Religious training for Ksatriyas

[Guest guest]

On 13 Apr 1999, Vijay Pai wrote:

 

> On 13 Apr 1999, Janesvara Dasa wrote:

> > "Oh my Lord, Your Holy Name alone can render all benediction to living

> beings

> > and thus You have hundreds and millions of Names like Krsna, Govinda and

> > Christ. In these transcendental Names You have invested all....etc."

>

> Hmmm, weren't you saying something about changing translations?

> Can you provide any evidence that suggests that the "and Christ"

> part can actually be attributed to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, or is

> this just your speculation?

 

 

Ya know, as soon as I sent the message I was thinking someone will probably

say this. It's not the first, nor last, time that my big mouth has gotten me

in trouble. I sincerely apologize if I have led any one to believe that I am

editing the prayers for Lord Caitanya and putting His Name on it. This is only

my "translation" of the prayer in my native English for my personal

appreciation of the meaning of the prayer.

 

Thanks for calling me on it.

 

 

> > I am not certain that the Names of the Lords pure

> > devotees (like Jesus, Mohammed, etc.), while certainly wonderful, are of

> > similar potency or applicable?

 

 

> Then why did you include "Christ"? "Christos" is a Greek word

> meaning anointed; thus it primarily refers to a devotee, not the

> Supreme Deity.

 

 

Actually, the only reason I use it is because of something I read of Srila

Prabhupada's in the SSR wherein he stated that "Christ" comes from the word

Christos which comes from sansrit krsta (?) and that is the same as Krsna.

Christ or Krsna - it's the same thing. Something to this effect I believe.

Correct me if I'm wrong please.

 

 

 

> Of course, all names (even "Paul" and "Steve") refer ultimately to

> Krishna. Srila Prabhupada taught this -- see the Lilamrita where

> he was in a US hospital for the first time. However, that doesn't

> justify chanting "Hare Paul" or any other concoction. But if you

> really want to add "and Christ" to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's prayer,

> then you cannot justify skipping "and Paul, George, Ringo, etc.,"

> since all of those names ultimately refer to Krishna.

 

 

I really was not intending to take this this far. I hoped people might

understand my humble request for identifying some more of the Names. I do not

believe Lord Caitanya mentioned the Names Krsna or Govinda in the sanskrit of

the prayer but we have obviously added them in the English translation. Lord

Caitanya said that there are "hundreds and millions" of such Names all

invested with His transcendental energy and they all can deliver a living

being. I was simply asking what some more of those Names were. For those

people that may consider chanting Hare Krsna a Hindu or Indian religious thing

they are given the equally potent option of chanting one of the other

"hundreds and millions" of Holy Names. Particular nomenclature does not limit

the ability of the Holy Name to deliver a living being according to this

prayer, in my humble opinion.

 

 

 

> > I often think about how I could interest Christians and other religions to

> > chant the Holy Names of their own nomenclatures. This would certainly be

> > non-sectarian and very effective, in my humble opinion.

>

> Why bother? It takes as much effort to ask a non-practicing Christian

> to chant "Jehovah" as it does to ask one to chant "Hare Krishna",

 

A "non-practicing Christian"? Is this a Christian who does not believe in

Christ (and therefore not a Christian) or just one who does not follow all of

the prescribed Christian rules and reg's perfectly? If the latter, would this

apply to Vaisnavas also and those who don't follow ALL of the rules and reg's

perfectly are non-practicing Vaisnavas?

 

 

> and only the Hare Krishna mahA-mantra is the one recommended by

> Lord Brahmaa for crossing the ocean of Kali-Yuga.

 

Certainly you are not inplying that Lord Brahma is negating Lord Caitanya's

prayer that there are "hundreds and millions" of Holy Names?

I prefer the maha-mantra also but I have no doubt in the potency of other Holy

Names.

 

 

[Of course, a

> practicing Christian should be encouraged in his own way, but those

> are truly rare. All the above applies equally to followers of

> other religions as well.]

 

I would think it might be advantageous to the world to encourage Christians

and all other religions to increase or put more concentration on the chanting,

reciting, singing, etc., of the Holy Names of the Lord in whichever particular

nomenclature is indigenous to their religion, language, etc. Like myself, once

on the path of association with the Lord's Name, fame, entourage, etc., even

in the slightest way, they will gradually approach the Supreme Personality of

Godhead and want to get closer to a relationship with Him regardless of their

particular country or language. It may take a while longer for some, but if

Krsna can wait, so can I.