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The two main branches of the Caitanya tree: Nitai and Advaita

5. 1
advaitanacarya, nityananda - dui anga
duijana lai-a prabhur yata kicchu ranga
Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Acarya are the two expansions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who assist Him in his transcendental pastimes. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 5.146)
5. 2
sankarsana karanatoyasayi
garbhodasayi ca payobdhisayi
sesas ca yasyams kalam sa nitya-
nandakhya ramam saranam mamastu
May Sri Nityananda Prabhu be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Mahavisnu, Garbhodaksayi Visnu, and Ksirodaksayi Visnu, as well as Sesa are His expansions and the expansions of His expansions. That self same Nityananda Prabhu, is none other than Balarama Himself. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.7)
5. 3
mayatite vyapi-vaikuntha-loke
purnaisvarye sri catur-vyuha-madhye
rupam yasyodbhai sankarsanahyam
tam sri nityananda ramam prapadye
I surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, who is known as Sankarsana in the midst of the catur-vyuha [the fourfold manifestation of Visnu consisting of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha]. He possesses full opulences and resides in the spiritual world - Vaikunthaloka - far beyond the material creation. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.8)
5. 4
mayabhartajanda-sanghasrayangam
sete saksat karanambhodhimadhye
yasyaikamsam sri puman-adi-devas
tam sri nityananda ramam prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose partial representation called Karanodakasayi Visnu, lying on the Karana Ocean, is the original purusa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.9)
5. 5
yasyamsamsam srila garbhodasayi
yan-nabhyabjam lokasamghatanalam
lokasrasthumsutikadhama dhatus
tam sri nityananda-ramam prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, a partial part of whom is Garbhodaksayi Visnu. From the navel of Garbhodaksayi Visnu sprouts the lotus stem that is the birthplace of Brahma, the engineer of the universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets.(Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.10)
5. 6
yasyamsamsamsam paratmakhilanam
postha visnurbhati dugdhabdhisayi
ksaunirbhatayat kala so'pyanantas
tam sri nityananda ramam prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose secondary part os the Visnu lying in the ocean of milk. That Ksirodakasayi Visnu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universe. Sesa Naga is His further sub-part. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.11)

Baladeva is the original Sankarsana

5. 7
sri balarama-gosa-i mula-sankarsana
pa-ca rupa dhari' karena krsnera sevana
apane karena krsna-lilara sahara
srsthi-lila-karya kare dhari' cai kaya
Lord Balarama is the original Sankarsana. He assumes five other forms to srve Lord Krsna. He Himself helps in the pastimes of Lord Krsna, and He does the work of creation in four other forms. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 5.8 - 9)

The pastimes of Balarama and Nityananda are nondifferent

5. 8
prema-pracarana ara pasandadalana
dui karye avadhuta karena bhramana
For two purposes - to spread the cult of bhakti and to defeat and subdue the atheists - Lord Nityananda, the most dedicated devotee of the Lord, moved throughout the country. (Caitanya Caritamrta Antya 3.149)

The Glories of Nityananda Prabhu

5. 9
jagat mataya nitai premera malasate
palaya durdanta kali padiya vibhrate
ki sukhe bhasila jiva gauraca-dera nate
dekhiya suniya pasandira buk phate
[All glories to Nityananda Prabhu!] Maddened by ecstatic love of Godhead, overwhelmed the universe with ecstasy. He slapped his hands together like a warrior whois about to attack, and, upon seeing this, the wicked Kali fled in terror, fearing for his life. All souls were drowned in happiness because of the dancing of Sri Gauranga [and Nityananda]. Seeing such dancing, or even hearing of it, melts the hearts even of great atheists. (Gitavali, Nagara-kirtana, 8)
5. 10
jaya jaya nityananda, nityananda-rama
ya-hara krpate panu vrndavana-dhama
jaya jaya nityananda, jaya krpamaya
ya-ha haite painu rupa-sanatanasraya
ya-ha haite painu raghunatha mahasaya
ya-ha haite painu sri svarupanasraya
sanatana krpaya painu bhaktira siddhanta
sri rupa-krpaya painu bhakti-rasa-pranta
jaya jaya nityananda-caranaravinda
ya-ha haite painu sri radha-govinda
All glory, all glory to Lord Nityananda Balarama, by whose mercy I have attained shelter in the transcendental abode of Vrndavana. All glory, all glory to the merciful Lord Nityananda, by whose mercy I have attained shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana. By His mercy, I have attained the shelter of the great personality Sri Raghunaha dasa Goswami, and by His mercy I have found the refuge of Sri Svarupa Damodara. Byt the mercy of Sanatana Goswami I have learned the final conclusions of devotional service, and by the grace of Sri Rupa Goswami I have tasted the highest nectar of devotional service. All glory, all glory to the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, by whose mercy I have attained Sri Radha Govinda. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 5.200 - 204)

Nityananda is the savior of the most fallen

5. 11
jagai madhai haite mu-i se papistha
purisera kita haiter mu-i se laghistha
mora nama sune yei, ta'ra papa haya
emana nirghrna more keva krpakare
eka nityananda vinu jagat-bhitare
preme matta nityananda krpa-avatara
uttama, adhama, kicchu na kare vicara
ye age paduye ta're karaye nistara
ata eva nistarila mo-hena duracara
I am more sinful than Jagai and Madhai and even lower than the worms in the stool. Anyone who hears my name loses the results of his pious activities. Anyone who utters my name becomes sinful. Who in this world but Nityananda could show His mercy to such an abominable person as me? 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 5.205 - 209)

Freedom from anarthas and the desire for bhakti is strenghtened by the mercy of Nitai

5. 12
samsarera para hai' bhaktira sagare
ye dubibe se bhajuk nitai-ca-dere
One who would cross over the ocean of material existence and swim in the bhakti ocean should worship the lotus feet of Nityananda. (Caitanya Bhagavata Adi 1.77)

Nityananda is Sri Caitanya's foremost preacher

5. 13
caitanyera adi-bhakta nityananda-raya
caitanyera yaso vaise ya-hara jihvaya
aharnisa caitanyera katha prabhu kaya
ta-'re bhajile se caitanye bhakti haya
Sri Caitanya's first and foremost devotee is Nityananda Raya. The glories of Lord Sri Caitanya are always on his tongue. Day and night Lord Nityananda speaks only of Sri Caitanya. Whoever worships Him is a real devotee of Sri Caitanya.

Nityananda is mad about the service of Sri Caitanya

5. 14
nityananda-avadhuta sabate agala
caitanyera dasya-preme haila pagala
Sri Nityananda, the wandering mendicant, is the foremost of all the servants of Sri Caitanya. He is like the gateway through which all service to Sri Caitanya must pass. He became mad in the ecstasy of service to Sri Caitanya. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 6.48)

Those who have no faith that Gaura and Nitai
are inseparable are offenders and atheists.

5. 15
dui bhai eka tanu - samana-prakasa
nityananda na mana', tomara ha'be sarvanasa
ekete visvasa, anye nakara sammana
"ardha-kukkuti-nyaya" tomara pramana
These two brothers [Gaura and Nitai] are like one body; they are identical manifestations. If you do not believe in Lord Nityananda, you will fall down. If you have faith in one but disrespect the other, your logic is like the logic of accepting half a hen. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 5.175 - 176)

Faith in Gaura without Nitai, or Nitai without Gaura, is flickering faith: It stands in opposition to pure devotional service to Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

5. 16
kimva, don-ha na maniya hao ta' pasanda
eke mani are na mani - ei mata bhanda
It would be better to be an atheist by slighting both brothers than a hypocrite by believing in one and slighting the other. (Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 5.177)
Thus ends the fifth jewel of Gaudiya Kanthahara, entitled Nityananda-tattva.
 

Nityananda-tattva: the Nityananda principle page

GAUDIYA KANTHAHARA