20220726 Deliverance by preaching the loud chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra Part 2

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation

By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 26^th July 2022 in

Śrī Mayapur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Introduction: Today we are continuing reading for the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter entitled is:

Deliverance by preaching the loud chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, Part 2

Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.57

ajāmilera putra-nāma-saṅkete nāmābhāsaḥ—

ajāmila putre bolāya bali ‘nārāyaṇa’
viṣṇu-dūta āsi’ chāḍāya tāhāra bandhana

Translation: “Ajāmila was a great sinner during his life, but at the time of death he accidentally called for his youngest son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa, and the attendants of Lord Viṣṇu came to relieve him from the bonds of Yamarāja, the superintendent of death.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, because Ajāmila in his younger days he was a very controlled brāhmaṇa and later he became attached to sin so Kṛṣṇa in his heart as antaryāmi inspired him to name his son Nārāyaṇa and therefore he continuously chanted his son's name Nārāyaṇa and thus at the time of death he also called out Nārāyaṇa and thus he was saved. So, just as someone, if they touch fire, it doesn’t matter if he is young or old, he will get burnt, doesn’t matter whether you believe or don’t believe you get burnt. So if you chant the names of Kṛṣṇa, you get some spiritual benefit.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.58

‘hā rāma’-uccāraṇe nāmābhāsaḥ—

‘rāma’ dui akṣara ihā nahe vyavahita
prema-vācī ‘hā’-śabda tāhāte bhūṣita

Translation: “The word ‘rāma’ consists of the two syllables ‘rā’ and ‘ma.’ These are unseparated and are decorated with the loving word ‘hā,’ meaning ‘O.’

Jayapatākā Swami: You see the yavanās say ha rāma with a different understanding but still it is the name of the Lord. Similarly, in different languages there are different names of God, any name of God has some spiritual potency, if they say in Sanskrit or they say i n some other language it still has some benefit. So, in Spanish, branch of a tree is called a rāma and in Russian the window sill is called ha rāma, so in different languages we may have different names of God. Someone by chanting that they get blessed. In some countries while shutting the door they say Hare Hare! The word for day in Malaysia is Hari, so like this people by chanting the names of the God they will easily get benefit.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.59

nāmera atula teja :—

nāmera akṣara-sabera ei ta’ svabhāva
vyavahita haile nā chāḍe āpana-prabhāva

Translation: “The letters of the holy name have so much spiritual potency that they act even when uttered improperly.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that the word vyavahita (“improperly uttered”) is not used here to refer to the mundane vibration of the letters of the alphabet. Such negligent utterance for the sense gratification of materialistic persons is not a vibration of transcendental sound. Utterance of the holy name while one engages in sense gratification is an impediment on the path toward achieving ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. On the other hand, if one who is eager for devotional service utters the holy name even partially or improperly, the holy name, which is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhibits its spiritual potency because of that person’s offenseless utterance. Thus one is relieved from all unwanted practices, and one gradually awakens his dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if one thinks let me do some sins and then I will chant the holy names and get forgiven, that type of premeditated sin will not work. If one accidently sins and then chants without thinking that it will absolve me from the sinful reaction, then the holy name will work on that person. And this sinning on the strength of chanting is the seventh offense of the holy name, and that we should not do. But, Ajāmila was calling his son Nārāyaṇa, and he did not know that he will get purified. He did not know that he was doing sin. So, his chanting was improper, but it was not offensive.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.60

daśāparādhaśūnya nāmābhāsera śravaṇa, kīrtana o smaraṇa-phalei anarthakṣaya; nāmāparādhe—anarthanivṛtti o premera vyāghāta :—padma-purāṇa-vacana—

nāmaikaṁ yasya vāci smaraṇa-patha-gataṁ śrotra-mūlaṁ gataṁ vā
 śuddhaṁ vāśuddha-varṇaṁ vyavahita-rahitaṁ tārayaty eva satyam
tac ced deha-draviṇa-janatā-lobha-pāṣaṇḍa-madhye
nikṣiptaṁ syān na phala-janakaṁ śīghram evātra vipra

Translation: “ ‘If a devotee once utters the holy name of the Lord, or if it penetrates his mind or enters his ear, which is the channel of aural reception, that holy name will certainly deliver him from material bondage, whether vibrated properly or improperly, with correct or incorrect grammar, or properly joined or vibrated in separate parts. O brāhmaṇa, the potency of the holy name is therefore certainly great. However, if one uses the vibration of the holy name for the benefit of the material body, for material wealth and followers, or under the influence of greed or atheism — in other words, if one utters the name with offenses — such chanting will not produce the desired result very soon. Therefore one should diligently avoid offenses in chanting the holy name of the Lord.’ ”

Purport: This verse from the Padma Purāṇa is included in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (11.289) by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Therein Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī gives the following explanation:

vāci gataṁ prasaṅgād vāṅ-madhye pravṛttam api, smaraṇa-patha-gataṁ kathañcin manaḥ-spṛṣṭam api, śrotra-mūlaṁ gataṁ kiñcit śrutam api, śuddha-varṇaṁ vā aśuddha-varṇam api vā, vyavahitaṁ śabdāntareṇa yad-vyavadhānaṁ vakṣyamāna-nārāyaṇa-śabdasya kiñcid uccāraṇānantaraṁ prasaṅgād āpatitaṁ śabdāntaraṁ tena rahitaṁ sat.

This means that if one somehow or other hears, utters or remembers the holy name, or if it catches his mind while coming near his ears, that holy name, even if vibrated in separate words, will act.

An example of such separation is given as follows:

yadvā, yadyapi ‘halaṁ riktam’ ity ādy-uktau hakāra-rikārayor vṛttyā harīti-nāmāsty eva, tathā ‘rāja-mahiṣī’ ity atra rāma-nāmāpi, evam anyad apy ūhyam, tathāpi tat-tan-nāma-madhye vyavadhāyakam akṣarāntaram astīty etādṛśa-vyavadhāna-rahitam ity arthaḥ, yadvā, vyavahitaṁ ca tad-rahitaṁ cāpi vā, tatra vyavahitaṁ nāmnaḥ kiñcid uccāraṇānantaraṁ kathañcid āpatitaṁ śabdāntaraṁ samādhāya paścān nāmāvaśiṣṭākṣara-grahaṇam ity evaṁ rūpaṁ, madhye śabdāntareṇāntaritam ity arthaḥ, rahitaṁ paścād avaśiṣṭākṣara-grahaṇa-varjitaṁ, kenacid aṁśena hīnam ity arthaḥ, tathāpi tārayaty eva.

Suppose one is using the two words halaṁ riktam. Now the syllable ha in the word halam and the syllable ri in riktam are separately pronounced, but nevertheless the holy name will act because one somehow or other utters the word hari. Similarly, in the word rāja-mahiṣī, the syllables rā and ma appear in two separate words, but because they somehow or other appear together, the holy name rāma will act, provided there are no offenses.

sarvebhyaḥ pāpebhyo ’parādhebhyaś ca saṁsārād apy uddhārayaty eveti satyam eva, kintu nāma-sevanasya mukhyaṁ yat phalaṁ tan na sadyaḥ sampadyate. tathā deha-bharaṇādy-artham api nāma-sevanena mukhyaṁ phalam āśu na sidhyatīty āha, tac ced iti.

The holy name has so much spiritual potency that it can deliver one from all sinful reactions and material entanglements, but utterance of the holy name will not be very soon fruitful if done to facilitate sinning.

tan nāma ced yadi dehādi-madhye nikṣiptaṁ, deha-bharaṇādy-artham eva vinyastam, tadāpi phala-janakaṁ na bhavati kim? api tu bhavaty eva, kintu atra iha loke śīghraṁ na bhavati, kintu vilambenaiva bhavatīty arthaḥ.

The holy name is so powerful that it must act, but when one utters the holy name with offenses, its action will be delayed, not immediate, although in favorable circumstances the holy names of the Lord act very quickly.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, and everything is, His holy name is also Absolute, His names, His pastimes, His remembrance all non-different. So, Nārada Muni was propogating Kṛṣṇa consciousness to a thief, he told him to chant the holy names of God. He said I am a thief, I cannot chant the name of God”, “you can chant “kill! kill?” “Oh yes, I can chant that, I love that” said the thief. Then chant mara mara said Narada Muni, and he chanted “marā marā”. By saying “marā marā” continuously he wast chanting “rāma rāma”. After some time he became the sage Vālmīki, a great Ṛṣi. So the holy  name of the Lord is so powerful

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.61

nāmābhāse sarvānarthanivṛttiḥ—

nāmābhāsa haite haya sarva-pāpa-kṣaya

Translation: Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura continued, “If one offenselessly utters the holy name even imperfectly, one can be freed from all the results of sinful life.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Rāmachandra Khan offered a prostitute a big price, if she could have Haridāsa Ṭhākura to fall down. She went to Haridāsa Ṭhākura and he said, I have to chant my rounds first and then I will satisfy you. Then he was chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa māhā-mantra and she heard it and started chanting with him. And thus she could get purified and at the end of three days she surrendered at the feet of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and told him what she was attempting to do. She asked him to give her initiation and instructions. He said I knew what you came for, I was just chanting and waiting for you to get purified, and then she was chanting in front of the Tulasī plants. Rāmachandra khan could not believe that it was possible.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.62

nāmābhāse mahāpātaka-nāśaḥ— bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2/1/103)—

taṁ nirvyājaṁ bhaja guṇa-nidhe pāvanaṁ pāvanānāṁ
 śraddhā-rajyan-matir atitarām uttamaḥ-śloka-maulim
prodyann antaḥ-karaṇa-kuhare hanta yan-nāma-bhānor
 ābhāso ’pi kṣapayati mahā-pātaka-dhvānta-rāśim

Translation: “O reservoir of all good qualities, just worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the purifier of all purifiers, the most exalted of the personalities worshiped by choice poetry. Worship Him with a faithful, unflinching mind, without duplicity and in a highly elevated manner. Thus worship the Lord, whose name is like the sun, for just as a slight appearance of the sun dissipates the darkness of night, so a slight appearance of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa can drive away all the darkness of ignorance that arises in the heart due to greatly sinful activities performed in previous lives.’

Purport: This verse is found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.103).

Jayapatākā Swami: This verse tells us the glories of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore even a slight appearance of the holy name can destroy all the reactions of previous sinful activities.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.63

nāmābhāsa haite haya saṁsārera kṣaya

Translation: “Even a faint light from the holy name of the Lord can eradicate all the reactions of sinful life.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.64

nāmābhāse muktiḥ— Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (6.2/49) —

mriyamāṇo harer nāma
 gṛṇan putropacāritam
ajāmilo ’py agād dhāma
 kim uta śraddhayā gṛṇan

Translation: “While dying, Ajāmila chanted the holy name of the Lord, intending to call his son Nārāyaṇa. Nevertheless, he attained the spiritual world. What then to speak of those who chant the holy name with faith and reverence?’

Purport: This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.2.49).

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.65

ślokera arthaḥ—

nāmābhāse ‘mukti’ haya sarva-śāstre dekhi
śrī-bhāgavate tāte ajāmila—sākṣī”

Translation: “Because of even the faintest rays of the effulgence of the Lord’s holy name, one can attain liberation. We can see this in all the revealed scriptures. The evidence appears in the story of Ajāmila in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the glories of the holy names of Krsna is described here, that even if one chants accidently or otherwise, even though it is considered a namābhāsa still one gets spiritual benefit from that.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.66

prabhura harṣabṛddhi o punaḥ praśna :—

śuniyā prabhura sukha bāḍaye antare
punarapi bhaṅgī kari’ puchaye tāṅhāre

Translation: As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this from Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the happiness within His heart increased, but as a matter of course, He still inquired further.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.67

sthāvara-jaṅgama-jīvoddhārera upāya-jijñāsā :—

“pṛthivīte bahu-jīva—sthāvara-jaṅgama
ihā-sabāra ki prakāre ha-ibe mocana?”

Translation: “On this earth there are many living entities,” the Lord said, “some moving and some not moving. What will happen to the trees, plants, insects and other living entities? How will they be delivered from material bondage?”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can see from this that Lord Caitanya, he wants to deliver all the conditioned living entities, therefore he was asking Haridāsa Ṭhākura what is the possibility of sthāvara-jaṅgama to be delivered.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.68

haridāsera uttaraḥ—

haridāsa kahe,—“prabhu, se kṛpā tomāra
sthāvara-jaṅgama āge kariyācha nistāra

Translation: Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, “My dear Lord, the deliverance of all moving and nonmoving living entities takes place only by Your mercy. You have already granted this mercy and delivered them.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he further explained how the Lord's mercy is given to the plants and insects, non-moving and moving entities.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.69

sthāvara o jaṅgama, ubhayavidha jīvera uccanāma saṅkīrtana-śravaṇa-prabhāva varṇanaḥ—

tumi ye kariyācha ei ucca saṅkīrtana
sthāvara-jaṅgamera sei hayata’ śravaṇa

Translation: “You have loudly chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and everyone, moving or not moving, has benefited by hearing it.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the moving and non-moving entities, plants, insects and others, by hearing the holy name are also delivered.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.70

śuniyā jaṅgamera haya saṁsāra-kṣaya
sthāvare se śabda lāge, pratidhvani haya

Translation: “My Lord, the moving entities who have heard Your loud saṅkīrtana have already been delivered from bondage to the material world, and after the nonmoving living entities like trees hear it, there is an echo.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Haridāsa Ṭhākura is explaining how the moving and non-moving living entities get delivered by the Harināma Saṅkīrtana.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.71

‘pratidhvani’ nahe, sei karaye ‘kīrtana’
tomāra kṛpāra ei akathya kathana

Translation: “Actually, however, it is not an echo: it is the kīrtana of the nonmoving living entities. All this, although inconceivable, is possible by Your mercy.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, chanting by a forest seems as an echo - actually the trees and plants are chanting kīrtana, and thus they get delivered.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.72

sakala jagate haya ucca saṅkīrtana
śuniyā premāveśe nāce sthāvara-jaṅgama

Translation: “When loud chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is performed all over the world by those who follow in Your footsteps, all living entities, moving and nonmoving, dance in ecstatic devotional love.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari bol! Hari Bol! So that’s why we should loudly chant saṅkīrtana.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.73

prabhura līlā haite uccasaṅkīrtana-śravaṇera dṛṣṭānta-pradarśanaḥ—

yaiche kailā jhārikhaṇḍe vṛndāvana yāite
balabhadra-bhaṭṭācārya kahiyāchena āmāte

Translation: “My dear Lord, all the incidents that took place while You were going to Vṛndāvana through the forest known as Jhārikhaṇḍa have been related to me by Your servant Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya revealed how Lord Caitanya got the jungle animals chanting and dancing.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.74

vāsudeva jīva lāgi’ kaila nivedana
tabe aṅgīkāra kailā jīvera mocana

Translation: “When Your devotee Vāsudeva Datta submitted his plea at Your lotus feet for the deliverance of all living entities, You accepted that request.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya had accepted the request of Vāsudeva Datta, he said let all the living entities be delivered and I will suffer alone in hell. Lord Caitanya said you are a dear devotee of the Lord, why should you suffer? Just by your desire all the living entities of the universe are delivered.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.75

jagadguru ācāryarūpe nāma-prema pracāradvārā prabhura jīvoddhāra-līlā rahasyodaghāṭana :—

jagat nistārite ei tomāra avatāra
bhakta-bhāva āge tāte kailā aṅgīkāra

Translation: “My dear Lord, You have accepted the form of a devotee just to deliver all the fallen souls of this world.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Kṛṣṇa said in Dvārakā that He wanted to accept the mood of a devotee and deliver kṛṣṇa-prema to everyone in the universe. But no one is more merciful than Lord Caitanya.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 3.76

ucca saṅkīrtana tāte karilā pracāra
sthira-cara jīvera saba khaṇḍāilā saṁsāra”

Translation: “You have preached the loud chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and in this way freed all moving and nonmoving living entities from material bondage.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Haridāsa Ṭhākura is glorifying Lord Caitanya for His loud saṅkīrtana,  loud chanting of the holy names of the Lord.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Deliverance by preaching the loud chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, Part 2

Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura

Transcribed and Verified by JPS Archives 5^th Aug 2022