20250124 Śrī Caitanya-śīkśāmṛta: Sixth Shower — Analysis of Prema-bhakti

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Sixth Shower — Analysis of Prema-bhakti

Third Stream — Consideration of nāma-bhajana according to the eligibility for prema

Taking exclusive shelter in the holy name:

Single-minded devotees take the holy name as their exclusive refuge among all the limbs of devotion. They have a greater taste for the remembrance and chanting of the holy name.

Note:

garbha-janma-jarā-roga-duḥkha saṁsāra bandhanaiḥ
na bādhyate naro nityaṁ vāsudevam anusmaran

‘By constantly remembering Vāsudeva, one is not bound by the sorrows of birth, old age, and disease, nor by the bonds of material existence.’

Other limbs of devotion are not as easy to perform as the holy name of the Lord, which is pure and spiritual. In Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, more glorification of remembrance and chanting of the holy name among all the exclusive duties has been described.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Śrīla Prabhupāda gave devotees of ISKCON the chanting and shelter of the holy name. So, the holy name is non-different from Kṛṣṇa. So chanting the holy name means you can immediately get the association of Kṛṣṇa. And remembering Kṛṣṇa and His glories, only exclusive duties have been described. Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes have been written by Śrīla Prabhupāda in the Kṛṣṇa Book. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Lord Caitanya’s later pastimes and the philosophy as well is there, I have written a combination of all the books, dealing mainly with the pastimes of the Lord. That was done up here. And then it was sent for editing. You liked that? So some of you were here and some of you were not here! They are working on it because recently they asked me a few questions! So wherever we are, we can always immediately take shelter of the holy name. Some pūjārīs take shelter of arcana, like that there are different processes. But the easiest to perform is the chanting of the holy name! So, the devotees chant every day at least 16 rounds. Of course, we like to promote chanting of the holy name, but some devotees resist! I cannot chant 16-rounds, I can chant 8 or 4! But actually, since Kṛṣṇa and His name are non-different, the more we can chant avoiding the offenses the better it is.

Note: Padma Purāṇa

evam ekāntināṁ prāyaḥ
kīrtanaṁ smaraṇaṁ prabhoḥ
kurvatāṁ parama-prītyā
kṛtyam anyan na rocate

bhāvena kenacit preṣṭha-śrī-mūrter-aṅghri sevane
syādicchaiṣāṁ svatantrena sva-rasenaivatadvidhiḥ
vihiteṣv eva nityeṣu pravartante svayaṁ hi te

Single-minded devotees engage in Lord’s kīrtanaṁ and smaraṇaṁ with great love and they are not interested in any other activities. They desire to serve the lotus feet of the Deity in some specific mood, according to their rasa and independent. This is the vidhi. They spontaneously on their own engage in following other daily rules and regulations prescribed in the śāstras.

Pure devotees in the renounced order, however, who fully surrender to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, should chant the holy name of the Lord with great love and faith, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. They should have no occupation other than chanting the holy name of the Lord.

The scriptures state that there is no any difference between the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since the name is transcendental, like a touchstone (cintāmaṇi). The name has manifested as the form of Kṛṣṇa’s all transcendental mellow.

Jayapatākā Swami: So here the devotees are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. In the temple the devotees chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes I go for darśana and the devotees are chanting the holy name. The holy name purifies our heart. It keeps our mind fixed on Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa! And by chanting the holy name one automatically starts meditating on Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya prayed in the Śikṣāṣṭaka, that chanting of the holy name cleans the consciousness like cleaning a dusty mirror, and our consciousness becomes clean. So, although some of the devotees don’t see the importance of chanting, chanting is the best way for new or old, all the devotees to advance! Haribol!

Note: Padma Purāṇa

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś
caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto
‘bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa is unlimitedly powerful. And since there is no difference between Him and His name, we have the unlimited power of Kṛṣṇa in our tongue when we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa! Devotees chanting the holy name can get spiritual bliss. Here it is says, transcendentally blissful. One can get all benediction from Kṛṣṇa’s name. And it adapts to whatever rasa or mellow we can have. I mean, it is inconceivable – the power of the holy name! By saying it has the same power as Kṛṣṇa, that means it is unlimited! Haribol!

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!

So when people ask why do you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? You know what to answer them!

The svarūpa-jñāna of the holy name is the cause of progress in devotional service.

Those who desire to realize the true nature of Kṛṣṇa and His holy name must put effort into realizing the spiritual truth. As long as one does not realize the nature of the spiritual truth, one cannot become expert in devotional service. Therefore, how can the goal of sādhana (practice), the attainment of the desired object (sādhya), be achieved? The only cause of progress in devotional service is the attainment of knowledge of the nature of the spiritual truth.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda was so merciful that he put great effort into translating the Gītā and Bhāgavatam (Caitanya-caritāmṛta). He (repeater) said the Caitanya-caritāmṛta for me. And Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu as the Nectar of Devotion. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that these four books are enough to take you back home back to Godhead. So, I saw here in Māyāpur, Śrīla Prabhupāda was getting up at midnight and translating till early in the morning. Sometimes he called for me, at 1.30 or 2 in the morning. I would wash my face and feet and head downstairs. I bowed down and asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, “What sevā I could offer?” Śrīla Prabhupāda, he would finish his translating for a moment and then he would tell me what he wanted. Then he would say I could go. In those days we were on call 24/7, any time day or night, Śrīla Prabhupāda would call us! He did not have to note down, he had a thought, he would just ring the bell and say call, “Jayapatākā Swami!” Or whomever he wanted to talk to. So, if you would like to know the true nature of Kṛṣṇa or His holy name, you would have to put effort into inquiring the spiritual truth. Śrīla Prabhupāda had written the books, and he was encouraging the devotees to read them! So we have degrees of Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedānta and Bhakti-Sārvabhauma. And I got the Bhaktivedanta but I am not finding much time for Caitanya-caritāmṛta. I read it every night and it is an amazing book, describing the Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa is very wonderful! His activities are transcendental, and He is more merciful in His form as Lord Caitanya. His mercy is unlimited. Śrīla Prabhupāda while talking about Lord Caitanya’s mercy sometimes he would spread his hands and say “Unlimited, unlimited mercy!” We know that He, Lord Caitanya gave His mercy to Śivānanda’s dog. He was a stray dog but somehow, he became a devotee. Then Śivānanda Sena took responsibility for the dog like all the devotees he was taking with him. He paid his toll tax! But the last day he disappeared. And he was in great anxiety. But then, he saw the dog was with Lord Caitanya! Lord Caitanya was feeding him pieces of coconut! So like this, even a dog can get the mercy of Lord Caitanya! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga!

The dialysis machine got jammed today. Until 12 they were playing around it. So I took breakfast, pre-lunch, lunch, pre-dinner in the dialysis room. I had my meeting with Āhlādinī Rādhā and Hari-līlā regarding the boat and activities were going on. Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted a boat service from Kolkata to Māyāpur with a stop in Pānihāṭi. So he gave me the responsibility to locate someone who would take responsibility for the boat service. Since we had found a person, I asked them to do more research. I was thinking maybe Pānihāṭi would like to do? Anyway, so like this my day was in the dialysis room. Tonight, with you all!

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!

Kṛṣṇa matir astu!