The 'Gauranga' Mantra In The Scriptures

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The 'Gauranga' Mantra In The Scriptures

 

BY BHAKTIRATNA SADHU SWAMI

 

The four-syllable Gauranga-mantra or the Gaura-gopala mantra is

described as follows in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 2.24,31:

 

apane bolana more, iha yadi jani;

amara ista-mantra jani' kahena apani.

 

'gaura-gopala mantra' tomara cari aksara;

avisvasa chada, yei kariyacha antara"

 

Nakula Brahmacari told Sivananda Sena, "You are chanting the Gaura-

gopala mantra, composed of four syllables (which is your ista-mantra

i.e. worshippable mantra). Now please give up the doubts that have

resided within you."

 

Purport by Srila Prabhupada:

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains the Gaura-gopala mantra in his

Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. Worshipers of Sri Gaurasundara accept the four

syllables 'gau-ra-an-ga' as the Gaura mantra, but pure worshipers of

Radha and Krsna accept the four syllables ra-dha krs-na as the Gaura-

gopala mantra. However, Vaisnavas consider Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

nondifferent from Radha-Krsna (sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe

anya). Therefore one who chants the mantra "gauranga" and one who

chants the names of Radha and Krsna are on the same level.

 

Purport by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya:

 

gaura-gopala-mantra-gauravadi gana 'gauranga'-name

catura-aksara gaura-mantra ke uddesya karena; kevala

krsnavadi gana ei 'gaura-gopala-mantra' sabde radha-krsnera

catura-aksara-mantrake uddesya karena.

 

"The following is the explanation of the Gaura-gopala mantra. The

followers of Lord Gaura accept 'Gauranga' as the four-syllable mantra

and the followers of only Krsna accept 'Radha-Krsna' as the Gaura-

gopala mantra. The followers of both Lord Gaura and Lord Krsna accept

either one of them as the Gaura-gopala mantra understanding that They

are non-different from each other."

 

Purport by Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami:

 

So it is very clear that the most intimate devotees of the Lord like

Shrila Shivananda Sena were constantly chanting the four-

syllable 'gau-ra-an-ga' Mantra which is non-different than the four

syllables of 'ra-dha-krs-na'.

 

Thus the constant chanting of the name or mantra of 'Gauranga' is

authorized in the revealed scriptures and implemented by the previous

acharyas. The great advantage is that the ultimate benefit of 'radha-

krsna' or the Hare Krishna maha-mantra can be realized by siddha and

mukta souls whereas the 'Gauranga' mantra is the most prayojaniya

(useful) for anartha-yukta, badha, patita (fallen conditoned) souls

according to Shrila Prabhupada's purport and also the Anubhashya

purport of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta to Cc Adi 8.31 which will follow in

the next messages on this subject. (Purport ends)

 

In Sri Caitanya-mangala Sutra-khanda Verse 527 by Srila Locana Dasa

Thakura, the four-syllable Gauranga-mantra is described as the mantra

through which Lord Gauranga is worshipped in Goloka Vrndavana, the

topmost Vaikuntha planet in the spiritual world:

 

hema-gaura kalevara, mantra cari-aksara;

sahaja vaikuntha-natha syama.

 

"The Lord sits on a golden bejewelled throne. He posseses a

complexion millions of times more brilliant than the colour of molten

gold. He is worshipped by all His devotees with the four-syllable

mantra, 'Gauranga'."

 

Purport by Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami:

 

Another interesting thing to note is that the 'Gauranga' mantra is

also a namatmaka-mantra like the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Just like

Hare Krishna maha-mantra is called a Mantra as well addressed as

Harinam similarly 'Gauranga' mantra is sometimes called as the Gaura-

Gopala Mantra whereas soemtimes called as Gauranam. So the 'Gauranga'

mantra is for everyone including the most fallen irrespective of

one's qualification. The six syllable Gaura-Mantra mentioned in the

Urdhvamnaya-Tantra starting with 'klim' is given by our acharyas as

fourth of the seven gayatri mantras given at the time of mantra-

diksha. So it is obvious that this mantra can be chanted only on the

platform of brahminical qualification. Whereas 'Gauranga' mantra has

no such complications and Lord Nityananda requested everyone He met

to chant it.

 

The Panca-tattva Mantra as given by Shrila Prabhupada cannot also be

regularly chanted on the beads as instructed by Shrila Prabhupada

himself.

 

He recommended it to be chanted only at the beginning of the chanting

of the Hare Krishna mantra. However there are no such restrictions

given by the acharyas for the 'Gauranga' Mantra. It can be chanted on

beads, or sung loudly in kirtana or even chanted mentally in the

breath etc. According to mantra-shastra, one achieves mantra-siddhi

if one chants the mantra 1000 times the number of syllables is the

mantra. If we apply this to the 4-syllable 'Gauranga' mantra, it has

to be chanted 4000 times which is around 40 rounds (1 round =108

times). So we requesting whoever we meet to atleast chant 40 rounds

of the 'Gauranga' Mantra daily along with atleast 16 rounds of the

Hare Krishna Maha-mantra as recommended by Shrila Prabhupada.

 

This will surely help anyone and everyone in bringing them very

quickly to the platform of offenseless chanting of the Hare Krishna

maha-mantra and love of God. As said by Shrila Narottama 'Gaurangera

nama loya, tara hoya premodaya...

 

Though the Pancha-Tattva mantra is not mentioned anywhere explicitly

in the scriptures, Shrila Prabhupada gave it to us due to his extreme

and causeless mercy on us to help us become quickly delivered from

the ten offenses in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

 

Just like Lord Krishna is the Supreme Perosnality of Godhead

similarly Lord Gauranga is the self-same Krishna and the worshippable

Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to Jaiva-Dharma (posted

below) just like the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the mantra thro

which anyone (irrespective of high qualifications) can worship Lord

Krishna, similarly Lord Gauranga (who has has specifially incarnated

for the sake of the most fallen, degraded souls of Kali-Yuga) also

has to have a specifically mantra through which anyone can worship

Lord Gauranga. This mantra is the four syllable "GAURANGA" MANTRA.

(Purport ends)

 

Lord Nityananda is always requesting the conditioned souls as follows:

 

bhaja gauranga kaha gauranga laha gaurangera nama re

ye jana gauranga bhaje sei amara prana re

 

"Worship Gauranga, chant 'Gauranga' and take the name of 'Gauranga'.

Those who will worship Gauranga in this way are veritably My life and

soul"

 

Lord Nityananda instructs the living entities:

 

kasta nahi, vyaya nahi na pabe yatana;

srigauranga bali nace nahika bhavana.

 

(Sri Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya, Chp 1)

 

"There is no trouble or loss nor will you suffer anymore, if you

forget yourself while dancing and chanting 'Gauranga'."

 

So one can please Lord Nityananda in the best way by always

chanting 'Gauranga'.

 

Sri Ananta-samhita, Sri Caitanya-janma-khanda, Part Two, Chapter

Three, Text 54, Lord Siva tells Parvati:

 

dharayamy urdhva-vadane, devesi samhitam imam;

mantram ca gauracandrasya, namedam sarva-mangalam.

 

"O Parvati, the controller of all the demigods, I always recite with

great enthusiasm this Ananta-samhita alongwith Lord Gauranga's mantra

which is most auspicious in this world."

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Jaiva Dharma Chapter 14:

 

vrajanatha: sri gauranga yadi saksat paripurna-tattva hailena, tabe

tanhara pujara vyavastha ki?

 

Vrajanatha: Since Sri Gauranga is the the original complete Absolute

Truth, how should one worship Him?

 

babaji: gauranga-nama mantre gaurapuja karileo yaha haya, krsna- nama-

mantre krsna-puja karileo tahai haya. krsna-mantre gaurapuja va gaura-

mantre krsnapuja-sakalai eka. ihate je bheda- buddhi kare, se nitanta

anabhijna ou kalira dasa.

 

Babaji: As one worships Lord Krsna by chanting the name and mantra of

Lord Krsna, so one should worship Lord Gaura by chanting the name and

mantra of Gauranga. One may worship Lord Gaura by chanting Krsna-

mantras, or for that matter one may worship Lord Krsna by chanting

Gaura-mantras. They are all the same. Anyone who thinks Lord Krsna

and Lord Gaura are different is a fool. He is a servant of Kali-yuga.

 

vrajanatha: channavatarera mantra ki-rupe paoya jaya?

 

Vrajanatha: Where to obtain the mantras to worship Lord Gauranga who

has come as a covered incarnation?

 

Babaji: je tantra prakasya-avataraganera mantra prakasarupe varnana

kariyachena, sei tantrei channavatarera mantra channarupe likhiya

rakhiyachena. yanhadera buddhi kutila naya, tahara bujhiya laite

parena.

 

Babaji: The scriptures that openly give mantras for worshipping the

openly manifested incarnations of the Lord, secretly reveal the

mantras for worshipping the secret and hidden incarnation of Lord

Gauranga. People whose intelligence is not crooked can understand the

presence of these mantras.

 

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings in his various songs:

 

je gaurangera nama loy, tara hoy premodoy, tare mui jai bolihari.

 

"One who chants the name of 'Gauranga' instantly awakens his or her

dormant pure love for the Lord. I (Narottama) worship such a person

and surrender to him."

 

grhe ba vanete thake, 'ha gauranga' bo'le dake, narottama mage tara

sanga.

 

"One may reside in the house or in the forest, but if he is feelingly

calling out 'Gauranga!', then I (Narottama) want his association."

 

gauranga balite habe pulaka sarira; hari hari balite nayane ba'be

nira.

 

"In the beginning, when by chanting the name of 'Gauranga', my body

will feel waves of ecstasy, only then will I be able to shed tears

while chanting the names of Lord Hari."

 

MORE TO FOLLOW WITH LOTS OF REFERENCES FROM THE SCRIPTURES AND THE

ACHARYAS..

 

Dasanudaso'smi, Tridandi Bhikshu Bhaktiratna Sadhu.

 

(From the recently published book by Sadhu Swami: 'Our Eternal Home --

Navadvipa')

 

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