Maṅgalācaraṇa (Auspicious Invocation) –

jaya śrī-caitanya-canda, jaya prabhu nityānanda,
jayādvaita jaya gadādhara
śrīvāsādi bhakta jaya, jaya jagannāthālaya,
jaya navadvīpa dhāma-vara (1)

All glories to Śrī Caitanyacandra! All glories to Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu! All glories to Śrī Advaita Ācārya and Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita! All glories to Śrīvāsa and the other devotees! All glories to the house of Śrī Jagannātha Miśra! All glories to the topmost of holy abodes, Śrī Navadvīpa. (1)

prabhāta haila rātra, bhakta-gaṇa tule gātra,
śrī-gaura-nitāicāṅde ḍāke
bhakta-saha nityānanda, cale bhaji’ parānanda,
campā-haṭṭa paścātete rākhe (2)

All the devotees got up early in the morning, lovingly calling out the names of Śrī Gaura-Nitāi. Together with Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, they proceeded onwards from Campaka-haṭṭa, blissfully performing kīrtana. (2)

(Śrī Dvija Vāṇīnātha’s cherished desire –)

tathā haite vāṇīnātha, cale nityānanda-sātha,
bale,—“hena dina kabe pāba
nitāicāṅdera saṅge, parikramā kari’ raṅge,
māyāpure prabhu-gṛhe jāba” (3)

As they left Campaka-haṭṭa, Śrī Vāṇīnātha, also, accompanied Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. Śrī Vāṇīnātha thought, “When in my life will that day ever come that I blissfully go on parikramā with Śrī Nitāicāṅda to the house of Śrīman Mahāprabhu in Māyāpura?” (3)

Rātupura (Śrī Ṛtudvīpa)

dekhite-dekhite tabe, rātupura cale sabe,
dekhi’ sei nagarera śobhā
prabhu nityānanda bale, ṛtudvīpe āile ca’le,
ei sthāna ati manolobhā (4)

Very soon they arrived in Rātupura. Seeing the beauty of that village, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu said, “Now we have arrived in the supremely attractive Ṛtudvīpa. (4)

(Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu describes the beauty of Ṛtudvīpa –)

vṛkṣa saba nataśira, pavana bahaye dhīra,
kusuma phuṭeche cāribhita
bhṛṅgera jhaṅkāra rava, kusumera gandhāsava,
mātāya pathika-gaṇa-citta (5)

“Here, all the trees stand with their heads bowed down. The breeze blows gently, and flowers blossom in all directions. The humming of bees and the exquisite fragrance of flowers intoxicate the mind of travellers coming and going on the path.” (5)

(Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, who is Himself the tattva of Baladeva, becomes absorbed in Śrī Baladeva’s mood –)

balite-balite rāya, haila pāgalera prāya,
bale’—“śiṅgā āna śīghra-gati
vatsa-gaṇa jāya dūre, kānāi nidritapure,
ekhana nā āise śiśumati (6)

As He spoke, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu became completely absorbed in ecstatic emotions and began to speak like a madman, “Quickly bring My śiṅgā (an instrument made out of a horn)! The calves are going far away. Kānāi (Kṛṣṇa) is still sleeping at home. Child-like Kṛṣṇa has still not come. (6)

kothāya subala dāma, āmi ekā balarāma,
gocāraṇe jāite nā pāri”
‘kānāi’ ‘kānāi’ bali’, ḍāka chāḍe mahābalī,
lāpha māre hāta dui cāri (7)

“Subal, where are you!? Śrīdāma, where are you!? I cannot go alone to graze the cows.” Loudly shouting “Kānāi, Kānāi!” the extremely powerful Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu began to leap high into the air. (7)

(The devotees make an appeal at Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s lotus feet –)

se bhāva darśana kari’, bhakta-gaṇa tvarā kari’,
nivedaya nitā’yera pāya
ohe prabhu nityānanda, bhāi tava gauracandra,
nāhi ebe āchena hethāya (8)

Seeing His ecstatic emotions, the devotees immediately made a request at His lotus feet. “O Nityānanda Prabhu, Your brother Śrī Gauracandra is not here right now. (8)

(Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s state of ecstatic emotions in separation from Śrī Gaura –)

sannyāsa kariyā hari, gela nīlācalopari,
āmādera kāṅgāla kariyā”
tāhā śuni’ nityānanda, hailena nirānanda,
kāṅdi loṭe bhūmete paḍiyā (9)

“That Śrī Gaurahari has now taken sannyāsa and gone to Nīlācala, leaving us here like beggars.” Hearing this, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu became sad and began to weep and roll on the ground. (9)

“ki duḥkhe kānāi bhāi, āmā sabe chāḍi’ jāi,
sannyāsī haila nīlācale
e jīvana nā rākhiba, yamunāya jhāṅpa diba”,
bali’ acetana sei sthale (10)

Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu said, “For what unfortunate purpose has My brother Kānāi (Śrī Gaurahari) left us all, taken sannyāsa and gone to Nīlācala? Without Him I will not remain alive; I will jump in the Yamunā.” Saying this, He fell to the ground unconscious. (10)

nityānande mahābhāva, kari’ sabe anubhava,
harināma-saṅkīrtana kare
cāri-daṇḍa dina haila, nityānanda nā uṭhila,
bhakta saba gaura-gīta dhare (11)

Sensing Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s powerful ecstatic emotions, everyone started harināma- saṅkīrtana. When Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu did not arise, even after about four daṇḍas (one hour and thirty-six minutes), all the devotees began to sing the name of Śrī Gaura. (11)

Ṛtudvīpa, Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa of Vraja

gaurāṅgera nāma śuni’, nitāi uṭhe amani,
bale—ei rādhā-kuṇḍa-sthāna
hethā bhakta-saṅge kari’, aparāhne gaurahari,
karitena kīrtana-vidhāna (12)

Hearing the name of Śrī Gaurahari, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu got up and said, “This is Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Śrī Gaurahari used to perform kīrtana here in the afternoon with His devotees. (12)

(Darśana of Śrī Śyāma-kuṇḍa in Navadvīpa, which is the nondifferent from Vraja- maṇḍala –)

dekha śyāma-kuṇḍa-śobhā, jagajjana-manolobhā,
sakhī-gaṇa-kuñja nānā sthāne
hethā aparāhne gorā, saṅkīrtane ha’ye bhorā,
tuṣilena sabe prema-dāne (13)

“Behold the beauty of Śyāma-kuṇḍa, which attracts the minds of people throughout the universe. At the many nearby places are the groves of the sakhīs. Śrī Gaurahari used to come here at midday. Absorbed in chanting the holy names, He would make everyone joyful by distributing prema to them. (13)

(The supreme excellence of Śrī Ṛtudvīpa (Rādhā-kuṇḍa) and the result obtained from residing there –)

e sthāna samāna bhāi, tri-jagate nāhi pāi,
bhaktera bhajana-sthāna jāna
hethāya basati jāṅ’ra, prema-dhana lābha tāṅ’ra,
suśītala haya tāṅ’ra prāṇa (14)

“O brother, there is no place like this in the three worlds. Here devotees worship the Supreme Lord. A person who resides here attains the treasure of prema and his heart is thus soothed.” (14)

se-dina se-sthāne thāki’, śrī-gaurāṅga-nāma ḍāki’,
preme magna sarva bhakta-gaṇa
ṛtudvīpe sabe basi’, bhaje śrī-caitanya-śaśī,
rātra-dina karila yāpana (15)

That day all the devotees stayed in that place, continuously chanting Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu’s name and becoming drowned in prema. They spent the entire day and night in Ṛtudvīpa, worshipping Śrī Caitanyacandra. (15)

nācite-nācite tabe, nityāndanda cale jabe,
śrī-vidyānagare upanīta
vidyānagarera śobhā, muni-jana-manolobhā,
bhakta-gaṇa dekhi’ praphullita (16)

The next day Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu arrived in Śrī Vidyānagara, dancing all the way. When the devotees saw Vidyānagara’s beauty, which attracts even the minds of the sages, they all experienced the blossoming of great joy. (16)

(The author’s prayers for his desired service –)

nitāi-jāhnavā-pada, je janāra susampada,
se bhaktivinoda akiñcana
nadīyā-māhātmya gāya, dhari’ bhakta-jana pāya,
yāce mātra kṛṣṇa-bhakti-dhana (17)

The lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Jāhnavā-devī are the only treasure of this destitute Bhaktivinoda. Holding the lotus feet of the devotees, he sings this glorification of Nadiyā and begs only to have the wealth of śrī kṛṣṇa-bhakti. (17)

Thus Ends Chapter Twelve