Nityānanda
Nityānanda · nitya-ānanda, “the one of eternal bliss”
Nityānanda, whom the Bhavishya Purāṇa also calls Svāmī Nityānanda, is the son of Śukladatta, a brāhmaṇa of Śāntipura. The Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells that the eighth Vasu Prabhāsa, who is the aṃśa of Bhagavān Vishṇu as Dattātreya, descended by his aṃśa for the purification of Kali and was born as Nityānanda. Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejoiced to find him as a son, and Nityānanda bowed to the feet of Bhagavān Jagannātha and became his disciple. Ushāpati Bhagavān Aniruddha gave the two abhisheka and established them in the Mahattattva, and from that day their title on earth was Mahattva. The two guru-brothers told their disciples the glory of Bhagavān Jagannātha, and Nityānanda at last entered samādhi in Śāntipura.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapters 17, 21
His origin in Prabhāsa
Sūta tells Śaunaka what Devaguru Bṛhaspati told Devendra. Once Bhagavān Atri came with the pativratā Anasūyā to the bank of the Gaṅgā and entered samādhi in dhyāna. There Brahmā, Vishṇu and Maheśa came and said: “Ask a vara.” Atri Muni, absorbed in dhyāna of the Paramātmā, said nothing. The three, understanding his state, went to his wife Anasūyā Devī. The pativratā understood their intent to be otherwise and pronounced a śāpa that they should become her sons.
So the three became boys as sons of Atri: Brahmā as Candramā, Śaṅkara as Durvāsā and Vishṇu as Dattātreya. Later, in order, Candramā became the sixth Vasu named Soma, Durvāsā, aṃśa of Rudra, became the seventh Vasu named Pratyūsha, and Dattātreya, aṃśa of Vishṇu, became the eighth Vasu named Prabhāsa.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 17
His birth at Śāntipura
Sūta says that the three Vasus, hearing this from Bṛhaspati, descended on earth by their aṃśas for the purification of Kali. The eighth Vasu Prabhāsa was born in Śāntipura in the brāhmaṇa jāti, and he became famous as Nityānanda, son of Śukladatta.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 17
With Bhagavān Jagannātha
Sūta tells Śaunaka that Caitanya Mahāprabhu, hearing the words of Bhagavān Jagannātha, became his disciple and devoted to the path of the Veda. He was exceedingly glad to find Svāmī Nityānanda as a son, and Nityānanda too bowed to the feet of Bhagavān Jagannātha and became his disciple.
Ushāpati Bhagavān Aniruddha, pleased, gave abhisheka to the two and established them in the Mahattattva. From that day their title on earth was Mahattva.
The two guru-brothers, delighted, said to their disciples:
- Whoever here has darśana of Bhagavān Jagannātha, Ushāpati, of the lotus navel, will attain svarga.
- Whoever reverently takes the prasāda here will be a dvija learned in the Veda and wealthy for a crore of births.
- Whoever has darśana of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa near the Mārkaṇḍeya-vaṭa and bathes in the great Indradyumna-saras has no rebirth.
- Whoever hears this account with śraddhā and bhakti also gains the fruit of going to Jagannāthapurī.
Bhagavān Jagannātha said that these words were right, and withdrew at that very place.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 21
His samādhi
When the mleccha-yantras had been made fruitless, Nityānanda entered samādhi in Śāntipura. The text names with him Hari at Nadīhāpattana, Kabīra in Māgadha, Raidāsa at Kaliñjara and Sadhana in Naimishāraṇya, and it says that even today a great community of Vaishṇavas is present there.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 21
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapters 17, 21