A Daytime Tryst

 

One day in Varsana, Rasavati Rai heard the beckoning of Shyama’s sweet flute song. Enchanted with a desire to touch Damodara, Devi immediately gave up all other considerations. Vrishabhanunandini broke the bonds of Her superiors suspicious glances, forgot about Her husband’s home and quickly ran out to meet Her sweetheart.

Spreading over Radha’s head like a canopy of fire, thescorching summer sun shined directly on Swamini’s head and burned the sand below Her dainty feet. Though Sukumari’s body is as soft as butter and Her feet more tender than lotus petals, Radha, careless in love’s embrace, simply cried, “Hari! Hari!” and continued Her race. 

Who can stop the course of love? As the celestial Ganga, Suratarangini, floods its banks with its powerful waves, the Suratarangini Sri, with its high waves of exquisite sweetness, powerfully rushes into the dark ocean—Shyama!

“Slow down Swamini! The path is full of pebbles and thorns,” warns Her confidante Sri Rupa. “Don’t go so fast! Walk a little slower, or You will hurt Your tender lotus feet.”

Suddenly Srimati catches the intoxicating aroma of Shyama’s body, and soars after it like a honeybee seeking a nectar lotus. 

Meanwhile, Madhava anxiously waits, sitting on a jeweled platform within a solitary nikunja. Illuminating the kunja entrance with the golden splendor of Her divine form, Gaurangi arrives. Hearing Haripriya’s tinkling anklebells and seeing Her enter the kunja, Pyare-mohana drowns in a nectar ocean of eagerness.

Thrilled with Their mutual darshana, Yugala glance at each other with unsteady eyes welling with tears of love. Although Vamya Vallabhi is naturally unwilling, today Radha wraps Kanu in a tight hug of generosity. Locked in love’s embrace Vinoda and Vinodini resemble a lightning streak merged in a raincloud, or a black bee enjoying the honey of a golden lotus. 

O, when will the fish of my eyes, astonished with such a sweet vision, swim in the nectar ocean of Sriji meeting Shyama?

Four Ways Out

Mahanidhi swami  june 30, 2014

We are all trapped in Maya, mad after sense gratification, and endlessly moving on the wheel of repeated birth and death (samsara chakra). If Krishna does not save us, we are lost forever. In four wonderful ways, our loving Lord Sri Krishna extends His causeless mercy to free us. 1) In the form of Guru, Krishna goes house to house to initiate everyone; 2) In the form of Vaisnavas, Krishna instructs everyone; 3) In the form of scriptures, Krishna speaks transcendental knowledge; 4) In the form of Supersoul, Krishna internally guides, reveals and advises (Bg. 10.10)

ParamaKrpalu Sri Krishna ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

OM MY GOD! Part two

Mahanidhi swami 

The divine syllable OM has nothing to do with an impersonal conception. The following verses from Gopala-tapani Upanisad clearly establish that OM means the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna. &The sound vibration OM denotes the catur-vyuha-tattva of Sankarsana (Sri Balarama), Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and Vasudeva (Sri Krishna). As OM transcends the three qualities of material nature, one should also know oneself to be beyond the identity of the material body: T am the eternal servitor of Krishna.' This consciousness must be maintained at all times.

&The letter A' denotes Balarama, the son of Rohini, who is the substratum of the entire universe; 'U' denotes Pradyumna, who is the Supersoul of the universe; 'M' denotes Aniruddha, who is the Supersoul of each individual being in the universe. The dot above the M denotes Sri Krishna, the fountainhead of all Visnu incarnations.& (GU)

Besides supporting Sri Jiva Gosvami's explanation that OM represents Radha and Krishna, the Gopala-tapani Upanisad further states that the seed of Krishna's eternal pastimes is inherent in the seed mantra OM. &The enlightened sages declare that the svarupa-sakti of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Sri Radha, being the prime mula-prakrti, is nondifferent from OM. Gopala Krishna, who is the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the universe, is also nondifferent from OM.& (GU v. 58)

Acaryas also explain that in the seed word OM which is a combination of three syllables, A-U-M. A—expresses the form of Lord Visnu; U—expresses the form of His consort Sri, the mother and support of the entire world; M—expresses the individual soul, who is the dependent servant of Visnu and Sri and no one else. The sound vibration omkara is the root of Vedic knowledge, and it is known as maha-vakya, or the supreme sound.

In the next article, we will learn about the relation between OM and the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

(Excerpt from Gayatri Mahima Madhuri by Mahanidhi Swami)

Om Tat Sat!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe! 

OM MY GOD! Part one

Mahanidhi swami 

The chanting of the spiritual mantra OM, the primordial vibration of transcendence, Divinity in sound, is probably one of most popular chanting mantras in the world. Before coming to Krishna consciousness many devotees dabbled in the continual chanting of: OM…OM…OM…OM…OM…OM…OM... 

Bhagavata-gita (10.8) tells us that everything, and that means EVERY  THING, begins with Sri Krishna, that beautiful flute player, the darling sweetheart of the cowherd damsels of Vraja; (aham sarvasya prabhavo, mattah sarvam pravartate). And yes, from Muralidhara’s flute comes OM to ignite this world with transcendence. Let’s learn more about this most famous and intriguing spiritual mantra.

Regarding the origin of OM, Srila Prabhupada said, “When Krishna began to play on His flute, that sweet sound vibration entered into the ear of Brahma as the Vedic mantra OM is composed of three letters—A, U, and M, OM describes our relationship with the Supreme Lord (sambandha), the activities by which we can achieve the highest perfection of love (abhidheya), and the actual position of love on the spiritual platform (prayojana). “When the sound vibration of Krishna's flute was expressed through the mouth of Brahma, it became Gayatri. Thus being influenced by the sound vibration of Krishna's flute, Brahma, the first living entity of this material world, was initiated as a brahmana.

&Srila Jiva Gosvami confirms that Brahma was initiated as a brahmana by the flute of Krishna. When Brahma was enlightened by the Gayatri mantra through Krishna's flute, he attained all Vedic knowledge. Acknowledging the benediction offered to him by Krishna, he became the original spiritual master of all living entities.& (TLC ch. 31)

Meaning of OM

The first mantra is pranava OM. The Vedas glorify OM as the origin of the Vedas and as the source of the whole creation. For this reason, OM precedes every Vedic mantra. OM expands into the vyahrtis (bhuh, bhuvah, svah) which indicate the whole expanse of the creation: the earth and lower planetary systems, the region of the sky, and the upper planetary systems. The vyahrtis then expand into the Brahma-gayatri mantra. The Gayatri then expands into all the Vedas.

The pranava OM, the vyahrtis, and the Brahma-gayatri combined together are the essence of the Vedas, and the most powerful of mantras. Chanting these mantras has remained the cornerstone of spiritual progress in Vedic culture since time immemorial. OM, the sacred syllable of assent, is a seed mantra mentioned throughout the Vedic literatures and chanted by all varieties of transcendentalists. 

It has also worked its way into many languages to indicate God. In English, all-important descriptions of God have &OM& as its root. OM enters the English language as the prefix omni. Therefore words like omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient are valid descriptions of God and, all begin with the root OM. Christians end prayers with Amen meaning OM, and Muslims say Amin, denoting God.

One net entry described OM like this: &In every breath man utters and repeats it unintentionally and inevitably. Every vibration in the body and in the universe emerges from OM. A child cries &OM! OM!& The ocean roars &OM! OM!& The bees buzz &OM! OM!& The musician hums &OM! OM!& OM is the expression of the seer of the Truth. OM is Veda, the wisdom of God. OM is the sound of God. OM is eternal, the indestructible word.& 

Despite the apparent universality of the word OM, only Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the Gaudiya Vaisnavas have revealed the full spiritual significance of OM. In the Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna says, pranavah sarva vedesu: &I am the syllable OM mentioned in all the Vedas& Besides indicating the Supreme Personality of Godhead, OM is nondifferent from the sound of Krishna's flute. Unfortunately, most people today have an impersonal conception of the sacred syllable OM.

Srila Prabhupada said that OM means Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. &The sound of OM in the beginning of every Vedic hymn addresses the Supreme Lord. Because the impersonalists are very much afraid of addressing the Supreme Lord Krishna by His innumerable names, they prefer to vibrate the transcendental sound omkara. But they do not realize that omkara is the sound representation of Krishna. The jurisdiction of Krishna consciousness extends everywhere, and one who is in Krishna consciousness is blessed.& (BG 7.8 p.) 

&OM is the alphabetical representation of Krishna. This representation of Krishna, however, is impersonal. It is like Krishna's bodily luster or His brahman effulgence. Impersonalists like to chant OM, but we wish to chant Krishna's feature of pastimes because His personal feature is the ultimate understanding. OM is the symbol of eternity (sat), but there is no bliss (ananda) and knowledge (cit). OM tat sat: tat means the Absolute Truth, and sat means eternity. So OM tat sat means, 'Oh, the Absolute Truth is eternal.'& (SPL 17/3/68)

The Upanisads and realized Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas like Sri Jiva Gosvami reveal that OM, besides indicating the Supreme Lord Krishna, also includes His personal energies or saktis in the form of His divine pleasure potency, Srimati Radhika, and His eternal servants, the jiva-sakti or individual souls. &OM is a combination of the letters, A, U, M. The letter 'A refers to Krishna; 'U' refers to Radha; 'M' refers to the jiva soul.& (GVV)

&The Gosvamis declare that (pranava) omkara is the complete representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have analyzed omkara in terms of its alphabetical constituents as follows: omkara is a combination of the letters A, U, and M. The letter A refers to Krishna, the master of all living entities and planets both material and spiritual. The letter U indicates Srimati Radharani, the pleasure potency of Krishna, and M denotes the living entities (jivas). Thus OM is the complete combination of Krishna, His potency and His eternal servitors.

&In other words, omkara represents Krishna, His name, fame, pastimes, entourage, expansions, devotees, potencies and everything else pertaining to Him. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu states in the present verse of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, sarva-visva-dhama: omkara is the resting place of everything, just as Krishna is the resting place of everything (brahmano hi pratisthahamy &(Cc. Adi 7.128 p.)

(Excerpt from Gayatri Mahima Madhuri by Mahanidhi Swami) 

Om Tat Sat!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe! 

Mantra, Nama and Need for Diksha part one

Mahanidhi swami 

The sastras repeatedly stress the incredible power of chanting Krishna's holy names. Harinama, even without diksa, or any preliminary rites of purification immediately produces results as soon as it contacts the tongue, &The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is so amazingly powerful that it gives fruit as soon as it touches the tongue. This mantra removes great sins that cannot be destroyed byyajna, tapa, dana, or other means. It is freely available and can be chanted by anyone, anywhere, at any time. Unlike other mantras, the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra does not depend upon diksa, proper behavior, or rituals of purification.& (Padyavali 29)

Despite the astonishing potency of harinama, according to Sri Jiva Gosvami, one must still follow mahajanas like Narada Muni who first took diksa and then worshiped their beloved Deities. Without accepting mantra diksa from a spiritual master one cannot awaken his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a servant, friend and so on. Only Sri Guru can establish one's eternal relationship with Krishna. 

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His followers, and all of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas down to the present day have honored this tradition. Besides chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda and Sri Advaita Acarya all took mantra diksa from a bona fide spiritual master. To remain on the path of vaidhi-sadhana one needs only the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. 

In order to progress on the platform of raga-marga and eventually serve Krishna's eternal vraja-lilas one must receive diksa mantras such as the Kama-bija, Gopala-mantra and Kama-gayatri. The Hari-bhakti-vilasa explains that these mantras are absolutely necessary for internal worship through meditation and for external worship of the arca-vigraha of Radha-Krishna.

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the nama atmika, the very life of  Gopala-mantra and Kama-gayatri. The holy name of Krishna is the original mantra vibrating in the spiritual world of Goloka Vrndavana. These mantras (Gopala-mantra, Kama-gayatri) and other Vedic mantras have life because different names of Krishna are within them. Sripada Madhvacarya explained that the Vedic mantras used in demigod worship have potency because they contain secondary names of Krishna (gauna-nama).

In reality, mantras like om namo sivaya and others which are used to petition various demigods are indirectly glorifying Krishna. The word sivaya for example means &all-auspicious.& Indeed, everything about the Supreme Lord Krishna is completely auspicious. Besides that, it is Sri Krishna alone who invests the demigods with their marvelous powers. 

Of all mantras, Krishna's holy name is the most important. Sri Jiva Gosvami says Gayatri-mantra i.e. Kama Gayatri has value because it contains Krishna's names within it. Being full and complete (nitya mukto, purna suddho), the holy name can give everything required. The Gayatri mantra, however, is accepted to improve one's worship of the holy name. 

The material world is a perverted reflection of the pure spiritual realm. In the spiritual world the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is at the top, but it becomes reflected in the material world as the mantra Om. The mantra Om is seen throughout the Vedas, and the other Gayatri mantras are found in the Smrtis. Then later in subsequent Vedic literatures the Hare Krishna maha-mantra becomes manifest. Because of the maha-mantra's seeming obscurity, the smarta brahmanas do not consider chanting Hare Krishna as important as chanting the Vedas and the Gayatri mantras. In reality, however, chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the very essence of all the Vedas.

(Excerpt from Gayatri Mahima Madhuri by Mahanidhi Swami) 

Jai Gopala! Jai Sri Krishna!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe! 

Beautiful Boons of Bhagavatam

Mahanidhi swami 

Just by casually hearing/reading about Sri Krishna’s wonderful, sweet pastimes depicted in the Srimad Bhagavatam, you will attain four amazing blessings, even without desiring such priceless gifts.

Moreover, the inner peace and heart’s satisfaction you’ll feel by hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam will soon make you “fall in love with Bhagavata”, as you hanker to hear/read it every day, nityam bhagavata sevaya (SB 1.2.15).

But how does it all happen? As you hear/read the Srimad Bhagavatam, you will automatically acquire higher knowledge which will subdue your lower material nature and remove your miseries. You won’t even realize how this is happening—a magical transformation of YOU.

An extraordinary inner joy and satisfaction will arise in your heart like a rich sweet aroma coming from a field of blossoming roses. This new found joy will make you detached from material sense objects, and non-devotional people and places, even without trying for it.

You, the former materialist, have now become a spiritualist—a seeker of life’s essence, God’s love. And with your Bhagavata treasures of a peaceful mind and a happy heart, you will move quickly along the path of Krishna prema bhakti. 

As Bhagavan Sri Krishna says in Gita (18.54): “A spiritualist—free from grief and hankering—sees all equally and soon attains My pure love!”  

 

To summarize, let’s see the four great treasures of hearing/reading the Srimad Bhagavatam:

1) You acquire divine knowledge and peace to subdue your lower nature.

2) Delight fills your mind to dispel your gloom and despair.

3) Your joy brings easy detachment from material sense objects/people.

4) You attain a state of liberation leading you to life’s goal of Sri Krishna prema bhakti.

So my dear friends of loving faces!

May you all dive deeply into the fathomless, beautiful, exciting, fulfilling, romantic, wisdom-filled, purifying and blissful ocean of immortal nectar ambrosia named &The Srimad Bhagavatam!”

Grantha Raja, Amala Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe! 

Diksha is Personal

Mahanidhi swami 

The most significant, auspicious, beneficial and beautiful event in person’s entire material existence occurs when he/she receives diksha from Sri Guru. It is a momentous moment of transformation, elevation and elation that permanently establishes one on the path of liberation to the kingdom of God, Vraja prema or Vaikuntha moksha.

The candidate for diksha sits in the sacred space created just beside Sri Guru and Thakuraji Sri Krishna. It is confidential time; private, personal and intimate; hearts exchanging surrender and mercy, shishya sharanagati and Guru krpa. 

Although based on thousands of years of tradition, and solid, scientific scriptural evidence, the whole transcendental function is very sweet, loving and above all completely personal. You alone sitting beside God incarnate Sri Guru. 

As you read on, you will discover how personal and divinely endearing the timeless tradition of diksha is. According to shastra, all Vaisnavas receive diksa by accepting five sacraments of purification known as the pancha samskaras. Upon adopting these panca-samskaras, a faithful person begins to worship Bhagavan, and eventually attains Krishna prema or eternal, blissful pure love of God. The panca-samskaras (pundra, nama, mantra and yaga) establish the disciple in a life of bhakti-bhajana, and are the basis of intense devotion to Sri Hari.

Samskaras, which are purifying processes and rites used to sanctify the human body, are practiced in every religion in every country. For the last five hundred years of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, the pancha samskara process has been used by gurus to give diksha to worthy candidates. Acharyas Madhva and Ramanuja established it in their sampradayas. The Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya and practically all Vaisnava sects give diksha using the pancha samskara process. 

This article will cite shastric evidence for the practice; describe the pancha samskara process and its application in the Gaudiya diksha tradition; and quote Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to highlight the absolute necessity of undergoing the pancha samskara process. 

The pancha samskara process is mentioned in the Padma Purana and cited by our Gaudiya Vaisnava tattva acharyas Sri Jiva Goswamipada and Sri Baladeva Vidya Bhusana in Bhakti-sandarbha (anu. 200) and, Prameya Ratnvalli (8.5). Pancha samskaras are also mentioned in Sat-kriya-dipika attributed to Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami. In recent times, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura described them in great detail in several articles and books. Iskcon’s Deity Worship Manual (Pancha Pradipa vol. 1) says, “The Guru gives the disciple Vaisnava diksha which is also known as pancha samskara.”

Sri Jiva Goswamipada cites the Padma Purana (Uttara-khanda) in Bhakti Sandarbha anu. 200:

tapam pundram tatha nama, nama mantro yagash ca, 

panchama, ami panchaiva samskarah paraikanti hetavah

“The five samskaras (tapa, pundram, nama, mantra and yaga make one supremely one-pointed.” Or according to Bhanu Swami: “These five samskaras are the cause of intense devotion to Lord Hari.”

For Gaudiya Vaisnavas, the pancha samskara process entails receiving directly from the Guru the five marks of Vaisnava diksha: (1) Tapa (with tilaka use your fingers or a sandalwood stamp to write the Holy Name of Krishna on your body; (2) Pundram (tilaka) [Pundram also includes japa and  neck beads]; (3) Nama (accepting a new name i.e. Krishna dasa or Radhika dasi [also includes receiving from Sri Guru the Hare Krishna mantra in the right ear]; 4) Mantra (means receiving the diksha mantras from Sri Guru in the right ear) [for Gaudiya Vaisnavas this means Gopala mantra and Kama Gayatri); 5) Yaga means yajna (homa, fire sacrifice) for some, but for most others it means Sri Murti puja and the nama-yajna of japa and sankirtana of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. 

What are the benefits of receiving pancha samskara diksha? Sri Baladeva Vidya Bhusana answers, “A person who receives pancha samskara gains two things: 1) Chance to directly serve Lord Hari and; 2) Attain spiritual joy eternal in Vaikuntha, avapta pancha samskaro labdha dvi vidha bhaktikah, sakshat krtya harim tasya dhamni nityam pramodate.” (Prameya Ratnävali 8.5)

 Most all Gaudiya Vaisnava lineages give diksha using the pancha samskara process. Sri Guru and the disciple will sit physically together in the presence of Thakuraji i.e. the murti of Bhagavan Sri Krishna in one of His many beautiful forms. Then Sri Guru will personally administer the five marks of a Vaisnava (pancha samskaras) to his disciple. In addition to the pancha samskaras, a few other procedures are followed to complete the Gaudiya Vaisnava diksha function.  

I. Anga suddhi: To receive the diksha mantras, the disciple’s body must first be purified and consecrated. To do this, Sri Guru will chant different purifying vedic mantras while sprinkling sanctified water on the disciple’s head and other limbs. He will also direct the disciple in taking achamana, performing nyasa and chanting mantras to further purify and qualify the disciple to receive the immaculate and divine diksha mantras.

II. Observe the Pancha Samskaras 

1. Sri Guru will personally write or stamp the Holy Name of Krishna or Radha on your forehead (tapa). 

2. Sri Guru will personally apply tilaka to your forehead and other limbs; tie the tulasi kanti on your neck; and offer the japa mala into your hands (pundram). 

3. Sri Guru will utter the pure transcendental sound vibration (shuddha nama) of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra into the ear, and then give you a spiritual name (nama). 

4. Then while holding his right hand on your head, Sri Guru will whisper the diksa mantras into right ear (mantra). 

5. Lastly, Sri Guru will engage you in making some offering to Thakuraji and Sri Guru (yaga).

III. Atma Samarpanam: This last rite is a most essential part of diksha which is observed in most all Gaudiya Vaisnava lineages. Atma samarpanam was personally introduced by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. It is also mentioned by our tattva-siddhanta acharyas Sri Jiva Goswamipada and Srila Sanatana Goswamipada. 

The rite of atma samarpanam is executed by the disciple falling at the feet of his Guru to convey his atma samarpana, which means the surrender of his entire being to the seva of Sri Guru and Sri Krishna. 

Mahaprabhu said to Srila Sanatana Goswamipada (Cc. 3.4.192): diksha kale bhakta kare atma samarpana, sei kale Krishna tare atma sama, “At the time of diksha, the devotee completely surrenders to Sri Guru. Then Krishna gives the disciple a transcendental spiritual form like His own (in quality i.e. cid ananda maya (Cc. 3.4.191). Then in that transcendental spiritual form (aprakrta deha) the disciple can engage in worshiping Krishna’s lotus feet: sei deha kare tara cid ananda maya, aprakrta dehe tanra carana bhajaya (Cc. 3.4.193).”

 Thus, based on Lord Gauranga’s statement above, one can understand that actual diksa means the disciple must offer dandavats at the feet of the physical Guru sitting before him. This point is confirmed by Srila Sanatana Goswamipada, and by Sri Jiva Goswamipada while describing Gaudiya Vaisnava diksa in Bhakti Sandarbha anu. 283. “One should offer pranams to the Guru [at the time of diksha] and offer everything to him”, ato gurum pranamyaivam sarvasvam vinivedya (v. 869). The same verse also appears in Hari-bhakti vilasa (2.9-10). 

This is the process of Gaudiya Vaisnava diksha. From the above description, one can see that diksha is a very personal and intimate spiritual ceremony involving the merciful Sri Guru and his surrendered disciple. When one follows this process, he genuinely feels transformed, purified and elevated. Indeed, he becomes a spiritual being qualified to serve the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna right here right now. And soon not too far in the future that fortunate soul will attain Krishna prema, and go to Sridhama Goloka Vrindavana in the spiritual sky. 

  

We will end our article with excerpts from Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s wonderful and powerful explanation of Gaudiya Vaisnava diksha and pancha samskara process. 

 

Thakura Bhaktivinoda said, “Everyone should seek shelter at the feet of a Guru and receive pancha samskara diksha, which is the source of bhajana. Without pancha samskara, bhajana is performed with difficulty. Some people think that prema can be obtained without pancha samskara process but this is wrong. Without samskaras human life is impure.”

He closes his essay saying, “I have concluded after deep study of the shastra that without accepting the pancha samskara process, the conditioned soul will not develop intense love of Bhagavan Sri Hari. Therefore the pancha samskara process is absolutely necessary.” (“Pancha Samskara, the Process of Diksa” in Sajjana Toshani vol. 2.1 1885 & vol. 4.1 1892)

Gaudiya Vaisnava diksha ki jai!

Sri Krishna’s krpa-shakti murti Sri Guru ki jai!

Diksha mantras ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!