Nityananda Trayodashi

Lord Nityananda is the eternal associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rarely is the name Nimai (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) taken without that of Nitai (Lord Nityananda). Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu cannot be approached or understood without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, who is the cardinal guru of all the universes and serves as an intermediary between Mahaprabhu and His devotees.

He is the Lord's active principle in both creation and lila, the second body of the Lord, manifesting as Balarama to Sri Krishna, Lakshman to Sri Ram, and Nityananda Prabhu to Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

"preme matta nityananda krpa-avatara / uttama, adhama, kichu na kare vicara
ye age padaye, tare karaye nistara / ataeva nistarila mo-hena duracara"

"Because He is intoxicated by ecstatic love and is an incarnation of mercy, He does not distinguish between the good and the bad. He delivers all those who fall down before Him. Therefore He has delivered such a sinful and fallen person as me." — Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 5.208-209

Childhood in Ekachakra

Nityananda Prabhu was born in Ekachakra, a small village in present-day West Bengal, around the year 1474 to Hadai Ojha and Padmavati. He was born on the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Magha. As a child, Nitai loved to enact the pastimes of Sri Krishna or Lord Rama. He did this so authoritatively and with such rapture that the entire village would be immersed in the love of Godhead.

Nitai's favorite role was that of Lakshman, and He enacted it with so many apparently authentic scenes not described in the Ramayana that people wondered if He was actually relishing His own pastimes. In His 13th year, a travelling sannyasi, said to be Lakshmipati Tirtha, requested Nitai from his parents as a travelling companion. Reluctantly, they parted with Nitai. Devastated by the separation, Hadai Pandit soon gave up his life.

Travels and Meeting with Mahaprabhu

Nitai traveled with Lakshmipati Tirtha for about 20 years, visiting all the holy places in India. He was later initiated by Lakshmipati Tirtha and associated closely with Madhavendra Puri.

Nityananda Prabhu met Caitanya Mahaprabhu in 1506, when He was 32 years old and the Lord was 20. When He reached Nadia, He hid in the house of Nandan Acharya. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, aware of the arrival of His eternal associate, dispatched Haridas Thakur and Srivas Pandit to search for Nitai, but they could not find Him. Finally, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went directly to Nandan Acharya's house, and the ecstasy of their meeting was a sublime experience for all who witnessed it.

Preaching and Unconditional Mercy

Lord Nityananda was instrumental in spreading the Yuga Dharma of Sankirtana all over Bengal and Orissa. His mercy knew no bounds. It was by His mercy that Raghunatha dasa Gosvami started the Danda Mahotsava of Panihati, which enabled him to serve Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He extended His mercy to even the most fallen, protecting and delivering Jagai and Madhai from their sinful lives.

At the request of Lord Chaitanya, Nityananda Prabhu abandoned His avadhuta status and married Jahnavadevi and Vasudha, the daughters of Suryadasa Sarakhel. Jahnavadevi later initiated Virchandra (Nityananda's son) and became a prominent instructing guru in the Gaudiya tradition. Lord Nityananda wound up His earthly pastimes by merging into the deity of Bankim Ray near Ekachakra.