Chanting Hare Krishna Works!

"This chanting of Hare Krishna, even if someone does not know what it is, it still works. Once in Hyderabad in South India one man came up to me and said: "Every religious sect have blind faith, blind faith, this is true of any religion without any faith it will still work". This is a post office. This is India you know. People are always asking philosophical questions. Never happened in an American post office. But I was thinking, wow what a question! But I remember I said, no, there is a process, even if you chant without faith the names of God, even if you don't know what it means it still works.

Just like Ratnakar he was chanting murder! Murder! Murder! Kill kill kill in Sanskrit which was Mara! Mara! Mara! Chanting a word which, he was a murderer, he was a robber. When you chant it in sequence mara mara mara it becomes Rama Rama Rama. Chanting Rama even when he was thinking something else it still worked.
So the chanting, like Prabhupada said, it is like fire when you put your hand in the fire whether you believe it or not you get affected, somebody does chant somehow with an open mind if they just chant they will feel some difference from the chanting. So I hope that the devotees here they know about the chanting. If you know about chanting take advantage of chanting. If we know and we don't chant then that is a very great failure on our part to take this opportunity to perfect our human form of life."

HH Jayapataka Swami
Lecture BG 2.14
1st November 2005

Necessity of Spiritual Heroism

Hare Krishna ! Pranams to Bhagavan Sri Krishna and Bhaktas,

Like the evil Ravana of Srimad Ramayana, the so called "popular" heroes and heroines of today's movies have a fatal flaw.

Srimad Ramayana is the ancient Vedic saga of action, romance, wisdom, and adventure ; a saga that has inspired a quarter of the world's population for millennia; a saga that depicts a past when beings of celestial might—both divine and demoniac—interacted on our terrestrial realm; a saga of the struggle between good and the evil; a saga in which Bhagavan Maha-Vishnu descends and teaches virtue, righteousness, and spirituality by His sterling personal example.

Despite Srimad Ramayana's historical antiquity, its basic storyline is similar to that of a typical movie : It features a hero, a heroine, and a villain lusting for the heroine ; and it tells of an exciting confrontation between the hero and the villain, culminating in the death of the villain and the reunion of the hero and the heroine. But there is one vital difference between the Ramayana and a modern movie: In a movie, the hero, the heroine, and the villain are all actually villains.

Why? Many people think of a villain as someone who enjoys by exploiting and harming others. Though not wrong, this conception of evil is incomplete and naïve, as it ignores a fundamental reality : our supremely responsible and loving father, Bhagavan Narayana. Many of us never got the spiritual education needed to understand that it is Bhagavan who selflessly provides us our daily food. It is true that we have to work hard to earn our living, but our effort is secondary. It's like the hard work of birds searching for grains: Without Bhagavan providing the grains through nature, their search, no matter how painstaking, would be fruitless. Similarly without Bhagavan's designing the miraculous mechanism of photosynthesis, which transforms "mud into mangoes" (a feat far beyond the best scientist and the latest computer), we would never have any food, no matter how much we labored. All our other necessities—heat, light, air, water, health—are similarly fulfilled, primarily by divine arrangement, secondarily by human endeavor.

Unfortunately our media, culture, and education preoccupy us with so many materialistic allurements that we become blinded to the fact of our dependence on Bhagavan and obligation to Him. Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, just as a healthy fear of a loving father is necessary for a naughty, restless child to become disciplined and responsible. And love of God is the culmination of wisdom, just as gratitude and love for a benevolent father shows the maturity of a grown-up child.

Sadly, however, our society fosters neither love nor fear of Bhagavan , but glamorizes godless, selfish materialism instead. Consequently nowadays many people are extremely selfish in their relationship with God. They don't give even a few moments to the person who has given them their entire life. In a family, if a son doesn't care for his father, who is his link with his brothers, soon he will stop caring for them too. In fact, he may even become malevolent toward them because they become his competitors for inheritance. Similarly, selfishness toward God is the origin of all evil. We have all sown that evil seed in our own hearts and are now force-feeding each other its bitter fruits—terrorism, corruption, crime, exploitation— all born from fighting with each other for the world's resources, God's inheritance for us.

Divine Heroes

Srimad Ramayana gives us a glimpse of heroism and villainy, of selfless love and selfish lust. Lord Sri Rama and His consort, Sita-devi , are the eternal hero and heroine. Hanuman, the godly hero, personifies the tendency to selflessly assist the Lord in His divine love, whereas Ravana, the godless villain, personifies the tendency to selfishly grab the Lord's property for his own lust. The godly hero aspires to enjoy with God, whereas the godless villain wants to enjoy like God.

On the other hand, in a typical movie all the main characters—the hero, the heroine, and the villain—have the same evil mentality of wanting to enjoy without caring for God. In the hero and heroine, the guise of romance masks that mindset, whereas the villain expresses it without reservation. But they are all Ravanas, the difference being merely in the shades of gray.

Our selfish attempts to be imitation heroes and heroines, whether in the movies or in real life, are intrinsically evil, and they fuel and fan all the greater evils we dread. Ultimately our evil boomerangs on us, for it perpetuates the illusion of our bodily misidentification, and our body subjects us to the tortures of old age, disease, death, and rebirth—again and again and again.

Of course we do not have to choke our natural urge for specialness . Like Hanuman we can all be heroes too—in service to the supreme hero. Unfortunately our corrupted society portrays the Ravana tendency as heroic and the Hanuman propensity as obsolete.

A Lesson of Hope

Srimad Ramayana reveals that Ravana, despite his extraordinary prosperity, was never satisfied but always lusty and greedy for more. Isn't that the condition of our modern civilization? All the might and wealth of Ravana could neither bring him happiness nor save him from eventual destruction. The ultimate defeat of Ravana reminds us of the destiny that awaits our society if it continues in its godless selfishness.

Still, the fall of Ravana is not just a doomsday warning ; it is also a harbinger of hope and joy because it teaches us that the Lord is competent to destroy the evil within and without . The same Lord Rama who destroyed Ravana millennia ago has reappeared as His holy name to destroy the Ravana within people's hearts. The holy name offers us real happiness, not by imitating Bhagavan, but by loving Bhagavan, not by becoming an imitator hero, but by becoming a servitor hero.

Please chant :

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

and be happy !!!

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya !!!

Taste the Highest Bliss

You are not meant to suffer. So there's no need to suffer a moment longer in this material existence. All you have to do is fix yourself solidly in Krishna consciousness seeing everything as His arrangement and offering everything to Him in all times, places, and circumstances. Why be miserable when you can taste unlimited bliss at every minute? This is real intelligence. Taste the highest bliss and share the highest bliss at every minute with everyone you meet. What could be more divine, more sublime, more refined?

In this material world the conditioned soul is very much distracted from his original all-knowing, all-blissful nature as Krishna's eternal servant because he is carried away by the so-called taste of material sense gratification. This artificial taste is encouraged and exploited by the materialistic propaganda mongers who make a handsome profit by misguiding the people in general promoting cigarettes, liquor, prostitution, meat eating, etc. The foolish sense enjoyer tries to become happy by squeezing as much pleasure as possible out of these things, but because there is no factual pleasure in sense gratification, the poor soul is ultimately left in a state of frustration and bewilderment. If, however, he will reconnect with his original transcendental nature diving deep into his eternal identity as the servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he will taste a pleasure that is unlimitedly sublime and will go on increasing forever.
Chant:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare

God's Gift to this world

All Pervading Sri Krishna

The ring, the bracelet and the earrings are made of gold. If you look at their external shapes you only see these shapes, if you look deeper you can see the gold that is the substratum within all of them. Remove the boundary between two fields, and there is only one field. Boundaries and divisions are artificial, and created by man.

When we stop fanning ourselves with a handheld fan, the flow of air stops. But it doesn't mean there is no air. When a light bulb burns out or a fan stops turning, it doesn't mean that there is no electricity. God is everywhere as Nirakara Brahman . He is both formless ( Nirakar) and with form ( Saguna Brahman or Bhagavan Sri Krishna) .

It is difficult for a person to connect with the formless "Nirguna Brahman" through Hatha-yoga and meditation , which need to be taught by God realized Rishis . It takes many years to attain these skills . Moreover, in this Kali-yuga , Rishis are not readily available .

Knowing these difficulties, the Supreme God has made Himself available as Sri Krishna . Bhagavan Sri Krishna is God's gift to this world . Just by surrendering to Bhagavan ( SaranAgati) and chanting His names ( Nama-japa) , a Bhakta can easily attain Sri Krishna .

Krishna Experience

Will you get any milk by pressing the ears of a cow? Can you say there is milk in all parts of her body? Only her udder contains milk for us to drink, and we will get that only if we milk her. It's true that Bhagavan Krishna is everywhere, but to actually experience Him we have to connect to Him through Deity worship and Nama-japa .

"Worldly pleasures are like a candy that gives sweetness now, but ruins your teeth later. If you know Sri Krishna , you can enjoy sweetness all the time – and it is most beneficial to your body ,soul and your family .

Surrendering

Sri Krishna is the one who purifies your mind. Take refuge in Him and chant His names with faith . The names of Krishna will clean the dirt of your mind. Only Nama-japa can cleanse you.

Once we board a train, do we continue to carry our load and complain about how heavy it is? Take refuge in Sri Krishna and surrender everything to Bhagavan .

Please chant :

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

And be happy !!!

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!! !

Why Chant Hare Krishna?

* Chanting Hare Krishna awakens love of God.

* Chanting Hare Krishna brings liberation as a side benefit along the way.

* When you chant Hare Krishna, you automatically develop knowledge and detachment.

* Chanting Hare Krishna gets you out of the endless cycle of birth and death.

* It is the most effective means of self-realization in the present age of quarrel. Nothing else works nearly as well.

* Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart of all the illusions and misunderstandings.

* By chanting Hare Krishna, you become free from all anxieties.

* Chanting Hare Krishna brings you to self-realization and show you how to act as a self-realized soul.

* It keeps you ever mindful of Krishna, the reservoir of pleasure.

* There are no hard and fast rules for chanting. You can chant anywhere, any time, under any circumstances. Krishna Himself is fully present in transcendental sound of His name, and the more you chant, the more you realize it.

* All over Vedic mantras are included in the chanting of Hare Krishna. So, just by chanting this Mantra, you get the benefits of all others.

* Chanting Hare Krishna purifies not only you but every living entity around you. Whoever hears the chanting, gets the spiritual benefit.

* A person who chants Hare Krishna develops all good qualities.

* You can chant Hare Krishna softly for personal mediation or loudly with your family or friends. Both ways work.

* Srila Prabhupada chanted Hare Krishna, and so did great souls in the past. So why not you?

* Its free, chanting Hare Krishna never costs you money!

* Chanting Hare Krishna brings the highest stage of ecstasy.

* There are no previous qualifications needed for chanting Hare Krishna. Young or old any one can chant from any race any religion or any country of the world.

* Even if you don't understand the language of the Mantra, it works any way.

* Chanting Hare Krishna is easy. When the best way is also the easiest, why make life hard for yourself?

* Chanting Hare Krishna invokes spiritual peace for you and for those around you.

* When you chant Hare Krishna, Krishna Himself becomes pleased.

* When you chant Hare Krishna, Krishna dances in your tongue.

* By chanting Hare Krishna, you can return to Krishna's world, the internal abode of full happiness and knowledge.

* Chanting Hare Krishna frees you from the reaction of all past Karma.

* Chanting Hare Krishna's names even once, purely and sincerely, can free you from the reaction of more Karma than you possibly incur.

* Chanting Hare Krishna counteracts the sinful atmosphere of Kali-yuga, the present age of hypocirsy and quarrel.

* By chanting Hare Krishna, you can relish at every step, the full nectar. That's the real thirst of the soul.

* The more you chant Hare Krishna, the better it gets.

* If you look through all the Vedic Scriptures, you will find nothing higher than the chanting of Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Result of failing to know Bhagavan Sri Krishna

Hare Krishna ! Pranams to Bhagavan Sri Krishna and Bhaktas,

Failing to have enough faith in Bhagavan Sri Krishna, or in getting to know Him, is not quite the same as you might find in some other faiths or religions wherein they say you will go to eternal hell if you are a non-believer, or you are an infidel worthy of death, or whatever. But failing to investigate Him and realize what is our final destination is considered a waste of this particular life. Bhagavan Krishna Himself explains:

· "One may be well versed in all the transcendental literature of the Vedas, but if he fails to be acquainted with the Supreme, then it must be concluded that all of his education is like the burden of a beast or like one's keeping a cow without milking capacity." (Bhagavatam. 11.11.18) .

· "Those who worship the Devas will take birth among the Devas ; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me." (Gita .9.25)

In this way we can begin to see the futility of following some materialistic path or a secondary spiritual method without the process for reaching an understanding of Bhagavan Krishna. "Among all the eternal, conscious beings, there is One who supplies the needs of everyone else. The wise who worship Him in His abode attain everlasting peace. Others cannot." (Katha Upanishad 2.2.13).

In this way, a person is allowed to proceed through life in the way he or she wants. Bhagavan Krishna allows each person to develop in their own way, and to continue wandering throughout the universe and through various activities until they begin to wonder about the purpose of life, or become ready for a deep spiritual path. Materialistic activities are not the way to find everlasting peace, and most of us need to discover that for ourselves. However, a person cannot be helped until he or she is ready. So, until then, they may be offered the spiritual knowledge they need, but they must decide for themselves how much of it they wish to utilize. Just as when Sri Krishna spoke the whole Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna, at the end of it He asked Arjuna what he wished to do. He had to make up his own mind. He was not forced to do anything. In the same way, we can only offer this knowledge for the benefit of humanity, and they can decide what they wish to do, or how long they wish to continue their existence in the material worlds.

"They are truly ignorant who, while imprisoned within the ceaseless flow of this world's material qualities, fail to know You (Sri Krishna) , the Supreme Soul of all that be, as their ultimate, sublime destination. Because of their ignorance, the entanglement of material work forces such souls to wander in the cycle of birth and death." (Bhagavatam. 10.85.15)

Therefore, regardless of what else we do, we should recognize how advantageous it is to add the process of engaging in devotional service to Bhagavan Krishna in this lifetime. We may not even be able to become perfect at it, but it nonetheless accelerates our spiritual development. Otherwise, regardless of what else we have accomplished materially, our life remains incomplete. "Caught in the grip of ignorance, self-proclaimed experts consider themselves learned authorities. They wander about this world befooled, like the blind leading the blind." (Katha Upanishad 1.2.5)

It is only through this spiritual education that we can understand our real identity and transcendental nature beyond the body and all material activities. Without that, we remain ignorant of our true potential and the final shelter that is awaiting us in the spiritual domain.

Please chant :

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna , Hare Hare

and be happy !!!

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya !!!

By Siva’s Benediction

A brahmana in Kasi Varanasi once prayed to Lord Siva, “I want to give my daughter in marriage, but I have no money. Please give me money.” Lord Siva told him, “Go to Vrndavana and meet with Srila Sanatana Gosvami. You can ask him to give you some wealth for your daughter’s marriage.” The brahmana went to Vrndavana, by foot, and there he asked the villagers there for the whereabouts of a person named Sanatana Gosvami. As they all knew him, they pointed out his residence.

Srila Sanatana Gosvami was practicing bhajana near the Yamuna River at Kaliya-hrada, the former abode of the very poisonous snake named Kaliya. Kaliya-hrada was close to the Yamuna, and therefore its surrounding area was full of sand. Srila Sanatana Gosvami wore only a loincloth. He used to go begging door-to-door for a small amount of prasada (Krsna’s food remnants), and would take as his meal only one dry chapatti (flat bread), with no salt.

The brahmana arrived at his cottage and told him, “I went to Sankara Mahadeva, Lord Siva, and he told me to meet you. He said you will give me some wealth for my daughter’s marriage.” Sanatana Gosvami replied, “I have no possessions. You can see that I have nothing but a loincloth.” Then he thought, “Oh, Siva cannot tell a lie. He is my bosom friend.” Thinking of Lord Siva and contemplating further, he remembered a touchstone he had once disgarded and then forgotten. Now he told the brahmana, “Go to the Yamuna and remove some of the sand, and there you will find a touchstone. It is somewhere in the sand, though I don’t remember where.”

The brahmana found the jewel, touched it to iron, and the iron turned into gold. He was very, very happy that Lord Siva had told him to come to Vrndavana, and thought with gratitude, “My prayer has been answered by him.” On the way home, however, his greed for money increased and he began thinking, “Why did Sanatana Gosvami keep the touchstone in the sand? It had no use there. He must have still more valuable jewels.”

He thus returned, and Sanatana Gosvami asked him, “Why have you come back?” He replied, “I’ve come because I know that you have more valuable jewels than this.” Sanatana Gosvami then said, “Go and throw the touchstone in the Yamuna. The brahmana did so with all his power, and then Sanatana Gosvami told him, “Come here. Come here.” He gave him the mantra, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” and said, “I do not have worldly jewels, but I have transcendental jewels. The jewel of Lord Krsna and Sri Radha will come to you in a very short time. So remain here. Your daughter’s marriage will take place automatically. Stay here and chant Hare Krsna.” That brahmana followed his instruction and became a very elevated saint.

Why we go to Temples ?

A conversation between Guru and disciple.

Disciple : Why should we go to the temple to worship or pray ? Since Bhagavan is every where, why can't we do it at home or where ever we are?

Guru: Air is distributed everywhere. But when you use a fan, more air will circulate in a small area. That is why we use hand held fans and electric fans. Fire is with in a log of wood. But only when they are subjected to friction, fire emerges from that. Likewise, when so many powerful *Manthraas* are chanted and so many rituals are performed, the divine presence becomes more significant and the positive energy and vibration from the chanting, rituals and dhoopa, deepa gandham becomes many fold in a temple. Also it is a place to meet other like minded devotees and will lead to more Satsang .

This is explained in this sloka in Thanthra samucchayam :

Sarvathragosi bhagavan kila yadyapithwa-

maavaahayaami hi yathha vyajanena vaayum

goodho yathaiva dahano mathhanaad upaithi-

hyavaahithopihithat hhaatvamupaisich aaryaamÂ

It must be remembered that , Bhagavan Sri Krishna , Sri Rama , Arjuna, Parashurama , Adi Shankara and many other Rishis have installed Temples equipped with specific Manthraas and Rituals . These temples are abodes of Bhagavan whose live presence is a reality being daily experienced by numerous Bhaktas .

This is the last one of the nine types of Bhaktha Prahlada described to his father Hiranyakashipu and this is the final stage of bhakthi. When the surrender to Bhagavan is complete, Prahlada says, devotee becomes a jeevan muktha and when the "prarabdha karmaas" (karmaas accumulated from the previous janmaas) get exhausted, the body just falls and Jeevathma merges with Bhagavan.

Aathmanivedanam or self surrender happens in two stages: one is the initial stage without the intense feeling (Bhava-hina aathmanivedanam) and one with intense feeling of separation from Bhagavan which is called Bhava-yuktha Aathmanivedanam. The second type is described in Gita by Bhagavaan :

mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityam
tusyanti ca ramanti ca

"Those whose minds are absorbed in Me and whose lives are wholeheartedly devoted to My service, derive great satisfaction and bliss from constantly enlightening one another about My tattva and performing kirtana of My name, form, qualities and pastimes.

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te

Here, Krishna is saying : "Those whose minds and lives are devoted to Me and who always meditate on Me, always speak about Me and derive satisfaction in Me alone. Their minds feel relaxation and comfort only by thinking about Me, and they are constantly desirous of perpetual union with Me. I bestow upon such bhaktas buddhi-yoga, transcendental intelligence and knowledge by which they can attain Me." (Prabhupada' s translation)

Why Nama Kirtan?

Sanathana Dharma is the oldest faith in the world. The Vedas, which are the foundation of our Dharma and is supposedly the intellect of the Lord Almighty Himself, have all the wealth of knowledge to guide is in leading a happy and prosperous life in this world as well as beyond.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita, which is considered as the concise extract of the Vedas and the Supreme advice of God to mankind, speaks of four broad 'Yogas' (paths) to reach Him - namely Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga. While all of these Yogas are equally powerful in giving the same merit, each of them enforces a specific way of life and expects the Sadhak to abide by the rules and regulations laid down for the Yoga.

Today, it is a busy world. We have no time to think about God, religion and spirituality. Even if we do, we do not have the time and inclination to carry out the prescribed tasks for the path that we care to adopt. Even if we do, the environment and society is not conducive enough. Over and above this, we are surmounted by pressures of work, family, children, business, health, relatives and society. It seems just next to impossible to allot time in our everyday schedule for Sadhana. Sadly, there is no one to blame! That is how Kali Yuga is!

The Sages, Rishis, Munis and Mahans have been people of foresight. With boundless compassion, they have pitied about our plight, long back --

prAyENaAlpAyusHa: sabhya kalAvasminyugE janA: |
mandA: sumandamathayO mandabhAgyAhyupadru tA: ||

In Kali Yuga, man will possess shorter lifespan, qualities of laziness, weak mind and easily susceptible to negative qualities and ills.

Thus, the modern day man needs an easier path -- something that can be accommodated in his busy life. That path should be such, that it does not involve a lot of rules and restrictions. it should not have time-bound restrictions; it should not involve much expenditure; it should be something which can be easily followed – In short, it should be perfectly relevant in the current day context, and absolutely practical; and yet yield us to the same goal.

The Sages prescribe the solution, which is advocated verily by the Vedas, and yet tailor made for our times.

dhyAyan krutE yajan yajnaihi trEtAyAm dwAparE archayan |
yadApnoti tadApnoti kalau sankIrtya kesavam ||

That supreme good which could be attained by the performance of meditation in the Age of Kruta, sacrifices in the Age of Treta and worship of the Lord in the Age of Dwapara can verily be attained, in the Age of Kali, by the mere chanting of the Divine Names of the Lord!

Further, our scriptures go to say,

kalau kalmasHa chittAnAm pApadravyOpa jIvinAm |
vidhikriyA vihInAnAm gathir gOvinda kIrtanam ||

In this Age of Kali, where the mind is impure and the living is earned through sinful means and where living by prescribed rules is difficult, the only way to liberation is singing the Holy Name of God!

Srimad Bhagavatam, in Ajamila charitra, explains that while expiation for sins fails to eradicate the `vasanas' (lateral impressions) that are the root cause for instigating a person to commit unrighteous acts, chanting the Divine Name uproots the very `vasanas' that are the basis for committing sins and leaves no alternative for the Lord but to receive us into His wide open arms!

All the great Saints right from the Azhwars and the Nayanmars to Thiagaraja Swami, Panduranga Bhaktas, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa have all shown that one CAN attain liberation through mere chanting of the Divine Name. Even today we find Sadhus who have attained the highest state through mere chanting of the Divine Name. This is the glory of 'Nama Kirtan' -- An absolutely easy, simple path suited to the Age of Kali. The chanting of Divine Names is a free path. It has no `binding' of rules and regulations. Namasankirtan can be done by anybody, anytime and anywhere. It involves no cost. It is a path that requires no paraphernalia but leads one to the very Lotus Feet of the Lord.

While mental repetition of the Divine Names leads to the good of the individual, chanting the Divine Names loudly purifies the singer the listener (the scriptures say "Shrotrunapi punati cha") and the very place where the chanting is done.

It is verily for this reason that Sri Sri Swamiji advocates group chanting of a single Divine Name - The Maha Mantra. Chanting a single Divine Name of the Lord (`eka Nama') helps the chanter deepen his concentration and also helps in sustaining the chanting for long hours effortlessly.

The Satsang members at Nama Dwaar inspired by Sri Sri Swamiji's loving spiritual guidance, with unwavering faith in the power of Nama Kirtan, inextinguishable zest to spread Nama Kirtan for the well being of the world at large and the ever growing taste for singing the Lord's Divine Names, go from place to place knocking at every door to securely fix the Divine Name in the hearts of people, for, this is the only way to world peace at large and liberation of each and every individual, in this Age of Kali .

Please chant :

"HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE!
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE!"

and be happy !!!

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!! !

Shortcut to escape from Past Sins and Succeed in life

It is true that whatever good or bad a person experiences in this life is, the result of his past *karma* ( activity) .

*karma* is a complex word . Every selfish *Karma* has a side effect . For example when a lady does cooking , it is for feeding her family . However, while operating it's flame, she is unknowingly causing the death of several creatures . It results in a negative reaction .

It is due to this reason that , Bhagavan Sri Krishna advises in His Bhagavat Gita to perform all *Karma* selflessly as an offering to Him .

The first vow one should take is * SaranAgathi* . (Seeking total and unconditional refuge at the lotus feet of Sri Krishna) . One should perform every *Karma* selflessly , without desiring it's fruits ( dedicating it to Bhagavan) . If so, the negative reactions of *Karma* does not affect him . Bhagavan shall return the fruits of those Karma to His bhakta with a blessing . Such a Bhakta will succeed in life . And he automatically escapes from all sins of his past *Karma* .

Daily bath is required to remove dirt from the body . Similarly , daily Nama-Japa is required to remove the dirt from heart . Sri Krishna's names are immensely powerful . When a bhakta chants Krishna-nama with faith , it automatically invokes Bhagavan whose presence automatically burns off all sins and dirt .

In the case of such a devout Bhakta , Bhagavan Himself will reveal through a medium of His choice if any *prayachit*( atonement) needs to be done for major past sins . Jyothisha is the means to know about past sins . However, accuracy of Jyothisha depends heavily on the seeker's Bhakti and resulting grace from Ishta-deva . There is no point in approaching a Jyothishi without any Bhakti and getting exploited by him .

Please chant this all purifying *Shodakshari Mantra* :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Who is Sri Krishna ?

Hare Krishna !

In my humble opinion, Sri Krishna and Maha-Vishnu are non-different . In Guruvayoor temple , the Deity is Maha-Vishnu who is worshipped as Sri Krishna . Same is the case with many other Vedic Krishna temples which were consecrated by the Devatas. In Vishnu Sahasranamam and Narayaneeyam, Bhagavan Krishna is repeatedly addressed as Maha-Vishnu .

A Bhakta should be aware that, Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead . Otherwise , he will be deluded by ‘Maya’ (illusion) and can’t attain proper ‘Saranaagati’ at the lotus feet of Bhagavan . Sri Krishna says in Gita ( 10.7) “He who knows in truth My opulence and yogic power , has firm bhakti in Me. There is no doubt about this ” .

The Braj vasis were ‘Rsis’ in their previous birth ; and as a result of their accumulated ‘punya’ , they could afford to take liberties with Bhagavan . However , ordinary mortals like us who are severely hampered by the sinful reactions of previous births , need to be extra vigilant to escape from the destructive influence of ‘false ego’ caused by Maya . Therefore, we the eternal servants of Bhagavan Krishna must surrender unconditionally to Bhagavan Sri Krishna and take refuge at HIS lotus feet .

As Suneetaji pointed out the other day , Arjuna was a great vedic scholar ; and he was taught by none other than Dronacharya , the incarnation of Brihaspathi (Deva-Guru) . However, in the war field Kurukshetra , when he came face to face with the hard realities of life , Arjuna was overcome by ‘Maya’ . He forgot all the transcendental knowledge he had acquired till then ; and started behaving like a novice . Then Bhagavan Krishna asked Arjuna to surrender to HIM ( the Supreme God) in order to be qualified to receive the supreme transcendental knowledge in the form of ‘Bhagavad Gita’ . We must remember that even top Devatas such as Lord Indra , Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva failed miserably when they were challenged by the Maya-sakti , the powerful illusionary energy controlled by Maha-Vishnu .

When King Mucukunda asked Sri Krishna, “ Who are You ” ?

SB 10.51.23 – 30 : As he gazed at the Lord, King Mucukunda saw that He was dark blue like a cloud, had four arms, and wore a yellow silk garment . On His chest He bore the Srivatsa mark and on His neck the brilliantly glowing Kaustubha gem . Adorned with a Vaijayanti garland, the Lord displayed His handsome, peaceful face, which attracts the eyes of all mankind with its shark-shaped earrings and affectionately smiling glance. The beauty of His youthful form was unexcelled, and He moved with the nobility of an angry lion. The highly intelligent King was overwhelmed by the Lord's effulgence, which showed Him to be invincible. Expressing his uncertainty, Mucukunda hesitantly questioned Lord Krishna as follows.

Sri Mucukunda asked :
· Who are You who have come to this mountain cave in the forest, having walked on the thorny ground with feet as soft as lotus petals?
· Perhaps You are the potency of all potent beings. Or maybe You are the powerful god of fire, or the sun-god, the moon-god, the King of heaven or the ruling demigod of some other planet . I think You are the Supreme Personality among the three chief gods, since You drive away the darkness of this cave as a lamp dispels darkness with its light.
· O best among men, if You like, please truly describe Your birth, activities and lineage to us, who are eager to hear.

SB 10.51.23 – 30 : Thus addressed by the King, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, origin of all creation, smiled and then replied to him in a voice as deep as the rumbling of clouds.

The Supreme Lord said :
· My dear friend, I have taken thousands of births, lived thousands of lives and accepted thousands of names . In fact My births, activities and names are limitless, and thus even I cannot count them.
· After many lifetimes someone might count the dust particles on the earth, but no one can ever finish counting My qualities, activities, names and births.
· O King, the greatest sages enumerate My births and activities, which take place throughout the three phases of time, but never do they reach the end of them .
· Nonetheless, O friend, I will tell you about My current birth, name and activities. Kindly hear. Some time ago, Lord Brahma requested Me to protect religious principles and destroy the demons who were burdening the earth . Thus I descended in the Yadu dynasty, in the home of Anakadundubhi . Indeed, because I am the son of Vasudeva people call Me Vasudeva .
· I have killed Kalanemi , reborn as Kamsa, as well as Pralamba and other enemies of the pious. And now, O King, this barbarian has been burnt to ashes by your piercing glance.
· Since in the past you repeatedly prayed to Me, I have personally come to this cave to show you mercy, for I am affectionately inclined to My devotees.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!! !

The Shield of the Holy Name (Maha Mantra)

"If you don't chant your sixteen rounds, it's like you've left the door open to your place. So when it's your turn for Maya to attack, when it's your turn to get bombarded by the modes of material nature, if you haven't closed your door properly, Maya will just walk right in and you'll be finished. And if you do chant your sixteen rounds, you have that protection, you have that shield. It's like you locked your door against Maya. So when it's your turn to get hit up by Maya, she'll say, ‘Forget this one; it's too much trouble,' and she'll move on to somebody weaker."

That made me chant all my rounds all these years. That lecture made me realize how important chanting sixteen rounds is. You have that shield that wards off Maya.

Breakdown Of The Maha Mantra

• O Krsna! Please attract my mind by pulling it to You.
• O Hari! Please capture my mind by Your unsurpassed sweetness.
• O Krsna! Please purify my mind with knowledge about devotional service given to me by Your own devotee.
• O Krsna! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.
• O Krsna! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.
• O Hari! Please make me fit to serve You.
• O Hari! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.
• O Hari! Please direct me to do some particular service for You.
• O Rama! Let me hear about Your most cherished pastimes in the company of Your dearest devotee.
• O Hara (Radha)! Please reveal to me Your most cherished pastimes with Your beloved Sri Krsna.
• O Rama! Please reveal to me Your most cherished pastimes with Your beloved Sri Radha.
• O Rama! Please engage me in remembering Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.
• O Rama! Please make me fit to serve You while remembering Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.
• O Hari! Having accepted me as one of Your own servitors, please enjoy me as You please.
• O Hari! Please enjoy with me in Your transcendental way.

At the present moment our minds are polluted with the dirt accumulated over millions and millions of lifetimes of sense gratification. Even though our original pure nature is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss, due to our mental contamination we are presently suffering in the realm of temporality, ignorance, and misery. By the purificatory process of chanting the holy names of God we can revive our original, pure nature and thus relish the sweetest happiness at every minute.
Chant:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare

Why Chant Hare Krishna

I thought I better share this with others.

Based on various scriptures:

• Chanting Hare Krishna awakens love of God.
• Chanting Hare Krishna brings liberation as a side benefit along the way.
• When you chant Hare Krishna, you automatically develop knowledge and detachment.
• Chanting Hare Krishna gets you out of the endless cycle of birth and death.
• It is the most effective means of self-realization in the present age of quarrel. Nothing else works nearly as well.
• Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart of all the illusions and misunderstandings.
• By chanting Hare Krishna, you become free from all anxieties.
• Chanting Hare Krishna brings you to self-realization and show you how to act as a self-realized soul.
• It keeps you ever mindful of Krishna, the reservoir of pleasure.
• There are no hard and fast rules for chanting. You can chant anywhere, any time, under any circumstances. Krishna Himself is fully present in transcendental sound of His name, and the more you chant, the more you realize it.
• All over Vedic mantras are included in the chanting of Hare Krishna. So, just by chanting this Mantra, you get the benefits of all others.
• Chanting Hare Krishna purifies not only you but every living entity around you. Whoever hears the chanting, gets the spiritual benefit.
• A person who chants Hare Krishna develops all good qualities.
• You can chant Hare Krishna softly for personal mediation or loudly with your family or friends. Both ways work.
• Srila Prabhupada chanted Hare Krishna, and so did great souls in the past. So why not you?
• Its free, chanting Hare Krishna never costs you money!
• Chanting Hare Krishna brings the highest stage of ecstasy.
• There are no previous qualifications needed for chanting Hare Krishna. Young or old any one can chant from any race any religion or any country of the world.
• Even if you don't understand the language of the Mantra, it works any way.
• Chanting Hare Krishna is easy. When the best way is also the easiest, why make life hard for yourself?
• Chanting Hare Krishna invokes spiritual peace for you and for those around you.
• When you chant Hare Krishna, Krishna Himself becomes pleased.
• When you chant Hare Krishna, Krishna dances in your tongue.
• By chanting Hare Krishna, you can return to Krishna's world, the internal abode of full happiness and knowledge.
• Chanting Hare Krishna frees you from the reaction of all past Karma.
• Chanting Hare Krishna's names even once, purely and sincerely, can free you from the reaction of more Karma than you possibly incur.
• Chanting Hare Krishna counteracts the sinful atmosphere of Kali-yuga, the present age of hypocirsy and quarrel.
• By chanting Hare Krishna, you can relish at every step, the full nectar. That's the real thirst of the soul.
• The more you chant Hare Krishna, the better it gets.
• If you look through all the Vedic Scriptures, you will find nothing higher than the chanting of Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

--
At the present moment our minds are polluted with the dirt accumulated over millions and millions of lifetimes of sense gratification. Even though our original pure nature is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss, due to our mental contamination we are presently suffering in the realm of temporality, ignorance, and misery. By the purificatory process of chanting the holy names of God we can revive our original, pure nature and thus relish the sweetest happiness at every minute.
Chant:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare

Greatness of Sri Rama

Sri Rama is the role model of Vedic faith . The very purpose of Maha-Vishnu' s Rama-avatar was to illustrate by personal example , how to lead a *Dharmic* life , according to the injunctions of the Vedas .

Let us observe Sri Rama's roles from the beginning :

1. Sri Rama as a son obeyed his father's wishes without any question. As per the Vedic law of the Land at that time, Rama has got every right to acquire the kingdom as First Son of King Dasaratha. Even the entire people of Ayodhya wanted Rama to be the king. Rama has sacrificed this right. He accepted gracefully the order of his father with smile.

Sri Rama could have easily exposed His father Dasa-ratha and seized power . The act of Rama's father Dasa-ratha in making a rash promise to one of his three queens, was not in accordance with Raja-Dhrama. No queen had any right to interfere with the matters of state to promote her own interest. A seeker of a boon has limitations. One may seek all well being for self but cannot seek a grant to harm others. Kaikyee and Kaushalya both were equally wives of the king. Asking the kingdom for one's won son is reasonable wish of any mother but seeking other's son to be sent to the forest for a life term ( of 14 years) was clearly *Adharma*. Asking such a boon is *Adhrama* and granting such a boon too was *Adhrama*. However, Sri Rama ignored all these aspects and devotedly adhered to His *Dharma* which was to fulfill the order of His father without raising any question .

2. Sri Rama as husband with tremendous love to his spouse Sita. Throughout his period in forest after losing Sita, Rama has searched her and see that Ravana who has taken away Sita was killed with the help of his friends and regained her.

3.Sri Rama as Good Disciple of his Gurus Vasishta and Vishvamithra . Risking own life , He with the lone support of Lakshmana fought against the immensely powerful armies of Rakshasas to protect the yagnas and Rishis in Forest.

4. Sri Rama as Good Brother asked his brother Bharatha not to accompany him and take care of the kingdom till he comes back as per the wishes of his father. Rama did His level best to discourage Lakshmana too from following Him and finally agreed only to avoid Lakshmana's suicide .

5. Sri Rama as a good friend helped Sugriva to acquire his kingdom after killing Vali. Before dying, Vali asked Rama as to why he attacked from behind and un-announced when he had no enemity with him and was it not against Kshtriya Dharma. Rama replied " if you answer my question why did you entertain a desire for your brother's wife, who is like a mother to you, you will find my reply in it ". Vali said being Raakshasa the relationships mentioned by Rama were not known much less followed in their society. Rama smiled and said, " If so , the benefits of Kshatriay Dharma too is not applicable to Raakshasas and therefore He has every right to eliminate such a sinful Rakshasa at the first opportunity without giving him any benefits of *Dharma*. ( Had the Indian rulers like Nehru , the so-called followers of Rama-rajya exponent Gandhiji , followed this personal example of Sri Rama, Kashmir trajedy would never have destroyed India.)

6 Sri Rama as a good protector of Dharma has handed over Lanka to Vibhishana who is real successor to Ravana. He has not claimed even an inch of land even through he has killed Ravana in a war.

7 Rama as a king who has to rule the land without any grievance for his people, having heard a complaint from Dhobi who has doubted his morality has conducted the Agnipariksha. Present day, can you expect any minister do such *prayachitha* ( atonement) for any of his immoral and illegal and criminal activities if they are pointed out ordinary resident like "Dhobi of Ramayana"?

Sri Rama is right in His approach to play his role as an ideal man in various capacities as mentioned above.

Please chant :

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama , Hare Hare,

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna , Hare Hare

and , be happy !!!!

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!! !!

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Lord Caitanya taught this philosophy through the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. He taught that the holy name of the Lord is the sound incarnation of the Lord and that since the Lord is the absolute whole, there is no difference between His holy name and His transcendental form. Thus by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can directly associate with the Supreme Lord by sound vibration.


At His birth, in His childhood and in His early and later boyhood, as well as in His youth, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, under different pleas, induced people to chant the holy name of Hari [the Hare Krsna maha-mantra] .


In His childhood, when the Lord was crying He would stop immediately upon hearing the holy names Krsna and Hari. During His pauganda age He became a serious student and also taught disciples. In this way He used to explain the holy name of Krsna everywhere. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a student, He asked whomever He met to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. In this way He inundated the whole town of Navadvipa with the chanting of Hare Krsna.

Just prior to His youthful life, He began the sankirtana movement. Day and night He used to dance in ecstasy with His devotees. The sankirtana movement went on from one part of the town to another, as the Lord wandered everywhere performing kirtana. In this way He inundated the whole world by distributing love of Godhead.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu lived in the Navadvipa area for twenty-four years, and He induced every person to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and thus merge in love of Krsna. For His remaining twenty-four years, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, after accepting the renounced order of life, stayed at Jagganatha Puri with His devotees. For six of these twenty-four years in Jagganatha Puri He distributed love of Godhead by always chanting and dancing. Beginning from Cape Comorin and extending through Bengal to Vrndavana, during these six years He toured all of India , chanting, dancing and distributing love of Krsna.

The activities of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His travels after He accepted sannyasa are His principal pastimes. His activities during His remaining eighteen years are called the antya-lila, or the final portion of His pastimes. For six of the eighteen years He continuously stayed in Jagganatha Puri, He regularly performed kirtana, inducing all the devotees to love Krsna simply by chanting and dancing. For the remaining twelve years He stayed in Jagganatha Puri, He taught everyone how to taste the transcendental mellow ecstasy of love of Krsna by tasting it Himself.

One may raise the question how all three worlds became inundated with love of Krsna, since Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed kirtana only in the Navadvipa area. The answer is that Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself. The entire cosmic manifestation results from the Lord’s first setting it in motion. Similarly, since the sankirtana movement was first set in motion five hundred years ago by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s desire that it spread all over the universe, the Krsna consciousness movement, in continuity of that same motion, is now spreading all over the world, and in this way it will gradually spread all over the universe. With the spread of the Krsna consciousness movement, everyone will merge in an ocean of love of Krsna. (CC Adi-lila 13:22-38)

O most munificent incarnation! You are Krsna Himself appearing as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krsna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You. (Rupa Goswami CC Madhya-lila 19.54)


Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare,

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Why should we study the sacred scripture ?

An old farmer lived on his farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning he got up early, sat at the kitchen table, and read His Bhagavad-gita. His grandson wanted to be just like his grandfather, so tried to emulate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read the Bhagavad-gita just like you do, but I don’t understand most of it, and whatever I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. So what good is it doing me to read the Bhagavad-gita?”

The grandfather, who was putting coal on the fire, quietly turned and said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”The boy did as he was told, but the water leaked out before he could get the basket home.

The grandfather laughed and said, “You will have to move a little faster next time,” and he sent the boy back to the river to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket emptied before he was able to return home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get the bucket. But the old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You are just not trying hard enough.” He stepped out the door to watch the boy try for the third time.

At this point the boy knew what he was trying to accomplish was impossible, so he decided to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house.

The boy dipped the basket into river and ran as hard as he could. When he reached his grandfather the basket was empty. He gasped, “See grandpa? It is useless !”

“So you think it is useless?” the old man asked. “Then look at the basket.” The boy looked and saw for the first time that the basket was different. It had been washed clean of the dirty coal stains and was now clean inside and out.


What is the moral of this event ?

The grandfather replied :


01) “Grandson, that is what happens when you read the Bhagavad-gita.

02) You might not understand or remember everything you read, but the words will change you inside and out.

03) That is the work of Lord Krishna in our lives.”


How can we apply this in our own lives ?

01) We should cultivate the required inquisitiveness, like the boy in this story, to know the things and also sincerely strive for it.

02) To understand the things in the right perspective and to progress in our devotional life, we must be submissive to our own authorities – just like the grandson was submissive and followed exactly as the grandfather has instructed him although he was not convinced to get a basket of water. That submissiveness alone has brought him the right realization in the last.

03) Like the grandfather, we need to be regular in our spiritual practices like chanting and reading the scriptures etc – on daily basis.

04) We must have genuine appreciation for the sincere questions that neophytes ask us.

05) We must have genuine sympathy for the ignorance of the neophyte devotees.

06) We must strive our best to answer all their genuine questions as simply as possible and in the language in which they can understand – just like the grandfather did in this story.

07) We need to recognize and openly acknowledge that whatever good that happens, it is nothing but the causeless mercy of Krishna in our life – as was recognized by the grandfather in this story.

08) Sincerely pass on all the credit to our own Guru and Krishna for all Their blessings and mercy – as was done by the grandfather in this story.

My humble request to you, please !

Dear Prabhu Jee/Maathaa Jee,


Hare Krishna !


If you find this useful, please circulate it to as many people as possible.


Also, share these wonderful stores with little children so that it would have deep impact on them all through their lives.

Hare means the energy of the Lord, and Krishna means the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Excerpt from lecture, Montreal, June 15, 1968

So what is this Hare Krishna? Hare means the energy of the Lord, and Krishna means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So it is a prayer. There are three words only: Hare, Krishna and Rama, three words. That has been arranged in sixteen words: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. So our movement is that we request you to take up these sixteen words—not sixteen words, three words, Hare, Krishna, Rama. But is is arranged in such a way that there are sixteen words. So anyone can take it by heart, these three words, and chant it. It is universal. And if you think that "Oh, Krishna is the name of Hindu god," if you have got any objection, then you may not chant Krishna, but you must have a name for God. Just like somebody, the Muhammadans, call Allah, the Jews call Jehovah, or somebody calls something. That doesn't matter. If you think that "Why shall I chant the Indian name Krishna, Sanskrit name Krishna?" so Lord Chaitanya says that there are millions and billions of names of God. If you think that this Krishna name is not very suitable, you can accept any name. That doesn't matter. Our proposition is you chant God's name. That is our proposal. Therefore it is universal. If you like, you can chant Jehovah or you can chant Allah, but we request you that you chant God's name. Is it very difficult? It is not at all difficult. Lord Chaitanya said that there are innumerable names of God according to different languages, different countries, different societies. And each and every one of them has the potency of God Himself. If there is any God, so God is Absolute; therefore there is no difference between His name and He Himself. Just like in the material world, in the world of duality there is difference between the name "water" and the substance water. The name water is different from the substance water. If you are thirsty, if you simply chant, "Water, water, water, water," your thirstiness will not be quenched. You require the substance water. That is material, but spiritually, the name Krishna or the name Allah or the name Jehovah is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Therefore if you chant Hare Krishna... You may inquire why we are chanting Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna, this name, was chanted by Lord Chaitanya, who introduced this movement five hundred years ago in India. We are following the footprints of Lord Chaitanya. Because He chanted Hare Krishna, therefore we are chanting Hare Krishna. But Lord Chaitanya has recommended that God has innumerable names, and any one of them can be chanted, and there is no hard and fast rules and regulations for chanting. It is not that you have to prepare yourself or you have to educate yourself or you have to adjust yourself for chanting. No. Everyone. Just like immediately we began to chant. You were not prepared, but you joined with us, you clapped with us, you danced with us. So similarly, there is no preoccupation or any rules and regulation. You simply chant. And this is very easy. While walking, you can chant whatever name you like. We like Krishna. We chant always: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. While walking the streets, while you are going in the bus, and whatever, even while working with your hands, you can chant. There is no loss on your part. There is no expenditure on your part, but the gain is very great. Why don't you try it? Try it. That is our request.

The meaning of Hare Krishna Mantra

This mantra is made up of only three words : 'Hare', Krishna and 'Rama'. 'Krishna' and 'Rama' are the name of Lord Vishnu - one of the mythological God in the trinity of Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. It is said that in every yug (era) Vishnu takes incarnation on earth to establish the law of truth and righteousness.

Ram is the name of the incarnation of Vishnu in the Treta yug ( you must have heard the famous story of Ramayana - the popular Indian epic. Rama is the hero of that epic.

Krishna is the name of the incarnation of Vishnu in the 'Dwaper yug'. He is the central character in the Mahabharata (pronounced approximately as Ma-haa-BHAAR-a-ta ) -the another popular epic of India (which incidentally is the longest epic of the world). Krishna is the most popular God of Hindu religion. The Bhagawad Gita - the highly spiritual and mesmerizing conversation between Krishna and Arjuna( one of the bravest and famous character of Mahabharata ) on the battle ground of Kurukshetra is one of the most popular and respected religious books of World.

Both these words 'Rama' and 'Krishna' have become powerful and effective for the simple reason that for thousand of years millions of Hindus have been praying to God by chanting these two names. The faith, devotion and a pure spiritual feeling with which these two names have been chanted by all these devotees for so many years have made these words electrifying- charged with energy. Just repeating these names can take anyone into meditation quickly.

The word Hare has come from 'Haran' which means to take way or to end. So when one says hare Krishna, he requests the God (the supreme consciousness) to take away his sorrows , his shortcomings, his failures and pains. This Hare Krishna Mantra is actually a little prayer to God for taking away all the sorrows, pains and shortcomings of the chanter and provide him bliss and joy.

"Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare"

Whenever you chant this mantra, always keep its meaning in mind. Chant this mantra with devotion and faith . While repeating his mantra request the God almighty to take away all your sorrows, pains and failures and give you joy and bliss.

It is the experience of many that when one repeat this mantra with full faith and with full awareness of its meaning, his/her whole being gets filled with Krishna Consciousness ( which is a name given to the feeling of bliss and joy one gets in repeating this mantra.)

This mantra is a very easy mantra. You can chant it anytime, anywhere. Give at least 15 minutes per day for this mantra repetition. Sit quietly in a comfortable position. Then either chant it silently or loudly. Repeat it with full awareness of its meaning which is " O lord, take away all my sorrows, pains and shortcomings and give me bliss and joy".

This mantra is a simple and effective meditation technique. Slowly you will start enjoying it as its repetition will give you a sense of calm and bliss.

The importance of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

Where is the reference about the glory of chanting of Krishna’s name ?

Q) Where is it written that chanting the holy name of Lord Rama one time is equivalent to chanting the one thousand holy names of Lord Vishnu one time ?
And where is written that chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna one time is equivalent to chanting the one thousand holy name of Lord Vishnu three times ?
And where is it written that chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna one time is equivalent to chanting the holy name of Lord Rama three times ?

Chanting of the holy name of Lord Rama once = Chanting of 1,000 names of Lord Vishnu one time.
Chanting of the holy name of Lord Krishna once = Chanting of 1,000 names of Lord Vishnu three times.
Or
Chanting of the holy name of Lord Rama three times.

A) The answers to the above questions are available in the Chaitanya Charithamrutha, Madhya Leela, Chapter-9, in sloka 32 and 33 which are reproduced in the attached sheets.

In the Chaitanya Charithamrutha it is stated that for question No.1 the answer is that it is available in the Brihad-Vishnu-Sahasranaama-Stotra in the Uttara Kaanda of the Padma Purana (72.335 of Padma Purana). (Which is reproduced in the enclosed sheets).

In the Chaitanya Charithamrutha it is stated that for question No.2 the answer is that it is available in the Brahmanda Purana (as is quoted in the Laghu Bhagavatamrutha (1.5.354) by Srila Rupa Goswami. (Which is reproduced in the enclosed sheets).

Madhya-līlā

Chapter 9: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Travels to the Holy Places

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase
Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya Leela 9.29
ramante yogino 'nante
satyānande cid-ātmani
iti rāma-padenāsau
paraḿ brahmābhidhīyate


TRANSLATION
"'The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.'

PURPORT
This is the eighth verse of the Śata-nāma-stotra of Lord Rāmacandra, which is found in the Padma Purāṇa.

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 9.30
kṛṣir bhū-vācakaḥ śabdo
ṇaś ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥ
tayor aikyaḿ paraḿ brahma
kṛṣṇa ity abhidhīyate

TRANSLATION
"'The word "kṛṣ" is the attractive feature of the Lord's existence, and "ṇa" means spiritual pleasure. When the verb "kṛṣ" is added to the affix "ṇa," it becomes "Kṛṣṇa," which indicates the Absolute Truth.'

PURPORT
This is a verse from the Mahābhārata (Udyoga-parva 71.4).

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 9.31
paraḿ brahma dui-nāma samāna ha-ila
punaḥ āra śāstre kichu viśeṣa pāila


TRANSLATION
"As far as the holy names of Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are concerned, they are on an equal level, but for further advancement we receive some specific information from the revealed scriptures.

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 9.32
rāma rāmeti rāmeti
rame rāme manorame
sahasra-nāmabhis tulyaḿ
rāma-nāma varānane


TRANSLATION
"[Lord Śiva addressed his wife, Durgā:] 'O Varānanā, 'I chant the holy name of Rāma, Rāma, Rāma and thus enjoy this beautiful sound. This holy name of Rāmacandra is equal to one thousand holy names of Lord Viṣṇu.'

PURPORT

This is a verse from the Bṛhad-viṣṇu-sahasranāma-stotra in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa (72.335).

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 9.33
sahasra-nāmnāḿ puṇyānāḿ
trir-āvṛttyā tu yat phalam
ekāvṛttyā tu kṛṣṇasya
nāmaikaḿ tat prayacchati


TRANSLATION
"'The pious results derived from chanting the thousand holy names of Viṣṇu three times can be attained by only one utterance of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.'

PURPORT
This verse from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa is found in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.5.354), by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Simply by chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa once, one can attain the same results achieved by chanting the holy name of Rāma three times.


Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 9.34
ei vākye kṛṣṇa-nāmera mahimā apāra
tathāpi la-ite nāri, śuna hetu tāra


TRANSLATION
"According to this statement of the śāstras, the glories of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa are unlimited. Still I could not chant His holy name. Please hear the reason for this.

The importance of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

Originally, the Maha Mantra was
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare.

This was the original Vedic Mantra and anyone and every one cannot invoke this mantra. It has to be properly invoked and only a qualified Brahmana has the required qualification to utter such holy mantra. This was possible only in the rest of the 3 previous yugas. However, in Kali Yuga, there are no Brahmanas at all to invoke the above mantra. In Kali Yuga, all are none but Sudras, because of the degradation.

Therefore, out of His causeless mercy for the fallen Kali Yuga Jeevas, Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu, who is none other than the Supreme Lord Krishna Himself, and who has incarnated 500 years ago, has changed the order of the above Mantra, while retaining the same potency of the original mantra, so that anyone and everyone can easily chant this holy name in this Kali Yuga and get purified. The newly-changed mantra is as follows :

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Thus, the Lord has made His mercy more easily available to one and all without exception.

Chaitanya Charitaamrutha. Adi Leela. Text 17. 21
And Brhan-naaradiya Puraana

Text
harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä

Translation
‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’

Kali Santarana Upanishad

Text
Iti shodasa naamnam
Kali kalmasha naasanam
Na tah parataropaayah
Sarva vedeshu drusyathe

Translation
This Hare Krishna Maha Mantra has 16 names of the Supreme Lord and this destroys all the sins of the Kali Yuga. If you search out even in the entire of Vedas, you will not find any other means other than this chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, to destroy all the sin and ills of Kali Yuga.

Chaitanya Charitaamrutha. Adi Leela. Text 17. 22

Text
kali-käle näma-rüpe Krishna-avatära
näma haite haya sarva-jagat-nistära


Translation
“In this Age of Kali, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra, is the incarnation of Lord Krishna. Simply by chanting the holy name, one associates with the Lord directly. Anyone who does this is certainly delivered.”

Chaitanya Charitaamrutha. Adi Leela. Text 17. 23

Text
daardhya lägi’ ‘harer näma’-ukti tina-vära
jada loka bujhäite punah ‘eva’-kära


Translation
“This verse repeats the word ‘eva’ [‘certainly’] three times for emphasis, and it also three times repeats ‘harer näma’ [‘the holy name of the Lord’], just to make common people understand.”

Purport
To emphasize something to an ordinary person, one may repeat it three times, just as one might say, “You must do this! You must do this! You must do this!” Thus the Bruhad-näradiya Puräanaa repeatedly emphasizes the chanting of the holy name so that people may take it seriously and thus free themselves from the clutches of mäyä. It is our practical experience in the Krishna Consciousness movement all over the world that many millions of people are factually coming to the spiritual stage of life simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra regularly, according to the prescribed principles. Therefore, our request to all our students is that they daily chant at least sixteen rounds of this Hare Krishna mahä-mantra offenselessly, following the regulative principles. Thus their success will be assured without a doubt.

Sreemad Bhagavatham 12.3.51

Text
kaler dosa-nidhe räjann
asti hy eko mahän gunah
kirtanäd eva krishnasya
mukta-sangah paraàm vrajet


Translation
My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.

Purport
After mentioning the innumerable faults of this age of Kali, Sukadeva Gosvämi now mentions its one brilliant aspect. Just as one powerful king can kill innumerable thieves, one brilliant spiritual quality can destroy all the contamination of this age. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, especially in this fallen age.

Sreemad Bhagavatham 12.3.52

Text
krte yad dhyäyato vishnum
tretäyäàm yajato makhaih
dväpare paricaryäyäàm
kalau tad dhari-kéertanät


Translation
Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Tretä-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dväpara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mahä-mantra.

Purport
A similar verse is found in the Vishnu Puräna (6.2.17), and also in the Padma Puräna (Uttara-khanda 72.25) and the Bruhad-näradéya Puräna (38.97):

dhyäyan krte yajan yajnais
tretäyäà dväpare ’rcayan
yad äpnoti tad äpnoti
kalau saìkértya kesavam

Translation
“Whatever is achieved by meditation in Satya-yuga, by the performance of sacrifice in Tretä-yuga, and by the worship of Lord Krishna’s lotus feet in Dväpara-yuga is obtained in the age of Kali simply by glorifying the name of Lord Kesava.”

Srila Jiva Gosvämi has further quoted from the Brahma-vaivarta Puräna concerning the degraded condition of people in Kali-yuga:

atah kalau tapo-yoga-
vidyä-yajnädikäh kriyäh
sängä bhavanti na krtah
kusalair api dehibhih

“Thus in the age of Kali the practices of austerity, yoga meditation, Deity worship, sacrifice and so on, along with their various subsidiary functions, are not properly carried out, even by the most expert embodied souls.

Srila Jiva Gosvämi has also cited the Cäturmäsya-mähätmya of the Skanda Puräna concerning the necessity of chanting Hare Krishna in this age:

tathä caivottamam loke
tapah çré-hari-kértanam
kalau yuge visesena
vishnuu-prityai samäcaret

“In this way the most perfect penance to be executed in this world is the chanting of the name of Lord Sri Hari. Especially in the age of Kali, one can satisfy the Supreme Lord Vishnu by performing sankeertana.’’

In conclusion, massive propaganda should be made all over the world to induce people to chant the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, by which human society can be rescued from the dangerous ocean of the age of Kali.