Nityananda Line
Our Parampara in Pictures
Srimati Śarada Sundari Goswamini
Prabhupad Srila Prangopal Goswami
Prabhupad Srila Yadugopal Goswami
Srimati Gita Mata Goswamini
Prabhupad Srila Madangopal Goswami
Srila Prankrishna Das Babaji Maharaj
Prabhupad Srila Premgopal Goswami
Our Nityananda Line Parampara in Detail
Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu/Gauranga
Śrī Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the combined form of Rādhā and Krishna. He is also known as Gauranga – the Golden Avatar of Prema (Ecstatic Love). Śrī Rādhā is the complexion of nava gauracana, She wears a nilambara (blue) outfit, and She is 14 years, 2 months, 15 days old. Her character is vamya madhya and Her bhava is ujjvala prem. Śrī Krishna is the complexion of indivara (Sapphire), He wears a pitambara (yellow) dress and is 15 years, 9 months and 7 days old. His character is dhira lalita (the care free, expert lover who is controlled by the love of His beloved) and His bhava is ujjvala prem.
1. Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Srimati Jahnava Thakurani – The Head of our Dīkṣā Line
Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Srimati Jahnava Ma are both Ananga Mañjarī in Krishna līlā (Ananga Manjari is 12 years, 6 months, 15 days old). They are the origin of our dīkṣā line (aka Nityananda Parivar). Jahnava Ma is the head of our whole Gaudiya Vaiṣnava sampradaya. Ananga Mañjarī is the head of our guru pranali (mañjarī) line. Nityananda’s other wife, Vasudha Devi, is the origin of the Nityananda bloodline (aka Nityananda Vamśa). Our line is therefore a matriarchal one and dīkṣā is usually given by the wife of the Guru (In exceptional cases, if the wife dies young when her son is too young to receive dīkṣā, he may receive it from his father or grandmother). Śrī Jahnava Thakurani (dīkṣā line) & Śrī Vasudha Devi (Vamśa line, mother of Biracandra Prabhu and Ganga Mata Goswamini) were the two consorts of Sri Nityananda. The dīkṣā line is (usually) through the mother, the bloodline is traced through the father.
Sri Biracandra Prabhu
Bīracandra Prabhu is the son of Nityananda and Vasudha and the spiritual son (disciple) of Jahnava Ma. He is a second manifestation of Mahaprabhu as well as a manifestation of Kṣīrodakśāyī Viṣnu (the Supersoul in the heart). He is inconceivably both Viṣnu tattva and bhakta tattva (and therefore not easy to comprehend). He appeared during Kartik on the day of Radha Kunda aṣṭamī (aka Bahulāṣṭamī). He is the disciple as well as the adopted son of Jahnava Thakurani, the Gaudiya Vaiṣnava Ācārya after the disappearance of Nitai-Gauranga. (Ganga Mata Thakurani, the daughter of Nityananda and Vasudha, was Biracandra’s younger sister, Her husband name was Madhava Ācārya (aka Madhavananda) and from them comes the Ganga Mata branch of the Nityananda line).
2. Srimati Narayani Mata Goswamini (and Biracandra)
Śrīmatī Narayani Mata was the wife of Biracandra Prabhu and dīkṣā disciple of Jahnava Ma. Biracandra had two wives, Narayani and Śrīmatī Viṣnupriya. Biracandra and Śrīmatī Viṣnupriya had three sons, Gopijanavallhava, Ramakrishna and Ramacandra, and one daughter Bhuvana Mohini (according to some sources they had three daughters).
3. Srimati Govinda Priya Goswamini
3rd Śrī Govinda Priya was the wife of Ramacandra Goswami, the third son of Biracandra & Śrīmatī Viṣnupriya (He is not the same as Ramacandra the adopted son of Jahnava Ma, better known as Ramai Thakur, the author of Ananga Mañjarī Samputika)
4. Srimati Kadamba-mala Goswamini
4. Śrī Kadamba-mala Mata was the wife of Radha Madhav, son of Govinda Priya Mata and Ramacandra Goswami.
5. Srimati Navakumari Mata
Śrīmatī Navakumari Mata was the wife of Rajendra Goswami the son of Kadamba-mala & Radha Madhav.
6. Śrī Kalindi Mata
6. Śrī Kalindi Mata was the wife of Hari Govinda Goswami the son of Navakumari Mata and Rajendra Goswami.
7. Śrī Annapurna Mata
Śrī Annapurna Mata was the wife of Sarveśvar Goswami the son of Kalindi Mata and Hari Govinda Goswami.
8. Śrī Taramani Mata
Śrī Taramani Mata was the wife of Laxmikanta Goswami the son of Annapurna Mata and Sarveśvar Goswami.
9. Śrī Krishna Kishor Goswami
Śrī Krishna Kishor Goswami was the son of Taramani Mata and Laxmikanta Goswami Prabhu.
9. Śrīmati Kishori Mata
Śrīmati Kishori Mata was the wife of Krishna Kishor Goswami son of Tamarani and Laxmikanta Goswami.
10. Śrī Śarada Sundari Mata
10. Śrī Śarada Sundari Mata was the wife of Alakmohan Goswami son of Kishori Mata and Krishna Kishor Goswami.
11. Prabhupad Śrīla Prangopal Goswami
Śrī Prangopal Goswami was the son of Śarada Sundari & Alakmohan Goswami. Alakmohan’s wife was Sarojini Mata (who left the world early when Yadugopal was too young for dīkṣā).
12. Prabhupad Śrīla Yadugopal Goswami
Śrī Yadugopal Goswami was the son of Prangopal Goswami & Sarojini, and Husband of Gita Mata Goswamini. He is the dīkṣā guru of Prankrishna Baba (He left the world soon after giving young Prankrishna Baba dīkṣā and Madangopal Goswami became Prankrishna Baba’s main śikṣā Guru).
12. Śrī Gita Mata Goswamini
Śrī Gita Mata Goswamini was the wife of Yadugopal Goswami. She is the grandmother and dīkṣā guru of Premgopal Goswami.
13. Prabhupad Śrīla Madangopal Goswami
13. Śrī Madangopal Goswami was the son of Yadugopal Goswami and Gita Mata. He is the father, śikṣā and siddha pranali Guru of Premgopal Goswami, and the śikṣā and siddha pranali Guru of Prankrishna Baba.
14. Prabhupad Śrīla Nityagopal Goswami
Prabhupad Śrīla Nityagopal Goswami, elder son of Madangopal Goswami and older brother of Premgopal Goswami, married to Soma Devi. He is the father of Govindagopal Goswami (the next in line). (Nityagopal Goswami is referred to informally as boro prabhu or boro bhai).
14. Prabhupada Śrīla Premgopal Goswami
Prabhupada Śrīla Premgopal Goswami, our dīkṣā Guru, is the dīkṣā disciple of Gita Mata Goswamini. He is married to Upasana Devi (Respectfully addressed as Guru Ma) and is the father of Alankrita Devi. His father Madangopal Goswami is his śikṣā Guru. His śāstra (ācārya) Guru is Niṣitha Kumar Goswami, considered one of the greatest living Vaiṣnava scholars today. (Premgopal Goswami is referred to informally as chota prabhu or chota bhai).
15. Śrī Govindagopal Goswami
Śrī Govindagopal Goswami, the 15th generation descendant of Nityananda Prabhu, son of Nityagopal Goswami & Soma Devi (dīkṣā initiation by his mother, śikṣā by Nityagopal & Premgopal Goswamis).
(The mañjarī identities of the Gurus in the guru-praṇālī line above are revealed by one’s Guru at the time of receiving one’s siddha-praṇālī – mañjarī svarūpa identity, aka ekadaṣa bhāva).
Jay Nitai!
See also the website: http://www.anyor.nl/parampara.htm