Navadvipa Dhama MahatmyaŚrī Navadvīpa-dhāma Māhātmya - Chapter Eleven
Navadvipa Dhama MahatmyaŚrī Navadvīpa-dhāma Māhātmya - Chapter Thirteen

Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma Māhātmya – Chapter Twelve
Śrī Śrī Ṛtudvīpa and Śrī Rādhā Kuṇḍa

 

jaya śrī-caitanya-candra jaya prabhu nityānanda
jayādvaita jaya gadādhara
śrīvāsādi bhakta jaya jaya jagannāthālaya
jaya navadvīpa-dhāma-vara [1]

All glory to the moon-like Śrī Caitanya, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa, and all the devotees! All glory to the home of Jagannātha Miśra and the best of abodes, Śrī Navadvīpa!

prabhāta ha-ila rātra bhakta-gaṇa tule gātra
śrī-gaura nitāicāṅde ḍāke
bhakta-saha nityānanda cale bhaji’ parānanda
campāhaṭṭa paścātete rākhe [2]

At dawn, the devotees arose and called out to Śrī Gaura and Nitāi-cāṅda. Feeling great joy, Nityānanda and the devotees then departed, leaving Campāhaṭṭa behind.

tathā haite vāṇīnātha cale nityānanda-sātha
bale, “hena dina kabe pāba
nitāi-cāṅdera saṅge parikramā kari’ raṅge
māyāpura prabhu-gṛhe yāba” [3]

From then on, Vāṇīnātha came with Nityānanda. He considered, “When else will I get the chance to joyfully circumambulate Māyāpura with Nitāi-cāṅda and go to the home of the Lord?”

dekhite dekhite tabe rātupura cale sabe
dekhi’ sei nagarera śobhā
prabhu nityānanda bale, “ṛtudvīpe āila cale
ei sthāna ati mano-lobhā [4]

Eventually, they came to Rātupura. Upon seeing the beauty of the town, Nityānanda Prabhu said, “We have come to Ṛtudvīpa, which is extremely enchanting.

vṛkṣa saba nata-śira pavana vahaye dhīra
kusuma phuṭechhe cāri-bhita
bhṛṅgera jhaṅkāra rava kusumera gandhāsaba
mātāya pathika-gaṇa-citta” [5]

“The trees bow their heads, the breeze blows gently, and the flowers bloom in all directions. The humming of the bees and the fragrant nectar of the flowers intoxicate the hearts of travellers.”

balite balite rāya haila pāgalera prāya
bale, “śiṅgā āne śīghra-gati
vatsa-gaṇa yāya dūre kānāi nidrita pure
ekhana nā āise śiśu-mati [6]

As He spoke, Nityānanda Rāya became almost mad and said, “Quickly bring My horn! The calves have run off, and Kānāi is asleep. Like a child, He does not come now.

kothāya subala dāma āmi ekā balarāma
gocāraṇe yāite nā pāri”
“kānāi kānāi” bali’ ḍāka chāḍe mahābalī
lāpha māre hāta dui cāri [7]

“Where are Subala and Śrīdāma? I, Balarāma, cannot go out to tend the cows alone.” With great power, Nityānanda called out, “Kānāi! Kānāi!” and jumped a couple of metres.

se bhāva darśana kari’ bhakta-gaṇa tvarā kari’
nivedaya nitāiyera pāya
“ohe prabhu nityānanda bhāi tava gaura-candra
nāhi ebe āchhena hethāya [8]

Seeing His ecstasy, the devotees quickly submitted at His feet, “O Nityānanda Prabhu! Your brother Gaura-candra is not here now.

sannyāsa kariyā hari gela nīlācalopari
āmādera kāṅgāla kariyā”
tāhā śuni’ nityānanda ha-ilena nirānanda
kāṅdi loṭe bhūmete paḍiyā [9]

“The Lord has taken sannyāsa and gone to Nīlācala, leaving us destitute.” Hearing this, Nityānanda became dismayed. He fell to the ground and wept.

“ki duḥkhe kānāi bhāi āmā sabe chāḍi’ yāi’
sannyāsī ha-ila nīlācale
e jīvana nā rākhiba yamunāya jhāṅpa diba”
bali’ acetana sei sthale [10]

“What sorrow! Brother Kānāi! You left us and became a sannyāsī in Nīlācala! I cannot continue this life; I will dive into the Yamunā.” Saying this, Nityānanda lost consciousness.

nityānande mahābhāva kari’ sabe anubhava
hari-nāma saṅkīrtana kare
cāri-daṇḍa dina haila nityānanda nā uṭhila
bhakta saba gaura-gīta dhare [11]

Everyone saw the intense ecstasy of Nityānanda and chanted the Lord’s Name. An hour and a half passed, but Nityānanda did not get up. Finally, the devotees sang songs about Gaurāṅga.

gaurāṅgera nāma śuni’ nitāi uṭhe amani
bale, “ei rādhā-kuṇḍa-sthāna
hethā bhakta saṅge kari’ aparāhne gaurahari
karitena kīrtana vidhāna [12]

Hearing the Name of Gaurāṅga, Nitāi immediately arose and said, “This is the place of Rādhā Kuṇḍa. Here, Gaurahari would perform kīrtana with the devotees in the afternoon.

hethā chaya ṛtu meli’ gaurāṅga-kīrtana-keli
puṣṭa kaila śobhā vistāriyā
rādhā-kuṇḍa vraje yei ṛtudvīpa hethā sei
bhakta hethā maje prema piyā [13]

“Here, the six seasons meet and enhance the beauty of Gaurāṅga’s kīrtana Pastimes. Rādhā Kuṇḍa in Vraja is present here in Ṛtudvīpa, where devotees drink and relish divine love.

dekha śyāma-kuṇḍa-śobhā jagaj-jana-mano-lobhā
sakhī-gaṇa-kuñja nānā-sthāne
hethā aparāhne gorā saṅkīrtane haye bhorā
tuṣilena sabe prema-dāne [14]

“See also the beauty of Śyāma Kuṇḍa, which enchants the mind of every soul in this world, and the groves of the sakhīs nearby. Gorā would become immersed in saṅkīrtana here in the afternoon and satisfy everyone with the gift of divine love.

e sthāna samāna bhāi trijagate nāhi pāi
bhaktera bhajana-sthāna jāna
hethāya vasati yāṅra prema-dhana lābha tāṅra
suśītala haya tāṅra prāṇa” [15]

“Brother! We find no place like this in the three worlds. Know it to be a place for the devotees to serve. Souls who reside here attain the wealth of divine love, and their hearts become serene.”

se dina se sthāne thāki’ śrī-gaurāṅga-nāma ḍāki’
preme magna sarva-bhakta-gaṇa
ṛtudvīpe sabe vasi’ bhaje śrī-caitanya-śaśī
rātra-dina karila yāpana [16]

Remaining there for the day, calling the Name of Śrī Gaurāṅga, all the devotees became immersed in divine love. They spent the day and night in Ṛtudvīpa and worshipped the moon-like Śrī Caitanya.

nācite nācite tabe nityānanda cale yabe
śrī-vidyā-nagare upanīta
vidyā-nagarera śobhā muni-jana-mano-lobhā
bhakta-gaṇa dekhi’ praphullita [17]

Then, dancing as He went, Nityānanda Prabhu arrived in Śrī Vidyā Nagara. The beauty of the town attracts the minds of sages, and upon seeing it, the devotees were jubilant.

nitāi-jāhnavā-pada ye janāra susampada
se bhakti-vinoda akiñcana
nadīyā-māhātmya gāya dhari’ bhakta-jana-pāya
yāche mātra kṛṣṇa-bhakti-dhana [18]

The poor Bhaktivinoda, whose true wealth is the feet of Nitāi and Jāhnavā, chants the glories of Nadīyā. Grasping the feet of the devotees, he prays only for the wealth of devotion to Kṛṣṇa.

Navadvipa Dhama MahatmyaŚrī Navadvīpa-dhāma Māhātmya - Chapter Eleven
Navadvipa Dhama MahatmyaŚrī Navadvīpa-dhāma Māhātmya - Chapter Thirteen

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