ÇRÉ-NITYÄNANDÄÑÖAKA

“Eight Prayers Glorifying Lord Nityänanda”

by Çréla Våndävana däsa Öhäkura

Translated by Kuçakratha däsa

TEXT 1

sarac-candra-bhräntià sphurad-amala-käntià gaja-gatià

hari-premonmattaà dhåta-parama-sattvaà smita-mukham
sadäghürëan-netraà kara-kalita-vetraà kali-bhidaà
bhaje nityänandaà bhajana-taru-kandaà niravadhi

sarat—autumn; candra—the moon; bhräntim—appearance; sphurat—shining; amala—pure;

käntim—splendid beauty; gaja-gatim—graceful gait of an elephant; hari—for Lord Hari; prema—by
pure love; unmattam—maddened; dhåta—carries (i.e., is); parama—Supreme; sattvam—Truth;
smita—smiling; mukham—face; sadä—always; ghürëat—rolling; netram—eyes; kara—in His
hand; kalita—placed; vetram—cowherd-boy’s stick; kali—Kali-yuga; bhidam—dispersing; bhaje—I
worship; nityänandam—Lord Nityänanda; bhajana—of devotional service; taru—of the tree;
kandam—the root; niravadhi—limitless.

I worship Lord Nityänanda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. As He walks
with the grace of a majestic elephant, His pure, splendid beauty shines like the full autumn
moon. Though He Himself is the Absolute Truth, He is maddened with pure love for Lord
Hari. He smiles as He rolls His eyes in apparent intoxication, He carries a stick in His hand [in
the mood of a cowherd boy], and He breaks the power of the Age of Kali.

TEXT 2

rasänäm ägäraà svajana-gaëa-sarvasvam atulaà

tadéyaika-präëa-pramita-vasudhä-jähnava-patim
sadä-premonmädaà param aviditaà manda-manasäm
bhaje nityänandaà bhajana-taru-kandaà niravadhi

rasänäm—of the mellows of devotional service; ägäraà—abode; svajana—of His devotees;

gaëa—of the multitude; sarvasvam—the be-all and end-all; atulam—without compare; tadéya—His
own; eka—only; präëa—life breath; pramita—measured; vasudhä—Vasudhä; jähnava—Jähnava;
patim—Lord; sadä—always; prema—by pure love of Godhead;; unmädam—maddened; param—
the the Supreme Lord; aviditam—not known; manda-manasäm—by the dim-witted.

I worship Lord Nityänanda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He is the
abode of the mellows of devotional service, and no one can be compared to Him. He is the be-
all and end-all for His devotees, and the husband of Vasudhä and Jähnava, to whom He is
more dear than life itself. Because He is always maddened with pure love for Kåñëa, the foolish
nondevotees cannot understand that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

TEXT 3

çacé-sünu-preñöhaà nikhila-jagad-iñöaà sukha-mayaà

kalau majjaj-jivoddharaëa-karaëoddäma-karuëam
 harer äkhyänäd vä bhava-jaladhi-garvonnati-haraà
bhaje nityänandaà bhajana-taru-kandaà niravadhi

çacé—of Çacé-devé; sünu—to the son (Lord Caitanya); preñöham—most dear; nikhila—entire;
jagat—by the universe; iñöam—worshiped; sukha-mayam—happyy; kalau—in the Kali-yuga; majjat
—immersed; jéva—conditioned souls; uddharaëa—rescue; karaëa—cause; uddäma—great;
karuëam—mercy; hareù—of Lord Hari; äkhyänät—by chantng the holy name; vä—or; bhava—of
material existence; jaladhi—of the ocean; garva—of the pride; unnati—increase; haram—removing.

I worship Lord Nityänanda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He is very
dear to the son of Çacé-devé and is worshiped by the entire universe. Out of His great mercy
He chants the holy name of Lord Hari, thus rescuing the souls drowning in the age of Kali and
crushing the pride of the ocean of repeated birth and death.

TEXT 4

aye bhrätar néëäà kali-kaluñiëäà kià nu bhavitä

tathä präyaçcittaà racaya yad-anäyäsata ime
vrajanti tväm itthaà saha bhagavatä mantrayati yo
bhaje nityänandaà bhajana-taru-kandaà niravadhi

aye—O; bhrätaù—brother; néëäm—of the people; kali—of the Kali-yuga; kaluñiëäm—full of

the sins; kim nu—how much more?; bhavitä—will be; tathä—in that way; präyaçcittam—
atonement; racaya—please make; yat—because; anäyäsataù—with ease; ime—these; vrajanti—go;
tväm—to you; ittham—in this way; saha—with; bhagavatä—the Lord; mantrayati—consults; yaù—
who.

I worship Lord Nityänanda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He said to
Lord Caitanya, “O brother, the people are all becoming infected by the sins of Kali-yuga. How
will they atone for these sins? Please give them a way to easily approach You.”
TEXT 5

yatheñöhaà re bhrätaù kuru hari-hari-dhvänam aniçaà

tato vaù saàsärämbudhi-taraëa-däyo mayi laget
idaà bähu-sphoöair aöati raöayan yaù pratigåham
bhaje nityänandaà bhajana-taru-kandaà niravadhi

yathä-iñöam—if you wish; re—O; bhrätaù—brother; kuru—please perform; hari-hari—Hari

Hari; dhvänam—sound; aniçam—constantly; tataù—therefore; vaù—of you; saàsära—of material
existence; ambudhi—of the ocean; taraëa—the crossing; däyaù—gift; mayi—to me; laget—may be;
idam—this; bähu—of the arms; sphoöaiù—raising; aöati—walks; raöayan—shouting; yaù—who;
prati-gåham—to every house.

I worship Lord Nityänanda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He went to
each house in Bengal and, raising His arms, said, “ O brother, if you will, please constantly
chant athe holy name of Lord Hari. If you do this, you will become free from the ocean of
repeated a death. Please give Me this gift of your liberation.”

TEXT 6

balät saàsärämbhonidhi-harana-kumbhodbhavam aho

satäà çreyaù-sindhünnati-kumuda-bandhuà samuditaà
 khala-çreëé-sphürjit-timira-hara-sürya-prabham ahaà
bhaje nityänandaà bhajana-taru-kandaà niravadhi

balät—violently; saàsära—of material existence; ambhonidhi—of the ocean; harana—

removing; kumbha-udbhavam—Agastya Muni (who was born from a pot); aho—O; satäm—of the
saintly devotees; çreyaù—of the good fortune; sindhu—the ocean; unnati—expanding; kumuda—of
the lotus; bandhum—the friend (the moon); samuditam—rising; khala—of the demons; çreëé—of
the multitude; sphürjit—manifested; timira—darkness; hara—removal; sürya—sun; prabham—
splendor; aham—I.

I worship Lord Nityänanda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He is the
Agastya Muni who forcibly swallows the ocean of repated death. He is a rising full moon
(friend of the night-blooming lotus) who expands the ocean of the saintly devotees’ good
fortune. He is the blazing sun who extinguishes the darkness of the community of demons.

TEXT 7

naöantaà gäyantaà harim anuvadantaà pathi pathi

vrajantaà paçyantaà svam api na dayantaà jana-gaëam
prakurvantaà santaà sa-karuëa-dåg-antaà prakalanäd
bhaje nityänandaà bhajana-taru-kandaà niravadhi

naöantam—dancing; gäyantam—singing; harim—Hari; anuvadantam—saying; pathi pathi—in

every road; vrajantam—going; paçyantam—seeing; svam api—own relative; na—not; dayantam—
sympathizing; jana—of the people; gaëam—multitude; prakurvantam—doing; santam—the saintly
devotees; sa—with; karuëa—mercy; dåk—of the eyes; antam—corner; prakalanät—slightly.

I worship Lord Nityänanda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He traveled
on every path, dancing, singing the names of Lord Hari, and describing His glories. Without
considering His own interests, He was merciful to the people, and He cast upon them His
merciful sidelong glance.

TEXT 8

su-bibhräëaà bhrätuù kara-sarasijaà komalataraà

mitho vakträlokocchalita-paramänanda-hådayam
bhramantaà mädhuryair ahaha madayantaà pura-janän
bhaje nityänandaà bhajana-taru-kandaà niravadhi

su—nicely; bibhränam—holding; bhrätuù—of His brother (Lord Caitanya); kara—hand;

sarasijam—lotus; komalataram—very soft and beautiful; mithaù—together; vaktra—face; äloka—
by seeing; ucchalita—arisen; parama—transcendental; änanda—bliss; hådayam—heart;
bhramantam—wandering; mädhuryaiù—with sweetness; ahaha—O; madayantam—delighting; pura
—of the towns; janän—the people.

I worship Lord Nityänanda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He fondly
grasped His brother Lord Caitanya’s soft and beautiful lotus hand, and together they
wandered here and there, delighting the townspeople with Their sweet beauty. They both
became filled with bliss when They gazed upon each other’s lotus faces.

TEXT 9
 rasänäà ädhäraà rasika-vara-sad-vaiñëava-dhanaà
rasägäraà säraà patita-tati-täraà smaraëataù
paraà nityänandäñöakam idam apürvaà pathati yaù
tad-aìghri-dvandväbjaà sphuratu nitaräà tasya hådaye

rasänäm—of the mellows of devotional service; ädhäram—reservoir; rasika—expert at

relishing the mellows of devotional service; vara—excellent; sat—pious; vaiñëava—of the devotees
of the Lord; dhanam—the wealth; rasa—of the sweet taste of devotional service; ägäram—the
abode; säram—the best; patita—of the fallen conditioned souls; tati—of the multitude; täram—the
liberation; smaranataù—from remembering; param—transcendental; nityänanda—glorifying Lord
Nityänanda; añöakam—eight verses; idam—this; apürvam—unprecendented; paöhati—reads; yaù
—who; tat—His (Lord Nityänanda’s); aìghri—feet; dvandva—two; abjam—lotus; sphuratu—may
be manifested; nitaräm—constantly; tasya—his; hådaye—in the heart.

These eight verses glorifying Lord Nityänanda are the abode of the mellows of devotional
service, and they are the wealth of the pure devotees expert at relishing those mellows. All the
fallen, conditioned souls can get liberation just by remembering them. These verses are very
excellent, transcendental, and unprecedented. May the two lotus feet of Lord Nityänanda
appear eternally in the hearts of those who read these verses and remember the Lord.