Gaura-gopala mantra-mantra composed of the four syllables
ra-dha-krs-na.
Gaura Mantra the four syllable mantra is ”gau-ra-an-ga”
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains the Gaura-gopala
mantra in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. Worshipers of Sri Gaurasundara accept the
four syllables gau-ra-an-ga as the Gaura mantra, but pure worshipers of Radha
and Krsna accept the four syllables ra-dha krs-na as the Gaura-gopala mantra.
However, Vaisnavas consider Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu nondifferent from
Radha-Krsna (sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya). Therefore one who
chants the mantra “gauranga” and one who chants the names of Radha and Krsna are
on the same level.
tara iccha balavan pascatyete than than
hoy jate gauranger nam
prthivite nagaradi asamudra nada nadi
sakalei loy krsna nam
By his strong desire, the holy name of Lord Gauranga will
spread throughout all the countries of the Western world. In all the cities,
towns, and villages on the earth, from all the oceans, seas, rivers, and
streams, everyone will chant the holy name of Krsna.
You mention that they have not even heard of Lord
Gauranga. So that is their misfortune, and our misfortune also. Our big, big
godbrothers in India, they could not preach Lord Gauranga’s name all over
India.
Srila Narottama dasa Thakura prays that he will have the
association of a person - either a householder or a man in the renounced order
of life- who is engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord and is
always crying the holy name of Lord Caitanya.
guru-laksana, sisya-laksana, donhara pariksana
sevya-bhagavan, sarva-mantra-vicarana
The word sarva-mantra-vicarana in the present verse of
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta means “considering all different types of mantras.”
There are different kinds of mantras for different kinds of devotees. There is
the mantra known as the dvadasaksara mantra, composed of twelve syllables, and
there is the mantra composed of eighteen syllables. Similarly, there are the
Narasimha mantra, the Rama mantra, the Gopala mantra and so on. Each and every
mantra has its own spiritual significance.
The spiritual master has to select a mantra for his
disciple according to the disciple’s ability to chant different mantras.
(Madhya 24.330)
Here is an important point. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu
wanted to invent a way to capture the Mayavadis and others who did not take
interest in the Krsna consciousness movement. This is the symptom of an acarya.
An acarya who comes for the service of the Lord cannot be expected to conform
to a stereotype, for he must find the ways and means by which Krsna
consciousness may be spread (Ref Adi 7.31-32)
Note: It was only Prabhupada who was able to select not only
the mantra but had the potency to reduce the number of rounds from 64 to
minimum of 16 rounds.
Nit-tai-Gau-ra
So this benediction is offered by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
who has very kindly come here, Nitai-Gaura. So you take advantage of His mercy.
You are very fortunate that Nitai-Gaura is here. If you simply chant
Nitai-Gaura and dance, then you’ll become happy. There is no difficulty. There
is no difficulty. You are chanting “Jaya Sacinandana.” This simple chanting,
“Jaya Sacinandana,” “Hare Krsna,” this chanting and dancing, yajnaih
sankirtanair prayaih yajanti hi sumedhasah. This is not I am manufacturing. It
is the injunction of the sastra. In this age, simply by chanting and dancing,
yajnaih sankirtanair prayaih, you get complete spiritual service.
ara kabe nitai-canda karuna karibe
samsara vasana mora kabe tuccha ha’be
This is the grace of Nityananda Prabhu. Narottama dasa
Thakura explains, ara kabe nitai-canda, karuna karibe. Narottama dasa Thakura
is aspiring for the day when Nityananda Prabhu will be pleased upon him. Just
like Jagai-Madhai was delivered by the mercy of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, so we
have to pray Nityananda Prabhu. He’s very merciful. He’s so kind, Baladeva, He
gives spiritual strength. Then we can approach the Supreme Lord. Therefore we
chant “Nitai-Gaura.” This is the process. We cannot change this policy.
Panca-tattva must be worshiped; otherwise wherefrom we shall get…? The
spiritual master… Nityananda Prabhu is the spiritual master. Or spiritual
master is the replica, representation, of Nityananda Prabhu. So when Nityananda
Prabhu is pleased, then we become detached from this material attraction.
“Na-ra-ya-na”
Ajamila chanted the four syllables of the hari-nama
Narayana,and therefore the order carriers of Narayana, the Visnudutas, also
immediately arrived there. By chanting the four syllables of the name Narayana,
he was saved from the gravest danger of falling down.
The Visnudutas therefore instructed that because he had
chanted the four syllables of the name Narayana at the time of his death, he
was freed from all sinful reactions.
” Although calling the name of his son, he nevertheless
uttered the four syllables na-ra-ya-na. Simply by chanting the name of Narayana
in this way, he sufficiently atoned for the sinful reactions of millions of
lives.
Extracting the four syllables that are the heart of the
four Vedas, Lord Hari makes the word Narayana. Day and night chanting this
name, we become purified. We do not know any other better way to please Lord
Hari.
Ja-gan-na-tha
Gopa-kumara was so inspired by the glories of Lord
Jagannatha and the Lord’s ksetra that he gave up all external and internal
affinity to the kingdom and everything related to it. He at once began his
journey to Jagannatha Puri, heading off in the general direction of Orissa.
While on the road he constantly chanted the four syllables of Lord Jagannatha’s
name.
“Ba-la-ra-ma”
Haladhra Balarama Mantra
Five Syllable mantra “Nityananda”
Ref Adi 8.31
Translation
But if one only chants, with some slight faith, the holy
names of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, very quickly he is cleansed of all
offenses. Thus as soon as he chants the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, he feels the
ecstasy of love for God.
Purport
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks in this
connection that if one takes shelter of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and
Nityananda, follows Their instructions to become more tolerant than the tree
and humbler than the grass, and in this way chants the holy name of the Lord,
very soon he achieves the platform of transcendental loving service to the
Lord, and tears appear in his eyes. There are offenses to be considered in
chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, but there are no such considerations in
chanting the names of Gaura-Nityananda. Therefore, if one chants the Hare Krsna
maha-mantra but his life is still full of sinful activities, it will be very
difficult for him to achieve the platform of loving service to the Lord. But if
in spite of being an offender one chants the holy names of Gaura-Nityananda, he
is very quickly freed from the reactions to his offenses. Therefore, one should
first approach Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, or worship Guru-Gauranga, and then
come to the stage of worshiping Radha-Krsna. In our Krsna consciousness
movement, our students are first advised to worship Guru-Gauranga, and then,
when they are somewhat advanced, the Radha-Krsna Deity is installed, and they
are engaged in the worship of the Lord.
One should first take shelter of Gaura-Nityananda in
order to reach, ultimately, Radha-Krsna. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings in
this connection:
gauranga balite ha’be pulaka sarira
hari hari balite nayane ba’be nira
ara kabe nitai-candera karuna ha-ibe
samsara-vasana mora kabe tuccha habe
visaya chadiya kabe suddha habe mana
kabe hama
heraba sri-vrndavana
In the beginning one should very regularly chant Sri
Gaurasundara’s holy name and then chant the holy name of Lord Nityananda. Thus
one’s heart will be cleansed of impure desires for material enjoyment. Then one
can approach Vrndavana-dhama to worship Lord Krsna. Unless one is favored by
Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, there is no need to go to Vrndavana, for unless
one’s mind is purified, he cannot see Vrndavana, even if he goes there.
Actually going to Vrndavana involves taking shelter of the Six Gosvamis by
reading the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Vidagdha-madhava, Lalita-madhava and the
other books that they have given. In this way one can understand the transcendental
loving affairs between Radha and Krsna. Kabe hama bujhaba se yugala-piriti. The
conjugal love between Radha and Krsna is not an ordinary human affair; it is
fully transcendental. In order to understand Radha and Krsna, worship Them and
engage in Their loving service, one must be guided by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
Nityananda Prabhu and the Six Gosvamis, Lord Caitanya’s direct disciples.
For an ordinary man, worship of Sri Caitanya and
Nityananda Prabhu or the Panca-tattva is easier than worship of Radha and
Krsna. Unless one is very fortunate, he should not be induced to worship
Radha-Krsna directly. A neophyte student who is not sufficiently educated or
enlightened should not indulge in the worship of Sri Radha and Krsna or the
chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra. Even if he does so, he cannot get the
desired result. One should therefore chant the names of Nitai-Gaura and worship
Them without false prestige. Since everyone within this material world is more
or less influenced by sinful activities, in the beginning it is essential that
one take to the worship of Guru-Gauranga and ask their favor, for thus despite
all his disqualifications one will very soon become qualified to worship the
Radha-Krsna vigraha.
It should be noted in this connection that the holy names
of Lord Krsna and Gaurasundara are both identical with the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Therefore one should not consider one name to be more potent than
the other. Considering the position of the people of this age, however, the
chanting of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s name is more essential than the chanting
of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the most
magnanimous incarnation and His mercy is very easily achieved. Therefore one
must first take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by chanting
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara
srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. By serving Gaura-Nityananda one is freed from the
entanglements of material existence and thus becomes qualified to worship the
Radha-Krsna Deity.
Yoga Student:…to chant the names of Nitai-Gauranga before we encourage
them so much to chant the maha-mantra?
Prabhupada:No. Why? Now, what is the difference, Nitai-Gauranga and
Hare Krsna? Nitai-Gauranga and Hare Krsna, there is no difference.
Nitai-Gauranga is also nice. Whatever he finds convenient, let him chant.
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