Ādi-līlāChapter 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 7.165

nityānanda-gosāñe pāṭhāilā gauḍa-deśe

teńho bhakti pracārilā aśeṣa-viśeṣe

SYNONYMS

nityānanda — Lord Nityānanda; gosāñe — the ācārya; pāṭhāilā — was sent; gauḍa-deśein Bengal; teńhoHe; bhakti — devotional cult; pracārilā — preached; aśeṣa-viśeṣein a very extensive way.

TRANSLATION

As Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were sent toward Mathurā, so Nityānanda Prabhu was sent to Bengal to preach extensively the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

PURPORT

The name of Lord Nityānanda is very famous in Bengal. Of course, anyone who knows Lord Nityānanda knows Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also, but there are some misguided devotees who stress the importance of Lord Nityānanda more than that of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is not good. Nor should Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu be stressed more than Lord Nityānanda. The author of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, left his home because of his brother's stressing the importance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu over that of Nityānanda Prabhu. Actually, one should offer respect to the Pañca-tattva without such foolish discrimination, not considering Nityānanda Prabhu to be greater, Caitanya Mahāprabhu to be greater or Advaita Prabhu to be greater. The respect should be offered equally: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. All devotees of Lord Caitanya or Nityānanda are worshipable persons.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness