Tag Archive for: CHANTING

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Japa Tip: Dance with Krishna

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

After reading a recent Srila Bhakti siddhanta Sarasvati’s article about the descent of pure name on our FB, someone wrote that he did not understand how Krishna descends from Goloka into our hearts. Our reply may help others, so here it is, all based on the following verse:

atah sri Krishna namadi, na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau, svayam eva sphuraty adah

“Thus, with one’s blunt material senses, one cannot understand the absolutely transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes of Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

“But when one serves Sri Krishna beginning with the tongue (offenselessly chanting japa and kirtana), then Krishna directly shows Himself to one in a deep inner vision.”(Bhakti-rasamrita sindhu 1.2.234)Also, this verse means that if Krishna is pleased with a devotee, then Krishna personally manifests Himself on our tongue by allowing and inspiring us to chant His sweet Divine Names.

If a devotee saturates his/her mind, heart and life with pure seva bhava for Bhagavan Sri Krishna, then Krishna will be attracted to descend from Goloka in the form of the HOLY NAME to move one’s tongue in japa, and enter the heart and rest their (Govinda vishram) to accept one’s moment to moment loving sevas.

Then at the time of chanting kirtan or japa, Krishna gets excited, wakes up from your heart, comes to your tongue and dances along with you in the blissful experience of nama japa and sankirtana ullasa, Gaura nacha re.

Ah, just see Gaurahari, His long arms extended to Goloka and chanting in ecstasy…. (Caitanya Caritamrtam 1.17.122)

(hari) haraye namah krishna, yadavaya namah
gopala govinda rama, sri madhusudana

Nama dances, Krishna dances, and you dance along with Krishna enjoying and serving Him while blissfully singing in Sri Harinama Sankirtana. That is what Siddhanta Sarasvatipada is saying here. Simple: pure seva bhava, then Krishna appears along with the pure name and off you go…vaikuntha arohana.

Jai Radhe!!!

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Five Effects Nama Aparadha

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

Everyone! Please be careful not to offend Sri Krishna’s most merciful and powerful, sweet, ever-present loving form as the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

In Kali-yuga, Sri Krishna Nama is our only hope—our only chance, and the only way we’ll ever attain the plane of love divine desired by all. Worship Krishna Nama! Protect Krishna Nama! Cherish Krishna Nama! Chant Krishna Nama! Give Krishna Nama! Live Krishna Nama and depart with Krishna Nama! And by all means never, never, ever offend Krishna Nama!

The Five Disasters

In Bhakti-sandarbha (anu. 154-159), Sri Jiva Goswamipada describes five prominent effects of offensively chanting Sri Krishna’s transcendental names i.e. Hare Krishna maha-mantra. The five effects are as follows: crookedness; faithlessness; absorption in mundane objects that erode one’s faith in Krishna; slackness in devotional service; and pride.

If a sadhaka is experiencing any of the following effects, it means one is committing offences to Sri Krishna Nama:

  1. Crookedness (kautilya)

Offenders to Nama become crooked in their dealings with others, disrespectful towards Sri Hari, Sri Guru and other devotees, and start acting in various deceitful ways. In Skanda Purana, Muni Parasara says, “Crooked, deceitful people cannot attain Govinda bhakti, or chant and remember Bhagavan.”

  1. Faithlessness

Offenders to nama gradually become faithless, lose their conviction about the glories of Krishna bhakti, and start harboring contrary non-devotional ideas.

  1. Distraction

Nama aparadhis become absorbed in material objects and pursuits i.e. making money, attaining degrees, etc. that erode their faith in Krishna and Krishna bhakti.

  1. Slackening Devotion

As a result of Nama aparadhas, one’s bhakti bhajan wanes and one again becomes absorbed in sense gratification—maya! One thinks excessively about one’s own bodily happiness and distress and that of others.

  1. Pride

When one offends Sri Nama Prabhu, one starts feeling proud of his/her devotional service and activities. This in turn generates other offenses i.e. disrespecting Vaisnavas. As they say, “pride precedes a fall.”

To close, we offer a poem in praise of Krishna Nama:

The name puts you in a new frame, beyond the game of name and fame. Your mind the name will tame. You’ll never be the same as your old claim goes aflame. The Name will set your aim, and take you to Vraja dhama for more and more Nama!”

Suddha Nama ki jai! Namacarya Sri Haridasa Thakura ki jai!

Sri Jiva Goswamipada ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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The Concise Path of Manjari-bhava Sadhana

By: Mahanidhi Swami

In Prema Bhakti Candrika, Narottama dasa Thakura presents five essential practices of raga-bhakti and manjari-bhava sadhana to attain erotic love (Vraja srnghara-prema) in the mood of the Vraja damsels (gopi-bhava). His program incorporates four of the nine limbs of bhakti-sadhana, namely 1) Sravanam, 2) Kirtanam; 3) Smaranam; and 4) Vandanam. He adds a special fifth practice he calls Darshana. This concise sadhana package describes five limbs of bhakti which include a total of nine individual daily practices. If one regularly pursues these nine practices he will quickly obtain the treasure of Radha-Krishna’s eternal prema seva in Sri Dhama Vrndavana in this life.

Now let’s examine Narottama dasa Thakura’s manjari-bhava sadhana program.

I. HEARING (sravanam)

1. Be attached to hearing the acharya’s descriptions of Radha-Krishna’s loving pastimes (rati prema maya parabandhe v 60).

2. Constantly hear devotees chanting Radha-Krishna’s names and qualities (dunhu nama shuni shuni, bhakta-mukhe punee punee v 76).

II. CHANTING (kirtanam)

3. Chant the rasa-filled names of Radha-Krishna (krishna nama radha nama, upasana rasa-dhama v 60).

4. Always sing about the rasa-filled lilas of Yugala Kishora (lila-rasa-sadaa gaana, jugala-kishora v 100) in a loving way (prema bhaave lila katha v 106); which means full of eagerness and yearning.

III. REMEMBERING (smaranam)

5. Seva smaranam—Fix your mind only the seva of Radha-Krishna (radha krishna sevana ekaanta koriyaa mana v 76; both externally in sadhaka-rupa, and mentally serving in your siddha-svarupa, ashta-kaliya-lila smaranam.

6. Kirtana smarana— Singing Radha-Krishna’s Holy Names is the topmost meditation (radha-krishna nama gaana parama dhyaana v 73).

7. Lila smarana—Remember the sweet daily vraja-lilas of Radha Govinda, the essence of all practices and goals (yugala vilasa smarana sadhya sadhana saara v 61).

IV. PRAYERS (vandanam)

8. Always pray that you can hear, read or speak Radha-Krishna prema-katha with a pure heart free from personal motives (praarthanaa kariba sadaa, shuddha-bhaave prema-katha v 75)

V. SEEING (darshanam)

9. Rupa-darshana— Always cry with intense desire to see the splendid golden body of Rai (Radharani) and the enchanting raincloud blue form of Ghanashyama (hema-gaura-tanu rai, ankhee darashana chai, rodana karaye abhilaashe, jaladhara dhaara dhaara, anga atee manohara v 77).

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!