Sri Nityanandashtakam

Verse 1
sarac candra bhrantim sphurad amala kantim gaja gatim
hari premonmattam dhrita parama sattvam smita mukham
sada ghurnan netram kara kalita vetram kali bhidam
bhaje nityanandam bhajana taru kandam niravadhi

sarat—autumn; candra—moon; bhrantim—appearance; sphurat—shining; amala—pure; kantim—splendor; gaja—of an elephant; gatim—graceful gait; hari—for Lord Hari; prema—with pure love; unmattam—maddened; dhrita—held; parama—supreme; sattvam—transcendental existence; smita—smiling; mukham—face; sada— always; ghurnat—rolling; netram—eyes; kara— in the hand; kalita—holding; vetram—staff; kali—the Kali yuga; bhidam—dispersing; bhaje—I worship; nityanandam—Lord Nityananda; bhajana—of devotional service; taru—of the tree; kandam—root; niravadhi—eternally

I eternally worship Lord Nityananda, the root of the tree of devotional service. He appears like the autumn moon, very splendid and free of any taint. Maddened with pure love for Lord Hari, He walks as gracefully as an elephant, and His eyes constantly roll about. He is the Absolute Truth, His face is smiling, and He disperses the influence of the Age of Kali with the staff in His hand.

Verse 2
rasanam-agaram svajana gana sarvasvam atulam
tadiyaika prana pratima vasudha jahnava patim
sada premonmadam param aviditam manda manasam
bhaje nityanandam bhajana taru kandam niravadhi

rasanam—of the mellows of devotional service; agaram— abode; svajana—of His own devotees; gana—of the multitude; sarvasvam—the be all and end all; atulam—without compare; tadiya—His own; eka—only; prana—life breath; pratima—personification; vasudha—Vasudhadevi; jahnava—Jahnavadevi; patim—lord; sada—always; prema—by pure love of Godhead; unmadam—maddened; param—supreme; aviditam—not known; manda—slow; manasam—by those whose minds are.

I eternally worship Lord Nityananda, the root of the tree of devotional service. He is the abode of the mellows of devotional service, no one can be compared to Him, and He is the be all and end all for His devotees. He is the Lord of Jahnava and Vasudha, who consider Lord Nityananda more dear than life. Because He is always maddened with pure love of Godhead, the unintelligent nondevotees cannot understand that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

Verse 3
saci sunu preshtham nikhila jagad ishtam sukha mayam
kalau majjaj jivoddharana karanoddama karunam
harer akhyanad va bhava jaladhi garvonnati haram
bhaje nityanandam bhajana taru kandam niravadhi

saci—of Sacidevi; sunu—son (Lord Caitanya); preshtham—most dear; nikhila—entire; jagat—by the universe; ishtam—worshiped; sukha mayam—happy; kalau—in the Kali yuga; majjat—immersed; jiva—conditioned souls; uddharana—rescue; karana—cause; uddama—great; karunam—mercy; hareh—of Lord Hari; akhyanat—by chanting the holy name; va—or; bhava—of material existence; jaladhi—of the ocean; garva—of the false ego; unnati—increase; haram—removing.

I eternally worship Lord Nityananda, the root of the tree of devotional service. He is worshiped by the entire universe and He is very dear to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the son of Sacidevi. He is very cheerful and out of His great mercy, He delivers the souls immersed in the Kali yuga. By chanting the holy name of Lord Hari, He removes the false ego born from the ocean of material life.

Verse 4
aye bhratar nrinam kali kalushinam kinnu bhavita
tatha prayascittam racaya yad anayasata ime
vrajanti tvam ittham saha bhagavata mantrayati yo
bhaje nityananda bhajana taru kandam niravadhi

aye—O; bhratah—brother; nrinam—of the people; kali—of the Kali yuga; kalushinam—full of the sins; kim nu—how much more?; bhavita—will be; tatha—in that way; prayascittam—with ease; racaya—make; yad—so that; anayasata—very easily; ime—these; vrajanti—go; tvam—to You; ittham—in this way; saha—with; bhagavata—the Lord; mantrayati—counsels; yah—who.

I eternally worship Lord Nityananda, the root of the tree of devotional service. He confers with Lord Caitanya, saying, “O brother, the people are all infected with all the sins of Kali yuga. How will they be able to atone for these sins? Please give them some means by which they will be able to easily approach You.”

Verse 5
yatheshtam re bhratah kuru hari hari dhvanam anisam
tato vah samsarambudhi tarana dayo mayi laget
idam bahu sphotair atati ratayan yah pratigriham
bhaje nityanandam bhajana taru kandam niravadhi

yatheshtam—as much as; re—O; bhratah—brother; kuru—please perform; hari hari—Hari Hari; dhvanam—sound; anisam—constantly; tatah—therefore; vah— of You; samsara—of material existence; ambudhi—of the ocean; tarana—the crossing; dayo—responsibility; mayi—to me; laget—confered; idasm—this; bahu— of the arms; sphotaih—raising; atati—walks; ratayan—shouting; yah—who; pratigriham—to every house.

I eternally worship Lord Nityananda, the root of the tree of devotional service. He goes to each house and raises His arms, saying: “O brother just constantly chant the holy names of Lord Hari. If you do this, I will be responsible to free you from the ocean of birth and death in the material world.”

Verse 6
balat samsarambhonidhi harana kumbhodbhavam aho
satam sreyah sindhunnati kumuda bandhum samuditam
khala sreni sphurjit timira hara surya prabhamaham
bhaje nityanandam bhajana taru kandam niravadhi

balat—forcibly; samsara—of material existence; ambhonidhi— of the ocean; harana—removing; kumbhodbhavam—Agastya Muni; aho—O; satam—of the saintly devotees; sreyah—of the welfare; sindhu—of the ocean; unnati—the increase; kumuda bandhum—the friend of the lotus flowers (the moon); samuditam—manifested; khala—crooked; sreni—group; sphurjit—dense; timira—darkness; hara—removal; surya—sun; prabham—splendor; aham— I.

I eternally worship Lord Nityananda, the root of the tree of devotional service. He is the Agastya Muni who forcibly swallows the ocean of material existence, and He is the rising full moon, which is the friend of the lotus flowers and which increases the ocean of the welfare of all saintly devotees. He is the blazing sun that removes the dense darkness of the community of crooked persons.

Verse 7
natantam gayantam harim anuvadantam pathi pathi
vrajantam pasyantam svam api na dayantam jana ganam
prakurvantam santam sakaruna drig antah prakalanad
bhaje nityanandam bhajana taru kandam niravadhi

natantam—dancing; gayantam—singing; harim—Hari; anuvadantam—repeatedly saying; pathipathi—in every road; vrajantam—going; pasyantam—seeing; svam api—own relative; na—not; dayantam—sympathizing; jana—of the people; ganam—multitude; prakurvantam— doing; santam—the saintly devotee; sa—with; karuna—mercy; drik—of the eyes; antah—corner; prakalanat— glances.

I eternally worship Lord Nityananda, the root of the tree of devotional service. He travels on every path, singing and dancing, and He constantly chants “Hari, Hari!” Without considering His own interests, He is merciful to the people, and He gives them His merciful sidelong glance.

Verse 8
suvibhranam bhratuh kara sarasijam komalataram
mitho vaktralokocchalita paramananda hridayam
bhramantam madhuryair ahaha! madayantam pura janan
bhaje nityanandam bhajana taru kandam niravadhi

suvibhranam—nicely holding; bhratuh—of the brother (Lord Caitanya); kara sarasijam—lotus hand; komalataram—very soft; mithah—together; vaktra—face; aloka—glance; ucchalita—overflows; parama—transcendental; ananda—bliss; hridayam—heart; bhramantam—wandering; madhuryaih—with sweetness; ahaha—O; madayantam—delighting; pura—of the towns; janan—the people.

I eternally worship Lord Nityananda, the root of the tree of devotional service. He holds the soft lotus hand of His brother, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and when They glance at each other’s lotus faces, Their hearts overflow with transcendental bliss. They wander throughout the towns and delight the people there with Their sweet beauty.

Verse 9
rasanam-adharam rasika vara sad vaishnava dhanam
rasagaram saram patita tati taram smaranatah
param nityanandashtakam idam apurvam pathati yas
tad anghri dvandvabjam sphuratu nitaram tasya hridaye

rasanam—of the mellows of devotional service; adharam— reservoir; rasika—expert at relishing the mellows of devotional service; vara—excellent; sat—pious; vaishnava—of the devotees of the Lord; dhanam—the wealth; rasa—of the sweet taste of devotional service; agaram—the abode; saram—the best; patita—of the fallen conditioned souls; tati—of the multitude; taram—the liberation; smaranatah—from remembering; param—transcendental; nityananda—Lord Nityananda; ashtakam—eight verses; idam—this glorification; apurvam—unprecedented; pathati—reads; yah— who; tat—His (Lord Nityananda’s); anghri—feet; dvandva—two; abjam—lotus; sphuratu—may be manifested; nitaram—constantly; tasya—his; hridaye—in the heart.

These eight verses glorifying Lord Nityananda are the abode of the mellows of devotional service, and they are the wealth of the pure devotees expert at relishing those mellows. All fallen, conditioned souls can get liberation just by remembering them. These verses are very excellent, transcendental, and unprecedented. May the two lotus feet of Lord Nityananda eternally appear in the hearts of those who read these verses and remember the Lord.

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