Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana

Gauracandra · October 19, 2003

This week’s Srila Siddhaswarupananda television program concerns the Holy Name.

Audience Member: Please pardon my ignorance, is there a reason you have chosen the names Gopala, Govinda, Rama, Madana Mohana, as the names of God that you chant. Doesn’t God have unlimited names?

Srila Siddhaswarupananda: Caitanya Mahaprabhu states that God’s names are invested with His power. There are so many names coming down in disciplic succession, and different teachers emphasize different names. We do not choose, we simply receive from the bonafide teachers.

The name of God represents different features of God. The sound ‘Allah’ is a name of God. Muslim scholars accept that there are thousands of names of God. Allah means all compassionate. Jehovah from the Old Testament means God is all powerful. These are reverential names for God. In the Vedic scriptures there are similar names like Narayana.

We do not chant these names primarily because Madana Mohana, Krsna, Gopala, Govinda are less reverential names. Madana Mohana means God is so attractive that even Cupid becomes attracted to Him. In the material world it is said Cupid shoots his arrow and causes people to fall in love. But even Cupid falls in love with Madana Mohana. Krsna means all attractive. He is so sweet. He has all power, all compassion, all wealth, all beauty, He is the sweetest and attracts everyone. The name Rama means He who gets great transcendental pleasure.

Actually I have never thought of your question. You must have a bias that is why you are questioning this chanting. If you are from a particular tradition then follow it. Some chant Allah. We do not say stop chanting Allah. We encourage it.

In Navadvipa, when I visited there, many people are Mohammedans. They chant Allah when tending the cows. Because of the influence of Caitanya, I have seen them tending the cows and chanting ‘Allah Allah Haribol Haribol Allah Allah Haribol’. They aren’t thinking about it. Caitanya came to say to chant the Holy Name. Others chant the name of the dear servant of God Jesus Christ. This too is good.

I have before given you the example of Japa das and his father. This is not the first situation where one of my disciples had to help their parents leave their body with their mind on God. In New Zealand, Prahlada Das, his mother was very old. He arranged, and she was very happy, for her to hear God’s names. Her son was not scared, not attached. He wanted to help her make her leave without fear. When a person is leaving their body then sometimes they can’t keep their mind on anything. This raises the question of the duty of the children to their parents. Some parents get angry with me “You make my child not care about material life.” But these children may end up being their salvation. When raising our children we should keep this in mind that ultimately our children should help us leave our bodies with our mind on God. This is the perfect son or daughter.

Audience Member: How will we know our spiritual guide? We all want to be detached from worldly things but we have to feed ourselves. How do we compromise?

Srila Siddhaswarupananda: Does everyone understand his questions? A bonafide spiritual master comes in disciplic succession to teach. I am teaching you now. If you are looking for a guide, here I am [audience claps]. But I am not looking for any students. Just as you should look for a bonafide teacher, I am looking for bonafide students. When you meet a spiritual teacher check with scripture and the Lord in your heart. If I teach something opposite to scripture then don’t accept me.

Anyone can sit on a big seat. Some gurus say “We are all God but we have forgotten that we are God.” And their students nod “That makes sense Swamiji.” Is this said anywhere in scripture? Just because a guy looks holy, has long hair, if he contradicts scriptures then reject him.

Your second question, how to live in this world. We must eat and keep the body fit. You used the word ‘compromise’. We are now engaged in making a television program, we had to rent this hall for this program, people are working and giving little donations here and there to sponsor this effort, we print books. These are all activities. Before I came I had to eat otherwise I couldn’t put up with the lights and arguing with people here [laughter].

Everything belongs to God. If we understand this then if I center all my activities to be pleasing to God then those activities are not material. No Yoga system neglects the body. Materialists abuse the body with alcohol, cigarettes, and meat. Keep your body fit and use it in service of God. All the supplementary activities like eating, sleeping, working can become spiritualized if used in the service of the Lord. This is karma yoga.

At the Science of Identity Institute we teach these techniques to center our lives around God. There are other names of God, other melodies, there are various activities like setting up an altar in the home. You can apply these to your life. My disciples work, raise their families, but they center their lives around worship of God.

It is getting late but we can speak more tomorrow evening. Thank you very much.