Nityananda Prabhu blesses Raghava Pandit

 

 

07 Oct: Mahaprabhu ordered Nityananda Prabhu to take His Associates and leave Puri to preach pure devotion in Bengal. While wandering through Ganges valley, Nitai was attracted by Raghava Pandit’s pure devotional attitude and came to his house in Panihati. Along with Him came the three Ghosh brothers, Govinda, Madhava and Vasudeva, who were known for their ability as kirtaniyas. When they started singing, Nityananda fell into a trance-like state and started to dance. When He had finished dancing, he sat on the deities’ altar; Nityananda Prabhu’s entourage and Raghava Pandit performed an elaborate abhishek ceremony to honor Him. After the bathing ceremony, they dressed and garlanded Him, whereupon Nityananda sat down again on the deities’ throne while Raghava Pandit held the parasol.

 

At this moment, a miraculous event occurred. Nityananda Prabhu, still in a trance-like state, ordered Raghava Pandit to quickly bring him a garland of kadamba flowers. Raghava answered that kadamba trees were not yet in flower. Nityananda Prabhu told him to look around the grounds of his house and he would find the flowers. As Raghava searched, he was amazed to find kadamba flowers blossoming on a lime tree. He quickly picked the flowers and made a garland, which he placed around Nityananda’s neck.

 

A few moments later, the house was filled with the fragrance of damanaka flowers. Nityananda Prabhu said that Mahaprabhu Himself had come from Puri wearing a damanaka garland to hear the kirtan. Narahari Chakravarti Thakur mentions this dance and kirtan in his Bhakti-ratnakara.