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