Poem: Nityananda

APPEARING LIKE THE AUTUMN MOON

THE ROOT OF BHAKTI VRKSHA

FAULTLESS AVADHUTA BRAHMIN

SHARING PRICELESS SHIKSHA

EYES THAT ROLL IN ECSTACY

WITH LIMBS THAT MOVE IN GRACE

THIS MADDENED ELEPHANT OF LOVE

THE JACKALS' HE'LL DISPLACE.

DANDA IN HIS HANDS SO STRONG

HIS SMILE BEAMS CLEAR AND BRIGHT

KALI RUNS. DESERTS HIS GUNS.

WHEN NITAI COMES IN SIGHT.

BHAKTI IS HIS SECOND NAME

BHAKTI IS HIS FIRST

IF ONE SHOULD BE COMPARED TO HIM

HE FINDS HIMSELF THE WORST.

BHAKTI'S MELLOWS FIND THEIR ESSENCE

DEEP WITHIN HIS HEART

ALL THE BHAKTAS LONG TO BE THERE

NEVER TO DEPART.

MATA JAHNAVA, FORTUNES GODDESS

LOVES HIM TO PERFECTION.

WHILE THOSE DECRYING, OR DENYING 

PLAINLY LOSE CONNECTION.

EVER CHANTING KRSNA'S NAMES

WITH CHEERFUL COUNTENANCE

DISENGAGING EGOTISTS

FROM KALI'S SONG AND DANCE

OUR UNIVERSE BOWS DOWN IN AWE

THE ROOT OF ALL THAT'S TRUE.

SRI SACI'S SON IN TURN ADORES

THE ONE WHO'SE DRESSED IN BLUE.

HE BEGS CHAITANYA ,"BROTHER DEAR,

PLEASE SAVE ALL HUMANKIND

FOR KALI YUGAS' POISONED DART

INFECTS EACH HEART AND MIND".

"HOW WILL THEY ALL ATONE FOR ALL

THEY'VE SAID AND ALL THEY'VE DONE

PLEASE OFFER SOME SOLUTION

MAKE KALI'S KNOT UNDONE"

GAURA DID INSTRUCT HIS BROTHER

"WITH ALL HUMILITY.

GO TO EACH AND EVERY HOME

AND TRY TO SET THEM FREE"

AND SO WITH ARMS RAISED SKYWARD

HE CAME TO EVERY DOOR

AND BEGGED THEM "CHANT LORD HARI'S NAME

FOR HE'S WHAT LIFE IS FOR"

HE CRIED "I BEG YOU ONE MORE THING

BEFORE I WILL DEPART

THE PEARL OF LIBERATION

HID WITHIN YOUR DEEPEST HEART

PRAY GIVE IT GLADLY TO ME

AND THEN I'LL GO AWAY

LIKE THIS, WITH THAKUR HARIDAS

THEY PASSED THE NIGHT AND DAY.

LIKE TOO, AGASTYA MUNI

WHO DRANK A DEMON'S OCEAN.

YOU DRINK THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE

WHILE THIRSTING FOR DEVOTION

YOU ARE THE SAINTLY'S WELFARE.

THE DEMON'S HOPE AS WELL.

YOUR SUN-LIKE HEART DESTROYS THE DARK

WHERE DEMON'S CARE TO DWELL.

ON EVERY PATH. 'PON EVERY STREET

HE SWEETLY CHANTS AND DANCES

WITHOUT ASSESSING GOOD OR BAD

HE CASTS HIS SIDELONG GLANCES.

DEVOID OF SELFISH INTEREST

HIS ARDOUR NEVER SLOWS.

WITH HARI'S NAME UPON HIS LIPS.

HIS KINDNESS OVER-FLOWS.

I WORSHIP LORD NITYANANDA

WHO'SE GREAT TREE OF DEVOTION

HAVE ROOTS THAT ARE UNLIMITED

BEYOND OUR MUNDANE NOTION

SOMETIMES THOSE PERFECT BROTHERS

WOULD WANDER THROUGH BENGAL

ALL ALL THE FOLK WHO SAW THEM

WERE THRILLED DOWN TO THE SOUL

TO SEE THEIR HANDS UNITED.

TO SEE THEIR LOOKS SUBLIME

WOULD SOFTEN THE STONEHEARTED

THEN WHY NOT THIS HEART OF MINE?