Inquiries Into the Absolute: Digest 168, Chanting Hare Krishna andchanting om namah shivaya

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Digest 168, May 16th, 2006. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

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Chanting "Hare Krishna" and chanting "om namah shivaya"

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Question: I have a question that is bothering me. I went last year to see MATA

AMRITANDAMAYI also known as AMMA. She is a big devotee of Lord Krishna, always

speaks of Lord Krishna's glories. She has the same message to humankind that

our place is with the Lord and that we have to go back to Lord Krishna. My

question is, I have seen devotees of amma chanting "om nama shivaya". So I am

confused. What is the difference between the maha mantra and this mantra?

 

I hope you would enlighten me on this.

 

Answer: Before directly answering your question about the two different

mantras, I would like to give a short prelude about the process of

Krishna-bhakti.

 

Pure Devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna is a

great science. Although it is very simple that even a child can perform

devotional service under proper guidance, it is also very scientific and has to

be learned carefully from learned and authorized devotees. Just as in a

scientific experiment, if some procedures are not followed properly it may not

yield the desired result and may even prove dangerous, similarly also the

science of bhakti-yoga has to be carefully understood and applied.

 

Srila Rupa Goswami, one of the great Vaishnava acharyas, cautions us that

devotional service which is not performed according to the injunctions of the

authorized scriptures is simply a source of disturbance:

 

shruti-smrti-puranadi-pancaratra-vidhim vina

aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate

"Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures

like the Upanishads, Puranas and Narada-pancaratra is simply an unnecessary

disturbance in society." (Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.2.101)

 

It is for this reason that Lord Krishna Himself spoke the entire Bhagavad-gita

in which He clearly delineates the spiritual science and the Vaishnava acharyas

in disciplic succession have also written so many elaborate and authoritative

books explaining this science for our benefit. Those of us who aspire for

devotion to Krishna should take full advantage of these literatures and

familiarize ourselves with this science. It may be beneficial for anyone to

simply chant or hear the Holy Names of the Lord with devotional sentiments and

aspire to go back to Him, but if one wants to systematically cultivate their

devotion and make tangible progress towards the goal of reaching Lord Krishna's

lotus feet, it is imperative that they approach a qualified spiritual master,

who comes in disciplic succession, and learn this science - this is the Vedic

recommendation.

 

With that background, I can address your question in light of what the

scriptures teach. According to Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna is the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, the source of all spiritual and material worlds, and

from whom everything is emanating. (BG 10.8) For the affairs of managing the

material creation, He expands as Mahavishnu who is the source of Lord Brahma,

who in turn appoints many demigods such as Indra, Candra, Ganesha etc, in

charge of universal administration. Lord Shiva is considered the chief of all

these demigods, and he himself is a transformation of Lord Vishnu, although he

is not the Supreme Godhead himself. The example given is that of yogurt, which

is a transformation of milk, but is neither the same as, nor entirely different

from its cause viz., milk. (Brahma Samhita 5.45)

 

It is certainly very auspicious to worship and chant the names of Lord Shiva,

for he is most exalted and one of the greatest devotees of Lord Hari,

"vaishnavanam yatha shambhu". In fact, he himself is a spiritual master and

head of a vaishnava sampradaya (disciplic succession) and he teaches pure

devotion to Lord Krishna. Yet, shastras teach that one does not derive the same

benefit from the worship or chanting of the names of Lord Shiva as the worship

of the Supreme Lord.

 

Krishna conclusively states in the Bhagavad-gita that different kinds of

worshipers attain different destinations: "Those who worship the demigods will

take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the

ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such

beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me." (BG 9.25) The same idea is

conveyed in the Isopanishad also: "It is said that one result is obtained by

worshiping the supreme cause of all causes and that another result is obtained

by worshiping what is not supreme. All this is heard from the undisturbed

authorities, who clearly explained it." (Isopanisad Mantra 13)

 

Ishopanishad further recommends that we approach such learned and undisturbed

authorities to clearly understand who that supreme Cause of all causes is, and

simultaneously also know what the temporary material creation is with its

temporary demigods, men and animals. Without such clear knowledge, it is

possible that our innate tendency for worship and devotion of someone superior

to us may be misdirected towards something other than the Supreme Absolute

Truth. This will be like the example of performing a science experiment with a

wrong ingredient! Such persons, despite all their devotional sentiments, can

not achieve the desired result not to speak of giving it others. One who

actually knows these truths perfectly, however, he surpasses death and the

ephemeral cosmic manifestation with it, and in the eternal kingdom of God he

enjoys his eternal life of bliss and knowledge. (Cf. Iso Mantra 14)

 

As far as the Hare Krishna mahamantra is concerned, it is a direct prayer to

the Supreme Personality of Godhead and even amongst the many Vedic mantras

addressing the Supreme Lord, this particular mantra is recommended in the

Upanishads and puranas as the 'Mahamantra', and as especially beneficial for

the present age of Kali. (Cf. Kali Santarana Upanishad 5)

 

I hope this clarifies your doubt.

 

(Further discussion about the position of Lord Shiva can be found on

http://iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?ndx=132 in Digests 100, 43 & 89

http://www.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest100

http://www.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest43

http://www.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest89)

 

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Responses to Some Frequently Asked Questions (Karma, free-will, demigods, Lord

Siva, why are we here, how to control the mind, Deity worship, marriage, Jesus

Christ, spiritual and material relationships and morality of Lord Krsna's

conjugal pastimes, spiritual master, spirit soul/jiva/living entity):

http://www.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest999_faq

 

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