20221101 Loud chanting is hundred times more beneficial, Part 2

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 1st, 2022 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, 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!

So today we are continuing from the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, part-2

So today's chapter entitled is:

Loud chanting is hundred times more beneficial

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.279

tathāhi (śrī bhāgavataḥ 10/34/17) sudarśanavākyam —

Translation: [Once the cowherd men headed by Śrī Nanda came to Ambikāvana on the bank of the River Sarasvatī. After worshiping the demigods and brāhmaṇas with a vow, they took rest there. At that time a fierce looking great snake began to swallow Nanda. Hearing Nanda’s cry of distress, Lord Kṛṣṇa, who maintains His surrendered souls and who is affectionate to His father, touched that great snake with His left foot. The serpent was immediately freed from his reptilian body and appeared in the effulgent form of a Vidyādhara, and by the order of the Lord he began to relate the history of his sinful activities in his previous life. While offering prayers, he described the glories of receiving the touch of the Lord’s lotus feet, which are rarely attained by the demigods, in the above verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.34.17).]

Anyone who chants Your name purifies all who hear his chanting, as well as himself. How much more beneficial, then, is the touch of Your lotus feet?

Purport: “Moreover, O Lord, I have been directly touched by Your lotus feet. Now I will return to my own planet and purify everyone by my touch, as I have been purified by the touch of Your lotus feet. By the statement, ’By once chanting the holy names of the Lord a person purifies himself and others,’ the argument that chanting the holy names requires prior faith (in other words, the consideration that until knowledge of one’s relationship with the Lord based on faith is awakened, there is no need to chant the holy names) is refuted.

One can and should chant the names of the Lord while avoiding the ten offenses even during the four faithless situations of saṅketa (indirectly), parihāsa (jokingly), stobha (as musical entertainment), or hela (neglectfully).

By the using the verb gṛhṇan, or ’while chanting,’ in its present tense, the argument that the names are dependent on completeness (in other words, the necessity of considering that until one is able to fully chant the names of the Lord, it is improper and useless to partially chant the names) is refuted. This means that one can and should chant the names of the Lord, even unclearly, improperly, and incompletely or partially.

By using the word akhilān, or ’to the audience,’ the argument that chanting is dependent on qualification (in other words, the necessity of achieving mundane, temporary, external qualifications like taking bath, performing austerity, worshiping the Deity, maintaining purity, studying the Vedas, accepting sannyāsa, practicing yoga, performing sacrifice, and accumulating piety) is refuted (in other words, any person in any condition can and should chant the holy names of the Lord).

By using the word sadyaḥ, or ‘immediately,’ the argument that chanting is dependent on time (in other words, the consideration that one is purified by chanting only at particular times, not at any time) is refuted (in other words, if a person purely chants the holy names at any time, he can be fully purified).

The use of the word śrotṝn, or ’to the audience,’ indicates that one should hear the holy names of the Lord. The word eva, which in this verse bears the meaning of iva or api, indicates that the chanter of the holy names can purify the audience like himself.

So by this example the glories of the holy name are further enhanced, because the practices of both hearing and chanting yield the same results. By using the word ca in this verse it is indicated that I will certainly and thoroughly purify persons who engage with me in hearing and chanting because I have been touched by Your lotus feet. There is no doubt about this.”

(Śrī Sanātana Prabhu’s and Śrī Jīva Prabhu’s Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī)

Jayapatākā Swami: In one Harināma video someone was walking by the Harināma party, they put their hands over their ears, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, ‘chant louder’

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.280

śuddha-bhakta-sādhu-vaiṣṇavamukhe nāma-śravaṇamātrei mū ka jīvagaṇerao uddhāra-lābha—

paśu-pakṣī-kīṭa-ādi balite nā pare
śunilei hari-nāma tā’rā saba tare’

Translation: “Although animals, birds, and insects cannot chant, when they hear the holy names they will all be delivered.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, even the entities that cannot chant are also delivered. This shows that when Śrīla Prabhupāda went around the world to different countries and different cultures, he chanted before men women, everyone was liberated. So, this chanting is very powerful, if you hear it or if you chant, or if you do both.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.281

kṛṣṇa-nāma-mantra-japaphale kevalamātra nijasvārthasiddhi arthāt svīya saṁsāramocana, kintu ucca harināma-kīrtana-phale sva o para, sakalerai niḥśreyasa vā kṛṣṇacaraṇa-prāpti —

japile śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma āpane se tare
ucca-saṅkīrtane para upakāra kare

Translation: “If one silently chants the names of Kṛṣṇa, then he is delivered; but if one loudly chants, then he delivers others.

Purport: One who softly chants the transcendental names benefits only himself, whereas one who loudly and congregationally chants the transcendental names can benefit the audience along with himself. Only a spiritual master who is engaged in kṛṣṇa-kīrtana is compassionate to all living entities and able to perform the highest welfare activities for all.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this gives the reason why we should do loud sankīrtana, we will not only benefit ourselves but we will benefit others. Whether they know it or not, whether they are prepared or not, they can get the benefit. They can be delivered to the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.282

sutarāṃ ucca hari-kīrtanera sarvatra sarvadā prādhānya—

ataeva ucca kari’ kīrtana karile
śata-guṇa phala haya sarva-śāstre bale

Jayapatākā Swami: So, therefore the scriptures say that if one does loud kīrtana, they get hundred times more fruits. All the scriptures say this. So, if we remember the caste brāhmaṇa, he was asking Haridāsa Ṭhākura why do you would chant loudly? So he was giving these replies that chanting loudly benefits others. In fact, it is hundred times more useful for a devotee who chants.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.283

nāmajapakārī kevalamātra nijerai, kintu nāma-kīrtanakārī nijera o śrotāra, ubhayerai nitya-akhaṇḍa-upakāra sādhaka ––tathāhi śrī-nāradīye prahlāda vākyam—

Translation: “’One who loudly chants the holy names of the Lord is a hundred times greater than one who silently chants, because those who chant silently purify only themselves, while those who chant loudly purify themselves as well as those who hear them.’

Purport: [This verse was spoken by Prahlāda Mahārāja in the Nāradīya Purāṇa.]

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.284

nāmajapakārī apekṣā nāma-kīrtanakārīra śreṣṭhatva—

japa-kartā haite ucca-saṅkīrtana-kārī
śata-guṇa adhika se purāṇete dhari

Jayapatākā Swami: The Purāṇas says that a person who chants the holy name of the Lord loudly receives piety a hundred times more than the person who chants for himself.

Purport: Persons who loudly and congregationally chant the holy names of Hari obtain one hundred times better results than those who chant the holy names softly. If a person secretly hears some ordinary words on the pre of hearing hari-nāma from a foolish so-called guru and, being tempted by material enjoyment, engages in motivated worship, then he will never achieve eternal auspiciousness. Whereas if one loudly chants the pure holy names heard from the mouth of a liberated mahā-bhāgavata spiritual master, then other Vaiṣṇavas who hear that chanting will discuss the glories of hari-nāma amongst each other. As a result, the loud chanters are more benefited than the soft chanters. Those who cannot realize the difference between nāma-aparādha, nāmābhāsa, and śuddha-nāma often commit the first of the ten nāma-aparādhas— criticizing a sadhu or Vaiṣṇava who has fully taken shelter of the holy names— and they commit the grave offense of disregarding the spiritual master by considering him a mortal being and envying him. They commit offense by considering material objects as worshipable and seeing Lord Viṣṇu, the controller of all, as equal to the demigods. As a result, they become Vaiṣṇava offenders by being faithless of the unalloyed Vaiṣṇavas. They then become inattentive to the service of Śrī Nāma Prabhu, and the offenses of considering the glories of chanting the holy names as imaginary and giving some interpretation on the holy names capture them. They then consider the holy names as equal to pious activities and become attached to committing sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy names. Being greedy for donations, such people accept the garb of a guru and, like common merchants, pretend to give instructions on the holy names to faithless persons. In this way they bring inauspiciousness to the entire world. Being overwhelmed by thoughts of “I” and “mine,” they gradually become averse to the Vedic literatures and literatures in pursuance of the Vedic version. These ten offenses result in the falldown of chanters; but by the influence of good association the loud chanters of the holy names understand these offenses and therefore retire from the inconvenience of nirjana-bhajana.

Jayapatākā Swami: Some people say that we should imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura and just stay in some solitary place and chant softly but here we see that Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he would chant loudly and, in this purport, it shows how one gradually ends up committing all the offenses to the Harināma. They commit the offense to the Vaiṣṇavas, . they commit the offense to Guru, they sin on the strength of chanting, they offend the śāstras. It shows here how they actually offend; eventually they commit all the ten offenses and then they fall down. Śrīla Prabhupāda was once invited to a Gītā Yajña, organized by Vinoba Bhave, a famous follower of Gandhiji. He was observing maunā because he wanted the cows to be protected. So he would write down what he wanted to speak, he wouldn’t speak. So, he invited a Māyāvādī sannyāsī for the Gītā-Yajña and Śrīla Prabhupāda So Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke first and his devotees were chanting loudly Harināma, everybody was clapping, hitting their legs and Vinoba Bhave, he was not speaking, he was observing maunāvṛta he had his followers chant verses, one chapter of Bhagavad-gītā then the Māyāvādī sannyāsī, he wanted to do something through kīrtana. But he speculated a mantra, he didn’t chant any bona fide mantra – Sacidānanda Kṛṣṇa’, everybody was like what is this! Śrīla Prabhupāda said 'chant Hare Krsna' and they were chanting and singing and everyone was happy hearing the kīrtana. Śrīla Prabhupāda said because you are pure devotees, your chanting had such effect. They said, “Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are not pure devotees!” Srila Prabhupada said “Mango, there is ripe mango and green mango but they are all mangoes, you may be a green mango but you are all mangoes.”

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.285

tatkāraṇa-varṇana; nāma-japa-kārīra svīya uddhāra-sādhanai uddeśya—

śuna, vipra! mana diyā ihāra kāraṇa
japi’ āpanāre sabe karaye poṣaṇa

Translation: “O brāhmaṇa, listen carefully to the reason behind this. One who softly chants the holy names liberates only himself.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.286

śuddha-bhakta-sādhu-vaiṣṇava-mukhe uccanāma kīrtana-śravaṇa-phale pratyeka śrotṛ jīverai uddhāra-lābha —

ucca kari’ karile govinda-saṅkīrtana
jantu-mātra śuniñāi pāi vimocana

Translation: “One who loudly chants the names of Govinda, however, liberates himself along with all living entities who hear him.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.287

mānava o mānavetara jīvera tāratamya-kāraṇa-nirdeśa; ekamātra mānavajanmei kṛṣṇa-kīrtane sāmarthya, taditara-janme kṛṣṇa-nāma-kīrtane asāmarthya—

jihvā pāiñāo nara-vinā sarva-prāṇī
nā pāre balite kṛṣṇa-nāma-hena dhvani

Translation: “Although all living entities have a tongue, only the human beings are able to chant the names of Kṛṣṇa.

Purport: Apart from human beings, all other living entities also have tongues. Yet even though they are able to make various sounds, no living entity other than a human being is able to chant the names of Kṛṣṇa. Some people may say, “The birds can also imitate making sounds like the name of Kṛṣṇa, and as a result they can also attain a higher destination such as liberation.” In reply to this, it may be said that imitating and following are two completely separate activities. Although the imitators may make various sounds perceivable to senses in the material sky as the name of Kṛṣṇa, they are not uttering with service inclined tongues the pure holy name of Kṛṣṇa situated in the spiritual sky and perceivable to purified senses. The materially motivated sounds resembling the holy names that are uttered for the purpose of material enjoyment that is unrelated to Kṛṣṇa are not vaikuṇṭha-nāma,or spiritual names. Since such sounds are able to award insignificant results, they are simply known as nāma-aparādha, or offenses to the holy names, and as such they cannot awaken one’s love for Kṛṣṇa, which is the fruit of chanting the pure names.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in his lectures Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly mentions how the human beings are very special. Here we see another reason that the human beings can chant the holy names. There are some parrots who are trained by human beings to chant the names of the Lord. In the Padma Purāṇa, it says that there was a lady who had a parrot which chanted the name ‘Rāma Rama’ and she chanted ‘Rāma Rāma’ back and the parrot would chant, ‘Rāma Rāma’  so then actually she became very attached to Lord Rāma. So, both of them died in a storm and they both went back to Godhead. Whether the parrot went back for chanting or hearing? From this purport it seems that he went back for hearing.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.288

mānavetara prāṇimātrerao ucca-kīrtana śravaṇe uddhāra lābha-hetu ucca-kīrtanera guṇa-mahimā o ekānta prayojanīyatā —

vyartha-janma ihārā nistare yāhā haite
bala dekhi,—kon doṣa se karma karite?

Translation: “Tell me, what is wrong with that activity by which living entities who have taken useless births will be delivered?

Purport: Although all living entities are not able to chant the spiritual names, they can certainly hear the spiritual names chanted by devotees of the Lord. The lives of those who are not qualified to hear the spiritual names are certainly most useless. Since by hearing the chanting of the spiritual names, all living entities can be eligible for liberation in this lifetime, such loud chanting of Hari’s names can never be the subject of argument, fault, or criticism.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, any dog, bird, insect, they are not able to chant hare Kṛṣṇa in a spiritually potent way. So by loud chanting, these animals which otherwise have no hope, can be liberated then why complain? What is the reason to complain? So this caste brāhmaṇa was complaining, but actually his complaints were baseless.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.289

sādhāraṇa-lokabodhya dṛṣṭānta dvārā nāma-japa o nāma-kīrtana, ubhaya-sādhanera tāratamya pradarśana —

keha āpanāre mātra karaye poṣaṇa
keha vā poṣaṇa kare sahasreka jana

Jayapatākā Swami: So, one may deliver or one may deliver a thousand persons. So the person who chants softly he may get delivered, but the person who chants loudly he delivers a thousand living entities.

Caitanya Bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.290

nāma-japa o nāma-kīrtanera phala-tāratamya-vicāre anurodha —

duite ke baḍa, bhāvi’ bujhaha āpane
ei abhiprāya guṇa’ ucca-saṅkīrtane”

Translation: “Of the two, consider carefully who is better. This is the superior characteristic of loud chanting.”

Purport: A selfish person maintains himself, whereas another person may maintain a thousand persons apart from himself. Of the two, whom should we accept as greater? If we carefully consider, we will understand that loud chanters are not selfish; rather, they are selfless benefactors of others. Therefore loud chanters are superior to those who only chant softly, and loud chanting is hundreds and thousands of times superior to chanting only softly.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, many people think that mentally chanting is better because mental chanting they think is more subtle. But here we see that if someone chants loudly, they are helping many other living entities. Haridāsa Ṭhākura would chant one hundred thousand, one third names loud, one hundred thousand names soft and one hundred thousand names mentally. We only chant 16 rounds, minimum and so as many as we can chant loud, it is better.

Thus ends the chapter entitled,
Loud chanting is hundred times more beneficial, Part 2
Under the section: The Glories of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura