Introduction of Vaisnava Calendar ( book I am present working on )

[Paramananda das]

In the beginning of Caitanya Caritamrta ,Srila Krsna das Kaviraja has stated :

vande gurūn īśa-bhaktān
īśam īśāvatārakān

tat-prakāśāṁś ca tac-chaktīḥ

kṛṣṇa-caitanya-saṁjñakam

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters, the devotees of the Lord, the Lord's incarnations, His plenary portions, His energies, and the primeval Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.

By offering obaisences to Lord Caitanya ,Srila Krsna das Kaviraja has shown us that we obtain perfection in that way .

Srimad Bhagavatam 1..1.2 states : dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ

vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam

śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ

sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate 'tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt

Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.

But cheating religion is very cunning and what seems to be real religion may be the opposite, For example a devotee may chant japa outside of the bedbag but being uneducadet in sastra he may not know this fact from Haribhakti Vilasa :

YAKSA RAKSASA BHUTANI SIDDHA VIDYADHARA GANAH
HARANTI PRASABHAM YASMAT TASMAD GUPTAM SAMACARET
(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 17/144 YAJNA VALKYA SAMHITA)
If one chants japa while keeping his japa beads outside of his bead bag, then his japa is forcibly stolen by semidemigods, demons, ghosts, perfected living entities from Siddhaloka and Vidyadharas, the dancers in the heavenly planets. Therefore one should not keep his beads outside of his bead bag.

How much should one chant , what beads should one chant on everything in devotional service is a spiritual science.so we should want to know the highest standard in devotional service so we can aspire for it and gradually attain to it .Prema Vilasa explains that Lord Caitanya chanted 192 rounds daily and so did the incarnation of Prahlada Maharaja namely Srila Haridas Thakura ,But Lord Caitanya ordered all vaisnavas to chant 64 rounds minimum .Lord Caitanya refused to take prasadam from anyone in Jagannatha Puri that did not strictly chant 64 rounds daily .Srila Rupa Goswami also preached this standard on the order of Lord Caitanya and so has all our acaryas in the line of Srila Rupa Goswami .Srila PRabhupada also tried to introduce this standard in ISKCON. .Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada was very strict about this standard as was his glorious son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada .Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written that grhasthas should also chant 64 rounds :

Sadhu-vritti, Sajjana Toshani 11/12:

tinei sad-grihastha-jini pratyah laksha-nama grahana karena, tanhara grihei shuddha-vaishnava-gana
prasada grahana karibena.

“Only those devotees are sad-grihasthas (true and ideal householders) who chant 1,00,000 names of Krishna (64 rounds) daily. The pure devotees should accept prasada (foodstuffs) only in the homes of these sad-grihasthas and nowhere else

Shrila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji :

The main teaching of Shrila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja is as follows:

“If you want to achieve perfection in Krishna consciousness, you must take a vow to chant a minimum of two hundred thousand or otherwise one hundred thousand of holy names every day, and you must execute that without fail. Before you retire at night you must finish this specific number of rounds, then you can achieve perfection in Krishna consciousness.

Actually in Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakuas Harinama Cintamani he has stated one should first come to 64 rounds from first chanting 4 rounds then 8 rounds 16 rounds and then 32 rounds and then gradually reach 64 rounds ,when you have reached 64 rounds then Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has stated to push on from 64 to 192 rounds daily

mane habe-aja laksha nama ye kariba;
krame krame tina laksha nama ye smariba.
mahagraha habe citte namera sankhyaya;
acire jabe jadya sadhura kripaya.

“When one’s mind desires to chant and remember one hundred thousand holy names (64 rounds) daily and furthur desires to slowly increase it to three hundred thousand and when one’s mind becomes very attached and eager to complete the fixed number of rounds daily and pushes one to complete the sankhya everyday, then it is understood that very soon the laziness or apathy in chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra will vanish by the mercy of the devotees and one’s chanting will bring one the desired fruit of pure love for Krishna.”

Srila Prabhupada made 16 rounds and 4 regulative principles the absolute minimum standard for ISKCON .

If you continue in this way, and strictly follow the four regulative principles, making sure to chant at least sixteen rounds on the beads, daily, it is without a doubt that at the end of this lifetime, you can go back home, back to Godhead. (Letter to: Amogha — Bombay 26 December, 1972)
Now you must agree to very rigidly follow the rules and regulations, i.e. chanting sixteen rounds of beads daily, rising early and attending Mangala Arati, observing the four principles, attending the classes, eating only bhagavata prasadam as well as working under the instruction of my representatives, such as your GBC representative and Temple President, and if you follow this procedure very strictly then your life will be glorious and you will go back to Home, back to Godhead, this I can guarantee. (Letter to: Ghanasyama — Sydney 16 February, 1973)

Now you must all carefully follow these four regulative principles (1) No meat eating, (2) No illicit sex life, (3) No intoxication, (4) No gambling. Always be sure to chant minimum sixteen rounds daily. Study my books carefully, go for sankirtana and engage in Deity worship in the temple. You are all very sincere boys and girls and now I request you to make your life successful for going back to home, back to Godhead. (Letter to: Sons and daughters, Los Angeles 8 May, 1973)

Please always follow the four regulative principles and chant minimum sixteen rounds per day. Study my books very carefully and prepare yourself fully for going back to home, back to Godhead. (Letter to: Arjuna — Dallas 20 May, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada might have been worried devotees would not go on preaching and doing Harinama and bookdistribution if they also had to chant 64 rounds daily .But we should know the proper standards and we should know what our acaryas had stated about chanting 64 rounds and its importance .Srila Prabhupada himself chanted 64 rounds most of his life as he told to Tamal Krsna Maharaja .

The Hare Krishna Explosion, p. 63, by Hayagriva dasa, Palace Press 1985:

"Now that you have beads," Swamiji says the next morning, "you should chant sixty-four rounds every day."
"Sixty-four rounds?" To pronounce every word of the mantra distinctly, we require five minutes to chant a round. Sixty-four rounds would
take over five hours. "Impossible!" we say. "We'll never have the time."

"All right," Swamiji says. "Thirty-two rounds."
"Impossible," we say. "We'll never be able to do it. It's way too much."
"All right," Swamiji says. "Sixteen rounds. No less.

Kavichandra Maharaja asked me if Srila Prabhupada chanted 64 rounds when he gave this instruction for all his disciples to also chant 64 rounds , and I answered Maharaja that Srila Prabhupada is an acarya surely Srila Prabhupada is teaching us by example also on chanting 64 rounds.Being a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada 64 rounds was mandatory for all his disciples.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote this bhajan :

1)
jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole
kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole

(2)
bhajibo boliyā ese saḿsāra-bhitare
bhuliyā rohile tumi avidyāra bhare

(3)
tomāre loite āmi hoinu avatāra
āmi binā bandhu āra ke āche tomāra

(4)
enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi'
hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi māgi'

(5)
bhakativinoda prabhu-caraṇe pariyā
sei hari-nāma-mantra loilo māgiyā

TRANSLATION
1) Lord Gaurānga is calling, "Wake up, sleeping souls! Wake up, sleeping souls! How long will you sleep in the lap of the witch called Māyā?

2) You have forgotten the way of devotional service and are lost in the world of birth and death.

3) I have descended just to save you; other than Myself you have no friend in this world.

4) I have brought the medicine that will wipe out the disease of illusion from which you are suffering. Take this mahā-mantra-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/HareRāma, Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare."

5) Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thākura says: "I fall at the Lord's feet, having taken this mahā-mantra."

This Lord Gaurangas humble wish and plea to daily chant 64 rounds minimum, Srila Prabhupada has stated it can be done in 5 hours.

From Prema-vilasa Chapter 17:

prabhura achaye sankhya tina laksha nama;
eka laksha bhaktagane kaila kripa dana.

"Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu standard was to chant 3,00,000 names everyday. But He very mercifully awarded His devotees the process of chanting a minimum of 1,00,000 names of Krishna daily.

shri rupa kaila laksha granthera varnana;
tathapiha karila laksha nama grahana.

"Shrila Rupa Goswami has explained and quoted from over 100,000 different scriptures. Even though he was such a great scholar and devotee he himself chanted 100,000 Holy Names daily.

dasa gosvamira ache laksha pramana;
ei mata sarva bhakta kare harinama.

"Shrila Raghunatha dasa Goswami also rigidly followed the instructions of Lord Gauranga by chanting 100,000 names daily. In this way all the devotees chanted the Holy Names of the Lord daily without exception.

gauranga shrimukhe rupe kahila vaishnave;
laksha nama sankhya kari avasya karibe.

"Lord Gauranga gave the following instructions to all the Vaishnavas Himself and also through Shrila Rupa Goswami: Please compulsorily chant 100,000 names of Krishna daily

Now please listen to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupadas preaching about chanting 64 rounds this is from his commentary to Caitanya Bhagavata :
Chaitanya Bhagavata on Laksha Naam (Laksa nama means to chant 100.000 rounds it comes to around 64 rounds )

THE PERFECTION OF LIFE IS TO GET THE DEGREE OF LAKSHESHVARA FROM LORD GAURANGA MAHAPRABHU HIMSELF

In Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata, Antya Khanda 9.121-122, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructed everyone on whose worship and service He will accept:

(121) prabhu bale,-"jana, 'lakshesvara' bali kare?
prati-dina laksha-nama ye grahana kare"

"Do you know who is a laksesvara? He is someone who chants one laksa or 100,000 holy names (64 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra) everyday."

Purport by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

shri gaurasundera balibena-"jini pratidina laksha-nama grahana karibena, tanharai grihe bhagavan sevita hana.

Shri Gaurasundera spoke as follows-"The Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts service only in the home of those who chant one hundred thousand names daily.

"bhagavan tanharai nikate bhoga-dravyadi grahana karena.

"The Lord accepts bhoga (foodstuffs) and other ingredients only from such personalities.

"jini laksha-nama grahana karena na, tahara nikate haite bhagavan naivedya svikara-dvara seva-saubhagya pradana karena na.

"Those who don't chant 100,000 names (64 rounds) daily, are never awarded the great fortune of rendering service to the Lord by offering Him naivedya (bhoga). This is because the Lord never accepts (svikara) their offerings.

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

"bhagavad-bhakta matrei pratyaha laksha-nama grahana karibena natuva vividha visaye asakta haiya bhagavad-seva karite asamartha haibena."

The Lord continued-"Those who consider themselves devotees of the Lord must compulsorily chant 100,000 names of Krishna everyday otherwise they will gradually but surely become attached to varieties of sense-objects and thus become incapable to rendering any kind of service to the Lord."

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

tajjanyai shri chaitanyadevera ashrita sakalai nyuna kalpe laksha-nama grahana kariya thakena. natuva gaurasunderera udeshya pradatta naivedya tini grahana karibena na.

(Shrila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada continues) "Therefore all the devotees who have taken shelter of Lord Chaitanyadeva perform the chanting of a minimum of 100,000 names of Krishna daily as their first and primary duty. Because they know that if they don't do so then Lord Gaurasundera will never accept the very bhoga (naivedya) which they cook for Him daily.

(122) "se janera nama ami bali 'lakshesvara'
tatha bhiksha amara, na yai anya ghara."

"Lord Gauranga continued-I call such a person a laksheshvara. I only accept meals in such a person's house. I never go anywhere else."

Purport by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

shri chaitanya bhaktagana abhaktera sahita sambhashana karena na. jini bhaktivyatita karma, jnana o anyabhilashara kathaya pradatta tahara sahita bandhutva karibe na.

"The devotees of Lord Shri Chaitanya never talk with such non-devotees. They never do friendship with those who are engaged in the cultivation of karma, jnana or other desires which are devoid of bhakti.

pratyah laksha-nama grahana na karile patita vyaktiganera visaya-bhoga pravritti vriddhi paya, takhana ara tahara shri gaurasunderarera seva karite pare na.

"Those who don't accept this vow of chanting 100,000 names daily, fall down even more although they were fallen in the first place (due to the contamination of Kali-yuga). Thus their propensity for enjoying the senses and sense-objects continually and steadily increases and ultimately they are not able to render any kind of service even to the most merciful Lord Gaurasundera.

lakshesvara vyatita gaura-bhaktira adarsa gaudiyajana kehai svikara karena na.

"This is the precise reason why the real Gaudiya-bhaktas do not accept any other ideal (adarsa) in Gaura-bhakti or Krishna-bhakti except the process of chanting 100,000 names of the maha-mantra daily.

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

adhapatita va adhapete gana eka-matra bhajana-sabda-vacya shri-nama-bhajane vimukhata-vasata laksha-nama grahana karibara parivarte anya bhajanera chalana korena, taddvara tahadera kona mangala haya na.

"Those spiritual aspirants who are already fallen or will fall down from spiritual life in the future are averse to this sole means of deliverance called nama-bhajana, which is the worship of the sound incarnation of God in the form of chanting 100,000 names of the the Holy Names daily. Coming under the sway of their averseness to chant laksha-nama daily, they duplicitously invent (chalana) other means of devotional service (bhajana) to justify their not chanting 100,000 names daily but it is to be clearly understood that by this action they will not achieve anything auspicious (mangala) in their spiritual life."

Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata Madhya Khanda 15.5,

ushah kale ganga-snana kariya nirjane;
dui laksha krishna-nama laya pratidine.

Purport by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

kathita ache, shri haridasa thakura pratyaha tina-laksha nama grahana karitena. jagai-madhai u pratyaha dui laksha nama grahana karitena. yanhara pratyaha laksha nama grahana karena na, tanhadera nivedita kona vastui shri chaitanyadeva grahana karena na. shri caitany-carananucara-gana pratyaha atyalpa pakshe laksha-nama grahana avasyei kariya thakena, natuva shri krishna tanhadera naivedya grahana na karaya bhagavad-ucchishta praptira vicare vyaghat ghate.

"It is well-known that Namacharya Shrila Haridasa Thakura used to chant 300,000 names daily. Jagai-Madhai also used to chant 200,000 names daily after being delivered by the Lord. Lord Chaitanyadeva does not accept any kind of offering (or vastu) from those who don't chant 100,000 names of Krishna daily, The followers surrendered to the lotus of Lord Chaitanya compulsorily chant a bare minimum of 100,000 names daily. If they don't do so Lord Shri Krishna will not accept any of their offerings and thus they will be obstructed or remain unsuccessful in their attempt to obtain the transcendental remanants (prasadam) of the Lord."

SHRILA LOKANATHA GOSVAMI TO HIS DISICPLE SHRILA NAROTTAMA Das Thakura

From Prema-vilasa Chapter 11:

(Note: Both Shrila Prabhupada and Shrila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada have accepted Prema-vilasa as a bonafide scripture in their commentaries to Shri Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi-lila 13.60 purport.)

je vaishnava haibe laibe harinama;
sankhya kari nama laile, kripa karena gauradhama.

"Those who are Vaishavas must chant the Holy Names in a particular number everyday. Then Lord Gauranga, the supreme Abode of love will be merciful to them.

WHAT IS THAT NUMBER?

purva abhipraye sabe laha harinama;
keha laksha viseshatah mukhe gana.

"Everyone should specifically chant or sing the name loudly 100,000 times a day (64 rounds) with the mood I have described earlier.

EMPOWERMENT:

narottama laksha nama laya sankhya kari;
nama laile gaurangera sarva sakti dhari.

"O my disciple, Narottama! Please chant 100,000 names everyday while maintaining their count. If you chant in this way then you will become empowered by all the potencies of Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu."

Srila Narottama das Thakura also introduced all his disciples to chant 64 rounds :

From Prema-vilasa Chapter 18: Shrila Narottama instructs his disciples:

adhanya manaye narottama apanake;
suna sishya bandhugana kahiye tomake.

"Shrila Thakura Narottama considering himself worthless in his natural humility, called all his disciples, followers and friends, and spoke to them the following important instructions.

MOST IMPORTANT INSTRUCTION:

prathamei krshna-pada prapti laksha jara;
se laiba laksha-nama sankhya apanara.

"Those whose top priority in this life is to achieve the lotus feet of Lord Gauranga-Krishna should voluntarily chant 100,000 Holy Names of daily."

Narottama-vilasa 10th Vilasa:

Rupamala, the queen of a distant country became so happy on getting initiation from Shrila Narottama dasa Thakura that she took a vow to take 100,000 Harinama (64 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra) daily. Seeing her determination, everyone began to sing the glory of Shrila Narottama dasa Thakura Mahashaya.

In Rasika Mangala it is mentioned that Srila Rasikananda Prabhu even as a child would not honor prasadam untill he had completed 64 rounds .

By removing all cheating religion in the mattter of chanting Hare Krsna I conclude the introduction to this book Vaisnava calendar and fall at the lotus feet of of Lord Caitanya and all His associates and all the acaryas in our Gaudiya Vaisnava line begging them to remove all traces of the 10 offences of Sri Nama Prabhu from my life and I beg all the readers of this book will find complete shelter of Sri Sri Radha Krsna as Radha Krsna are the personification of the Hare Krsna Mahamantra as explained by Srila Jiva Goswami :

Explanation of the Mahamantra by Srila Jiva Gosvami.

 

Mahamantra Tika
1.
By His uncommon beauty, Sri Krsna Candra
takes away the mind of everyone.
However, when Sri Radha expands Her own
cleverness, She also captures Sri
Krsna's mind. Therefore She is called "Hara"

2.
By His loveliness and by the sweet sound of
His flute, Sri Krsna, who is
decorated with the most captivating qualities,
attracts Radha. Therefore He
is called "Krsna."

3.
It has been heard from the mouths of great
souls that Lord Hari led away
the fawn-eyed Radha from the Rasa dance to
secluded bower. Therefore Radha
is called "Hara."

4.
As He sports with Radha, His blackish
effulgence causes shiny gold to
also appear blackish. Therefore He is called
"Krsna."

5.
In pursuance of the wishes of His beloved Sri
Radha, He constructed in
the forest near Govardhana a lake named
Syama-kunda and then drew the waters
of all holy bathing places there. Those who know
this call Him "Krsna."

6.
By Her unsurpassed love, Sri Radha attracts
Him who is the performer of
wonderful pastimes to the Vrndavana forest on the
banks of Yamuna River.
Those of steady intellect therefore call Him "Krsna."

7.
One day while Krsna was in Vrndavana, He
killed the demon Arista, who was
disguised as a bull. At that time Radha
affectionately called out to Him "O
Hari!" Therefore She is known as "Hara."

8.
Sometimes due to excessive love, Sri Radha's
voice becomes faint when She
sings the glories of Sri Krsna's pastimes.
Therefore those who are expert in
discerning spiritual sentiments call Her "Hara."

9.
Once, in the forest of Vrndavana, Sri Krsna
dropped His flute due to the
intense experience of loving sentiments. All that
time Radha snatched up His
flute. Therefore She is called "Hara."

10.
Once Sri Krsna put His arms around Sri Radha,
took Her into a bower
shaped like one of the caves at Govardhana Hill
and there enjoyed with Her.
Therefore He is called "Rama".

11.
Everyday the most merciful Sri Radha bestows
(rati) happiness upon
Krsna. Therefore She is called "Hara."

12.
The minds of the devotees always find
pleasure in Sri Krsna, who is an
ocean of transcendental bliss. Therefore that
beautiful dark form of Krsna
is called "Rama."

13.
Radha is called Rama because She enjoyed
Acyuta through loving pastimes
in a forest pavilion made of flowering creepers.
Because Krsna is with that
Rama, He is called "Rama".

14.
When all of Gokula was filled with wailing
because of a forest fire, Sri
Krsna extinguished it, thus greatly pleasing the
Vrajavasis. Therefore He is
called "Rama".

15.
Sri Krsna went to Mathura to kill the demons
headed by Kamsa. By Her to
enjoy confidential pastimes with Krsna, Sri Radha
brought Krsna back to
Vrndavana. Therefore She is called "Hara".

16.
When Sri Krsna came back to Vrndavana, He
took away the suffering of the
Vrajavasis and by His wonderful pastimes
captivated Radha's mind. Therefore
the son of Nanda is called "Hari".

We must understand when we say mother Hare or Hara we are referring to Srimati Radharani

Let the twice-born enter the fearless kingdom of yoga, Vedic study, and solitary meditation in the forest. Let them become liberated in that way. As for us, we will spend hundreds of thousands of births chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna, whose splendid dark complexion and yellow garments are like a host of blue lotus flowers blooming in a grove of yellow-flower-bearing kadamba trees. —Shri Ishvara Puri