Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Madhya-lila
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter 15
Madhya15.87
TEXT 87
bahu-mulya diya ani’ kariya yatana
pavitra samskara kari’ kare nivedana
SYNONYMS
bahu-mulya—high price; diya—offering; ani’-bringing; kariya yatana—with great attention; pavitra—purified; samskara kari’-trimming; kare nivedana—offers to the Deity.
TRANSLATION
"All these fruits were collected from distant places and were bought at a high price. After trimming them with great care and purity, Raghava Pandita offered them to the Deity.
Madhya15.88
TEXT 88
ei mata vyanjanera saka, mula, phala
ei mata cida, huduma, sandesa sakala
SYNONYMS
ei mata—in this way; vyanjanera—of vegetables; saka—spinach; mula—radishes; phala—fruits; ei mata—in this way; cida—chipped rice; huduma—powdered rice; sandesa—sweetmeats; sakala—all.
TRANSLATION
"Thus with great care and attention Raghava Pandita would prepare spinach, other vegetables, radishes, fruits, chipped rice, powdered rice and sweetmeats.
Madhya15.89
TEXT 89
ei-mata pitha-pana, ksira-odana
parama pavitra, ara kare sarvottama
SYNONYMS
ei-mata—in this way; pitha-pana—cakes and sweet rice; ksira-odana—concentrated milk; parama pavitra—highly purified; ara—and; kare—he makes; sarva-uttama—first class, tasteful.
TRANSLATION
"He prepared cakes, sweet rice, concentrated milk and everything else with great attention, and the cooking conditions were purified so that the food was first class and tasteful.
Madhya15.90
TEXT 90
kasamdi, acara adi aneka prakara
gandha, vastra, alankara, sarva dravya-sara
SYNONYMS
kasamdi—a kind of pickle; acara—other pickles; adi—and so on; aneka pra-kara—of many varieties; gandha—scents; vastra—clothing; alankara—ornaments; sarva—all; dravya—of things; sara—best.
TRANSLATION
"Raghava Pandita would also offer all kinds of pickles, such as kasamdi. He offered various scents, garments, ornaments and the best of everything.
Madhya15.91
TEXT 91
ei-mata premera seva kare anupama
yaha dekhi’ sarva-lokera judana nayana
SYNONYMS
ei-mata—in this way; premera seva—service in love; kare—performs; anupama—without comparison; yaha dekhi’-seeing which; sarva-lokera—of all people; judana—become pleased; nayana—the eyes.
TRANSLATION
“Thus Raghava Pandita would serve the Lord in an incomparable way. Everyone was very satisfied just to see him.”
Madhya15.92
TEXT 92
eta bali’ raghavere kaila alingane
ei-mata sammanila sarva bhakta-gane
SYNONYMS
eta bali’-saying this; raghavere—Raghava Pandita; kaila alingane—He embraced; ei-mata—in this way; sammanila—showed respect; sarva—all; bhakta-gane—to the devotees.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then mercifully embraced Raghava Pandita. The Lord also offered all the other devotees a reception with similar respect.
Madhya15.93
TEXT 93
sivananda sene kahe kariya sammana
vasudeva-dattera tumi kariha samadhana
SYNONYMS
sivananda sene—unto Sivananda Sena; kahe—says; kariya sammana—with great respect; vasudeva-dattera—of Vasudeva Datta; tumi—you; kariha—take; samadhana—care.
TRANSLATION
The Lord also respectfully told Sivananda Sena, "Take care of Vasudeva Datta very nicely.
Madhya15.94
TEXT 94
parama udara inho, ye dina ye aise
sei dine vyaya kare, nahi rakhe sese
SYNONYMS
parama udara—very liberal; inho—he; ye dina—every day; ye aise—whatever he gets; sei dine—on that very day; vyaya kare—spends; nahi—does not; rakhe—keep; sese—any balance.
TRANSLATION
"Vasudeva Datta is very liberal. Every day, whatever income he receives, he spends. He does not keep any balance.
Madhya15.95
TEXT 95
’grhastha’ hayena inho, cahiye sancaya
sancaya na kaile kutumba-bharana nahi haya
SYNONYMS
grhastha—householder; hayena—is; inho—he (Vasudeva Datta); cahiye sancaya—requires to save some money; sancaya na kaile—without saving money; kutumba-bharana—maintenance of a family; nahi haya—is not possible.
TRANSLATION
"Being a householder, Vasudeva Datta needs to save some money. Because he is not doing so, it is very difficult for him to maintain his family.
Madhya15.96
TEXT 96
ihara gharera aya-vyaya saba--tomara sthane
’sara-khela’ hana tumi kariha samadhane
SYNONYMS
ihara—of Vasudeva Datta; gharera—of household affairs; aya-vyaya—income and expenditures; saba—all; tomara sthane—at your place; sara-khela hana—being the manager; tumi—you; kariha samadhane—arrange.
TRANSLATION
"Please take care of Vasudeva Datta’s family affairs. Become his manager and make the proper adjustments.
Both Vasudeva Datta and Sivananda Sena were living in the same neighborhood, which is presently called Kumarahatta or Halisahara.
Madhya15.97
TEXT 97
prati-varse amara saba bhakta-gana lana
gundicaya asibe sabaya palana kariya
SYNONYMS
prati-varse—each and every year; amara—My; saba—all; bhakta-gana lana—accompanied by the devotees; gundicaya—to perform the Gundica cleansing festival; asibe—you will come; sabaya—to everyone; palana kariya—providing maintenance.
TRANSLATION
“Come every year and bring all My devotees with you to the Gundica festival. I also request you to maintain all of them.”
Madhya15.98
TEXT 98
kulina-gramire kahe sammana kariya
pratyabda asibe yatraya patta-dori lana
SYNONYMS
kulina-gramire—unto the inhabitants of Kulina-grama; kahe—says; sammana kariya—with great respect; prati-abda—each year; asibe—please come; yatraya—during the Ratha-yatra festival; patta-dori—silken rope; lana—taking.
TRANSLATION
The Lord then with great respect extended an invitation to all the inhabitants of Kulina-grama, asking them to come every year and bring silken rope to carry Lord Jagannatha during the Ratha-yatra festival.
Madhya15.99
TEXT 99
gunaraja-khanna kaila sri-krsna-vijaya
tahan eka-vakya tanra ache premamaya
SYNONYMS
gunaraja-khanna—Gunaraja Khan; kaila—compiled; sri-krsna-vijaya—the book named Sri Krsna-vijaya; tahan—there; eka-vakya—one sentence; tanra—of it; ache—is; prema-maya—full of love of Krsna.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then said, “Gunaraja Khan of Kulina-grama compiled a book named Sri Krsna-vijaya in which there is a sentence revealing the author’s ecstatic love of Krsna.”
PURPORT
Sri Krsna-vijaya is a book of poems considered to be the first poetry book written in Bengal. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that this book was compiled in the year 1395 sakabda (A.D. 1474). After seven years, it was completed (1402 sakabda). This book was written in plain language, and even half-educated Bengalis and women could read it very clearly. Even ordinary men with little knowledge of the alphabet could read this book and understand it. Its language is not very ornamental, and sometimes the poetry is not very sweet to hear. Although according to the sonnet style each line should contain fourteen syllables, there are sometimes sixteen, twelve and thirteen syllables in his verse. Many words used in those days could be understood only by local inhabitants, yet this book is still so popular that no book store is complete without it. It is very valuable for those who are interested in advancing in Krsna consciousness.
Sri Gunaraja Khan was one of the topmost Vaisnavas, and he has translated the Tenth and Eleventh Cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam for the understanding of the common man. The book Sri Krsna-vijaya was highly praised by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and it is very valuable for all Vaisnavas. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gives a genealogical table and family history of Gunaraja Khan. When a Bengali emperor named Adisura first came from Kanyakubja, or Kanowj, he brought with him five brahmanas and five kayasthas. Since the king is supposed to be accompanied by his associates, the brahmanas accompanied the King to help him in higher spiritual matters. The kayasthas were to render other services. In the northern Indian high country, the kayasthas are accepted as sudras, but in Bengal the kayasthas are considered among the higher castes. It is a fact that the kayasthas came to Bengal from northern India, specifically from Kanyakubja, or Kanowj. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that the kayasthas who came from Kanyakubja were high-class men. Of them, Dasaratha Vasu was a great personality, and the thirteenth generation of his family included Gunaraja Khan.
His real name was Maladhara Vasu, but the title Khan was given to him by the Emperor of Bengal. Thus he became known as Gunaraja Khan. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gives the following genealogical table of Gunaraja Khan: (1) Dasaratha Vasu; (2) Kusala; (3) Subhasankara; (4) Hamsa; (5) Saktirama (Baganda), Muktirama (Mainagara) and Alankara (Bangaja); (6) Damodara; (7) Anantarama; (8) Guninayaka and Vinanayaka. The twelfth generation included Bhagiratha, and the thirteenth Maladhara Vasu, or Gunaraja Khan. Sri Gunaraja Khan had fourteen sons, of whom the second son, Laksminathavasu, received the title Satyaraja Khan. His son was Sri Ramananda Vasu; therefore Ramananda Vasu belonged to the fifteenth generation. Gunaraja Khan was a very well known and wealthy man. His palace, fort and temples are still existing, and from these we can deduce that the opulence of Gunaraja Khan was certainly very great. Sri Gunaraja Khan never cared for the artificial aristocracy introduced by Ballal Sena.
Madhya15.100
TEXT 100
“nandanandana krsna--mora prana-natha”
ei vakye vikainu tanra vamsera hata
SYNONYMS
nanda-nandana krsna—Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja; mora prana-natha—my life and soul; ei vakye—because of this statement; vikainu—I became sold; tanra—of him; vamsera hata—in the hands of the descendants.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, " ’Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, is my life and soul.’ By this statement I am sold into the hands of the descendants of Gunaraja Khan.
PURPORT
The full verse referred to here is:
eka-bhave vanda hari yoda kari’ hata
nandanandana krsna--mora prana-natha
“With folded hands I offer my prayers unto Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, who is my life and soul.”
Madhya15.101
TEXT 101
tomara ki katha, tomara gramera kukkura
sei mora priya, anya-jana rahu dura
SYNONYMS
tomara—of you; ki katha—what to speak; tomara—of your; gramera—village; kukkura—a dog; sei—that; mora—to Me; priya—very dear; anya-jana—others; rahu dura—apart from.
TRANSLATION
“To say nothing of you, even a dog living in your village is very dear to Me. What, then, to speak of others?”
Madhya15.102
TEXT 102
tabe ramananda, ara satyaraja khanna
prabhura carane kichu kaila nivedana
SYNONYMS
tabe—after this; ramananda—Ramananda Vasu; ara—and; satyaraja khanna—Satyaraja Khan; prabhura carane—at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kichu—some; kaila—made; nivedana—submission.
TRANSLATION
After this, Ramananda Vasu and Satyaraja Khan both submitted questions at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Madhya15.103
TEXT 103
grhastha visayi ami, ki mora sadhane
sri-mukhe ajna kara prabhu--nivedi carane
SYNONYMS
grhastha—householder; visayi—materialistic man; ami—I; ki—what; mora sadhane—the process of my advancement in spiritual life; sri-mukhe—from Your own mouth; ajna kara—please order; prabhu—my Lord; nivedi carane—I submit unto Your lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
Satyaraja Khan said, “My dear Lord, being a householder and a materialistic man, I do not know the process of advancing in spiritual life. I therefore submit myself unto Your lotus feet and request You to give me orders.”
Madhya15.104
TEXT 104
prabhu kahena,--’krsna-seva’, ’vaisnava-sevana’
’nirantara kara krsna-nama-sankirtana’
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahena—the Lord replied; krsna-seva—serving Krsna; vaisnava-sevana—abiding by the orders of Vaisnavas; nirantara—without cessation; kara—do; krsna-nama-sankirtana—chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “Without cessation continue chanting the holy name of Lord Krsna. Whenever possible, serve Him and His devotees, the Vaisnavas.”
Madhya15.105
TEXT 105
satyaraja bale,--vaisnava ciniba kemane?
ke vaisnava, kaha tanra samanya laksane
SYNONYMS
satyaraja bale—Satyaraja Khan said; vaisnava—a Vaisnava; ciniba kemane—how shall I recognize; ke vaisnava—who is a Vaisnava; kaha—please say; tanra—of him; samanya laksane—common symptoms.
TRANSLATION
Upon hearing this, Satyaraja said, “How can I recognize a Vaisnava? Please let me know what a Vaisnava is. What are his common symptoms?”
Madhya15.106
TEXT 106
prabhu kahe,--"yanra mukhe suni eka-bara
krsna-nama, sei pujya,--srestha sabakara"
SYNONYMS
prabhu kahe—Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied; yanra mukhe—in whose mouth; suni—I hear; eka-bara—once; krsna-nama—the holy name of Lord Krsna; sei pujya—he is worshipable; srestha sabakara—the best of all human beings;
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "Whoever chants the holy name of Krsna just once is worshipable and is the topmost human being.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna once, a person becomes perfect. Such a person is understood to be a Vaisnava. With such faith and belief, one may begin a life of Krsna consciousness, but an ordinary person cannot chant the holy name of Krsna with such faith. This is confirmed by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Upadesamrta: krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta. One should accept the holy name of Krsna to be identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Transcendence Himself. The holy name of Krsna is also identical with Krsna and is also cintamani. The name Krsna is the personification of sound perfectly transcendental and eternally liberated from material contamination. One should understand that the name Krsna and Krsna are identical. Having such faith, one must continue to chant the holy name. When one is situated on the neophyte platform, one cannot understand the devotional ingredients of a pure, unalloyed devotee. However, when the novice engages in devotional service-especially in Deity worship-and follows the order of a bona fide spiritual master, he becomes a pure devotee. Anyone can take advantage of hearing about Krsna consciousness from a pure devotee and thus gradually become purified.
A devotee who believes that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord is a pure devotee, even though he may be in the neophyte stage. By his association, others may also become Vaisnavas.
One is known as a materialistic devotee if he simply worships the Deity of Hari with faith but does not show proper respect to the devotees and to others. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.47):
arcayam eva haraye
pujam yah sraddhayehate
na tad-bhaktesu canyesu
sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah
“Anyone who engages with faith in the worship of the Deity of Hari but does not show proper respect to the devotees and to others is known as a materialistic devotee.” However, by associating with a neophyte devotee who believes that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord, one can become a devotee also. When Lord Caitanya was teaching Sanatana Gosvami, He said:
sraddhavan jana haya bhakti-adhikari
’uttama’, ’madhyama;’, ’kanistha’--sraddha-anusari
yahara komala-sraddha, se ’kanistha’ jana
krame krame tenho bhakta ha-ibe ’uttama’
rati-prema-taratamye bhakta-taratama
“A person who has attained firm faith is a real candidate for advancing in Krsna consciousness. According to the faith, there are first-class, second-class and neophyte devotees. One who has preliminary faith is called kanistha, or a neophyte. The neophyte, however, can become an advanced devotee if he strictly follows the regulative principles set down by the spiritual master. The pure devotee whose faith advances becomes a madhyama-adhikari and uttama-adhikari.” (Cc. Madhya 22.64,69-70)
It is thus concluded that even a neophyte devotee is superior to the karmis and jnanis because he has full faith in chanting the holy name of the Lord. A karmi or a jnani, regardless of his greatness, has no faith in Lord Visnu, His holy name or His devotional service. One may be advanced religiously, but if he is not trained in devotional service, he has very little credit on the transcendental platform. Even a neophyte devotee engaged in Deity worship in accordance with the regulations set forth by the spiritual master is in a position superior to that of the fruitive worker and speculative philosopher.
Madhya15.107
TEXT 107
"eka krsna-name kare sarva-papa ksaya
nava-vidha bhakti purna nama haite haya
SYNONYMS
eka krsna-name—one holy name of Krsna; kare—can do; sarva-papa—of all sinful reactions; ksaya—destruction; nava-vidha—nine processes; bhakti—of devotional service; purna—complete; nama haite—simply by chanting the holy name; haya—are.
TRANSLATION
"Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna, one is relieved from all the reactions of a sinful life. One can complete the nine processes of devotional service simply by chanting the holy name.
PURPORT
The nine types of devotional service are mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.23):
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
iti pumsarpita visnau
bhaktis cen nava-laksana
kriyeta bhagavaty addha
tan manye ’dhitam uttamam
These are the activities of hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, obeying, maintaining friendship and surrendering everything. As far as chanting the holy name of Krsna is concerned, one can be freed from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name without committing offenses. If one chants offenselessly, he may be saved from all sinful reactions. It is very important in devotional service to chant the holy name of the Lord without committing offenses. The nine devotional processes such as sravana and kirtana can all be attained at once if one simply chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly.
In this regard, Srila Jiva Gosvami states in his book Bhakti-sandarbha (173): yadyapi anya bhaktih kalau kartavya, tada kirtanakhya-bhakti-samyogenaiva. Out of the nine processes of devotional service, kirtana is very important. Srila Jiva Gosvami therefore instructs that the other processes, such as arcana, vandana, dasya and sakhya, should be executed, but they must be preceded and followed by kirtana, the chanting of the holy name. We have therefore introduced this system in all of our centers. Arcana, arati, bhoga offering, Deity dressing and decoration are all preceded and followed by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Madhya15.108
TEXT 108
diksa-purascarya-vidhi apeksa na kare
jihva-sparse a-candala sabare uddhare
SYNONYMS
diksa—initiation; purascarya—activities before initiation; vidhi—regulative principles; apeksa—reliance on; na—not; kare—does; jihva—the tongue; sparse—by touching; a-candala—even to the lowest of men, the candala; sabare—everyone; uddhare—delivers.
TRANSLATION
"One does not have to undergo initiation or execute the activities required before initiation. One simply has to vibrate the holy name with his lips. Thus even a man in the lowest class [candala] can be delivered.
PURPORT
Srila Jiva Gosvami explains diksa in his Bhakti-sandarbha (283):
divyam jnanam yato dadyat
kuryat papasya sanksayam
tasmad dikseti sa prokta
desikais tattva-kovidaih
“Diksa is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions caused by sinful activity. A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as diksa.” The regulative principles of diksa are explained in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.3,4) and in Bhakti-sandarbha (283). As stated:
dvijanam anupetanam svakarmadhyayanadisu
yathadhikaro nastiha syac copanayanad anu
tathatradiksitanam tu mantra-devarcanadisu
nadhikaro ’sty atah kuryad atmanam siva-samstutam
“Even though born in a brahmana family, one cannot engage in Vedic rituals without being initiated and having a sacred thread. Although born in a brahmana family, one becomes a brahmana after initiation and the sacred thread ceremony. Unless one is initiated as a brahmana, he cannot worship the holy name properly.”
According to the Vaisnava regulative principles, one must be initiated as a brahmana. The Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.6) quotes the following injunction from the Visnu-yamala:
adiksitasya vamoru
krtam sarvam nirarthakam
pasu-yonim avapnoti
diksa-virahito janah
“Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, all his devotional activities are useless. A person who is not properly initiated can descend again into the animal species.”
Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.10) further quotes:
ato gurum pranamyaivam
sarva-svam vinivedya ca
grhniyad vaisnavam mantram
diksa-purvam vidhanatah
“It is the duty of every human being to surrender to a bona fide spiritual master. Giving him everything-body, mind and intelligence-one must take a Vaisnava initiation from him.”
The Bhakti-sandarbha (298) gives the following quotation from the Tattva-sagara:
yatha kancanatam yati
kasyam rasa-vidhanatah
tatha diksa-vidhanena
dvijatvam jayate nrnam
“By chemical manipulation, bell metal is turned into gold when touched by mercury; similarly, when a person is properly initiated, he can acquire the qualities of a brahmana.”
The Hari-bhakti-vilasa (17.11,12) in discussing the purascarya process, quotes the following verses from Agastya-samhita:
puja traikaliki nityam
japas tarpanam eva ca
homo brahmana-bhuktis ca
purascaranam ucyate
guror labdhasya mantrasya
prasadena yatha-vidhi
pancangopasana-siddhyai
puras caitad vidhiyate
“In the morning, afternoon and evening, one should worship the Deity, chant the Hare Krsna mantra, offer oblations, perform a fire sacrifice, and feed the brahmanas. These five activities constitute purascarya. To attain full success when taking initiation from the spiritual master, one should first perform these purascarya processes.”
The word purah means “before” and carya means “activities.” Due to the necessity of these activities, we do not immediately initiate disciples in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. For six months, a candidate for initiation must first attend arati and classes in the sastras, practice the regulative principles and associate with other devotees. When one is actually advanced in the purascarya-vidhi, he is recommended by the local temple president for initiation. It is not that anyone can be suddenly initiated without meeting the requirements. When one is further advanced by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra sixteen rounds daily, following the regulative principles and attending classes, he receives the sacred thread (brahminical recognition) after the second six months.
In the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (17.4,5,7) it is stated:
vina yena na siddhah syan
mantro varsa-satair api
krtena yena labhate
sadhako vanchitam phalam
purascarana-sampanno
mantro hi phala-dhayakah
atah puraskriyam kuryat
mantravit siddhi-kanksaya
puraskriya hi mantranam
pradhanam viryam ucyate
virya-hino yatha dehi
sarva-karmasu na ksamah
purascarana-hino hi
tatha mantrah prakirtitah
“Without performing the purascarya activities, one cannot become perfect even by chanting this mantra for hundreds of years. However, one who has undergone the purascarya-vidhi process can attain success very easily. If one wishes to perfect his initiation, he must first undergo the purascarya activities. The purascarya process is the life-force by which one is successful in chanting the mantra. Without the life-force, one cannot do anything; similarly, without the life force of purascarya-vidhi, no mantra can be perfected.”
In his Bhakti-sandarbha (283), Srila Jiva Gosvami states:
yadyapi sri-bhagavata-mate pancaratradi-vat arcana-margasya avasyakatvam nasti, tad vinapi saranapattyadinam ekatarenapi purusartha-siddher abhihitatvat, tathapi sri-naradadi-vartmanusaradbhih sri-bhagavata saha sambandha-visesam diksa-vidhanena sri-guru-carana-sampaditam cikirsadbhih krtayam diksayam arcanam avasyam kriyetaiva.
Of similar importance is diksa, which is explained as follows in Bhakti-sandarbha (284):
yadyapi svarupato nasti, tathapi prayah svabhavato dehadi-sambandhena kardaya-silanam viksipta-cittanam jananam tat-tat-sankoci-karanaya srimad-rsi-prabhrtibhir atrarcana-marge kvacit kvacit kacit kacin maryada sthapitasti.
Similarly in the Ramarcana-candrika it is stated:
vinaiva diksam viprendra
purascaryam vinaiva hi
vinaiva nyasa-vidhina
japa-matrena siddhida
In other words, the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra is so powerful that it does not depend on official initiation, but if one is initiated and engages in pancaratra-vidhi (Deity worship), his Krsna consciousness will awaken very soon, and his identification with the material world will be vanquished. The more one is freed from material identification, the more one can realize that the spirit soul is qualitatively as good as the Supreme Soul. At such a time, when one is situated on the absolute platform, he can understand that the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical. At that stage of realization, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krsna mantra, cannot be identified with any material sound. If one accepts the Hare Krsna maha-mantra as a material vibration, he falls down. One should worship and chant the holy name of the Lord by accepting it as the Lord Himself. One should therefore be initiated properly according to revealed scriptures under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. Although chanting the holy name is good for both the conditioned and liberated soul, it is especially beneficial to the conditioned soul because by chanting it one is liberated. When a person who chants the holy name is liberated, he attains the ultimate perfection by returning home, back to Godhead. In the words of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 7.73):
krsna-mantra haite habe samsara-mocana
krsna-nama haite pabe krsnera carana
“Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.”
The offenseless chanting of the holy name does not depend on the initiation process. Although initiation may depend on purascarya or purascarana, the actual chanting of the holy name does not depend on purascarya-vidhi, or the regulative principles. If one chants the holy name once without committing an offense, he attains all success. During the chanting of the holy name, the tongue must work. Simply by chanting the holy name, one is immediately delivered. The tongue is sevonmukha-jihva-it is controlled by service. One whose tongue is engaged in tasting material things and also talking about them cannot use the tongue for absolute realization.
atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
According to Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 17.134):
ataeva krsnera ’nama’, ’deha’, ’vilasa’
prakrtendriya-grahya nahe, haya sva-prakasa
“With these material senses, one cannot understand the transcendental holy name of the Lord or His form, activities and pastimes. However, when one actually engages in devotional service, utilizing the tongue, the Lord is revealed.”
Madhya15.109
TEXT 109
anusanga-phale kare samsarera ksaya
citta akarsiya karaya krsne premodaya
SYNONYMS
anusanga-phale—as a simultaneous result; kare—does; samsarera ksaya—annihilation of entanglement in the material world; citta—thought; akarsiya—attracting; karaya—causes; krsne—unto Lord Krsna; prema-udaya—arousal of transcendental love.
TRANSLATION
"By chanting the holy name of the Lord, one dissolves his entanglement in material activities. After this, one becomes very attracted to Krsna, and thus dormant love for Krsna is awakened.