Easy Money

[anadi]

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

 

You Can Make Easy Money By Nama-aparadha

 

7 June 2001 (morning)

Holland

 

There is a question: Suppose there is a person who is committing many

offences, who is a murderer, who slaughters cows, and who is full of bad

qualities. Suppose that sinful person somehow chants Hare Krsna Hare Krsna

Krsna Krsna Hare Hare. Will his chanting have any effect or not? What will

be the gain? What will be the result?

 

[Devotee]: He will be purified.

 

[srila Narayana Maharaja]: Why does he not realize this at that time? The

example is Ajamila. He was a very wicked person. Earlier in his life he was

a very good brahmana, but then he associated with a prostitute and he became

a murderer. He engaged in all kinds of sins, and he shared the results of

his crimes with that prostitute. He chanted, but he chanted the name of his

son -- Narayana. What became of him? What was the result of his 'chanting'?

 

Jayati jayati namananda-rupam murare. Namananda-rupam murare. The holy names

are the actual rupa, form, of Murari. Mura was a very powerful demon, and

Krsna killed him and gave him liberation. Therefore one name of Krsna is

Murari, and the form of this Murari is krsna-nama. Katham api sakrdattam. In

any way, if one utters only one name of Murari, Krsna, Madhava, Govinda,

Rama, and so on, that name gives mukti. The devotee receives mukti very

easily, and therefore Krsna has the name Murari.

 

Don't have any doubts. Previously Ajamila could not realize the glory of the

name. But then his gurus, the associates of Narayana, came, and in their

light he saw, "Oh, I have even crossed over death. Although no one can cross

death, still, no death came to me. Oh, they saved me from death." At that

time he realized that the name is very elevated and has vast power. Why

could he not realize this before?

 

Now he realized his soul. It is by our soul that we can see the effect of

the name -- not by this body, not by these eyes, and not by this mental

speculation. Even a very wretched, wicked person who chants nama can very

easily be liberated and saved from death.

 

[anadi]

Krsna-prema will never come by this type of chanting, however. For this,

something more will be required. Srila Rupa Gosvami has written:

yad-brahma-saksat-krti-nisthayapi, vinasam ayati vina na bhogaih / apaiti

nama! sphurena tat te, prarabdha-karmeti virauti vedah. ["O Nama! The Vedas

loudly declare that even without a devotee undergoing any suffering, his

prarabdha-karma (the karma which constitutes this body), which cannot be

eliminated even by resolute meditation on impersonal brahman, is at once

mitigated <font color="red"> by Your appearance on the tongue</font color>." (Sri Krsna-Namastakam verse 4)]

What is the meaning? You should write down the meaning in your hearts.

 

[bhakti_lata]

"Even a very wretched, wicked person who chants nama can very easily be liberated and saved from death."

 

 

anAdi Prabhu

 

Please accept my humble obeisences!

All Glories to my Guru and Srila Prabhupada!

 

Thanks for sharing the glories of mahamantra.

 

I have a comment regarding the above statement. "Being liberated" AND "saved from death".....they both could well be contradictory. "Liberation" is not about "being saved from death". If liberation from this material entrapment is what is the aim then "death" could well be either a trap or a means for liberation depending upon the advancement the person has made on the spiritual path.

 

To illustrate my point I would like to tell a story (from the scriptures....pardon me for not being able to give full reference etc of the source) that I have heard from my Guru.

 

A spiritual master and his disciple lived in a temple. One day the spiritual master was visited by a very pious king and a murderer - both of them had come to asking for his blessings. Spiritual master blessed them both. After they left, the disciple was curious to find out what blessing the spiritual master gave to each of them.

 

Guru Ji said he blessed the pious king with immediate death and blessed the murder with a long life. The disciple was preplexed - death for the pious and a long life for the murderer? What's the logic, Guru Ji?

 

Guru Ji replied:

The pious king has accumulated enough good karmas and therefore upon his death he would be elevated to a higher planet like 'swarga lok'. The murderer however has accumulated so many bad karmas that by blessing him with a long life on this planet i am saving him from going to 'naraka lok'.

 

So, if the wretched person chants the mahamantra, he would indeed be liberated....liberated from this material entrapment....eventually..... when he has burnt up all his bad karmas in the sacred fire of mahamantra and not added more to them.......once he has done that....death could well be the means for his liberation. Until he has done that, death is just an extended time out for him from going to 'naraka' that's all. It is upto him to make the best use of being in the minimum security jail ..the earthly body :-).

 

I hope I was able to convey my point. I just thought that statement needed more explanation.

 

Once again thanks for sharing these conversations.

 

bhakti~lata

 

PS - Why did u name your post as "easy money"? Was that a material metaphor for spiritual currency :-)....Golokera prema dhana - harinaama sankeertana! Or was it to get the devotees of maya to read ur post?

 

 

 

[anadi]

Nice story oh,

Most wonderful one,

 

the liberated one,

does not meet death,

but flys beyond,

she does not die,

just leaves behind her karma

 

I like to see it

that way,

than Death and Time

are the companions of

Yamaraja

 

[anadi]

[sripad Aranya Maharaja]: Srila Rupa Gosvami is comparing the process of

chanting harinama and that of meditating on nirvisesa-brahma (the conception

of God without qualities). Even if one is completely absorbed, directly

realizing impersonal brahma, his prarabdha-karma will not go away.

 

[srila Narayana Maharaja]: Remember that there are two kinds of

brahma-jnana. The brahma-jnana of the Mayavadis is not jnana but it is

aparadha, an offence. The brahma-jnana of Sukadeva Gosvami and the four

Kumaras it is right, and that brahma is the rays of the toenails of Krsna.

That brahma is referred to in the verse yasya prabha prabhavato, regarding

the effulgence of Krsna. On the other hand, nirvisesavada of Sankaracarya is

very bogus.

 

[sripad Aranya Maharaja]: Srila Gurudeva is clarifying this point. One

person is a mayavadi, following Sri Sankaracarya's conception that

nirvisesa-brahma is the supreme Absolute Truth. Those who have that

conception are offenders, aparadhis. Those who realize the brahma-jyoti,

like Sukadeva Gosvami, are not making any offence to the Supreme Personality

of Godhead. If anyone is absorbed in that effulgence which is coming form

Krsna, what will be the result? Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda koti/

kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam (Brahma-Samhita 5.40). If anyone will

meditate on that brahma, all his aprarabdha karma will be destroyed.

Aprarabdha karma, the results of the activities performed in previous lives

and which are not yet fructified, will disappear. However, his prarabdha

karma, the results of fruitive activities that are fructifying right now in

the form of this material body, remains. The body that we have now is our

prarabdha karma, and this ! prarabdha karma will not be destroyed by

meditation on brahma.

 

[srila Narayana Maharaja]: They will have to taste all the fruits of

previous activities that are in this body. Other karmas, like aprarabdha and

kuta, will all be destroyed, but they will have to taste this prarabdha

karma..

 

[Aranya Maharaja]: Krsna's name is so powerful. Apaiti nama! sphuranena tat

te, prarabdha-karmeti virauti vedah. Throughout the Vedas it has been

explained that at the very moment krsna-nama appears on the tongue of the

chanter, all karma -- past, present, future, and even this prarabdha karma,

is all totally destroyed.

 

[srila Narayana Maharaja]: But there is something more. Apaiti nama!

spuranena tat te. It must actually be the name. In other words it must be

suddha-nama, the pure name, chanted without any offence. If that pure name

is not coming, but rather nama-abhasa and especially nama-aparadha are

there, you will have to taste the fruits of prarabdha karma. On the other

hand, if the pure name is coming, that is called sphuranena. Spuranena is

the revelation of Krsna as His name.

 

From the same lecture by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

 

P.S.

About the easy money,

further explanations will come.

[anadi]

Atah sri-krsna-namadi

na bhaved grahyam indriyaih

sevonmukhe hi jihvadau

svayam eva sphuraty adah

 

(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234)

 

Sphuratyada has the same meaning as spuranena.

Krsna is directly revealed as His name.

That pure name will come by a certain process, and the first step in that process

is sadhu-sanga, association with self-realized devotees. Then, by sadhu

sanga, something of tattva, philosophical established truths, will be

understood, <font color="red"> and then one will realize why he should be initiated </font color> and how the

desire to serve Krsna can be fulfilled.

 

From the same lecture by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

 

P.S.

About the easy money,

further explanations will come.

[anadi]

<font color="blue"> How the desire to serve Krsna can be fulfilled.</font color>

 

Guru-nistha, faith in guru, is essential for this, but how will guru-nistha

come? It will come by accepting a high class of devotee and taking real

diksa. By that factual diksa, di -- divya-jnanam, a thick relation with

Krsna, will come. At that time all tattvas, like krsna-tattva, jiva-tattva,

maya-tattva, bhakti-tattva, and all other tattvas, will be known. At that

time all kinds of 'ksa', bad things like offences, worldly attachments,

sense gratification and so on will go away by this quality of name. Also at

that time, one serves gurudeva in a visrambha mood. Visrambha mood means

lokika sada-bandhuvat, serving gurudeva as an intimate friend, and accepting

him as one's very heart.

 

By such chanting of harinama, the pure name will come automatically, and at

that time prarabdha karmeti virauti vedah. Prarabdha karma will disappear.

If prarabdha karma goes away, however, at once the body will die. Therefore,

by Krsna's arrangement the body does not die. It the body dies, how will one

practice bhakti-yoga? The body does not die, but if any illness comes to the

devotee, or any good or bad events, it will be by the wish of Krsna. It is

given to develop his Krsna consciousness. It is not due to his karma. The

karma of Bharata was not his prarabdha karma or any other karma. It was the

wish of Krsna Himself.

 

In a certain pastime Narada, due to pride, apparently became attached to

lust. This was not actually the case, however. He is a transcendental person. Lust cannot touch him. Ramacandra simply wanted to caution ordinary devotees, who succumb to pride, that they should be careful. Otherwise, even

if one considers himself as great as Narada, still he can come to this. <font color="red"> If

one is proud, he cannot be saved from lust </font color> . It was simply for example that

Ramacandra set up this pastime with Narada. It was simply the wish of

Ramacandra. Prarabdha karmeti virauti vedah. The chanter of suddha-nama has

no prarabdha karma.

From the same lecture by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

 

[anadi]

Veda tells us that if anyone is doing nama-aparadha, the result is that he

may become wealthy. Why? So that his bhakti will be covered by wealth. He

may drink, he may eat meat, he may take drugs, and he may engage in so many

other sins -- as we saw in the case of Nalakuvera and Manigriva. If there is

wealth, it is very hard to do bhajana. Ambarisa Maharaja and others like him

can do so, but we cannot do so if we are wealthy. Even a sannyasi may fall

down by wealth, and this has also been explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Wealth takes us very far away from Krsna. Nityartidena vittena

durlabhenatma-mrtyuna (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.19). What is the meaning?

 

From the same lecture by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

 

[anadi]

[sripad Madhava Maharaja]: Gurudeva has just explained about wealth.

Nityartidena. To earn money is very difficult, and to use it properly is

very difficult. ["Wealth is a perpetual source of distress, it is most

difficult to acquire, and it is virtual death for the soul. What

satisfaction does one actually gain from his wealth? Similarly, how can one

gain ultimate or permanent happiness from one's so-called home, children,

relatives and domestic animals, which are all maintained by one's

hard-earned money?" (SB 11.3.20)]

 

[srila Narayana Maharaja]: In earning, in spending .

 

[Madhava Maharaja]: And in protecting it.

 

[srila Narayana Maharaja]: It always gives suffering.

 

[Madhava Maharaja]: Those persons cannot do bhajana properly. Gurudeva just

gave the example of the sons of Kuvera. Kuvera is the predominating deity of

wealth. Janma aisvarya sruta sri. If you come from an aristocratic family,

if you have too much opulence, if you are very learned, and if you are very

handsome, you cannot do bhajana properly. If you have wealth, then all bad

qualities are bound to come to you -- if you have not surrendered yourself

to the lotus feet of a bona fide gurudeva and are not in good association.

If you have wealth, then even if you are very ugly and you have many bad

habits, yet you can keep a learned or handsome person as your servant.

 

Nityartidena vittena durlabhenatma-mrtyuna. Wealth causes you to kill your

own soul. Therefore, if you have money, if you have wealth, you must be in

good association in order to use it properly. If you are like Ambarisa

Maharaja and Yudhisthira Maharaja, then you can be saved. Otherwise, you

will be entangled by that wealth, and you are bound to misuse it and spoil

your life.

 

[anadi]

If you are doing nama-aparadha and vaisnava-aparadha, but still you are

chanting the name, what will be the result? Especially if you are

criticizing Vaisnavas, you will have to go to hell. The holy name cannot

bear that anyone criticizes His devotees. Krsna will make another kind of

hell for you -- a special kind of hell.

 

From the same lecture by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

[Guest guest]

Vaishnava Aparada, Is it that you go to hell after criticizing a pure devotee? Is it the same result for criticizing impure devotees? What if someone criticizes a devotee but devotee forgives him, And if someone is criticizing a devotee for the good of the devotee (constructive criticism) does he get the same result as well? Also, if there was no criticism, but the devotee thinks that it is criticism will there be punishment for the perceived criticizer? Also, if the devotee is criticized but devotee does not recognize it as criticism , then will the criticizer suffer?

 

 

[anadi]

Is it the same result for criticizing impure devotees?

 

There are three example of vaiSnava aparadha against kaniSta, madyama and uttama adhikari.

Only the first two can be attoned by the power of harinama, but still adverse reactions would be seen in one's activities, according the gravity of offence.

 

If one seeks shelter by the ones he offended, his aparadha is also attoned, than the offeded ones are bound to forgive.

 

If one offended an uttama adhikari and goes to his special hell, he stays there like forever.

There is also some chance that the offended uttama vaiSnava goes to that hell and thake the offender out of his unbearable condition.

 

I heard this from advanced VaiSnavas, but have no qoutes from Sastra.

 

<font color="blue"> Criticising bad qualities bound those bad qualities to come in the heart of the one who criticises.

 

Criticising means only to blame someone.

Trying to improve (without to blame) is not in the category of criticising.

 

Our capacity to improve things depends on the degree of our realization.

 

Just hear what Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana continues to say:

 

A different result comes by chanting nama-abhasa. [This is the stage of

chanting where offences have almost stopped and one is freed from the result

of sins. Nama-abhasa is a glimpse of the light of the pure holy name. It is

almost transcendental.] The chanter may take birth in a religious family to

easily continue his bhakti, and he will cross over death. He will be

liberated by his nama-abhasa. [in this connection 'crossing death' and

'liberation' means that at the time of death the agents of Yamaraja will not

come to punish him. Rather, he will be promoted to a better opportunity for

bhakti.] If he is! not doing any vaisnava-aparadha or nama-aparadha, if

nama-abhasa is continuously coming, then it may be that by the effect of

high association or by the mercy of gurudeva and Vaisnavas and Krsna, in

this life one pure name will come on his tongue. You can realize this if you

are always chanting harinama and not criticizing or committing any offences

to any Vaisnava.

 

Then, very soon, by the process given by Rupa Gosvami and especially given

by Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Siksastaka, the pure holy name, with all kinds of

rasa and all kinds of associates, will come and dance. Maha-rasa-lila will

be danced on your tongue. This is sure. At that time there will be no

sleepiness or idleness at all. You will be like Srila Haridasa Thakura, or

more than that. You will be like Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Rupa

Gosvami, and also Srila Sanatana Gosvami.</font color>

 

[Guest guest]

Dear anadi,

My problem is that I am criticized everyday for almost everything by a person even when there is nothing to criticize. I try to tell her but she does not listen. Still, she is very dear to me and a family member. I do not want her to go to hell for criticizing me. I am very religious but I am not a pure devotee, so is it ok if she criticizes me? or does it count?

 

[anadi]

Dear Guest,

Don't let you led by weakness,

act now,

later will be too late.

If that person don't listen, because she thinks, she knows better, renounce to replay to her criticism, and try to avoid her for a while, even if a family member.

 

In the meanwhile meditate if you yourself should make some changes.

 

Criticising is poison for the spiritual life.

The reaction, sooner or later would be no attraction in harinama and the inevitable regress, down fall from the achieved platform of sadhana, or even distruction of one's sukRti.

 

[yasodanandana]

Vaishnava Aparada, Is it that you go to hell after criticizing a pure devotee?

••• yes, if he does not forgive hell is sure

 

Is it the same result for criticizing impure devotees?

•••the perfection is to consider everyone pure, and that we have not to offend anyone.. but more advanced is the person we offend, more he's dear to krsna, more we have to pay later

 

What if someone criticizes a devotee but devotee forgives him?

•••everything ends... the offence ceases to exist

 

And if someone is criticizing a devotee for the good of the devotee (constructive criticism) does he get the same result as well?

•••this is not criticism in the "aparadha" sense, this is an help.. but we have to be humble and not to feel like masters, but servants of the devotee we help

 

Also, if there was no criticism, but the devotee thinks that it is criticism will there be punishment for the perceived criticizer?

•••if we are humble we will feel guilty to have made an offence, even if unintentional. We know that we are imperfect and that we make mistakes even if we do not want to.. obviously we will not be punished for a thing we have not done.

But the things remains that we have to be humble and we have to take the injustice as a krishna's mercy to smash our ego and to advance in spiritual consciousness

 

Also, if the devotee is criticized but devotee does not recognize it as criticism , then will the criticizer suffer?

•••the "criticized" devotee, if he's a realized person, he's humble... being like this he feels our offence as an help... and we suffer a lot, because he's very advanced and dear to krsna

 

[anadi]

 

These Gosvamis never knew where was night and where was day. Sometimes they

ate nothing. They were only weeping, weeping, weeping -- all day and night.

Why were they weeping? Sometimes a feeling of separation came in their

hearts by the name. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare / Hare Rama

Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

 

In the names Hare(and)Krsna, <font color="blue"> Radha and Krsna are meeting. The pure chanter

will realize rasa and all the other sweet pastimes of Radha and Krsna in

Their meeting</font color> . In Rama Rama, or Hare Hare, or Krsna Krsna, a <font color="red"> separation mood

will come. </font color> Krsna has gone for cowherding and the gopis are in their homes or

in the many groves. The gopis were remembering Krsna in their homes in this

way:

 

Barhapidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram /

bibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malam / randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrndair / vrndaranyam sva-pada-ramanam pravisad gita-kirtih

 

["Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karnikara flowers on His ears,

a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayanti garland, Lord

Krsna exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He

entered the forest of Vrndavana, beautifying it with the marks of His

footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips,

and the cowherd boys sang His glories." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.21.5)]

 

from the same lecture by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

[anadi]

The gopis were seeing Krsna playing on His flute, accompanied by Baladeva,

and lakhs and lakhs friends and cows were following behind them. The melody

of the sweet vamsi was entering the ears of the gopis, at once taking their

hearts, and then returning to Krsna. At that time the gopis became restless

and followed that thief. They called out, "Where are You taking my heart?"

Sometimes feeling separation and sometimes meeting, a devotee can do this.

Why he will sleep? He will not be able to sleep.

 

from the same lecture by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

 

The gopis were seeing Krsna playing on His flute!

the melody of the sweet vamsi was entering their ears...

[anadi]

If that kind of name is not coming, then we are not uttering suddha-nama.

There are two kinds of name. When we are chanting the name by mind,

forcibly, it is like a vibration of sound. It is not the pure name. However,

although it is asuddha-nama, [some nama-aparadha and some nama-abhasa,] our

Gosvamis have said that such chanting is part of the process of bhakti. It

is called sadhana-bhakti.

 

There are two kinds of sadhana, and they are vaidhi-bhakti sadhana [sadhana

regulated by sastric injunctions] and raganuga-bhakti sadhana [sadhana

impelled by a greed to follow in the wake of the Vrajabasis]. When we are

engaging our tongue and all other senses for the purpose of achieving

transcendental bhakti, then it is also called bhakti. It is not exactly

bhakti, but still it is called so.

 

An example can be given of a boy going to school. Although he was weeping

very much and crying out, "I will not go to school", still the father or

mother took him in their arms and forcibly took that boy to school. Then, in

school, a red book with so many pictures was given to him, and the teacher

asked him, "Oh, what is this?"

 

"This is a book."

 

"Now open the book."

 

The boy opened the book.

 

"What is this?"

 

"Oh, it is a mango."

 

"A -- apple. Now you know that this is an apple." The boy became very happy,

and the teacher said further, "Oh, you are a very good boy. You are very

intelligent. And B -- ball, C -- cat. Now you are learned. You are a good

student."

 

On the next day the boy eagerly inquired, "Mummy, when will I go to school?"

Learning to recognize the picture of a ball is not actually study, but this

activity is like studying.

 

Here is another example. Suppose I want to have a fire sacrifice. I order

you, "O Gaurasundara, you should go and bring some bricks and make a place.

O, you should go and bring some ghee and some paraphernalia. You should go

and bring that book, Hari-bhakti-vilasa. And you, you should bring some dry

wood. And you should also bring some very green leaves of mango."

 

Is this the fire sacrifice? It can never be so. What is the fire sacrifice?

It is your offering of yourself: Svaha! Svaha! Sva means myself. Om krsnaya

svaha means I am offering myself to the lotus feet of Krsna. This is the

fire sacrifice. To bring all the paraphernalia has also been accepted as

part of the fire sacrifice, however, because it is gotten for the sacrifice.

Similarly, when we are chanting and doing sadhana, devotional practices

performed by these mortal senses and this body, still it has been called

bhakti.

 

Krti-sadhya bhavet sadhya-bhava sa sadhanabhidha / nitya-siddhasya bhavasya

prakatyam hrdi sadhyata (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.2). What is the meaning?

 

[syamarani dasi]: Krti-sadhya bhavet sadhya. This verse was spoken by Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Sri Sanatana Gosvami, and it is also quoted by Srila

Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. This is the definition of

sadhana-bhakti.

 

There is something that is eternally situated in the heart of every living

entity, (nitya-siddhasya bhavasya) and that is the emotional sentiments in relation to Krsna.

Bhava-bhakti, the sprout of the beautiful plant of krsna-prema, is eternally

situated in the heart of every jiva ( hrdi sadhyata) . What is my constitutional relationship

with Krsna, what I look like, what is my service -- these are already in my

heart in potentiality, as a seed.

 

There is a process by which that bhava-bhakti becomes awakened in the heart (kRti-sadhya bhavet sadhya).

It is already there, and it awakens in the heart by the nine processes of

bhakti beginning (adi) with chanting and hearing. Sravan adi -suddha-citte karaye

udaya (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 22.107). It is not brought about by

anything external. It is already in the heart. The process, which is

executed by the material senses (kRti-sadhya bhavet sadhya) and which awakens bhava-bhakti, is called

sadhana-bhakti. If my aim and objective is not that very bhava-bhakti, if

there is some other aim, then I am not doing sadhana. I am doing

sadhana-abhasa, a shadow or semblance of sadhana-bhakti.

 

[sripad Aranya Maharaja]: Srila Gurudeva gave the two examples to show the

nature of sadhana -- the boy saying A is for apple, and the fire sacrifice.

This is to show that sadhana is not actually bhakti, as bhakti is the

vritti, function, of svarupa-sakti. Unless bhava has begun to appear, the

activities cannot actually be called bhakti. Yet, Rupa Gosvami has included

sadhana within the umbrella name of bhakti because it is essential to

perform this in order to make the platform on which svarupa-sakti vritti, or

in other words bhava-bhakti, will manifest.

 

Gaura-premanande!

From the same lecture by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja