Shrila Prabhupada and the 'Gauranga' Mantra

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Shrila Prabhupada and the 'Gauranga' Mantra

 

> If the chanting of NITYANANDA &/or GAURANANGA are so important, why

> wasn't chanting these names stressed much MORE by Prabhupad,

> Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati, Sridar, etc.??

> Thank you in advance for your reply.

 

The acharyas have already given the detailed instructions in their books.

Sometimes they practically implement only some of their instructions given

in their books and the leave others to be implemented to their followers due

to their causeless mercy. But all the guidelines are there in their books

and instructions.

 

Also it is the open and primary instruction of the Guru of all Gurus,

Adi-Guru, Sakshat-Mula-Sankarshana, origin of the spiritual and material

worlds Lord Shri Nityananda Prabhu to al the moving and non-moving living

entities:

 

bhaja gauranga kaha gauranga laha gaurangera nama re;

ye jana gauranga bhaje sei amara prana re.

 

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

'Gauranga'. Those who will worship Gauranga in this way by constantly

chanting His name are veritably My life and soul"

 

Lord Nityananda was sent to preach the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra in Bengal by

Lord Gauranga but He preached the name of Gauranga first because He knew

that only the name of Gauranga will impart the qualification to the

offensive, sinful souls of Kali-yuga to chant the Maha-mantra.

 

Thus the order of Lord Nityananda is the life and soul of all acharyas

including Shrila Prabhupada. If someone says that Shrila Prabhupada does

want us to chant the name of 'Gauranga', they are commiting the biggest

offense against Prabhupada by saying that Prabhupada is desiring something

against the desires of Lord Nityananda.

 

I would say that it is the most dearmost and pleasing thing to the heart of

Shrila Prabhupada and the greatest service to him, all acharyas (like

Narottama das Thakura who said that he will become a slave of someone who

chants 'Gauranga') and Lord Nityananda to make others chant Gauranga's name

regularly. This is proved by Shrila Prabhupada's song on the Jaladuta and

his direct statements in the Chaitanya-charitamrita.

 

on board the ship Jaladuta, September 13, 1965

Verse 3

tara iccha balavan pascatyete than than, hoy jate gauranger nam

 

"By his (Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada's) strong

desire, THE HOLY NAME OF GAURANGA will spread throughout all the countries

of the Western world."

 

"[...]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." (Srila Prabhupada in Cc Antya-lila 2.31 purport)

 

Prabhupada: "Now, what is the difference, Nitai-Gauranga and Hare Krsna?

Nitai-Gauranga and Hare Krsna, there is no difference. Nitai-Gauranga is

also nice. Whatever he finds convenient, let him chant." (Shrila

Prabhupada's Room Conversation with Yoga Student, March 14, 1975, Iran)

 

"A neophyte student who is not sufficiently educated or enlightened should

not indulge in the worship of Sri Radha and Krsna or the chanting of the

Hare Krsna mantra. Even if he does so, he cannot get the desired result. One

should therefore chant the names of Nitai-Gaura and worship Them without

false prestige." (Cc Adi 8.31 purp)

 

"Always chanting Nitai-Gaura, and thinking of Nitai-Gaura," such person,

Narottama dasa Thakura says... Grhe va... "He may be a sannyasi, or he may

be a grhastha. It doesn't matter. Because he is absorbed in the thought of

Nitai-Gaura." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.2, Vrndavana, March 17, 1974)

 

[Note: If one has to always chant the names of Nityananda and Gauranga, why

can't one chant them on the beads also. Both of them are bonafide mantras

glorified in many scriptures and have been chanted previously by great

acharyas.]

 

I wil like to end with the following quote from Shrila Prabhupada:

 

SB 1.5.16 purport:

 

"The expert devotees also can discover novel ways and means to convert the

nondevotees in terms of particular time and circumstance. Devotional service

is dynamic activity, and the expert devotees can find out competent means to

inject it into the dull brains of the materialistic population. Such

transcendental activities of the devotees for the service of the Lord can

bring a new order of life to the foolish society of materialistic men. Lord

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His subsequent followers exhibited expert

dexterity in this connection. By following the same method, one can bring

the materialistic men of this age of quarrel into order for peaceful life

and transcendental realization."

 

Daso'smi, Tridandi Bhikshu Bhaktiratna Sadhu.