Verse 2.23.75

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.23.75:

আপনে সবারে প্রভু করে উপদেশে “কৃষ্ণ-নাম মহা-মন্ত্র শুনহ হরিষে ॥ ৭৫ ॥

आपने सबारे प्रभु करे उपदेशे “कृष्ण-नाम महा-मन्त्र शुनह हरिषे ॥ ७५ ॥

āpane sabāre prabhu kare upadeśe “kṛṣṇa-nāma mahā-mantra śunaha hariṣe || 75 ||

apane sabare prabhu kare upadese “krsna-nama maha-mantra sunaha harise (75)

English translation:

(75) The Lord personally instructed everyone, “Hear the Hare Kṛṣṇa

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

mahā-mantra and be happy.

Conditioned souls devoid of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa are always eager to gratify their senses. To benefit these living entities, Śrī Gaurasundara instructed them to happily hear the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Those who are compelled to hear the holy names of the Lord are not very enthusiastic to chant. Therefore it is instructed that one should happily chant or hear the awarded Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra with full enthusiasm. Since living entities averse to the Lord’s service are always associating with nondevotees and taking their sinful council, they naturally remain aloof from hearing topics of the Supreme Lord.

The process for remaining aloof from material thoughts is called “mantra.” Instruction in the form of sound vibration is the only method for becoming free from thoughts of enjoyment and renunciation. One achieves perfection in chanting mantra when one keeps the vibrated sound within his heart and controls his materially attached mind. One person’s mind is different from another person’s mind, therefore the act of remembrance is intended for an individual. Therefore the chanting of the name “Hari” by an individual is called “mantra.”

A group of people can all chant the mahā-mantra together. Many people can give advice that is favorable to the process of sādhana, or spiritual practice. Therefore there are many śikṣā-gurus (instructing spiritual

masters) but only one dīkṣā-guru (initiating spiritual master). The heart is purified by the mahā-mantra and other mantras. As a result of the heart’s purification, all the senses become free from the temporary propensity for material enjoyment and realize the eternal nature. Then insignificant and abominable conceptions cannot become prominent. One who is not able to happily accept these facts is destined to remain in misery.