. SECRET VEDIC WISDOM
Anandamayi Dasi
FOURTH DIMENSION - Advanced

'THINK ABOUT IT' Kartik vratas

 

 

 
KARTIK  VRATAS  2021  1
21.10.21

"Chanting the Holy Names"


This is a series of texts based on inspiring quotes from the Sastras considering Vratas, Chanting the Holy Names:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Devotional service to the Supreme Lord begins with sravanam, kirtanam...
'asesa-sanklesa-samam vidhatte...'
„Simply by chanting and hearing of the transcendental name, form, etc., of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, one can achieve the cessation of unlimited miserable conditions. Therefore what to speak of those who have attained attraction for serving the flavor of the Lord's lotus feet?” (SB 3.7.14)
These are the first two platforms of devotional service, for beginners, for practitioners, and for advanced... On each of these platforms, there is the same indication, starting from these two steps sravanam-hearing and kirtanam-chanting. In the context of the Holy Name sravanam and kirtanam interpenetrate each other. Without hearing there is no chanting, therefore the first step is Sambhanda - sravanam, hearing about God. When one is coming to the level of Abhideya, actual activities related to God, then is kirtanam, chanting - as the most important aspect of all activities related to God. This chanting, the sound vibration of the Holy Name, which purifies all spectrum of our existence, must be heard- sravanam. So in some sense, we are stepping back to the first platform of Sambandha, where through the Holy Name we actually - practically starting to know God. Only through this process - chanting and hearing, we can know Him/Her completely. This is essential.

 

 
KARTIK VRATAS 2
22.10.21

Among many Vratas, we can do during Kartik month, a very auspicious and merciful time for all kinds of austerity, there is for example more/better chanting of the Holy Names, more reading of the sastras, repairing/restricting the habits of eating, etc., which I am trying to do.
The verse from SB 3.7.14 I quoted yesterday was considering some of the aspects from 'The Nine Processes of Devotional Service'. I focused on sravanam and kirtanam which I particularly related to the chanting of the Holy Names. We can know these two steps from many different perspectives given us in the sastras, and by Srila Prabhupada. What I want to stress, is the natural fact that hearing and chanting of the Holy Name is a basic activity in our process and progress. Chanting should be with hearing or listening, where the mind/heart tries to listen to each of the syllables of the Maha Mantra: Hare, Krsna, and Rama, instead of going here and there... This perfects the quality of our chanting and good pronunciation of each holly word makes it even better...

 


KARTIK VRATAS 3
23.10.21

 

Going further in 'The Nine Processes of Devotional Service' we are coming to the next step 'smaranam' SB 7.5.23. Smaranam - remembering in this context connects us to the Lord through meditation. Srila Jiva Gosvami describes in general five levels of 'smaranam', meditation starting from smaranam (a little search with the mind), then dharana, dhyana, dhruva-anusmrti, up to samadhi (Bhakti-Sandarbha). Chanting the Holy Names is meditation too because at a certain point we do not only hear and chant (sravanam, kirtanam), but also during chanting meditate about the Lord's nama, rupa, guna, lila. Of course, we can try, but it is a very elevated state of consciousness, not to imitate. 

Sometimes devotees put a favorite picture of Lord Krsna or Radha Krsna during japa time to focus the mind, either read, sing some slokas, etc. These are some ways (to not say technics) of trying to be close to the spiritual reality through such kind of meditation.

The most important here is the training of the mind to be concentrated on chanting and thinking about the Lord instead of thinking about something else, which as we all know is not so easy... bring it back... bring it back... bring it back to the Lord..., again, and again and again...

 

 

KARTIK VRATAS 4
24.10.21

The last step in 'The Nine Processes of Devotional Service' (SB 7.5.23) I want to mention in connection to chanting the Holy Name is vandanam.
In Sanskryt 'vandana' has many meanings like the act of praise, adoration, praise, respectful salutation, reverence, etc. Srila Prabhupada usually translates it as 'offering pryers'. During chanting the Maha Mantra he advises us to pray to the Lord to be engaged in His/Her service, but he gave many instructions regarding the chanting of the Holy Name.
Each of us is adopting a particular instruction or explanation to one's mood and feeling, at the moment. This is natural that the process is situating us in some position to which we must adjust, not always we are happy to enjoy the Holy Name, or not always we are tired and want to chant as quickly as possible. And what is important a certain instruction or mood is good for one person, and the other is better for someone else.
There are wonderful meanings of the Holy Name compiled in nice prayers based on the Maha Mantra which I hope to discuss in the next session...

However, ...the most famous statement of Srila Prabhupada was: "Chant and be happy!"
Hare Krsna!

KRTIK VRATAS 5
25.10.21

Today I want to present Maha Mantra from the perspective of 'vandanam' - offering prayers to the Lord, which we discussed in the previous text, yesterday. I will just give an example of such prayers to Radha Krsna, and as well to the Holy Name which is non-different from The Divine Couple as yugala-mantra.

This beautiful prayer is from 'Sanat-Kumara Samhita':

  1. O Radha and Krsna, please rescue me from the ocean of birth and death. Please save me from the troubles born from home, family, and friends. Please break to pieces the fears of Your surrendered devotees.
  2. O Radha and Krsna, today I place myself and everything I possess in this life or in the next at Your lotus feet.
  3. O Radha and Krsna, I am an abode of all offenses. I have abandoned all spiritual duties, I have no shelter. O Radha and Krsna, O my Lords, please give me Your shelter.
  4. O master of Radha, I am Yours. O beloved of Lord Krsna, I am Yours. I offer to You both my thoughts, words, and deeds. You both are the goal of my life
  5. O Radha and Krsna, You are like two great oceans of mercy. Please be merciful to me. I take shelter of You. I surrender to You. Please engage me, a sinner and an offender, in Your divine service.


KARTIK VRATAS 6
26.10.21
My last Inspiration for this Kartik will be another example of prayer to the Lord, to the Holy Name, coming from 'Hari-bhakti-vilasa', which gives this conception:
* HARE O Radha, please attract my mind and free me from the material world.
* KRSNA O Krsna, please attract my mind.
* HARE O Radha, attract my heart by showing me Your sweetness.
* KRSNA O Krsna, purify my mind by giving knowledge how to worship You via pure devotee.
* KRSNA O Krsna, give me steadiness to appreciate Your name, qualities, and pastimes.
* KRSNA O Krsna, may I develop a taste for serving You.
* HARE O Radhe, please make me qualified for Your service.
* HARE O Rahde, please instruct me how I can serve You.

* HARE O Radha, let me hear Your intimate pastimes with Your beloved Syamasundara.
* RAMA O Krsna, let me hear Your intimate pastimes with Your beloved Radharani.
* HARE O Radha, please reveal to me Your pastimes with Your beloved Madhava.
* RAMA O Krsna, please reveal to me Your pastimes with Your beloved Srimati Radhika.
* RAMA O Krsna, please engage me in remembering Your sweet name, form, qualities, and pastimes.
* RAMA O Krsna, please make me qualified for Your service.
* HARE O Radha, I beg You to be pleased with me.
* HARE O Radha, I beg You to be pleased with me.









 

...ISKCON POLAND