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')