SRI-NITYANANDAShTAKA

“Eight Prayers Glorifying Lord Nityananda”

by Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura
Translated by Kusakratha dasa
TEXT 1
sarac-candra-bhrantim sphurad-amala-kantim gaja-gatim
hari-premonmattam dhrita-parama-sattvam smita-mukham
sadaghurnan-netram kara-kalita-vetram kali-bhidam
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
sarat—autumn; candra—the moon; bhrantim—appearance; sphurat—shining; amala—
pure; kantim—splendid beauty; gaja-gatim—graceful gait of an elephant; hari—for Lord
Hari; prema—by pure love; unmattam—maddened; dhrita—carries (i.e., is); parama—
Supreme; sattvam—Truth; smita—smiling; mukham—face; sada—always; ghurnat—
rolling; netram—eyes; kara—in His hand; kalita—placed; vetram—cowherd-boy’s stick;
kali—Kali-yuga; bhidam—dispersing; bhaje—I worship; nityanandam—Lord Nityananda;
bhajana—of devotional service; taru—of the tree; kandam—the root; niravadhi—limit-
less.
I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. As He
walks with the grace of a majestic elephant, His pure, splendid beauty shines like the
full autumn moon. Though He Himself is the Absolute Truth, He is maddened with pure
love for Lord Hari. He smiles as He rolls His eyes in apparent intoxication, He carries a
stick in His hand [in the mood of a cowherd boy], and He 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 devo-
tees; gana—of the multitude; sarvasvam—the be-all and end-all; atulam—without com-
pare; tadiya—His own; eka—only; prana—life breath; pramita—measured; vasudha—
Vasudha; jahnava—Jahnava; patim—Lord; sada—always; prema—by pure love of God-
head;; unmadam—maddened; param—the the Supreme Lord; aviditam—not known;
manda-manasam—by the dim-witted.
I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He is the
abode of the mellows of devotional service, and no one can be compared to Him. He is
the be-all and end-all for His devotees, and the husband of Vasudha and Jahnava, to
whom He is more dear than life itself. Because He is always maddened with pure love
for Krishna, the foolish nondevotees cannot understand that He is the Supreme Person-
ality of Godhead Himself.
TEXT 3
saci-sunu-preshtham nikhila-jagad-ishtam sukha-mayam
kalau majjaj-jivoddharana-karanoddama-karunam
harer akhyanad va bhava-jaladhi-garvonnati-haram
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
saci—of Saci-devi; sunu—to the son (Lord Caitanya); preshtham—most dear; nikhila—
entire; jagat—by the universe; ishtam—worshiped; sukha-mayam—happyy; kalau—in
the Kali-yuga; majjat—immersed; jiva—conditioned souls; uddharana—rescue; kara-
na—cause; uddama—great; karunam—mercy; hareh—of Lord Hari; akhyanat—by
chantng the holy name; va—or; bhava—of material 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. He is
very dear to the son of Saci-devi and is worshiped by the entire universe. Out of His
great mercy He chants the holy name of Lord Hari, thus rescuing the souls drowning in
the age of Kali and crushing the pride of the ocean of repeated birth and death.
TEXT 4
aye bhratar ninam kali-kalushinam 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; ninam—of the people; kali—of the Kali-yuga; kalushinam—
full of the sins; kim nu—how much more?; bhavita—will be; tatha—in that way; prayas-
cittam—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—consults; yah—who.
I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He said
to Lord Caitanya, “O brother, the people are all becoming infected by the sins of Kali-
yuga. How will they atone for these sins? Please give them a way to easily approach
You.”
TEXT 5
yatheshtham re bhratah kuru hari-hari-dhvanam anisam
tato vah samsarambudhi-tarana-dayo mayi laget
idam bahu-sphotair atati ratayan yah pratigriham
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
yatha-ishtam—if you wish; re—O; bhratah—brother; kuru—please perform; hari-hari—
Hari Hari; dhvanam—sound; anisam—constantly; tatah—therefore; vah—of you; sam-
sara—of material existence; 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; prati-griham—to every house.
I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He went
to each house in Bengal and, raising His arms, said, “ O brother, if you will, please con-
stantly chant athe holy name of Lord Hari. If you do this, you will become free from the
ocean of repeated a death. Please give Me this gift of your liberation.”
TEXT 6
balat samsarambhonidhi-harana-kumbhodbhavam aho
satam sreyah-sindhunnati-kumuda-bandhum samuditam
khala-sreni-sphurjit-timira-hara-surya-prabham aham
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
balat—violently; samsara—of material existence; ambhonidhi—of the ocean; harana—
removing; kumbha-udbhavam—Agastya Muni (who was born from a pot); aho—O; sa-
tam—of the saintly devotees; sreyah—of the good fortune; sindhu—the ocean; unnati—
expanding; kumuda—of the lotus; bandhum—the friend (the moon); samuditam—ris-
ing; khala—of the demons; sreni—of the multitude; sphurjit—manifested; timira—dark-
ness; hara—removal; surya—sun; prabham—splendor; aham—I.
I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He is the
Agastya Muni who forcibly swallows the ocean of repated death. He is a rising full moon
(friend of the night-blooming lotus) who expands the ocean of the saintly devotees’
good fortune. He is the blazing sun who extinguishes the darkness of the community of
demons.
TEXT 7
natantam gayantam harim anuvadantam pathi pathi
vrajantam pasyantam svam api na dayantam jana-ganam
prakurvantam santam sa-karuna-drig-antam prakalanad
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
natantam—dancing; gayantam—singing; harim—Hari; anuvadantam—saying; pathi pa-
thi—in every road; vrajantam—going; pasyantam—seeing; svam api—own relative;
na—not; dayantam—sympathizing; jana—of the people; ganam—multitude; prakurvan-
tam—doing; santam—the saintly devotees; sa—with; karuna—mercy; drik—of the
eyes; antam—corner; prakalanat—slightly.
I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He trav-
eled on every path, dancing, singing the names of Lord Hari, and describing His glories.
Without considering His own interests, He was merciful to the people, and He cast upon
them His merciful sidelong glance.
TEXT 8
su-bibhranam bhratuh kara-sarasijam komalataram
mitho vaktralokocchalita-paramananda-hridayam
bhramantam madhuryair ahaha madayantam pura-janan
bhaje nityanandam bhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
su—nicely; bibhranam—holding; bhratuh—of His brother (Lord Caitanya); kara—hand;
sarasijam—lotus; komalataram—very soft and beautiful; mithah—together; vaktra—
face; aloka—by seeing; ucchalita—arisen; parama—transcendental; ananda—bliss; hri-
dayam—heart; bhramantam—wandering; madhuryaih—with sweetness; ahaha—O; ma-
dayantam—delighting; pura—of the towns; janan—the people.
I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He fondly
grasped His brother Lord Caitanya’s soft and beautiful lotus hand, and together they
wandered here and there, delighting the townspeople with Their sweet beauty. They
both became filled with bliss when They gazed upon each other’s lotus faces.
TEXT 9
rasanam adharam rasika-vara-sad-vaishnava-dhanam
rasagaram saram patita-tati-taram smaranatah
param nityanandashtakam idam apurvam pathati yah
tad-anghri-dvandvabjam sphuratu nitaram tasya hridaye
rasanam—of the mellows of devotional service; adharam—reservoir; rasika—expert at
relishing the mellows of devotional service; vara—excellent; sat—pious; vaishnava—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; par-
am—transcendental; nityananda—glorifying Lord Nityananda; ashtakam—eight verses;
idam—this; apurvam—unprecendented; pathati—reads; yah—who; tat—His (Lord Ni-
tyananda’s); anghri—feet; dvandva—two; abjam—lotus; sphuratu—may be mani-
fested; nitaram—constantly; tasya—his; hridaye—in the heart.
These eight verses glorifying Lord Nityananda are the abode of the mellows of devo-
tional service, and they are the wealth of the pure devotees expert at relishing those
mellows. All the fallen, conditioned souls can get liberation just by remembering them.
These verses are very excellent, transcendental, and unprecedented. May the two lotus
feet of Lord Nityananda appear eternally in the hearts of those who read these verses
and remember the Lord.