“Certainly not, certainly not, certainly not.” What is that “certainly not”?

[krsna]

harer näma harer näma

harer nämaiva kevalam

kalau nästy eva nästy eva

nästy eva gatir anyathä

(Chaitanya Charitamritam. Ädi-lila 17:21)

 

 

Kalau means “in this age.” Nästy eva, nästy eva, nästy eva—three times nästy eva. Eva means “certainly,” and nästi means “not.” “Certainly not, certainly not, certainly not.” What is that “certainly not”?

 

One cannot realize oneself by karma. That is the first “certainly not.” One cannot realize oneself by jïäna. That is the second “certainly not.” One cannot realize oneself by yoga. Certainly not. Kalau. Kalau means “in this age.” Kalau nästy eva nästy eva nästy eva gatir anyathä. In this age one certainly cannot achieve success by any of these three methods.

 

Then what is the recommended process? Harer näma harer näma harer nämaiva kevalam [Cc. Ädi 17.21]. Simply chant the Hare Krsna mantra. Kevalam means “only.”

 

Simply chant Hare Krsna. It is the easiest and most sublime process. This is recommended, practical, and authorized. So take it. Accept it in any condition of life. Chant. There is no expenditure, there is no loss. We are not chanting a secret. No. It is open.

And by chanting you will cleanse your heart.

 

(Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Science of Self Realization: ch. 8 "Attaining Perfection".)

[Sephiroth]

One cannot realize oneself by karma. That is the first “certainly not.”

One cannot realize oneself by jïäna. That is the second “certainly not.”

One cannot realize oneself by yoga. Certainly not.

 

Kalau. Kalau means “in this age.” Kalau nästy eva nästy eva nästy eva gatir anyathä. In this age one certainly cannot achieve success by any of these three methods.

 

 

Isn't this against Bhavagad Gita which preachs karma, jnana and yoga?

[Guest guest]

 

Isn't this against Bhavagad Gita which preachs karma, jnana and yoga?

 

I thought so too I thought other forms than Bhakti are said to harder, but not impossible.

[theist]

Maybe there are a few extremely rare souls who are here finishing up their jnana and mystic yoga practice and are coming to realize Krsna after many many lifetimes of such practice. But they aren't the ones that we know about. They are not on the traveling guru circuit with their traveling "I am God" sideshow or opening the hatha-yoga for a firmer ass studio on the corner.

 

Think a bit of what it takes. In the hatha-yoga pradipika it is instructed that one practice his asana's three times a day. And that just to prepare the physical body and it's organs to withstand the movements of kundalini once one has become adept at the prana-yama which takes place seriously once the body is made fit by asana's.

 

And who has the clarity of intelligence to distinquish matter from spirit let alone conquer all attachments and identification with that matter.

 

Let's be honest and serious in our appraisals of ourselves. We are helpless losers who have no chance. But this acknowlgement can be our greatest asset. It helps us see we have no other way, no other way, no other way but by the Lord's mercy, which we simultaneously call for and receive in the form of the Hare Krsna mantra.

 

Krsna explained other yoga systems to Arjuna who admitted they seemed more difficult to him then controlling the wind. Krsna then told him to just surrender to Him the Supreme Person and He would give Him all shelter.

 

We want to follow Arjuna's example in that.

[gHari]

During the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna gave instructions for a process that takes the conditioned soul from whatever state it is in, back to Him, back to Godhead.

 

Sometimes children of God will crawl, sometimes they will walk or jog, and sometimes they will run flat out to Krishna depending on their current state of attachment to the world and its glamour. They are all moving toward Krsna, some are just moving faster depending on their development, on their desire. Crawling eventually makes walking easier, as walking makes jogging possible. Eventually the unattached athlete can run to Krsna. Karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, and astanga-yoga move us forward, but it is eventually Hari nama bhakti yuga-dharma that makes us run to Krsna.

 

He reaches out to us all, and we follow according to our capacity. No pain, no gain. Finally fit, eventually we run to Krsna, for there is nothing else for us.

[gHari]

Excerpt from "Renunciation Through Wisdom":

 

In the Bhagavad-gItA (6.47) Lord KRSNa says,

And of all yogIs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me--he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.

The fruitive workers cannot be counted among the yogIs. The actual yogIs are the karma-yogIs, the jJAna-yogIs, the aSTAGga-yogIs, and the bhakti-yogIs. Factually they are the same, although named differently. The yogic process is like a ladder one ascends gradually toward the final goal of the Absolute Truth. NiSkAma-karma, or renunciation of the fruits of one's labor, is the first step on this ladder. When knowledge and austerity are added to it, it becomes jJAna-yoga, the second step in this ladder. And when meditation on the Supreme is added to jJAna-yoga, the third step is reached, namely aSTAGga-yoga. Finally, when loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord is practiced along with aSTAGga-yoga, it is transformed into bhakti-yoga. This entire successive process is yoga. For an exact and clear delineation of the subject of yoga, all four steps need to be explained separately. Those who desire the best for humanity take to the path of yoga. The process for progressing in yoga requires, first, determination and strict execution of discipline at each stage. When a person is firmly situated at one stage, he then has to relinquish attachment and adherence to the practices of that stage in order to elevate himself to the next higher stage. Those who cannot reach the top for some reason and get stuck at any one of the four stages acquire the designation of that particular stage. Thus there are karma-yogIs, jJAna-yogIs, aSTAGga-yogIs, and bhakta-yogIs. Lord KRSNa instructs Arjuna that one who renders loving devotional service to Him, the Supreme Lord, is the highest among all yogIs, and that Arjuna should thus strive to become such a bhakti-yogI.

 

The successive, step-by-step spiritual path is not the same as step-by-step progress in the material world. In the mundane process the rules of progress are strict and cannot be transgressed. If one wants to acquire a doctorate at a university, he has to begin from the elementary school level and gradually work upwards. It is impossible to go directly to the university without prior schooling. In spiritual life, however, although there are strict regulations, by the Supreme Lord's grace one can bypass many intermediary stages and reach the top, or "doctorate" level. One can attain this divine grace by intimate and constant association with the Supreme Lord. And such intimate association with the Lord comes about through confidential exchanges with a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. Everyone of us is intimately and eternally related to the Supreme Lord, but due to the bad influence of mAyA we have forgotten our relationship with Him.

 

The living entities are like sons of the Lord, and as such they are rightful heirs to the great wealth of their rich father. But because of the reactions to sins committed in previous lives, they are roaming about without a home, suffering acute poverty. That the living entities are suffering is quite clear to all. But they do not know who their wealthy father is or where they can go to reclaim their valuable inheritance. Without proper knowledge, they are trying in vain to escape from their poverty while aimlessly roaming about like poor beggars. They meet many who promise to help them, but in the end such helpers turn out to be beggars themselves. A few among these strangers seem rich and prosperous, but the directions they give do not lead to the father's house, and so the living entities' poverty knows no end. The wealthy strangers suggest many paths, such as karma, jJAna, or dhyAna, but the problem of poverty remains unsolved. The living entities can escape their poverty only by learning and practicing the science of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Caitanya MahAprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the source of all incarnations, explained the science of devotional service to SrIla RUpa GosvAmI at PrayAga (Allahabad). These instructions are the crest jewel of teachings for all humanity. In SrI Caitanya-caritAmRta (Madhya 19.151), the Lord says,

 

According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down to the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Lord KRSNa. By the mercy of both Lord KRSNa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.

 

By the mercy of Lord KRSNa, this seed of devotion is available in the Bhagavad-gItA. Only one who is able to receive this devotional seed can understand the purport of the Bhagavad-gItA. Otherwise, simply repeatedly reading the Bhagavad-gItA and discussing its teachings will not produce any results.

 

In the Bhagavad-gItA, Lord KRSNa Himself reveals the truth about Himself. When an ordinary mortal writes an autobiography, he receives many accolades, but when the Supreme Lord writes about Himself, we unfortunately do not fully believe in His words. Furthermore, we overlook the cardinal issues in His writings and quibble over lesser subjects, trying to magnify them by giving them concocted connotations and meanings. This practice is stretched to such absurdity that the original meaning is lost and the lop-sided conclusions attract only ridicule from readers. <B>In the Bhagavad-gItA Lord KRSNa unequivocally declares that He is the Supreme Absolute Truth and that it is the duty of everyone to render Him loving devotional service. The Bhagavad-gItA was revealed for the sole purpose of explaining these two principal points</B>. One who understands them is eligible to begin spiritual life as a neophyte devotee. SraddhA, or faith, is the first prerequisite in spiritual life and is described as synonymous with neophyte devotion. Thus SrI Caitanya-caritAmRta (Madhya 22.62) says,

 

By rendering transcendental loving service to KRSNa, one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. This confident, firm faith, favorable to the discharge of devotional service, is called zraddhA.

 

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

I offer my humble obeisance unto him!

 

I think the key point is

 

Kalau means “in this age.” Nästy eva, nästy eva, nästy eva—three times nästy eva. Eva means “certainly,” and nästi means “not.” “Certainly not, certainly not, certainly not.” What is that “certainly not”?

 

In this age, which is Kali, it is certainly not certainly not certainly not possible to go to Krishna by karma, jnana and yoga. So the key word is KALAU- THIS AGE.

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[gHari]

Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.5.33:

 

<center>

kRSNa-varNaM tviSAkRSNaM

sAGgopAGgAstra-pArSadam

yajJaiH saGkIrtana-prAyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaH

</center>

kRSNa-varNam--repeating the syllables kRS-Na; tviSA--with a luster; akRSNam--not black (golden); sa-aGga--along with associates; upa-aGga--servitors; astra--weapons; pArSadam--confidential companions; yajJaiH--by sacrifice; saGkIrtana-prAyaiH--consisting chiefly of congregational chanting; yajanti--they worship; hi--certainly; su-medhasaH--intelligent persons.

In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of KRSNa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is KRSNa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.

 

PURPORT

 

This same verse is quoted by KRSNadAsa KavirAja in the Caitanya-caritAmRta, Adi-lIlA, Chapter Three, verse 52. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupAda has given the following commentary on this verse. "This text is from SrImad-BhAgavatam (11.5.32). SrIla JIva GosvAmI has explained this verse in his commentary on the BhAgavatam known as the Krama-sandarbha, wherein he says that Lord KRSNa also appears with a golden complexion. That golden Lord KRSNa is Lord Caitanya, who is worshiped by intelligent men in this age. That is confirmed in SrImad-BhAgavatam by Garga Muni, who said that although the child KRSNa was blackish, He also appears in three other colors--red, white and yellow. He exhibited His white and red complexions in the Satya and TretA ages respectively. He did not exhibit the remaining color, yellow-gold, until He appeared as Lord Caitanya, who is known as Gaurahari.

 

 

"SrIla JIva GosvAmI explains that kRSNa-varNam means SrI KRSNa Caitanya. KRSNa-varNam and KRSNa Caitanya are equivalent. The name KRSNa appears with both Lord KRSNa and Lord Caitanya KRSNa. Lord SrI Caitanya MahAprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He always engages in describing KRSNa and thus enjoying transcendental bliss by chanting and remembering His name and form. Lord KRSNa Himself appears as Lord Caitanya to preach the highest gospel. VarNayati means ‘utters' or ‘describes.' Lord Caitanya always chants the holy name of KRSNa and describes it also, and because He is KRSNa Himself, whoever meets Him will automatically chant the holy name of KRSNa and later describe it to others. He injects one with transcendental KRSNa consciousness, which merges the chanter in transcendental bliss. In all respects, therefore, He appears before everyone as KRSNa, either by personality or by sound. Simply by seeing Lord Caitanya one at once remembers Lord KRSNa. One may therefore accept Him as viSNu-tattva. In other words, Lord Caitanya is Lord KRSNa Himself.

 

 

"SAGgopAGgAstra-pArSadam further indicates that Lord Caitanya is Lord KRSNa. His body is always decorated with ornaments of sandalwood and with sandalwood paste. By His superexcellent beauty He subdues all the people of the age. In other descents the Lord sometimes used weapons to defeat the demoniac, but in this age the Lord subdues them with His all-attractive figure as Caitanya MahAprabhu. SrIla JIva GosvAmI explains that His beauty is His astra, or weapon, to subdue the demons. Because He is all-attractive, it is to be understood that all the demigods lived with Him as His companions. His acts were uncommon and His associates wonderful. When He propagated the saGkIrtana movement, He attracted many great scholars and AcAryas, especially in Bengal and Orissa. Lord Caitanya is always accompanied by His best associates like Lord NityAnanda, Advaita, GadAdhara and SrIvAsa.

 

 

"SrIla JIva GosvAmI cites a verse from the Vedic literature that says that there is no necessity of performing sacrificial demonstrations or ceremonial functions. He comments that instead of engaging in such external, pompous exhibitions, all people, regardless of caste, color or creed, can assemble together and chant Hare KRSNa to worship Lord Caitanya. KRSNa-varNaM tviSAkRSNam [sB 11.5.32] indicates that prominence should be given to the name KRSNa. Lord Caitanya taught KRSNa consciousness and chanted the name of KRSNa. Therefore, to worship Lord Caitanya, everyone should together chant the mahA-mantra--Hare KRSNa, Hare KRSNa, KRSNa KRSNa, Hare Hare/ Hare RAma, Hare RAma, RAma RAma, Hare Hare. To propagate worship in churches, temples or mosques is not possible because people have lost interest in that. But anywhere and everywhere, people can chant Hare KRSNa. Thus worshiping Lord Caitanya, they can perform the highest activity and fulfill the highest religious purpose of satisfying the Supreme Lord.

 

 

"SrIla SArvabhauma BhaTTAcArya, a famous disciple of Lord Caitanya, said: ‘The principle of transcendental devotional service having been lost, SrI KRSNa Caitanya has appeared to deliver again the process of devotion. He is so kind that He is distributing love of KRSNa. Everyone should be attracted more and more to His lotus feet, as humming bees are attracted to a lotus flower.'

 

 

"The incarnation of Caitanya MahAprabhu is also described in the SrI ViSNu-sahasra-nAma, which appears in Chapter 189 of the DAna-dharma-parva of MahAbhArata. SrIla JIva GosvAmI has quoted this reference as follows: suvarNa-varNo hemAGgo varAGgaz candanAGgadI. "In His early pastimes He appears as a householder with a golden complexion. His limbs are beautiful, and His body, smeared with the pulp of sandalwood, seems like molten gold." He has also quoted, sannyAsa-kRc chamaH zAnto niSThA-zAnti-parAyaNaH: "In His later pastimes He accepts the sannyAsa order, and He is equipoised and peaceful. He is the highest abode of peace and devotion, for He silences the impersonalist nondevotees."

 

 

[gHari]

Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.52:<BLOCKQUOTE><CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>kRte yad dhyAyato viSNuM

tretAyAM yajato makhaiH

dvApare paricaryAyAM

kalau tad dhari-kIrtanAt

</CENTER>

kRte--in the Satya-yuga; yat--which; dhyAyataH--from meditation; viSNum--on Lord ViSNu; tretAyAm--in the TretA-yuga; yajataH--from worshiping; makhaiH--by performing sacrifices; dvApare--in the age of DvApara; paricaryAyAm--by worshiping the lotus feet of KRSNa; kalau--in the age of Kali; tat--that same result (can be achieved); hari-kIrtanAt--simply by chanting the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra.

<B></FONT>

Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on ViSNu, in TretA-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in DvApara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra.

</B>

PURPORT

A similar verse is found in the ViSNu PurANa (6.2.17), and also in the Padma PurANa (Uttara-khaNDa 72.25) and the BRhan-nAradIya PurANa (38.97):

 

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>dhyAyan kRte yajan yajJais

tretAyAM dvApare 'rcayan

yad Apnoti tad Apnoti

kalau saGkIrtya kezavam

</CENTER></FONT>

"Whatever is achieved by meditation in Satya-yuga, by the performance of sacrifice in TretA-yuga, and by the worship of Lord KRSNa's lotus feet in DvApara-yuga is obtained in the age of Kali simply by glorifying the name of Lord Kezava."

 

SrIla JIva GosvAmI has further quoted from the Brahma-vaivarta PurANa concerning the degraded condition of people in Kali-yuga:

 

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>ataH kalau tapo-yoga-

vidyA-yajJAdikAH kriyAH

sAGgA bhavanti na kRtAH

kuzalair api dehibhiH

</CENTER></FONT>

<B> "Thus in the age of Kali the practices of austerity, yoga meditation, Deity worship, sacrifice and so on, along with their various subsidiary functions, are not properly carried out, even by the most expert embodied souls.

</B>

SrIla JIva GosvAmI has also cited the CAturmAsya-mAhAtmya of the Skanda PurANa concerning the necessity of chanting Hare KRSNa in this age:

 

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>tathA caivottamaM loke

tapaH zrI-hari-kIrtanam

kalau yuge vizeSeNa

viSNu-prItyai samAcaret

</CENTER></FONT>

<b>"In this way the most perfect penance to be executed in this world is the chanting of the name of Lord SrI Hari. Especially in the age of Kali, one can satisfy the Supreme Lord ViSNu by performing saGkIrtana.''

</b>

In conclusion, massive propaganda should be made all over the world to induce people to chant the Hare KRSNa mantra, by which human society can be rescued from the dangerous ocean of the age of Kali.

 

</BLOCKQUOTE>

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 17.21-33<BLOCKQUOTE><CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>harer nAma harer nAma

harer nAmaiva kevalam

kalau nAsty eva nAsty eva

nAsty eva gatir anyathA

</CENTER>

hareH nAma--the holy name of the Lord; hareH nAma--the holy name of the Lord; hareH nAma--the holy name of the Lord; eva--certainly; kevalam--only; kalau--in the Age of Kali; na asti--there is none; eva--certainly; na asti--there is none; eva--certainly; na asti--there is none; eva--certainly; gatiH--destination; anyathA--otherwise.

<B></FONT>

"‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.'

</B>

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>kali-kAle nAma-rUpe kRSNa-avatAra

nAma haite haya sarva-jagat-nistAra

</CENTER>

kali-kAle--in this Age of Kali; nAma-rUpe--in the form of the holy name; kRSNa--Lord KRSNa; avatAra--incarnation; nAma--holy name; haite--from; haya--becomes; sarva--all; jagat--of the world; nistAra--deliverance.

<B></FONT>

"In this Age of Kali, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra, is the incarnation of Lord KRSNa. Simply by chanting the holy name, one associates with the Lord directly. Anyone who does this is certainly delivered.

</B>

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>dArDhya lAgi' ‘harer nAma'-ukti tina-vAra

jaDa loka bujhAite punaH ‘eva'-kAra

</CENTER>

dArDhya lAgi'--in the matter of emphasizing; harer nAma--of the holy name of Lord Hari; ukti--there is utterance; tina-vAra--three times; jaDa loka--ordinary common people; bujhAite--just to make them understand; punaH--again; eva-kAra--the word eva, or "certainly."

<B></FONT>

"This verse repeats the word ‘eva' [‘certainly'] three times for emphasis, and it also three times repeats ‘harer nAma' [‘the holy name of the Lord'], just to make common people understand.

</B>

PURPORT

To emphasize something to an ordinary person, one may repeat it three times, just as one might say, "You must do this! You must do this! You must do this!" Thus the BRhan-nAradIya PurANa repeatedly emphasizes the chanting of the holy name so that people may take it seriously and thus free themselves from the clutches of mAyA. It is our practical experience in the KRSNa consciousness movement all over the world that many millions of people are factually coming to the spiritual stage of life simply by chanting the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra regularly, according to the prescribed principles. Therefore our request to all our students is that they daily chant at least sixteen rounds of this harer nAma mahA-mantra [Adi 17.21] offenselessly, following the regulative principles. Thus their success will be assured without a doubt.

 

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>‘kevala'-zabde punarapi nizcaya-karaNa

jJAna-yoga-tapa-karma-Adi nivAraNa

</CENTER>

‘kevala'-zabde--by the word kevala, or "only"; punarapi--again; nizcaya-karaNa--final decision; jJAna--cultivation of knowledge; yoga--practice of the mystic yoga system; tapa--austerity; karma--fruitive activities; Adi--and so on; nivAraNa--prohibition.

<B></FONT>

"The use of the word ‘kevala' [‘only'] prohibits all other processes, such as the cultivation of knowledge, practice of mystic yoga, or performance of austerities and fruitive activities.

</B>

PURPORT

Our KRSNa consciousness movement stresses the chanting of the Hare KRSNa mantra only, whereas those who do not know the secret of success for this Age of Kali unnecessarily indulge in the cultivation of knowledge, the practice of mystic yoga or the performance of fruitive activities or useless austerities. They are simply wasting their time and misleading their followers. When we point this out very plainly to an audience, members of opposing groups become angry at us. But according to the injunctions of the zAstras, we cannot make compromises with these so-called jJAnIs, yogIs, karmIs and tapasvIs. When they say they are as good as we are, we must say that only we are good and that they are not good. This is not our obstinacy; it is the injunction of the zAstras. We must not deviate from the injunctions of the zAstras. This is confirmed in the next verse of the Caitanya-caritAmRta.

 

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>anyathA ye mAne, tAra nAhika nistAra

nAhi, nAhi, nAhi----e tina ‘eva'-kAra

</CENTER>

anyathA--otherwise; ye--anyone who; mAne--accepts; tAra--of him; nAhika--there is no; nistAra--deliverance; nAhi nAhi nAhi--there is nothing else, nothing else, nothing else; e--in this; tina--three; eva-kAra--bearing the meaning of emphasis.

<B></FONT>

"This verse clearly states that anyone who accepts any other path cannot be delivered. This is the reason for the triple repetition ‘nothing else, nothing else, nothing else,' which emphasizes the real process of self-realization.

</B>

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>tRNa haite nIca haJA sadA labe nAma

Apani nirabhimAnI, anye dibe mAna

</CENTER>

tRNa--grass; haite--than; nIca--lower; haJA--becoming; sadA--always; labe--chant; nAma--the holy name; Apani--personally; nirabhimAnI--without honor; anye--unto others; dibe--you should give; mAna--all respect.

<B></FONT>

"To chant the holy name always, one should be humbler than the grass in the street and devoid of all desire for personal honor, but one should offer others all respectful obeisances.

</B>

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>taru-sama sahiSNutA vaiSNava karibe

bhartsana-tADane kAke kichu nA balibe

</CENTER>

taru-sama--like a tree; sahiSNutA--forbearance; vaiSNava--devotee; karibe--should practice; bhartsana--rebuking; tADane--chastising; kAke--unto anyone; kichu--something; nA--not; balibe--will utter.

<B></FONT>

"A devotee engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord should practice forbearance like that of a tree. Even if rebuked or chastised, he should not say anything to others to retaliate.

</B>

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>kATileha taru yena kichu nA bolaya

zukAiyA mare, tabu jala nA mAgaya

</CENTER>

kATileha--even being cut; taru--the tree; yena--as; kichu--something; nA--not; bolaya--says; zukAiyA--drying up; mare--dies; tabu--still; jala--water; nA--does not; mAgaya--ask for.

<B></FONT>

"For even if one cuts a tree, it never protests, and even if it is drying up and dying, it does not ask anyone for water.

</B>

PURPORT

This practice of forbearance (taror iva sahiSNunA) is very difficult, but when one actually engages in chanting the Hare KRSNa mantra, the quality of forbearance automatically develops. A person advanced in spiritual consciousness through the chanting of the Hare KRSNa mantra need not practice to develop it separately, for a devotee develops all good qualities simply by chanting the Hare KRSNa mantra regularly.

 

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>ei-mata vaiSNava kAre kichu nA mAgiba

ayAcita-vRtti, kiMvA zAka-phala khAiba

</CENTER>

ei-mata--in this way; vaiSNava--a devotee; kAre--from anyone; kichu--anything; nA--not; mAgiba--shall ask for; ayAcita-vRtti--the profession of not asking for anything; kiMvA--or; zAka--vegetables; phala--fruits; khAiba--shall eat.

<B></FONT>

"Thus a VaiSNava should not ask anything from anyone else. If someone gives him something without being asked, he should accept it, but if nothing comes, a VaiSNava should be satisfied to eat whatever vegetables and fruits are easily available.

</B>

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>sadA nAma la-iba, yathA-lAbhete santoSa

eita AcAra kare bhakti-dharma-poSa

</CENTER>

sadA--always; nAma--the holy name; la-iba--one should chant; yathA--inasmuch as; lAbhete--gains; santoSa--satisfaction; eita--this; AcAra--behavior; kare--does; bhakti-dharma--of devotional service; poSa--maintenance.

<B></FONT>

"One should strictly follow the principle of always chanting the holy name, and one should be satisfied with whatever he gets easily. Such devotional behavior solidly maintains one's devotional service.

</B>

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>tRNAd api su-nIcena

taror iva sahiSNunA

amAninA mAna-dena

kIrtanIyaH sadA hariH

</CENTER>

tRNAt api--than downtrodden grass; su-nIcena--being lower; taroH--than a tree; iva--like; sahiSNunA--with tolerance; amAninA--without being puffed up by false pride; mAna-dena--giving respect to all; kIrtanIyaH--to be chanted; sadA--always; hariH--the holy name of the Lord.

<B></FONT>

"One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord."

</B>

PURPORT

The grass is specifically mentioned in this verse because everyone tramples upon it yet the grass never protests. This example indicates that a spiritual master or leader should not be proud of his position; being always humbler than an ordinary common man, he should go on preaching the cult of Caitanya MahAprabhu by chanting the Hare KRSNa mantra.

 

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>Urdhva-bAhu kari' kahoG, zuna, sarva-loka

nAma-sUtre gAGthi' para kaNThe ei zloka

</CENTER>

Urdhva-bAhu--raising my hands; kari'--doing so; kahoG--I declare; zuna--please hear; sarva-loka--all persons; nAma--of the holy name; sUtre--on the thread; gAGthi--stringing; para--get it; kaNThe--on the neck; ei--this; zloka--verse.

<B></FONT>

Raising my hands, I declare, "Everyone please hear me! String this verse on the thread of the holy name and wear it on your neck for continuous remembrance."

</B>

PURPORT

When chanting the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra, in the beginning one may commit many offenses, which are called nAmAbhAsa and nAma-aparAdha. In this stage there is no possibility of achieving perfect love of KRSNa by chanting the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra. Therefore one must chant the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra according to the principles of the above verse, tRNAd api su-nIcena taror iva sahiSNunA. One should note in this connection that chanting involves the activities of the upper and lower lips as well as the tongue. All three must be engaged in chanting the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra. The words "Hare KRSNa" should be very distinctly pronounced and heard. Sometimes one mechanically produces a hissing sound instead of chanting with the proper pronunciation with the help of the lips and tongue. Chanting is very simple, but one must practice it seriously. Therefore the author of SrI Caitanya-caritAmRta, KRSNadAsa KavirAja GosvAmI, advises everyone to keep this verse always strung about his neck.

 

<CENTER><FONT COLOR=RED>prabhu-AjJAya kara ei zloka AcaraNa

avazya pAibe tabe zrI-kRSNa-caraNa

</CENTER>

prabhu--of the Lord; AjJAya--on the order; kara--do; ei zloka--of this verse; AcaraNa--practice; avazya--certainly; pAibe--he will get; tabe--afterwards; zrI-kRSNa-caraNa--the lotus feet of Lord KRSNa.

<B></FONT>

One must strictly follow the principles given by Lord Caitanya MahAprabhu in this verse. If one simply follows in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya and the GosvAmIs, certainly he will achieve the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of SrI KRSNa.

</B></BLOCKQUOTE>

[krsna]

‘Nothing else! Nothing else! Nothing else!'

 

 

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 17.21-33

 

 

<CENTER>

harer nAma harer nAma

harer nAmaiva kevalam

kalau nAsty eva nAsty eva

nAsty eva gatir anyathA

</CENTER>

 

hareH nAma--the holy name of the Lord; hareH nAma--the holy name of the Lord; hareH nAma--the holy name of the Lord; eva--certainly; kevalam--only; kalau--in the Age of Kali; na asti--there is none; eva--certainly; na asti--there is none; eva--certainly; na asti--there is none; eva--certainly; gatiH--destination; anyathA--otherwise.

"‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.'

 

<CENTER>

kali-kAle nAma-rUpe kRSNa-avatAra

nAma haite haya sarva-jagat-nistAra

</CENTER>

 

kali-kAle--in this Age of Kali; nAma-rUpe--in the form of the holy name; kRSNa--Lord KRSNa; avatAra--incarnation; nAma--holy name; haite--from; haya--becomes; sarva--all; jagat--of the world; nistAra--deliverance.

"In this Age of Kali, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra, is the incarnation of Lord KRSNa. Simply by chanting the holy name, one associates with the Lord directly. Anyone who does this is certainly delivered.

 

<CENTER>

dArDhya lAgi' ‘harer nAma'-ukti tina-vAra

jaDa loka bujhAite punaH ‘eva'-kAra

</CENTER>

 

dArDhya lAgi'--in the matter of emphasizing; harer nAma--of the holy name of Lord Hari; ukti--there is utterance; tina-vAra--three times; jaDa loka--ordinary common people; bujhAite--just to make them understand; punaH--again; eva-kAra--the word eva, or "certainly."

"This verse repeats the word ‘eva' [‘certainly'] three times for emphasis, and it also three times repeats ‘harer nAma' [‘the holy name of the Lord'], just to make common people understand.

 

PURPORT

 

To emphasize something to an ordinary person, one may repeat it three times, just as one might say, "You must do this! You must do this! You must do this!" Thus the BRhan-nAradIya PurANa repeatedly emphasizes the chanting of the holy name so that people may take it seriously and thus free themselves from the clutches of mAyA. It is our practical experience in the KRSNa consciousness movement all over the world that many millions of people are factually coming to the spiritual stage of life simply by chanting the Hare KRSNa mahA-mantra regularly, according to the prescribed principles. Therefore our request to all our students is that they daily chant at least sixteen rounds of this harer nAma mahA-mantra [Adi 17.21] offenselessly, following the regulative principles. Thus their success will be assured without a doubt.

<CENTER>

‘kevala'-zabde punarapi nizcaya-karaNa

jJAna-yoga-tapa-karma-Adi nivAraNa

</CENTER>

 

‘kevala'-zabde--by the word kevala, or "only"; punarapi--again; nizcaya-karaNa--final decision; jJAna--cultivation of knowledge; yoga--practice of the mystic yoga system; tapa--austerity; karma--fruitive activities; Adi--and so on; nivAraNa--prohibition.

"The use of the word ‘kevala' [‘only'] prohibits all other processes, such as the cultivation of knowledge, practice of mystic yoga, or performance of austerities and fruitive activities.

 

PURPORT

Our KRSNa consciousness movement stresses the chanting of the Hare KRSNa mantra only, whereas those who do not know the secret of success for this Age of Kali unnecessarily indulge in the cultivation of knowledge, the practice of mystic yoga or the performance of fruitive activities or useless austerities. They are simply wasting their time and misleading their followers. When we point this out very plainly to an audience, members of opposing groups become angry at us. But according to the injunctions of the zAstras, we cannot make compromises with these so-called jJAnIs, yogIs, karmIs and tapasvIs. When they say they are as good as we are, we must say that only we are good and that they are not good. This is not our obstinacy; it is the injunction of the zAstras. We must not deviate from the injunctions of the zAstras. This is confirmed in the next verse of the Caitanya-caritAmRta.

<CENTER>

anyathA ye mAne, tAra nAhika nistAra

nAhi, nAhi, nAhi----e tina ‘eva'-kAra

</CENTER>

 

anyathA--otherwise; ye--anyone who; mAne--accepts; tAra--of him; nAhika--there is no; nistAra--deliverance; nAhi nAhi nAhi--there is nothing else, nothing else, nothing else; e--in this; tina--three; eva-kAra--bearing the meaning of emphasis.

"This verse clearly states that anyone who accepts any other path cannot be delivered. This is the reason for the triple repetition

‘nothing else, nothing else, nothing else,'

which emphasizes the real process of self-realization.

 

[cbrahma]

Even in other ages, the highest yoga is bhakti. Without bhakti nothing is accomplished. That is why Krsna tells us to abandon all 'dharmas' and surrender to Him. (That's bhakti).

How do we do that if we can't even see Him? The Mahamantra - he is present in his Name.

[krsna]

 

 

 

 

 

No Alternative

 

 

 

 

So Lord Krishna, Lord Caitanya, He introduced this:

 

 

 

 

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,

Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

 

Hare Rama, Hare Rama,

Rama Rama,Hare Hare

 

 

 

for this age. And He recommended, kalau... Not recommended by His own brain, but it is recommended in the scriptures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

harer nama harer nama

harer nama eva kevalam

 

 

kalau nasty eva nasty eva

nasty eva gatir anyatha

 

 

 

 

[Cc. Adi 17.21]

 

 

 

 

If you want to realize the Supreme Truth, then you must realize this:

 

 

 

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,

Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama,

Rama Rama, Hare Hare,

 

 

 

whenever you get... Harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam: "Only this." And if you think, "Oh, only this? Why not other?" No. Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Nasty eva means "There is no alternative."

 

And He repeats this: "no alternative, no alternative, no alternative," three times. Three times. That means He is giving too much stress.

 

So our process is like that, that we are following a great personality, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He introduced from the scripture, not in His own way. Nothing should be accepted which is not recognized. You see?

 

So this is recognized method. Now it depends on us. Let us follow this process and see how we are making progress in the spiritual path. You see?

 

 

 

Thank you very much.

.

(Srila Prabhupada lecture, New York, September 8, 1966)

 

[krsna]

 

 

The Maha Mantra

by Swami B.G. Narasingha

 

View online with graphics:

[ http://www.gosai.com/krishna-talk/79-hare-krishna-maha-mantra.html ]

 

Question:

Is there a difference between the Gaudiya Vaisnava conception of the

maha-mantra and the conception of the maha-mantra found in other sampradayas,

such as the Ramanujas, Madhvas, Nimbarkas and Vallabhas?

Narasingha Maharaja:

Yes. In fact the Gaudiya conception of the maha-mantra is exclusive and stands distinct from all other sampradayas. The Gaudiya conception

is exclusive in that it surpasses even the greatest expectations of the Vedas

(liberation) and affords one the highest fulfillment of the ultimate goal of

life. This is not simply party spirit propaganda or sampradaya jingoism, but an

ontological fact.

The conception of the maha-mantra as a whole, as well as each of its

constituent parts (Hare, Krsna and Rama), are uniquely different in Gaudiya

Vaisnavism than in any other spiritual tradition of India.

The maha-mantra appears in the Kali-santarana Upanisad of the Krsna Yajur Veda

wherein Lord Brahma is answering a question by Narada Muni:

(1)

harih om

dvaparante narado brahmanam jagam katham

bhagavan gam paryatan-kalim santare-yamiti

sa hovaca brahma -

sadhu prsto'smi sarva sruti-rahasyam gopayam

tacchrnu yena kali-samsaram tarisyasi bhagavata

adi-purusasya narayanasya namoccarana-matrena nirdhuta-kalir bhavati

"At the end of Dvapara-Yuga, Narada, who had traversed the whole world, went to

Brahma and addressed him thus, 'O Lord, how shall I be able to ward off the

effects of Kali?' Brahma thus replied, 'You have asked an excellent question.

Listen to that secret which all the Vedas keep hidden, through which one may

cross over material existence during the age of Kali. One becomes free from the

influence of Kali by merely uttering the Names of Lord Narayana, who is the

original Supreme Person."

(2)

naradah punah papraccha tananam kimiti

sa hovaca hiranyagarbah -

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

iti sodasakam namnam

kali-kalmasa-nasanam

natah parataropayah

sarva-vedesu drsyate

"Thus again Narada asked Brahma, 'What are those Names?'

Lord Brahma replied, 'Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama

Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. These sixteen Holy Names will destroy the sinful

influences of the age of Kali. I do not see any other method."

The Kali-santarana Upanisad is one of the 108 Upanisads listed in the Muktika

Upanisad, yet in some academic circles, scholars are of the opinion that the

Kali-santarana Upanisad was written either by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or one of

His followers. Such scholars have no evidence for their claim other than their

own opinion and that is generally not accepted amongst learned circles in India.

One enigma surrounding the maha-mantra is whether it begins with 'Hare Krsna'

or 'Hare Rama'. In the oldest surviving copy of the Kali-santarana Upanisad,

dated circa 1740 CE with the commentary by the Advaitin scholar Brahmayogin

Ramacandrendra Sarasvati of Kanchipuram, the maha-mantra is written as:

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare

However, in numerous other editions of the Kali-santarana Upanisad the

maha-mantra is written:

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

Presented below is a statement by Srila Sridhara Deva Gosvami Maharaja from

which we might conclude that the 1740 edition of the Kali-santarana Upanisad

quoted above was interpolated by Mayavadis. Since the Name of Krsna is superior

to the Name of Rama, as stated by Srila Sridhara Maharaja, it stands to reason

that the Vedas would present the sequence of the mantra ontologically, thus the

Advaitin edition is suspect.

Commenting on this enigma, Srila Sridhara Deva Gosvami Maharaja has stated as

follows:

"The real importance of the Name is not to be found merely in the arrangement

of its syllables, but in the deep meaning within that divine sound. Some

scholars argue that in the Kali-santarana Upanisad, Lord Brahma says that the

Hare Krsna maha-mantra is properly pronounced only when the Name of Rama

precedes the Name of Krsna:

hare rama hare rama

rama rama hare hare

hare krsna hare krsna

krsna krsna hare hare

 

"In the Kali-santarana Upanisad, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra is given in that

way. But to say that the Name of Rama must precede the Name of Krsna in the

mantra is a superficial understanding.

 

"It is said that because it comes from the Upanisads, the Hare Krsna mantra is

a Vedic mantra, and therefore, because the ordinary people may not have any

entrance into Vedic mantras, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu readjusted this mantra by

reversing the order of the words. In that way, it is said, the concern that it

is a Vedic mantra is thereby canceled, and so Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave it to

all without breaching the injunctions of the Vedas. Some devotees in Uttar

Pradesh who have great affection for Sri Caitanyadeva like to give this opinion.

But our faith is that the mentioning of 'Hare Rama' first is only superficial.

It concerns the idea that since the Rama avatara appeared first and the Krsna

avatara afterwards, the Name of Rama, 'Hare Rama,' should come first in the

maha-mantra.'

 

"A deeper reading will consider that when two similar things are connected

together, the priority will be ordered not on the basis of historical precedent,

but in consideration of the most highly developed conception. The Holy Name of

Krsna is higher than the Holy Name of Rama. This is mentioned in the Puranas:

three Names of Rama equal one Name of Krsna."

 

"The Name of Krsna is superior to the Name of Rama. Where the two are connected

together, the first position should be given to the one that is superior.

Therefore, the Name of Krsna must come first in the maha-mantra. This is one

point."

 

"Another point is that within the eternal plane, everything is moving in a

cyclic order. In an eternal cycle, which is first and which is next cannot be

ascertained, and so, in the eternal plane of lila, it cannot be determined

whether Krsna is before Rama or Rama is before Krsna. So from that consideration

also, since the Names of Krsna and Rama are eternal and unrelated to any

historical event, we may begin the mantra from any place."

 

"But above these considerations, our sampradaya has given another, higher

consideration. A deeper understanding will reveal that the Hare Krsna mantra is

not at all concerned with rama-lila."

 

"In the Name of Rama within the Hare Krsna mantra, the Gaudiya Vaisnavas will

find Radha-ramana Rama. That means, 'Krsna, who gives pleasure (raman) to

Srimati Radharani.' In our conception, the Hare Krsna mantra is wholesale Krsna

consciousness, not Rama consciousness."

 

"Sri Caitanya's highest conception of things is always svayam bhagavan,

krsna-lila, radha-govinda-lila. That is the real purpose of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu's advent and teachings. In that consideration, the Hare Krsna mantra

does not mention the rama-lila of Ayodhya at all. There is no connection with

that in the highest conception of the Hare Krsna mantra."

 

"And the inner conception of the mantra is responsible for our spiritual

attainment. When one pronounces the Name of Rama, if he means Dasarathi Rama,

his attraction will take him there, to Ayodhya; if he means Parasurama, he will

be attracted to another place. And if Rama means Radha-ramana Rama, he will go

to Goloka. The inner conception of the devotee will guide him to his

destination." (Loving Search For The Lost Servant)

 

 

 

[krsna]

The Names in the maha-mantra are Hare, Krsna and Rama. The followers of the

Sankaracarya school, as well as those of the Ramanuja and Madhva schools,

conceive the Name of Hare to be the vocative case of Hari. Thus for them 'Hare'

means Narayana, 'Rama' means Ramacandra and 'Krsna' means the avatar of Narayana

[not Krsna the avatari, or source of Narayana].

The followers of Sankaracarya have adopted this version of the maha-mantra and

the Vaisnava sampradayas of South India have also adopted the same. 'Hare' in

all these sampradayas means Hari, or Narayana. In all circumstances their way of

thinking is about liberation (mukti) and not actually about bhakti (devotion).

Moreover, the followers of Sankaracarya are sometimes found to chant the

maha-mantra and give more attention to the maha-mantra than the Ramanuja

sampradaya or the Madhva sampradaya. The Kali-santarana Upanisad and the

maha-mantra are accepted by all these sampradayas, yet the maha-mantra is of

little importance to them. Only the Gaudiya Vaisnavas stake everything on the

maha-mantra.

Actually, according to one Madhva website, it appears that at least a certain

section of their sampradaya has 'lost the plot' so to speak. The following is a

contemporary Madhva quote:

"And it is known that the Hare Krsna mantra is recited without proper

procedure, without dhyana, sankalpa, etc., in the approved Vedic fashion. It has

been arbitrarily picked out of a book and practiced in mutilated form, and is

thus a false initiation (as the originators of the tradition were themselves

unqualified to recite the mantra). Worst of all, it is recited 'as' Krsna

Himself, and not as a symbol or tool for his worship...as such, it stands to

reason that the 'Hare Krsna maha-mantra' is best avoided by everybody."

The most obvious mistake in the above quote is that the Kali-santarana Upanisad

clearly states 'nasya vidhiriti' - 'there are no rules (vidhi) involved in

chanting the maha-mantra.' In fact the Upanisad guarantees liberation to anyone

who chants the maha-mantra. Thus, one begins to wonder what's been happening in

the Madhva sampradaya over the past seven hundred years?

punar-naradah paprccha bhagavan ko'sya vidhiriti

tam hovaca - nasya vidhiriti

sarvada sucirasucirava pathan-brahmanah

salokatam samipatam sarupatam sayujyatameti

"Again Narada enquired: 'O Lord, what are the rules to be observed with

reference to it (chanting the maha-mantra)?" Brahma replied, "There are no

rules. Whoever, in a pure or an impure state, utters these always, attains the

same world of the Lord (salokya), proximity with the Lord (samipya), the same

form as the Lord (sarupya), or absorption into Brahman (sayujya)."

(Kali-santarana Upanisad 3)

For the followers of Sankaracarya, the Name 'Hare' means Hari - He who takes

away one's karma, material desire and illusion (maya). For Ramanujas and most

Madhvas, Hari is He who takes away all inauspiciousness and bestows all good

fortune. But for Gaudiya Vaisnavas the conception of Hare is altogether

different.

For the Gaudiyas, 'Hare' is the vocative case of Hara, the internal pleasure

potency of Krsna. Thus 'Hare' means Srimati Radharani.

It should not be misunderstood that we are arguing or fighting over the proper

meaning of the names in the maha-mantra. There is certainly room for different

bona fide conceptions within the maha-mantra. Each with his conception may

attain that particular destination.

yei yei rupe jane, sei taha kahe

sakala sambhave krsne, kichu mithya nahe

"In whatever form one knows the Lord, one speaks of Him in that way. In this

there is no falsity, since everything is possible in Krsna." (Cc. Adi 5.132)

In this regard Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada writes in his purport

to this verse:

"If someone calls Lord Ramacandra by the vibration Hare Rama, understanding it

to mean 'O Lord Ramacandra!' he is quite right. Similarly, if one says that Hare

Rama means 'O Sri Balarama!' he is also right. Those who are aware of the

visnu-tattva do not fight over all these details."

However, one must also remember that all realities are not the same, nor do all

conceptions lead to the same destination.

It is often said as a reference that the maha-mantra first appears or manifests

in the Kali-santarana Upanisad portion of the Vedas, but such a statement is not

actually correct according to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who has

stated:

"Lord Hari's Name is Lord Hari Himself. The maha-mantra was present before the

scriptures manifested. The catuh-sloki of the Bhagavatam beginning with 'aham

evasam evagre' is proof of this. The supremely independent Holy Name is not

under the jurisdiction of scriptural control. Actually, the scriptures have

appeared by the supreme will of the Holy Name. It is not a fact that the

scriptures manifested first and then the Holy Name appeared after. The

Brahma-samhita says that the Holy Name appeared first in Brahma's heart." (Sri

Srila Prabhupader Upadesamrta)

The maha-mantra chanted by Gaudiyas is always chanted as:

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

Whereas other sampradayas might chant the maha-mantra for liberation, the

Gaudiyas chant the maha-mantra out of devotion to please Krsna. Hari takes away

material desires, maya, etc, but Hare, the internal potency

(hladini-sakti/Radharani) captures or takes away the mind and heart of Krsna.

Hara is the energy by which one can serve Krsna, and the only energy that can

please Krsna. Krsna Himself is the reservoir of pleasure and Rama, or

Radha-ramana, is the one who gives pleasure to Srimati Radharani.

The Gaudiya conception of Rama in the maha-mantra meaning Krsna, the giver of

pleasure to Sri Radha, is also collaborated by Sri Bhaktisiddhanta as follows:

"According to the mood of aisvarya, 'Rama' refers to Ramacandra, the son of

Dasaratha. According to the mood of madhurya, 'Rama' refers to Krsna, the

relisher of Sri Radha's association. Whenever the Name 'Rama' indicates service

to Radha-ramana Krsna, then the word 'Hare' which is the vocative form of Hara,

refers to Sri Radharani, who is the origin of all spiritual potencies. Sri Radha

is known as Hara because She attracts the mind of Krsna. Hari means 'attracter'.

Hare is the vocative form of the word 'Hara'. There are three Ramas - Rama, the

husband of Sita-devi, Rama the husband of Revati and Rama, the lover of Radha."

(Sri Srila Prabhupader Upadesamrta)

The Gaudiya conception of the maha-mantra is not something whimsical. It is

authorized by bona fide acaryas and supported by guru, sadhu and sastra. It was

also the preferred conception of chanting by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Furthermore, the Gaudiya conception of hearing and chanting of the maha-mantra

transcends all types of liberation and ultimately reaches the lotus feet of the

Supreme Lord.

mali hana kare sei bija aropan_a

sravana-kirtana-jale karaye secana

"When one receives the seed of devotion, he should take care of it by becoming

a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. By watering the seed gradually by

the process of sravana and kirtana (hearing and chanting), the seed will start

to sprout."

upajiya bade lata 'brahmanda' bhedi' yaya

'viraja', 'brahma-loka' bhedi' 'para-vyoma' paya

"The creeper of devotion is manifest and grows to pierce through the wall of

the material universe. It crosses over the Viraja river and the plane of Brahman

and then reaches to Vaikuntha."

tabe yaya tad-upari 'goloka vrndavana'

'krsna-carana'-kalpa-vrkse kare arohana

"It continues to grow further up to Goloka Vrndavana, where it finally embraces

the wish-fulfilling tree of Sri Krsna's lotus feet."

tahan vistarita hana phale prema-phala

ihan mali sece nitya sravanadi jala

"There in Goloka, the creeper expands and produces the fruit of love for Krsna.

Although remaining in the material plane, the gardener continuously sprinkles

the creeper with the water of hearing and chanting." (Cc. Madhya 19.152-155)

Commenting on the maha-mantra in his Maha-mantrartha Dipika, Sri Jiva Gosvami

reveals the meaning of each of the sixteen Names in the maha-mantra in

consecutive order as follows:

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

(1-Hare)

sarva-ceta-harah krsnas tasya cittam haratyasau

vaidagdhi-sara-vistarair ato radha hara mata

"Krsna steals the minds of everyone, yet Radha steals even His mind by Her

divine expertise. Thus She is known as Hara."

(2-Krsna)

karsati sviyalavanya-murali-kala-nihsvanaih

sri radham mohana-gunalankrtah krsna iryate

"He forcibly attracts Sri Radha with the sweet sound of His flute, therefore

that Lord of all enchanting qualities is known as Krsna."

(3-Hare)

sruyate niyate rase harina harineksana

ekakini rahah-kunje hareyam tena kathyate

"It has been heard that during the rasa-lila, doe-eyed Radha was stolen away by

Krsna to be alone with Him in a secret forest bower. She is therefore known as

Hara."

(4-Krsna)

anga-syamalima-stomaih syamalikrta-kancanah

ramate radhaya sardham krsno nigadyate

"When Krsna sports with Radha, Her golden hue takes on the dark complexion of

Krsna's skin. He is thus known as Krsna."

(5-Krsna)

krtvaranye sarah-srestham kantayanumatas-taya

akrsya sarva-tirthani taj-jnanat krsna iryate

"In order to please Sri Radha, Krsna manifested the most wonderful lake

(Syama-kunda) in Vrndavana. He then called all the holy rivers to fill it. He is

thus known as Krsna."

(6-Krsna)

krsyate radhaya premna yamuna-tata-kananam

lilaya lalitas-capi dhiraih krsna udahrtah

"By Her unsurpassed love, Radha charms He who performs wonderful lilas on the

banks of the Yamuna. Therefore, those who are sober know Him as Krsna."

(7-Hare)

hrtavan gokule tisthann-aristam pusta-pungavam

sri haris tam rasad uccai rayatiti hara mata

"While in Gokula, Sri Hari (Krsna) killed the demon known as Aristasura. During

that time, Radha cried out to Him with great feeling and by doing so, She stole

His mind. She is thus known as Hara."

(8-Hare)

hyasphutam rayati priti-bharena hari-cestam

gayatiti mata dhirair hara rasa-vicaksanaih

"Filled with ecstatic love, Radha sometimes sings the glories of Hari's

exploits quietly, and sometimes She sings them aloud. Those who are expert in

the secrets of divine sentiments call Her Hara."

(9-Hare)

rasavesa-parisrastam jahara muralim hareh

hareti kirtita devi vipine keli-lampata

"Due to the intense love of Sri Radha, Sri Hari becomes so captivated that His

flute falls from His hand. With the desire to enjoy in the forest bowers with

Krsna, Radha steals His flute. That goddess is thus famous as Hara."

(10-Rama)

govardhana-dari-kunje parirambha-vicaksanah

sri radham ramayamasa ramastena mato harih

"Krsna, who is expert at embracing, sports with Radha in the forest groves or

in the caves of Govardhana. Thus He is known as Rama."

(11-Hare)

hanti duhkhani bhaktanam rati saukhyani canvaham

hara devi nigadita maha-karunya-salini

"That most merciful Radha destroys the miseries of Her devotees and gives them

great happiness every day. Therefore that goddess is known as Hara."

(12-Rama)

ramate bhajato cetah paramananda-varidhau

atreti kathito ramah syamasundara-vigrahah

"The minds of the devotees are continuously drowned in an ocean of supreme joy

by seeing the beautiful dark form of Krsna. Therefore He is known by the Name

Rama."

(13-Rama)

ramayaty-acyutam premna nikunja-vana-mandire

rama nigadita radha ramo yutas taya punah

"Radharani is known as Rama because She enjoys loving pastimes with Acyuta

(Krsna) in a secret forest pavilion. Since He is always by Her side, He is known

as Rama."

(14-Rama)

rodanair gokule davanalam asayati hyasau

visosayati tenokto ramo bhakta-sukhavahah

"When the residents of Gokula were crying due to fear of the forest fire, Krsna

immediately swallowed it and gave His devotees great joy. In this way, He is

known as Rama."

(15-Hare)

nihantum asuran yato mathura-puram ity-asau

tadagamad-rahah-kamo yasyah sa'sau hareti ca

"Sri Krsna went to Mathurapuri in order to destroy the demons. However, due to

being captivated by the love of Radha, He later returned. Therefore She is known

as Hara."

(16-Hare)

agatya duhkha-harta yo sarvesam vraja-vasinam

sri radha-hari-carito harih sri nandanandanah

"When the son of Maharaja Nanda returned to Vraja, He took away the suffering

of all the Vrajavasis. By His wonderful exploits, He steals the heart of Sri

Radha. Thus He is known as Hari."

Throughout his Maha-mantrartha Dipika, Sri Jiva Gosvami reveals the meaning of

'Hare' as Hara until the final verse wherein he says that 'Hare' means Hari - He

who has stolen the heart of Srimati Radharani. In the first verse Radha steals

the mind of Krsna, and in the last verse Krsna steals the heart of Radha.

Indeed, Radha wears a locket with a picture of Krsna around Her neck, and Krsna

wears a locket with a picture of Radha around His neck. These Two have stolen

each other's hearts and minds, thus one might suspect that Sri Jiva is alluding

to the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in his Maha-mantrartha Dipika as

the combined form of both Radha and Krsna. In any case, according to Jiva

Gosvami, the divine pastimes of Radha and Krsna are written throughout the

maha-mantra.

As for the other Vaisnava sampradayas, namely the Nimbarka sampradaya and the

Vallabha sampradya, they too - like the Ramanujas and the Madhvas - do not

follow the line of thinking of the Gaudiyas. Actually the Nimbarka sampradaya

does not chant the maha-mantra of the Kali-santarana Upanisad at all. The

Nimbarkas chant what they call the yugala-mantra:

radhe krsna radhe krsna krsna krsna radhe radhe

radhe syama radhe syama syama syama radhe radhe

In some learned circles it is thought that the Nimbarkas plagiarized Sri

Caitanya and the Gaudiyas. Indeed, some scholars are even of the opinion that

Kesava Kasmiri, who had been defeated by Sri Caitanya, fabricated the Nimbarka

parampara and placed himself at its head.

According to verifiable sources, it appears that the yugala-mantra of the

Nimbarkas was actually only introduced into their sampradaya in the 14th century

by Harivyasa Devacarya (the third acarya in the Nimbarka line after Kesava

Kasmiri) as it does not appear in any of their literature prior to that period.

The idea that the Nimbarka sampradaya is authorized to neglect the chanting of

the maha-mantra in preference to the yugala-mantra is further suspect by the

fact that Sanat-kumara, one of the original founders of that sampradaya, has

said the following:

hare-krsnau dvir avrttau

krsna tadrk tatha hare

hare rama tatha rama

tatha tadrg ghare manuh

hare krsna hare krsna

krsna krsna hare hare

hare rama hare rama

rama rama hare hare

"The words 'Hare Krsna' are to be repeated twice, then 'Krsna' and 'Hare' are

to be repeated separately twice. Similarly, 'Hare Rama', 'Rama' and 'Hare' are

also repeated twice. The mantra will thus be - Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna

Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare." (Sanat-kumara Samhita, as

quoted by Dhyanacandra Gosvami in his Gaura Govindarcana Smarana Paddhati,

verses, 132-133)

As for the Vallabha-sampradaya, they too do not chant the maha-mantra as part

of their tradition, which seems rather ironic, knowing that Vallabhacarya took

diksa-mantras from Sri Gadadhara Pandita and that he was also associated for

sometime with Sri Caitanya directly. One cannot help but think that something

very serious has gone amiss in that sampradaya. Currently the Vallabha

sampradaya neglects the maha-mantra in preference of the astaksara-mantra,

namely 'sri krsna saranam mama.' This mantra, not being found in the Vedas or in

any authorized sastra, was purportedly invented by Vallabhacarya.

Our conclusion is that there are indeed differences between the Gaudiya

Vaisnava conception of the maha-mantra and the conception of the maha-mantra

found in other sampradayas. With the exception of those sampradayas that have

deviated from the path of previous acaryas, (Madhvas, Nimbarkas and Vallabhas),

these differences are primarily based on higher and lower conceptions in rasa

(referring to the Ramanuja sampradaya) and not simply on who is right and who is

wrong. Nonetheless, it should go without saying that any intelligent and pious

person regardless of their professed sampradaya affiliation should accept the

direction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to chant the maha-mantra, if they want to

make substantial spiritual advancement toward the ultimate goal of life.

[Svarupa]

 

"‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.'

 

 

 

[krsna]

 

 

Srila Prabhupada on Chanting Hare KRSNA Maha Mantra :

 

 

"But there is no doubt that chanting takes one immediately to the spiritual platform, and one shows the first symptom of this in the urge to dance along with the chanting of the mantra. We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting and dancing.

 

Of course, for one who is too entangled in material life, it takes a little more time, but even such a materially engrossed man is raised to the spiritual platform very quickly.

 

When the mantra is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord in love, it has the greatest efficacy on the hearers, and as such this chanting should be heard from the lips of pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved."

 

"Chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is the easiest process of meditation in this age. As soon as one chants the Hare Krishna mantra, he sees the forms of Krishna, Rama and their energies and this is the perfect stage of trance. One should not artificially try to see the form of the Lord while chanting Hare Krishna but when the chanting is performed offenselessly the Lord will automatically reveal Himself to the view of the chanter. The chanter therefore has to concentrate on hearing the vibration and without extra effort on His part the Lord will appear automatically."

<HR width="100%">

<CENTER> Hare Krishna Hare Krishna </CENTER><CENTER>Krishna Krishna Hare Hare</CENTER>

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

 

 

[krsna]

Japa Group : NASTYEVA! NASTYEVA! NASTYEVA!

 

Some time ago I read a very nice book entitled: "Legacy of Love: A Servant's Quest", that speaks about the life of a very wonderful devotee of Lord Krishna named Hladini devi dasi, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada.

 

I found the following letter from her to be really inspirational:

 

 

 

------

I received your wonderful letter it was so nice to hear from you. But I am going to VERY INFATICALLY AND LOUDLY PROCLAIM ... NASTYEVA! NASTYEVA! NASTYEVA! There's NOTHING more important than chanting those rounds VERY DEEPLY!

 

So many wonderful devotees became prey to illusion simply because they let down their guard. If you maintain 16 rounds and the regulative principles you are completely protected by Guru and Krishna, but any lack is most dangerous. It's like coming to Africa with no vaccinations! (This place is HEAVY DUTY).

 

All our Enthusiasm, Determination and Patience and Perseverance is in those glorious Names. Don't chant inattentively. The earlier you chant the sweeter it is- no static in the air. It's like tuning a radio, there's one fine point without any static.

 

So we have to practice and search for Krishna in His name. Ultimately it's not a mechanical method. When Krishna is pleased by your struggle and perseverance to contact Him He reveals. This process is SO PERSONAL. Krishna wants to give us everything but we are so slow. That's why association is everything. You must BECOME the association.

 

One small candle can burn down an entire fortress. One enthusiastic devotee can inspire masses. This process is so powerful, so dynamic, but the devotees aren't going deep into it. Then when Maya comes with her army of obstacles and allurements there is no higher taste to combat.

 

 

Letter from Hladini to Yamuna, February 23, 1989

[Optimistic!]

thank uoy

[krsna]

 

 

 

 

The Manner to Chant the Holy Name

 

 

 

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "O Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Ramananda Raya, hear from Me the symptoms of how one should chant the Hare Krsna maha−mantra to awaken very easily one's dormant love for Krsna.

 

<INS>One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others, can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.</INS>

 

These are the symptoms of one who chants the Hare Krsna maha−mantra. Although he is very exalted, he thinks himself lower than the grass on the ground, and like a tree, he tolerates everything in two ways. When a tree is cut down, it does not protest, and even when drying up, it does not ask anyone for water. The tree delivers its fruits, flowers and whatever it possesses to anyone and everyone. It tolerates scorching heat and torrents of rain, yet it still gives shelter to others.

 

Although a Vaisnava is the most exalted person, he is priceless and gives all respect to everyone, knowing everyone to be the resting place of Krsna. If one chants the holy name of Lord Krsna in this manner, he will certainly awaken his dormant love for Krsna's lotus feet."

 

Sri Caitanya−caritamrta Antya−lila 20.20−26

[krsna]

 

 

The 10 Defenses Against Committing the 10 Offenses

 

 

<HR style="COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->

“Ten actions… to protect one from the tendency to make offenses” that originally appear in Srila Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s Harinama Cintamani.

 

 

 

 

The 10 Defenses

 

 

1. Serve those who serve the Lord, don’t criticize them out of envy or false ego.

 

2. Worship Krishna as the “source of all spiritual and material worlds”, “the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities.” Show respect to demigods like Lord Siva or Ganesh and personalities like Hanuman as exalted devotees of Lord Krishna.

 

 

3. Show full respect to the spiritual master in thoughts, words and actions, considering him to be a representative of the Lord. Carry out the orders of the spiritual master with enthusiasm and attention to detail.

 

4. Honor (and study) the scriptures as the instructions of the Supreme Lord (dharmam tu saksad bhagavat pranitam) with the desire to understand how they are correct (not if they are correct).

 

5. Have faith that the Holy Name is not a mundane sound vibration, but is in fact transcendental sound, descending from the (pure) spiritual platform.

 

6. Have faith in the explanations and glorification of the Holy Name given by guru, sadhu and sastra. This knowledge is given by those who have experienced the glories of the Holy Name, and who have “seen the truth.”

 

7. Root out the desire to commit sins. A sin is an action that is not connected to the Supreme Lord; something done for the gratification of the senses. Acting only for the pleasure of the material body brings you further from practical realization of your factual identity as an eternal spirit soul (separate from the temporary material body).

 

8. Give up ritualistic pious activities. Transcend feelings of duty and obligation and perform all activities for the pleasure of Krishna.

 

9. Discuss the glories of the Holy Name with servants of the Lord who will relish hearing about it.

 

10. Chant attentively, absorbing your full consciousness in the transcendental vibration of the Holy Name.

 

Also one who cultivates the four qualities of humility, tolerance, pridelessness, and respect for others will be protected from committing the ten offenses.

 

 

[krsna]

> Haridasa Thakura was eulogized because while some persons had good acara

> (actions) they were not good at prachara (teaching) whereas others were

> good at prachara but not acara. Haridasa Thakura had both good acara and

> prachara.

>

> An acharya is known by the fact that his words and actions are consistent.

>

> Acinoti yaH zAstrArtham AcAre sthApayaty api

> svayam Acarate yasmAd AcAryas tena kIrttitaH

>

> acinoti yah sastrartham acare sthapayaty api

> svayam acarate yasmad acaryas tena kirttitah

>

> "An AcArya is one who fully understands the conclusions of the revealed

> scriptures and whose behavior reflects his deep realization. He is a

> living example for he teaches the meaning of the scriptures both by word

> and deed."

(VAyu PurANa)

[krsna]

 

In Bhaktyaloka, Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes:

“If one takes shelter of the holy names with humility, then by the mercy of the Lord – without prayasa (over endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain)– all knowledge of the Absolute Truth that should be known awakens within the heart of the simple devotee. This knowledge is never attained by independent prayasa.”

 

[krsna]

In the SB 12.3.51 it's stated that just by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become so pure that he becomes free from all the contamination of the material world and goes back home, back to Godhead.

"The Holy names of Krsna are transcendentaly blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it's Krsna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krsna's name is complete and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It's not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krsna Himself. Since Krsna's name is not contaminated by any material qualities, there is no question of it being involved with maya. Krsna's name is always liberated and spiritual, it's never conditionated by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Krsna and Krsna Himself are identical." Padma Purana

[bija]

<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding-left: 3ex; padding-right: 3ex;" bgcolor="#e0e0e0">

<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding-left: 3ex; padding-right: 3ex;" bgcolor="#e0e0e0">In Bhaktyaloka, Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes:

“If one takes shelter of the holy names with humility, then by the mercy of the Lord – without prayasa (over endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain)– all knowledge of the Absolute Truth that should be known awakens within the heart of the simple devotee. This knowledge is never attained by independent prayasa.” </td> </tr> </tbody></table>posted by krsna dasa

</td></tr></tbody></table> What a simple hearted great soul is Vaisnava Thakura!

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[realist]

 

Maybe there are a few extremely rare souls who are here finishing up their jnana and mystic yoga practice and are coming to realize Krsna after many many lifetimes of such practice. But they aren't the ones that we know about. They are not on the traveling guru circuit with their traveling "I am God" sideshow or opening the hatha-yoga for a firmer ass studio on the corner.

 

Think a bit of what it takes. In the hatha-yoga pradipika it is instructed that one practice his asana's three times a day. And that just to prepare the physical body and it's organs to withstand the movements of kundalini once one has become adept at the prana-yama which takes place seriously once the body is made fit by asana's.

 

And who has the clarity of intelligence to distinquish matter from spirit let alone conquer all attachments and identification with that matter.

 

Let's be honest and serious in our appraisals of ourselves. We are helpless losers who have no chance. But this acknowlgement can be our greatest asset. It helps us see we have no other way, no other way, no other way but by the Lord's mercy, which we simultaneously call for and receive in the form of the Hare Krsna mantra.

 

Krsna explained other yoga systems to Arjuna who admitted they seemed more difficult to him then controlling the wind. Krsna then told him to just surrender to Him the Supreme Person and He would give Him all shelter.

 

We want to follow Arjuna's example in that.