The painting you are viewing is entitled "Gaura-Nitai."

by Syamarani dasi





This painting was originally created for the Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha’s Janmastami Eve celebration in 1994. At that time it rode on one of the chariots during a procession through the decorated streets of Sri Krsna’s birthplace, Mathura, and was seen and revered by tens of thousands of enthusiastic onlookers. It then decorated the cover of Srila Narayana Maharaja’s translation and commentary of the Vedic literature Sri Siksastakam. Srila Narayana Maharaja also desired that it be placed in temples and homes as a worshipable deity, to decorate and ornament the hearts of devotees.

In the scene, Lord Gauranga and Lord Nityananda are dancing through the villages of Navadvipa, along with their associates Sri Advaita Acarya, Sri Gadadhara Pandita, Sri Srivasa Thakura, Sri Vrakresvara Pandita, and hundreds of thousands of other associates and followers.

The following quotes from the Vedic scriptures help us understand the glory of Gaura-Nitai, who, due to being Supreme Absolute Entities, are non-different from their authorized painted forms:

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Krsna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauda to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all. (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 1.2).

I worship the incarnations of mercy, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, whose arms extend to Their knees, whose complexions are a resplendent yellow and very enchanting like the hue of gold, who inaugurated the sankirtana movement, whose eyes are large like lotus petals, who nourish the entire universe, who appeared in the families of exalted brahmanas, who protect the yuga-dharma, and who bestow the highest auspiciousness upon the residents of the material world. (Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, Vrndavan dasa Thakura).

Sri Nityananda Gosani is directly Lord Balarama, and Advaita Acarya is the Personality of Godhead Himself. These two captains, with Their soldiers such as Srivasa Thakura, travel everywhere, chanting the holy name of the Lord. Lord Nityananda's very features indicate that He is the subduer of the unbelievers. All sins and unbelievers flee from the loud shouts of Advaita Acarya. Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya is the initiator of sankirtana [congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord]. One who worships Him through sankirtana is fortunate indeed. (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 3.74-77).