Nityananda (Bangla: শ্রী নিত্যানন্দ) (b 1474 CE), a
VaishnavaVaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or his associated avatars, principally as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God. This worship in different perspectives or historical traditions addresses God under the names of Narayana,...
saint, is famous as a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of
BengalBengal , is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent...
. Nityananda was
Chaitanya MahaprabhuChaitanya Mahaprabhu , was a monk and social reformer of eastern India in the 16th century...
's friend & disciple. They are often mentioned together as
Gaura-Nitai (
Gaura, "golden one", referring to Chaitanya, Nitai being a shortened form of Nityananda) or Nimai-Nitai (
Nimai being another name of Chaitanya).
Nityananda (Bangla: শ্রী নিত্যানন্দ) (b 1474 CE), a
VaishnavaVaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or his associated avatars, principally as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God. This worship in different perspectives or historical traditions addresses God under the names of Narayana,...
saint, is famous as a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of
BengalBengal , is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent...
. Nityananda was
Chaitanya MahaprabhuChaitanya Mahaprabhu , was a monk and social reformer of eastern India in the 16th century...
's friend & disciple. They are often mentioned together as
Gaura-Nitai (
Gaura, "golden one", referring to Chaitanya, Nitai being a shortened form of Nityananda) or Nimai-Nitai (
Nimai being another name of Chaitanya). Followers often refer to Nityananda as 'Sri Nityananda', 'Prabhu Nityananda' or 'Nityananda
RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
'.
According to Gaudiya-Vaishnava tradition Nityananda is an incarnation of
BalaramaBalarama , also known as Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism and a number of South Indian, Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
, with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu being his eternal brother and friend,
KrishnaKrishna is a deity worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives...
. He is considered the 'most merciful' incarnation of the
Supreme Personality of GodheadSvayam Bhagavan , "The Lord" or Lord Himself, is a Sanskrit theological term. The term refers to the concept of absolute representation of the monotheistic God as Bhagavan within Hinduism....
.
Life
Nityananda Prabhu was born to a religious
Bandyaghati BrahminBrahmins have historically been the class of educators, scholars and preachers in Hinduism. They are considered as belonging to the "forward castes" of the four varnas of Hinduism....
, Mukunda Pandit (also known as Hadai Pandit) and Padmavati in
EkachakraEkachakra is a small village, located 20 km away from the town of Rampurhat in the Birbhum District of West Bengal. Within Hindu tradition, the five Pandavas from the epic, Mahabharata are described as staying in Ekachakra during their years in exile...
(a small village in
Birbhum districtBirbhum district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is located at Suri...
of present
West BengalWest Bengal is a state in eastern India. With Bangladesh, which lies on its eastern border, the state forms the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. To its northeast lie the states of Assam and Sikkim and the country Bhutan, and to its southwest, the state of Orissa...
) around the year 1474. His devotion and great talent for singing Vaishnava hymns (
bhajanA Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
) were apparent from a very early age. He became well known in his youth for his dramatic re-enactments of Lord
RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
's pastimes, wherein he would generally play the part of Lakshman, Rama's younger brother along with the other boys of Ekachakra.
At the age of thirteen, Nityananda left home with a travelling renunciate (sannyasi) known as
Lakshmipati TirthaLakshmipati Tirtha was a Gaudiya Vaishnava saint. He was a disciple of Vyasa Tirtha who gave him the name 'Lakshmipati Tirtha' upon initiation...
. Nityananda's father, Hadai Pandit, had offered the travelling sannyasi anything he wished as a gift. To this Lakshmipati Tirtha replied that he was in need of someone to assist him in his travels to the holy places (he was about to begin a pilgrimage) and that Nityananda would be perfect for the job. As he had given his word Hadai Pandit reluctantly agreed and Nityananda joined him in his travels. This started Nityananda's long physical and spiritual journey through India which would get him in contact with important
GuruA guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . As a principle for the development of consciousness it leads the creation from unreality to reality, from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge...
s of the Vaishnava tradition. Apart from Lakshmipati Tirtha, who at some point initiated him, he was also associated with Lakshmipati Tirtha's famous other disciples:
Madhavendra PuriMadhavendra Puri also known as Madhavendra Puri Goswami is a Vaishnava saint who appeared in the 14th century.-Biography:...
,
Advaita AcharyaAdvaita Acharya , was a notable disciple and companion of the founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and guru of Haridasa Thakur...
, and Ishvara Puri, the
spiritual masterA guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . As a principle for the development of consciousness it leads the creation from unreality to reality, from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge...
of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
The Jagai-Madhai episode
The episode of Jagai-Madhai is arguably the most well known of tales related to Chaitanya and Nityananda. There are a few versions of the story, but the basics outline of the traditional tale is as follows:
- Once while chanting the name of Krishna
Krishna is a deity worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives...
in the streets, Nityananda was attacked by Jagai and Madhai, two irreverent drunk brothers. Madhai threw an earthen pot which cut his forehead. At this point Nityananda is said to have uttered the now famous sentence, "Merechhish kolshir kana, tai bole ki prem debona" (Shall I stop giving you love because you have hit me with an earthen pot?). Chaitanya heard of the episode, flew to a rage, and wanted to kill the brothers with his divine ChakraThe chakram , sometimes called a war quoit, is a flat metal disc with a sharp outer edge from in diameter used as a weapon by the Sikh people. Unlike wind and fire wheels, which are larger and used as melee weapons only, the chakram was designed to be thrown.The word comes from Sanskrit and means...
. Nityananda begged him to pardon them and they became Chaitanya's disciples, converted by Nityananda's compassion.
Marriage and the descendants
Nityananda married two daughters of Suryadasa Sarakhela, Vasudha and Jahnava. After marriage, he settled in
KhardahaKhardaha is a city, a municipality and police station of Barrackpore subdivisionin North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority....
. He had a son, Virachandra or Virabhadra and a daughter, Ganga by his first wife Vasudha. Virabhadra was later initiated to vaishnava rites by his step-mother Jahnava.
Legacy
The exploits of Chaitanya and Nityananda have had deep religious and cultural implications in Bengal. They are credited with the revival of
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
in Eastern
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, plagued mainly by the
casteA caste is a combined social system of occupation, endogamy, culture, social class, and political power. Caste should not be confused with class, in that members of a caste are deemed to be alike in function or culture, whereas not all members of a defined class may be so alike.Although Indian...
system, which they denounced. Much of Vaishnava literature, regarded as one the finest literary heritage of medieval Bengal, came from them or their disciples. Even in secular literature, their brotherly love towards each other has been celebrated.
Principal Sobriquets of Nityananda
- Nityananda -- He Who embodies eternal bliss
- Avadhutendu -- The Moon of divine madmen
- Vasudha-prana-vallabha -- The beloved of the life-breath of Vasudha
- Jahnavi-jivita-pati -- The eternal divine husband of Shrimati Jahnavi-devi and the maintainer and sustainer of Her life and soul
- Krsna-prema-prada -- He Who bestows ecstatic love for Krsna
- Prabhu -- The Lord and Master of the devotees
- Padmavati-suta -- The dear son of Padmavati
- Sriman -- He of spendrous transcendental majesty
- Saci-nandana-purvaja -- The older brother of mother Saci's son
- Bhavonmatta -- He Who is maddened in overwhelming ecstatic emotions
- Jagat-trata -- The savior of the universe
- Rakta-gaura-kalevara - He Whose complexion is golden tinged with red
from the writings of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya.
See also
- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu , was a monk and social reformer of eastern India in the 16th century...
- Pancha Tattva (Vaishnavism)
- Gaudiya Vaishnava
- Mayapur
Mayapur is located on the banks of the Ganges river, at the point of its confluence with the Jalangi, near Navadvip, West Bengal, India, 130 km north of Kolkata...
External links