Eight Prayers Glorifying Lord Nityananda
by Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura
(Translations by Srila Gour Govinda Svami)
TEXT 1
sarac-candra-bhrdntim sphurad-amala-kantim gaja-gati
hari-premonmattam dhrta-parama-sattvam smita-mukham
sadaghurnan-netram kara-kalita-vetram kali-bhidam
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s face is more beautiful and cooling than the autumnal moon. The effulgence coming out from His body is supremely beautiful. He always moves like a mad elephant, since He is always intoxicated with krsna-prema (love of God). He is always mad after krsna-prema. His body is completely pure spiritual energy. He always has a smiling face. His eyes are very fickle, moving to and fro. His lotus hand always holds a glowing staff. Yes, that is Sri Nityananda, who by the beating of that staff, destroys all our reactions of Kali-yuga. We should take shelter of Sri Nityananda and cry for the mercy of Sri Nityananda! He is the root of krsna-prema bhakti-kalpa-taru, the root of the tree of loving devotion unto Krsna. I do my bhajana of Lord Nityananda, the very root of the krsna-bhakti-vrksa.
TEXT 2
rasanam agaram svajana-gana-sarvasvam atulam
tadiyaika-prana-pramita-vasudha-jahnava-patim
sada-premonmadam param aviditam manda-manasam
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
Sri Nityananda Prabhu is the reservoir of all transcendental mellows. He is the life and soul of all the devotees. Nobody can compare to Him in all the three planetary systems. He is very dear to one and all. He is the beloved husband of Sri Vasudha and Sri Jahnava. He is always in an ecstatic mood of love! Always maddened and intoxicated with that mellow of love, krsna-prema. He is unknown to crooked and evil-minded persons. I do my bhajana of Lord Nityananda, the very root of the krsna-bhakti-vrksa.
TEXT 3
sacl-sunu-prestham nikhila-jagad-istam sukha-mayam
kalau majjaj-jivoddharana-karanodddma-karunam
harer dkhydndd vd bhava-jaladhi-garvonnati-haram
bhaje nitydnandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
Lord Nityananda is very dear to Sriman Gauranga Mahaprabhu. He always does good to the whole universe. He is always supremely bliss-ful. He is the embodiment of supreme happiness and blissfulness. He comes to this material world in this Kali-yuga to deliver the sinful persons. There is no limit to His mercy. He constantly does nama-sankirtana, (congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy names) destroying the pride of this dreadful ocean of material existence. I do my bhajana of Lord Nityananda, the very root of the krsna-bhakti-vrksa.
TEXT 4
aye bhratar ninam kali-kalusinam kim nu bhuvita
tatha prayascittam racaya yad-anayasata ime
vrajanti tvam ittham saha bhagavata mantrayati yo
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
Lord Nityananda tells Sriman Gauranga Mahaprabhu, “0 brother, what will happen to those most distressed and fallen jivas of Kali-yuga? What will happen to them unless You shower Your mercy on them? Please show them a way for their deliverance by which they can approach and get Your lotus feet.” He always talks to Sriman Mahaprabhu like this. I do my bhajana of Lord Nityananda, the very root of the krsna-bhakti-vrksa.
TEXT 5
yathestham re bhratah kuru hari-hari-dhvanam anisam
tato vah samsarambudhi-tarana-dayo mayi laget
idam bahu-sphotair atati ratayan yah pratigrham
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
Lord Nityananda goes to every doorstep and requests everyone with folded hands, “0 my dear brothers, all of you engage yourselves in the chanting of hari-nama (chanting the holy names of Hari). If you do this and follow My instruction, I promise that you will very easily cross over this dreadful ocean of material existence.” I do my bhajana of Lord Nityananda, the very root of the krsna-bhakti-vrksa.
TEXT 6
balat samsarambhonidhi-harana-kumhhodbhavam aho
satam sreyah-sindhunnati-kumuda-bandhum samuditam
khala-sreni-sphurjit-timira-hara-surya-prabham aham
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
Like Agastya Muni, who by drinking a handful of water made all the oceans dry up, He forcibly swallows the ocean of repeated birth and death. He arose like a moon to swell up the ocean of mercy for the welfare of the jivas. He very easily destroys the sinful reactions of the most sinful degraded persons. He is very dear to the devotees. He is always busy doing good to the devotees. He is like the sun that dispels the darkness of the ignorant fools which descended by their sinful activities. I do my bhajana of Lord Nityananda, the very root of the krsna-bhakti-vrksa.
TEXT 7
natantam gayantam harim anuvadantam pathi pathi
vrajantam pasyantam svam api na dayantam janu-ganam
prakurvantam santam sa-karuna-drg-antam prakalanad
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-turu-kandam niravadhi
He is always dancing and chanting, “Haribol! Haribol!” Uttering the name of Hari. He always engages in hari-nama-sankirtana. He always wanders on the streets of every city, town, and village casting His merciful glance over His dear devotees. I do my bhajana of Lord Nityananda, the very root of the krsna-hhakti-vrksa.
TEXT 8
su-bibhranam bhratuh kara-sarasijam komalataram
mitho vaktralokocchalitu-paramananda-hridayam
bhramantam madhuryair ahaha madayantam pura-janan
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
He moves with Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu holding His very soft lotus-like palm. He always looks at the moon-like beautiful face of Sri Gauracandra and becomes ecstatic and blissful! And Sriman Gauranga Mahaprabhu also looks at the moon-like, beautiful face of Sri Nitai. In this way, the two of Them are completely filled with blissfulness. He always makes all the inhabitants of the towns and cities wherever He goes mad with the intoxication of His beauty. I do my bhajana of Lord Nityananda, the very root of the krsna-bhakti-vrksa.
TEXT 9
rasanam adharam rasika-vara-sad-vaisnava-dhanam
rasagaram saram patita-tati-taram smaranataha
param nityanandastakam idum apurvam pathati yah
tad-anghri-dvandvabjam sphuratu nitaram tasya hridaye
Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura says, “Whoever reads and recites with firm faith this Sri Nityanandastakam, will have the lotus feet of Sri Nityananda Prabhu soon revealed to him. These eight verses are the essence of bhakti-rasa. They are the life and soul of all rasika-bhaktas and the reservoir of all mellows. Lord Nityananda is the essence of the universe, the three planetary systems, and by His remembrance, the sinful reactions of all sinful persons are destroyed.”
