Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj outlines the greatness of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s mercy.
By the grace of Nityānanda, we may have our attraction to Śrī Gaurāṅga, and if we get the grace of Gaurāṅga, we get everything to the highest degree, safely. If we avoid Gaurāṅga and go directly towards Rādhā and Govinda, there is much difficulty. They Themselves, Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa, have come as Gaurāṅga to recruit us. So, the safest way is to follow Gaurāṅga. If we avoid Him and try to achieve Them by some other way, that will be, by nature, more or less artificial and defective.
Nityānanda Prabhu’s mercy sometimes exceeds that of Śrī Chaitanyadev. Chaitanyadev sometimes cannot accept the fallen: if a bad precedent may be created by doing so, then He cannot accept them. So, He has to consider someone’s status and position, and other things. But Nityānanda Prabhu’s mercy does not care for any unfavourable circumstances. It is so lavish and blind. It does not differentiate between sinners of different degrees. It is all-embracing. And Mahāprabhu cannot dismiss Nityānanda Prabhu’s recommendation. This is the connection we are given to understand: Nityānanda Prabhu gave shelter even to those whom Mahāprabhu rejected, and gradually Mahāprabhu had to accept them. So, the magnitude and circumference of Nityānanda’s grace is the greatest. For us, the most fallen souls, that is our solace.
Reference
Spoken 8 January 1984.