Lord Nityananda’s Appearance day lecture by Srila Prabhupada

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Bhubaneswar, February 2, 1977
Prabhupäda: So today, the appearance day of Nityänanda Prabhu… Nityänanda Prabhu is Baladeva, Baladeva-tattva.

vrajendra-nandana yei, çacé-suta haila sei,
balaräma haila nitäi

“Who was formerly the son of Nanda Mahäräja, He has appeared as the son of Çacédevi.” Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s mother’s name was Çacédevi. So Kåñëa… Kåñëa is Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, and Balaräma is Nityänanda Prabhu. Now…

vrajendra-nandana yei, çacé-suta haila sei,
balaräma haila nitäi

So Balaräma… In the Vedic literature it is said, näyam ätmä bala-hinena labhyaù; na bahunä çrutena. So bala means strength. Sometimes some rascal philosophers, they take it that bala means bodily strength. They propagate this philosophy that “Unless you are bodily stout and strong, you cannot achieve spiritual salvation. You must be very strong and stout and eat meat and fight, and then you’ll get next spiritual birth” No. This bala, this strength, is different. This is spiritual strength.
The difficulty of the present situation is that actually we are moving on account of spiritual strength, but they have no information of the spiritual strength. They are thinking of material strength. That is expressed here, that

ahaìkäre matta hoiyä, nitäi-pada päsariyä,
asatyere satya kori mäni

This is due to ahaìkära. Ahaìkära-vimüòhätmä kartäham iti manyate. Those who are vimüòha, especially rascal… Müòha, rascals, and vi means viçeña, viçeñanam, particularly. Ahankara- vimudhätmä. The same thing which is spoken in the Bhagavad- gétä, Narottama däsa Öhäkura says the same thing in a plain Bengali language. Ahaìkäre matta haiyä, nitäi-pada… By the spell of mäyä—ahaìkära-vimüòhätmä kartäham iti manyate— they are thinking that “We are independent. We can do whatever we like.” This is called ahaìkära-vimüòhätmä. Under false pretext, false prestige, everyone is thinking that “We are independent. We can find out the solution of the problems of life by material adjustment,” so on, so on. So that is our material disease. Ahaìkära-vimüòhätmä. Bewildered, they do not understand that the real strength is spiritual strength. We see daily, see daily that a very strong man, very powerful man, very good brain, very good scientist… So where is the strength? The strength is ätmä. As soon as the ätmä, or the soul, goes out of this body, so intelligent, so strong, and so many things, that is nothing. That is the difference between dead man and the living man. A living man is very powerful, very good position, everything. As soon as he lies down, he is lying down on the floor, and if you kick him on his face, he’ll not protest. So where is that strength? The strength is gone. That is spiritual strength. On the spiritual strength, the body moves. Suppose you have got a very good car, Mercedes car or Rolls Royce car. But when there is no petrol, how the car will move? It is not possible. There is spirit, petrol spirit. Similarly, real strength is spiritual strength. That spiritual strength is Balaräma. Bala means strength. Therefore we have to take shelter of the lotus feet of Balaräma, guru-tattva.
Balaräma means guru-tattva. Balaräma represents guru. Yasya prasädäd bhagavat-prasädaù. If we want to understand Caitanya Mahäprabhu, if we want to understand Kåñëa, then we must take shelter of Balaräma. Näyam ätmä bala-hinena labhyaù. This bala- hinena labhyaù, this Vedic injunction, means “Without the mercy of Balaräma you cannot understand, you cannot realize your spiritual identification. So that Balaräma comes as Nityänanda Prabhu. Balaräma hailä nitäi. Therefore we must take shelter of Balaräma. That is… This song has been sung by Narottama däsa Öhäkura. Nitäi-pada-kamala, koöi-candra-suçétala. If we take shelter of Nityänanda Prabhu, then we get peace. Koöi-candra-suçétala. Just like in daytime, especially in the summer season, we become very much exasperated. But at night, in the evening, as soon as there is moonshine, we become very much satisfied. All day’s labor and fatigue is immediately moved. So nitäi-pada-kamala, the shade of Nityänanda Prabhu’s lotus feet, is koöi-candra-suçétala, as pleasing as one crore of moonshine. One moonshine gives us so much pleasure. So if we want actually peace of mind, if we actually want to be free from this material fatiguement, then we must take the shelter of Nityänanda Prabhu. Nityänanda Prabhu is the strength, spiritual strength. And without spiritual strength you cannot approach Kåñëa. Näyam ätmä pravaca… Simply by talking nonsense… Näyam ätmä pravacanena labhyaù. If you are a good speaker, that does not mean you’ll understand, yourself. Na medhayä: “Neither by good brain.” Because you have got very good brain you’ll understand Kåñëa—no. Näyam ätmä pravacanena labhyo na medhayä na bahunä çrutena. If you think that you are a very good scholar, university degree-holder, then you’ll understand—no. This is not possible.
So we must have spiritual strength. That source of spiritual strength is Balaräma, Kåñëa’s next manifestation, prakäça- vigraha. Kåñëa is manifesting Himself through Balaräma. So we have to take shelter of Nityänanda Prabhu.

nitäi-pada-kamala, koöi-candra-suçétala,
je chäyäy jagata juräy

The whole world is suffering, but if you want peace, then you take the shelter of Nityänanda Prabhu.

heno nitäi bine bhäi, rädhä-kåñëa päite näi
dhådha kori’ dharo nitäir päy

Our real aim of life—how to go back home back to Godhead and associate with Rädhä Kåñëa. In another song the same author says,

manuñya-janama päiyä, rädhä-kåñëa nä bhajiyä,
jäniyä çuniyä biña khäinu

Unless you come to Rädhä-Kåñëa, you cannot get real pleasure. If you want to dance and get pleasure, don’t dance independently. Dance with Kåñëa. Then you’ll be happy. The dancing is there, but dancing without association of Kåñëa… Just like here, in our temple, we are also eating, but we are eating the remnants of foodstuff left by Kåñëa. That is real pleasure. It is not that we are stopping eating. We are not stopping eating. We are not dry philosophers. Kåñëa baro doyämoy, koribäre jihwä jay, swa-prasäd-anna dilo bhäi. All over the world we are eating Kåñëa prasädam, and we have got good experience. At least ten thousand men and women, they are taking Kåñëa prasädam, but we have no anxiety. We have no anxiety. A family consists of a few members. They are full of anxiety how to maintain the family. And we are maintaining a family of ten thousand men. We have no anxiety. Just see practically. We have no anxiety. We require thousands and thousands of rupees for maintaining Europe, America, a costly affair. But because we are under the shelter of Nityänanda Prabhu, Balaräma, we have no anxiety. That means material life means anxiety. You cannot avoid anxiety if you lead a material life. Then you will be anxious.
That is Prahläda Mahäräja’s instruction. He was asked by his father, “My dear son, what you have learned, the best thing from your teachers?” So he replied, “My dear father…” He never said, “My dear father”; He said, “My dear best of the asuras.” Asura- varya. Tat sädhu manye ’sura-varya dehinäm. Tat sädhu manye ’sura-varya dehinäà sadä samudvigna-dhiyäm asad-grahät. The whole human society is suffering, at least suffering from one disease— anxiety. Ask anybody. Take one small ant and take the big elephant; take the President of United States or take one street beggar. Ask him, “Whether you are free from anxiety?” Nobody will say, “No.” “I am full of anxiety.” That’s a fact. So why they are anxiety, in, full of anxiety? That Prahläda Mahäräja had replied, sadä samudvigna-dhiyäm asad-grahät. Because we have taken asad- vastu, that will not exist…
Everything, whatever you have got… Our, this body will not exist. And this is the main platform of our existence. In the material world, so long the body is there, you exist. So Prahläda Mahäräja said that “Real solution of problems of life is to get out of this material condition. That is best thing in my opinion.” Sada samadvigna-dhiyäm asad… That is Vedic injunction also. Asato mä sad gamaya: “Don’t live in this asat, in this material condition.” Sad gamaya: “Go to real existence.” That real existence means spiritual life. Na hanyate hanyamäne çarére. So if we actually want life, blissful life, then we must get out of this material existence. That is Prahläda Mahäräja’s instruction. Samudvigna-dhiyäm. And if you remain in the material existence, you must suffer some anxiety. There is no excuse.
So Prahläda Mahäräja advises that hitvätma-ghätam gåham andha-küpaà vanam gato yad dharim äçrayeta. If you… Real problem is anxiety. And this anxiety will continue so long you are material existent. Therefore the real life is to get out of this material… Hitvätma-ghätam. Ätma-ghäöam. Ätma-ghätam means killing the soul. This material civilization is killing the soul. That… They have no information of the soul. They do not know how to become peaceful, how to become blissful. They are trying to be peaceful, bahir-artha-mäninaù, by external material energy. They are thinking by constructing big, big buildings, just like in Bhubaneswar they are doing, and having good, very big, big roads and motorcars, that is advancement of civilization. No. That is not advancement of civili… That is increasing their anxiety. There is no solution of the anxiety. There is… Formerly that… I was speaking. There was no university. The university was in the cottage—Vyäsadeva. Vyäsadeva was writing Çrémad-Bhägavatam and all the Puräëas in a cottage. The university was there. Who can produce such literature as Vyäsadeva has given? From any angle of vision, from literary point of view, from philosophical point of view—everything, so perfect, every literature, Mahäbhärata, Puräëas, and Vedänta. Veda-vyäsa, he has given. So there was no need of university. It required clear brain. That was to be done by the brahminical qualifications, çamo damo titikñä ärjava, jïänaà-vijïänam ästikyam brahma-karma svabhäva… Where is that education? This education, technical education, how you can very nicely hammer, this will not solve the problem. So if we want real solution of the problems, then our duty is first of all to take the shelter of nitäi-pada-kamala. Then we’ll be happy, and we’ll get moonshine, and our all fatigueness will be subsided.
Sambandha nähi jär, båthä janma gelo tär. So if you have no connection with Nityänanda Prabhu… Nityänanda means always. Nitya means always, änanda means pleasure. This is another meaning you can draw. So therefore, if you have no connection with Nityänanda Prabhu… Se tär: “He’s simply wasting time.” Båthä means useless. Uselessly, he’s wasting time. Se paçu boro duräcär. And Narottama däsa Öhäkura has used very strong word. “Anyone who has no connection with Nityänanda Prabhu, he’s a paçu.” Sei paçu. He’s a paçu, means animal. So animal, how one animal can get happiness? That is not possible. The dog, from the childhood he’s searching after food, searching after food. And cannot get food. Unless a dog has got a master, he’s street dog and he’s always unhappy. So better to become a dog of Nityänanda Prabhu. Then we shall be happy. Instead of becoming dog of so many other people… Everyone is dog. Everyone is searching after to serve a master. But none of them are satisfied because that is false master. You take real master, Nityänanda Prabhu. You’ll be happy. Se paçu boro duräcär. He does not know where is happiness. Where I shall become a dog? That…
Our Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, he has sung therefore,

vaisnava öhäkur, tomära kukkur,
boliya janaha more

“My dear Vaiñëava Öhäkura, kindly accept me as your dog, as your dog. I am dog already, but I am mäyä’s dog. I’m not Vaiñëava’s dog. So kindly accept me.” If you become a Vaiñëava’s dog… Chäòiyä vaiñëava sevä, nistär päiche kebä. If you do not become a dog of Vaiñëava and Nityänanda Prabhu… Nityänanda is guru. So if you do not become a dog of Nityänanda Prabhu, Vaiñëava, or guru, there is no question of happiness. Se sambandha nähi yär, båthä janma gelo… se paçu boro duräcär. Nitäi nä bolilo mukhe, majilä saàsära-sukhe. He who has no connection with Nityänanda Prabhu, and he does not say, “Jaya Nitäi! Jaya Gaura!” And majilo saàsära-sukhe, he thinks that this society, family, and… “Society, friendship and love, divinely bestowed upon man.” These materialist persons, they say like that. That is called majilo saàsära sukhe. In saàsära there cannot be any sukha, but he’s attracted by that. Majilo saàsära sukhe. Vidyä-kule ki koribe tär. What we’ll do with university education or born in big family or… This will not help. This is not possible. Vidyä-kule ki karibe tär. Why they’re accepting this false? Ahaìkäre matta hoiyä, nitäi-pada pasariya, asatyere satya kori mäni. On account of being misled by false prestige and false egotism, asatyere satya kori mäni, we are accepting this body which is asat, which will not exist. That we have taken as reality. Ahaìkare matta hoiya, nitäi pada pasariya. But if we take shelter of Nityänanda Prabhu, then you get the enlightenment. Asatyere satya kori mäni. Nitäiyer koruëä habe, braje rädhä-kåñëa pabe, dharo nitäi-caraëa du’khäni.
Therefore Narottama däsa Öhäkura advises that… Today is Nityänanda Prabhu’s ävirbhäva appearance day. Let us at least remember today nitäi-pada-kamala. That is wanted. Nitäi caraëa satya, tähära sevaka nitya. The reality is nitäi-caraëa, and anyone who is servant of Nitäi…So nitäiyer caraëa satya, tähära sevaka nitya. One who has become the dog of Nityänanda Prabhu, he gets his eternal life. We are eternal, but under misconception of material identification, we are under the subjugation of mäyä. Bhütvä bhütvä praléyate. Tathä dehäntara… It is very botheration, but they do not know. I am going from one body to another transmigration. And that is not guaranteed, what body. They have no science, no knowledge about understanding tathä dehäntara, the very first instruction of Bhagavad-gétä. They are so rascals, and they are proud of their education, their universities. This is going on.
Nitäi caraëa satya, tähära sevaka…, nitäi-pada sadä koro äçä. Therefore we should always expect to be under the shelter of nitäi-pada-kamala. Narottama boro duùkhé. Narottama däsa Öhäkura, he’s äcärya. He is presenting himself… That is äcärya. Means he is not duùkhé, but he’s presenting himself as duùkhé. That is äcärya. Äcäryas, they are never duùkhé. But taking the common man’s position, he says, narottama boro duùkhé. Or, in other words, Narottama… Narottama means the best of the human being. So here in this material world one may be the best of the human being, very exalted position, but everyone is duùké, unhappy. Narottama boro duùké, nitäi more koro sukhé: “Only Nityänanda can make me happy. Otherwise not possible.” Rakho raìga-caraëera päça. So today is Nityänanda Prabhu’s appearance day. We shall always pray Nityänanda Prabhu, “Kindly keep me under your shelter so that… I am very duùké; I am very unhappy. Under the shelter of Your lotus feet I shall be happy.” And that is real happiness. Thank you very much.
Devotees: Jaya Çréla Prabhupäda! (end) (this lecture followed by Bengali speech of Nityänanda Kanurgo, former chief minister of Gujarat)