someone
massaged Prabhu’s head with Viṣnu oil to cool him down; someone
brought flowers and made fragrant garlands; someone grinded
sandalwood into paste; someone cleaned and folded new cloth;
some made a bed of Tulasi plants; some decorated the place and
prepared it for worshipping; some prepared a throne for Prabhu and
some made the arrangement to worship him with sixteen kinds of
items (upacars). Parameśvar Mallik and his family performed the
ceremonial bathing (abhiṣek) of Prabhu’s feet and worshipped him
according to the prescribed rules with sixteen-items puja and arati
while the devotees performed kirtan, dancing and singing until late at
night when they finally stopped to take rest. The caranāmrita (foot-
bathing water) was duly distributed to all and the Vaiṣnavas drank it
with faith. The next day arrangements were made for cooking. The
Lord’s feast was prepared with great devotion, and the cooks made

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many preparations including red rice, flat bread cooked in fire wood,
bitter preparations, and much more.

Biracandra Prabhu sat on a beautiful raised throne and the Vaiṣnavas

gathered around him for harikatha. Gati Govinda, sitting at Prabhu’s
feet, served his feet, massaging them with great joy in his heart. He
initiated the katha by asking Prabhu about vastu-tattva (essential
reality or truth). He asked, “Being a conditioned jiva, how can I cross
the ocean of samsara (material existence of repeated birth and
death)?” Being compassionate, Prabhu explained the essence of all
tattvas.

“The tattva of prema-bhakti consists of two divisions: aiśvarya and

madhurya (worshiping the Lord in a mood of awe and reverence
versus worshiping the Lord in spontaneous love). Taking shelter of Śrī
Guru (guru pādāśraya) is the foundation of the nine kinds of bhakti
(nava-vidha-bhakti).45 Hearing (harikatha) and chanting (nāma
kirtan) are the primary symptoms of bhakti. Relationships with
Krishna are possible in five different (primary) rasas. The eternal

45
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava- akṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye ’dhītam uttamam
SB 7.5.23-24
Prahlāda Mahārāja said: “Hearing, chanting and remembering the
transcendental holy name, form, qualities, and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu,
serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship,
offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His loving servant, considering the
Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering oneself unto Him. One who has
dedicated his life and soul to the service of Guru and Kṛṣṇa through these
nine limbs of bhakti should be understood to be the topmost devotee and
the most learned, for he has acquired perfect knowledge.”

135
pastimes of Radha and Krishna in Vraja are confidential and even the
Vedas do not know about them. One should be exclusively loyal to
Śrīmatī Rādhārāni and to Śrī Ananga Manjari. One should know
Vrajendra-nandana to be the lover of Radha and Vriśabhanu-nandini
to be the enchanting beloved of Govinda. One should follow one’s
guru manjari sakhi and understand her hints indicated by her side-
long glances. Thus one should serve with love according to the eight
time periods of the day, taking shelter of one’s particular bhava and
seva. One should serve and take care of Śrī Rādhā day and night,
always stay with Her and be Her constant female companion
(manjari/kinkari).”

In this way Prabhu taught Gati Govinda the tattva and practice of
rāgānuga-bhajan. Then he firmly instructed him, “Only Nitai-Caitanya
are to be worshiped in Kali-yuga. There is no other way of
deliverance in Kali-yuga except harinām sadhana (the practice of
chanting). Chant Krishna nāma in the association of Krishna’s
devotees (sadhu sanga) and without a doubt you will attain the
abode of Śrī Radha-Krishna in Vraja. You should always be alert not to
commit Vaiṣnava aparadha because that would destroy everything.”
Placing his lotus feet on Gati’s head he blessed him with this
benediction, “Let all these realizations manifest in your heart.” Out of
his causeless mercy he once again reiterated, “Throwing arrogance
and pride far away, you should show compassion to all living
beings,46 only then can you attain pure loving attachment for Radha-
Krishna.”

46
Jīve doyā, nāme ruci, vaiṣnava sevan - iha dharma nāhi āra śuno
sanatan
“Compassion (and respect) for all living entities, taste in chanting harinām,
and service to the Vaiṣnavas – there is no other dharma except this, Oh
Sanatan.”

136
When Gati Govinda received these invaluable instructions directly
from the lotus mouth of Biracandra, he became ecstatic with Krishna
prema. He grasped Prabhu’s lotus feet and cried. Being overcome
with gratitude he said, “May I never forget your lotus feet.”

By then the food preparations for Śrī Krishna’s pleasure (bhoga) was
ready. Prabhu offered the bhoga and chanted the offering mantras.
The conch was sounded and the bell rang for arati. Prabhu was
served prasad and then washed his hands and mouth. Then everyone
else received the maha-prasad remnants. Thus the day passed in
great joy and at night Prabhu took great pleasure in leading kirtan
and becoming absorbed in kirtan rasa. Only Prabhu himself can
describe the kirtan pastimes, being omniscient. Only Vyasadev knows
how and what happened in the kirtan mandala and the many forms
and moods Biracandra manifested there. Different people saw
Prabhu in different ways. Some saw him wearing a turban in his
pauganda age (six to ten). Some saw him in the entrance point of
youth (kaiśora, ten to fifteen). Some saw him having a light
complexion like Balaram holding a plough and a mace. Some saw him
as Madan-mohan, the king of rasa. Some saw him as four-armed with
conch and cakra while thousand-headed Ananta Śeṣa was holding a
parasol over his head. Some saw him in the form of sannyasi raising
his arms and chanting “Hari Bolo, Hari Bolo!”

Spreading the rays of his network of compassion, he attracted

everyone, both devotees and non-devotees. Just as Krishna attracted
all the gopis at the inception of the Rāsa dance with his flute song,
now Prabhu attracted all spirit souls by his kirtan. Everyone joined in
the massive kirtan and floated on the waves of Krishna prema, filling
their mouths with Krishna’s name.

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 4. Biracandra and Śrīnivās Ācārya
Now Śrīnivās Acarya came there along with his Vaiṣnava companions.
When the sound of the ecstatic kirtan entered his ears he became
almost mad and saying, “How sweet!” he rushed forward along with
the other Vaiṣnavas and joined the kirtan. Seeing the ecstatic dancing
and singing of Biracandra, the usually grave and serene Śrīnivas
became restless. Staying close by the lord, Mallik was beholding the
nectarean sight of Prabhu and tears were rolling down from his eyes.
Seeing that the Acarya had come to the kirtan he said, “Here comes
Śrīnivas.” Seeing Śrīnivas, Prabhu became even more ecstatic and
spreading both arms he embraced him warmly. Śrīnivas became
stunned in bliss and then fell at Prabhu’s lotus feet and took his
footdust. After offering Prabhu prayers of praise Śrīnivas danced in
the middle of the kirtan raising both arms and cried, “This is great
mercy. Jay Biracandra! Jay Nitai! Jay Gauranga!” Seeing the beauty of
the lord and the ecstatic kirtan, he became overwhelmed in the bliss
of prema.

The people present felt very fortunate to witness such an intense

exchange of love and they also experienced it in their hearts. Thus
they realised Biracandra Prabhu’s unprecedented compassion.
Saying, “We are blessed, we are blessed” they floated on love. Some
people said, “He is the abode of compassion.” Some said, “This is our
last birth; we will not take birth again.” Some said, “We are seeing
the lord directly in the age of Kali” and some said, “We have
conquered the fear of death.” In this way Prabhu gave darshan to all
and satisfied the hearts of everyone. Biracandra is indeed the
Supersoul in everybody’s hearts and by his own desire he delivered
all those who saw the lord and his associates and heard his kirtan.

The joyful kirtan went on for many nights and finally Prabhu stopped
it and told the tired kirtaniyas, “Now the kirtan will take rest but we
should all sit peacefully and chant Krishna’s holy name on our japa

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beads.” The devotees responded, “Hari, Haribol.” The echo of the
kirtan continued and could be heard for another hour and a half.
Then the devotees honoured prasad, and after cleaning the place
took rest at midnight.

Next morning Prabhu got up very enthusiastically, roaring, “Krishna

Caitanya” and went to take part in the Mangal Arati with all the
devotees. Then they disbanded to finish their morning duties and do
their personal bhajan. Gati stayed with Śrīnivas close to Prabhu while
narrated Gati’s story to Śrīnivas. Hearing it, the Acarya became very
happy and offered a supplication at Prabhu’s feet, “Whatever wealth
I have as well as family, sons and relatives - I offer everything at your
lotus feet, which are my only goal. Your body is the second body of
Śrī Caitanya and you are my only shelter.” Hearing this Prabhu
Biracandra became pleased and smiling slightly said, “There is no
difference between you and me.”

Parameshvara Mallik came and worshiped Prabhu’s lotus feet and all
the members of the household, young and old, came to offer their
pranam at Prabhu’s feet. In turn, he placed his feet on everyone’s
heads saying, “May Nitai-Caitanya bless you.”

5. Biracandra and Nandan Ācārya

After bidding farewell to the local devotees, Biracandra mounted his
chariot and continued his preaching tour. The kirtan party went in
front of him and on Prabhu’s indication performed kirtan, singing
Nitai-Caitanya – “Oh my mind, please chant Nitai-Caitanya at least
once.” Hearing the kirtan, Prabhu smiled softly and Premananda das
danced wildly while loudly roaring ‘Nitai-Caitanya.’ On the way, the
party came to Nandan Acarya’s place. He made various arrangements
for worshiping Prabhu and spread a long carpet to welcome him.
When Prabhu came along performing kirtan, Nandan Acarya
worshipped him with sixteen puja items like incense, ghee lamp and

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flowers. The sound of kirtan arose outside his house and attracted
the village people. They congregated in two groups according to their
mood. Simultaneously, Prabhu manifested his aiśvarya bhāva for
some and his madhurya bhāva for others. Thus Biracandra stole their
hearts in an amazing way. All around people were chanting ‘Hari,
Hari” as if they were floating on waves of joy. Biracandra, being the
Supersoul, was there in their hearts and thus the form of bliss
(ananda svarupa) gave bliss to everyone. Whoever saw Prabhu, the
holy name spontaneously manifested on their tongues. Manifesting
his beautiful form he stole everyone’s hearts. Some said, “He is none
other than Narayan”, some said, “He is none other than Vrajendra
Nandana”, thus they all glorified him.

Eventually, Prabhu’s lotus feet took him inside and his dazzling
effulgence lit up the whole house. The happiness of Nandan Acarya’s
family members knew no bounds upon seeing Biracandra. Seeing his
beauty, which was equal to that of a million Cupids, their minds
became astonished and they fell to the ground to pay dandavats. The
holy name came spontaneously from their mouths and they glorified
Prabhu, “Our residence and this whole province has become greatly
blessed by having such a great personality come here. We have heard
that Bhagavan Himself appeared in the town of Nadia (Navadvip).
That same lord has re-appeared and has now come here to bless us.
Who can understand Bhagavan and His līlā in truth (svarupa tattva)?
Swearing by the name of Sarasvati (the goddess of knowledge) we
proclaim that no one knows this confidential tattva. Biracandra is
directly Gaura Himself.”

Meanwhile the Vaisnavas performed kirtan in the courtyard (of the

compound). Srinivas Acarya danced with his son and the devotees
danced along with the kirtan, singing and chanting ‘Hari, Hari!’ The
Naras chanted Prabhu’s name with pride, “Bir, Bir!” The kirtan went
on for a long time and finally Prabhu signalled to end the kirtan. After
the kirtan had ended, Nandan Acarya washed Prabhu’s feet and then,

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along with his family, drank the caranāmrita and sprinkled it on his
head. He repeatedly said, “Being very merciful, you have accepted
me as your servant. I have been blessed, I have been blessed.” Then
he arranged for the prasadam seva with his people. Prabhu was
pleased by his devotion. Nandan Acarya then welcomed all the
Vaisnavas with great respect and seated them comfortably. After
bathing and refreshing himself, Prabhu sat on a bedstead to do japa,
silently chanting on his beads. The brahmana cook began cooking and
in honour of the Acarya and his guest he cooked many preparations.
When the cooking was completed, the preparations were nicely
arranged on the offering plates with Tulasi leaves on each item.
Prabhu sat down to eat the bhoga offering and then cleansed his
hands and mouth with scented water. Then Gati picked up the maha-
prasad (Prabhu’s remnants) and distributed it among the Vaisnavas.

When Nandan Acarya received the maha-prasad along with his

family, he floated in bliss and said, “I have been blessed! Today Sri
Krishna Caitanya has become pleased with me. Today the result of
serving the Vaisnavas has yielded its fruit. When anyone faithfully
serves the Vaisnavas, such results manifest. Being please, Krishna
showers His mercy on them. This, without a doubt, is the result of
Vaisnava seva. Making such a person His own, Krishna makes him
one of His associates. Thus one’s individual bhāva becomes easily
perfected and one realizes his svarupa and seva in the nitya-līlā. As a
consequence of serving the Vaisnavas, all of one’s innermost
aspirations come true.” Proclaiming the glories of the Vaisnavas and
Vaisnava seva, he was floating on waves of bliss in the ocean of
prema. Later on, after prasadam seva was finished and everyone
honoured prasadam to their full satisfaction, Prabhu began a sweet
kirtan that went on late into the night.

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 6. Biracandra and King Birhambhir
King Birhambhir47 was the ruler of that province. For managing
government affairs, the king sat in his court assembly. There he
heard his subjects discussing the glories of Prabhu Biracandra. The
king said, “Hearing about him, my mind has become anxious to have
his darshan. He may not grant me his darshan and not accept me
because I am a materialist sense- enjoyer and he is a saintly
personality. However, Nityananda delivers all the fallen souls just as
the Sun shines everywhere without discrimination. Therefore
tomorrow I will offer my prayer to Thakurji to help me get Biracandra
Prabhu’s darshan.” While sharing his anxiety in this way with his
courtiers, the sweet sound of the kirtan wafted into the king’s
assembly. I do not know what sweetness was in that kirtan, but that
nectarean sound entered the king’s ears and acted like a
bewitchingly attractive mantra, irresistibly drawing him. Just as in
Vraja līlā Krishna attracted the gopis, enchanting them with His flute
song, now Biracandra by his kirtan of the holy name enchanted the
hearts of all jivas. Like a mad person the king stormed out of the
assembly, being overtaken by prema. Tears were gushing from his
eyes and ‘Krisna Krishna’ was coming from his mouth. The king
rushed to Nandan Acarya’s house and was astonished to see
Biracandra surrounded by the assembly of jewel-like devotees. The
place was effulgent with supernatural light. Rows of ghee lamps were
burning on all sides and their reflections were shining on Prabhu’s
beautiful body. His head was covered by a delicate thin chaddar and
the tussles of his long curly hair reached down his back. Precious

47
Birhambhir was a notorious dacoit and he stole the Goswamis’ granthas.
Then Śrīnivas Acarya converted him to Vaisnavism and recovered the books.
He constructed the original Dameśvar Mahaprabhu’s temple (it’s in the
present temple on the right) and set a floor stone bearing his name in the
entrance so that everyone stepping in would grace him with their footdust.

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elephant-pearls swung on his ears. His big lotus eyes seemed to
almost touch his ears. His nose was the shape of a sesame flower and
his lips were the shape of bow flower. His reddish bodily complexion
was like that of the morning sun (aruna – saffron colour, the colour
of anurāga). His arms extended to his knees and his limbs were
perfectly shaped. The king said in his mind, “His beautiful form makes
me forget Cupid. His amazingly graceful dancing movements attract
hosts of angels (demigods) who repeatedly bow to his lotus feet.
Sometimes he laughs uproariously and sometimes he becomes
completely still. Streams of tears are gushing from his eyes like a
waterfall, soaking the entire kirtan assembly.” The king saw the
Acarya fanning Prabhu and it seemed as if that white chamara was
engulfed by the bright effulgence his body. The devotees were
dancing in kirtan and some were repeatedly falling to the ground.
Thus Biracandra seemed to blissfully swim in the ocean of kirtan rasa.
The king was overwhelmed by bhāva and his servants couldn’t stop
him as he fell down, rolling in ecstasy on the floor. Slowly the
servants raised him up and brought him back to external
consciousness. Then Nandan Acarya offered the king at Prabhu’s
lotus feet and informed him of the king’s identity. Hearing this, the
saviour of the fallen became filled with compassion. He let the king
touch his feet and then embraced him. As soon as Birhambhir was
touched by Prabhu, he became restless again. Thus Birhambhir
became the recipient of Prabhu’s full mercy. The assembled devotees
chanted ‘Hari Hari’ and floated on waves of bliss. These are the
transcendental pastimes of Biracandra Raya. Who would know about
it if it is not told (written down)?

The kirtan came to an end late at night and the news of this blissful
kirtan festival quickly spread throughout the province. Feeling
blessed and blissed-out, the king returned to his palace. At the end of
the night he saw Prabhu in a dream, “Wearing the same dress and
accompanied by his associates performing the same kirtan and

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dancing, Prabhu came in front of me and smilingly said, ‘Seeing your
devotion, I have become pleased with and I have come to your
province to give you my mercy. I wish to stay at your palace.’ Then he
manifested various forms. First I saw him in the form of a sannyasi,
holding a danda and a begging bowl. His form was non-different from
Lord Caitanya’s. He was smiling slightly and the Hare Krishna maha-
mantra was coming out of his mouth. Seeing this, I became
astonished. Then he manifested the form of Balaram having a light
whitish green complexion, holding the plough and the mace. Then he
manifested the form of Krishna holding the flute to his lips. Looking
at me he smilingly said, ‘Oh king, do you now realize who I am?”
Saying this Prabhu disappeared. My sleep was broken and the night
yielded to daylight. I looked around but couldn’t see anyone there. As
I reflected on the dream, I became doubtful and thought, ‘What have
I seen? What have I seen?”’

After completing his morning ablutions the king anxiously hurried to

see Nandan Acarya in the hope of clearing his doubts. The king was
overjoyed with love and his body manifested sattvic symptoms such
as hair standing on end. The Acarya was surprised to see this and
said, “Please tell me exactly what you have seen and what
happened.” With tears of joy the king recounted his dream in detail.
Hearing this, the Acarya told the king, “He is none other than
Caitanya, the merciful Biracandra. To show you mercy he appeared
here. He is indeed Caitanya Gośai the hidden avatar. Being merciful
to all living entities he spreads compassion and bestows Krishna
prema on everyone. Unlimited are the glories of our Caitanya Gosai.
Such merciful lord will never come again.” Hearing the Acarya
glorifying Sri Caitanya in this way, the king felt a wave of love and
uttered, “hā Gaura, hā Gaura.” The two cried and embraced each
other’s necks, crying “hā Krishna Caitanya.” After a long time of
chanting “Krishna Krishna” the two calmed down and embraced
again. The Acarya said, “Oh king, you have been blessed. You are

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greatly fortunate to have Prabhu show you so much mercy.” The king
replied, “But how did I attain Prabhu’s darshan? It was you who
arranged it. You are the one who requested Prabhu’s associates to
intercede on my behalf. Then they approached Prabhu and told him
of my eagerness for darshan. Then Prabhu smilingly said, ‘Caitanya
Gosai has given him His mercy. The wish of the king will be fulfilled.
The kind Caitanya Gosai will certainly bless him.’ These
compassionate words of Prabhu came to me and I heard it with a
happy heart.”

Some of the visiting devotees then took leave after having paid
obeisances at Prabhu’s feet. Biracandra remained absorbed in
discussing various scriptural topics in the company of his associates
and king Birhambhir. Waking up one morning, Prabhu went for a
walk in the forest. While wondering about he came across a pleasant,
secluded place by the water, and became enchanted by its beauty.
Restlessly he looked around and saw there was a forest bower
nearby. The flowers were welcoming him with their fragrance and
the trees bowed down with fruits. Cuckoos were cooing and
bumblebees were buzzing and collecting nectar. The peacocks and
peahens were dancing, making a ‘ke kā’ sound. Across the river a
cowherd boy was bringing the cows to the water while plying his
flute. This scene stimulated a wave of prema in Prabhu’s heart and
uttering “Krishna Krishna” he swooned and fell unconscious under a
tree.

Hearing this news, the Vaisnavas ran anxiously to that spot. They
held Prabhu trying to revive him and then circumambulated him
while performing a sweet kirtan in an effort to bring him back to
external consciousness. Hearing about it, the king hurried there and
was astonished to see the ecstatic symptoms of Prabhu. Biracandra’s
eyes were closed and his cheeks were flooded with tears of love
(premāśru). His Palasha-like skin was horripilating. His body was
elongated and his joints were disjointed. Everybody saw on Prabhu’s

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soles the marks of the flag, thunder and elephant goad. The great
devotee-king was a knowledgeable pandit and he saw all the
symptoms of Bhagavan in Prabhu.

After a long time Biracandra came back to his external consciousness.

Placing a light caddar around his neck as a sign of humility, the king
sat at Prabhu’s lotus feet and said, “Please save me, Prabhu. Please
place your lotus feet in my palace. Only then will my wish be
fulfilled.” Prabhu was already favourable towards the king and he
started walking to Birhambhir’s place. Seeing many temples in the
grounds of the palace, he became very pleased. He entered the
palace and the king made him sit on a pleasant and beautiful throne.
Holding Prabhu’s feet, the king bathed them himself and then dried
them gently with a light cloth. He then drank the caranāmrita feeling
blessed. As soon as he drank the caranāmrita, he started floating in
bhāva. Tears rained from his eyes and he started shaking as he felt a
thrill in his entire body. Seeing the king’s devotion, the great lord
became pleased.

With great joy the king served the lord in many ways. He then offered
a supplication saying, “Oh great lord Biracandra. By your causeless
mercy you have come to my home to save me. Now your fame as
saviour of the fallen will be proclaimed throughout the entire
universe. You are indeed none other than Krishna Caitanya himself.
Delivering the jivas is your amusement pastime. You are performing
this hidden pastime but if you do not make it known to us, who could
tell tell us about it? Jaya Jaya Sri Krishna Caitanya Biracandra! Making
me the servant of your lotus feet, please deliver me from this worldly
entanglement.” In this way the king glorified Prabhu for a long time
and none could stop him. Looking at the king, Prabhu Biracandra
smiled and said, “Oh king, you are very fortunate. You are indeed my
servant – there is no doubt about it. However, you should not reveal
my identity but keep it in your heart. This is my order.” Folding his
hands the king said, “As you order.” Then Prabhu placed his lotus feet

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on the king’s head. Thus the king attained that prasad footdust which
is rarely attained even by lord Brahma. The king kept the reddish
lotus feet of Prabhu in his heart of hearts. He served Prabhu daily in
ever new ways and always felt great attachment for the lord. Daily
Prabhu would take darshan of the king’s deity in the temple and this
made him happy at heart.

In the vast palace grounds, the king organized a great festival. The
kirtan went on day and night (akanda kirtan) and the Vaisnavas
danced constantly. At night-time Prabhu would come and lead the
kirtan. His chanting and dancing was sweet beyond compare. He
loudly sang Krishna’s name, the maha-mantra. His chanting delivered
all jivas. Anyone in whose ears this sound entered, whether moving
or non-moving, was delivered from the bondage of maya. In this way,
Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtan manifested once again. All glories to
Mahaprabhu Sri Krishna Caitanya by whose mercy all living beings
became blessed. Reviving the yuga-dharma of Harinam Sankirtan,
Biracandra blessed the whole country by performing it himself.

Practicing what he preached, Prabhu taught the world, “Sing

Krishna’s name, dance and chant Harinam. By doing so, you will
easily cross the samsara ocean of material existence. Even with wife,
children, relatives and friends – whatever material position and
circumstances you find yourself in – cultivate the desire for Krishna’s
lotus feet and become a servant of Krishna. Whether you happened
to be a householder or a renunciant, Harinam Sankirtan is the
essence of dharma. There is no other dharma in Kali-yuga except
Harinam Sankirtan.”

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva keva am

ka au nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
Bṛhan-Nāradīya-Purāṇa 38.126/CC Ādi 17.21

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“In this Kali-yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of
deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other
way, no other way, no other way.”

“The main dharma of householders is to perform Krishna Sankirtan

and serve their guests. They should be detached from mundane
subjects and control their senses by taking Krishna’s name. To be
householder devotees (grihastha ashram) is very easy but to be a
renunciant in Kali-yuga is very difficult. Śāstra declares that the
sannyasa ashram is forbidden in Kali-yuga. Those in the renounced
order should never discuss mundane topics and should never
associate closely with materialistic people. In fact, they can beg alms
at the doorstep of householders, but should never step inside.
Therefore, Oh renunciants, be very careful and diligent about this.
Conversely, if one remains in family life, developing detachment by
always lovingly taking Krishna’s name and cultivates his love for
Krishna by serving Guru, Krishna and Vaisnavas – he can easily cross
over material existence and attain Krishna prema. Without faith, this
human life is worthless. Without Krishna the world has no
destination and no shelter.”

Thus Biracandra propagated Sanatan-dharma throughout the world.

By imbibing Prabhu’s instructions, everyone, including wives and
children, young and old, became happy. Prabhu then instructed Sri
Birhambhir, “let all your subjects accept this dharma.”

Taking Prabhu’s instructions to heart the king issued an order making

Krishna Sankirtan mandatory for all his subjects. Previously, in
Hastināpura, king Yudhiṣthira, upon hearing the words of Vyasadeva,
made his subjects chant Krishna’s name and now in Van Viṣnupura,
Birhambhir decreed the same. In the same way that Nitai-Caitanya
previously induced people to accept the holy name, now Prabhu
Biracandra re-enacted the same pastime. Taking his associates along,
he delivered the jivas by constantly singing Krishna’s names.

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The King always stayed close to the lord of his heart and his mind was
always absorbed in thinking about him. King Birhambhir said, “Oh
lord, I will never give up your company. If you leave this place, I will
give up my life.” Consequently, because everyone in this kingdom
experienced constant loving joy, this abode of Viṣnu became known
as the ‘hidden Vrindavan’ and lost its earlier name Viṣnupur. Prabhu
said to the king, “I am happy to stay here where kirtan and dancing
are constantly taking place. Many sadhus will come here and this
place will never experience poverty or any such problems. I will
distribute love by the power of bhakti. Real happiness comes from
sharing love and the essence of bhakti is divine love. However, if
anyone does not have faith in the divine feet of Sri Nityananda, they
will lose everything.” Having heard this blessing, the king considered
himself supremely blessed. Putting a piece of cloth around his neck
as a sign of humility, the king fell prostrating at Prabhu’s feet and
soaked them with his tears of joy.

Such a merciful incarnation as Biracandra will never manifest again in

this Kali-yuga. Why would anyone give up such a lord to worship any
other? Let such persons perish. Just by getting Biracandra’s darshan,
one becomes absorbed in an ocean of happiness. May my mind
always dwell at his lotus feet. If anyone remains faithless after
hearing Biracandra’s nectarean pastimes, they knowingly choose to
drink poison.

Thus in the blissful land of Van Viṣnupura, Biracandra constantly

relished the rasa of Sri Harinam Sankirtan. Desiring the feet of Prabhu
Biracandra, Vrindavan das narrates this Vamśa Vistar.

Thus ends the 9th chapter, Antya-līlā, of Nityananda Vamśa Vistar,

‘The Nectarean Pastimes of Sri Biracandra’

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150
 Madhya-līlā - Chapter ten

Śrī Biracandra’s Pilgrimage to Śrī Vrindavan

jaya jaya śrī k ṣṇa caitanya doyā moya

jaya nityānanda vīracandra jaya jaya
All glories to the all-compassionate Sri Krishna Caitanya!
All glories to Nityananda, All glories to Biracandra!

Preamble
“O brother, please sing the glories of Śrī Nitai - Caitanya!
By chanting Their glories you will see that They bring peace and
tranquillity to your life.
Hari! Hari! Will I ever again get such birth in Śrī Gauranga’s pastimes?
Despite being completely unqualified, will I see Śrī Gaura avatar in
Nadia with my very own eyes?”
He manifested the hidden treasure of Goloka, Śrī Harinam
Sankirtan,48 in every household.
All the people of the world received it and became wealthy with
prema. Only I, being unfortunate, have failed to get it.
Vrindavan Das says, “I constantly relish the desire to sing the glories
of Śrī Nitai – Caitanya.
Let the names of Nitai - Caitanya constantly awaken in my heart.
I desire nothing else except for this.”
“All glories to Sri Krishna Caitanya, all glories to the abode of rasa.
All glories to the names of Śrī Nityananda and Śrī Biracandra.
They filled Gauḍadesh with the joy of love.”

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Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings: golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-
saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy – “The treasure of divine love in Goloka
Vṛndāvana has descended as the congregational chanting of Lord Hari's holy
names. Why did my attraction for that chanting never come about?”

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 1. Biracandra becomes absorbed in Rādhā bhāva

Now Biracandra had the desire to go on pilgrimage to Vrindavan.

He bade farewell to all his dear devotees and ordered them to go
back to Khardha. Receiving Prabhu’s order, his intimate associates
such as Ramai Thakur, Sundarananda, and others left. Five or six
devotees remained with Prabhu, refusing to leave. They said, “We
will go with Prabhu wherever he goes.” But Prabhu told them,
“Please obey what I say. Go back to your homes and always chant
Krishna’s names.”
Prabhu wished to travel alone through the Jharikhanda forest path.
In the morning, after Harinam Sankirtan was performed, he set off.
He is himself the self-willing lord, so who could say anything against
his order?
On his way he arrived at the gate of a temple.
It was a very pleasant place, filled with sweet fragrance.
As the fragrance entered his nostrils Prabhu became filled with love.
With great haste he entered the temple compound.
Looking restlessly about, he became almost mad.
The priest of the temple, having become concerned,
Opened the doors of the altar to let Prabhu have darshan of Thakurji.
Having taken darshan Prabhu became restless.
His entire body erupted with goose-pimples and tears rolled down
from his eyes.
Prabhu asked, “By what name is the deity known?”
The priest replied “By the name Sri Madan-mohan.”
As soon as he heard this, he became filled with deep love
Being absorbed in thoughts of Srimati Radharani
He assumed Her golden-complexion.
This Biracandra-Gaura appeared as an avatar in Navadvipa,
Taking on a self-concealing complexion.
Internally he is Krishna but externally he is Radha.
Internally he is full of rasa and of black complexion.

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Externally he took the golden complexion of his beloved which was
full of effulgence.
For this reason Gauranga is called Rasa-rāj, the king of rasa.
Externally he was covered with the features of Rāseśvarī - the queen
of rasa.
Therefore the combined form of Radha and Krishna is Gaura
Bhagavan.
It has been stated In the Vedas that Radha and Krishna are one soul.
With great effort, Prabhu Biracandra controlled his Radha’s bhava.
He took darshan of the beautiful deity with unblinking eyes.
Prabhu said, “In Vrindavan Krishna stands in a beautiful threefold-
bending posture.
How is it that He is even more beautiful here?”
The priest replied, “Previously the deity used to be in a three-fold
bending posture.
But when Abhiram prostrated in front of it, it became more bent.”
Hearing this Prabhu told him, “Krishna knows how to increase the
glory of His devotee. Abhiram Gopal is greatly glorious.”

2. Nityananda meets Śrīdam in Vraja

While everyone gathered around him, Biracandra told them this

tattva katha.
“When Prabhu Nityananda became a mendicant again,
He went to the land of Vrindavan, being anxious to meet Krishna.
Not seeing Krishna anywhere, he became very anxious.
He called out loudly “O brother Sridam!”
Then one personality came out from Govardhan hill.
Blowing his horn and playing his flute he came and met Nitai Prabhu.
His bodily complexion was bright golden and his dress was that of an
expert dancer.
Wearing winter outfit and holding a stick in his hand he was
immersed in Krishna prema.

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He asked Nityananda Prabhu, “Which great personality are you?
Why indeed have you called me? I cannot recognize you because
your complexion has changed.
I thought elder brother (Dauji bhaiya) has called me and hearing that
call I came out. Please tell me clearly who you are.”
When he was thus questioned by Sridam bhai,
Prabhu revealed his identity as Balaram.
Sridam was surprised and said, “Where is your horn and your crown?
You have left your gallantry becoming a mendicant you have come
here desiring to see the beautiful, enchanting flute in Kanai’s hand?
By the sound of His flute all the cows are controlled.
The cows would wander faraway in the forest being greedy for grass.
Then you used to call them back to their groups by playing your flute.
Why have you hidden your white complexion? How come you now
appear to have a reddish complexion?
My mind cannot recognize you as Dauji bhaiya, ‘brother Balaram.’
After clapping my hands I will now run towards the Yamuna.
Let’s see if you can catch me, then only will I recognize you as Dauji.”
Saying this he clapped in his hands and dashed away calling, “Catch
me if you can.”
Before he could run even ten feet, Prabhu caught him.
Saying, “O my brother!” he placed his hand on Sridam’s neck
Holding a mace in his other hand he became white-complexioned.
Then Nityananda Ram said, “Now Kali-yuga has come, but
You who belong to the cowherd community remained asleep.”
He then pulled him with his plough to reduce his stature to a Kali-
yuga size.
Then he told him ‘খবক হও’ (?) “Now your name is Abhiram Gopal and
you remain my eternal associate in this present time of Gaura-līlā.”
It was the same pure sakhya-bhava just like in Krishna-līlā.
Therefore Sridam’s name became ‘Abhiram Gopal.’
Smiling Sridam said “Please hear, Oh brother!
Where is Kanai who is dearer than life to you?

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Without Him I cannot live for even for moment.
Leaving our beloved Krishna, what are you doing here?
We know that you two brothers are one soul.
Having left Him how come you wander here all alone?”
With a smile Nityananda-Ram replied “He went to Gauḍadesh.
There he appeared with all His eternal associates in a different form.
There is a village named Navadvipa on the bank of the Jahnavi River.
By performing Sankirtan-yajña he delivered all conditioned souls.”

Thus Biracandra spoke this nectarean katha.

Hearing his words the Vaiṣnavas became joyful.
Biracandra Prabhu said “I have heard this līlā from Uddharan Datta
Who was with Nityananda Prabhu during his pilgrimage of Vrindavan.
All the Vaiṣnavas exclaimed, ‘Hari! Hari!’
Hearing their response, Prabhu Biracandra became very happy
After circumambulating the temple Biracandra Gośai
Took rest at the house of some fortunate soul.

3. Delivering the jivas in the Jharikhanda forest

In the morning Prabhu started his journey through Jharikhanda forest

There he transformed many kinds of people to Vaisnavism
Thieves, robbers, cheaters and murderers
By Prabhu’s mercy they all became devotees
Giving up envy and hatred they all took up the chanting of Krishna’s
holy name.
Such miracles could happen only by the mercy of Prabhu Biracandra.
Such an avatar has never been known before and will not come in
the future.
Gauracandra, Nityananda and Biracandra
Jharikhanda has been blessed by the merciful glance of these Lords
The residents of this place never worship any other Lords
Chanting ‘Radha-Krishna, Nityananda, Bira, Chaitanya’

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They all perform Sankirtan in loving madness.
Earlier when Gauracandra went to Vrindavan
He delivered many but some still remained bereft
Chanting ‘Krishna Krishna’ he went through that path
But being lost in loving trance he forgot to tread many places
Biracandra Mahaprabhu being merciful to the living entities
Gradually went through the whole of Jharikhanda delivering all jivas
He went through the deep forest which was full of fruits and flowers
There the bumblebees were intoxicated by drinking honey
The cuckoos and the peacocks sang and danced in various ways
Nectar droplets wafted in the mild breeze
Groups of deer and does wandered through the forest being
absorbed in play.
The chief of the elephants roamed with the she-elephants.
The peaks of the mountains were beautifully adorned by clouds.
In this way the bees, the birds, and the animals sported in the forest
Tigers, bears, and rhinos gathered together side by side
Seeing this, a profound joy came over Biracandra Prabhu
Calling, “Please come, please come!” he invited them all
And told them “All of you together chant, ‘Krishna, Krishna’
Hearing Prabhu’s words they became overwhelmed with love
Hearing Prabhu’s words they looked mesmerized at Prabhu’s face
Filling their mouths with the holy name they all uttered ‘Krishna,
Krishna, Krishna!’
The beasts became free of envy and hostility towards each other
And they all happily chanted ‘Krishna, Krishna!’
Perching in the trees the birds chanted sweetly
“Krishna, Krishna, Hari, Hari, Govinda, Gopala.”
Hearing this Prabhu Biracandra became very happy
In this manner he attracted the birds and the beasts
Dwelling in their hearts, Biracandra, the indwelling Supersoul
Transformed their hearts and their minds yielded to his desire
Hearing Krishna’s name chanted by the birds and the beasts

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Prabhu Biracandra floated in the happiness of Krishna prema.
Just as when Radha and Krishna sport in the Vrindavan forest
The birds and the beasts, witnessing Their loving pastimes
And being filled with love, chant the names of the Divine Couple
In the same manner, Biracandra, being absorbed in prema
contemplated in his heart the pastimes of Radha and Krishna.
Seeing the beauty of the forest Prabhu floated in bliss
In this way Prabhu sported mysteriously in the Jharikhanda forest.
Seeing the beauty of the forest, Prabhu became happy at heart.
Seeing this amazing scene, the accompanying Vaisnavas,
Considered this to be a wondrous pastime of Prabhu.
When he entered the dense forest Prabhu felt great joy in his heart
Saying, “This is Vrindavan,” he floated in waves of prema
He cried uttering, “Alas! Alas! O moon of Vrindavan (Krishna)”
He said, “Even an iota of the happiness I have felt in this forest
Does not exist there in the realm of Vaikuntha.”
and
4. The Story of Delivering Śiva and the King of Kāśī

Travelling gradually in this manner he came to the holy place of Gaya.

Seeing the lotus feet of the Viṣnu deity he said “My eyes are satiated”
All his associates took rest in the abode of Viṣnu
This was a place equal to Vaikuntha in opulence
Prabhu visited all the pastime places of Viṣnu
He honoured the local brahmanas with great care
Satisfying them with gifts and many jewels.
Moving further on, he arrived at Kaśipur
Saying “This is the abode of Liberation”
He took darshan of the deity of Viśveśvara (Śiva)
Then having taken rest he bathed and accepted a drink.
Prabhu then narrated the story of Mahesh to his companions
“Previously in this abode of Kāśī dwelled Śankar Śiva
Being pleased by the king of Kāśī he gave him a boon

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The king asked for a boon saying “I shall defeat Viṣnu”
The forgetful Bholanath responded, “Let it be so.”
Having received this boon the deluded king went to Dvaraka
There he engaged in a battle against Krishna and was defeated.
This unfortunate king returned to Kāśī and came to the place of Śiva
Coming back the king recounted the story of his defeat.
Having heard this, Rudra became like the fire of annihilation.
By the influence of the mode of ignorance
He considered Bhagavan to be insignificant.
Riding his bull, holding his trident in one hand and wine in the other
Śiva rushed to Dvaraka along with Kartikeya, Ganesh, Ghosts,
Goblins, Yakśas, Rakśaśas and a host of demons.
The king of Kāśī went in front of Śiva’s army with great pride
He came again to Krishna’s city of Dvaraka
Hearing this, the King of the Yadus became filled with anger
He came out holding his Sudarśan Chakra weapon
First He cut off the head of the king of Kāśī
Then He sent the Chakra towards Śiva
The Chakra stayed at a distance of sixteen hands from Śiva’s head
Out of his arrogance, Śankar failed to recognize the Lord
In anger he released his pāśupata weapon
Seeing the false pride of Śiva, Krishna smiled softly
He then ordered His Sudarśan Chakra
“Go and defeat the pāśupata in Kāśīpur
Burn the city of Kāśī to ashes by your own power
Making Śiva fearful you should chase him
Today you shall make him very busy with fear.”
“Your wish is my command” said the Chakra
And rushed with great speed towards Śiva
Being scared, Rudra fled in a hurry
The Chakra burned Kāśīpur to ashes and then chased Śiva
Out of fear of the Chakra Śiva wandered throughout the three worlds
Śiva said, “Who can stop this Chakra and take it back to its place?

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Except for Krishna there is no one else who can stop it!”
He once again arrived in Dvaraka, this time devoid of pride
As soon as he entered the Dham, his mode of ignorance went away
He fell at the lotus feet of Krishna begging forgiveness
Seeing Śiva in this humble mood Krishna smiled softly
Mahadev offered Him prayers of supplication being absorbed in love
“You made me crazy by giving me the mode of ignorance
Only by your empowerment can I carry out all my actions
By myself I do not know what is dharma or adharma
I have no more use of such misguided actions
Please, O Gośai, take back your Chakra weapon
I have no use of the mode of ignorance anymore
I will only dwell in pure mode of goodness from now on
Being detached I will worship Your lotus feet.”
Saying this he offered his prostrated obeisances to Krishna.
Krishna raised him up by holding his hands
Being pleased with his regretful mood He said,
“O Bholanath (lord of forgetfulness), you should never be forgetful
like this ever again.”
Śiva replied, “You have burned my abode of Kāśī
From now on I shall stay in one of Your own abodes.”
Krishna said, “Of all the eternal abodes I have
Hear, Oh Śiva, I shall give you a special place in one of them
The forest of Ekāmra-kānana is a pleasant place
There you will become the lord of a billion phalluses
Within that place I have an area which is greatly hidden
I grant you that place to be your dwelling place
Nobody knows the significance of that area
On the bank the Sindhu under a banyan tree is the abode of Nilachala
Puruṣottama Kṣetra is a very pleasant place
When the time of the universal annihilation comes
Even then that place remains unaffected
In that place I reside eternally and every day I eat there

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By the impact of that place on the surrounding area
All the animals, birds and insects live happily
The four-armed demigods come to take darshan of its residents
This place which has been called the auspicious place for death
By sleeping there the result of samadhi can be attained
By lying there one can get the result of obeisances, say the Vedas
Just by wandering there one gets the result of circumambulation
Any words spoken there become My glorification
The effect of such a holy place is very purifying
Even if one eats fish there he can get the result of haviṣya
That place is in my own name, so it is very dear to Me
Those who dwell there are all equal to Me
Death does not have jurisdiction in that place
I personally judge everyone’s good or bad actions there.
On the north side of that abode of mine
I give you your place of residence
That place grants bhukti (material enjoyment), mukti and is pleasant
It is famous as Sri Bhubaneśvar and is a manifestation of Kāśī
Being of many forms you shall indeed reside there.”
Hearing the glories of that wondrous abode
And once again holding on to Krishna’s lotus feet Śiva replied,
“O Lord of my life, please hear my petition,
I am a very proud and arrogant person
So if I leave You and live at a different place
It will not be any good for me
My mind wishes to stay near you
Else, by bad association I may go astray again
If you consider me Your servant
Then please allot me a place in Your abode
Hearing the glories of Your abode from Your lotus mouth
Increased my eagerness and I greatly desire to live there
Being an insignificant jiva, I will serve you there, O lord
Please grant me a humble place there, O lord

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To live in that holy place my mind hankers greatly.”
Speaking thus Maheśvar started crying
The beautiful moon-like faced Krishna became pleased by Śiva words
Embracing him he replied,
“Listen, O Śiva, you are like my own body
One who is dear to you is also dear to Me
Wherever you are I am always there, without exception
I have given you a place in all the holy places
You will be the guardian of all my holy places
I grant you this boon to reside and protect all My abodes.
I give you the Ekāmra-kānana forest
You shall live there with a satisfied heart
That place is most dear to Me
For my pleasure you shall live there always
One who in spite of being my devotee does not respect you,
Only makes a disturbance to Me.”
Hearing this Śiva being happy
And started living in Bhubaneśvar, making his dwelling there.”
Having heard this, the Vaiṣnavas with joyful minds
Continued to discuss this inconceivable pastime of Bhagavan.
Then Biracandra Prabhu resumed his journey and arrived in Prayag.
Seeing the deity of Veni Madhav his heart became filled with love
Staying there for three days he performed kirtan and dancing
Seeing this, the residents of Prayag became astonished.

8. Biracandra in Vraja Bhāva

Gradually, Biracandra arrived in the land of Vrindavan

As soon as he saw it he got into a loving trance
He offered dandavat pranams and glorifications
To the land of Vrindavan and all its inhabitants
“All glories to Vrindavan and all its animate and inanimate residents
You all are dear to Krishna, you are like His body

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All glories to you, O Vrinda devi, your glories are unlimited
Let Krishna mercifully accept me
Glory to you, O Vrinda devi, I prostrate at your feet
Please make me a sahacari (girlfriend) of Radha and Ananga Manjari
All glories to you, O Baladeva, the moon of Vrindavan
Making me your own please relieve me of worldly entanglement.”
Praying thus Biracandra went on lamenting “Hā Krishna Govinda.”
Being the universal Śikṣā guru, he thus taught everyone by example
By himself acting properly as a devotee and showing perfect sādācar
He propagated Bhakti in the entire world.

Hearing that Prabhu had come, the Vaiṣnavas of Vraja

Came following each other to take his darshan
The temple there became filled with a joyful tumult
The Gośai who was the lord of Gauḍadesh came to this place
And the Gauḍiya Vaiṣnavas continued their kirtan
Having taken Prabhu’s darshan their festive enthusiasm increased
Seeing the beauty of Prabhu, all the Vaiṣnavas concluded
“This is that same son of Saci –Sacinandana Gaurahari.”
The Vaiṣnavas fell to the ground to pay dandavats
Placing his hand on their heads Prabhu raised them all up
Prabhu told them “You all perform Krishna-Sankirtan.”
All the Vaiṣnavas then started to sing in kirtan.
Walking, Prabhu came to the gate of the temple
The smell of Krishna’s body wafted and entered his nose
Being overwhelmed by the ecstatic condition called udghūrnā
(unsteadiness) he swooned and fell to the ground
Circumambulating him the Vaiṣnavas performed kirtan
After a long time he came back to external consciousness
And went in to take darshan of the deity of Govindadev
He looked at the lotus feet of the deity with unblinking eyes
Seeing it, he became immersed in the joy of his own realization
Taking darshan of the deity of Govinda from head to toe

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He kept staring at the lotus face of the deity
Again seeing the deity of Madan-mohan
He remained almost stupefied looking at the chest of the deity
Seeing Sri Jahnava on the left side of the Gopinath deity
He fell unconscious to the floor
With eyes turned upwards he breathed heavily
Gradually his body became very thin and elongated
In this way he remained in trance for three praharas (9 hours)
His body showed hundreds upon hundreds of ecstatic emotions
Surrounding him, the devotees performed nāma-sankirtan loudly
Prabhu lamented calling out “Oh Sri Jahnava! Oh Gopinath!”
“Alas! Alas! Jahnava, Gopinath! Oh lords of my life
Please bestow your merciful glance upon this low class sinner.”
In this way, after a long time, Hari came to his external consciousness
Then controlling himself Prabhu reunited with the Vaiṣnavas

9. Biracandra and Jiva Goswami

(Biracandra’s instructions to Śrīla Jiva Goswami on Bhakti Tattva - The

Spiritual Truths of Pure Devotional Love)

All the Vaiṣnavas came and sat around in the temple

Sanatan Goswami’s nephew Sri Jiva (Goswami)
Came with folded hands and paid his dandavats pranam
Prabhu asked, “Who is this person?”
The chief pujari, Haridas, revealed Jiva’s identity
Hearing this, Prabhu was overjoyed and blessed him profusely
He started to glorify the good qualities of Rupa and Sanatana
“This is the incomparable mercy of Rupa and Sanatana
That by bhakti-rasa your beautiful form became manifest
I have heard that you are such a grave pandit, please make me
fortunate and speak something to give my mind pleasure.”
Jiva replied “Everything is the mercy of your lotus feet

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Please bless this dumb person so that I can speak harikatha.”
Then he quoted the śloka,
mūkhaṁ karoti vācā aṁ, pa guṁ a ghayate girim
yat k pā tam ahaṁ vande, paramānanda-mādhavam
Cc Madhya 17.80
“I worship Mādhava, the embodiment of paramānanda, whose
mercy turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables the lame
to cross mountains.”

In this manner Jiva Gosvami in front of Prabhu

Immersed in prema he explained Krishna-bhakti
Hearing his katha Biracandra became very pleased
Being filled with overwhelming love he embraced Jiva
“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must have bestowed His mercy upon you
Such mystical realizations are not possible without His mercy
Prabhu bestowed great mercy on your sanga
I have heard that you had seen him directly earlier.”
Jiva replied “You are Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself
You have come here just to purify me and give me your mercy
Who has the power to understand your mysterious pastimes?
You have manifested yourself again to preserve the path of bhakti
This hidden avatar of yours has appeared to deliver the jivas
Even the likes of Aja (Śiva) and Bhava (Brahma) cannot know this
How can the Vedas know about the actions of the self-willing Lord
Your pastimes are inconceivable, rare to be found in the Vedas
Only to those you choose to reveal yourself, it becomes manifest
Your appearance as this avatar is very confidential
To those you yourself tell, only they can know your tattva.”
In this manner he discussed with Jiva the nectarean topics of Krishna
Being absorbed in love they both glorified each other
Who can narrate this discussion between the lord and his servant?
Without bhakti none can recognize Krishna and His manifestations.

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In this manner they discussed Krishna-katha at length
Being wary of expanding the book too much,
I refrain from describing these discussions here
To distribute prema, Biracandra avatar
Taught the jivas the essential tattva of prema-bhakti
He told Jiva Gosvami “Prema-bhakti is the essence.”
Hearing that Jiva Gośai drowned in prema-rasa
The lord and the servant holding each other’s necks
Uttering ‘Hā Krishna!’ they both rolled on the ground
Just as previously in Kāśīpur the son of Saci, Gaurahari
Taught Sanatan Goswami the tattva of bhakti
In the same manner now Prabhu taught bhakti-tattva and the glories
of bhakti which is the essence of all conclusions to Jiva Gośai.
He showered abundant mercy on Jiva Goswami.

7. Biracandra in the Mood of Mahaprabhu in Vraja

At that time the chief pujari Gośai das came there

Coming there he paid dandavats at Prabhu’s feet
Folding his hands in supplication, he pleaded with him
“This is my request, please come to the temple
Evening has arrived and it is time for arati.”
Prabhu became glad and uttering ‘Gauranga’
He went and entered the temple
Arranging a five-flame ghee lamp on the arati tray
The priest gave it in Prabhu’s hands
In an absorbed manner Prabhu performed arati
He offered incense, ghee lamp, conch-water, kapra (cloth) etc.
In the temple courtyard Prabhu then started a joyful kirtan
Hearing his rasika kirtan, the Vrajavasis became mad
The priest then brought over the arati tray
And started performing arati of Prabhu waving the light offerings
“What are you doing? What are you doing?” Prabhu asked the priest

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The priest replied, “I am but your instrument
Independently none has the power to do anything,
Whatever you, O lord, make them do, the jivas do it
Without your will none can do anything.”
Prabhu said “You being a pandit in all subjects
Show such example to the jivas, this is not proper.”
Saying this Prabhu smiled mildly
And then offered pranam to Gopinath taking Krishna’s name
Then Prabhu joined the Sankirtan
Seeing him coming, the devotees became very happy
Staying in the middle Prabhu commenced the Sankirtan
Hearing the sound of Krishna’s name he became very happy
They all performed kirtan loudly
‘Govinda! Gopal! Rama! Krishna! Hari! Hari!’
In his dancing trance Prabhu became filled with love
Raising both his hands up he danced in prema-rasa
Dancing and dancing Prabhu became mad
Because of the pressure of his feet the earth started to shake
The devotees thought that an earthquake has hit the place
The sound of the kirtan spread throughout the three worlds
All witnessed the Sankirtan pastime of the great lord.
Uttering ‘Krishna Krishna’ Prabhu danced
Sometimes he laughed, sometimes breathed, sometimes cried
By thrill his body horripilated and his hairs stood on end
To hear his lion-like roars everyone was scared
Sometimes he was covered in sweat,
Sometimes he became very cold, he manifested such symptoms
His limbs grew two or three times longer then their usual size
Sometimes his body became very thin, sometimes it was stupefied
Seeing these ecstatic symptoms, everyone became astonished
Sometimes they saw him as Syamasundar standing in his threefold-
bending posture holding his enchanting flute to his lips
Sometimes he manifested a light complexion holding the plough

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Sometimes they saw him in a complexion like that of molten gold
When he appeared with a danda and a begging bowl there
It looked as if Caitanya Gośai himself was present in the kirtan
Sometimes they saw him in a reddish colour with great effulgence
In the kirtan was present a form that comprised of a billion Cupids
Such were his indescribable bhāvas – emotional decorations.
When and how Biracandra Ray danced ecstatically
The Vrajavasis became mesmerized seeing it
They had never before seen such amazing kirtan and dancing
They became astonished seeing the scene
They all remarked “This is Caitanya avatar Himself
We have heard that Mahaprabhu, the son of Saci,
Performed Sankirtan līlā in the town of Nadia
But now we have witnessed it here in Vrindavan
This is that same Krishna Caitanya Himself
That same form, same effulgence, same power, same Sankirtan
Same bhāva, same prema, same way of dancing
Vrindavan has become filled with profound love
In which bhāva he does what, it is very difficult to understand.”
In this manner the kirtan went on for a long time
All the singers and instrument players became tired
Seeing that, Prabhu controlled his bhāva
Then stopping the kirtan they all took rest
The priest Gośai das and all the other temple-sevaks
Served Prabhu in various ways with much devotion
Everyday Prabhu sang and danced in each bower
Sometimes he went to those bowers all alone
Sometimes he wandered in the town performing kirtan
Sometimes in the solitary forest on the bank of the Yamuna
Sitting under the āmali tree he wept profusely
Uttering ‘Hā Krishna Caitanya’ he became unconscious
Sometimes he came and sat at Śringar vat
And cried, uttering, ‘Hā hā Prabhu Nityananda

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Where is the lord of my life, Nitai Balai?
Where is the lord of my life, Kanai?”
Remembering Krishna’s pastimes Prabhu got into such bhāvas
Sometimes he remained unconscious for two praharas (six hours)
The devotees sang Krishna-līlā loudly around him
When he came back to external consciousness they made him sit up.
Sometimes at night-time Prabhu wandered
Going alone he took darshan of the Yamuna
Sometimes after taking darshan of the deity of Gopeśvar Mahadev
Prabhu went to Vamśi vat and sat under that Banyan tree
Seeing the beauty of the trees and vines his mind became happy
Sitting there Prabhu performed Nāma-Sankirtan
“Jaya Krishna Ba adev Rasika Murari
Jaya Radha Govinda Gopal Giridhari
Jaya Radha-Gopinath, the wea th of Jahnava’s ife
Jaya jaya Krishna, Jaya Madanmohan
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare.”
In this manner Biracandra in a loud voice
Sang with love the names of Govinda
Hearing the sound of his kirtan the beasts and the birds
Surrounding Prabhu they all began to dance
Spreading their tails danced peacocks and peahens
The waves of the Yamuna were dazzling in the moonlight
Groups of deer came close, enchanted by the kirtan
With restless eyes they stared lovingly at Prabhu
All the cuckoos and she-cuckoos singing their tune
Chanted with Prabhu filling their beaks with the name of Krishna
In the same manner all the trees and vines of Vrindavan
Sang the name of Radha and Krishna being maddened in love
In this manner Prabhu sported with the happiness of love.

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On some days Prabhu went to the river bank
Seeing the beauty of the Yamuna he became very happy
Seeing the forest presided over by Vrinda he felt great pleasure
It was a dazzling moonlit night with soft breeze blowing
His nose imbibed the fragrance of Braja flowers
Such as belī, camelī, jūhī, yuthikā, mallikā, mālatī, jāti and kunda
With fruits and flowers the trees and vines looked very beautiful
Seeing this enchanting scene Prabhu became absorbed
He became overwhelmed by Krishna-līlā bhāva
Uttering ‘Hā! Hā! Radha-Krishna’ Prabhu fell unconscious
Being immersed in gopi-bhāva, feeling himself one of them
He saw Krishna performing the Rāsa dance with all the gopis
Radha and Krishna were in the centre surrounded by circles of gopis
By the sound of rāgas and rāginins Krishna’s mind became enchanted
The younger gopis taking their musical instruments
Sat and played the rhythm ‘tāthai tāthai’
‘Tāti nā tāti nā’ they played beautifully keeping the rhythm
Radha and Krishna danced expertly in the middle
Kiśora-Kiśori holding each other danced in many styles
Moving their hands they made a jingling sound
The sweet sound of their bracelets
Moving their bodies to the rhythm
Their sash of bells made a tinkling sound
The anklets on their feet made a jingling sound
Which complimented the other musical sounds
Sometimes Krishna made his beloved Rai dance and twirl around
Rai danced making subtle bodily movements and gestures
When Radha moved her arms the bodice on her breast became loose
Seeing this Krishnacandra derived great happiness
Seeing her lotus breasts he felt great pleasure
Krishna remained drowned in an ocean of happiness
Radha, being in the trance of her dance did not notice anything

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Floating on the mellows of happiness Krishna observed Radha
Sometimes Rai played an instrument and Hari danced to its tune
Kiśori played the rhythm ‘tādhik tādhik’
Performing a dramatic dance with the gopis
Krishna sported with his beloveds giving them pleasure
To some he offered his smile, to others his kiss
To some he offered his embrace, to some the touch of his hands
In this way Krishna remained absorbed in the rasa of the Rāsa dance
Krishna sported and sported blissfully with his beloveds
Holding Krishna some gopis embraced him
In this way they remained absorbed in the mellows of Śyāma rasa
Dancing in a jubilant mood, joking and relishing the mellows of Rāsa
As they went on sporting in amorous rasa, the night came to an end
Seeing that the night has ended Krishna became fearful of the dawn
And the Rāsa dance came to an end as He and his beloved dispersed.

Not seeing Krishna, Prabhu came back to his external consciousness

Prabhu got up saying, “What happened then? What happened then?
He has deprived me from watching such a blissful scene.
Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna, the son of Sri Nanda?
Where is Radha and where are Her friends, the gopis?”

Meanwhile the Vaiṣnavas became concerned not finding Prabhu

“Where has Biracandra gone?” they searched
Prabhu was not in his bed, the room was empty
“Where has Prabhu gone?” they all became shocked
They searched after him in the temples
They looked for him on the bank of the Yamuna
When a soft breeze was blowing they came to Vamśi Vat
As they came closer they found Prabhu lying there
In the pain of separation he was rubbing his face
On the hard ground and blood was gushing out
Seeing this condition, everyone became anxious

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Slowly they raised him up holding him
Prabhu Viśvambhar Raya could not move
Then the devotees loudly chanted Harinam
Uttering ‘Krishna Krishna’ in a lamenting tone
As the sound of Krishna’s name entered Prabhu’s ears
He slowly started to chant ‘Krishna Krishna’
And eventually came back to external consciousness.
He looked around and realized it was morning time
Controlling his emotions he went to perform his ablutions
After taking a bath in the Yamuna he returned to his residence
After finishing his daily duties he accepted prasad
Cleansing his mouth and hands he then took rest
Chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra
The accompanying Vaiṣnavas then honoured prasad
Chanting ‘Govinda Gauranga’ they became a little pacified.
Prabhu’s dear servant came and massaged his feet
While meditating on Krishna-līlā Prabhu fell asleep.

8. Śrī Radha Kunda Pastimes

In this manner after some days in Vrindavan

Prabhu started for Radha Kunda chanting ‘Gauranga’
Accompanied by his associate Vaiṣnavas
As he walked he kept uttering ‘Hā Krishna Caitanya’
Prabhu then entered the Bahulavan forest
Arriving at the side of Bahula Kunda he started to cry
That Kunda was the pastime-place of Krishna and Baladev
That magnificent pastime of cowherding took place with the sakhās
The story of the cow Bahulā cannot be described
The Kāmadhenu (wish-fulfilling cows) were dear to Rama-Krishna
Remembering that pastime Prabhu hastily walked on
Leaving his associates far behind
After a short time he arrived at Shyama Kunda

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When Mahaprabhu came here he sat under a Tamal tree
Prabhu came and sat at the root of that Tamal tree
He roared loudly, “Sri Krishna Caitanya”
He repeatedly said, “This place is very dear to the Lord.”
Seeing the waves of Shyama Kunda and the effulgent Tamal tree
And remembering Mahaprabhu, he fell unconscious
The accompanying Vaiṣnavas came there a bit later
Coming there they saw Prabhu lying on the ground
Circumambulating him they performed Nāma Sankirtan
That sound entered Prabhu’s ears
Hearing Krishna’s name he came back to external consciousness
Prabhu got up roaring “Krishna! Krishna!”
Then he began to danced being filled with love
Uttering “Hā Krishna Chaitanya, Nityananda”
He danced in his own unique way
Then Prabhu with his devotees rested for some time
Taking darshan of Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda
The blissful joy he derived, cannot be described
Then Prabhu circumambulated the Kunda five or seven times
Then he came to the north side of Radha Kunda
To Sri Jahnava’s sitting place (Jahnava baithak)
At that ghat there was a Tamal tree
That tree was dazzlingly effulgent
Sitting there in meditation Prabhu had a vision
“The beautiful steps were inlaid with beautiful jewels
Kiśora-Kishori performed many pastimes here
Having sported in the water of Radha Kunda
Radha-Krishna sat under the Tamal tree and enjoyed sweet talks
The beautiful Lalita decorated Krishna’s body
Ananga Manjari dressed and decorated Rai
Looking at Krishna’s face Rai gave Him a signal
Rasa-rāja knew the meaning of that signal in his heart
Holding Ananga Manjari He pulled her close to Him

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Sri Hari made her sit on His lap
She tried to stop Krishna saying “No, No!”
Then Lalita came and held Radha’s sister
Krishna said, “O my beloved! Why are you so shy?”
Keeping a smile Sri Hari himself decorated her
Having dressed and decorated her Krishna floated on waves of joy
Filling his eyes with the beauty of Radha’s sister
He thought, “How sweet is the beauty Ananga Manjari’s lotus face!”
Even Krishna, who is the enchanter of the entire world,
Became enchanted by she who is non-different from Radha
Being amorously captivated Krishna could not control himself
Holding Radha’s sister in a tight embrace He kissed her lotus face
Having received Krishna’s kiss, Ananga became ashamed
Freeing herself forcefully from Krishna’s hands
She threw a frowning arrow of a glance at Him
Seeing that frown, Krishna came and sat beside Rai
“Oh Rai, just see, Your sister has used force against Me.”
With a smile Rai replied, “O rogue, what can I tell You?
You have become very fortunate to receive the touch of Ananga.”

In this way many pastimes took place at Jahnava’s baithak

Krishnacandra performed His līlās with much fun and wit.
Remembering all these līlās Biracandra Raya
Rolled on the ground under the Tamal tree at Jahnava baithak
Crying in lamentation, ”Hā! Hā! Radha-Krishna!”
“Hā Hā, Oh sister of Radha, you are my life and soul!
Hā! Hā! Jahnava Prabhu! You are the wealth of my life.”
Saying this, Biracandra cried and rolled about under the Tamal tree
He cried in separation, “Sri Jahnava! Sri Jahnava!
Hā Hā Prabhu Nityananda, Hā Hā Gaurahari
Please make this wretched person Your own.”
In this manner Biracandra Prabhu at Sri Jahnava ghat
Cried loudly in separation on the bank of Sri Kunda

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It was as if golden effulgence was rolling about in the dust
Uttering “Hā Hā Radha-Krishna” he kept on lamenting
In this manner, lamenting for a long time
He calmed himself by bathing in Radha Kunda
He took prasadam with the devotees and then took rest.
For three days Prabhu remained in a state of loving madness.

9. Śrī Govardhan Parikrama

One morning, having taken a bath in Manas ghat

He took darshan of the five Pandavas (in the form of five trees)
And went for Sri Govardhan parikrama
Being restless in love Prabhu’s mind was anxious
Uttering “Hā! Hā! Giri Govardhan” he kept on walking
And all the Vaiṣnavas followed some distance behind.
Then Prabhu arrived at Kusum Sarovar
There he sat under a Keli Kadamba tree
Seeing the pond, a wave of prema arose in him
He lamented loudly saying ‘”Hā! Hā! Oh Uddhav,
Where is the Lord of my life, Krishna, the son of the king of Vraja?”
At that time the Vaiṣnavas came and reunited with him
Seeing his companions coming, Prabhu stood up and started walking
Chanting “Krishna Krishna” he walked in an elephant-like gait
He then entered Giri Govardhan
Being absorbed in gopi bhāva his mind became restless
The viraha-līlā of Krishna awakened in his heart
‘”Hā Krishna! Hā Lord of my life, Vrajendra-nandan,
Please keep me alive by giving me Your darshan even once.”
Seeing the sacred hill Giriraj Govardhan
Remembrance of Krishna arose in his heart
Saying ‘”This is Krishna Himself” he touched the stones of Govardhan
Considering touching the hill to be the same as touching Krishna
He derived so much bliss - I do not know anything of it.

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The accompanying Vaiṣnavas came and united with him again
Together they started to sing Krishna’s holy name.
Regaining external consciousness Prabhu chanted ‘Krishna Krishna’
And walked hastily on like a mad lion
He then reached the site of Dāna Ghāti
Where Krishna performed his Dāna-līlā (tax pastime) with the gopis
Remembering this līlā and being filled with love
Prabhu Biracandra fell unconscious again
He kept falling unconscious at all these places out of love
Again the devotees came and met him
They saw that Prabhu was lying without a breath
Seeing this, the lives of the devotees almost left them.
The devotees then sang the Dāna-khanda-līlā
Hearing that, Biracandra regained his external consciousness.
In this way, Prabhu wandered in the forests of Vrindavan
Taking darshan and remembering the pastimes at each place
Thus He, whose life is Sri Jahnava Ma, was lost in Vraja bhāva.

Epilogue
To describe the character and pastimes of Prabhu Biracandra,
I sing this narration somehow or other, just for my self-purification
These virtuous pastimes are the bhajan of the devotees
If one worships and meditates on them, they will attain Prabhu’s feet
I have neither knowledge or scholarship, nor proper sādācar
Without knowing the metres of the verses I write in payār
A dull-witted person like me only pushes and pulls
Whether I write well or badly, I do not know.
Knowing me to be a wretched fool,
Prabhu by his own virtue showered his causeless mercy on me
That is why he has been given the name ‘Saviour of the fallen’
He delivered the fallen and sinful jivas
I have never seen such a merciful Lord
Prabhu Gauracandra is my wealth and my life

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His second body is Nityananda Ram
His second body is Prabhu Biracandra.
He who is the full moon destroys the darkness in the hearts of the
conditioned souls.
His body is non-different from that of Gauranga,
Never differentiate between them; never have any doubt about it
In the form of Biracandra, Prabhu (Sri Caitanya) descended again
Truly, truly he is the son of Mother Saci
Nityananda and Biracandra are my life and soul
May my mind dwell at their lotus feet life after life
Without Gauracandra, Nityananda and Biracandra
I do not even wish to attain Vaikuntha
I am offering my only wish at the feet of every Vaiṣnava
That life after life I may remain a servant of Nityananda
Please all of you show mercy to me and fulfil my wish
Oh Nityananda-Balaram, please be my Lord life after life
Oh Balaram-Nityananda, please bestow upon me this blessing
Oh Gauracandra, being merciful, please grant me the shelter of Your
lotus feet.
Desiring the lotus feet of Prabhu Biracandra
I, Vrindavan Das sings (narrates) this Vamśa Vistara.

Thus ends the 10th Chapter, Antya-līlā, of Nityananda Vamśa Vistara

titled ‘Biracandra’s Pilgrimage to Sri Vrindavan’

Editorial note: Sri Biracandra Prabhu concluded His manifest times by

disappearing in Ekacakra. His samadhi is in the Garbha griha of the
Bankim Roy temple (Bankim Roy is the deity Nityananda merged into
when he manifested His disappearance pastime).

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Appendix
1. Śrīmatī Jahnava Thakurani’s Biography
Śrī Surya das Sarakhela was a resident of Śaligram. He had five
brothers, Damodar, Jagannath, Gauri das, Krishna das and Nṛsimha
Caitanya. His father's name was Śrī Kamsari Miśra and his mother's
name, Śrī Kamala Devi. He received the title "Sarakhela" (accountant)
as he used to keep the accounts for the king of Gauḍadeś. His two
daughters were Śrī Vasudha and Śrī Jahnava. Jahnava was the
youngest.
In Gaura-ganodeśa-dipika it is stated that these two
daughters are the expansions of Balaram’s consorts Varuni and
Revati in Vrindavan, and Surya das Sarakhela, whose body effulgence
is like the sun, is an expansion of Kakudmi, the king of Raivat. The
two Lords Gauranga and Nityananda were very affectionate to him.
Seeing that his two daughters had reached the full bloom of
their youth, he began to contemplate their marriage. While thinking
in this way, he fell asleep. In his dream he saw that in a very happy
mood he was presenting his two daughters to Nityananda Prabhu.
Having seen such a wonderful dream, he began to float in an ocean
of bliss.
In the morning when he awoke, he told his dream to one
brahmana friend of his, "I saw in my dream that Nityananda Prabhu
is none other than Baladev. His bodily effulgence was shining in all
directions and his body was decorated with various shining
ornaments. On his either side were my two daughters appearing as
Varuni and Revati. Now if I cannot give my daughters in marriage to
Nityananda Prabhu then there will be no peace for me."
Having confided in his friend in this way, he sent him to the
house of Śrīvas Pandit in Nabadwip. That brahmana came to
Nabadwip very quickly and found that Nityananda Prabhu was living
at Śrīvas Pandit's house. The brahmana explained everything in detail
to Śrīvas Pandit who later, at the proper time, divulged this news to

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Nityananda Prabhu. Lord Nityananda, having assured the brahmana
that he would fulfil the desire of Surya das, sent him back to
Śaligram.
Advaita Acarya, as well as Śrīvas Pandit, was very happy to
have heard this news and urged that the marriage take place as soon
as possible. Meanwhile the brahmana returned to Śaligram,
delivered this auspicious news to Surya das who was overjoyed that
his dream would now come true.
In the village of Borgachi lived the son of Raja Hari Hora, Śrī
Krishna das, who was a very dear devotee of Nityananda Prabhu. He
offered to bear all of the expenses for the wedding and to have it
conducted at his house. With this in mind he requested Nityananda
Prabhu to kindly come to his house, and after bringing him there he
began to make the necessary arrangements for the wedding. Śrīvas
Pandit, Śrī Advaita Acarya, Śrī Candraśekhar, Śrī Murari Gupta and
many other devotees all arrived and began Harinam Sankirtan.
Surya das Pandit's brother, Śrī Krishna das soon arrived at
Borgachi to escort Nityananda Prabhu and the other devotees with
Him to Śaligrama. When Surya das saw that the devotees along with
Nityananda Prabhu had arrived, he came out to greet them in great
happiness and then ushered them into his house where he offered
his dandavats to Lord Nityananda. Surya das fell down at the lotus
feet of Lord Nityananda, his eyes brimming with tears of ecstatic
love. He caught hold of His two lotus feet and wanted to offer some
prayers but he could not express anything due to being overcome by
ecstatic emotions. Lord Nityananda smiled sweetly and embraced
him in great love. Surya das was always absorbed in intense
happiness. Who can understand his inner self? Seeing these loving
pastimes of his brother, Gauri das felt great bliss within himself.
Then, after worshipping the two lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, Surya
das offered his two daughters in marriage to Him. Thus the marriage
ceremony was very auspiciously performed and Nityananda Prabhu

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remained at Śaligram with his two newly wedded wives for a few
days.
Thereafter Nityananda Prabhu came to Śrī Krishna dasa's
house at Borgachi, where he remained for a couple of days. Next He
came to Nabadwip. Along with his two wives He offered His
obeisances at the feet of Sacimata. Saci Ma was extremely pleased to
see them and she showed a great deal of affection to the new brides.
The other Vaiṣnavas also began to show them great affection. Then,
taking leave of Sacimata, Nityananda came to Advaita Acarya's house
in Śantipur. Śrī Sita Thakurani began to float in an ocean of bliss upon
seeing Vasudha and Jahnava Devi. She lovingly embraced them,
showing her great affection to the new brides. After remaining there
for a few days Nityananda Prabhu proceeded to Uddharan Datta
Thakur's house at Saptagram upon his insistent invitation. There they
all engaged in a festival of Sankirtan for a few days after which
Nityananda Prabhu came to Khardaha. (Bhakti Ratnakar, 12th wave)
After the disappearance of Śrī Advaita Acarya, Śrī Nityananda Prabhu,
Śrīvas Pandit and various other associates of Śrī Gaurasundar, three
special personalities appeared to continue the mission of
Mahaprabhu and flood the land with Harinam Sankirtan. They were
especially empowered manifestations of the compassion of
Mahaprabhu, namely Śrīnivas Acarya, Narottam das Thakur Mahaśay
and Śyamananda Prabhu. Śrī Nityananda Prabhu's śakti Śrī Jahnava
Mata, was requested by these three Acaryas to be present at the
celebrated festival conducted by them at Kheturi gram, under the
patronage of Narottam das Thakur Mahaśay's cousin, Raja Santosh
Datta. Present with her were Śrī Krishna das Miśra (her uncle),
Mineketan Ramdas, Murari Caitanya, Gyan das, Śrī Parameśvari das,
Balarama das, Śrī Vrindavan das Thakur, and other dear devotees of
Lord Nityananda Prabhu. First she came to her uncle Gauri das
Pandit's temple at Ambika Kalna where she was nicely received by
Hṛdoy Caitanya Prabhu. Here she cooked for the two Lords, Nitai-
Gauranga, and in the evening they had a festival of Sankirtan.

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When she came to Navadvip and realized that she wouldn't be able
to see Śrī Sacimata any more, she became very sad and cried. Then
Śrīpati and Śrīnidhi came and took her to their house. But again she
was plunged into grief due to the pangs of separation at not being
able to see Śrīvas Pandit and Malini Devi. At Śantipur, Śrī
Acyutananda and Gopal tried to console her in the absence of
Advaita Acarya and Sita Thakurani. Then she came by way of Kantak
Nagar to Teliya Bhudari gram where Śrī Govinda Kaviraj received her
with all respect.
The next day the party set out for Kheturi. When they
reached the banks of the Padma River they found that Raja Santosh
Datta had already made arrangements for crossing the river. From
the opposite bank palanquins were waiting to take them to Kheturi.
After presiding over the Keturi festival, Ma Jahnava decided
to go to Vrindavan. One day when she was bathing in the Yamuna, a
small black hand grabbed the end of her cloth as she was getting out
of the water. When she turned to look, however, there was no one
there. Then Gopinath spoke to her, "I want to come and stay with
you. When you take bath in the Ganga one day I'll come and join
you." After passing some days in great happiness in Śrī Vrindavan
Dham, Śrī Jahnava Mata set out on the path back to Gauḍadesh.
First she came to Kheturi, and then to Bhudari gram where
she arranged the marriage of Bor Ganga das with Śrī Hemalata, the
daughter of Śrī Śyamdas Cakravarti (brother of Vamsi das). After the
marriage, Śrī Īśvari (Ma Jahnava), entrusted the worship of
Śyamsundarji to Boro Ganga das. Then she proceeded to Ekacakra,
the birthplace of her worshipable Lord Nityananda. From there she
passed through Kantak Nagar (Katwa), Jajigram, Navadwip, Ambika
Kalna and Saptagram, before finally arriving back at Khardaha.
As she was bathing in the Ganges one day, something touched
her body in the water. She lifted that object out of the water and
beheld the enchanting form of Śrī Gopinathji. Seeing her eternal
beloved, tears of love poured down from her eyes. This Deity is at

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present being worshipped by the descendants of Ganga Devi, the
daughter of Nityananda Prabhu, at Jirat, Hugli.
Jahnava Ma disappeared from this world by merging into the
deity of Śrī Gopinath in Vrindavan. (This account is adapted from
‘Lord Caitanya’s Eternal Associates’). There is much more that can be
said about Jahnava Ma. Her life and teachings deserve a separate
book. We hope to translate and publish ‘Jahnava Ma – Nityananda
Śakti’ in the future.

2. A Prayer to Śrī Jahnava Thakurani

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura - Kalyana Kalpataru
bhavārṇave pa’ḓe mora āku a parāṇa
kise kū a pā’bô, tā’ra nā pāi sandhāna (1)
Having fallen into this vast ocean of material existence, how will my
bewildered soul find the shore? I have no clue how to reach it.
nā āche karama-bala, nāhi jñāna-bala
ĵāga-ĵoga-tapo-dharma—nā āche samba a (2)
I have no strength of accumulated pious activities, knowledge, sacrifices,
yogic practice, austerities, or religiosity. Indeed, I have no resources at all.
nitānta durba a āmi, nā jāni sātāra
e vipade ke āmāre kôribe uddhāra? (3)
I am extremely weak and don’t know how to swim. Who will rescue me
from this calamity?
viṣaya-kumbhīra tāhe bhīṣaṇa-darśana
kāmera tara ga sadā kare uttejana (4)
The crocodile of sense enjoyment is a ferocious sight, and the waves of lust
are constantly agitating me.
prāktana vāyura vega sahite nā pāri
kādiyā asthira mana, nā dekhi kāṇḍārī (5)
I cannot tolerate the raging winds of the consequences of my activities in
prior births. I simply weep with an agitated mind, for I see no sailors [to
rescue me].
ogo śrī jāhnavā devī! e dāse karuṇā
karô āji nija-guṇe, ghucāo ĵantraṇā (6)

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O Śrī Jāhnavā-devī! By virtue of your own good qualities, show compassion
to this servant today and remove my afflictions.
tomāra caraṇa-tarī kôriyā āśraya
bhavārṇava pāra ha’bô kôrechi niścaya (7)
I have determined that I will cross over this vast ocean of material existence
by taking shelter of the boat of your lotus feet.
tumi nityānanda-śakti, k ṣṇa-bhakti-guru
e dāse karahô dāna pada-kalpataru (8)
You are the potency of Nityānanda Prabhu and the authority on bhakti.
Kindly bestow the desire tree of your lotus feet, upon this servant.
katô katô pāmarere ka’rechô uddhāra
tomāra caraṇe āja e kā gā a chāra (9)
You have delivered many sinful persons. Today, this wretched beggar falls at
your lotus feet.

3. Śrī Ananga Mañjarī Aṣṭakam

rādhā vrajendrātmaja pāda pankaja
cchatā marā ī krita citta vrittikām
samasta gopī jana raga paṣjarīm
ananga pūrvām pranamāmi mañjarīm (1)

I bow down to Ananga manjari, who is the embodiment of all the

gopīs’ love. Her heart is softened by the effulgent rays emanating
from the lotus feet of Sri Radha and the son of Nanda Maharaja.

vasanta kā odbhava ketakī tati

prabhā vidambi udbhata kānti dambarām
vi āsa sandhāna nidāna cāturim
ananga pūrvām pranamāmi mañjarīm (2)

I bow down to Ananga manjari, whose extraordinary bodily

splendour puts to shame the splendour of a host of golden
springtime ketaki flowers. She is expert in performing playful
pastimes and arranging the rendezvous of the Divine Couple.

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 sudhākara vrāta rasākarananām
suranga bimbāruna sundarādharām
mukunda sangotsava rasa gargarīm
ananga pūrvām pranamāmi mañjarīm (3)

I bow down to Ananga manjari, whose face is a repository of the

nectar poured forth by millions of moons. Her beautiful lips are
reddish like ripe bimba fruit and she is the churning pot of rasa
produced from the festival of meeting with Mukunda.

va itraī va ari baddha madhyamām

brihan nitambārpita ratna mekhalam
pada dvayā ambita cāru carcarīm
ananga pūrvām pranamāmi mañjarīm (4)

I bow down to Ananga manjari, whose waist is bound by a vine of

three folds of skin. She wears a jewelled belt on her broad hips and
her beautiful curly hair reaches down to her feet.

śrī rādhikā prāna samām kanīyasīm

viśākhikā śikṣita saukhya sauṣṭhavām
ī āmritenoccha itānga mādhurīm
ananga pūrvām pranamāmi mañjarīm (5)

I bow down to Ananga manjari who is the younger sister of Sri Radha
and is as dear to Her as life. She has learnt the art of happiness (or
friendship) from Viśākhā and the sweetness of her limbs is
heightened by the nectar of amorous pastimes.

vininditendīvara bhāsvarāmbaraām
ananga raktāruna kancukāncitām
sadā sphurad dvādaśa varṣa mādhurīm
ananga pūrvām pranamāmi mañjarīm (6)

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I bow down to Ananga manjari whose brilliant garments mock the
blue lotus flower. She always manifests the sweetness of the twelfth
year and she wears a crimson bodice that incites cupid.

anangānandāmbuja kunja samsthitim

viṣoka kanyekṣita dautya paddhatim
sva nātha sevādi kritāv adhīśvarīm
ananga pūrvām pranamāmi mañjarīm (7)

I bow down to Ananga manjari who stays in Anangānandambuja

kunja (in the middle of Radha kunda). Her services as a messenger
are overseen by Lalita and she is the topmost assistant in serving the
amorous pastimes of Her Swamini Srimati Radhika.

stana dvaya nindita dādimī pha ām

kapo a o āruna ratna kunda ām
pratapta cāmīkara rocīr va arīm
ananga pūrvām pranamāmi mañjarīm (8)

I bow down to Ananga manjari whose breasts rebuke the

pomegranate fruits, whose red jewelled earrings swing on her cheeks
and whose body resembles a creeper with the hue of molten gold.

pathaty anangādika maṣjari guna

prakāśakam yo ‘ṣṭakam etad īritam
samīhitam śrī vriṣbhānu putrikā
ananga pūrvām pranamāmi mañjarīm (9)

Sri Ananga Manjari, the daughter of Sri Vriṣabhānu, will bestow the
desired service to her lotus feet upon anyone who recites this aṣṭaka
which extoles her wonderful qualities.
(The first verse is quoted in chapter six of Murali-vilāsa and the fifth
verse is quoted in Gaura-govindārcana-smarana-paddhati. According to
Murali-vilāsa this aṣṭaka was composed by Gopala Bhatta Goswami).

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 4. A Summary Biography of Sri Biracandra Prabhu

The most merciful saviour of the fallen souls of the age of Kali, Sri
Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, has appeared on the earth with all His
associates to taste His own sweetness, to bestow Vraja prema and to
distribute the dharma for this age of Kali - Sri Harinam Sankirtan.
Soon after concluding His manifest pastimes as Sri Gauracandra, He
manifested again in the form of Prabhu Biracandra to continue His
Sankirtan mission.
Prabhu Biracandra came to protect, preserve and continue
the line of pure Vaiṣnavism established by Sri Sri Nitai Gaur Sitanath
(Nitai-Gaura and Advaita Acarya).
On the order of Sriman Mahaprabhu, Prabhu Nityananda
accepted the grihastha ashram (household life). He married the two
daughters of an inhabitant of Śaligram, Sri Surya das Pandit.
Thereafter, Nityananda Prabhu established His residence (śrīpāt) in
Kardaha where Prabhu Biracandra was born.
Ganga Mata appeared on the saptami (7th) day of the lunar
fortnight and Prabhu Birchandra on the ashtami (8th) during Kartik.
Prabhu Biracandra's pastimes are described in Sri Caitanya
Caritamrita (Cc Ādi-līlā 11.8–12), Sri Gaura Ganodesh dipika, Sri
Abhiram lilāmrita, Sri Vamsi Siksha, Sri Murali vilas, Sri Narottam
Vilas, Sri Bhakti Ratnakar and Sri Prem Vilas.
Prabhu Biracandra’s second wife Srimati Viṣnupriya gave
birth to three sons: Sri Gopijanavallabh, Sri Ramkrishna, and Sri
Ramchandra. According to Vaiṣnava Dig-darśini, Biracandra and
Srimati also had three daughters: Naradurga, Navagauri, and
Bhuvana-Mohini. The oldest son Sri Gopijanavallabh prabhu settled
at Latagadi, the second son Sri Ramakrishna prabhu established his
śrīpāt at Maldaha and the third son Sri Ramacandra Prabhu remained
in Kardaha. An inhabitant of Phuliya gram, Parvaticaran Mukharji,
married Srimati Bhuvana Mohini, Biracandra's daughter. Ramacandra
Goswami married Govinda Priya. Their son Radha-Madhava married

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Kadamba-mala, the daughter of Jagadananda Pipali of Mahesh and
they had four sons named Rama-deva, Krsna-deva, Visnu-deva and
Radha-Raman, and a daughter Tripura Sundari.
Srila Devakinandana das describes in his Vaisnava Vandana:
“I worship the all merciful Sri Nityananda Prabhu, His dancing
and singing is the source of all bliss.
I worship the two goddesses Vasudha and Jahnava, Their son
Birachandra is glorified all over the universe.
With great care I worship Biracandra Goswami; all the
residents of the world are under his shelter. (The three persons
described below are the sons of Biracandra and Srimati Viṣnupriya)
Very attentively I worship Sri Gopijana-vallabha, His
wonderful characteristics are indescribable.
I will respectfully worship Sri Rama-Krishna Goswami; the
deliverer of the souls, who possesses many wonderful qualities.
With steady mind I worship Sri Ramacandra Goswami; his
unending qualities are described all over the universe. (Premgopal
Goswami line descends from this Ramacandra)
I worship the daughter of Nityananda, Ganga Thakurani; the
earth is filled with the descriptions of her fame.”
Prabhu Nityananda had two wives, Vasudha and Jahnava.
Vasudha had one surviving son, Biracandra, and a daughter, Ganga
Mata Thakurani. Prabhu Biracandra had two wives, Narayani and
Srimati Viṣnupriya. He had his three sons, Gopijana-vallabha,
Ramakrishna and Ramacandra, and one daughter, Bhuvana-mohini.
Gopijana-vallabha had three sons. Bhuvana-mohini married a
resident of Phuliya, called Parvati-charan Mukharji. This has been
described in Sri Narottam Vilas as follows:
"Gopijanavallabha had three sons: The oldest, Ram-narayan, was the
storehouse of all good qualities. Sri Ram-lakshman was the middle
son and the youngest son was the compassionate Sri Ram-Govinda".
The six sons of Prabhu Nityananda died one by one soon
after birth because of the dangerous pranam (obeisances) offered to

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them by Abhiram Thakur. (Abhiram Thakur’s obeisances were so
powerful that they would kill anyone who wasn’t a pure devotee).
Before disappearing Sriman Mahaprabhu told Abhiram
Thakur, “After my disappearance I will take birth in the house of
Nityananda Prabhu and through your pranam it will be revealed
which child is truly My manifestation.”
Abhiram Thakur is Sridham Sakha in Vraj lila. He appeared in
Bengal in his own original Vraj form and manifested his pastimes in
Krishna Nagar in the district of Hugali. Abhiram Thakur had a special
potency. He would bow down before the deities with such devotion
that his power would cause them to shutter to pieces if they were
idols and not real manifestations of the Lord. The obeisances of
Abhiram destroyed many false deities in Bengal and only the deities
of Sri Madan Mohan from Vishnupur and Sri Krishna Roy from Bagari
withstood his obeisances. In a similar way he made the first six sons
of Nityananda Prabhu die soon after birth. Only the seventh son,
Prabhu Biracandra, survived Abhiram Thakur’s obeisances, thus
proving to be the manifestation of Gauranga.
(Premgopal Goswami: “ When Abhiram Thakur bent down to
the floor to pay his obeisances to the newly born Biracandra, baby
Biracandra kicked him so hard on his head that the stout Abhiram
Thakur was thrown back flat on the floor. When he got up he started
dancing in ecstasy.”)
In the same way, only Ganga Mata, Raghunandan Prabhu and
an inhabitant of Puri, Sri Gopal Guru Goswami, survived Abhiram’s
obeisances (thus proving to be eternal associates of Mahaprabhu).
Because Sriman Mahaprabhu had hinted to Prabhu
Nityananda that he would take birth in His house, Abhiram came
every time to offer his obeisances to each newly born son and
watched them leave their bodies. In this way Nityananda and
Vasudha’s first six sons left this world soon after birth.
When Abhiram Thakur heard of the birth of Sri Biracandra,
he came immediately from Kardaha to test whether this was the

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incarnation of the Lord. This is described in Sri Nityananda Vamsa
Vistar, Second Stava: "A shimmering light was inundating the house,
by seeing this, Abhiram became very excited. He at once fell at the
lotus feet of the newly born baby boy and offered his obeisances
while staring at him. In this way he repeatedly fell to the floor like a
stick three times. Baby Birachandra Prabhu woke up from His yoga-
nidra (mystical slumber) and smiled at Abhiram Thakur. I surrender at
the lotus feet of that beloved baby boy Birachandra.
In this way Sri Gauranga manifested in the form of
Biracandra, the enchanter of the world. Let the fortunate ones see
His dancing and singing to increase their eagerness to come to Him.
Hearing of the Lord, one blind man came longing to see
Prabhu's Sankirtan. Upon hearing the kirtan he became ecstatic and
desired to see the sweet form of the Lord but the associates of the
Lord did not allow him to enter. Being affectionate to his devotees,
Biracandra Prabhu, who resides in the hearts of all living entities,
understood the desire of the blind man and fulfilled it by giving him
back his eyesight and allowing him to take the darshan of his sweet
form dancing and singing.
In this way Prabhu Biracandra preached in a very loving
manner and delivered thousands of fallen souls, there was no limit to
the number of spirit souls he delivered. He preached eternal dharma
(Sanatan dharma) which is beyond all material desires and beyond
the mode of goodness.”
In the course of preaching Prabhu Biracandra went to the
village of Khandara where one of his disciples called Jai Gopal lived.
Jai Gopal was rejected by Biracandra because he claimed he was a
direct disciple of Nityananda Prabhu. This is described in a letter
Prabhu Biracandra wrote to Srinivas Acarya telling him about this Jai
Gopal. This letter is recorded in Bhakti Ratnakar:
“Jai Gopal das, an inhabitant of Khandara gram, has a big
false ego and doesn't know guru tattva. He has a very low nature. I

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have given him mercy (diksha) and despite this he desires something
else. For this reason I have rejected him.”
One pastime involves the origin of the Syamasundar deity in
Kardaha. The local Muslim king wanted to test Biracandra Prabhu's
power. Three times in a row he sent a tray of cooked food containing
meat covered with cloth (with the intension to contaminate the
devotees). However, again and again, when the cloth was removed,
the contaminated food turned out to be a tray full of flowers like
Malati (Jasmin) and Yuthi. Then that Muslim king fell at Biracandra's
feet and surrendered to him. He asked Biracandra to accept a gift
from him as dakshin. Biracandra Prabhu asked for the centre stone of
the gate of the local Mosque. From that special stone he made three
deities and installed them: Syamsundar in Kardaha, Sri Nandalal in
Saibona and Sri Radha-Vallabhji in Mahesh. Prabhu Biracandra
installed the Syamasundar deity in Kardaha śrīpāt and then toured
Gaudadesh (the land of Gaura) to preach the dharma of love.
The following pastime is described in Sri Nityananda Vamśa
Vistar. It involves the twelve hundred Buddhist disciples called the
Naras who came to Prabhu Birchandra's house and asked for
prasadam. They were very austere, celibate (brahmacaris) and had
mystic powers due to their intense sadhana. Being independent, they
disregarded Biracandra’s request to wait for prasadam. Because the
prasadam was late (being delayed because of their large number)
they became angry and set the Syamsundar's temple on fire with
their yogic power. Consequently, Biracandra Prabhu used his mystic
powers and manifested thirteen hundred women called 'Naris' to
seduce the Naras and diminish their power. Those Naras that were
bewildered by Biracandra’s deluding potency fell into illusion, took
one or two women each and became householders called
'bhrashtacharis' (defaulting on the Vaiṣnava sadacar of their
brahmacari (renunciation) vows). They became known as 'Sanyogis'
(the opposite of Sannyasis). Those that did not fall into Biracandra

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Prabhu's illusion took shelter of him, became his disciples and helped
his preaching efforts.
In this way Biracandra Prabhu chastised the Naras. Some of
them understood and accepted his chastisement as his mercy.
Wanting to advance in spiritual life, they made an ashram in a village
called Nari Kumbharini. There they worshipped Bhakti Devi and
consequently attained perfection in spiritual life.
Another pastime involves Śrinivas Acarya’s son. One day
Prabhu Biracandra went to the house of Śrinivas Acarya at Viṣnupur.
Srinivas acharya was very happy to receive Prabhu at his house and
arranged for the paraphernalia to welcome Prabhu in an appropriate
way including a variety of foodstuffs for preparing prasad. Seeing this
Biracandra Prabhu said, “Your younger wife should cook.”
Srinivas Acarya's younger wife Padmavati Devi, cooked the
prasadam. After accepting prasad, Biracandra Prabhu lied down to
take rest. At that time Prabhu asked Śrinivas, “Does your wife have
children?” Śrinivas Acarya replied: “You have bestowed your mercy
upon us. You gave your chewed betel nuts to my wife and soon
afterwards she became pregnant and instantly gave birth to a son, Sri
Gati Govinda. In this way Prabhu Biracandra caused the miraculous
birth of Śrinivas Acarya’s son.
Prabhu Biracandra manifested so many such miraculous
pastimes. Thus he established the dharma of pure love (visudha
bhakti dharma) which is beyond the mode of goodness and
culminates in the attainment of spiritual perfection in the form of
Krishna prema.
The character and pastimes of Biracandra Prabhu are
described in many old books, including Sri Prem Vilas written by Sri
Nityananda das (Ma Jahnava's disciple). He has written about Prabhu
Biracandra in a very special manner. It is stated there that if one is
sincerely interested in following the path of pure bhakti, one should
know about Biracandra Prabhu’s pastimes.

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 5. Śrī Gaṅgā Mata’s Biography49

Srimati Ganga Devi (Ganga Mata Thakurani or Goswamini) is the

daughter of Nityananda and Vasudha Devi, and Biracandra’s younger
sister. Like Biracandra Prabhu, she was initiated by her spiritual
mother, Jahnava Thakurani. She was married to Madhava Acarya
who was king Śantanu previously. Madhava Acarya was in charge of
managing the household affairs of Nityananda’s residence in
Kardaha. In Krishna lila she has two svarupas. Her aishvarya svarupa
is that of Ganga Devi (aka Vishnu caran vilasini). Her madhurya
svarupa is Prema (or Premabhora) manjari.
Last year, while on a one-off special Navadvip parikrama with
Premgopal Goswami, we met Devabrat Goswami, a descendent of
Ganga Mata, and he took us to hitherto many unknown pastimes
places, including a darshan of Ganga Mata’s deities of Radha
Gopinath. Here are some more details by Devabrat Goswami:
“Today is Dussehra (Daśami) the auspicious appearance day
of Ganga Devi in this material world. She has been worshipped as the
holy mother Ganges since time immemorial. In the Mahabharata
there is a story of Ganga Devi descending in human form to liberate
the eight Vasus from a rishi’s curse. She married King Śantanu and
begot these Vasus as her sons and thus they were liberated by her.
It is not very well known that the same Ganga Mata
descended once again as the daughter of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu.
Nityananda had two children from his first wife Vasudha Devi: Ganga
Mata and Biracandra Prabhu. They were stalwarts in Sriman

49
There are two personalities known as Ganga Mata Goswamini,
Nityananda’s daughter and Saci Ganga Mata of Puri. Both appeared on the
same day, on Ganga puja. It is said that the latter Ganga Mata was a partial
expansion of the original Ganga Mata.

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Mahaprabhu’s preaching mission under the guidance of Sri Jahnava
Mata, Vasudha Mata’s sister and second wife of Nityananda Prabhu.
Kavi Karnapur Gosvami, the son of Śivananda Sen, has
mentioned in Gaura Ganodesh Dipika, that the daughter of Sri
Nityananda Prabhu, Gangamata Goswamini has two eternal forms.
One is her aiśwarya swarup and the other is her madhurya swarup.
Her aiswarya swarup is Bhagavati Ganga Devi, the water that flows
from Lord Narayana’s lotus feet. Her madhurya swarup is Prembhora
Manjari. Both these aiśwarya and madhurya forms combined as one
and appeared as Ganga Mata Goswamini.
Abhiram (Gopal) Thakur, a close associate of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu realized that she was a divine personality and saw these
two forms of hers in his meditation. He saw Radha and Krishna
immersed in their keli nikunja (amorous) pastimes and while they
were absorbed in vipralambha prema, the mood of union in
separation, white tears flowed from their eyes. Those white tears,
the colour of mahābhāva, which flowed from Radha’s and Krishna’s
eyes, took the form of Prembhora Manjari as one of the kinkari gopis
of Radharani. After seeing this vision Abhiram Thakur composed
‘Sarva Aparadh Banjan Nityananda-Nandini Ganga Stotram’ (see
‘Ganga Stavanam’ below), twenty ślokas in her glorification.
When she was a newly born baby, just one day old, she
refused to drink breast milk from Vasudha Mata. Everyone was in
anxiety and Nityananda Prabhu told Jahnava Mata to initiate her with
the diksha mantra. After being initiated, Ganga Devi started suckling
and made everyone happy. This initiation is above all rules of śastra
as she is an exceptional case because of her divine position.
Even while she was of a very young age, she started her
preaching activities. She was later married to Madhava Acarya who
was a very close intimate disciple of Advaita Prabhu. Madhava Acarya
Goswami was also not an ordinary personality. He was the same
Śantanu Maharaj in Mahabharata who was married to Ganga Devi
when she descended in human form on this earth to enact a divine

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pastime. As her husband, Madhava Goswami played the same
submissive role as Śantanu Maharaja, giving full support to her
preaching mission in Nityananda Vamśa. After his marriage to her, he
took re-initiation from Jahnava Mata. This was in accordance to
proper etiquette in honour of the superiority in position. Advaita
Prabhu showed this same humility when Biracandra Prabhu
approached him for initiation. He refused saying that he cannot
initiate someone who he considers his senior and worshipable.
Even Ramai Thakur, the adopted son of Jahnava Mata, in his
last verse of glorification in Ananga Manjari Samputika has followed
this etiquette by glorifying evryone according to superiority of
position. He first mentioned Sri Caitanya followed by Sri Nityananda,
then Ganga Mata Goswamini and Biracandra Prabhu followed by Sri
Advaita Prabhu and the devotees of Gaura.
Ganga Mata Goswamini had three sons: Prabhupad
Nayananda Goswami, Prabhupad Premananda Goswami and
Prabhupad Gopal Vallabha Goswami.
The descendants of Ganga Mata look after the Radha
Gopinatha deities installed by Ganga Mata in Jirat, the hometown of
her in-laws.
At present the most prominent preacher in this parampara of
Ganga Mata is Prabhupad Devabrata Goswami who is the 15th
descendant in the line of her youngest son, Prabhupad Gopal
Vallabha Goswami. His residence is in Śrīpāt Madanapur and the
family deity is Sri Sri Radha Madangopal jiu and the Śalagrama Śila
‘Dadhi Vaman’ jiu. Dadhibaman (as the Bengalis pronounce it) was
given by Advaita Acharya to Ganga Mata’s husband Madhava Acarya.
There is much more to say about Ganga Mata. Below is the
Ganga Mata Stavanam, composed by Abhiram Thakur, transliteration
and translation.

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 6. Śrī Gaṅgā Mata Stavanaṁ
(The Pastime of Sri Ganga Mata’s Appearance)
Epilogue
All glories to Sri Krishna Caitanya who is the friend of the fallen
All glories to Nityananda who is an ocean of mercy
All glories to Sri Advaita who is the life of the jivas
All glories to Gadadhar, Srivas and all of Gaura’s devotees
All glories to Sri Jahnava and Sri Vasudha
All glories to Biracandra who is the shelter of the jivas
All glories to Ganga Mata who delivers the whole world
As the daughter of Nityananda she took birth on Earth.
Thakur Abhiram is Sridam sakhā of Vraja
For assisting in the pastimes he appeared in Gauḍa-dham
Offering his dangerous prostrations he revealed the glories of the
dearmost associates of Gaura (and in this way)
He proclaimed the glories of Ganga and Biracandra in the world.
Ganga Thakurani is the daughter of Prabhu Nityananda
Thus Abhiram proclaims her glories by singing her praise.

Śrī Gaṅgā Stavanaṁ

By Śrīmat Abhirāma Gosvāmī
śrī nityānanda-nandinyai namaḥ
śrī rādhā-yugapad-hariś-camuditau goloka-madhye mithaḥ
premāviṣṭa tayā parā vitality tad-vastu gaṅgāvanau
sā tvaṁ sūrya sūtā hi kṛpayā jātādhunādhiśvari,
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 1 ||

matāste ’vani-maṇḍale daśaharā śrī janma-yātrā-tithiḥ,

khyātā tvaṁ daśa-janma pāpa-manīdānīṁ punaḥ sā hi sā |
gūḍha tattva-mahattvam-ādbhūtam-idaṁ uktai kavedyaṁ dhruvan,
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 2 ||

194
 līlā te paramādbhūtā bala-sūtā śrī sūtikā-mandires-
tanyaṁ tvāṁ tyajatīṁ pitā samadiśat jñātvā prabhu jāhnavīm |
śliṣyenāṁ tad-anaṅga-mañjari hari-rūpāṁ hi śiṣyāṁ kuru
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 3 ||

itthaṁ vaitad-anaṅga-mañjari mukhāc-chrutvā yugopāsanaṁ,

jātāhlāda-manā bhṛśaṁ prabhu sūtes tanya niśīya priyaam |
sarvvāneva janān priyau ca pitarau su-premli cāmajjat
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 4 ||

tvāṁ vai deva-gaṇā murāripi ca śrī śaṅkaro ’pīśvaraḥ

sevitvā paramādareṇa kṛtino ye ’nye manuṣyā pare |
saṁsiddhiṁ parilabhire bhagavataḥ pādāmbu māḥ śubhe,
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 5 ||

śrīdāmā hi sakhā prabhor-anucaraḥ paryemy-ahaṁ bhūtalaḥ,

tat-tad-vastu kutaḥ kutaḥ samajani jñātuḥ samastaṁ vraje |
jāne dvādaśa-dhā pramaṇya hasatīm prathvīṁ svakāṁ cākṣatāṁ
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 6 ||

devī tvaṁ drava-rūpiṇī prathamataḥ paścān-mahā-rūpiṇī,

sākṣān-manmatha-manmathā rasanidhiḥ kṛṣṇasya vāme sthitā |
pādāṅguṣṭha nivāsinī bhagavati-śrī-rādhikā śiṣyikā,
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 7 ||

mātas-tac-caraṇau bhajanti paramā ye ke ’pi vā kenacina

nāmābhāsa-bhṛtā tathā kimu punar-vijñāna mātrena te |
teṣām-iṣṭa-gatiṁ dadāsi kṛpayā kṛpayā kṛṣṇa svarūpe kila
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 8 ||

advaitādi gadādhara prabhṛtayaḥ śrīvāsa-rāmau hariḥ

nityānanda śacī-sūtau naraharir-vakreśvaro rākhaḥ |
premārtha parisevitā bhagavati śrī-prema-nīre tava

195
 nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 9 ||

tvaṁ hi śveta viśuddha campaka-nibhā śrī kṛṣṇa kāntā priyā,

nityānanda gṛhe ’dhunā viharasi sveccha-mayī līlayā |
pitrānanda vidhāyinī hari-mayī bhāgirathī jāhnavī
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 10 ||

ye ca tvāṁ bhuvi bhāvukā anugatāḥ premlo varā-mañjari,

sevante manasā samujjvala-mayī-rāgānu-mārgataḥ |
tebhyaḥ kāntaka sevanaṁ hari-padaṁ saṁprāśayantyāś-ca vai,
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 11 ||

dhatse tvaṁ bahudhā vapuṁsi janani śrī kṛṣṇa-candro yathā,

kāryārthaṁ nitarāṁ vibhānti kalayā tānyeya līlā-stava |
mūlaṁ kintu manoharaṁ vapur-idaṁ yan na tayā darśate
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 12 ||

yad yat tīrthe mihānti viśva-janani prārthyaṁ pavitraṁ paraṁ

sānnidhyāc-ca hare stavāgi munibhiḥ saṅkīrttitaṁ pūrvajeṁ |
ke jānanti mahatvam-adbhūtam aho jānanti jānantu vai
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 13 ||

śrī caitanya hareḥ prakāśa samaye padmāvatī nandanāt,

rūpāc-caiva balāt svayaṁ bhagavato yā janma-līlā kṛtā |
kallolāplavanaṁ gṛhasya nitāṁ premābdhi saṅmajjvanī,
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 14 ||

dṛṣṭvā tvaṁ nava-bālikā tato drava-mayī tasmāt varā-mañjarī

śrīman-mañjarī madhyagā nidhuvane kṛṣṇasya vāme sthitā |
pādāṅguṣṭha nivāsī nija-gaṇān saṁbhojayantī harim
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 15 ||

devitvaṁ vṛṣabhānujā sukhakarī śrīmañjarīnāṁ gaṇās-tvāmārādhya

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 sudurllabhāṁ vraja-bhuvi śrī-prema-mūrttiṁ kila
caittīṁ vṛttim-avāpuriṅgita-dhiyaḥ śrī-prāṇa-nāthāntike
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 16 ||

śrī vṛndāvana keli-kuñja madane śrī-ratna siṁhāsane,

rādhānanda sutau mudā vilāsitau tad-dāsikānāṁ gaṇaiḥ |
yasyāste vacasā nyase varad-atho śrī rūpa-mañjary-asau,
nityānanda-sūte prasīda varade premlo varā-mañjari || 17 ||

rūpaṁ te madhuraṁ parāt-parataraṁ mūlaṁ hi dṛṣṭaṁ mayā

śrīmatyāś-caraṇa prasāda balato jñātañca tatvaṁ kiyat |
mātā tvaṁ hita-kāriṇī kṛpayaṁ māṁ dehi padaṁ murddhani
nopekṣa sva daya sudhābdhi hṛdaye bhṛtyaṁ nijaṁ sarvvathā (18)

etac-chrī-pāda kanyā guṇa-gaṇa mahimotkīrttanaṁ dīpta-bhāvaṁ,

sākṣād jñāna-mūlaṁ śamayati sumahat kīrttidaṁ tāpa-hantṛ
sarvveṣāṁ pāpa-saṅkhasyopaśama janakaṁ prema sambandha kañca
bhaktyā yukto paṭhed yaḥ sa jīyati satataṁ prema-mālāṁ labheta (19)

gopālo ’haṁ prasiddhā vyaracayam-amṛtaṁ rāma-dāso hi nāmnā

stotraṁ śāstrārtha-sāraṁ kali-mala-mathanaṁ devī bhṛtas-tavāsmi
kintajñasyānane ye bhagavatī kṛpayā vācitaṁ sphoritaṁ yat,
tat sampūrṇaṁ bhavetvat pada-yuge kamale tvarpitañcāstu nityam || 20 ||

iti śrī abhirāma gosvāmī kṛtaṁ śrī nityānanda-sutā-gaṅgā-stotraṁ

sarvāparādha-bhañjanaṁ nāma samāptam

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 Śrī Gaṅgā Mata50 Stavanam (Translation)

“In Goloka sports the divine teenage couple

Looking at each other they remained immersed in bhāva
Suddenly, feelings of separation dawned in both of them
White tears emerged from the oceans of their eyes
From that ocean of tears was born Ganga, the saviour of the fallen
She is the daughter of the daughter of the Sun, as is well-known
Oh Ganga Devi, you appeared on the day of daśaharā
That auspicious day has an astonishing impact
If anybody worships you on this auspicious day
Their sins accumulated from ten lifetimes are eradicated
All the devotees know your glories
You are the giver of shelter to all, you are unlimitedly kind
Having appeared in the lying-in-room
You did not drink your mother’s breast milk and she became worried
Knowing the reason in his heart, Prabhu Nityananda told Jahnava
“Oh Jahnava, give baby Ganga the dikṣā mantra, then this problem
will be resolved.”
So then Jahnava Devi gave her the mantra of the Divine Couple
Receiving the mantra, Ganga began to drink her mother’s breast milk.
Thereupon the mother, father and everyone else became very happy.
The glories of Ganga are renowned throughout the world
Being non-different from the holy river Ganga
You are the decoration of Śankara’s head
You are worshipable for the demigods
You are the medium to receive Krishna’s affection
And you are the saviour of the world

50
This Ganga Mata Thakurani is the the sister of Biracandra and daughter of
Nityananda and Vasudha. It is not the later Ganga Mata of Puri. Her identity
in Krishna līlā is Prema manjari.

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The human beings who worship you with great affection
Attain perfection in their sadhana and their lives become successful
Thus declares Sridam of Vraja, the cowherd friend of Krishna
When Nityananda Prabhu travelled on pilgrimage to Vraja
He summoned me to assist Him in his Gaura līlā pastimes
By my twelve prostrations to you he came to know your power
Your body remaining unharmed, he looked at you with smiling eyes
Only then Prabhu knew you to be His potency
By taking shelter of you, bhakti awakens in the hearts of the jivas
I have seen you in your watery form
I have seen you in a very beautiful form in the abode of Govinda
As a follower of Sri Radha you live at her lotus feet
You are the embodiment of supreme devotion (parā-bhakti) and
service to Radha and Krishna.
Even if the jivas take the semblance of your name, you grant them
their wishes
So what result wouldn’t one attain by worshiping you with faith?
Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gaurangasundar
Rama-Hari, Śrivas, Narahari, Vakreśvar
Sri Raghava Pandit and all other associates of Gauranga
For the cause of love they all serve your water
Beloved of Krishna, with a complexion of white Champaka
Bhagirathi-Jahnavi, you took birth again in a human form
By your own will you appeared in the house of Nityananda
Giving happiness to your parents you increased their bliss
A loving manjari, you are the saviour of the world
I do not know the unlimited glories of those devoted to you
They worship you on the rāgānuga path, having taken your shelter
Being a beloved of Krishna you always serve Him
Krishna who is the cause of all avatars never leaves Vrindavan
To re-establish dharma He manifests different forms again and again
Similarly, you too are the cause of the jivas’ deliverance
Therefore you have accepted a liquid form as the Ganga

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Today you have showed me your human-like form
And I know that this form is the root of all others
All the great holy places of the universe
Attained their status by being close to Sri Hari and to you
In the scriptures, the great sages proclaimed this to be true
Your glories are unprecedented, who can fathom your fame?
Balaram re-appeared in Gaura-līlā
Bearing the name Nityananda, the son of Padmāvati
When you were born in the house of Nityananda
You immersed everyone in an ocean of love
At first I saw you as a newly-born baby girl
Later I got a darshan of your spiritual form
Among the manjaris as a manjari possessing great love
I saw you on the left of Radha-Madhava in Nidhuvan
Later I saw you as a dweller at the toes of Madhava
By your own virtue you served Hari with great love
As a pleasure-giver to Radha, you are her dear family member
All the manjaris serve you as a premika sakhī with love
By serving you they derive the same pleasure as serving the lord of
their lives.
Using subtle indications you please Madhava
In Vrindavan, in a Keli kunja, on a golden throne
Radha and Madhava sport with a happy mind
Assisted by the maidservants headed by Sri Rupa Manjari
They serve Radha-Madhava according to your order
Your actual form is the abode of all sweetness
By Radha’s mercy today I am able to see you in that form
Now that I have realized a little bit of your tattva
O well-wishing mother, please show me your mercy
Mercifully place your lotus feet on my head
Please do not ignore me, consider me your servant.
One who sings the glories of Ganga, the daughter of Nityananda
His heart becomes enlightened with the sweetness of bhāva

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The gift of the great souls is to destroy our ignorance
Destroying our ignorance they re-establish our relationship with Sri
Madhava.
If one sings this praise with faith and devotion
He or she becomes victorious and attains the wealth of pure bhakti
I, Abhiram Das, a cowherd of Vraja am a servant for all times
I have written this praise of Sri Ganga Devi
The nectar of praise is the cleanser of the contamination of Kali-yuga,
It is the essence of the scriptures.
Today by your mercy, Sri Ganga, I have been able to express my heart
Let it be complete by the mercy of the dust of your feet
As a flower-offering I offer this song at your lotus feet.”

7. Prabhupād Śrīla Premgopāl Goswāmī’s line

Śrī Krishna Caitanya is the combined form of Rādhā and Krishna.

Śrī Rādhā is the complexion of nava gauracana, She wears a
nilambara (blue) outfit, and She is 14 years, 2 months, 15 days old.
Her character is vamya madhya and Her bhava is ujjvala prem. Śrī
Krishna is the complexion of indivara (Sapphire), He wears a
pitambara (yellow) dress and is 15 years, 9 months and 7 days old.
His character is dhira lalita (the care free, expert lover who is
controlled by the love of His beloved) and His bhava is ujjvala prem.

Nityananda Prabhu and Jahnava Ma are both Ananga Mañjarī in

Krishna līlā (Ananga is 12 years, 6 months, 15 days old). They are the
origin of our dīkṣā line (aka Nityananda Parivar). Jahnava Ma is the
head of the whole Gaudiya Vaiṣnava sampradaya. Ananga Mañjarī is
the head of our guru pranali (mañjarī) line. Nityananda and Vasudha
are the origin of the Nityananda blood line (aka Nityananda Vamśa).
The bloodline descends through the father, the dīkṣā line through the

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mother, wife of the Guru (‘Guru Ma’). Our line is a matriarchal one
and dīkṣā is usually given by the wife of the Guru (unless the wife
dies early when the child is too young to receive dīkṣā, in which case
the father or the grandmother may give dīkṣā).

Bīracandra Prabhu is the son of Nityananda and Vasudha and the

spiritual son (disciple) of Jahnava Ma. He is a second manifestation
of Mahaprabhu as well as a manifestation of Kṣīrodakśāyī Viṣnu (the
Supersoul in the heart). He is inconceivably both Viṣnu tattva and
bhakta tattva (and therefore not easy to understand). He appeared
during Kartik on the day of Radha Kunda aṣṭamī (aka Bahulāṣṭamī).
He is the disciple as well as the adopted son of Jahnava Thakurani,
the Gaudiya Vaiṣnava Ācārya after the disappearance of Nitai-
Gauranga. (Biracandra’s sister, Ganga Mata Thakurani, is the
daughter of Nitai and Vasudha. Her husband name was Madhava
Ācārya (aka Madhavananda) and from them comes the Ganga Mata
branch of the Nityananda line).

1st Śrī Jahnava Thakurani (dīkṣā line) & Śrī Vasudha Mata (blood
line). The dīkṣā line is through the mother (Guru Ma); the blood line
is through the father Guru.

2nd Śrī Narayani Mata was the wife of Biracandra Prabhu and dīkṣā
disciple of Jahnava Ma. Biracandra had two wives, Narayani and
Śrīmatī Viṣnupriya. Biracandra and Śrīmatī Viṣnupriya had three sons,
Gopijanavallhava, Ramakrishna and Ramacandra, and one daughter
Bhuvana Mohini (according to some sources they had three
daughters).

3rd Śrī Govinda Priya was the wife of Ramacandra Goswami, the
third son of Biracandra & Śrīmatī Viṣnupriya (He is not the same as
Ramacandra the adopted son of Jahnava Ma, better known as Ramai
Thakur, the author of Ananga Mañjarī Samputika)

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4. Śrī Kadamba-mala Mata was the wife of Radha Madhav, son of
Ramacandra Goswami and Govinda Priya Mata.

5. Śrī Navakumari Mata was the wife of Rajendra Goswami the son
of Radha Madhav & Kadamba-mala.

6. Śrī Kalindi Mata was the wife of Harigovinda Goswami the son of
Rajendra & Navakumari.

7. Śrī Annapurna Mata was the wife of Sarveśvar Goswami the son
of Harigovinda & Kalindi.

8. Śrī Taramani Mata was the wife of Laxmikanta Goswami the son
of Sarveśvar & Anapurna.

9. Śrī Krishna Kishor Goswami was the son of Laxmikanta Prabhu

and Taramani Mata.

9. Śrī Kishori Mata was the wife of Krishna Kishor Goswami son of
Lakxmikanta & Tamarani

10. Śrī Śarada Sundari Mata was the wife of Alakmohan Goswami
son of Krishna Kishor & Kishori Mata.

11. Śrī Prangopal Goswami was the son of Śarada Sundari &
Alakmohan Goswami. Alakmohan’s wife was Sarojini Mata (who left
the world early when Yadugopal was too young for dīkṣā).

12. Śrī Yadugopal Goswami was the son of Prangopal Goswami &
Sarojini, and Husband of Gita Mata Goswamini. He is the dīkṣā guru
of Prankrishna Baba (He left the world soon after giving young
Prankrishna Baba dīkṣā and Madangopal Goswami became
Prankrishna Baba’s main śikṣā Guru).

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12. Śrī Gita Mata Goswamini was the wife of Yadugopal Goswami.
She is the grandmother and dīkṣā guru of Premgopal Goswami.

13. Śrī Madangopal Goswami was the son of Yadugopal Goswami

and Gita Mata. He is the father, śikṣā and siddha pranali Guru of
Premgopal Goswami, and the śikṣā and siddha pranali Guru of
Prankrishna Baba.

14. Prabhupad Śrīla Nityagopal Goswami, elder son of

Madangopal Goswami and brother of Premgopal Goswami, married
to Soma Devi. He is the father of Govindagopal Goswami (the next in
line). (Nityagopal Goswami is referred to informally as boro prabhu or
boro bhai)

14. Prabhupada Śrīla Premgopal Goswami, our dīkṣā Guru, is the

dīkṣā disciple of Gita Mata Goswamini. He is married to Upasana
Devi (Respectfully addressed as Guru Ma) and is father of Alankrita
Devi. His father Madangopal Goswami is his śikṣā Guru. His śāstra
(ācārya) Guru is Niṣita Kumar Goswami, considered one of the
greatest living Vaiṣnava scholars today. (Premgopal Goswami is
referred to informally as chota prabhu or chota bhai)

15. Śrī Govindagopal Goswami, the 15th generation descendant of

Nityananda Prabhu, son of Nityagopal & Soma Devi (dīkṣā initiation
by his mother, śikṣā by Nityagopal & Premgopal Goswamis).

(The mañjarī identities of the Gurus in the guru-praṇālī line above are
revealed by one’s Guru at the time of receiving one’s siddha-praṇālī -
mañjarī svarūpa identity, aka ekadaṣa bhāva).

Jay Nitai!

Madhurena Samapayet

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