Nityanand Trayodasi

Lord Nityananda is the eternal associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rarely is the name Nimai (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) taken without that of Nitai (Lord Nityananda). Mahaprabhu cannot be approached or understood without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, who is the cardinal guru of all the universes and serves as an intermediary between Mahaprabhu and His devotees. He is the Lord’s active principle in both creation and lila. He is the second body of the Lord, manifesting as Balaram to Sri Krishna, Lakshman to Sri Ram and Nityananda Prabhu to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. All other forms and expansions of the Lord emanate from this second body.

Nityananda Prabhu is thus the source of Sankarshan, all the Vishu’s, and Ananta Sesa. As Vishnu tattva He and Advaita Acharya are worshipped in the same category as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In the manifested

Family Life and Disappearance

When Nityananda Prabhu returned to Bengal at the request of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His decided to abandon His avadhuta status and become a grahastha (householder). He married Jahnavadevi and Vasudha, the two daughters of SuryadasaSarakhel, who the brother of GauridasaPandit (an intimate associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the spiritual master of the famous ShyamanandaPandit). Nityananda Prabhu had a son (Virchandara) and a daughter (Gangadevi) from Vasudha. Soon after Vasudha passed away and Jahanvadevi looked after the children. She later initiated Virchandra, and also became an instructing spiritual master to the likes of ShyamanandaPandit, ShrivasaPandit and Narottama dasa Thakur. Jahnavadevi is revered as a Vaishnavi and she established the pre-eminent positon of women in the Vaishanava tradition.

Lord Nityananda wound up His earthly pastimes, by merging into the deity of Krishna, known as Bankim Ray, not far from Ekachakra. VaishanavaAcharyas emphatically state that people who try to understand Chaitanya Mahaprabhu without getting the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu will never succeed and one must pray very sincerely to Lord Nityananda Prabhu as the adi-guru (original spiritual master) to be delivered to the Lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The presence of Nityananada Prabhu is always felt in the presence of one’s own guru, for the guru is considered to be the living manifestation of Nityananda Prabhu’s love and mercy, and his sakti (power) is what gives the disciple the ability to perform devotional service and experience spiritual bliss.