16 Beneficial Activities for the Whole World

[Guest guest]

> >Unless a statement is quoted from sastra or

> >previous acaryas recommending chanting of Gauranga

> >or Nityananda mantras on beads, this may be

> >understood to be a fabrication."

>

> Any comment on the following verse (in regards to chanting japa of

> Mahaprabhu's name)?:

>

> 'sri-krishna-caitanya saci-suta guna-dhama'

> ei dhyana, ei japa, laya ei nama

>

> "Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya meditated on and chanted japa of the holy name of

> Sri Krishna Caitanya, son of mother Saci and reservoir of all good

> qualities. Indeed, chanting the holy names became his meditation."

 

This is Srila Prabhupada's translation of the same verse:

 

"‘r…-kŠa-caitanya ac…-s™ta guŠa-dh€ma’

ei dhy€na, ei japa, laya ei n€ma

 

SYNONYMS

 

r…-kŠa-caitanya—Lord ®r… KŠa Caitanya Mah€prabhu; ac…-s™ta—the son of

mother ®ac…; guŠa-dh€ma—the reservoir of all good qualities; ei—this;

dhy€na—meditation; ei—this; japa—chanting; laya—he takes; ei—this; n€ma—holy

name.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Bha˜˜€c€rya always chanted the holy name of ®r… KŠa Caitanya, son of

mother ®ac… and reservoir of all good qualities. Indeed, chanting the holy

names became his meditation."

 

We accept only the bonafide translation of Srila Prabhupada. We always

chanting the holy name of Nitai and Gauranga. But no acarya in our line has

ever advocate chanting the names of Nitai and Gauranga on mala as is being

presented by BR Swami. Before we begin each round of Japa, we always chant

"sri krishna caitanya prabhu nityananda sri advaita gadadhara srivasadi

gaura bhakta-vrinda."

That is the pramana. No need to invent any japa of Nitai and Gauranga, when

Their holy names is already included within the mahamantra. Hare Krishna

maha-mantra encompasses all aspect of Krishna, His lilas, rasas and

everything else. What Srila Bhaktivinoda did, then followed by Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta and then Srila Prabhupapda, is all we must follow.

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura instructed as follows:

 

mah€janera jei patha tate habe anurata

p™rb€para kariy€ bic€ra

 

 

"The essence of sadhana bhakti is to carefully consider and follow the path

displayed by the previous and the present mahajanas (great personalities)."

 

Our perfection hereby lies in following strictly the path adopted by the

mahajanas. We find how the follower sometimes misapply the instructions of

their guru due to improper deliberations and understandings of the guru. The

'Nitai-gour radhe-shyam' group started that way. When their guru was passing

away he had instructed the disciples that they should always do the bhajan

of Radha-Shyamasundara, Nitai and Gauranga, and always chanting the Hare

Krishna Maha-mantra. The followers however took this to mean that their guru

has given them the mantra "bhaja nitai-gour radhe-shyam hare krishna hare

rama" This group are next to our Krishna Balarama Mandira, and they always

blasting their kirtan all day long to our ears. Our bhajan is the worship of

Nitai-Gauracandra and Radha-Shyamasundara, but the misapplication of the

mantras is not bonadide process. However since holy name in whatever format

is chanted is beneficial, but when it is done by following the recomendation

and practise of the acaryas, then we get the maximum benefit, which is to

develop Krishna prema. I find no fault if someone wants to do the japa of

Nitai and Gauranga separately, but such practice should be kept secret, and

one should not try to make a propaganda as if it is mode of bhajan of the

Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

 

your servant,

 

Isvara dasa.