Sri-Nityanandastaka

 

Eight Prayers Glorifying Lord Nityananda

 

by Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura  

 

 

Text 1

 

sarac-candra-bhrantim sphurad-amala-kantim gaja-gatim

     hari-premonmattam dhata-parama-sattvam smita-mukham

sada ghurnan-netram kara-kalita-vetram kali-bhidam

     bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi

 

     sarat - autumn; candra - moon; bhrantim - appearance; sphurat - shining; amala - pure; kantim - splendor; gaja - of an elephant; gatim - graceful gait; hari - for Lord Hari; prema - with pure love;unmattam - maddened; dhata - held; parama - supreme; sattvam - truth; smita - smiling; mukham - face; sada - always; ghurnat - rolling;netram - eyes; kara - in the hand; karalita - placed; vetram - staff; kali - the kali yuga; bhidam - dispersing; bhaje - I worship; nityanandam - Lord Nityananda; bhajana - of devotional service; taru - of the tree; kandam - root; niravadhi - limitless.

 

 

     I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service, who is pure and splendid as the autumn moon, who walks as gracefully as majestic elephant, who is maddened with pure love of Karna, who is the Absolute Truth, who smiles, whose eyes are always rolling, who holds a staff in His hand, and who breaks the power of the age of Kali.

 

 

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

 

     rasanam - of the mellows of devotional service; agaram -  abode;svajana - of His own devotees; gana -  of the multitude; sarvasvam - the be-all and end-all; atulam - without compare;tadiya - His own; eka - only; prana - life breath; pramata - measured; vasudha - vasudha; Jahnava - Jahnava-devi; patim - Lord; sada - always; prema - by pure love of Godhead; unmadam - maddened; parama - supreme; viditam - known; manda - slow; manasam - by those whose minds are.

 

 

     I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service, who is the abode of the mellows of devotional service, to whom no one can be compared, who is His devotees' life-treasure, who is the Lord of Jahnava-devi and Vasudha-devi, who both think Him more dear than life, who is always maddened with pure love of Karna, and whom the unintelligent non-devotees cannot understand is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

 

 

Text  3

 

 

sacisunu-prertham nikhila-jagad-irtam sukha-mayam

     kalau majjaj-jivoddharana-karanoddhama-karunam

harer akhyanad va bhava-jaladhi-garvonnati-haram

     bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi

     saci - of Saci-devi; sunu - to the Son (Lord Caitanya);prertham - most dear; nikhala - entire; jagat - by the universe; irtam - worshipped; sukha-mayam - happy; kalau - in the Kali yuga;majjat - immersed; jiva - conditioned souls; uddharana - rescue;karana - cause; uddama - great; karunam - mercy; hareh - of Lord Hari; akhyanat - by chanting the Holy Name; va - or; bhava - ofmaterial existence; jaladhi - of the ocean; garva - of the pride; unnati - increase; haram - removing.

 

 

     I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service, who is very dear to the son od Saci-devi, who is worshiped by the entire universe, and who by chanting the name of Lord Hari mercifully rescues the souls drowning in the age of Kali and crushes the pride of the ocean of repeated birth and death.

 

 

Text 4

 

 

aye bhratar nanam kali-kalurinam kim nu bhavita

     tatha prayascittam racaya yad-anayasata ime

vrajanti tvam ittham saha bhagavata mantrayati yo

     bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi

    

     aye - O; bhratah - brother; nanam - of the people; kali - of the Kali-yuga; kalusinam -  full of the sins; kim nu - how much more?; bhavita - will be; tatha - in that way; prayascittam - atonement; racaya - please make; yat - because; anayasatah - with ease; ime - these; vrajanti - go; tvam - to you; ittham - in this way; saha - with; bhagavata - the Lord; mantrayati - counsels; yah - Who.

 

 

     I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service, who said to Lord Caitanya, "O Brother, the people will become infected by the sins of Kali-yuga. How will they atone for them? Please give them a way easily to approach You."

 

 

Text 5

 

 

yathertam re bhratah kuru hari-hari-dhvanam anisam

     tato vah samsarambubdhi-tarana-dayo mayi laget

idam bahu-sphotair atati ratayanyah pratigaham

     bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi

 

     yatha-irtham - if You wish; re - O; bhratah - brother; kuru - please perform; hari-hari - Hari Hari; dhvanam - sound; anisam - constantly; tatah - therefore; vah - of you; samsara - of material existance; ambudhi - of the ocean; tarana - the crossing; dayah - gift; mayi - to me; laget - may be; idam - this; bahu - of the arms; sphotaih - raising; atati - walks; ratayan - shouting; yah - who; pratigaham - to every house;

 

 

     I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service, who went to each house and raised His arms, saying, "O brother, if you will, please constantly chant the Holy Name of Lord Hari. If you do this, you will become free from the ocean of repeated birth and death. Please give this gift of your liberation to me."

 

 

Text 6

 

 

balat samsarambhonidhi-harana-kumbhodbhavam aho

     satam saeyah-sindhunnati-kumuda-bandhum samuditam

khala-saeni-sphurjit-timira-hara-surya-prabham aham

     bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi

 

     balat - violently; samsara - of material existance;  ambhonidhi - of the ocean; harana - removing; kumbhodbhavam - Agastya Muni; aho - O; satam - of the saintly devotees; sreyah - of the lotus flowers; bandhum - the friend (the moon); samuditam - risen; khala - of the demons; sreni - of the multitude; sphurjit - manifested; timira - darkness; hara - removal; surya - sun; prabham - splendor; aham - I.

 

 

     I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service, who is an Agastya Muni forcibly swallowing the ocean of repeated birth and death, who is a rising full moon expanding the ocean of the saintly devotees' welfare, and who is a blazing sun extinguishing the darkness that is the community of demons.

 

 

Text 7

 

 

natantam gayantam harim anuvadantam pathi pathi

     vrajantam pasyantam svam api na dayantam jana-ganam

prakurvantam santam sakaruna-dag-antam prakalanad

     bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi

 

     natantam - dancing; gayantam - singing; harim - Hari;anuvadantam - saying; pathi pathi - in every road; vrajantam - going; pasyantam - seeing; svam api - own relative; na - not;dayantam - sympathizing; jana - of the people; ganam - multitude;prakurvantam - doing; santam - the saintly devotee; sa - with;karuna - mercy; dak - of the eyes; antam - corner; prakalanat - slightly.

 

 

     I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service, who traveled on every path, dancing, singingthe names of Lord Hari, and mercifully glancing at the people.

 

 

Text 8

 

 

su-bibhranam bhratuh kara-sarasijam komalataram

     mitho vaktralokocchalita-paramananda-hadayam

bhramantam madhuryair ahaha madayantam pura-janan

     bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi

 

     su - nicely; bibhranam - holding; bhratuh - of the brother(Lord Caitanya); kara - hand; sarasijam - lotus; komalataram - verybeautiful; mithah - together; vaktra - face; aloka - by seeing;ucchalita - arisen; parama - transcendental; ananda - bliss;hadayam - heart; bhranantam - wandering; madhuryaih - withsweetness; ahaha - O; madayantam - delighting; pura - of the towns;janan - the people.

 

 

     I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service, who wandered here and there, delighting the townspeople with His sweetness, and whose heart became filled with bliss when he held His brother's (Lord Caitanya) gentle lotus hand and They gazed into each other's face.

 

 

Text 9

 

 

rasanam adharam rasika-vara-sad-vaisnava-dhanam

     rasagaram saram patita-tati-taram smaranatah

param nityanandastakam idam apurvam pathati yah

     tad-anghri-dvandvabjam sphuratu nitaram tasya hadaye 

    

     rasanam - of the mellows of devotional service; adharam - reservior; rasika - expert at relishing the mellows of devotional service; vara - excellent; sat - pious; vaisnava - of the devotees of the Lord; dhanam - the wealth; rasa - of the sweet taste of devotional service; agaram - the abode;saram - the best; patita - of the fallen conditioned souls;tati - of the multitude; taram - the liberation; smaranatah - from remembering; param - transcendental; niyyananda - glorifying Lord Nityananda; astakam - eight verses; idam - this; apurvam - unprecedented; pathati - reads; yah - who; tat - His (Lord Nityananda's); anghri - feet; dvandva - two; abjam-lotus; sphuratu - may be manifested; nitaram - constantly; tasya - his; hadaye - in the heart.

 

 

     May Lord Nityananda place His two lotus feet in the heart of one who who reads this unprecedented Nityanandastaka, which is the abode of the mellows of devotional service, the great treasure of the great devotees that know what is really sweet, the abode of sweetness, and the savior the memory of which delivers the fallen souls.