Ever
since childhood, I have chanted number of mantras. Mantra for Studies, mantra
for wealth, mantra for health,debts,to ward off the evil effects of Planets in
wrong position etc. They are mantras to please and to appease the demi gods and
malefic planets for that period of time. Then, I also meditated on number of
Mantras like Om, Soham etc. However, it is only when I started chanting the
Hare Krishna Maha Mantra could feel the difference. All the Mantras had some
effect and worked for specific purpose but, from my experience I could say that
there is no mantra that is so sublime and special like Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.
In this article, we see what is so special about, Hare Krishna Mantra and what
it can do to us.
Krishna's
holy name-full of mercy, full of compassion, full of love, full of rasa and
full of prema-is the rarest treasure in the world. Without hearing from sastra
and saints, however, one can never understand the power, value and benefit of
Sri Krishna's divine name, form, attributes, pastimes and holy abode (nama,
rupa, guna, lila, dhama). Throughout the Vedas the transcendental glories of
the holy name are recounted. The following verse from the Padma Purana compares
the holy name to a cintamani gem, a divine stone that can bestow one's desired
results. Such cintamani gems make up the transcendental land of Krishnaloka in
the spiritual world. This verse clearly describes the transcendental identity
of the holy name:
nama
cintamanih Krishnas,
caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah
suddho nitya-mukto,
'bhinnatvan
nama-naminoh
The
holy name of Krishna is a transcendental wish-fulfilling gem (cintamani); it is
the embodiment of all consciousness and sentiments; it is complete; it is pure;
it is ever free because the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are one and the
same. (Padma Purana) Srila Prabhupada gives a wonderful expanded translation of
this verse:
"The
holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual
benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure.
Krishna's name is complete, and it is the form of all the transcendental
mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less
powerful than Krishna Himself. Since Krishna's name is not contaminated by the
material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with maya.
Krishna's name is always liberated and spiritual. It is never conditioned by
the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Krishna and Krishna
Himself are identical." (cc.Madhya 17.133p.)
The
following story from Vaisnava tradition illustrates the incomparable value of
Krishna's holy name.
Once
a disciple asked his guru for the topmost secret of bhajana. The guru replied,
"The most confidential secret of bhajana is to always chant the
maha-mantra- Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna
Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!". After
leaving his guru's asrama, the disciple met some poor washer-men who were
chanting Hare Krishna while scrubbing clothes beside the Yamuna. He then heard
some little girls chanting Hare Krishna while collecting cow dung. When the
disciple hired a ricksaw, the skinny old driver chanted Hare Krishna all the
way back to the asrama. Meeting his guru, the disciple expressed a doubt about
the maha-mantra, "Gurudeva! What kind of secret have you given to me that
is known to every dhobi, ricksaw walla and little girl in India? Is this really the most confidential secret of
bhajana?' Instead of a long explanation, the guru handed the disciple a
precious jewel and said, "Show this jewel to the dhobi, rickshaw walla and
little girls, and see if they appreciate its value." The disciple then
showed the priceless jewel to the illiterate washer-men, but they could not
detect the value of the jewel. They said they would gladly accept it, and use
it for beating their dirty cloth. The disciple refused to give them the gem,
saying, "You have to pay the proper price for it. A stone or piece of wood
is sufficient for beating dirty cloth."
Upon
seeing the jewel, the rickshaw walla said, "Since it is a little rough, I
think it is just suitable for scrapping off the dry skin from my feet."
"Are you crazy!" said the disciple as he walked on to show the
village girls. Failing to recognize the true worth of the jewel, the girls
said, "We could use the jewel to pack our cow dung." The disciple
again met with his guru and said, "Gurudeva! Nobody wanted to pay the
proper price for the jewel. Nor could anyone appreciate the great value of the
gem." "Yes, in the same way," said the guru, "most people
cannot appreciate the value of the holy name. For this reason, they are
indifferent to the chanting of Hare Krishna. The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is an
open secret that is revealed only to the qualified."
(Excerpted
from the Lecture series, Art of Chanting by HH Mahanidhi Swami)
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