CC Adi 7.165 (1975)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 165
- nityānanda-gosāñe pāṭhāilā gauḍa-deśe
- teṅho bhakti pracārilā aśeṣa-viśeṣe
SYNONYMS
nityānanda—Lord Nityānanda; gosāñe—the ācārya; pāṭhāilā—was sent; gauḍa-deśe—in Bengal; teṅho—He; bhakti—devotional cult; pracārilā—preached; aśeṣa-viśeṣe—in a very extensive way.
TRANSLATION
As Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were sent toward Mathurā, so Nityānanda Prabhu was sent to Bengal to preach extensively the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
PURPORT
The name of Lord Nityānanda is very famous in Bengal. Of course, anyone who knows Lord Nityānanda knows Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also, but there are some misguided devotees who stress the importance of Lord Nityānanda more than that of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is not good. Nor should Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu be stressed more than Lord Nityānanda. The author of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, left his home because of his brother's stressing the importance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu over that of Nityānanda Prabhu. Actually, one should offer respect to the Pañca-tattva without such foolish discrimination, not considering Nityānanda Prabhu to be greater, Caitanya Mahāprabhu to be greater or Advaita Prabhu to be greater. The respect should be offered equally: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. All devotees of Lord Caitanya or Nityānanda are worshipable persons.