THE MAHAMANTRA OF SRI GOURANGA

By
Sri Vaishnav Dasanudas PARAMANANDA Das

The woman surrenders to the feet of Sri Haridas Thakur, leaving behind all mundane attachments and accepting Harinam for the rest of her life as the greatest of treasure.

 

In this manner, Sri Haridas Thakur shows by example, just like Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, that one cannot separate the Maha Mantra from Japa, just as Nitaigouranga and Radheshyam are joined to Japa Hare Krishna Hare Ram. The prostitute at the end of the story ends up becoming a great soul, devoted to the chanting of the Maha Mantra in Japa. The radical change in the life of this fortunate woman was due to the purity, practice, and chanting of Japa of Sri Haridas Thakur Namacharya. This is the great example of the power that Vachika Maha Mantra chanting in Japa has under the instruction of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu.

 

The second form of chanting a Mantra is Upamshu

 

UMPAMSHU

 

This is the chanting of the Mantra in a barely audible whisper, murmuring the Mantra. This technique is applicable to all Mantras as is explained in the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, which obviously also applies to the Maha Mantra. The simplest way to chant a Mantra is aloud, which is recommended for novice practitioners, so that all the cells of the physical body and the mind can be inundated with the powerful sound of the recited Mantra. The chanting of the Mantra in Upamshu elevates the power of the Mantra by a factor of ten.

 

 

The third form of chanting a Mantra is Manasa

 

MANASA

 

Chanting a Mantra in Manasa refers to chanting it mentally, without sound. According to all the sampradayas, the texts and yogic schools, Manasa chant is the best and most powerful way to chant a Mantra. This system magnifies the power of the Mantra by a factor of 100. If Haridas Thakur chanted 300,000 Harinamas a day, these names would be divided in three. The first 100,000 names would be chanted in Vachika, the second 100,000 in Upashmu, and the last 100,000 Holy Names would be chanted in Manasa or in Manasika manner. We can imagine the power that his Japa Sadhana of the Maha Mantra generated when he reached the Manasika platform. Actually, I don’t think we can even imagine it.

 

In appreciating the marvelous Lila of Sri Haridas Thakur Namacharya, we see that his chanting of the Maha Mantra was always in Japa. The texts describe Haridas Thakur’s practice, and they tell how he would forgo eating in order to complete his Japa of the Maha Mantra. Even Sri Gouranga himself asked that he lower the number of repetitions due to his advanced age. Of his 24 hours, Sri Haridas only devoted a couple to his maintenance, eating and sleeping the bare minimum that no normal human being would be able to maintain throughout their life. We should remember that Sri Haridas Thakur was not an ordinary man, so his practice was not ordinary either. He was called the Master of the Holy Name and his practice consisted of 108% Japa Hare Krishna Hare Ram and not Maha Mantra Kirtan. This was the practice of the associates of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu as shown throughout this study.

 

Returning to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, we find that all the biographies and the verses on the Maha Mantra indicate that he was counting constantly, there is not any verse in all the Shastra where Sri Gouranga is singing the Maha Mantra in Kirtan.

 

His chanting aloud is Vachika Japa. He is not singing the Maha Mantra accompanied by musical instruments (Kirtan) but is rather doing Japa aloud in Vachika. In the Chaitanya Chandramrita, the great Prabodhananda Saraswati writes:

 

To count the number of the Holy Names Hare Krishna that He revealed for the welfare of humanity,

the Lord “makes cloth knots in his belt,” while his hands tremble in extreme Prema and his face is bathed in tears.

 

— Chaitanya Chandramrita, 16

 

In this beautiful verse, Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati says that Sri Gouranga experienced a great Prema (divine love) while chanting the Maha Mantra, while he “made knots” of cloth in his belt. This is a cloth that is worn traditionally in India underneath the dhoti and is the part that ties the Kaupin (underwear) at waist level. When I met Sri Braj Gopal Agarwal in Sri Dham Vrindavan, the wise elder writer and disciple of Siddha Mahatma Sri Gouranga Das Babaji Maharaj, the perfect revered Vaishnava of Vrindavan who himself was the disciple of Siddha Mahapurush Sri Radharaman Charan Das Dev, explained to me that this verse as well as Srila Rupa Goswami’s “he counts the number of recitations on a beautiful, knotted cord,” refer to Sri Gouranga wearing a clean Katidoor (the cloth that ties the Kaupin), which is used to tie knots while counting the repetitions of the Maha Mantra.

 

We are all familiar with the picture of Sri Chaitanya wearing a Sikha, a brahmin thread, saffron cloth and dancing and singing the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, but the scriptures tell a different story. For one thing, sannyasis do not wear a brahmin thread, as according to Shastra a sannyasi renounces this material world and all its laws. This includes Varnashrama and its divisions of Shudra, Vaishya, Kshatriya, and Brahmana. Thus, wearing a brahmin thread would make no sense, as sannyasis renounce these material caste divisions.

 

Sri Gouranga himself explains his position in the following verse:

 

॥ nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro nāhaṁ varṇī na ca gṛha-patir no vanastho yatir vā kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramānanda-pūrnāmṛtābdher gopī- bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsāndāsaḥ

 

I am not a Brahmana, or a Kshatriya, or a Vaishya or a Shudra. I am not a Brahmachari, a head of family, a Vanaprastha, or a Sannyasi. I self-identify only as a servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, the sustainer of the Gopis. He is like an ocean of nectar and the cause of transcendental universal well-being. He always exists in splendor.

 

— CC Madhya 13.80

 

I wish to add that Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati comments that in Puri Dham Sri Gouranga also renounced his saffron robes and what they symbolized and dressed in purple. I cite the verse:

 

He has renounced his saffron robes and now wears purple ones.

— Sri Chaitanya Chandramrita, 79

 

 

MANTRA IN HARI BHAKTI VILASA

 

It’s possible to find detractors against the idea that the Maha Mantra should only be chanted in Japa who say that the Maha Mantra isn’t a Mantra but Harinam. This is a completely invalid argument as the Maha Mantra appears in the Vedic texts. What’s more, it’s called Maha MANTRA for a reason. Is it the case that the great sages of the universe who count Brahma and Narada Muni in their number don’t know the difference between a Mantra and the Name of Hari? What sort of nonsense is it to think one can understand things better than Narada Muni, the universal teacher, or Brahma, the architect of the universe and narrator of the Vedas? Brahmadev teaches this Maha Mantra to Narada Muni, his children, and devotees. The instruction was always the same: “Meditate on this Mantra and you will reach perfection.” Sri Brahma didn’t tell them to sing this Mantra in Kirtan and they would become perfect. The Maha Mantra is a Mantra due to its name, Vedic origin, and use. Even so, there will always be those who want to twist the Shastra to bring out from it conclusions to their own liking. Apropos of the chanting of the Mantra in Japa, Srila Sanatan Das Goswami writes in his Hari Bhakti Vilasa, which is like a lawbook for the Vaishava:

 

anguli agresu yajjapta yajjaptam meru langhane asankhyatan ca yajjaptam tat sarvam nisphalam bhavet

 

While you speak, walk, sleep, dream, or think of any object, have hunger or stretch, have hiccups, are mentally disturbed, in this condition, if anyone chants Japa, he does not receive the perfection of chanting. Thus, one should strive to abandon all these functions in order to chant properly.

 

— Hari Bhakti Vilasa 17, 135

 

yaduccha nica svaritaih spasta savdavd aksaraih mantram uccharayed vyaktam japa yajna sa vacikah sanair uccharayen mantram isad osthau pracalayet kincit savdam svayam vidyad upansuh sa japah smrtah

 

Japa yajña comes in three types. Please listen. To chant with audible vibration, to chant murmuring, or to chant inside the mind. Of these three types of chanting, one is progressively better than the other.

 

— Hari Bhakti Vilasa 17.156-157

 

One should regularly chant, according to one’s capacity, a set number of rounds each day.

— Hari Bhakti Vilasa 17.199

 

Basing ourselves in the transcendental instruction written by Sri Sanatan Goswami and Gopal Bhata Goswami in the Sri Hari Bhakti Vilasa, we see that the chanting of Japa has a particular form, and this is complete concentration on the Mantra. “While talking, walking… If someone chants Japa, they do not receive the perfection of chanting.” This indicates clearly that the chanting of a Mantra cannot be done as a Kirtan, or the power of the Mantra is diminished.

 

This is a possible explanation as to why many practitioners feel that they haven’t achieved anything in their chanting of the Maha Mantra after years of practice and they fall on the spiritual path. Their practice has been flawed, and thus they don’t have any success. This is what Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu states:

 

The Lord continued:

This is the Maha Mantra, go and chant this Mantra according to a prescribed number.”

 

— CB 2.23.77

 

“In doing this, all will achieve all perfection.

Always chant, there is no other perscription.”

 

— CB 2.23.78

 

In these verses Sriman Mahaprabhu reveals the method, process, and result. If our supreme Guru Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu gives us an instruction this precise, doing the opposite of the instruction of God will mean that we will only receive the opposite result. In other words, we will go step by step towards failure. Another intimate associate of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu is Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya who on the topic of Sri Gouranga’s practice and the Maha Mantra writes:

 

hare krishna rama nama gana dana karinim soka moha lobha tapa sarva vigna nasinim

pada padma lubdha bhakta vrnda bhakti dayinim gaura murtim asu naumi nama sutra dharinim

 

He sings the holy names Hare, Krishna, Rama, and destroys all obstacles such as sadness, illusion, greed, and suffering. He renders devotional service to Lord Krishna for the multitude of devotees who are anxious for refuge at His lotus feet. I prostrate myself quickly to offer my obeisances to the Lord in His golden form, who holds a strand of beads for counting in meditation.

 

— Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya - Susloka Satakam, 23

 

In verse 23 of the Susloka Satakam, again we find evidence of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu when it comes to the Mahamantra, mainly that he “holds a strand of beads for counting in meditation.” This indicates that Sri Gouranga’s chanting of the Maha Mantra was always done in Japa and not in Kirtan. My dear reader, on this very page I believe you have clear proof that the Maha Mantra is exclusively for Japa and not for Kirtan. We have seen examples of Sri Gouranga, and we have studied his instructions, and it is unnecessary and almost ridiculous to have to offer any more evidence. But for the pleasure and edification of the more intellectually inclined, what I have presented here is but the tip of the iceberg.

 

 

MAHA MANTRA KIRTAN “no verse prohibits it”

 

The opposing opinion to the one we are presenting in this text is that the Maha Mantra can be sung in kirtan. This opinion falls apart when we point out that there is NO TEXT that supports this, but the inevitable response is that there is no text that prohibits it. Honestly, I ask you if this is a valid defense in, say, a court of law? Is it valid at all? Surprisingly, from the other side this is the only evidence for those who believe that the Maha Mantra can be sung in Kirtan, along with a couple of doctored and contrived interpretations from Shastra, while the evidence of the Maha Mantra being only for Japa is overwhelming. All of Gaudiya Siddhanta states it over and over again, and even then, there are those who would deny it… What else are we to expect in Kali Yuga? If only to totally destroy the demon of illusion, we will continue to bring forward more authoritative Gaudiya Vaishnava verses, not ones coming from this guru or that one, but from the eternal luminaries of Gaudiya Vaishnavism before the creation of some particular Math or philosophical school. This is the Maha Mantra of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu. One very important detail is how all the acharyas are emphasizing that Sri Gouranga is “chanting Japa.” Would it not be enough to just say he’s chanting the Maha Mantra?

 

 

Locana Dasa Thakura

 

Smiling Prabhu said to all the bhaktas:

Spread this holy name of mine, from house to house. All people, young and old, who live in Navadvipa, Chandalas, poor people, honest as well as criminals alike. Teach them all the holy name along with the knots (Japa). Then all will cross beyond mundane existence.

 

— Locana Dasa Thakura, Chaitanya Mangala

 

 

Raghunatha Dasa Goswami

 

The Master, having accepted all the people of Gauda as his own, teaches them as a father: Oh, repeat the names, “Hare Krishna” through the practice of counting them (Japa).

Will that son of Sachi ever return before the path of my eyes?

 

— Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, Chaitanyashtaka, 5

 

In these verses of adoration for Sri Gouranga and in the authorized biographies it is mentioned that he is “counting the Maha Mantra in Japa.” I repeat, there is not one verse that states that he was chanting the Maha Mantra in Kirtan. My question is, why would someone begin teaching against Sri Gouranga’s practice and that of the Acharyas who gave their lives for the mission of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu? Another verse from Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati confirms this:

 

Prabodhananda Sarasvati has elevated the name of Sri Gaurahari as the chanter of the Maha Mantra while counting, when he extends his blessings to the people of the world: as his hand trembles with divine love, he makes knots in the band around his waist in order to count while he repeats the names “Hare Krishna,” which are his own names that bless the world. His face wet with tears, he longs to see Jagannath, who is his own self. Thus, he comes and goes from the temple, elevating all who see him. May the golden bodied Hari protect you.

 

— Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Chaitanya Candramrita, 3.16

 

 

All the Acharyas venerate Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur for being the first biographer of Sri Gouranga in his Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata, which is often highly praised in many places by Sri Krishna Das Kaviraj in his immortal work, Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita. Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur writes:

 

All glories to Chaitanyachandra who is non-different from Lord Murari, who is the new lamp of Navadvipa, who is like a lion without equal in subjugating the atheists appearing as elephants, and who holds a cord for counting his own names, “Hare Krishna,” while he chants.

 

— CB 2.5.1

 

The Shastra is replete with evidence concerning the Maha Mantra and its use. An honest seeker would not find proof that indicates that the Maha Mantra should be sung in Kirtan. They would only find more verses that explain the connection between Japa and the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. Having explained all this, I believe it is evident that what is being explained in this text is correct. If there are verses that say otherwise, obviously I would cite them in this study, but these are not found in Gaudiya Siddhanta. Of the many Lilas that we could study, there is one in particular that I would like to share, where the close servant of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu named Vaninatha is arrested and put in mortal danger. Sri Gouranga sends a messenger to see how he was doing. The following verses reveal the marvelous attitude that a perfect devotee of Sri Gouranga has:

 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked the messenger:

What was Vaninatha doing when he was arrested and taken to that place?

 

— CC Antya Lila 9.55

 

The messenger answered: Free from all fear, he repeated without ceasing the Maha Mantra:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

 

— CC Antya Lila 9.56

 

He counted his prayers with the fingers of his two hands, and every time he completed a thousand repetitions, he made a mark on his body.

 

CC Antya Lila 9.57

 

At hearing this, the Lord felt quite pleased. Who can understand the mercy of the Lord for his devotee?

 

CC Antya Lila 9.58

 

 

Now think about yourself. If the police of a tyrannical government who opposed your philosophy and spirituality arrested you, you would be aware that your life is in their hands. The crime is the public adoration of the names of God, being under arrest, in prison, what would you do? Surely you would not make waves, looking for the possibility that they might free you. You wouldn’t start chanting even more loudly the Maha Mantra, not to speak of marking your body in order to keep the count of the number of your prayers. This would be a proof of your unbreakable faith in Sriman Mahaprabhu. The next logical question would be, if Kirtan of the Maha Mantra and Japa of the Maha Mantra are both permitted, why didn’t Vaninatha simply chant the Maha Mantra without counting, in order to not draw the attention of those demonic police? The answer is simple: Sri Gouranga instructs the Maha Mantra Japa (with counting). An alternative interpretation to his sacred instructions did not exist. This is precisely what all of us should do, without fear, to chant the Maha Mantra only in Japa just as Sri Gouranga taught and how he chanted in his own life in the terrestrial Goura Lila.

 

 

THE SIX GOSWAMIS OF VRINDAVAN

 

sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-kritau nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau catyanta-dinau ca yau

radha-krishna-guna-smriter madhurimanandena sammohitau vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau

 

Praise be unto Rupa and Sanatana, the two Raghunathas, Sri Jiva and Gopala, who have filled their lives with obeisances and with the chanting of the holy names while counting. They conquered sleep, food, idle pleasures, and were extremely humble. They were filled with happiness at the remembrance of the sweetness of Radha and Krishna.

 

— Srinivasa Acharya - Sri Sri Shad Goswami Ashtaka, 6.

 

 

Seeing that Srinivas Acharya Prabhu himself is the one explaining the Maha Mantra of the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan, is there any doubt as to their practice and the importance of chanting the Maha Mantra in Japa? His verse doesn’t say that they also sang the Maha Mantra in Kirtan, because those verses don’t exist in Shastra. Why is it so important to highlight the use of counting? “Who filled their lives with obeisances and with the chanting of the holy names while counting.” Could this revealing verse leave any room for doubt? I believe that this is impossible, except if one wants to doubt the obvious. A blind man could argue with the whole world about the Sun not existing. Again, we see here an emphasis that the Maha Mantra is chanted in Japa exclusively. Some try with great difficulty to refute the idea that the Maha Mantra should only be counted in Japa and not in Kirtan.

 

We see in the case of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu and the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan the words “nāmā-gāna”, which refer to chanting aloud and along with it is mentioned that “they keep the count of their recitations.” In this verse the Goswamis of Vrindavan as in the verses of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu are chanting aloud “while counting.” The word counting in both passages is saṃkhyā, “sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana”. Samkhya translates in Sanskrit as “to number.” Further, there are no verses that indicate that some of them chanted the Maha Mantra in Kirtan. Instead, they do Harinam Kirtan as instructed by Sri Gouranga, as we cite here in Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata and Srila Rupa Goswami:

 

They should sing: haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ, gopāla govinda rāma śrī madhusūdana.

 

— CB 2.23.80

 

liebre krsnety-uccaih sphurita-rasano “nama-ganana” Krta-granthi-sreni-subhaga-kati-sutrojjvala-karah visalakso dirghargala-yugala-khelascita-bhujah sa chaitanyah kim me punar api drsor yasyati padam

 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chants the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra aloud, the Holy Name dances on his tongue, while he counts the number of recitations on a beautiful, knotted cord in his refulgent right hand. His eyes are large and his arms long, they bend as he carries out his pastimes, reaching his knees. Will he ever again cross the path of my eyes?

 

— Srila Rupa Goswami - Prathama Chaitanyastaka, 5.

 

 

MAHA MANTRA DIKSHA

 

The following paragraph is from the Sri Prema Vilasa by Nityananda Das. Here we find the divine revelation of how the Goswamis of Vrindavan gave the Maha Mantra Hare Krishna as a Diksha Mantra and instructed how to employ this powerful Mantra.

 

Sri Rupa Goswami Maha Mantra Diksha to Sri Jiva Goswami

 

Sri Rupa Gosvami gave Harinama initiation (Maha Mantra Diksha) to Sri Rupa Goswami, teaching him to abandon all tendencies towards Karma and Jñana, and to accept Sri Krishna Chaitanya as the only Guru. He taught that all Vaishnavas who wish to obtain the mercy of Sri Chaitanya should chant Harinam (Maha Mantra) with regularity. If a devotee can complete a lakh (100,000 repetitions) of Harinam on a Nama Mala (Japa), he will achieve the feet of Sri Krishna. He explained that a devotee should “carefully chant their rounds” (Japa), touching the forehead with the mala when completing each round.

 

Here Sri Rupa Goswami is teaching Maha Mantra Gyan to Sri Jiva Goswami. He is stating that when one chants 100,000 repetitions on the Japa Mala daily, one achieves Krishna. In reciting the Maha Mantra, one should touch the forehead with the Mala after each round and above all, “you should recite the Maha Mantra with much attention.” Are these possible indications of Kirtan? No. This explanation is called Mantra Gyan and the Guru gives it in Diksha as a guide to the use of the Mantra. As we see here, the Maha Mantra has a formal guide “Gyan.” All that is described in the Sri Prema Vilasa corresponds to the instructions given in bestowing Mantra Diksa. There is no mention of Kirtan of the Maha Mantra in the text.

 

 

SRI NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR

 

We also find the divine form in which Sri Narottama Das Thakur chants the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra:

 

A year passed of Narottama repeating the holy name. During that time, he chanted day and night. He chanted 200,000 names, sitting in a solitary place. He repeated the holy names while counting, sitting and awake throughout the night.

 

Here Sri Narottama Das Thakur is strictly following the instructions that Sri Rupa Goswami gave to Sri Jiva Goswami who was accepted as a Shiksha Guru by Sri Narottama Das Thakur, who had taken Diksha from Srila Lokanath Prabhu. Srila Lokanath Das is counted among the Goswamis of Vrindavan even though normally he is not named, due to his request to remain in anonymity due to his humility. With this, we see again that the Goswamis of Vrindavan and their disciples chanted the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra in Japa and not in Kirtan, and that the Maha Mantra was transmitted as a Diksha Mantra. This is what Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and their intimate associates the Pancha Tattva did. We cited Srinivas Acharya above teaching the chanting of the Maha Mantra in Japa, as well as the instruction where he affirmatively said, “This is the Maha Mantra, go all of you and chant this Mantra according to a prescribed number. (CB 2.23.77)

 

At this point we have said everything, and the conclusion is self-evident. If someone were to have at least the same number of verses proving the contrary to what this work is stating, I would happily rethink all the information presented here for the sake of the original mission of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu. But that information does not exist in Gaudiya Shastra and the proofs for it have been forged or are the result of omitting information or twisting the words of the acharyas.

 

 

HARINAM - SANKIRTAN - KIRTAN

 

According to this advanced study, we demonstrate that the problem of bad interpretation is not always due to the biased intentions of translators and preachers, but the key is in the understanding of the words “Harinam”, “Sankirtan”, and “Kirtan”. To shed light on this, we should explore the meaning of each of their words and their roots.

 

Harinam

Sanskrit हfरनाम (Harinaam, Harinama), noun, masculine. Definition: The Name of God, the story of Vishnu. In the definition of the word Harinam, we understand that it does not refer to the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, but to all the names of Hari (Vishnu - Krishna). Thus, Govinda, Gopal, Radharaman, Gopinath, Vishnu, Narayan, Mukunda, etc. are names of Hari and not part of the Maha Mantra. The Maha Mantra is not a synonym for Harinam, but forms part of the names of Hari, Harinam.

The following definition is a form of inducing the student to believe in something that isn’t: Harinama (हfरनाम) refers to the names of Sri Krishna: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

 

Sankirtan

Sanskrit (sagkirtana). Definition: Praise, glorification. This word is translated commonly as singing the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra in the streets, which is incorrect. Traditionally, to sing Harinam with musical instruments in the street (the names of Hari) is called Nagara Kirtan and not Sankirtan. Sankirtan is to adore the names of Hari, which can be done when doing Japa or singing a Bhajan in a house or ashram. Again, this is not a synonym, nor does it have any relation to the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.

 

Kirtan

Sanskrit कीत न. Generally, this means, “telling, narrating, describing, recounting, informing.” The Sanskrit root of Kirtan is Kirt (कीत्). Kirt in this context means, “mention, recount, name, call, recite, repeat, relate, declare, communicate, commemorate, celebrate, praise, glorify.” In no Sanskrit dictionary do we find the words “Hare Krishna” or “Maha Mantra.” Kirtan is not a synonym for the Maha Mantra. In different spiritual schools of India, within the four sampradayas and hundreds of parivaras, we hear Kirtans in different forms, for example:

 

— Bhaja Guru Gouranga Radha Govinda Brahma Narayana Hare Krishna Rama

 

— Jay Jay Radhavallabh Sri Harivansh Jay Jay Sri Vrindavan Sri Vanchand

 

— Govind Jay Jay Gopal Jay Jay Radharaman Hari Govinda Jay Jay

 

— Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda Hare Krishna Hare Rama Sri Radhegovinda

 

— Waheguru

 

— Radhe Krishna Radhe Krishna, Krishna Krishna Radhe Radhe, Radhe Shyam Radhe Shyam, Shyam Shyam Radhe Radhe

 

— Bhaj Nitaigour Radheshyam Japa Hare Krishna Hare Ram

 

The list would be interminable if we take every spiritual school in India into consideration. Kirtan is not a synonym for the Maha Mantra. This misinterpretation should be corrected in our vocabulary, in order to see things as they really are and to develop our Sadhana according to the instructions of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu and in this way achieve “all perfection.”

 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in his travels in southern India, is described thus:

 

মত্তসিংহ-প্রায় প্রভু করিলা গমন । প্রেমাবেশে যায় করি' নাম-সংকীর্তন ॥

 

matta-siṁha-prāya prabhu karilā gamana premāveśe yāya kari' nāma-saṅkīrtana

 

Like a crazed lion, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu undertook his tour, full of ecstatic love and doing Sankirtan,

chanting the names of Hari.

 

— CC Madhya 7.95

 

 

কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! হে ।

কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! হে ॥

কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! রক্ষ মাম্ ।

কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! কৃষ্ণ! পাহি মাম্ ॥

রাম! রাঘব! রাম! রাঘব! রাম! রাঘব! রক্ষ মাম্ ।

কৃষ্ণ! কেশব! কৃষ্ণ! কেশব! কৃষ্ণ! কেশব! পাহি মাম্ ॥

 

kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! he

kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! he

kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! rakṣa mām

kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! pāhi mām

 

“Oh Lord Krishna, protect me and be with me.”

 

 

He also chanted:

Rāma! Rāghava! Rāma! Rāghava! Rāma! Rāghava! rakṣa mām

Kṛṣṇa! Kesava! Kṛṣṇa! Kesava! Kṛṣṇa! Kesava! pahi mamá

 

“Oh Lord Rama, descendant of King Raghu, please protect me.

Oh Krishna, oh Keshava, killer of the Keshi demon, please be with me.”

 

— CC Madhya 7.96

 

 

এই শ্লোক পড়ি' পথে চলিলা গৌরহরি । লোক দেখি' পথে কহে, — বল 'হরি' 'হরি' ॥

ei śloka paḍi' pathe calilā gaurahari loka dekhi' pathe kahe, — bala 'hari' 'hari'

 

Singing this verse, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, known as Gaurahari, went on his way.

No sooner did he see someone that he pleaded with him to chant “Hari! Hari!”

 

— CC Madhya 7.97

 

Below we will cite verses extracted from the writings that describe the divine qualities of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu. Each verse explains Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu’s chanting. Those who write these transcendental works are the luminaries of Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy.

 

 

— Stavamrta Lahari, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura (5)

 

purvahne sayanotthitah su-payasa prakshalya vaktrambujam bhaktaih sri-hari-nama kirtana-paraih sardham svayam kirtayan bhaktanam bhavane ’pi ca sva-bhavane kridan nrinam vardhayaty anandam pura-vasinam ya urudha tam gauram adhyemy aham

 

Period 3 - Morning pastimes: When the morning comes, the Lord wakes up and stretches. Then he washes his lotus face with sweetly perfumed water. He meets with his devotees, who like very much to sing Sri Hari Nama Kirtana. He personally tastes the chanting of the holy names over and over again. Thus, he enjoys, sometimes in the houses of various devotees and sometimes in his own house. It is in this manner that he augments the ecstatic pleasure of all the people of Navadvipa to great heights. I meditate on the daily pastimes of Sri Gaura Chandra.

 

— Sri Mahaprabhorastakam, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura (4)

svarupa hari-nama yaj jagad aghoshayam tena kim na vacayitum apy athashakam imam shivanandajam iti sva-pada-lehanaih shishum achikarad yah kavim virajatu chiraya me hridi sa gauracandrah prabhuh

 

Svarupa Damodara, I made the entire universe. Chant the name of Hari. But why could I not make this son of Sivananda Sena chant? In pronouncing these words, Gourachandra transformed that child into a great poet. May Gaurachandra shine eternally in my heart.

 

— Sri Sachinandana Vijayashtakam, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

 

(3)

ha ha kim idam ucyate patha pathatra krishnam muhur vina tam iha sadhutam dadhati kim budha dhatavah prasiddha iha varna-sanghatita-samyag-amnayakah sva-namni yad iti bruvan vijayate sachi-nandanah

One time, during the class, Lord Gouranga interrupted a student and asked him:

What are you saying? In place of those verbs, you should repeat the name of Krishna constantly, the most famous in all the worlds according to the Vedas. Oh students, without Krishna, what benefit can verbs have? All glories to Sri Gouranga, the son of Sachi-devi, who chants his own holy name.

 

— Sriman Mahaprabhor Asta Kaliya Lila Smarana Mangala Stotram, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

 

(9)

yah srivasa-grihe pradosha-samaye hy advaita-chandradibhih sarvair bhakta-ganaih samam hari-katha-piyusham asvadayan premananda-samakulash cha chala-dhih sankirtane lampatah

kartum kirtanam urdhvam udyama-paras tam gauram adhyemy aham

 

Period 7 - Evening pastimes: At sundown, the Lord goes to the house of Srivasa Pandita, accompanied by Srila Advaita-Chandra and other beloved associates. A multitude of devotees also come. He samples and tastes the nectar of the themes related to Lord Hari and his mind is agitated with ecstasy of pure love of God. Then, becoming anxious to taste the congregational signing of the holy names of the Lord, he orchestrates the execution of sankirtan intensely joyous to reach the summit of glorification of the holy names. Thus, I meditate on the daily pastimes of Sri Gaura Sundara.

 

 

— Sri Navadvipacandra - Stava-Rajah, Srila Raghunandana Thakura (2)

 

bahula-chikura-bandhah snigdha-mugdha-prabandhah prasara-pura-purandhri-chitta-sandhana-mantri

vihita-vividha-vesa-dyotitasesa-desah sphuratu hridi natendrah sri-navadvipacandrah

 

My Lord Chaitanya appears in my heart, the moon of Navadvipa and the king of dancers. His hair is beautiful and at the same time enchanting.

Singing the morning and evening hymns congregationally, he has captured the mind of all Navadvipa. Beautifully dressed, he has filled all Bengal with splendor.

— Sri Gouranshtakam, Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya (2)

 

sva-gatra pulaka locana purnam jiva daya-maya tapa-vidirnam sankhya jala-pati nama sahasre

shuddha kanaka jaya gaura namaste

 

His hair bristles and his eyes are full of tears while keeping count of thousands of holy names. In order to save souls, you become very merciful. Jaya Gaura, pure and golden, obeisances to you!

 

— Sri Sachitanayashtakam, Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya (3)

arunambaradhara-charu-kapolam indu-vinindita-nakha-caya-ruciram jalpita-nija-guna-nama-vinodam

 

He wears clothing the color of the eastern sky at dawn, and his beautiful cheeks shine with the same splendor. The nails of his hands and of his toes have the same pleasing hue of the moon shining in the sky. His enjoyment and pleasure consist in discussions and glorification of his own marvelous qualities and names.

I offer my obeisances to the son of mother Sachi.

 

— Sri Shachisutastakam, Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya

 

(3)

hari-bhakti-param hari-nama-dharam kara-japya-karam hari-nama-param nayane satatam pranayashru-dharam pranamami sachi-suta-gaura-varam

 

He is absorbed in devotion to Sri Hari. He chants the names of Hari, and while chanting, he counts the holy names with his fingers. He is addicted to the name of Hari. He always has tears of love flowing from his eyes. I bow unto Gaura, the beautiful son of Mother Sachi.

 

— Sri Sachusynvashtakam, Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami

 

(5)

nijatve gaudiyan jagati parigrihya prabhur iman hare-krishnety evam ganana-vidhina kirtayata bhoh itiprayam shiksham janaka iva tebhyah paridishan sachi-sunuh kim me nayana-saranim yasyati punah

 

Will that son of Sachi, who, accepting the people of Bengal as his own and teaching them like a father, saying, “Please chant the Hare Krishna Mantra according to a prescribed number,” cross the path of my eyes again?

 

— Sri Krishna Chaitanya Candrasya Sahasra Nama Stotram, Sri Kavi Karnapura

 

(45)

karobhoruh sudirghakshah kampa-bhru-chakshu-nasikah nama-granthi nama-sankhya bhava-baddhas trsha-harah

 

Sri Gouranga, whose eyebrows are beautifully extended, whose eyes, eyebrows and nose exhibit graceful movements, he is the protector of the Holy Name recited while counting. He liberates the living entities from the bonds of mundane existence, destroying the three types of afflictions.

 

 

THE PERFECTION OF BHAKTI

 

One of my greatest questions when faced with the current Gaudiya Vaishnava movement and the Western reform known as the Hare Krishna movement is why there are no Siddha Mahatmas or perfected Vaishnavas here in the present as in centuries past? We have devotees who are very learned, like philosophers or a Christian who can cite every Biblical passage and give exegesis of it from memory. We have spiritual masters who have thousands of followers, etc. But I have never seen one example of someone who manifests Satvika Bhav from merely hearing or pronouncing the name of Krishna, nor have I seen spiritual masters who can alter concrete reality, make trees dance or animals sing or who can bring the dead back to life like Sri Chaitanya or Sri Radharaman Charan Das Dev through their spiritual powers which are the result of their absolute perfection in Bhakti. Studying the biographies of Sri Mani Ma, Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswami, Sri Jagatbhandu Prabhu, Sri Siddha Krishna Das of Govardhan, Sri Ramdas Babaji Maharaj, Sri Radharaman Charan Das Dev, among other Gaudiya heroes and heroines, attests to the truth of my statements.

The Siddhis have been defiled by followers who do not know the power of the Holy Name. These Siddhis were present in masters such as Sri Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj and Sri Gourakishor Das Babaji Maharaj, who are known in the Western world. All the direct associates of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu were Siddhas who possessed Siddhis thanks to the tremendous power of the Holy Name. All these masters developed a level of Bhakti so profound that all their spiritual powers and virtues came to them in torrents by default.

Today there is not a master (at least from what I have seen in my journeys throughout India and the world) who can perform miracles such as raising the dead, something that Sri Radharaman Charan Das Dev demonstrated on many occasions, but instead we have frauds in the style of Sai Baba. I ask myself daily, where are the spiritual masters on that level? They seem to have disappeared, or they went extinct! From 1950 onward or thereabouts, all that came to an end. Coincidentally, the singing of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra in Kirtan also started around that time, just as the Siddha Mahatmas became extinct. Is there a connection between these two phenomena? Honestly, I think so, and perhaps a strong one. Sri Chandan Goswami of Sri Sri Radharaman Mandir (Vrindavan) when I visited him in Sri Dham Vrindavan confirmed my conclusions saying, “a couple of decades ago you would not hear the Maha Mantra sung in ashrams or in the ancestral temples of India.” I stayed pondering that for a while, and I asked my next question. “What changed this traditional form of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and of the Maha Mantra?” He responded something that left me dumbfounded. “It was the Americans (ISKCON) and their followers who entered all of the sacred places and sang their kirtans, imposing their styles, and the Hindus began to copy them, and it became a habit.”

 

 

PROTECTION OF THE GURU

 

 

whoever follows the instruction of Narayana finds protection

— Vrindavan Das Thakur

 

It is well known that the disciple has the divine protection of Sri Guru, but he loses the protective mantle of Sri Guru when he acts according to his own devices or in a manner contradicting Sri Guru’s command. Are we in agreement here? Now, if we analyze the text presented here that has only a sample of the verses and citations from Gaudiya Vaishnava Shastra that demonstrate that the Maha Mantra is for Japa and not Kirtan, we understand that the instruction of the original Guru (the only Guru in the words of Sri Rupa Goswami) Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu is being distorted when the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is chanted without counting. The result is that the Sadhaka (practitioner) does not have the protection of Jagat Guru Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu. Even if one has the protection of his Guru singing Hare Krishna Kirtan, that Guru does not have the protection of Sri Gouranga when following a philosophy opposed to the instruction of the Kali Yuga avatar, and thus one does not obtain the perfected result either.

 

The result of this lack of protection due to the offense of changing the instructions of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu can be seen perhaps in the fights between various Gaudiya Vaishnava spiritual lines, the disinterest in Lila Smaranam but great interest in territorial expansion, fundraising, and recruiting followers at the global level. The resurgence of sahajiyas, the acceptance of drugs and other activities prohibited by Shastra with the end of increasing the bottom line and other illicit activities are also results we see currently.

 

Why do so many Vaishnava aspirants fall into the pit of nescience after years of practice, and end up worse than they were when they first encountered the Hare Krishna movement?

 

Why are all thinking of obtaining status and respect instead of becoming humbler than the grass, as Sriman Mahaprabhu taught?

 

Why is there so much darkness in how brothers in the same spiritual schools treat each other?

 

If we have the greatest of all the mantras that has been passed onto us by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and he has promised that “all of you will achieve perfection,” why does that perfection not exist even in the greatest spiritual masters of our time? Kali Yuga does not enter the heart of anyone who surrenders to the feet of Sri Gouranga. To surrender means to follow his instructions, so why is there darkness in the practitioners of this age? For now, I sincerely think that the error lies in not following the eternal instruction of Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu without deviations.

 

 

USE YOUR INTELLIGENCE

 

Today there is a pious fear of saying or speaking things that are considered taboo. Everything is cloaked under the black mantle of “that’s an offense.” A lie is an offense, breaking one’s spiritual vows is an offense, and to distort the scriptures to get followers more easily (who end up dragging everyone else down) is an offense. It’s an offense to hide texts to keep practitioners in ignorance, and thus, under one’s control.

 

Doing a comparison of religions and cultural visions, we can compare our taboos as Gaudiya Vaishnavas with those of the Christians, which include not questioning the Bible, or of the Muslims who are forbidden to question the personal integrity of Mohammed, who married Aisha when she was six years old and consummated the marriage (i.e. had sexual relations with her) when she was nine years old, while he himself was around 54. Cultural taboos are a cancer that end up destroying all in their path, and toxic cult leaders hide behind them. The arguments presented here are completely sound due their vigorous support in the Shastra. If it were not so I wouldn’t have bothered spending hundreds of dollars traveling to do uncountable hours of research. None of the statements presented here are the result of manipulation of information that present an idea that is not backed up by Shastra. There are no misinterpretations or tenuous ideas, on the contrary, I have presented how neophytes have been induced to believe in things that simply do not exist. Everything has been presented literally as it appears in Shastra, and thus this material is worthy of being studied and analyzed. All that has been presented here is just the tip of the iceberg that I (the author) with my small amount of knowledge have been able to reveal, but with the generous help of linguists, official translators from Bengali and Sanskrit, which has given this work greater depth. If anyone feels motivated to help me in this mission, I ask that you contact me.

 

Before God, I proclaim that this text is not written to insult, but to open the path of knowledge that has been hidden, misdirected, and not openly discussed.

 

 

IN CONCLUSION

 

Krishna Lila is eternal and always evolving. The Krishna of yesterday is not the same as the one today, and today’s Krishna is not the same as the one of tomorrow. The same is the case with Radhika and all the eternal associates of Nitya Vrindavan. All is an eternal evolution; beauty and depth are in every moment greater in an Earth of eternal time. The truth presented in this text in treating the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is one that is destined to evolve, since the Maha Mantra contains the supreme names of Hari, “Hare,” “Krishna,” and “Rama.” The nature of the Holy Name is the same as the one who is named, “Nama” is non-different from “Nami.” With that foundation in the transcendental Tattva (truth), we understand that all that is said when referring to the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra can change and obtain greater beauty and depth. As the author of this text my depth of vision concerning the Maha Mantra is also subject to this evolution. But it is always aligned with Shastra, for if this were not the case, it could not be called evolution but rather deviation or regression. All that is presented in this text is faithfully based in Shastra without deviations or sectarian interpretation.

 

Shastra “As It Is” is what we should study and follow, and in it alone should we place our faith. Here there is no fall down. If you are a warrior for truth, keep in mind that you will have to walk a path that is not paved with friends and easy applause. Our great hero Arjuna did not encounter a friendly world, full of music and flowers, but rather a harsh reality and hostile crowd. But a great hero did what he had to do, as he was not an inhabitant of the lower world but an eternal resident of the worlds above. Our course of action should be the same, for as the saying goes, “better to be alone than in bad company.” To seek friendship and family in philosophical or spiritual groups is a great danger, owing to cult leaders precisely giving this to their victims, a substitute family. We should not seek the truth to obtain material happiness in this world. Even if it’s disguised in white, saffron, black, or any other color, in mystical spirituality one does not seek the friendship of the world, but the TRUTH. The truth is not the friend of the people, or of the majority, or of the crowd, but the Truth keeps itself on its own platform and in the heart of the Truth is Swayam Bhagavan. The reason why the great masters of all ages withdraw from the world is to obtain the Truth, or in other words, to obtain God.

 

 

Recommended Reading

 

Life of Love by Dr. Kapoor.

 

Saints of Bengal by Dr. Kapoor.

 

Saints of Vraj by Dr. Kapoor.

 

Dr. Kapoor is taboo for many followers in the Western world, but all the same, do not miss the opportunity to read his translations. They are fascinating texts on the lives of the great Siddha Mahatmas. Also look for his own writings referring to Sri Gouranga Mahaprabhu that open up a greater Rasa.

 

Sri Chaitanya Chandramrita by Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati.

 

Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata by Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur.

 

Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita by Sri Krishna Das Kaviraj.

 

Sri Nityananda Charitamrita, which is a compilation of the life of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, which is extracted from Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata.

 

Nitai Bhakti – Absolute Necessity by Sri Shachinandan Ji Maharaja. Mahāmantra by Śrī Sundarānanda Dāsa.

Mahāmantra by Śrī Sundarānanda Dāsa.

 

 

 

 

Jay Mahavira Radharaman!

Jay Nitay!

Jay Gour!

Jay Jay Sri Radheshyam!

 

Sri Vaishnav Dasanudas Paramananda Das

gourasangha.org
Mahamantra.info