The number of souls is unlimited. They are divided into two classes. One class is favorable to the Lord from a time without beginning. The other class is averse to the Lord from a time without beginning. The first class is favorable to the Lord because of knowledge of relationship with the Lord. The second class is averse to the Lord because of lack of that knowledge.
- Paramatma Sandarbha 47 (Srila Jiva Goswami)
The living entities are eternally connected with God:
nityo 'nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān
tam ātma-sthaṁ ye' nupaśyanti dhīrās teṣaṁ śāntiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām
- Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13
Among innumerable eternal, conscious beings, there is one Supreme Being, who fulfills the desired necessities of the many. Only those contemplative persons, who perceive that Supreme Lord within their hearts, through the transcendental directions of guru-paramparā, can attain perpetual peace.
The soul’s spiritual form is eternal:
jivera 'svarupa' haya krishnera 'nitya-dasa'
krishnera 'tatastha-sakti' 'bhedabheda-prakasa'
suryamsa-kirana, yaiche agni-jvala-caya
svabhavika krishnera tina-prakara 'sakti' haya
"It is the living entity's constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Krishna because he is the marginal energy of Krishna and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Krishna has three varieties of energy.
The actual form of the soul:
bhakta-deha pāile haya guṇera smaraṇa
guṇākṛṣṭa hañā kare nirmala bhajana
CC Madhya-lila 24.111
Only when one gets a devotee’s spiritual body (siddha-deha), can he do pure bhajana and remember the transcendental qualities and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Being spontaneously attracted by Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s qualities and pastimes, one becomes a pure devotee engaged in His eternal service in the nitya-līlā.
The spiritual master :
Who is a true spiritual master?
Sri Krishna, Who is God Himself, has defined the spiritual master to His dear devotee Sri Uddhava as follows:
(S.B. 11.17.27)
– Sri Bhagavan said:
“O Uddhava! You should know the preceptor, meaning the Gurudeva, to be myself and never disregard him. Do not find faults with him, taking him to be an ordinary human being for Sri Gurudeva is the sum total of all devatas.”
Sri Uddhava told Sri Krishna –
“0 my Lord! A devotee has many sensual desires that are obstacles in the path of bhajan; You remove them externally in the form of Sri Gurudeva who instructs in the spiritual truth and internally in the form of good conscience. Thus You grant them realizations about You.” - (S.B. 11.29.6)
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
SB 11.3.21
Therefore (because one cannot attain real peace or happiness in this material world), a person who seriously desires the ultimate spiritual perfection must seek a bona fide Guru and take shelter of him.
The qualifications of Śrī Guru is that
(1) he has fully realised the Vedic scriptures (śabda-brahma)
(2) the Supreme Absolute Truth(para-brahma)
(3) for whom the mundane world holds no charm whatsoever.
The characteristics of a sadguru given by the shastras are as follows:
1) He has realizations about Sri Bhagavân due to his solid faith and firm perseverance in bhajan. He has attained the grace of his own Gurudev by being similarly devoted to his lotus feet.
2) He is well-versed in the Vedas and in bhakti-scriptures that highlight the true Vedic purport such as Srimad-Bhagavatam. Thus he can wipe out the doubts of his disciples.
3) Because he has transcendental realizations about Sri Krishna he has attained His mercy. Thus he has become so powerful that he is able to bring the disciple on to the path of bhakti and infuse this power within him.
4) He is not overcome by vices like lust and greed.
It is everyone’s foremost duty in life to find and serve a sad-guru:
sarva-deśa-kāla-daśāya janera kartavya
guru-pāśe sei bhakti praṣṭavya, śrotavya
CC Madhya 25.122
[Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī:] It is therefore the
duty of every man—in every country, in every circumstance and at all times—to approach a bona fide spiritual master, question him about devotional service and listen to him explain the process.
Srimat Rupa Goswamipada has stated 64 items of bhajan.
The first three are –
1. Taking shelter of Sri Gurudeva’s feet
2. Taking initiation into Sri Krishna-mantra and learning Bhagavata-dharma (the process of worshipping Sri Krishna ) from him
3. Serving Sri Gurudev with faith.
- (Bhakti-Rasamrita-Sindhu 1.2.74)
We should be very attached to Śrī Guru and Śrimati Rādhika:
tvaṁ gopikā vṛṣa-raves tanayāntike ‘si
sevādhikāriṇi guro nija-pāda-padme
dāsyaṁ pradāya kuru māṁ vraja-kānane śrīrādhāṅghri-
sevana-rase sukhinīṁ sukhābdhau
Stava Kalpadruma, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī
O Gurudeva! You are the beloved gopīkā of Śrīmatī Rādhikā and can bestow Her service. Bestowing upon me the shelter of your lotus feet, kindly make me blissfully engaged within the ocean of the blissfull mellows of service to Her lotus feet in the kuñjas of Vraja.
Śrī Guru serves in the eternal pastimes as a confidential associate of Śrī Rādhā:
Śrī Gurudeva is always present with the sakhīs and mañjarīs, arranging for the perfection of yugala-kiśora’s amorous pastimes (rati-keli) within the kuñjas of Vraja.
Śrī Guru delivers the souls from the fire of material existence:
saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyāṇa guṇārṇavasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
Just as a raincloud extinguishes a blazing forest fire by showering its rain upon it, Śrī Gurudeva, by his rain of divine mercy, delivers the people burning in the fire of material existence, suffering the threefold miseries (adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika). I offer prayers unto the lotus feet of Śrī Gurudeva, who manifests when Kṛṣṇa’s mercy becomes very thick and who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.
Diksha initiation:
The definition of Dīkṣā:
divyaṁ jñānaṁ hy atra mantre bhagavat-svarūpa-jñānam,
tena bhagavatā sambandha-viśeṣa-jñānañ ca
Bhakti-sandarbha, Anuccheda 283
Divya-jñāna is transcendental knowledge contained within a mantra which reveals the form and identity of the Supreme Lord (bhagavat-svarūpa) as well as knowledge of the sādhaka-jīva’s particular relationship with the Lord.
In his Bhakti-Sandarbha (283) Srimat JivaGoswâmipad quotes the shâstra to describe the greatness of initiation
-- “The âchâryas who know the truth define ‘dikshâ’ as that which bestows divine knowledge and destroys all sins.”
Sri Jivapad adds: “Here ‘divine knowledge’ means the knowledge about the Lord’s form which lies within the mantra, along with special knowledge about our relationship with the Lord.”
“The form of the living entity is that he is Krishna’s eternal servant. He is Krishna’s tatastha-shakti and so he is both different and non-different from Him.”– (C.C.)
Diksha-mantra:
Of all the different mantras that have been mentioned by the shastras in connection with diksh, the Sri Krishna-mantra is the most important, because Sri Krishna is Swayam Bhagavan and is the origin of all divine forms.
Sri Krishna performs divine pastimes in three Holy Abodes - Vrindavana, Mathura and Dwaraka. The greatest quality of Sri Bhagavan´s sweetness is manifest in Sri Vrindavana, alone where Sri Krishna plays like a cowherd boy.
Therefore the mantras in connection with this Vrindavana-lila are the greatest.
Then again, the 10-syllable and the 18-syllable ‘Gopi-janavallabh’ mantra, that induce the topmost rasa (that of madhurya lila), are the greatest of all. Although these mantras are all present in sacred books, the chanting of those will yield no fruit without initiation. We must receive the mantra from the sadguru.
The mantra is non-different from Śrī Guru and from Śrī Krishna:
yo mantraḥ sa guruḥ sākṣāt yo guruḥ sa hariḥ svayam
The mantra (received from Śrī Guru) is the Guru himself, and Śrī Guru is directly the Supreme Lord Krishna. There is no difference between Śrī Guru, the mantra given by him, and Śrī Hari. He with whom Śrī Guru is pleased, also obtains the pleasure of Śrī Krishna Himself.
Diksha initiation makes the devotee´s body spiritual:
prabhu kahe, vaiṣṇava-deha ‘prākṛta’ kabhu naya
‘aprākṛta’ deha bhaktera ‘cid-ānanda-maya’
dīkṣā-kāle bhakta kare ātma-samarpaṇa
sei-kāle kṛṣṇa tāre kare ātma-sama
sei deha kare tāra cid-ānanda maya
aprākṛta-dehe tāṅra caraṇa bhajaya
CC Antya 4.192-3
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “The body of a devotee is never material. It is considered to be transcendental, full of spiritual bliss. At the time of initiation, when a sādhaka fully surrenders to Śrī Guru, Kṛṣṇa makes him like Himself. He transforms the devotee’s body into spiritual substance; the sādhaka then worships the Lord in that spiritualized body.”
Diksha is absolutely necessary:
guru-dīkṣā vihinasya na siddhim na sad-gatim
tasmat sarva-prayatnena guruṇā dīkṣitaṁ bhavet
Purāṇa vakya
Without proper dīkṣā from Śrī Guru, no one can attain perfection or the supreme destination. Therefore, with utmost care and attention one should accept dīkṣā initiationfrom Śrī Guru.
Famous question:
When the Hare Krishna mantra is called the Mahamantra, then will we not attain perfection by taking this mantra alone? And why will we not achieve ‘diksha’ – which is our goal – by taking this mantra?
The answer to this is that the Hare Krishna-mantra is called the Mahamantra because it is more powerful than any other mantra in bestowing prem.
Still, the rule is that a diksha-mantra must have a dative case-ending and the six standard sequences that form a certain pattern of composition.
Since the Mahamantra does not have this it is not a diksha-mantra.
We should know that when we take Harinam-initiation before diksha, the Mahamantra blesses us by giving us a sadguru and he instructs us about bhajan; after taking diksha the result of chanting the Holy Name is prema.
Relationship, the path of perfection, the ultimate goal:
sambandha - abhidheya - prayojana
SAMBANDHA – RELATIONSHIP
There are two fundamental factors in existence:
(1) The living entities, who have an eternal relationship with
(2) the Supreme Person:
(1) The living entities -- The living entity, an eternal spiritual being, is encaged within a world of matter since beginningless time. On account of ignorance of its essential nature, the eternal living entity identifies itself with various attributes of this world life after life. From childhood to youth, from youth to old age, from old age to death and again to a new birth in accordance with its desires and deeds, the living entity wanders in this world.
Sometimes thinking of himself as a male, sometimes a female, sometimes an American, sometimes an Indian, and sometimes a camel or an ass, the living entity meets happiness and distress among various species of life, birth after birth. Longing to satisfy its unfulfilled desires, the living entity roams about in this world in an endless quest for love and happiness, never to be satisfied. That which is of spirit in nature will never find its peace in a world made of matter.
(2) The Supreme Person -- The Supreme Person is the ultimate manifestation of the Absolute Truth, the original cause of all creation, maintenance and destruction. He is simultaneously transcendent and immanent, being beyond the influence of this world, yet eternally aware of everything therein. Whatever exists in all the material and spiritual worlds consists of Him and His infinite energies only. His various energies are divided in three basic categories:
(1) External energy -- His external energy consists of the material world. This energy is divided into eight basic elements, namely five gross elements, and three subtle elements. They are (1) Earth, or all that is solid, (2) Water, or all that is liquid, (3) Fire, or all energy, (4) Air, or all aeriform substance, (5) Ether, or the space in which everything exists, (6) Mind, or the emotional faculty of the psyche, (7) Intelligence, or the discriminating faculty of the psyche, and (8) False ego, or the faculty of the psyche which forms a mundane conception of personality. This combination of elements known as the material world is temporary in nature.
(2) Marginal energy -- His marginal energy consists of the living entities of this world, the tiny spiritual sparks which are situated in a marginal position between the material world and the spiritual world, having the possibility of choosing between the two in accordance with their desires. The living entities are simultaneously one with and different from the Supreme, just as a ray of sun is one with and different from its origin, the sun.
(3) Internal energy -- His internal energy consists of sandhini (eternity), samvit (consciousness) and hladini (ecstacy), forming the basis of existence in the spiritual world. The feature of eternity is the ingredient of which all spiritual worlds consists, the feature of consciousness is the ingredient from which varieties of awareness arise, and the feature of ecstacy is the ingredient from which divine, blissful loving emotions arise.
ABHIDHEYA - MEANS OF ATTAINMENT
The path of bhakti, of loving devotional service to the Supreme Person, is known as the path for attainging the ultimate good. Prayojana, or the ultimate perfection for the living entity, is known as pure, unnalloyed, ecstatic love for the Supreme Person. The path for attaining bhakti is called "sadhana", or "that which leads to the goal".
There are two paths of bhakti in practice –
(1) vaidhi-bhakti, and
(2) raganuga-bhakti.
(1) Vaidhi-bhakti (devotional practice of rules and regulations) -- When one hears from the saints about the scriptural statements on the duty of all living entities is to serve and worship the Lord, a feeling of obligation and reverence may awaken within the heart. When such a conception acts as the impetus for his pursuing the path of bhakti, his path is called vaidhi-bhakti, or devotional practice following in the wake of scriptural injunctions.
(2) Raganuga-bhakti (devotional practice in search of loving attraction) -- When one hears from the saints about the sweetness of the Lord's pastimes with His associates, a sacred greed for obtaining loving feelings similar to one of His associates may awaken within the heart. When such a conception acts as the impetus for his pursuing the path of bhakti, his path is called raganuga-bhakti, or devotional practice in the wake of loving attachment.
PRAYOJANA - ULTIMATE PERFECTION
As the aspirant reaches the stage of ecstatic love (prema), attaining direct vision of his beloved Lord, his journey for perfection in this world is completed. As he departs from this world, he is taken to the universe where the Lord displays His pastimes at that time. He takes birth from the womb of a gopi (divine cowherd lady) in the village of Krishna, attaining a spiritual body suitable for further expressions of divine love.
During that life, he or she (depending on the kind of relationship the aspirant has longed for) spends her time with the eternally perfected associates of the Lord who have descended with Him from the unmanifest world, and is acquainted with life in the spiritual world, gradually mastering the expression of all divine emotions. Then, at the end of the Lord's manifest pastimes, she is transferred to the eternal, unmanifest pastimes of the Lord in the spiritual abode.
One who knows the sādhyā (goal) and sādhana (process) and therefore can guide others in performing sādhana to attain the sādhyā of kṛṣṇa-prema, is a sādhu.
What is saṅga (association with a sādhu)?
samyak rūpeṇa anugamanam
To follow the sādhu completely, externally and internally, by activities and by mood, is real saṅga, association with a sādhu.
Even a moment’s association with a sadhu can award all perfection:
sādhu-saṅga sādhu-saṅga sarva-śāstre kaya lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya
CC Madhya-lila 22.54/BPKG p. 378/STB p. 29
The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that through even a moment’s association with a sādhu, a pure devotee, one can attain (ultimately) complete spiritual perfection.
The benefits of sadhu-sanga:
saṁsāra bhramite kona bhāgye keha tare
nadīra pravāhe yena kāṣṭha lāge tīre
kona bhāgye kāro saṁsāra kṣayonmukha haya
sādhu-saṅge tabe kṛṣṇe rati upajaya.
CC Mad 22.43-4
When the jīva becomes averse to Kṛṣṇa, he is swept away in the current of birth and death in material existence. He wanders aimlessly throughout the 8,400,000 species of life, being burnt by the threefold miseries. It is extremely difficult to attain deliverance from this current of saṁsāra. However, just as a piece of wood flowing in the forceful current of a river may by fortune be washed up on the bank, similarly, a jīva may by extremely good fortune attain the shelter of sādhu saṅga, gain release from the current of material existence, and again become established in his own constitutional position as the servant of Kṛṣṇa.
The association with devotees and receiving their mercy are the only means to obtain bhakti:
“There is no way we can get bhakti without the mercy of great devotees; forget attaining Sri Krishna, without it we cannot even transcend the material ocean.”
– (C.C.)
Srila Muchukunda extolled Lord Krishna –
“bhavâpavargo bhramato sada bhavejjanasya tarhyachyuta-sat-samagamâh,
Meaning - “My dear Lord, the living being wanders in the cycle of birth and death; when his material condition is about to end, he comes in contact with Your devotees. And then they get interested in You who are the sole refuge of the devotees.”
Sri Vidur Mahashaya told Srila Maitreya Rishi –
‘O master, the ones who are turned away from Sri Krishna are suffering immensely since their past karma forces them to behave unrighteously. Sri Krishna’s auspicious devotees such as you have appeared on earth to shower mercy on such materialists.”
– (S.B.3.5.3)
“bhakta-pada-dhooli ar bhakta-pada-jal,
bhakta-bhukta-abashesh – tin mohabol.”
Meaning – "The dust of the devotee’s feet, the foot-wash of the devotee and the remnants of the devotee's prasâdam - these three are enormously invigorating.”
– (C.C.)
Worshiping My devotees is superior to worshiping Me directly:
mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā mayi sañjāyate bhaktiḥ
SB 11.19.21
[O sinless Uddhava,] Worshipping my devotees is better than worshipping Me.
For by this devotion to Me naturally arises.
Bhakti (Divine love-in-action)
What is bhakti?
Pure bhakti to Krishna:
anyabhilasita - sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu
silanam bhaktir uttama
„The cultivation of activities that are meant exclusively for the pleasure of Sri Krsna, or in other words the uninterrupted flow of service to Sri Krsna, performed through all endeavours of the body, mind and speech, and through the expression of various spiritual sentiments (bhavas), which is not covered by jnana (knowledge aimed at impersonal liberation) and karma (reward-seeking activity), and which is devoid of all desires other than the aspiration to bring happiness to Sri Krsna, is called uttama-bhakti, pure devotional service."
What is the nature of bhakti?
Krishna´s hladini-sakti has a property called extreme happiness. It continuously enters the hearts of the devotees and exists in them as ‘love for God’. Therefore when Sri Bhagavân feels that love, He too is extremely pleased with His holy devotees. Bhakti is an intense combination of hladini- and samvit-shakti. It enters the heart of a devotee and gives Sri Bhagavan immense pleasure. Therefore it is so powerful that it controls Sri Bhagavan. Here intense combination means
Bhakti is the desire that forever exists in His eternal associates and benefits Sri Bhagavan. This bhakti flows like the River Mandakini
from the eternal associates in disciplic succession of devotees (Guru-parampara) in the material world.
Who is qualified for bhakti?
If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me.
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.8
Bhakti is the way:
Vaidhi-bhakti
When there is no attachment or spontaneous loving service to the Lord, and one is engaged in the service of the Lord simply out of obedience to the order of the Guru or in pursuance of the scriptures, such obligatory service is called vaidhi-bhakti.
BRS 1.2.6
Everywhere in the world people worship Me according to scriptural injunctions.
But simply by following such regulative principles (vaidhi-bhakti) one cannot attain the
loving sentiments of the devotees in Vraja.
CC Adi 3.15
Raganuga-bhakti
O men of virtue! If consciousness which is infused with the mood of the gopis’ love for Sri Krishna is available anywhere, then buy it at once, without delay. The only price to get it is laulyam, an intense longing (transcendental greed) to obtain vraja-bhava. Without this divine greed, it cannot be obtained even by performing
pious activities (karma-misra-bhakti or vaidhi-bhakti) for millions of births.
CC Mad 8.70
Devotional service imbued with spontaneous, profound love and attachment (ragatmika-bhakti), is vividly expressed and manifested by the eternal residents of Vrindavana (Vrajavasis). Devotional service that follows their devotional mood is called raganuga-bhakti, or devotional service following in the wake of the ragatmika
associates of Sri Radha-Krishna in Vraja.
BRS 1.2.270
The five essential limbs of bhakti as given to us by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana,
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana
CC Mad 22.128
[Mahaprabhu said:] “Sadhu-sanga, chanting the holy name, hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam, residing in Vraja mandala and worshiping the Deity with faith.”
The soul´s progress on the path of bhakti
Sraddha:
Shraddha, or faith, ist the first step of the aspirant of bhakti on his or her journey. Shraddha means to have firm faith in the revealed scriptures, which deal with the subject of bhakti. Shraddha also means the joyful endeavour to very carefully and attentively follow the process of bhakti like it is documented in the scriptures. Sraddha can be caused by natural and spontaneous attraction or by forceful imposition of the written word. Sraddha of the spontaneous and natural kind is born in the association of sadhus. Forcefully imposed faith is caused by blindly following and imitating.
Sadhu-Sanga:
‘Sanga’ means serving the sadhu, doing his paricharya, hearing Sri Krishna-katha from him, behaving as they behave, glorifying them – and be engrossed in serving them with body, speech and mind – this is sadhu-sanga. Then amongst these sadhus we may meet someone whose shelter we sincerely desire; he becomes our Sri Gurudev. We should take diksha and shiksha from him.
Bhajana-kriya:
Now we start hearing, glorifying, archanam, vandandam etc.
Bhajan-kriya is of two types –
- not firm
- firm
In the beginning stages our bhajan is not firm.
We have to cross a few hurdles before our bhajan becomes firm.
Anartha-nivritti:
Anartha-nivritti means „getting rid of bad qualities“
- When we are not firm in bhajan, our anarthas force us to slip down the ladder of bhakti. Anarthas are of four types -
Those arising from sinful actions - these anarthas arise from past and recentsinful activities.
Those arising of pious actions - the pious activities we have performed in the past grant us a rich lifestyle. This absorbs us in sense-gratification and causes
anarthas.
Those arising from aparâdhs- Offenses against the Holy Name and sevâaparâdhs result in anarthas.
Those arising from bhakti - When we advance in bhakti we may get money, fame and power. They give rise to anarthas. Thus bhakti too can cause bad qualities.
What are the external symptoms that tell us we have got rid of
anarthas?
When we lack the following –
Laya - we feel sleepy while chanting the Mahamantra, hearing and meditating. In fact sleepy while doing jap, more sleepy during hearing and the sleepiest while meditating. This characteristic is called ‘laya’.
Vikshepa - when we conduct worldly matters during hearing, glorifying etc. we call it ‘vikshep’.
Apratipatti - even though we may lack laya and vikshep, sometimes we do not feel like hearing or glorifying - this is ‘apratipatti’.
Kashaya - While doing bhajan such as hearing etc. if we get negative feelings such as anger, greed, pride - it is called ‘kashaya’.
Rasaswad - if we are unable to concentrate on hearing etc. because our mind is dwelling on material pleasures or attachments, it is called ‘rasaswad’.
Nistha:
This is the stage of firm bhajan.
“How do we decide whether our bhajan is ‘not firm’ or ‘firm’?
When we are lax in hearing, glorifying etc. we are not firm, and when we are strong in these activities we are ‘firm’.”
When we become devoid of the five symptoms of anarthas as mentioned above, then we can say we have become ‘firm in bhajan’ or we have gained ‘nishtha’.
Ruci:
When we relish the sweetness of Sri Krishna’s name, beauty, qualities , pastimes and associates we have reached the state of ‘ruci’.
Asakti:
“When our ruci (interest) in bhajan becomes extremely intense and our thoughts keep roaming around Sri Bhagavan alone, then this stage is called ‘asakti’. The process of bhajan is like a gracious wish-fulfilling creeper on which asakti blooms like a cluster of buds that burst into the colorful flowers of bhava (asakti gives rise to bhava) that finally turns into prema (the fruit).”
(Madhurya Kadambini, 6th shower)
Bhava oder rati:
We have glimpses into the Divine Play and we are filled with Divine Love. Srila Rupa Goswami describes 9 symptoms of this stage –
We are not disturbed by anything.
No second we live without bhakti.
No in terest in things without Krishna.
Free from the false ego.
Unshakable firm faith in the mercy of Krishna.
Great longing to be with Krishna.
Always eager to chant the Holy Name.
Always eager to glorify Krishna.
Extremely eager to live in Vrindavana.
Prema:
Pure love to the Divine Couple, Sri Sri Radha Krishna; this pure love has the power to conquer Their hearts.
Who is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?
The identity of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya
Caitanya Bhāgavata
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the combined form of Śrīmatī
Rādhīkā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
SB 11.5.32
In the age of Kali, Kṛṣṇa appears with a golden complexion. He is constantly singing the two syllables kṛ and ṣṇa, and He is accompanied by His associates, servitors, weapons and confidential companions. Intelligent people worship Him by performing saṅkīrtana-yajña
itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair
lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat-pratīpān
dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ
channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo 'tha sa tvam
SB 7.9.38
[Prahlāda Mahārāja said:] “O Kṛṣṇa, in this way You appear in various incarnations: as a human being, an animal, a great saint, a demigod, a fish, or a tortoise, thus maintaining the entire creation in different planetary systems and slaying the enemies of universal peace. In this way, according to the age, You protect the principles of religion, but, O Mahāprabhu, in the age of Kalī, You do not assert Yourself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because Your incarnation is hidden in the age of Kalī You are known as Triyuga, or the Lord who manifests His supremacy in only three ages.”
Desiring to understand the glory of Śrīmatī Rādhīkā’s love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She realises the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appeared from the womb of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī, as themoon appeared from the ocean.
External reason
He appaered to preach the method of achieving spirirtual perfection in this age of Kali: The chanting of the Holy Name of Krishna.
Bhagavān Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa is our only worshipful object. In the same way that He is worshipful, so is His transcendental abode, Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma. The mood in which the young brides of Vraja (the gopīs, especially Śrīmatī Rādhikā) worship Him is the highest perfectional form of love of God. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam alone is the immaculate scriptural evidence of this (śabda-pramāṇa) and kṛṣṇa-prema is the supreme objective of life (the fifth and highest goal of human life - beyond mundane religiosity, economic develoment, sense gratification and impersonal liberation). This is the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (gaura-vāṇī). We hold this conclusion (siddhānta) in supreme regard and have no inclination or respect for any other conclusion or cheating opinions.
Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are revealed through Mahāprabhu:
ārādhitaṁ nava-vanaṁ vraja-kānanaṁ tenārādhitaṁ nava-vanaṁ vraja eva dūreārādhito dvija-suto vraja-nāgaras te
nārādhito dvija-suto na taveha kṛṣṇaḥ
Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, Navadvīpa Śataka 78
If you worship Navadvīpa, then you also worship the forest of Vraja. If you
don’t worship Navadvīpa, then the forest of Vraja is far away. If you worship Lord
Caitanya, then you also worship Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in Vraja. If you don’t
worship Lord Caitanya, then you cannot worship Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
Who is Sri Nityananda?
Gaura-Nitāi are non-different from Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma:
śrī-caitanya - sei kṛṣṇa, nityānanda - rāma nityānanda pūrṇa kare caitanyera kāma
CC Ādi 5.157
Lord Caitanya is the same Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Lord Nityānanda is Lord Balarāma.
Lord Nityānanda fulfills all of Lord Caitanya’s desires.
Nityānanda is intoxicated by ecstatic love and is an incarnation of mercy:
nityānanda namas tubhyaṁ premānanda-pradāyine
kalau kalmaṣa-nāśāya jāhnavā-pataye namaḥ
Śrī Stava-kalpa-druma
I offer praṇāma unto Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu who bestows the bliss of divine love, who eliminates the contamination of the age of Kali, and who is the master of Jāhnavā-devī.
Without Nitai’s mercy no one can attain Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa:
O brother! No one can attain Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa without Lord Nityānanda. By the mercy of Nityānanda prabhu, however, one can attain the service of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. Therefore, take shelter of the holy feet of Lord Nityānanda.
Lord Nityānanda and one’s Guru are non-different:
āmāra prabhura prabhu śrī-gaurasundara
e baḍa bharasā citte dhari nirantara
CB Ādi-lila 17.153
My master is Nityānanda; His Lord is Gaurasundara. By the mercy of Lord Nityānanda one gets the mercy of Gaurasundara. I hold this powerful desire incessantly in my heart. (Nityānanda is thereforeactually the first and original Guru and so the Guru is the representative of Lord Nityānanda. In rthis way, they are nondifferent).
The true mercy of Nityānanda:
yatheṣṭaṁ re bhrātaḥ! kuru hari-hari-dhvānam aniśaṁ
tato vaḥ saṁsārāmbudhi-taraṇa-dāyo mayi laget idaṁ bāhu-sphoṭair aṭati raṭayan yaḥ pratigṛhaṁ bhaje nityānandaṁ bhajana-taru-kandaṁ niravadhi
Śrī Nityānandāṣṭakam 5
I perpetually worship Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, the root of the kṛṣṇa-bhakti tree, who wandering with outspread arms, approached the door of every home, and with upraised arms called out, “O Brother! Continuously chant śrī-harināma to
your hearts’s content. If you do so, I will take the responsibility to deliver you from
Learned men understand the Divine to manifest in three aspects, which are known as His all-pervading formless aspect, His aspect as the Lord of the heart, and his aspect as the Supreme Person.
(1) Brahman (the All-pervading Spirit): The non-differentiated aspect of the Divine is known as Brahman. This all-pervading spiritual substance is known to be the support of all the worlds, and whatever exists is known to be of Brahman only in its various manifestations. Brahman is understood to be the halo of the Supreme Person.
(2) Paramatma (the Supreme Soul): The localized aspect of the Divine is known as Paramatma. Known as the Lord of the heart, this aspect of the Supreme has expanded within the hearts of all living entities, invoking inspiration, knowledge and forgetfulness in them. He is the silent witness in our hearts, the impartial overseer and permitter of everyone's activities, and the one who keeps the world turning in accordance with the deeds of all living entities. He is an expansion of the Supreme Person for the maintenance of the cosmic manifestation.
(3) Bhagavan (the Supreme Person): The ultimate aspect of the Divine is known as Bhagavan. He is simultaneously transcendent and immanent, being situated in His own divine realm and simultaneously pervading everything through His infinite manifestations. This Supreme Person is the ultimate master, friend, father, son and beloved of all living entities. In His kindness, He manifests to everyone in accordance with their desires to serve Him, while remaining at the same time in His supremely attractive form of Sri Krishna, in whom all beauty and love find its pinnacle.
DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE SUPREME PERSON
The original Supreme Person, Krishna, expands into various forms to fulfill various purposes within His creation. He is known as Svayam Bhagavan (the Supreme Person Himself) and Lila Purusottama (the Supreme Enjoyer of Pastimes). To taste the full variety of loving exchanges with His devotees, He manifests various forms in both the material and the spiritual worlds.
(1) Lila-avatara (pastime descents): These forms of the Lord have very distinct features, and they enact unparalleled activities in this world. Some of them are Ramacandra (the ideal king and ruler), Narasimha (half-man half-lion form who saved His devotee Prahlada), and Matsya (the fish-form who swam in the waters of devastation).
(2) Purusa-avatara (descent for creation): There are three forms of the Lord particularly meant for the maintenance of the cosmic manifestation. They are
(1) Karanodakasayi Vishnu who manifests all the universes,
(2) Garbhodakasayi Vishnu who presides in each universe, and
(3) Ksirodakasayi Vishnu, who presides in the hearts of all living entities, and is also known as the Paramatma.
(3) Guna-avatara (descents for controlling the modes of nature): There are three forms of the Lord meant for controlling each of the three modes of nature, namely goodness, passion and ignorance.
(1) Brahma, who is generally an empowered living entity, is in charge of the mode of passion, and takes care of creation.
(2) Vishnu is in charge of the mode of goodness, and takes care of maintenance.
(3) Shiva, who is a transformed form of the Lord, is in charge of the mode of ignorance, and takes care of destruction.
(4) Saktyavesa-avatara (descents endowed with potency): When the power of the Lord for fulfilling a particular purpose is bestowed to a living entity, he is known as a saktyavesa-avatara. The powers bestowed are the power to teach divine wisdom, the power to instill devotion into others, the power to rule the world, and the power to create, among others. They are further divided into those who are directly empowered by the Lord and those who manifest a reflection of the Lord's potency.
(5) Manvantara-avatara (descents for the era of Manu): There are fourteen Manus who rule the humanity during each cosmic day of Brahma, and during each era there is a form of the Lord who descends to this world. The Lord's fourteen descents are known as Yajna, Vibhu, Satyasena, Hari, Vaikuntha Ajita, Vamana, Sarvabhauma, Risabha, Visvaksena, Dharma, Sudharma, Yogesvara and Brihadbhanu. Additionally, each Manu is a descent of the Lord.
(6) Yuga-avatara (descents for the age): There is a form of the Lord who descends in each of the four ages in the cosmic cycle of time, known as Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali-yugas. The Lord descends to teach the method of religion relevant for the particular age.
VARIETIES OF LOVING EXCHANGE
Primary loving relationships with the Supreme Person are known to be five-fold:
(1) Santa-rasa (neutrality): When love for the Supreme is experienced upon beholding His glory, without experiencing a particular impetus for engaging in His service, the relationship is known as santa-rasa.
(2) Dasya-rasa (servitude): When love for the Supreme Person is experienced either as the reverence and submission felt by a servant towards his master, or as the respect and esteem that a son feels for his father, the relationship is called dasya-rasa.
(3) Sakhya-rasa (friendship): When love for the Supreme Person is experienced with feelings of intimacy and equality, devoid of the sense of obligation felt by a servant, the relationship is called sakhya-rasa.
(4) Vatsalya-rasa (parental love): When love for the Supreme Person is experienced as His dependence upon the devotee's nourishing, blessing and looking after Him, the relationship is called vatsalya-rasa.
(5) Madhurya-rasa (amorous love): When love for the Supreme Person is experienced as feelings of amorous love, as experienced between the lover and the beloved, or between the husband and the wife, the relationship is called madhurya-rasa.
KRISHNA´S ABODES
The spiritual sky is known as "Vaikuntha". In the shining realm of Vaikuntha, in the midst of innumerable Vaikuntha-planets, there is a divine planet called Goloka, which is the pinnacle of the spiritual sky. Goloka is further divided into three main sections, namely Dvaraka, Mathura and Vraja.
(1) Vaikuntha: In Vaikuntha, the Lord is present in His four-armed Vishnu-forms, manifesting His supernatural opulences. The devotees in Vaikuntha-region serve the Lord filled with awe and reverence. Here the Lord is known to be complete.
(2) Dvaraka and Mathura: In Dvaraka and Mathura, the mood of devotion is a mixture of alternating reverence and sweetness. Here the Lord is known to be more complete.
(3) Vraja: In Vraja, the mood of devotion is of pure sweetness, and even the Lord's display of unparalleled majesty does not diminish the natural love of His devotees. Here the Lord is known to be most complete.
Krishna´s energies
Although Sri Krishna is non-different from His inconceivable transcendental potency (para-sakti), He has His own independent nature and desires.
His para-sakti consists of three aspects: cit-sakti (spiritual potency), jiva-sakti (marginal potency), and maya-sakti (external potency) and He always inspires them to engage in their respective functions. That para-tattva (Supreme Absolute Truth), even while performing all these activities, still remains immutable and is eternally situated in the fully transcendental svarupa of His own glory.
The material energy:
Material nature consists of three modes goodness, passion, and ignorance and
is the mother of the innumerable living beings within the universe. It is brought
into existence and supported by the one unborn Lord, who is full in self-knowledge.
That unborn Lord, however, does not consort with His material energy.
He independently enjoys the pleasure of His transcendental pastimes.
But the living entity desires to enjoy her and thus becomes bound.
Svetasvatara Upanishad 4.5
The external energy, called maya-sakti, is the cause of innumerable universes
with varied material potencies.
CC Adi-lila 2.102
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is dificult
to overcome. But those who have surrendered
unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
Bhagavad-gita 7 /14
The energy "inbetween" the material and the spiritual energy:
The jiva is a superior potency to maya
O Maha-baho, you should know that My external energy, which consists of
eight divisions, is inferior. There is another potency of Mine known as the jivasvarupa, which is superior and which accepts this material world for the purpose of enjoying the fruits of karma.
Bhagavad-gita 7.5
The marginal potency, which is between cit-sakti and maya-sakti, consists of
innumerable living beings (jivas). These are the three principal energies, which
have unlimited categories and subdivisions.
CC Adi 2.103
The number of jivas is unlimited.They are divided into two classes. One class
is favorable to the Lord from a time without beginning. The other class is averse
to the Lord from a time without beginning. The first class is favorable to the Lord
because of knowledge of relationship with the Lord. The second class is averse to
the Lord because of lack of that knowledge.
Paramatma Sandarbha 47
The spiritual energy:
Krishna has unlimited potencies. They are divided into three main parts, the spiritual
energy, the material energy, and the marginal energy, which is the living
entities. All potencies are part of either theinternal, or external, or marginalenergies.
However, the internal energy is theLord\'s personal energy and is superior to the other two.
The three portions of the spiritual potency are called hladini (the energy of happiness), sandhini (the eternity or existential force) and samvit (the power of knowledge).
We accept knowledge of these as full knowledge of the Supreme Lord.
CC Mad 6.159, Mad 8.155
Samvit-sakti:
Krishna´s energy of self-awareness; self-knowledge.
Sandhini-sakti:
Krishna´s energy of eternal existence.
Hladini-sakti:
The potency called hladini gives Krishna transcendental pleasure.
Through this pleasure potency, Krishna personally tastes all kinds of spiritual pleasure.
(Personified in Srimati Radhika)
CC Mad 8.157
Who is Srimati Radhika?
Sri Narada Muni tells Srimati Radharani in the Patal-khanda of Sri Padma-Purana -
"O Devi, You are the source of all that is specially pure and good. You are the source of the hladini, sandhini and samvit potencies and You are the Supreme Power and Supreme Knowledge.
You give the highest bliss to Sri Bhagavân and even Brahma and Rudra (Shiva) cannot understand You. Your opulence is remarkable in every aspect. The best of yogis cannot reach You with their meditation. I feel all the divine shaktis are Your parts as You control various shaktis such as ichcha-shakti (will power), jnana-shakti (the power of knowledge) and kriya-shakti (the power of action).
Svayam Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Who is the Supreme Personality, has countless aspects of majesty and they are also Your parts."
Srimat Jiva Goswamipad has written at the end of Sri-Krishna-Sandarbha:
„Amongst all the divine manifestations, Sri Krishna is God Himself. Again we see that he expresses Himself in three forms in Dwaraka, Mathura and Vrindavana.
Amongst these, He expresses extraordinary sweetness in His Vrindavana -manifestation; therefore the Vrindavana - manifestation is the topmost. In Vrindavana, He expresses various moods in His pastimes as a child with His parents and as a boy with His friends. However when He performs love-sports in His youthful form with Sri Sri Radharani, who is the crest-jewel of all Vrajanganas, He is indeed supremely wonderful. Therefore the worship of Sri Sri Radha Madhava is the suprememost.
Sri Radha is all-in-all of Sri Krishna s divine pastimes. Shyamsundar is like the dark tamala tree and Sri Radha is like the golden creeper nestling close to His loving bossom, held tightly by His passionate embrace. The sakhi-manjaris are like the newly sprouting leaves on this creeper-like Sri Radha and they are all swinging together in sweet loving rasa.
Radha in the scriptures:
Just as the moon is inseparable from its moonlight and the milk is non-different from its whiteness, Radha and Krishna are one. Although They are inseparable, Srimati Radharani is always present besides Sri Krishna in the playground of Leelâ as the crest-jewel of all His beloveds . In love She is Krishnamayee, in rasa She is Gourangi (brilliant), in opulence She is Laksmimayee, in sweetness She is the foremost Gopika.
Srila Shukamuni has realized Her immense importance over all other Gopikas while describing the Rasa-lila in Srimad-Bhagavatam.
anayaradhito nunam Bhagavan harireeshwarah,
yanno vihaya govindah prito yamanayadrahah
- (S.B.10.30.24.)
Explanation:
When Sri Krishna disappeared with Srimati Radharani from amidst the Râs-dance, the Brajadevis went mad with viraha. They started searching for Him. While searching, they first saw His footprints and when they started following those steps, they noticed Srimati Radharani s footprints on the left side of His footprints. Then they realized that Srimati Radharani is the most blessed of them all. A gopi said:
„Dear sakhis, look, these are Radharani s footsteps.“
Sri Bhagavan destroys all miseries and fulfils the devotee s heartfelt desire; and Sri Radharani has subjugated Him by Her adoration. As a result Sri Govinda has forsaken us in this dead night in the forest and has taken Her in a secluded place unknown to us. Her good fortune is incomparable.
so yam purna-sudha-rucheh parichayam rakam vina kankshati.
kincha shyama-rati-pravaha-lahari-beejan na ye tam vidu- ste prapyapi marmita-ambudhim-aho bindum param prapnuyuh.
Meaning - "Whoever rejects Sri Radha´s service and tries to gain Sri Krishna s association, wishes to enjoy a full moon without it being a full moon night. Those who do not know Sri Radha alas!
In spite of getting an enormous ocean of amritam they are able to savor hardly a drop!
Srimati Radharani´s excellences:
Srimat Rupa Goswamipad has cited twenty-five special qualities that singularly mesmerize Sri Krishna.
Sri Radhika is
(1) Sweet this means, in every situation Her expressions, movements and features are pleasurable.
(2) eternally adolescent
(3) Her side-long glances are highly restless
(4) bright smile
(5) She has beautiful symbols of fortune such as barley, discus etc. on Her palms and soles.
(6) She maddens Mâdhav with Her sweet aroma.
(7) She is the topmost expert in singing
(8) Her speech is highly attractive.
(9) well versed in the art of witty speech
(10) humble
(11) compassionate
(12) expert in various arts
(13) extremely clever
(14) bashful
(15) extremely well mannered
(16) patient
(17) serious
(18) charming expressions of love-making
(19) She is immensely thirsty for Sri Krishna since She is at the height of Mahabhava (20) all the residents of Gokul love Her
(21) all universe is resounding with Her fame
(22) She is a pet of the elders
(23) She is completely subjugated by the love of Her sakhis
(24) the chief beloved of Sri Krishna
(25) Sri Krishna is always in Her control
Nama-tattva:
What is actually the ‘nama’ (Name)?
Srimat Jiva Goswamipad has written in Sri Bhakti-Sandarbha –
“’Nama’ is a sound used to identify certain object.”
Shabda-Kalpa-Droom (a Sanskrit dictionary) says
“Sound is of two types –
· That which cannot be pronounced (just as a thunder or rustling of leaves)
· That which can be pronounced”
Of course, a name is something we can pronounce.
Whenever we want to talk about an object we say its name. For example a thirsty person says “Please give me water”.
Immediately we think of a liquid substance that quenches thirst. In this manner every person, object, concept or idea has a name that distinguishes it from others. “Nami” is the object (e.g. the object ‘water’) to which the name belongs. ‘Nama’ is simply the word (e.g. ‘water’ in English), while ‘nami’ is the object itself. The only function the nama serves is to denote the object – it has no quality of the object whatsoever.
Had it not been so, we would have quenched our thirst simply by uttering “water” – there would have been no need to actually drink water. If nama and nami would have been non-different, nama would have had all the power of nami.
Shabda-Shakti-Prakâshikâ says
– Names are of two types
· Man-made
· Eternal
The Holy Name and God are non-different:
Sri Padma Purana says –
“The Holy Name is non-different from Sri Krishna and therefore it is a wish-fulfilling gem - conscious, full of rasa, absolute, pure, eternal and independent like Him.”
“The Holy Name is a wish-fulfilling gem since it can grant all our wishes. Not only this, but like Sri Krishna it is also conscious. It is factually Sri Krishna Himself!”
– (Bhagavad Sandarbha, 48)
The holy name is the only way for the deliverance of souls in the age of Kali:
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
Bṛhan-Nāradīya-Purāṇa 38.126
In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.
While chanting, one should be one-pointed and give up talking about mundane topics. With a pure heart, one should think about the meaning of the holy name, and be steadfast and patient in his chanting and remembrance of the holy name.
tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
Considering oneself to be even lower and more worthless than insignificant grass that has been trampled beneath everyone’s feet, being more tolerant than atree, being prideless and offering respect to everyone according to their respective positions, one should continually chant the holy name of Śrī Hari.
The Glories of the Holy Name:
nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ
Śikṣāṣṭaka 2
O Bhagavān, Your names bestow all auspiciousness upon the jīvas. Therefore, for their benefit, You are eternally manifest as Your innumerable names, such as Rāma, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Mukunda, Mādhava, Govinda and Dāmodara. You have invested those names with all the potencies of Their respective forms. Out of Your causeless mercy, You have not even imposed any restrictions on the remembrance of Your names, as is the case with gāyātryī-mantras that must be chanted at specific times (sandhyā-vandana). In other words, the holy name of Bhagavān can be chanted and remembered at any time of the day or night. This is the arrangement You have made. O Prabhu, You have such causeless mercy upon the jīvas; nevertheless, due to my nāma-aparādha, I am so unfortunate that no attachment for Your holy name, which is so easily accessible and which bestows all good fortune, has awakened within me.
kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ
dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt
SB 12.3.52
Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
ākṛṣṭiḥ kṛta-cetasāṁ sumahatām muccāṭanaṁ cāṁhasāṁ ācaṇḍālam amūka-loka-sulabho vaśyaś ca mokṣa-śriyaḥ no dīkṣāṁ na ca dakṣināṁ na ca puraścaryāṁ manāg īkṣate mantro'yaṁ rasanā-spṛg eva phalati śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmātmakaḥ
Padyāvalī 29, Śrī Lakṣmīdhara
The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is an attractive feature for many saintly, liberal people. It is the annihilator of all sinful reactions and is so powerful that save for the dumb who cannot chant it, it is readily available to everyone, including the lowest type of man, the caṇḍāla. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is the controller of the opulence of liberation, and it is identical with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Simply by touching the holy name with one's tongue, immediate effects are produced. Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities, or the puraścaryā regulative principles generally observed before initiation. The holy name does not wait for all these activities. It is self-sufficient.
The Hare Krishna-Maha-Mantra in shastra:
Lord Brahmā instructed Nārada Muni
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma, rāma rāma hare hare iti ṣoḍaśakaṁ nāmnāṁ kali-kalmaṣa-nāśanaṁ nātaḥ parataropayaḥ sarva-vedeṣu dṛśyate
Kali-Santaraṇa Upaniṣad 5.6
Through chanting the sixteen words of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra all of the contamination and degrading qualities of the age of Kali are destroyed. After searching through the entire Vedic literature one cannot find a sādhana for this age as sublime as this chanting.
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare raṭanti helayā vāpi te kṛtārthā na saṁśayaḥ
Agni-Purāṇa
Hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare. Whoever chants this mantra, even
neglectfully, will attain the supreme goal of life. Of this there is no doubt.