After offering my obeisances unto all the devotees of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, who are like bumblebees collecting honey from His lotus feet, I shall try to describe those who are the most prominent. (1) All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! Anyone who has taken shelter at His lotus feet is glorious. (2) All glories to Śrī Advaita Prabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu and all the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu! (3) Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is the topmost branch of the indestructible tree of eternal love of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I offer my respectful obeisances to all the subbranches of that topmost branch. (4)
Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is an extremely heavy branch of the Śrī Caitanya tree. From that branch grow many branches and subbranches. (5) Watered by the desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, these branches and subbranches have grown unlimitedly and covered the entire world with fruits and flowers. (6) These branches and subbranches of devotees are innumerable and unlimited. Who could count them? For my personal purification I shall try to enumerate only the most prominent among them. (7) After Nityānanda Prabhu, the greatest branch is Vīrabhadra Gosāñi, who also has innumerable branches and subbranches. It is not possible to describe them all. (8)
Although Vīrabhadra Gosāñi was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He presented Himself as a great devotee. And although the Supreme Godhead is transcendental to all Vedic injunctions, He strictly followed the Vedic rituals. (9) He is the main pillar in the hall of devotional service erected by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He knew within Himself that He acted as the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, but externally He was prideless. (10) It is by the glorious mercy of Śrī Vīrabhadra Gosāñi that people all over the world now have the chance to chant the names of Caitanya and Nityānanda. (11)
I therefore take shelter of the lotus feet of Vīrabhadra Gosāñi, so that by His mercy my great desire to write Śrī Caitanya- caritāmṛta will be properly guided. (12) Two devotees of Lord Caitanya named Śrī Rāmadāsa and Gadādhara dāsa always lived with Śrī Vīrabhadra Gosāñi. (13)When Nityānanda Prabhu was ordered to go to Bengal to preach, these two devotees [Śrī Rāmadāsa and Gadādhara dāsa] were ordered to go with Him. Thus they are sometimes counted among the devotees of Lord Caitanya and sometimes among the devotees of Lord Nityānanda. Similarly, Mādhava Ghoṣa and Vāsudeva Ghoṣa belonged to both groups of devotees simultaneously. (14-15)
Rāmadāsa, one of the chief branches, was full of fraternal love of Godhead. He made a flute from a stick with sixteen knots. (16) Srīla Gadādhara dāsa was always fully absorbed in ecstasy as a gopī. In his house Lord Nityānanda enacted the drama Dāna- keli. (17) Śrī Mādhava Ghoṣa was a principal performer of kīrtana. While he sang, Nityānanda Prabhu danced. (18) When Vāsudeva Ghoṣa described Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda while performing kīrtana, even wood and stone would melt upon hearing it. (19) There were many extraordinary activities performed by Murāri, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sometimes in his ecstasy he would slap the cheek of a tiger, and sometimes he would play with a venomous snake. (20)
All the associates of Lord Nityānanda were formerly cowherd boys in Vrajabhūmi. Their symbolic representations were the horns and sticks they carried, their cowherd dress and the peacock plumes on their heads. (21) The physician Raghunātha, also known as Upādhyāya, was so great a devotee that simply by seeing him one would awaken his dormant love of Godhead. (22) Sundarānanda, another branch of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, was Lord Nityānanda’s most intimate servant. Lord Nityānanda Prabhu perceived the life of Vrajabhūmi in his company. (23)
Kamalākara Pippalāi is said to have been the third gopāla. His behavior and love of Godhead were uncommon, and thus he is celebrated all over the world. (24) Sūryadāsa Sarakhela and his younger brother Kṛṣṇadāsa Sarakhela both possessed firm faith in Nityānanda Prabhu. They were a reservoir of love of Godhead. (25) Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita, the emblem of the most elevated devotional service in love of Godhead, had the greatest potency to receive and deliver such love. (26) Making Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda the Lords of his life, Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita sacrificed everything for the service of Lord Nityānanda, even the fellowship of his own family. (27)
The thirteenth important devotee of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu was Paṇḍita Purandara, who moved in the ocean of love of Godhead just like the Mandara Hill. (28) Parameśvara dāsa, said to be the fifth gopāla of kṛṣṇa- līlā, completely surrendered to the lotus feet of Nityānanda. Anyone who remembers his name, Parameśvara dāsa, will get love of Kṛṣṇa very easily. (29) Jagadīśa Paṇḍita, the fifteenth branch of Lord Nityānanda’s followers, was the deliverer of the entire world. Devotional love of Kṛṣṇa showered from him like torrents of rain. (30) The sixteenth dear servant of Nityānanda Prabhu was Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita. He was very much renounced and always merged in love of Kṛṣṇa. (31)
Maheśa Paṇḍita, the seventh of the twelve gopālas, was very liberal. In great love of Kṛṣṇa he danced to the beating of a kettledrum like a madman. (32) Puruṣottama Paṇḍita, a resident of Navadvīpa, was the eighth gopāla. He would become almost mad as soon as he heard the holy name of Nityānanda Prabhu. (33) Balarāma dāsa always fully tasted the nectar of love of Kṛṣṇa. Upon hearing the name of Nityānanda Prabhu, formerly cowherd boys in Vrajabhūmi. Their symbolic representations were the horns and sticks they carried, their cowherd dress and the peacock plumes on their heads. (21) The physician Raghunātha, also known as Upādhyāya, was so great a devotee that simply by seeing him one would awaken his dormant love of Godhead. (22)
Sundarānanda, another branch of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, was Lord Nityānanda’s most intimate servant. Lord Nityānanda Prabhu perceived the life of Vrajabhūmi in his company. (23) Kamalākara Pippalāi is said to have been the third gopāla. His behavior and love of Godhead were uncommon, and thus he is celebrated all over the world. (24) Sūryadāsa Sarakhela and his younger brother Kṛṣṇadāsa Sarakhela both possessed firm faith in Nityānanda Prabhu. They were a reservoir of love of Godhead. (25) Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita, the emblem of the most elevated devotional service in love of Godhead, had the greatest potency to receive and deliver such love. (26) Making Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda the Lords of his life, Gaurīdāsa Paṇḍita sacrificed everything for the service of Lord Nityānanda, even the fellowship of his own family. (27)
The thirteenth important devotee of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu was Paṇḍita Purandara, who moved in the ocean of love of Godhead just like the Mandara Hill. (28) Parameśvara dāsa, said to be the fifth gopāla of kṛṣṇa- līlā, completely surrendered to the lotus feet of Nityānanda. Anyone who remembers his name, Parameśvara dāsa, will get love of Kṛṣṇa very easily. (29) Jagadīśa Paṇḍita, the fifteenth branch of Lord Nityānanda’s followers, was the deliverer of the entire world. Devotional love of Kṛṣṇa showered from him like torrents of rain. (30) The sixteenth dear servant of Nityānanda Prabhu was Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita. He was very much renounced and always merged in love of Kṛṣṇa. (31)
Maheśa Paṇḍita, the seventh of the twelve gopālas, was very liberal. In great love of Kṛṣṇa he danced to the beating of a kettledrum like a madman. (32) Puruṣottama Paṇḍita, a resident of Navadvīpa, was the eighth gopāla. He would become almost mad as soon as he heard the holy name of Nityānanda Prabhu. (33) Balarāma dāsa always fully tasted the nectar of love of Kṛṣṇa. Upon hearing the name of Nityānanda Prabhu, Nakaḍi was the thirty- seventh, Mukunda the thirty- eighth, Sūrya the thirty- ninth, Mādhava the fortieth, Śrīdhara the forty- first, Rāmānanda the forty- second, Jagannātha the forty- third and Mahīdhara the forty- fourth. (48)
Śrīmanta was the forty- fifth, Gokula dāsa the forty- sixth, Hariharānanda the forty- seventh, Śivāi the forty- eighth, Nandāi the forty- ninth and Paramānanda the fiftieth. (49) Vasanta was the fifty- first, Navanī Hoḍa the fifty- second, Gopāla the fifty- third, Sanātana the fifty- fourth, Viṣṇāi the fifty- fifth, Kṛṣṇānanda the fifty- sixth and Sulocana the fifty- seventh. (50) The fifty- eighth great devotee of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu was Kaṁsāri Sena, the fifty- ninth was Rāmasena, the sixtieth was Rāmacandra Kavirāja, and the sixty- first, sixty- second and sixty- third were Govinda, Śrīraṅga and Mukunda, who were all physicians. (51) Among the devotees of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, Pītāmbara was the sixty- fourth, Mādhavācārya the sixty- fifth, Dāmodara dāsa the sixty- sixth, Śaṅkara the sixty- seventh, Mukunda the sixty- eighth, Jñāna dāsa the sixty- ninth and Manohara the seventieth. (52)
The dancer Gopāla was the seventy- first, Rāmabhadra the seventy- second, Gaurāṅga dāsa the seventy- third, Nṛsiṁha- caitanya the seventy- fourth and Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa the seventy- fifth. (53) Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, the son of Śrīmatī Nārāyaṇī, composed Śrī Caitanya- maṅgala [later known as Śrī Caitanya- bhāgavata]. (54) Śrīla Vyāsadeva described the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam. The Vyāsa of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Vṛndāvana dāsa. (55) Among all the branches of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Vīrabhadra Gosāñi was the topmost. His subbranches were unlimited. (56) No one can count the unlimited followers of Nityānanda Prabhu. I have mentioned some of them just for my self- purification. (57)
All these branches, the devotees of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, being full of ripened fruits of love of Kṛṣṇa, distributed these fruits to all they met, flooding them with love of Kṛṣṇa. (58) All these devotees had unlimited strength to deliver unobstructed, unceasing love of Kṛṣṇa. By their own strength they could offer anyone Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa. (59) Nakaḍi was the thirty- seventh, Mukunda the thirty- eighth, Sūrya the thirty- ninth, Mādhava the fortieth, Śrīdhara the forty- first, Rāmānanda the forty- second, Jagannātha the forty- third and Mahīdhara the forty- fourth. (48) Śrīmanta was the forty- fifth, Gokula dāsa the forty- sixth, Hariharānanda the forty- seventh, Śivāi the forty- eighth, Nandāi the forty- ninth and Paramānanda the fiftieth. (49)
Vasanta was the fifty- first, Navanī Hoḍa the fifty- second, Gopāla the fifty- third, Sanātana the fifty- fourth, Viṣṇāi the fifty- fifth, Kṛṣṇānanda the fifty- sixth and Sulocana the fifty- seventh. (50) The fifty- eighth great devotee of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu was Kaṁsāri Sena, the fifty- ninth was Rāmasena, the sixtieth was Rāmacandra Kavirāja, and the sixty- first, sixty- second and sixty- third were Govinda, Śrīraṅga and Mukunda, who were all physicians. (51) Among the devotees of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, Pītāmbara was the sixty- fourth, Mādhavācārya the sixty- fifth, Dāmodara dāsa the sixty- sixth, Śaṅkara the sixty- seventh, Mukunda the sixty- eighth, Jñāna dāsa the sixty- ninth and Manohara the seventieth. (52)
The dancer Gopāla was the seventy- first, Rāmabhadra the seventy- second, Gaurāṅga dāsa the seventy- third, Nṛsiṁha- caitanya the seventy- fourth and Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa the seventy- fifth. (53) Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, the son of Śrīmatī Nārāyaṇī, composed Śrī Caitanya- maṅgala [later known as Śrī Caitanya- bhāgavata]. (54) Śrīla Vyāsadeva described the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam. The Vyāsa of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Vṛndāvana dāsa. (55) Among all the branches of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Vīrabhadra Gosāñi was the topmost. His subbranches were unlimited. (56)
No one can count the unlimited followers of Nityānanda Prabhu. I have mentioned some of them just for my self- purification. (57) All these branches, the devotees of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, being full of ripened fruits of love of Kṛṣṇa, distributed these fruits to all they met, flooding them with love of Kṛṣṇa. (58) All these devotees had unlimited strength to deliver unobstructed, unceasing love of Kṛṣṇa. By their own strength they could offer anyone Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa. (59)
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