Nityananda Trayodasi i.e. the appearance day of Lord Nityananda was celebrated with fanfare at Iskcon Newtown Kolkata on 22nd Feb 2024. Program included special darshan of the Lord, grand abhishek, Nityananda katha, kirtan, arati and delicious prasadam.
Devotees throng to temple to take darshan of Lord Nityananda
The presiding deity of the temple, Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga were beautifully and gorgeously dressed.
Lord Nityananda in blue colour on his appearance day looked beautiful. Several devotees since morning started visiting the temple to take darshan of the Lord and seek his blessings.
Acharyas explain that Lord Nityananda is the most merciful incarnation of the Supreme Lord. He showers his mercy even upon most fallen person. In this age of Kaliyuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, everyone is most fallen. And because of our impure consciousness we commit many sins. And this is why we are always miserable.
Lord Nityananda appeared in this world for people like you and me who are most fallen. In spite of our degraded consciousness, even if we show little sincerity and plead Nityananda Prabhu for his mercy then he will immediately give his shelter to us.
He will free us from all the sins. He will free us from material bondage. And most importantly, he will give us Krishna prema.
“Simply by talking of Nityānanda Prabhu one awakens his love for Kṛṣṇa. Thus all his bodily limbs are agitated by ecstasy, and tears flow from his eyes like the waters of the Ganges.” Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 8.23
As it was Nityananda Trayodasi, so, it was the best day for all the devotees to pray for the mercy of Lord Nityananda.
On this auspicious occasion, devotees were fortunate to get the association of HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami Maharaj and HH Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaj.
Nitai Mora (My Nitai) Song
In the morning, Srimad Bhagavatam class was given by HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami Maharaj. Maharaj began his class with a heart touching Vaisnav song (Nitai Mora (My Nitai) Song) which extolls the glories of Lord Nityananda.
“He (Lord Nityananda) does not consider who is poor, or fallen or troubled. Who is not like that? To every person He gives the gift of ecstatic spiritual love”
Lord Nityananda appeared in 1474 almost 550 years ago in Ekachakra dham. He appeared about 12 years before Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
In the class Maharaj elaborately discussed the reason for the appearance of Lord Nityananda and the different inconceivable pastimes of the Lord.
HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami Maharaj speaks about the glories of Lord Nityananda
This is what Maharaj said:
During the incident when Lord Chaitanya was about to kill Jagai and Madhai, Lord Nityananda said give them to me. Lord Chaitanya said if you really want to forgive Madhai then embrace him. And then your forgiveness will be fruitful.
Lord Nityananda tightly embraced Madhai & in this way Madhai became free from material bondage. And by the touch of Lord Nityananda, Madhai attained all spiritual potency.
Lord Chaitanya is patitpavan i.e. deliverer of fallen. This is his identify. We often ask people, what do you do? Some say, I am doctor or engineer or lawyer. Similarly, Lord Chaitanya’s occupation is that “he is patitpavan.“
Lord Nityananda is even more merciful than Lord Chaitanya
One of the six symptoms of surrender is to accept the mission of Lord as your mission. This is what Lord Nityananda did. Lord Chaitanya was about to kill Jagai and Madhai. They would have been cut to pieces by the Lord’s Sudarshan chakra. But Lord Nityananda saved them.
So, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakura makes the point that Lord Nityananda has accepted the identity of patitpavan even more than Lord Chaitanya has because Lord Chaitanya was prepared to kill Jagai and Madhai but Lord Nityananda saved them.
Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakura further says that Lord Nityananda is more one with Lord Chaitanya than Lord Chaitanya is one with himself. As a devotee of Lord Chaitanya, he has accepted the mission of the Lord.
It is said that demon who Lord Rama might kill, Lord Krishna might spare his life. That demon who Lord Krishna might kill, Lord Chaitanya may spare his life kill. And that demon who Lord Chaitanya might kill, Lord Nityananda will not just spare his life but also give him Krishna prema.
Lord Nityananda is an incredible person in so many ways. He is extremely merciful and it is inconceivable.”
Nityananda Prabhu’s instructions of Madhai
Maharaj further quoting Chaitanya Bhagavat said that although Madhai was forgiven but he felt bad because he had hit Lord Nityananda Prabhu with a pot. And because of this blood had started coming out from the forehead of Lord Nityananda. So, he was feeling miserable from inside.
One day he approached Lord Nityananda and prayed to the Lord saying that how degraded he is and how merciful the Lord is. He said to the Lord that “Your body is so soft that Lord Chaitanya takes rest on it. By remembering your transcendental body, one attains salvation. But I am so sinful that I attacked you.”
Saying these words, tears started coming out from the eyes of Madhai. Lord Nityananda immediately consoled him and said that you are like a child to me. Sometimes a small child hits his father but father does not become offended. So, I am not at all offended.
And then Lord Nityananda said that you should always chant the names of Krishna i.e. the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, never commit any sins again and to serve the devotees you build a ghat. Madhai followed all the instructions of Lord Nityananda. He built a ghat and that ghat came to be known as Madhai Ghat.
Lord Nityananda is our only hope. He transformed the heart of Madhai. So, if we take his shelter then he will transform our heart too.
On the auspicious occasion of Nityananda Trayodasi devotees were again and again praying to the lord for his mercy.
Abhishek of Lord Nityananda
In the evening the program began at 5 pm with the abhishek of Nitai Gauranga deity.
Throughout the day devotees kept on thronging the temple. Hundreds of devotees came to attend the evening program which started at 5 pm. For the evening program a beautiful pandal was built. Evening program started with the abhishek of the Lord.
For the abhishek, Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga deities were taken on palki from temple to the pandal where abhishek was to be held. Palki procession was accompanied with dancing kirtan. Throughout the procession devotees were showering flower petals on the Lord, fanning the deities with chamar and were blowing conch shells.
Abhishek started with the arati of the Lord with nine pista lamps. First sandalwood oil was applied to the Lord which was followed by til paste. After that the two deities were bathed with sacred items like milk, curd,ghee, gomoy, gomutra, honey, sugar candy water, kusa grass water, fruit juices like green grapes, black grapes, watermelon and pomegranate, sugar cane juice, kesar water, rose water, coconut water, sarvausadhi, mahausadhi, pancapuspa jal and flower petals.
Devotees’ experience mercy of Lord Nityananda
After the abhishek, there was Nityananda katha by HH Bhakti Chaitanya Swami Maharaj Devotees were also blessed to have the association of HH Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaj on Nityananda Trayodasi. Maharaj beautifully spoke about the glories of Lord Nityananda.
After the katha there was Gaur Arati in which everyone enthusiastically participated. Devotees joyfully sang and danced for the pleasure of the Lord.
Program concluded with delicious prasadam for all the devotees who came for the program.
Everyone felt blessed and happy and experienced mercy of Lord Nityananda on this auspicious day of Nityananda Trayodasi.
