Establishing the proper chanting of the Mahā-Mantra

In those early years of pūjyapāda Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja’s sannyāsa, he preached the holy name throughout Vraja-maṇḍala. At that time, in the dhāma, there were many schools of thought, and the majority of people would chant the mahā-mantra in reverse sequence:

हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे,
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे

“Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare,
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare.”

When Śrīla Gurudeva started preaching there, he began by informing everyone, “This is not the proper way to chant the mahāmantra. The mahā-mantra for this age of Kali-yuga is chanted with the Kṛṣṇa name first.” He presented the people with numerous quotations from Vedic scriptures, and as a result of his preaching, almost everyone in Vraja-maṇḍala now chants the mahā-mantra in the correct sequence:

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे,
हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे

“Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare,
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.”

Nevertheless, some could not accept this without a challenge. The confused opponents had many different misconceptions–sometimes mixing facts and opinions, and sometimes undermining the authority of the guru-paramparā. Śrīla Gurudeva heard their views, and with sound logic and scriptural references, asserted the Absolute Truth as he had heard it from his spiritual master.

Of their many erroneous assumptions, the prominent one was as follows: “Śrī rāma’s name should be chanted first in the mahāmantra as He appears in Tretā-yuga which comes before Dvāparayuga, the age when Śrī Kṛṣṇa appears.”

Śrīla Gurudeva defeated their false reasoning by showing them Śrī Bhagavān’s nāma-mantras for each of the four yugas, as found in the Ananta-Saṃhitā.

For Satya-yuga:

नारायण परा वेदाह् नारायण परा क्षरः,
नारायण परा मुक्तिः नारायण परा गतिः

“nārāyaṇa parā vedāh nārāyaṇa parā kṣaraḥ,
nārāyaṇa parā muktiḥ nārāyaṇa parā gatiḥ–

Nārāyaṇa is declared the Supreme in all the Vedas. Nārāyaṇa is the supreme of all letters. Nārāyaṇa is the supreme liberation. Nārāyaṇa is the supreme path.”

For Tretā-yuga:

राम नारायण-आनन्त मुकुन्द मधुसूदन,
कृष्ण केशव कंसारे हरे वैकुण्ठ वामन

“rāma nārāyaṇa-ānanta mukunda madhusūdana,
kṛṣṇa keśava kaṃsāre hare vaikuṇṭha vāmana–

Hey rāma! Hey Nārāyaṇa! Hey Ānanta! Hey Mukunda! Hey Madhusūdana! Hey Kṛṣṇa! Hey Keśava! Hey Kaṃsāre! Hey Hare! Hey Vaikuṇṭha! Hey Vāmana!”

For Dvāpara-yuga:

हरे मुरारे मधु-कैटभारे, गोपाल गोविन्द मुकुन्द शौरे ।
यज्ञेश नारायण कृष्ण विष्णो, निराष्रयं मां जगदीश रक्ष

“hare murāre madhu-kaiṭabhāre, gopāla govinda mukunda śaure /
yajñeśa nārāyaṇa kṛṣṇa viṣṇo, nirāṣrayaṃ māṃ jagadīśa rakṣa–

Hare, Murāre, Madhu-Kaitabāre, Gopāla, Govinda, Mukunda, Śaure, Lord of all yajñas Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu! Hey Jagadīśa, please protect me! I have no other shelter.”

And finally, for Kali-yuga:

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण । कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे
हरे राम हरे राम । राम राम हरे हरे
षोड-शैतानि नामानि । द्वात्रिन्शद् वर्ण कानि हि
कलौ युगे महा-मन्त्रः । सम्मतो जीव तारणे

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa / kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma / rāma rāma hare hare
ṣoḍa-śaitāni nāmāni / dvātrinśad varṇa kāni hi
kalau yuge mahā-mantraḥ / sammato jīva tāraṇe

“Hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare, hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare. This hari-nāma mahā-mantra consists of sixteen names and thirty-two syllables. In Kali-yuga this mantra can deliver all jīvas.”

Then, Śrīla Gurudeva pointed out to them that the mahā-mantra (Kṛṣṇa’s holy name) was present as the deliverer even in Tretā-yuga, before the appearance of līlā-puruṣottama Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Dvāparayuga, with names such as Mukunda, Madhusūdana, Kṛṣṇa, Keśava and Kaṃsāri. The mahā-mantra is eternal; it does not just appear in one yuga (Kali-yuga) which comes after another yuga (Tretā-yuga). Material reasoning may be invalid and as such is not accepted as a bona fide proof or evidence in spiritual matters. Therefore, he pointed out, the logic and arguments given for chanting the reversed sequence of the mahā-mantra were invalid.

Śrīla Gurudeva further clarified that the name rāma that appears in the Kali-yuga mahā-mantra ultimately does not refer to maryādāpuruṣottama Lord rāma, to Lord Balarāma, or to Lord Paraśurāma. It addresses the Supreme Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the supreme enjoyer and source of all pleasure (rāma). Here, the name rāma is another direct name of Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer as He is always in the mood of a charming lover who wants to enjoy (ramaṇa). There is no greater enjoyer than Śrī Kṛṣṇa; therefore, He is called rāma. Thus, rāma in the mahā-mantra refers to the supreme enjoyer, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Gurudeva quoted a verse from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa that explained that rāma in the mahā-mantra refers to rādhā-ramaṇa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa who enjoys transcendental pastimes with Śrī rādhā.

विज्ञाप्य भागवत्-तत्त्वं चिद् घनानन्दि विग्रहम्
हरत्यविधं तत्कार्यमतो हरिरिति स्मृतः
आनन्दैकसुखः श्रीमान् श्यामः कमल लोचनः
गोकुलानन्दो नन्दन्दनः कृष्ण ईर्यते
वैदग्धी सारासर्वस्वं मूर्तलीला धिदैवतम्
श्री राधां रमया नित्यं राम् इत्य् अभिदीयते

vijñāpya bhāgavat-tattvaṃ cid ghanānandi vigraham
haratyavidhaṃ tatkāryamato haririti smṛtaḥ
ānandaikasukhaḥ śrīmān śyāmaḥ kamala locanaḥ
gokulānando nandandanaḥ kṛṣṇa īryate
vaidagdhī sārāsarvasvaṃ mūrtalīlā dhidaivatam
śrī rādhāṃ ramayā nityaṃ rām ity abhidīyate

Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa

The above śloka ends thus:

वैदग्धी सारासर्वस्वं मूर्तलीला धिदैवतम्
श्री राधां रमया नित्यं राम् इत्य् अभिदीयते

vaidagdhī sārāsarvasvaṃ mūrtalīlā dhidaivatam
śrī rādhāṃ ramayā nityaṃ rām ity abhidīyate

“(Śrī Kṛṣṇa) is the līlā-vigraha and the crest-jewel of all expertise and wisdom. Because He eternally enjoys loving transcendental pastimes with Śrīmatī rādhikā, He is also known as rāma (the enjoyer).”

These arguments have been further substantiated by learned scholars such as Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrī Gopāla-guru Gosvāmī and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, each of whom provided unparalleled commentaries on the meanings of the names in the mahā-mantra.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains each of the four names of rāma that appear in the mahā-mantra in this way:

First Rāma: Śrī Kṛṣṇa, crest jewel of the ingenious, knows the art of embracing. He is known as rāma because He wanders with Śrīmatī rādhikā, playing and enjoying with Her in the kuñjas of Govardhana.

Second Rāma: The minds of the bhaktas who perform bhajana wander in the topmost ocean of bliss, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. For this reason, that Śyāmasundara vigraha, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is known as rāma.

Third Rāma: In the kuñjas, Śrīmatī rādhikā pleases Śrī Hari with Her prema. Therefore, according to the definition of He who gives happiness (ramayati ānandayati), He is called rāma. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is known as rāma because He unites with Śrī rādhā.

Fourth Rāma: When Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who gives pleasure to the bhaktas, saw all the Vrajavāsīs fearful and weeping, He swallowed the forest fire, giving them great pleasure. Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who arranges for His bhaktas to enjoy with Him, is called rāma.

These explanations, along with those of Śrīla Gopāla-guru Gosvāmī and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, appear in Śrīla Gurudeva’s book, Harināma Mahā-mantra.

In conclusion, we see that at that time, as well as all throughout his life, Śrīla Gurudeva has fixed himself in pleasing service to śrī guru and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Over the years, he has systematically uprooted all existing misconceptions and established proper siddhānta. He is not afraid to speak boldly about the absolute truth or the pure holy names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Fixed in his resolution and unwavering devotion to his dear spiritual master Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Śrīla Gurudeva has never tolerated the slightest trace of diversion from scripture, and because of this, he remains undefeated, even in the midst of strong opposition.

Śrīla Gurudeva, with so much love and affection, is always teaching us how to come to the level of pure bhakti. A human being who is only engaged in eating, sleeping, mating, and defending is no better than an animal. When one carefully hears from guru, sādhu and Vaiṣṇavas, and follows the four regulative principles of human life, one can begin to follow the sāttvika lifestyle and enthusiastically chant the holy names with faith and devotion. This is the beginning of the purification process that will help us to clearly understand the duty of human life, namely, to serve the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the dear devotees connected with Him.

Śrīla Gurudeva is kindly guiding us and illuminating our path so that we can properly execute the genuine processes of pure bhakti, without which there is no question of becoming eternally happy. Without hearing of rāgānugā-bhakti from such a person as śrī guru, without seeing his devotional perfection, and without accepting his merciful instructions, how would we ever be able to give up all of our superfluous activities or make real progress in entering the eternal realm of Vraja with the sweetest mādhurya mellow, rādhādāsyam? Without the example and direction of such a perfected soul, how would any of us know the process that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended for chanting the Holy Names or be able to properly take shelter of it? This Kali-yuga has become glorious because of the unique speciality of Lord Caitanya’s gift. This can only be attained by those who have given up not only all selfish desires but also the aiśvarya moods of chanting and performing Vedic sacrifices prescribed in the other yugas.

The desire to control others by one’s intelligence and strength is an impediment to pure bhakti. The key to perfection is to perform all of one’s activities with love and affection. Chanting the mahāmantra will give the most desirable outcome when we chant with greed (lobha) and absorb ourselves in proper internal meditation, as Śrīla Gurudeva has described. Listening to one’s mind and contemplating material desires while chanting will impede one’s spiritual progress, so that the beneficial results will appear slowly. Spiritual progress will come if one sticks to the process of chanting and seeks progress by higher association, otherwise it will not come. Śrīla Gurudeva says that one’s constitutional spiritual form (svarūpa) will only manifest when one is under the guidance of a rasika Vaiṣṇava.

The greed necessary for vraja-bhakti comes only by associating with a rāgānugā-rasika Vaiṣṇava. Without that, one will not acquire the unquenchable thirst to acquire the moods of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates. Then, how will one ever attain the prema that the most munificent Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advented to distribute? To attain vraja-bhakti, one must be absorbed and established in the required devotional mood. This is not possible if one simply follows the external actions of bhakti dutifully, no matter how enthusiastic one may be. For example, it is not enough to preach based on external reality, without any deep realizations; or to chant mechanically while overcome with desires for profit, adoration, and distinction. One has to give up selfish desires and completely surrender to śrī guru.

In 1991, Śrīla Gurudeva explained in english to all the devotees coming to see him in the Mathurā maṭha: “This surrender and complete dedication of the heart to guru is called tādātmya (oneness of heart) in Sanskrit.” unless we can develop this relationship with śrī guru, our endeavours will not bear the desired fruit. It is of the utmost importance for our spiritual progress.