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sent by bhaktin Erica
Krsna’s nurse, Ambika, who fed Krsna with her breast milk became Malini devi, the wife of Srivasa Pandita in Gaura-lila. Ambika’s younger sister, Kilimbika, became Narayani, the niece of Srivasa Pandita and the mother of Vrndavana dasa Thakura. [1]
Malini devi was a very close friend of Sri Sacidevi and was always very helpful to her. She was always very affectionate towards Lord Caitanya, nurturing him and caring for him. She and Sacidevi were of one mind in doing this. Both she and her husband were filled with parental affection for Lord Caitanya and were just like a mother and father to Him. Malini devi was among several women, including the wife of Candrasekhara Acarya, who came in great happiness to worship Lord Caitanya after his birth. [2] In the Madhya-lila of the Caitanya Caritamrta, it is mentioned that Srivasa Pandita invited Lord Caitanya for lunch and that “The Lord’s favorite vegetables were cooked by Malinidevi, the wife of Srivasa Thakura. She devotedly considered herself a maidservant of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but in affection she was just like a mother.” [3]
Lord Nityananda’s pastimes with Malini devi and her husband [4]
Lord Nityananda Prabhu resided in Srivasa Pandita’s house and constantly exhibited the mood of a young boy. When He sat down to eat, He would not feed Himself, but acted like a young boy. Thus Malini, Srivasa Pandita’s wife, would have to feed Him.
Lord Nityananda was residing in the house of Srivasa Pandita, whom he loved and respected as His father. Lord Nityananda was continually manifesting the mood of a little child and often drank the breast milk of Malini, the wife of Srivasa.
Malini’s breasts had long dried up, but upon Nityananda’s touch, milk again flowed from her breast. She was amazed at such miraculous happenings. Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered her not to reveal this to anyone and everyday she saw Nityananda’s child-like behavior.
Nityananda would not even eat with His own hands, so Malini had to feed Him. Malini, the chaste and righteous wife of Srivasa Pandita could sense Nityananda’s inner feelings and so she served Him like a mother to a son.
One day, a crow stole a small bell metal container and flew away out of sight, upsetting Malini devi. The crow suddenly returned, but without the container. Malini devi could well guess her husband’s reaction if he were to see that the ghee vessel of Krsna was missing; his temper was nothing short of a thunderstorm. She felt helpless and began to weep.
Just then, Nityananda came by and saw the tears streaking down Malini devi’s eyes. Smiling, he asked, “Why are you crying? Tell me the cause of your distress? I will take care of everything.”
Malini devi tearfully replied, “O listen Goswami, a crow flew away with the ghee vessel, who knows where. Nityananda assured her, “Mother, kindly stop weeping and worrying. I will surely get Your vessel back.”
The Lord spoke to the crow smiling pleasantly, “O crow, go and bring back the vessel quickly.” Nityananda resides in everyone’s heart. Who has the power to disobey His orders? The crow immediately flew off, followed by the distraught eyes of Malini devi. Returning soon with the vessel in its beak, the crow put it near Malini devi. From this incident, Malini devi could very well understand the extraordinary potency of Nityananda.
Swooning with ecstasy, she began offering prayers to the Lord, “For He who can bring back to life, from the custody of Yamaraja, the dead son of His guru and for He who maintains this cosmic manifestation, what is so wonderful in bringing back a small vessel from a crow? Upon His head rests the unlimited creation and He does not even feel its weight whilst performing His pastimes. Just chanting His name destroys the endless ocean of nescience. To influence a crow to return a small vessel it had stolen is not an extraordinary deed for Him.”
“In the past, as Laksmana, You were guarding Sita Devi while living in the forest, yet you only looked at her feet and no other part of her body. Your powerful arrows later defeated and exterminated the entire demon family of Ravana, and so winning back this small vessel is indeed an insignificant deed.“
“At whose lotus feet the River Yamuna devi, begged forgiveness and offered chosen prayers in glorification, and for He, who has the potency to maintain the fourteen worlds, what marvel is it for Him to get back a small vessel from a crow? Yet, none of Your activities can be diminished since all of Your activities, however easy and small they may seem, are transcendental and the Absolute Truth. This is the clear verdict of the Vedas.”
Nityananda smiled as He listened to her prayers and remarked in His child-like manner, “I want to eat.” Whenever Malini devi saw Nityananda, milk would ooze from her breasts out of spiritual parental love and Nityananda would fulfill her spiritual desires by suckling upon her breast like a small child. These are some of the inconceivable pastimes of Nityananda. My capacity to describe them is limited; fortunately, the pastimes of the Lord are already widely known all over the world.
References:
1. Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika 90 & Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 10.8
2. Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 13.110
3. Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 16.57
4. Excerpted from the Caitanya Bhagavata by Vrndavana dasa Thakura. This episode is also told in the Sri Nityananda Caritamrta also by Vrndanva dasa Thakura.
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