From Raghav Pandit’s Panihati to Bhagavata Acharyya’s Barahanagar– Eternal Lila of Sri Sri GourSundar

Sri Sri RadhaRamano Jayati
(Bhaja) Nitai Gour Radhey Shyam
(Japa) Hare Krishna Hare Ram

Two weeks ago, on the 16th of March, 2007, the Gaudiya Vaishnavas in Bengal observed a festival celebrating Mahaprabhu's eternal lila of coming from Raghava Pandit's house at Sripat Panihati to Sri Pathbari at Barahanagar to hear Srila Bhagavat Acharyya's Srimad Bhagavat Path (recitation).

On 15th Chaitra 1341 BS., krishna dashami, Sri Sri Mahaprabhu touched his foot prints at Raghav Bhavan, Panihati. The next day (ekadashi), after revealing the secret tattva of Sri Nitai to Raghava Pandit under the Banyan tree on the bank of the Suradhuni (Ganges), the Lord sang Kirtans round the clock.

On the following day, (17th Chaitra, dwadashi tithi) Sri Sri Mahaprabhu went from Raghav Bhavan to Barahanagar Pathbari, the place of Bhagavat Acharyya.

This year also Mahaprabhu accompanied the devotees from Raghava Bhavan in a well-decorated boat on the Ganges. Devotees performed continuous Kirtan with musical instruments to entertain the Lord on his journey. From the Pathbari of Sri Bhagavat Acharyya, a huge crowd of devotees along with many saints went towards the bank of the Ganges with a decorated throne to welcome Mahaprabhu at their door. All the way the devotees danced with great joy, singing loudly “Gour Haribol,” and “Jay Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki Jay.”

The devotees then led Mahaprabhu from his boat to the throne they had brought for him. The big sankirtan possession then began to march towards Sri Path Bari. All the devotees were dancing and singing joyfully while bringing Gour from the bank of Ganga to Sri PathBari. This is the place where Sri Mahaprabhu danced continuously for 9 hours about 500 years ago. The saints of Pathbari gave a gala reception to their beloved Gour. The devotees were singing

Panihati gram dhanya kore
Gour aila Barahanagare

After making Panihati Village glorious
Sri Gouranga came to Barahanagar

After offering Bhoga Arati to Sriman Mahaprabhu in the evening, Nityananda Prabhu's descendant Prabhupada Sri Birachand Goswami delivered a lecture on the Gopi Geet from Srimad Bhagavatam and described the significance of the day's events. Afterwards, sadhus from Pathbari performed Kirtan into the night.

The next morning the 24 Prahar Nam Yajna was begun and Malsa Bhog was offered to the 64 Mahantas. Thousands of fortunate devotees attended the festival commemorating Mahaprabhu's stay at Pathbari, which concluded with the taking of Prasad.

Jay Nitai Jay GourHari
Vishnupriya Prananatha Nadiya Bihari

Financed by Nitai Chand

Before the time of Dada Mahashay (Sri Radharaman Charan Das Dev) the care and management Jagannath Dev's Mandir was "out of gear." So on the occasion of one Ratha Yatra six days had passed and the ratha still hadn't reached Gundica Mandir. Since it was not possible for Jagannath Dev to eat His usual bhoga, Dada Mahasay felt pained at heart. One morning Dada came for darshan of Jagannath and the panda doing His service gave Dada Mahashay His datun (toothbrush). Upon receiving this prasad the sattvika bhavas appeared all over his body and there was no end to his happiness. He asked Sakhi Maharani (Lalita Sakhi Dasi) to clean out a room adjoining the temple room in Jhanjpita Math. They installed the datun and began to serve it bhoga in earthen pots in the same fashion as in Jaganatha's Temple. The following day he received the toothbrush of Subhadra, and the day after the toothbrush of Baladev which he also had installed. After leaving Gundica Mandir the ratha got stuck for a number of days and again Jagannath was unable to eat properly. The beggars who depended on Jagannatha's free mahaprasad were also without food. Dada Mahashay's kind heart could not bear to see this so he made arrangements in the math to feed them. Someone asked how it was possible to feed two to three hundred people each morning and evening. How is it financed? Dada Mahasay said, "the financier is Nitai Chand. I don't know how He manages. Everyday we find we have exactly enough provisions to feed whoever comes."

A number of days passed in this way and then Sakhi Ma noted that they were all out of money and provisions for the next day. She brought this to the attention of Dada Mahasay and said, "we don't have the funds to make the necessary purchases today, I don't know how we are going to feed the people tomorrow."

Dada Mahasay: "Why tell me about this. It's not my show. Why not go and tell Them who are running the show?"

Sakhi Ma: "I tell you because I see you. I do not see anyone else. You are directly perceived, others are inferred. Why should I leave perception and run after inference?"

Dada Mahasay: "I also say that you should abide by perception, not by inference. But you are mistaken when you think you know me by perception. What you perceive is not me but my body. When I die my body will remain, but you will not see me. You will infer from the dead body that I am gone, while the body remains. It will then be clear that you know me by inference, not by perception. You are also mistaken when you think you know the One Who is the very condition and support of all knowledge and existence by inference. We do not need any inference to know Him. We know Him directly and intuitively."

Sakhi Ma: "Then tell me what I should say, and to whom."

Dada Mahasay: "I told you many times that Sri Murti is real and eternal. Go to the temple and say to Nitai, "In your ashram, so many people are being fed
every day. We have no money to purchase provisions for tomorrow. Now you do what you like."

Sakhi Ma did likewise. After about 20 minutes Dada Mahashay called her. She saw that there were rupee coins piled up before him, and that an ordinary looking person was sitting by his side. Dada asked him what for he was giving that money. He replied, "I came to know you were short of funds, so I am giving this small amount. I wish I could give more, but I am a poor man and this is all I can afford."

Dada Mahasay said to Sakhi Ma, "See how kind is Nitai Chand, he listened to your request."

Sakhi Ma was suprised. She began to curse herself for her lack of faith. With tears in her eyes she said, "I did not make the request with faith. I was rather angry with you to see your indifference and was worried to think what would happen tomorrow. I only repeated before Nitai Chand what you said in sheer obedience to you."

Dada Mahashay replied, "Now you see, if this can be the result of a request made to Nitai Chand without faith, what can be achieved by faith? Man suffers only for want of faith. Nitai Chand is very kind. He administers to all our needs even without our prayer if only we have faith in Him and depend entirely upon Him."

Nitai at Srivas Pandit's House

In honor of Srivas Pandit and his wife Malini Devi on his appearance day.


Nityananda prabhu used to stay in the house of Srivas Pandit. He loved Srivas and Malini Devi like a father and mother, and they loved him as a son. Nitai always played in their home like an innocent child.

Nitai refused to eat unless Malini fed him with her own hands. Sometimes, in the mood of a child, Nitai would sit in Malini Devi's lap and drink milk from her breast. Malini Devi had long passed the age when nursing was possible, but at Nityananda's touch milk again flowed. She was amazed by this miracle. Sri Caitanya ordered her not to reveal it to anyone.


One day Visvambhara, Nitai, Gadadhara, Srivasa and Haridasa were sitting together in Srivasa's house. Visvambhara said to Nitai, "Listen Nityananda! Do not act recklessly and cause trouble to Srivas and his family."

Nitai countered, "O Kanu! Unlike you, I am never reckless. You will not find anyone as well-behaved as me!"

"I know your recklessness very well!"

"Then explain my shortcomings."

Visvambhara smiled. "Oh, so you want to know all your faults? It seems you incarnated just to shower rice about the room!"

"Only a madman would do such a thing... not I! This accusation of yours is just an excuse to stop feeding me. You want to eat everything yourself! That's fine with me, but why defame me in front of everybody?"

"I feel embarassed by your misconduct, so I'm trying to correct you."

"Oh yes! You must always teach me when you see me misbehaving. You are correct - I am guilty indeed!"

Nitai laughed joyfully as he merged into the great ocean of ecstatic love. Taking the cloth from his waist and tying it on his head, he danced like a maddened lion.

Visvambhara held Nityananda and said, "What are you doing? This is certainly not what I meant when I asked you to behave. One minute you tell me that you are not a madman, but the next minute you contradict yourself!"

But what effect could words have on Nitai who had plunged in the ocean of prema, floating this way and that on waves of ecstasy? Visvambhara had to bring a cloth and dress Nitai with his own hands.

Source: Sri Caitanya Bhagavat of Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur
Photos: Nityananda Prabhu and Malini Devi at Srivas Angan, Sri Nabadwip Dham