2Nama-sankirtana preached by Maha Visnu or Lord Caitanya Himself?

[Guest guest]

> I never saw evidence anywhere that the Hare Krishna Mantra chanting stops

> at Vaikuntha. Gayatri, yes, but Hare Krishna, no.

 

One of the references one might quote, that it does not stop at Vaikuntha,

is:

 

šdi 7.73

 

kŠa-mantra haite habe saˆs€ra-mocana

kŠa-n€ma haite p€be kŠera caraŠa

 

SYNONYMS

kŠa-mantra—the chanting of the Hare KŠa mah€-mantra; haite—from; habe—it

will be; saˆs€ra—material existence; mocana—delilverance; kŠa-n€ma—the

holy name of Lord KŠa; haite—from; p€be—one will get; kŠera—of Lord

KŠa; caraŠa—lotus feet.

 

TRANSLATION

“Simply by chanting the holy name of KŠa one can obtain freedom from

material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare KŠa mantra one

will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.

 

In the Gaudiya Kanthahara "krsna-mantra" in this verse is translated as

gayatri-mantra (obviously kama-gayatri and/or gopal mantra), which is said

to grant liberation (svarupa-siddhi) and then retire. But this, of course,

does not the least change the main import - pure chanting of the Hare Krsna

mantra is fully capable of taking one straight to Lord Krnsa's lotus feet

and granting Krsna-prema.

 

As far as the special potency of the Holy Name given by Lord Caitanya in

this Kali yuga, in Adi-lila of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta (4.39-41) it is

stated:

 

šdi 4.39

 

dui hetu avatari’ lañ€ bhakta-gaŠa

€pane €sv€de prema-n€ma-sa‰k…rtana

 

SYNONYMS

dui—two; hetu—reasons; avatari’—incarnating; lañ€—taking; bhakta-gaŠa—the

devotees; €pane—Himself; €sv€de—tastes; prema—love of God;

n€ma-sa‰k…rtana—and congregational chanting of the holy name.

 

TRANSLATION

Thus with two intentions the Lord appeared with His devotees and tasted the

nectar of prema with the congregational chanting of the holy name.

 

šdi 4.40

 

sei dv€re €caŠ€le k…rtana sañc€re

n€ma-prema-m€l€ g€‰thi’ par€ila saˆs€re

 

SYNONYMS

sei dv€re—by that; €-caŠ€le—even among the caŠ€las; k…rtana—the chanting

of the holy names; sañc€re—He infuses; n€ma—of the holy names; prema—and of

love of God; m€l€—a garland; g€‰thi’—stringing together; par€ila—He put it

on; saˆs€re—the whole material world.

 

TRANSLATION

Thus He spread k…rtana even among the untouchables. He wove a wreath of the

holy name and prema with which He garlanded the entire material world.

 

šdi 4.41

 

ei-mata bhakta-bh€va kari’ a‰g…k€ra

€pani €cari’ bhakti karila prac€ra

 

SYNONYMS

ei-mata—like this; bhakta-bh€va—the position of a devotee; kari’—making;

a‰g…k€ra—acceptance; €pani—Himself; €cari’—practicing; bhakti—devotional

service; karila—did; prac€ra—propagation.

 

TRANSLATION

In this way, assuming the sentiment of a devotee, He preached devotional

service while practicing it Himself.

 

This makes quite clear that although Lord Caitanya did indeed come for

tasting the nectar of prema as His primary purpose of descend, He did so by

means of chanting and spreading the Holy Name, which, as stated in Adi 4.40,

He wove into one garland with prema and garlanded the whole world.

 

And one can easily guess who He employed for putting the nectarean

prema-nama garland around the world and spreading it among the

untoucheables. Srila Prabhupada ki-jay!

 

The next verse, Adi 4.41, states that He did it personally (apani).

 

Thus, in this Kali-yuga Lord Caitanya not just takes the yuga-avatara with

Himself within His body, not just takes the charge of spreading the

yuga-dharma on Himself, but He also enjoys his primary purpose of descend,

expertly using the secondary purpose - spreading the yuga-dharma - as a

means for this, thus personally engulfing the whole world in the ocean of

prema while tasting it Himslef.

 

This is stated in Sri Caitanya-candramrta by Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati,

text 57:

 

sva-tejasa-krsna-padaravinda

moha-rasavisita visvam isam

 

"Lord Caitanya threw the whole world in the ocean of love of Krsna by means

of His own potency."

 

Other avataras, including the yuga-avatara, are just not capable of giving

prema through the yuga-dharma. Until, of course, empowered to do so by Lord

Caitanya Himself, playing parts of His devotees:

 

šdi 3.27

 

santv avat€r€ bahavaƒ

pa‰kaja-n€bhasya sarvato-bhadr€ƒ

kŠ€d anyaƒ ko v€ lat€sv

api prema-do bhavati

 

SYNONYMS

santu—let there be; avat€r€ƒ—incarnations; bahavaƒ—many; pa‰kaja-n€bhasya—of

the Lord, from whose navel grows a lotus flower; sarvataƒ-bhadr€ƒ—completely

auspicious; kŠ€t—than Lord KŠa; anyaƒ—other; kaƒ v€—who possibly;

lat€su—on the surrendered souls; api—also; prema-daƒ—the bestower of love;

bhavati—is.

 

TRANSLATION

“ ‘There may be many all-auspicious incarnations of the Personality of

Godhead, but who other than Lord ®r… KŠa can bestow love of God upon the

surrendered souls?’

 

PURPORT

This quotation from Bilvama‰gala µh€kura is found in the Laghu-bh€gavat€mta

(1.5.37).

 

Looking forward to be further enlightened by the assembled Vaisnavas on this

wonderful topic and begging to remain

 

your servant,

Madana-mohana das