Lord Balarama appeared as Lord Nityananda 500 years ago in Ekachakra, West Bengal, India.
Lord Nityananda is an eternal associate of Lord Chaitanya.
He is also known as Nitai
In Treta – yuga He had appeared as Lakshman, the younger brother of Lord Rama.
Nityananda’s childhood
His father was Hadai Pandit and mother Padmavati.
As a child he would take great pleasure in enacting the pastimes of Ramayan.
His childhood pastimes would attract the hearts of all the residents of Ekachakra.
He always preferred to play the role of Lakshman.
He used to get so engrossed in the role and acted with such finer details, that everyone used to be amazed.
When he was about 13 years old then a very prominent sannyasi, Laxmipati Tirtha, came to the house of Hadai Pandit.
Lord Nityananda leaves home
To the utter disbelief of Hadai Pandit, the sannyasi asked him to allow his son to travel with him.
Hadai Pandit and Padmavati could not think of even a moment of separation from their beloved son.
But how could they refuse the request of a guest and that too of a sannyasi, such thoughts were uncommon those days.
So, with a heavy heart Hadai Pandit agreed to allow his son to accompany Lakshmipati Tirtha.
However the father could not bear this separation and left this world shortly.
Meanwhile Nitai travelled with Lakshmipati tirtha for 20 years.
During the Kurushetra war, Balarama had visited all the holy places. As Nityananda in the present incarnation, He again visited all these holy places.
Meeting Lord Chaitanya and preaching Krishna Consciousness
He met Lord Chaitanya in 1506 C.E. in Nadia in the house of Nandanacharya.
Lord Nityananda along with Haridas Thakura, a prominent associate of Lord Chaitanya, used to visit every house begging people to chant the names of Krishna.
Lord Nityananda is ever eager to engage all the souls, who are engrossed in this material life, in the service of Krishna.
Jagai and Madhai, the two brothers, were the most abominable felons of those days in Nadai, West Bengal, who took great pleasure in inflicting miseries upon others.
However Lord Nityananda was so magnanimous that He took the responsibility of transforming the hearts of these two ruffians.
Both brothers hurled abuses on Him, threatened Him, attacked Him and even injured Him.
Seeing the audacity of these two brothers Lord Chaitanya become very angry and decided to punish them but Lord Nityananda begged Lord Chaitanya to forgive them.
Seeing the magnanimity of Lord Nityananda, the two brothers realized their grievous mistake and finally accepted the path of devotion.
Their consciousness completely got changed, their hearts were now filled with love and they started chanting the names of Krishna.
Lord Nityananda’s mission was to spread the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, which is the yuga – dharma of this age of kali – yuga.
He is Adi – guru, the original spiritual master.
Without Lord Nityananda we cannot approach Lord Chaitanya and we can never understand Radha and Krishna.
Lord Nityananda’s life in brief:
- Appearance: 1474 C.E.
- Appeared in: Ekachakra, West Bengal, India
- Parents: Hadai Ojha (Father), Padmavati (mother)
- Leaving home: Left home when he was about 13 years old.
- Accompanied Lakshmipati Tirtha, a prominent sannyasi, for 20 years as a travelling monk where he visited all the holy places.
- Meeting with Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: 1506 C.E.
- Mission: To establish the yuga dharma of sankirtana, congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
Disappearance: Lord Nityananda disappeared by merging into the Deity of Krishna, called as Bankim Ray, in Ekachakra.
