View source for Footsteps of Sri Nityananda

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"footsteps of Sri Nityananda"|"follow Nityananda"|"following Nityananda" }}

{{notes|}}

{{compiler|Visnu Murti }}

{{complete|ALL}}

{{first|27dec07 }}

{{last|27Aug08}}

{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=3|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=0|Let=1}}

{{total|4}}

{{toc right}}
[[Category:Following in the Footsteps|2]]
[[Category:Following in the Footsteps of Caitanya's Associates|2]]
[[Category:Nityananda|2]]
</div>

<div class="section" id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta"><h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="CC_Adi-lila" text="CC Adi-lila"><h3>CC Adi-lila</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="CC" link="CC Adi 10.85" link_text="CC Adi 10.85, Purport">
<div class="heading">Following in the footsteps of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī circumambulated the entire Navadvīpa-dhāma</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:CC Adi 10.85|CC Adi 10.85, Purport]]:''' In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (195) it is said that Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī was formerly Vilāsa-mañjarī gopī. From his very childhood Jīva Gosvāmī was greatly fond of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He later came to Navadvīpa to study Sanskrit, and, following in the footsteps of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, he circumambulated the entire Navadvīpa-dhāma. After visiting Navadvīpa-dhāma he went to Benares to study Sanskrit under Madhusūdana Vācaspati, and after finishing his studies in Benares he went to Vṛndāvana and took shelter of his uncles, Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana. This is described in the Bhakti-ratnākara.</div>
</div>

<div class="sub_section" id="CC_Madhya-lila" text="CC Madhya-lila"><h3>CC Madhya-lila</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="CC" link="CC Madhya 16.65" link_text="CC Madhya 16.65, Purport">
<div class="heading">If we simply follow Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s instructions and follow in the footsteps of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can advance, and even more difficult tasks can be performed by the preachers remaining faithful to the service of the Lord</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 16.65|CC Madhya 16.65, Purport]]:''' By the grace of Viṣṇu, a Vaiṣṇava can render better service than Viṣṇu; that is the special prerogative of a Vaiṣṇava. The Lord actually wants to see His servants work more gloriously than Himself. For instance, on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Śrī Kṛṣṇa provoked Arjuna to fight because all the warriors on the battlefield were to die by Kṛṣṇa’s plan. Kṛṣṇa Himself did not want to take credit; rather, He wanted Arjuna to take credit. Therefore He asked him to fight and win fame:

: tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva
: jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham
: mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva
: nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin

“Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasācī, can be but an instrument in the fight.” (Bg. 11.33)

Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives credit to a devotee who performs any heavy task perfectly. Hanumānjī, or Vajrāṅgajī, the servant of Lord Rāmacandra, serves as another example. It was Hanumānjī who jumped over the sea in one leap and reached the shore of Laṅkā from the shore of Bhārata-varṣa. When Lord Rāmacandra chose to go there, He paved the way with stones, although by His will the stones were able to float on the sea. If we simply follow Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s instructions and follow in the footsteps of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can advance, and even more difficult tasks can be performed by the preachers remaining faithful to the service of the Lord.

'''Nityānanda Prabhu carried out the order of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this way, and those who strictly follow Nityānanda Prabhu perform the same activities'''</div>
</div>

<div class="sub_section" id="CC_Antya-lila" text="CC Antya-lila"><h3>CC Antya-lila</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="CC" link="CC Antya 3.149" link_text="CC Antya 3.149, Purport">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:CC Antya 3.149|CC Antya 3.149, Purport]]:''' As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.8):

: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
: dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

Lord Kṛṣṇa appears in every millennium for two purposes, namely to deliver the devotees and to kill the nondevotees. His devotees also have two similar purposes-to preach the bhakti cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and to defeat all kinds of agnostics and atheistic demons. Nityānanda Prabhu carried out the order of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this way, and those who strictly follow Nityānanda Prabhu perform the same activities. There are two classes of devotees. One is called goṣṭhy-ānandī, and the other is called bhajanānandī. A devotee who does not preach but always engages in devotional activities is called a bhajanānandī, whereas a devotee who not only is expert in devotional service but who also preaches the cult of bhakti and defeats all kinds of agnostics is called a goṣṭhyānandī.</div>
</div>

<div class="section" id="Correspondence" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="1976_Correspondence" text="1976 Correspondence"><h3>1976 Correspondence</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="Let" link="Letter to Makhanlal -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1976" link_text="Letter to Makhanlal -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1976">
<div class="heading">Anyone strictly following the instruction of the Guru is following Nityananda</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Letter to Makhanlal -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1976|Letter to Makhanlal -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1976]]:''' You are a very good devotee and servant of Krsna. So far your questions are concerned. Nityananda is the principle of the Guru. So, the Gurudeva is the incarnation of Nityananda. Anyone strictly following the instruction of the Guru is following Nityananda. The price one has to pay if he wants to become Krsna conscious is that he must dedicate himself to following the order of the spiritual master, mahat seva. If the Spiritual Master is pleased with disciple then the blessings of Guru will be there. That is the best way to become Krsna conscious, and Krsna is non-different from Nityananda. You may pray to Lord Nityananda to help you become dedicated in the service of your Guru. Krsna consciousness cannot be achieved artificially. You should approach Nityananda Prabhu through your Spiritual Master.</div>
</div>
</div>