seeing through the eyes of scriptures
why 64 rounds is the minimum standard of chanting for Gaudiya Vaisnavas
why 64 rounds is the minimum standard of chanting for Gaudiya Vaisnavas
Yes I know it is hard for most to grap their head around because most goes around in an illusion 16 rounds is enough ,Srila Narayana Maharaja used to say only a first class fooll will think 16 rounds is enough , Srila Prabhupada however encouraged devotees to at least chant 16 rounds daily and said if they chant 16 rounds they will not fall down, well 16 rounds is better than no rounds ,, but if you really become a student of Harinama Cintamani you will develop a mature understanding of Sri Nama Tattva
Here is the problem given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura : (12)
ruci yāya anya sthāne nāme udāsīna
nāme citta magna nahe jape prati-dina
“By having a taste for other things, one becomes indifferent to the Name. Even by chanting japa every day, still one’s mind is not absorbed in the Holy Name.
(13)
citta eka dike āra anya dike nāma
tāhāra maṅgala kise haya guṇa dhāma
“The mind will be in one direction, while the Name will be in another direction. O Abode of all good qualities, how can such a person attain any auspiciousness?
We have been in the material world for unlimeted amount of lives and thus there is aversion for chanting Sri Harinama :
Srila Prabhupada has explained this in Nectar of instruction to Srila Rupa Goswami sloka 7:
NOI 7
स्यात् कृष्णनामचरितादिसिताप्यविद्यापित्तोपतप्तरसनस्य न रोचिका नु ।
किन्त्वादरादनुदिनं खलु सैव जुष्टा स्वाद्वी क्रमाद्भवति तद्गदमूलहन्त्री ॥ ७ ॥
syāt kṛṣṇa-nāma-caritādi-sitāpy avidyā-
pittopatapta-rasanasya na rocikā nu
kintv ādarād anudinaṁ khalu saiva juṣṭā
svādvī kramād bhavati tad-gada-mūla-hantrī
Synonyms
syāt — is; kṛṣṇa — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāma — the holy name; carita-ādi — character, pastimes and so forth; sitā — sugar candy; api — although; avidyā — of ignorance; pitta — by the bile; upatapta — afflicted; rasanasya — of the tongue; na — not; rocikā — palatable; nu — oh, how wonderful it is; kintu — but; ādarāt — carefully; anudinam — every day, or twenty-four hours daily; khalu — naturally; sā — that (sugar candy of the holy name); eva — certainly; juṣṭā — taken or chanted; svādvī — relishable; kramāt — gradually; bhavati — becomes; tat-gada — of that disease; mūla — of the root; hantrī — the destroyer.
Translation
The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kṛṣṇa are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidyā [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.
Purport
The holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, His quality, pastimes and so forth are all of the nature of absolute truth, beauty and bliss. Naturally they are very sweet, like sugar candy, which appeals to everyone. Nescience, however, is compared to the disease called jaundice, which is caused by bilious secretions. Attacked by jaundice, the tongue of a diseased person cannot palatably relish sugar candy. Rather, a person with jaundice considers something sweet to taste very bitter. Avidyā (ignorance) similarly perverts the ability to relish the transcendentally palatable name, quality, form and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Despite this disease, if one with great care and attention takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting the holy name and hearing Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental pastimes, his ignorance will be destroyed and his tongue enabled to taste the sweetness of the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa and His paraphernalia. Such a recovery of spiritual health is possible only by the regular cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
When a man in the material world takes more interest in the materialistic way of life than in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is considered to be in a diseased condition. The normal condition is to remain an eternal servant of the Lord (jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya – kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’). This healthy condition is lost when the living entity forgets Kṛṣṇa due to being attracted by the external features of Kṛṣṇa’s māyā energy. This world of māyā is called durāśraya, which means “false or bad shelter.” One who puts his faith in durāśraya becomes a candidate for hoping against hope. In the material world everyone is trying to become happy, and although their material attempts are baffled in every way, due to their nescience they cannot understand their mistakes. People try to rectify one mistake by making another mistake. This is the way of the struggle for existence in the material world. If one in this condition is advised to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy, he does not accept such instructions.
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being spread all over the world just to remedy this gross ignorance. People in general are misled by blind leaders. The leaders of human society – the politicians, philosophers and scientists – are blind because they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. According to Bhagavad-gītā, because they are bereft of all factual knowledge due to their atheistic way of life, they are actually sinful rascals and are the lowest among men.
na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 7.15)
Such people never surrender to Kṛṣṇa, and they oppose the endeavor of those who wish to take Kṛṣṇa’s shelter. When such atheists become leaders of society, the entire atmosphere is surcharged with nescience. In such a condition, people do not become very enthusiastic to receive this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, just as a diseased person suffering from jaundice does not relish the taste of sugar candy. However, one must know that for jaundice, sugar candy is the only specific medicine. Similarly, in the present confused state of humanity, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare – is the only remedy for setting the world aright. Although Kṛṣṇa consciousness may not be very palatable for a diseased person, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī nonetheless advises that if one wants to be cured of the material disease, he must take to it with great care and attention. One begins his treatment by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra because by chanting this holy name of the Lord a person in the material condition will be relieved from all misconceptions (ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam). Avidyā, a misconception about one’s spiritual identity, provides the foundation for ahaṅkāra, or false ego within the heart.
The real disease is in the heart. If the mind is cleansed, however, if consciousness is cleansed, a person cannot be harmed by the material disease. To cleanse the mind and heart from all misconceptions, one should take to this chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This is both easy and beneficial. By chanting the holy name of the Lord, one is immediately freed from the blazing fire of material existence.
There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord – the offensive stage, the stage of lessening offenses, and the pure stage. When a neophyte takes to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he generally commits many offenses. There are ten basic offenses, and if the devotee avoids these, he can glimpse the next stage, which is situated between offensive chanting and pure chanting. When one attains the pure stage, he is immediately liberated. This is called bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam. As soon as one is liberated from the blazing fire of material existence, he can relish the taste of transcendental life.
The conclusion is that in order to get freed from the material disease, one must take to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is especially meant for creating an atmosphere in which people can take to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. One must begin with faith, and when this faith is increased by chanting, a person can become a member of the Society. We are sending saṅkīrtana parties all over the world, and they are experiencing that even in the remotest part of the world, where there is no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra attracts thousands of men to our camp. In some areas, people begin to imitate the devotees by shaving their heads and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, only a few days after hearing the mantra. This may be imitative, but imitation of a good thing is desired. Some imitators gradually become interested in being initiated by the spiritual master and offer themselves for initiation.
If one is sincere, he is initiated, and this stage is called bhajana-kriyā. One then actually engages in the service of the Lord by regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, sixteen rounds daily, and refraining from illicit sex, intoxicants, meat-eating and gambling. By bhajana-kriyā one attains freedom from the contamination of materialistic life. He no longer goes to a restaurant or hotel to taste so-called palatable dishes made with meat and onions, nor does he care to smoke or drink tea or coffee. He not only refrains from illicit sex, but avoids sex life entirely. Nor is he interested in wasting his time in speculating or gambling. In this way it is to be understood that one is becoming cleansed of unwanted things (anartha-nivṛtti). The word anartha refers to unwanted things. Anarthas are vanquished when one becomes attached to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
When a person is relieved from unwanted things, he becomes fixed in executing his Kṛṣṇa activities. Indeed, he becomes attached to such activities and experiences ecstasy in executing devotional service. This is called bhāva, the preliminary awakening of dormant love of Godhead. Thus the conditioned soul becomes free from material existence and loses interest in the bodily conception of life, including material opulence, material knowledge and material attraction of all variety. At such a time one can understand who the Supreme Personality of Godhead is and what His māyā is.
Although māyā may be present, it cannot disturb a devotee once he attains the bhāva stage. This is because the devotee can see the real position of māyā. Māyā means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, and forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness stand side by side like light and shadow. If one remains in shadow, he cannot enjoy the facilities offered by light, and if one remains in light, he cannot be disturbed by the darkness of shadow. By taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one gradually becomes liberated and remains in light. Indeed, he does not even touch the darkness. As confirmed in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.31):
kṛṣṇa – sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra
yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra
“Kṛṣṇa is compared to sunshine, and māyā is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the darkness of illusion, the influence of the external energy, will immediately vanish.”
So chanting 16 rounds is not enough certainly not and Srila Prabhupada used to say it again and again I have given you these 16 rounds because you have refused to chant 64 rounds so the 16 is the minimum ,now always increase never decrease your chanting
What is Srila Rupa Goswamis next advise ?
NOI 8
तन्नामरूपचरितादिसुकीर्तनानुस्मृत्योः क्रमेण रसनामनसी नियोज्य ।
तिष्ठन्व्रजे तदनुरागिजनानुगामी कालं नयेदखिलमित्युपदेशसारम् ॥ ८ ॥
tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu-
smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya
tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi-janānugāmī
kālaṁ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram
Synonyms
tat — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāma — the holy name; rūpa — form; carita-ādi — character, pastimes and so on; su-kīrtana — in discussing or chanting nicely; anusmṛtyoḥ — and in remembering; krameṇa — gradually; rasanā — the tongue; manasī — and one’s mind; niyojya — engaging; tiṣṭhan — residing; vraje — in Vraja; tat — to Lord Kṛṣṇa; anurāgi — attached; jana — persons; anugāmī — following; kālam — time; nayet — should utilize; akhilam — full; iti — thus; upadeśa — of advice or instruction; sāram — the essence.
Translation
The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time – twenty-four hours a day – in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vṛndāvana-dhāma] and serve Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.
What is the benefit of all this chanting and absorbing one self in Krsnas Pastimes form qualities etc ?
One will realize ones Nitya Svarupa in Vrindavana ,,, you really think 16 rounds is enough when Lord Caitanya ask for minimum 64 rounds ,that means you are an IDIOT in capital letters
Purport
Since the mind may be one’s enemy or one’s friend, one has to train the mind to become his friend. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is especially meant for training the mind to be always engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s business. The mind contains hundreds and thousands of impressions, not only of this life but also of many, many lives of the past. These impressions sometimes come in contact with one another and produce contradictory pictures. In this way the mind’s function can become dangerous for a conditioned soul. Students of psychology are aware of the mind’s various psychological changes. In Bhagavad-gītā (8.6) it is said:
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ taṁ evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.”
At the time of death, the mind and intelligence of a living entity create the subtle form of a certain type of body for the next life. If the mind suddenly thinks of something not very congenial, one has to take a corresponding birth in the next life. On the other hand, if one can think of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, he can be transferred to the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana. This process of transmigration is very subtle; therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises devotees to train their minds in order that they will be unable to remember anything other than Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the tongue should be trained to speak only of Kṛṣṇa and to taste only kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī further advises, tiṣṭhan vraje: one should live in Vṛndāvana or any part of Vrajabhūmi. Vrajabhūmi, or the land of Vṛndāvana, is supposed to be eighty-four krośas in area. One krośa equals two square miles. When one makes Vṛndāvana his residence, he should take shelter of an advanced devotee there. In this way one should always think of Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes. This is further elucidated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.294):
kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya
preṣṭhaṁ nija-samīhitam
tat-tat-kathā-rataś cāsau
kuryād vāsaṁ vraje sadā
“A devotee should always reside in the transcendental realm of Vraja and always engage in kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya preṣṭham, the remembrance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His beloved associates. By following in the footsteps of such associates and by entering under their eternal guidance, one can acquire an intense desire to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Again Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.295):
sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa
siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi
tad-bhāva-lipsunā kāryā
vraja-lokānusārataḥ
“In the transcendental realm of Vraja [Vraja-dhāma] one should serve the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, with a feeling similar to that of His associates, and one should place himself under the direct guidance of a particular associate of Kṛṣṇa and should follow in his footsteps. This method is applicable both in the stage of sādhana [spiritual practices executed while in the stage of bondage] and in the stage of sādhya [God realization], when one is a siddha-puruṣa, or a spiritually perfect soul.”
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has commented as follows upon this verse: “One who has not yet developed interest in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should give up all material motives and train his mind by following the progressive regulative principles, namely chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa and His name, form, quality, pastimes and so forth. In this way, after developing a taste for such things, one should try to live in Vṛndāvana and pass his time constantly remembering Kṛṣṇa’s name, fame, pastimes and qualities under the direction and protection of an expert devotee. This is the sum and substance of all instruction regarding the cultivation of devotional service.
“In the neophyte stage one should always engage in hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. This is called śravaṇa-daśā, the stage of hearing. By constantly hearing the transcendental holy name of Kṛṣṇa and hearing of His transcendental form, qualities and pastimes, one can attain to the stage of acceptance called varaṇa-daśā. When one attains this stage, he becomes attached to the hearing of kṛṣṇa-kathā. When one is able to chant in ecstasy, he attains the stage of smaraṇāvasthā, the stage of remembering. Recollection, absorption, meditation, constant remembrance and trance are the five items of progressive kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa. At first, remembrance of Kṛṣṇa may be interrupted at intervals, but later remembrance proceeds uninterrupted. When remembrance is uninterrupted, it becomes concentrated and is called meditation. When meditation expands and becomes constant, it is called anusmṛti. By uninterrupted and unceasing anusmṛti one enters the stage of samādhi, or spiritual trance. After smaraṇa-daśā or samādhi has fully developed, the soul comes to understand his original constitutional position. At that time he can perfectly and clearly understand his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is called sampatti-daśā, the perfection of life.
“Caitanya-caritāmṛta advises those who are neophytes to give up all kinds of motivated desires and simply engage in the regulative devotional service of the Lord according to the directions of scripture. In this way a neophyte can gradually develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa’s name, fame, form, qualities and so forth. When one has developed such attachment, he can spontaneously serve the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa even without following the regulative principles. This stage is called rāga-bhakti, or devotional service in spontaneous love. At that stage the devotee can follow in the footsteps of one of the eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. This is called rāgānuga-bhakti. Rāgānuga-bhakti, or spontaneous devotional service, can be executed in the śānta-rasa when one aspires to be like Kṛṣṇa’s cows or the stick or flute in the hand of Kṛṣṇa, or the flowers around Kṛṣṇa’s neck. In the dāsya-rasa one follows in the footsteps of servants like Citraka, Patraka or Raktaka. In the friendly sakhya-rasa one can become a friend like Baladeva, Śrīdāmā or Sudāmā. In the vātsalya-rasa, characterized by parental affection, one can become like Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā, and in the mādhurya-rasa, characterized by conjugal love, one can become like Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī or Her lady friends such as Lalitā and Her serving maids (mañjarīs) like Rūpa and Rati. This is the essence of all instruction in the matter of devotional service.”
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Here is something else :Srila Bhakti Praoda Puri Maharaja would quote these words from Srila Bhaktivnoda Thakura :(14)
lakṣa nāma haile pūrṇa saṅkhyā mālā gaṇi
hṛdaye nahila rasa bindu guṇa maṇi
“O Jewel of all qualities, one may complete chanting a lakh of Names (100,000 Names, or 64 rounds) on the beads, but not even a drop of rasa appears in the heart.
(15)
ei ta anavadhāna doṣera prakāra
viṣayī hṛdaye prabhu baḍa durnivāra
“This is the fault with this kind of inattentiveness – it is extremely difficult to remove from the heart of those who are attached to sense objects.
So even if we chant 64 rounds the mind can still be attracted to Maya in Jaiva Dharma on Madhava Babaji was chanting with the Vaisnavas in Godruma 64 rounds but his mind got attracted to his
former wife because he met her again and started talking to her (not gross sex life but still a subtle falldown ) Thus Lord Caitanya showed when taking sannyasa one should not again meet with ones former so-called wife
Having had the associating with Babajis like Subal das Babaji a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada that lived at Govinda Kunda ,his preaching was that 64 rounds only prepares you for proper Krsna consciouness daily and then the next 64 rounds are very important ,so among Babajis it is common to chant 120 rounds daily ,Srila Jagannath das Babaji said before you sleep at night make sure you have chanted 120 rounds of the Mahamantra with full love devotion and attention eveyhing is within the Mahamantra Rada Krsna and all Their pastimes and our svarupa becomes uncovered the more we chant Hare Krsna ,who will nto chant one lakh daily even better 2 ,Jagai and Madhai after their initiation never sinned again and chanted 120 rounds daily as explained in Caitanya Bhagavata Harinama Cintamani is my life and soul,I beg for the guidance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Sri Kamala Manjari birth after birth that is our prayer
Hari-nāma Cintāmaṇi – Chapter Twelve
Nāmāparādha—pramāda
(Inattention as an Offence to the Name)
(1)
jaya jaya mahāprabhu jaya bhakta-gaṇa
yādera prasāde kari nāma-saṅkīrtana
Glories to Mahāprabhu, glories to the devotees. It is by their mercy that I engage in nāma–saṅkīrtana.
Pramāda-nāmaka aparādha (Inattention as an Offence to the Name)
(2-3)
hari-dāsa bale prabhu hethā sanātane
āra ta gopāla bhaṭṭa dakṣiṇa bhramaṇe
śikhāile apramāde śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana
pramādake aparādhe karile gaṇana
Hari Dāsa said, “O Lord, You taught to Sanātana here, and to Gopāla Bhaṭṭa while travelling in the south, that one should not be inattentive during śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana. Thus, pramāda (inattention) is counted as an offence. (1)
(1) He told to Śrī Sanātana:
eka aṅga sādhe keha sādhe bahu aṅga
niṣṭhā haile upajaya premera taraṅga
(“Whether one performs one or many divisions of bhakti, when niṣṭhā appears, the waves of prema will awaken.” (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.134)
By abandoning pramāda, or inattention, then niṣṭhā at the time of sādhana is born.
(4)
anya aparādha tyaji sadā nāma laya
tabu nāme prema nāhi haya ta udaya
“Some give up all the other offences and constantly chant the Name, but still prema for the Name does not arise in them.
(5)
tabe jāni pramāda nāmete aparādha
prema-bhakti sādhanete kariteche bādha
“Then I know that the nāmāparādha of pramāda is impeding their sādhana and their attainment of prema-bhakti.
Anavadhānakei pramāda bale (Inattention is Known as Pramāda)
(6)
pramāda anavadhāna ei mūla artha
ihā haite ghaṭe prabhu sakala anartha
“The original meaning of pramāda is ‘inattention.’ O Lord, from this, all other anarthas arise.
Tina prakāra anavadhāna (The Three Types of Inattention)
(7)
audāsīnya jāḍya āra vikṣepa e tina
prakāra anavadhāna bujhibe pravīṇa
“Those who are wise understand three types of inattention—audāsīnya (indifference), jāḍya (laziness) and vikṣepa (distraction). (2)
(2) In respect to sādhana, audāsīnya means a lack of niṣṭhā, jāḍya means laziness, and vikṣepa means that the mind is invested in other things.
Anurāga nā haoyā paryanta nāma-grahaṇe yatnera āvaśyakatā (If One has not Achieved Anurāga, then it is Required that One Should Chant the Name with Great Care)
(8)
kona bhāgye kona jīvera śraddhā yadi haya
tabe tiṅha hari-nāma grahaṇa karaya
“Due to some good fortune, if a jīva attains śraddhā, then he can chant hari–nāma. (3)
(3) One should keep count on tulasī beads, and gradually a desire will arise to increase the number.
(9)
yatna kari smare nāma saṅkhyāra sahita
tabe nāme anurāga haya ta udita
“By carefully remembering the Name and keeping count, anurāga (attraction) for the Name will develop.
(10)
ye paryanta anurāga nā haya udaya
se paryanta yatna kari nāma sadā laya
“As long as anurāga has not appeared, one should endeavour to constantly chant the Name.
Yatnābhāve sādhakera citta sthira haya nā (The Sādhaka who is Careless Cannot Steady the Mind)
(11)
nisargataḥ loka saba viṣaye āsakta
smṛti-kāle viṣaya-antare anurakta
“People are naturally attracted to sense objects. At the time when one remembers them, the internal senses become attached to them. (4)
(4) Viṣaya-antare (sense objects in the mind) – other things (unrelated to Kṛṣṇa).
(12)
ruci yāya anya sthāne nāme udāsīna
nāme citta magna nahe jape prati-dina
“By having a taste for other things, one becomes indifferent to the Name. Even by chanting japa every day, still one’s mind is not absorbed in the Holy Name.
(13)
citta eka dike āra anya dike nāma
tāhāra maṅgala kise haya guṇa dhāma
“The mind will be in one direction, while the Name will be in another direction. O Abode of all good qualities, how can such a person attain any auspiciousness?
(14)
lakṣa nāma haile pūrṇa saṅkhyā mālā gaṇi
hṛdaye nahila rasa bindu guṇa maṇi
“O Jewel of all qualities, one may complete chanting a lakh of Names (100,000 Names, or 64 rounds) on the beads, but not even a drop of rasa appears in the heart.
(15)
ei ta anavadhāna doṣera prakāra
viṣayī hṛdaye prabhu baḍa durnivāra
“This is the fault with this kind of inattentiveness – it is extremely difficult to remove from the heart of those who are attached to sense objects.
Yatna karibāra vidhi (The Rules for Being Careful)
(16)
sādhu saṅge svalpa kāla chāḍiyā viṣaya
nirjane laile nāma ei doṣa kṣaya
“In a short time, one can abandon sense objects through sādhu–saṅga. This fault is destroyed by chanting the Name in a secluded place. (5)
(5) Initially, one may regularly follow in this way for a half hour, starting with chanting the Name in a secluded place in the association of sādhus. Eventually, by observing the nature of those sādhus, one will emulate them, abandon his indifference and a desire (for service) will arise.
(17)
krame krame kṛṣṇa-nāme citta haya sthira
nirantara nāma-rase haya ta adhīra
“Gradually, the mind will become fixed upon kṛṣṇa-nāma, then one loses all composure by perpetually tasting nāma-rasa.
(18)
tulasīra sannikaṭe kṛṣṇa-līlā sthāne
sādhu sannidhāne basi sātvata-vidhāne
“The sātvata–vidhāna (method prescribed by the sādhus) states that one should reside near tulasī, a place of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and in the company of sādhus. (6)
(6) Sātvata-vidhāna (the method prescribed by the sādhus) – the method of the previous sādhus absorbed in the bliss of bhajana. First one chants for half an hour, then an hour, then one gradually increases his chanting to two hours, then gradually his chanting is increased to one lakṣa (64 rounds), and then to three lakṣa (192 rounds). Such an increase develops naturally.
(19)
krame kāla vṛddhi kari sei nāma smare
ati śīghra viṣayera chanda haite tare
“Gradually, one increases his time meditating on the Name, and very quickly transcends the desire for sense objects.
Anya prakriyā. ei rūpa karile audāsīnya rūpa anavadhāna haya nā (Another Method, which Does Not Lead to Indifference)
(20)
athavā nirjane basi smari sādhu-rīti
indriya pidhāna kari nāme kare mati
“Otherwise, one may sit in a secluded place, remembering the method of the sādhus. By covering the senses, one may fix the mind on the Name. (7)
(7) Indriya pidhāna kari (covering the senses) – sitting alone in a room with the door closed, or covering the eyes, nose etc. with a cloth during sādhana.
(21)
satvare nāmete niṣṭhā ruci krame haya
audāsīnya doṣe tāra krame haya kṣaya
“Swiftly one attains niṣṭhā and then gradually ruci (a taste) for the Name. Then the fault of indifference is eventually destroyed.
Jāḍya-janita anavadhāna lakṣaṇa (The Symptoms of Inattention Arising from Laziness)
(22)
jāḍye ye anavadhāna alasera mane
tāhe ruci nāhi haya śrī-nāma-grahaṇe
“Inattention from jāḍya stems from an idle mind. Thus, a taste will not arise when chanting śrī–nāma.
(23)
smṛti-kāle punaḥ śīghra virāme prayāsa
ei doṣe nāma-rasa nā haya prakāśa
“At the time of remembering (the Holy Name) one will endeavour to finish one’s chanting quickly. Due to this fault, nāma–rasa will not manifest.
(24)
anya kārye vṛthā kāla nā haya yāpana
sādhu-gaṇa ihā cinti smare anukṣaṇa
“Sādhus never waste time in other useless activities, but remember the Name at every moment.(8)
(8) The symptom of a sādhu’s character is avyartha-kālatva-dharma (‘his nature is that he does not waste his time engaging in unnecessary activities’), and one should emulate this.
(25)
nāma smare rase maje anya nāhi cāya
sei rūpa sādhu-saṅge ei doṣa yāya
“Meditating upon nāma and absorbed in rasa, they desire nothing else. This fault (of laziness) vanishes in the association of sādhus.
(26)
anveṣiyā sei rūpa sādhu-saṅga kare
tad-anukaraṇe citta jāḍya parihare
“In this way, one must search for sādhu–saṅga, and by emulating them, one will avoid mental laziness.(9)
(9) A viśuddha-sādhu-bhakta (pure devotee sādhu) is rare. Searching from place to place, one will eventually find sādhu–saṅga.
(27)
avyartha kālatva dharma sādhura carita
dekhile tāhāte ruci haibe niścita
“It is the nature of a sādhu’s character not to waste time in useless things. Observing such actions, an aspiring devotee will certainly attain ruci.
(28)
mane habe āhā kabe ihāra samāna
smariba gāiba nāma haye bhāgyavān
“He will think, ‘Oh when will I be the same as this? When will I become fortunate enough to remember and chant the Name like him?’”
(29)
sei ta utsāha āsi alasera mane
jāḍya dūra kare kṛṣṇa-nāmera smaraṇe
“In this way, he will become enthusiastic. Lazy thoughts stemming from jāḍya will go far away and he will be able to remember kṛṣṇa–nāma.
(30)
mane habe āja lakṣa nāma ye kariba
krame krame tina lakṣa nāma ye smariba
“He will think, ‘Today I will chant one lakṣa of Holy Names and gradually I will meditate upon three lakṣa of Names.’
(31)
mahāgraha habe citte nāmera saṅkhyāya
acire yāibe jāḍya sādhura kṛpāya
“In his mind he has great eagerness and he chants a fixed number of Names. Very soon, jāḍya goes away, by the mercy of the sādhu.
Vikṣepa janita anavadhāna lakṣaṇa (Understanding the Characteristics of Distraction)
(32)
vikṣepa haite yei pramāda udaya
bahu yatne sei aparādha haya kṣaya
“The inattention that comes from vikṣepa is an aparādha which can only be destroyed with great effort.
(33)
kanaka kāminī āra jaya parājaya
pratiṣṭhāśā śāṭhya-vṛtti tāhāra nilaya
“It resides in the desire for gold, women, the victory and defeat of others, hankering for prestige, and the tendency to deceive. (10)
(10) Tāhāra nilaya (‘they reside there’) – these are the residences for jāḍya.
(34)
e saba ākṛṣṭi hṛde haile udaya
nāmete anavadhāna svabhāvataḥ haya
“When attraction for all these arises in the heart, one naturally becomes inattentive to the Name. (11)
(11) Ākṛṣṭa – “pulled or drawn towards.”
Vikṣepa-tyāgera upāya (The Method of Abandoning Distraction)
(35)
krame krame sei saba cintā parihāre
yatibe saubhāgyavān vaiṣṇava ācāre
“Gradually, one gives up thinking about all these things. One who is most fortunate endeavours to follow the conduct of a Vaiṣṇava.(12)
(12) Yatibe – struggles.
(36)
prathamete hari-dine bhoga-cintā tyaji
sādhu-saṅge rātra-dina hari-nāma bhaji
“Firstly, on days that are sacred to Hari, one should renounce even the thought of food, and in the association of sādhus, worship hari-nāma day and night. (13)
(13) Hari–dina—Hari-vasara, Ekādaśī, appearance days of the Lord etc.
(37)
hari-kṣetre hari-dāsa hari-śāstre laye
utsave majibe sukhe parama nirbhaye
“In a place sacred to Hari, with Hari’s servants, and reading śāstra about Hari, one should absorb oneself in such supremely blissful festivals without any fear. (14)
(14) Hari-kṣetra – Śrī Navadvīpa, Śrī Vṛndāvana, Śrī Puruṣottama etc.
Hari-dāsa – those pure Vaiṣṇavas who are rūpānugas.
Hari-śāstra – the śruti, the Gītā, Śrī Bhāgavata, and all texts that follow Vaiṣṇava siddhānta.
(38)
krame bhakti-kāla mana karibe vardhana
hari-kathā mahotsave majāiyā mana
“Gradually, one spends more and more time rapt in activities connected to bhakti. The mind becomes immersed in a festival of bliss when engaged in hari–kathā.
(39)
śreṣṭha rasa krame citte haibe udaya
jaḍera nikṛṣṭa rasa chāḍibe niścaya
“Eventually, the greatest rasa dawns within the heart. Then one will definitely abandon the mediocre rasa of mundane things.
(40)
mahājana mukhe hari-saṅgīta śravaṇe
mugdha habe manaḥ karṇa rasa āsvādane
“Hearing songs about Hari from the mouth of a mahājana, one’s mind and ears become charmed and relish such rasa.
(41)
nikṛṣṭa viṣaya-spṛhā haibe vigata
nāma gāne citta sthira habe avirata
“When the desire for inferior sense objects disappears, the mind becomes steady in chanting the Holy Name.
(42)
ataeva bahu yatne e pramāda tyaje
sthira citte nāma-rase cira dina maje
“Thus, one should endeavour to reject this type of pramāda, then with a steady mind one will always be immersed in nāma–rasa.
Āgraha (Eagerness)
(43)
saṅkalpita nāma saṅkhyā pūrṇa karibāre
nā haya ayatna nāme dekhi bāre bāre
“One must be determined to complete one’s prescribed number of Names. Again and again, one should not be careless in observing the Name. (15)
(15) Those who are addicted to inattention in the form of vikṣepa, try to finish their prescribed number of Names as quickly as possible. One should not be careless and, again and again, maintain caution in observing one’s nāma-sādhana.
(44)
satarka haiyā kari nāma saṅkīrtana
pramāda chāḍiyā kari nāmera bhajana
“Perform nāma–saṅkīrtana with care. Reject pramāda and worship the Name.
(45)
saṅkhyādhika spṛhā chāḍi ekāgra-mānase
nirantara kari nāma tava kṛpā-bale
“One must reject the desire to simply increase the number (of rounds), and with one-pointed concentration one will incessantly chant the Holy Names, by Your mercy. (16)
(16) “Increasing the number of names” – one should try to chant the syllables of the Name clearly and with feeling. It is proper to make an endeavour in this regard.
(46)
ei kṛpā kara prabhu nāmete pramāda
nā bādhe āmāra citte nāma rasāsvāda
“O Lord, please give Your mercy, so that inattention to the Name never becomes an obstacle to my mind, and I can relish nāma-rasa.
Prakriyā (The Method)
(47)
ekāgra mānase nirjanete svalpa kṣaṇa
nāma smṛti abhyāsa karibe bhakta jana
“One should spend a little time alone, and practice meditating upon the Name with single-minded attention.
(48)
ataeva spaṣṭa nāma bhāva lagna mane
sadā haya e prārthanā tomāra caraṇe
“Thus, one will be able to chant the Name clearly and with feeling within one’s mind. This is my constant prayer at Your feet.
(49)
āpana yatnete keha nāhi pāre
tomāra prasāda vinā e bhava-saṁsāre
“By one’s own endeavours, no one in this world of birth and death can overcome distraction without Your mercy. (17)
(17) “No jīva can overcome pramāda by his own effort. However, by Your mercy, it becomes easy. Therefore, in all endeavours it is necessary to pray fervently for Your mercy.”
Yatnāgrahera āvaśyakatā. Niṣkapaṭa nāma grahaṇe tāhā avaśya thāke, natuvā aparādha (It is Necessary to Make a Great Endeavour. One Must Chant the Name Sincerely, without Duplicitous Pretense, Otherwise There Will be an Offence)
(50)
yatna kari kṛpā māgi vyākula antare
tumi kṛpāmaya kṛpā kara ataḥpare
“I shall try to beg for Your mercy with a desperate heart. You are the repository of compassion, so kindly be merciful.
(51)
tava kṛpā lābhe yadi nā kari yatana
tabe āmi bhāgya hīna he śacī-nandana
“O Śacī-nandana! If I do not try to attain Your mercy, then I will be bereft of any good fortune.” (18)
(18) Those who engage in bhajana on the strength of their own intelligence or wealth can never achieve success. Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is at the root of all activities. Therefore, one who does not endeavour to attain Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is deprived of good fortune. At the end of this chapter, it is said that one should practice meditating on the Name with one-pointed concentration. In this regard, Śrī Mahāprabhu gave the following advice to all jīvas (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khāṇḍa 23.75-78):
āpane sabāre prabhu kare upadeśa
kṛṣṇa-nāma mahā-mantra śunaha hariṣe
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
prabhu bale hari-nāma ei mahā-mantra
ihā japa giyā sabe kariyā nirbandha
ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe sabāra
sarva-kṣaṇa bala ithe vidhi nāhi āra
(“The Lord gave everyone this instruction: ‘Be happy by hearing the mahā–mantra comprised of Kṛṣṇa’s names – Hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare, hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare.’ The Lord said – ‘Chant this mahā–mantra. All of you chant it a prescribed number of times. By doing so, you will attain all perfection. Chant at every moment. There is no other rule to follow.”)
Here, the word nirbandha means that the devotee will chant these sixteen names and thirty-two syllables, one-hundred and eight times on tulasī beads. Four rounds on the beads is a grantha. One should regularly chant one grantha, and then gradually increase till one is chanting sixteen granthas, or one lakṣa (64 rounds). When one gradually increases to chanting three lakṣas (192 rounds), then all his time will be spent with the Name. All the previous mahājanas obeyed the Lord’s instruction and attained all perfection. It is still possible for everyone to attain all perfection through nāma–japa. Those who are already liberated (mukta), those who desire liberation (mumukṣu) and materialists (viṣayī) are all eligible to chant the Name. When chanting the Name, dIfferent emotions are seen in the mukta etc. In both the state of viraha (separation) and sambhoga (union), the Holy Name is eternally relished.
(52)
hari-nāma-cintāmaṇi alaṅkāra yāra
hari-dāsa-pada-yuga bharasā tāhāra
This person, who decorates himself with this Hari-nāma Cintāmaṇi, has faith in the feet of Hari Dāsa.
iti śrī-hari-nāma-cintāmanau nāmāparādha-pramāda-vicārau
nāma dvādaśa-paricchedaḥ
Thus ends the Twelth Chapter of Śrī Hari-nāma Cintāmaṇi entitled, ‘A Deliberation on the Nāmāparādha of Pramāda.’
Reply Reply All Forward
Yes I know it is hard for most to grap their head around because most goes around in an illusion 16 rounds is enough ,Srila Narayana Maharaja used to say only a first class fooll will think 16 rounds is enough , Srila Prabhupada however encouraged devotees to at least chant 16 rounds daily and said if they chant 16 rounds they will not fall down, well 16 rounds is better than no rounds ,, but if you really become a student of Harinama Cintamani you will develop a mature understanding of Sri Nama Tattva
Here is the problem given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura : (12)
ruci yāya anya sthāne nāme udāsīna
nāme citta magna nahe jape prati-dina
“By having a taste for other things, one becomes indifferent to the Name. Even by chanting japa every day, still one’s mind is not absorbed in the Holy Name.
(13)
citta eka dike āra anya dike nāma
tāhāra maṅgala kise haya guṇa dhāma
“The mind will be in one direction, while the Name will be in another direction. O Abode of all good qualities, how can such a person attain any auspiciousness?
We have been in the material world for unlimeted amount of lives and thus there is aversion for chanting Sri Harinama :
Srila Prabhupada has explained this in Nectar of instruction to Srila Rupa Goswami sloka 7:
NOI 7
स्यात् कृष्णनामचरितादिसिताप्यविद्यापित्तोपतप्तरसनस्य न रोचिका नु ।
किन्त्वादरादनुदिनं खलु सैव जुष्टा स्वाद्वी क्रमाद्भवति तद्गदमूलहन्त्री ॥ ७ ॥
syāt kṛṣṇa-nāma-caritādi-sitāpy avidyā-
pittopatapta-rasanasya na rocikā nu
kintv ādarād anudinaṁ khalu saiva juṣṭā
svādvī kramād bhavati tad-gada-mūla-hantrī
Synonyms
syāt — is; kṛṣṇa — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāma — the holy name; carita-ādi — character, pastimes and so forth; sitā — sugar candy; api — although; avidyā — of ignorance; pitta — by the bile; upatapta — afflicted; rasanasya — of the tongue; na — not; rocikā — palatable; nu — oh, how wonderful it is; kintu — but; ādarāt — carefully; anudinam — every day, or twenty-four hours daily; khalu — naturally; sā — that (sugar candy of the holy name); eva — certainly; juṣṭā — taken or chanted; svādvī — relishable; kramāt — gradually; bhavati — becomes; tat-gada — of that disease; mūla — of the root; hantrī — the destroyer.
Translation
The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kṛṣṇa are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidyā [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.
Purport
The holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, His quality, pastimes and so forth are all of the nature of absolute truth, beauty and bliss. Naturally they are very sweet, like sugar candy, which appeals to everyone. Nescience, however, is compared to the disease called jaundice, which is caused by bilious secretions. Attacked by jaundice, the tongue of a diseased person cannot palatably relish sugar candy. Rather, a person with jaundice considers something sweet to taste very bitter. Avidyā (ignorance) similarly perverts the ability to relish the transcendentally palatable name, quality, form and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Despite this disease, if one with great care and attention takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting the holy name and hearing Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental pastimes, his ignorance will be destroyed and his tongue enabled to taste the sweetness of the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa and His paraphernalia. Such a recovery of spiritual health is possible only by the regular cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
When a man in the material world takes more interest in the materialistic way of life than in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is considered to be in a diseased condition. The normal condition is to remain an eternal servant of the Lord (jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya – kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’). This healthy condition is lost when the living entity forgets Kṛṣṇa due to being attracted by the external features of Kṛṣṇa’s māyā energy. This world of māyā is called durāśraya, which means “false or bad shelter.” One who puts his faith in durāśraya becomes a candidate for hoping against hope. In the material world everyone is trying to become happy, and although their material attempts are baffled in every way, due to their nescience they cannot understand their mistakes. People try to rectify one mistake by making another mistake. This is the way of the struggle for existence in the material world. If one in this condition is advised to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy, he does not accept such instructions.
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being spread all over the world just to remedy this gross ignorance. People in general are misled by blind leaders. The leaders of human society – the politicians, philosophers and scientists – are blind because they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. According to Bhagavad-gītā, because they are bereft of all factual knowledge due to their atheistic way of life, they are actually sinful rascals and are the lowest among men.
na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 7.15)
Such people never surrender to Kṛṣṇa, and they oppose the endeavor of those who wish to take Kṛṣṇa’s shelter. When such atheists become leaders of society, the entire atmosphere is surcharged with nescience. In such a condition, people do not become very enthusiastic to receive this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, just as a diseased person suffering from jaundice does not relish the taste of sugar candy. However, one must know that for jaundice, sugar candy is the only specific medicine. Similarly, in the present confused state of humanity, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare – is the only remedy for setting the world aright. Although Kṛṣṇa consciousness may not be very palatable for a diseased person, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī nonetheless advises that if one wants to be cured of the material disease, he must take to it with great care and attention. One begins his treatment by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra because by chanting this holy name of the Lord a person in the material condition will be relieved from all misconceptions (ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam). Avidyā, a misconception about one’s spiritual identity, provides the foundation for ahaṅkāra, or false ego within the heart.
The real disease is in the heart. If the mind is cleansed, however, if consciousness is cleansed, a person cannot be harmed by the material disease. To cleanse the mind and heart from all misconceptions, one should take to this chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This is both easy and beneficial. By chanting the holy name of the Lord, one is immediately freed from the blazing fire of material existence.
There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord – the offensive stage, the stage of lessening offenses, and the pure stage. When a neophyte takes to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he generally commits many offenses. There are ten basic offenses, and if the devotee avoids these, he can glimpse the next stage, which is situated between offensive chanting and pure chanting. When one attains the pure stage, he is immediately liberated. This is called bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam. As soon as one is liberated from the blazing fire of material existence, he can relish the taste of transcendental life.
The conclusion is that in order to get freed from the material disease, one must take to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is especially meant for creating an atmosphere in which people can take to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. One must begin with faith, and when this faith is increased by chanting, a person can become a member of the Society. We are sending saṅkīrtana parties all over the world, and they are experiencing that even in the remotest part of the world, where there is no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra attracts thousands of men to our camp. In some areas, people begin to imitate the devotees by shaving their heads and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, only a few days after hearing the mantra. This may be imitative, but imitation of a good thing is desired. Some imitators gradually become interested in being initiated by the spiritual master and offer themselves for initiation.
If one is sincere, he is initiated, and this stage is called bhajana-kriyā. One then actually engages in the service of the Lord by regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, sixteen rounds daily, and refraining from illicit sex, intoxicants, meat-eating and gambling. By bhajana-kriyā one attains freedom from the contamination of materialistic life. He no longer goes to a restaurant or hotel to taste so-called palatable dishes made with meat and onions, nor does he care to smoke or drink tea or coffee. He not only refrains from illicit sex, but avoids sex life entirely. Nor is he interested in wasting his time in speculating or gambling. In this way it is to be understood that one is becoming cleansed of unwanted things (anartha-nivṛtti). The word anartha refers to unwanted things. Anarthas are vanquished when one becomes attached to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
When a person is relieved from unwanted things, he becomes fixed in executing his Kṛṣṇa activities. Indeed, he becomes attached to such activities and experiences ecstasy in executing devotional service. This is called bhāva, the preliminary awakening of dormant love of Godhead. Thus the conditioned soul becomes free from material existence and loses interest in the bodily conception of life, including material opulence, material knowledge and material attraction of all variety. At such a time one can understand who the Supreme Personality of Godhead is and what His māyā is.
Although māyā may be present, it cannot disturb a devotee once he attains the bhāva stage. This is because the devotee can see the real position of māyā. Māyā means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, and forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness stand side by side like light and shadow. If one remains in shadow, he cannot enjoy the facilities offered by light, and if one remains in light, he cannot be disturbed by the darkness of shadow. By taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one gradually becomes liberated and remains in light. Indeed, he does not even touch the darkness. As confirmed in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.31):
kṛṣṇa – sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra
yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra
“Kṛṣṇa is compared to sunshine, and māyā is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the darkness of illusion, the influence of the external energy, will immediately vanish.”
So chanting 16 rounds is not enough certainly not and Srila Prabhupada used to say it again and again I have given you these 16 rounds because you have refused to chant 64 rounds so the 16 is the minimum ,now always increase never decrease your chanting
What is Srila Rupa Goswamis next advise ?
NOI 8
तन्नामरूपचरितादिसुकीर्तनानुस्मृत्योः क्रमेण रसनामनसी नियोज्य ।
तिष्ठन्व्रजे तदनुरागिजनानुगामी कालं नयेदखिलमित्युपदेशसारम् ॥ ८ ॥
tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu-
smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya
tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi-janānugāmī
kālaṁ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram
Synonyms
tat — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāma — the holy name; rūpa — form; carita-ādi — character, pastimes and so on; su-kīrtana — in discussing or chanting nicely; anusmṛtyoḥ — and in remembering; krameṇa — gradually; rasanā — the tongue; manasī — and one’s mind; niyojya — engaging; tiṣṭhan — residing; vraje — in Vraja; tat — to Lord Kṛṣṇa; anurāgi — attached; jana — persons; anugāmī — following; kālam — time; nayet — should utilize; akhilam — full; iti — thus; upadeśa — of advice or instruction; sāram — the essence.
Translation
The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time – twenty-four hours a day – in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vṛndāvana-dhāma] and serve Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.
What is the benefit of all this chanting and absorbing one self in Krsnas Pastimes form qualities etc ?
One will realize ones Nitya Svarupa in Vrindavana ,,, you really think 16 rounds is enough when Lord Caitanya ask for minimum 64 rounds ,that means you are an IDIOT in capital letters
Purport
Since the mind may be one’s enemy or one’s friend, one has to train the mind to become his friend. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is especially meant for training the mind to be always engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s business. The mind contains hundreds and thousands of impressions, not only of this life but also of many, many lives of the past. These impressions sometimes come in contact with one another and produce contradictory pictures. In this way the mind’s function can become dangerous for a conditioned soul. Students of psychology are aware of the mind’s various psychological changes. In Bhagavad-gītā (8.6) it is said:
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ taṁ evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.”
At the time of death, the mind and intelligence of a living entity create the subtle form of a certain type of body for the next life. If the mind suddenly thinks of something not very congenial, one has to take a corresponding birth in the next life. On the other hand, if one can think of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, he can be transferred to the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana. This process of transmigration is very subtle; therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises devotees to train their minds in order that they will be unable to remember anything other than Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the tongue should be trained to speak only of Kṛṣṇa and to taste only kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī further advises, tiṣṭhan vraje: one should live in Vṛndāvana or any part of Vrajabhūmi. Vrajabhūmi, or the land of Vṛndāvana, is supposed to be eighty-four krośas in area. One krośa equals two square miles. When one makes Vṛndāvana his residence, he should take shelter of an advanced devotee there. In this way one should always think of Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes. This is further elucidated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.294):
kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya
preṣṭhaṁ nija-samīhitam
tat-tat-kathā-rataś cāsau
kuryād vāsaṁ vraje sadā
“A devotee should always reside in the transcendental realm of Vraja and always engage in kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya preṣṭham, the remembrance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His beloved associates. By following in the footsteps of such associates and by entering under their eternal guidance, one can acquire an intense desire to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Again Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.295):
sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa
siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi
tad-bhāva-lipsunā kāryā
vraja-lokānusārataḥ
“In the transcendental realm of Vraja [Vraja-dhāma] one should serve the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, with a feeling similar to that of His associates, and one should place himself under the direct guidance of a particular associate of Kṛṣṇa and should follow in his footsteps. This method is applicable both in the stage of sādhana [spiritual practices executed while in the stage of bondage] and in the stage of sādhya [God realization], when one is a siddha-puruṣa, or a spiritually perfect soul.”
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has commented as follows upon this verse: “One who has not yet developed interest in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should give up all material motives and train his mind by following the progressive regulative principles, namely chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa and His name, form, quality, pastimes and so forth. In this way, after developing a taste for such things, one should try to live in Vṛndāvana and pass his time constantly remembering Kṛṣṇa’s name, fame, pastimes and qualities under the direction and protection of an expert devotee. This is the sum and substance of all instruction regarding the cultivation of devotional service.
“In the neophyte stage one should always engage in hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. This is called śravaṇa-daśā, the stage of hearing. By constantly hearing the transcendental holy name of Kṛṣṇa and hearing of His transcendental form, qualities and pastimes, one can attain to the stage of acceptance called varaṇa-daśā. When one attains this stage, he becomes attached to the hearing of kṛṣṇa-kathā. When one is able to chant in ecstasy, he attains the stage of smaraṇāvasthā, the stage of remembering. Recollection, absorption, meditation, constant remembrance and trance are the five items of progressive kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa. At first, remembrance of Kṛṣṇa may be interrupted at intervals, but later remembrance proceeds uninterrupted. When remembrance is uninterrupted, it becomes concentrated and is called meditation. When meditation expands and becomes constant, it is called anusmṛti. By uninterrupted and unceasing anusmṛti one enters the stage of samādhi, or spiritual trance. After smaraṇa-daśā or samādhi has fully developed, the soul comes to understand his original constitutional position. At that time he can perfectly and clearly understand his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is called sampatti-daśā, the perfection of life.
“Caitanya-caritāmṛta advises those who are neophytes to give up all kinds of motivated desires and simply engage in the regulative devotional service of the Lord according to the directions of scripture. In this way a neophyte can gradually develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa’s name, fame, form, qualities and so forth. When one has developed such attachment, he can spontaneously serve the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa even without following the regulative principles. This stage is called rāga-bhakti, or devotional service in spontaneous love. At that stage the devotee can follow in the footsteps of one of the eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. This is called rāgānuga-bhakti. Rāgānuga-bhakti, or spontaneous devotional service, can be executed in the śānta-rasa when one aspires to be like Kṛṣṇa’s cows or the stick or flute in the hand of Kṛṣṇa, or the flowers around Kṛṣṇa’s neck. In the dāsya-rasa one follows in the footsteps of servants like Citraka, Patraka or Raktaka. In the friendly sakhya-rasa one can become a friend like Baladeva, Śrīdāmā or Sudāmā. In the vātsalya-rasa, characterized by parental affection, one can become like Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā, and in the mādhurya-rasa, characterized by conjugal love, one can become like Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī or Her lady friends such as Lalitā and Her serving maids (mañjarīs) like Rūpa and Rati. This is the essence of all instruction in the matter of devotional service.”
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Here is something else :Srila Bhakti Praoda Puri Maharaja would quote these words from Srila Bhaktivnoda Thakura :(14)
lakṣa nāma haile pūrṇa saṅkhyā mālā gaṇi
hṛdaye nahila rasa bindu guṇa maṇi
“O Jewel of all qualities, one may complete chanting a lakh of Names (100,000 Names, or 64 rounds) on the beads, but not even a drop of rasa appears in the heart.
(15)
ei ta anavadhāna doṣera prakāra
viṣayī hṛdaye prabhu baḍa durnivāra
“This is the fault with this kind of inattentiveness – it is extremely difficult to remove from the heart of those who are attached to sense objects.
So even if we chant 64 rounds the mind can still be attracted to Maya in Jaiva Dharma on Madhava Babaji was chanting with the Vaisnavas in Godruma 64 rounds but his mind got attracted to his
former wife because he met her again and started talking to her (not gross sex life but still a subtle falldown ) Thus Lord Caitanya showed when taking sannyasa one should not again meet with ones former so-called wife
Having had the associating with Babajis like Subal das Babaji a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada that lived at Govinda Kunda ,his preaching was that 64 rounds only prepares you for proper Krsna consciouness daily and then the next 64 rounds are very important ,so among Babajis it is common to chant 120 rounds daily ,Srila Jagannath das Babaji said before you sleep at night make sure you have chanted 120 rounds of the Mahamantra with full love devotion and attention eveyhing is within the Mahamantra Rada Krsna and all Their pastimes and our svarupa becomes uncovered the more we chant Hare Krsna ,who will nto chant one lakh daily even better 2 ,Jagai and Madhai after their initiation never sinned again and chanted 120 rounds daily as explained in Caitanya Bhagavata Harinama Cintamani is my life and soul,I beg for the guidance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Sri Kamala Manjari birth after birth that is our prayer
Hari-nāma Cintāmaṇi – Chapter Twelve
Nāmāparādha—pramāda
(Inattention as an Offence to the Name)
(1)
jaya jaya mahāprabhu jaya bhakta-gaṇa
yādera prasāde kari nāma-saṅkīrtana
Glories to Mahāprabhu, glories to the devotees. It is by their mercy that I engage in nāma–saṅkīrtana.
Pramāda-nāmaka aparādha (Inattention as an Offence to the Name)
(2-3)
hari-dāsa bale prabhu hethā sanātane
āra ta gopāla bhaṭṭa dakṣiṇa bhramaṇe
śikhāile apramāde śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana
pramādake aparādhe karile gaṇana
Hari Dāsa said, “O Lord, You taught to Sanātana here, and to Gopāla Bhaṭṭa while travelling in the south, that one should not be inattentive during śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana. Thus, pramāda (inattention) is counted as an offence. (1)
(1) He told to Śrī Sanātana:
eka aṅga sādhe keha sādhe bahu aṅga
niṣṭhā haile upajaya premera taraṅga
(“Whether one performs one or many divisions of bhakti, when niṣṭhā appears, the waves of prema will awaken.” (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.134)
By abandoning pramāda, or inattention, then niṣṭhā at the time of sādhana is born.
(4)
anya aparādha tyaji sadā nāma laya
tabu nāme prema nāhi haya ta udaya
“Some give up all the other offences and constantly chant the Name, but still prema for the Name does not arise in them.
(5)
tabe jāni pramāda nāmete aparādha
prema-bhakti sādhanete kariteche bādha
“Then I know that the nāmāparādha of pramāda is impeding their sādhana and their attainment of prema-bhakti.
Anavadhānakei pramāda bale (Inattention is Known as Pramāda)
(6)
pramāda anavadhāna ei mūla artha
ihā haite ghaṭe prabhu sakala anartha
“The original meaning of pramāda is ‘inattention.’ O Lord, from this, all other anarthas arise.
Tina prakāra anavadhāna (The Three Types of Inattention)
(7)
audāsīnya jāḍya āra vikṣepa e tina
prakāra anavadhāna bujhibe pravīṇa
“Those who are wise understand three types of inattention—audāsīnya (indifference), jāḍya (laziness) and vikṣepa (distraction). (2)
(2) In respect to sādhana, audāsīnya means a lack of niṣṭhā, jāḍya means laziness, and vikṣepa means that the mind is invested in other things.
Anurāga nā haoyā paryanta nāma-grahaṇe yatnera āvaśyakatā (If One has not Achieved Anurāga, then it is Required that One Should Chant the Name with Great Care)
(8)
kona bhāgye kona jīvera śraddhā yadi haya
tabe tiṅha hari-nāma grahaṇa karaya
“Due to some good fortune, if a jīva attains śraddhā, then he can chant hari–nāma. (3)
(3) One should keep count on tulasī beads, and gradually a desire will arise to increase the number.
(9)
yatna kari smare nāma saṅkhyāra sahita
tabe nāme anurāga haya ta udita
“By carefully remembering the Name and keeping count, anurāga (attraction) for the Name will develop.
(10)
ye paryanta anurāga nā haya udaya
se paryanta yatna kari nāma sadā laya
“As long as anurāga has not appeared, one should endeavour to constantly chant the Name.
Yatnābhāve sādhakera citta sthira haya nā (The Sādhaka who is Careless Cannot Steady the Mind)
(11)
nisargataḥ loka saba viṣaye āsakta
smṛti-kāle viṣaya-antare anurakta
“People are naturally attracted to sense objects. At the time when one remembers them, the internal senses become attached to them. (4)
(4) Viṣaya-antare (sense objects in the mind) – other things (unrelated to Kṛṣṇa).
(12)
ruci yāya anya sthāne nāme udāsīna
nāme citta magna nahe jape prati-dina
“By having a taste for other things, one becomes indifferent to the Name. Even by chanting japa every day, still one’s mind is not absorbed in the Holy Name.
(13)
citta eka dike āra anya dike nāma
tāhāra maṅgala kise haya guṇa dhāma
“The mind will be in one direction, while the Name will be in another direction. O Abode of all good qualities, how can such a person attain any auspiciousness?
(14)
lakṣa nāma haile pūrṇa saṅkhyā mālā gaṇi
hṛdaye nahila rasa bindu guṇa maṇi
“O Jewel of all qualities, one may complete chanting a lakh of Names (100,000 Names, or 64 rounds) on the beads, but not even a drop of rasa appears in the heart.
(15)
ei ta anavadhāna doṣera prakāra
viṣayī hṛdaye prabhu baḍa durnivāra
“This is the fault with this kind of inattentiveness – it is extremely difficult to remove from the heart of those who are attached to sense objects.
Yatna karibāra vidhi (The Rules for Being Careful)
(16)
sādhu saṅge svalpa kāla chāḍiyā viṣaya
nirjane laile nāma ei doṣa kṣaya
“In a short time, one can abandon sense objects through sādhu–saṅga. This fault is destroyed by chanting the Name in a secluded place. (5)
(5) Initially, one may regularly follow in this way for a half hour, starting with chanting the Name in a secluded place in the association of sādhus. Eventually, by observing the nature of those sādhus, one will emulate them, abandon his indifference and a desire (for service) will arise.
(17)
krame krame kṛṣṇa-nāme citta haya sthira
nirantara nāma-rase haya ta adhīra
“Gradually, the mind will become fixed upon kṛṣṇa-nāma, then one loses all composure by perpetually tasting nāma-rasa.
(18)
tulasīra sannikaṭe kṛṣṇa-līlā sthāne
sādhu sannidhāne basi sātvata-vidhāne
“The sātvata–vidhāna (method prescribed by the sādhus) states that one should reside near tulasī, a place of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and in the company of sādhus. (6)
(6) Sātvata-vidhāna (the method prescribed by the sādhus) – the method of the previous sādhus absorbed in the bliss of bhajana. First one chants for half an hour, then an hour, then one gradually increases his chanting to two hours, then gradually his chanting is increased to one lakṣa (64 rounds), and then to three lakṣa (192 rounds). Such an increase develops naturally.
(19)
krame kāla vṛddhi kari sei nāma smare
ati śīghra viṣayera chanda haite tare
“Gradually, one increases his time meditating on the Name, and very quickly transcends the desire for sense objects.
Anya prakriyā. ei rūpa karile audāsīnya rūpa anavadhāna haya nā (Another Method, which Does Not Lead to Indifference)
(20)
athavā nirjane basi smari sādhu-rīti
indriya pidhāna kari nāme kare mati
“Otherwise, one may sit in a secluded place, remembering the method of the sādhus. By covering the senses, one may fix the mind on the Name. (7)
(7) Indriya pidhāna kari (covering the senses) – sitting alone in a room with the door closed, or covering the eyes, nose etc. with a cloth during sādhana.
(21)
satvare nāmete niṣṭhā ruci krame haya
audāsīnya doṣe tāra krame haya kṣaya
“Swiftly one attains niṣṭhā and then gradually ruci (a taste) for the Name. Then the fault of indifference is eventually destroyed.
Jāḍya-janita anavadhāna lakṣaṇa (The Symptoms of Inattention Arising from Laziness)
(22)
jāḍye ye anavadhāna alasera mane
tāhe ruci nāhi haya śrī-nāma-grahaṇe
“Inattention from jāḍya stems from an idle mind. Thus, a taste will not arise when chanting śrī–nāma.
(23)
smṛti-kāle punaḥ śīghra virāme prayāsa
ei doṣe nāma-rasa nā haya prakāśa
“At the time of remembering (the Holy Name) one will endeavour to finish one’s chanting quickly. Due to this fault, nāma–rasa will not manifest.
(24)
anya kārye vṛthā kāla nā haya yāpana
sādhu-gaṇa ihā cinti smare anukṣaṇa
“Sādhus never waste time in other useless activities, but remember the Name at every moment.(8)
(8) The symptom of a sādhu’s character is avyartha-kālatva-dharma (‘his nature is that he does not waste his time engaging in unnecessary activities’), and one should emulate this.
(25)
nāma smare rase maje anya nāhi cāya
sei rūpa sādhu-saṅge ei doṣa yāya
“Meditating upon nāma and absorbed in rasa, they desire nothing else. This fault (of laziness) vanishes in the association of sādhus.
(26)
anveṣiyā sei rūpa sādhu-saṅga kare
tad-anukaraṇe citta jāḍya parihare
“In this way, one must search for sādhu–saṅga, and by emulating them, one will avoid mental laziness.(9)
(9) A viśuddha-sādhu-bhakta (pure devotee sādhu) is rare. Searching from place to place, one will eventually find sādhu–saṅga.
(27)
avyartha kālatva dharma sādhura carita
dekhile tāhāte ruci haibe niścita
“It is the nature of a sādhu’s character not to waste time in useless things. Observing such actions, an aspiring devotee will certainly attain ruci.
(28)
mane habe āhā kabe ihāra samāna
smariba gāiba nāma haye bhāgyavān
“He will think, ‘Oh when will I be the same as this? When will I become fortunate enough to remember and chant the Name like him?’”
(29)
sei ta utsāha āsi alasera mane
jāḍya dūra kare kṛṣṇa-nāmera smaraṇe
“In this way, he will become enthusiastic. Lazy thoughts stemming from jāḍya will go far away and he will be able to remember kṛṣṇa–nāma.
(30)
mane habe āja lakṣa nāma ye kariba
krame krame tina lakṣa nāma ye smariba
“He will think, ‘Today I will chant one lakṣa of Holy Names and gradually I will meditate upon three lakṣa of Names.’
(31)
mahāgraha habe citte nāmera saṅkhyāya
acire yāibe jāḍya sādhura kṛpāya
“In his mind he has great eagerness and he chants a fixed number of Names. Very soon, jāḍya goes away, by the mercy of the sādhu.
Vikṣepa janita anavadhāna lakṣaṇa (Understanding the Characteristics of Distraction)
(32)
vikṣepa haite yei pramāda udaya
bahu yatne sei aparādha haya kṣaya
“The inattention that comes from vikṣepa is an aparādha which can only be destroyed with great effort.
(33)
kanaka kāminī āra jaya parājaya
pratiṣṭhāśā śāṭhya-vṛtti tāhāra nilaya
“It resides in the desire for gold, women, the victory and defeat of others, hankering for prestige, and the tendency to deceive. (10)
(10) Tāhāra nilaya (‘they reside there’) – these are the residences for jāḍya.
(34)
e saba ākṛṣṭi hṛde haile udaya
nāmete anavadhāna svabhāvataḥ haya
“When attraction for all these arises in the heart, one naturally becomes inattentive to the Name. (11)
(11) Ākṛṣṭa – “pulled or drawn towards.”
Vikṣepa-tyāgera upāya (The Method of Abandoning Distraction)
(35)
krame krame sei saba cintā parihāre
yatibe saubhāgyavān vaiṣṇava ācāre
“Gradually, one gives up thinking about all these things. One who is most fortunate endeavours to follow the conduct of a Vaiṣṇava.(12)
(12) Yatibe – struggles.
(36)
prathamete hari-dine bhoga-cintā tyaji
sādhu-saṅge rātra-dina hari-nāma bhaji
“Firstly, on days that are sacred to Hari, one should renounce even the thought of food, and in the association of sādhus, worship hari-nāma day and night. (13)
(13) Hari–dina—Hari-vasara, Ekādaśī, appearance days of the Lord etc.
(37)
hari-kṣetre hari-dāsa hari-śāstre laye
utsave majibe sukhe parama nirbhaye
“In a place sacred to Hari, with Hari’s servants, and reading śāstra about Hari, one should absorb oneself in such supremely blissful festivals without any fear. (14)
(14) Hari-kṣetra – Śrī Navadvīpa, Śrī Vṛndāvana, Śrī Puruṣottama etc.
Hari-dāsa – those pure Vaiṣṇavas who are rūpānugas.
Hari-śāstra – the śruti, the Gītā, Śrī Bhāgavata, and all texts that follow Vaiṣṇava siddhānta.
(38)
krame bhakti-kāla mana karibe vardhana
hari-kathā mahotsave majāiyā mana
“Gradually, one spends more and more time rapt in activities connected to bhakti. The mind becomes immersed in a festival of bliss when engaged in hari–kathā.
(39)
śreṣṭha rasa krame citte haibe udaya
jaḍera nikṛṣṭa rasa chāḍibe niścaya
“Eventually, the greatest rasa dawns within the heart. Then one will definitely abandon the mediocre rasa of mundane things.
(40)
mahājana mukhe hari-saṅgīta śravaṇe
mugdha habe manaḥ karṇa rasa āsvādane
“Hearing songs about Hari from the mouth of a mahājana, one’s mind and ears become charmed and relish such rasa.
(41)
nikṛṣṭa viṣaya-spṛhā haibe vigata
nāma gāne citta sthira habe avirata
“When the desire for inferior sense objects disappears, the mind becomes steady in chanting the Holy Name.
(42)
ataeva bahu yatne e pramāda tyaje
sthira citte nāma-rase cira dina maje
“Thus, one should endeavour to reject this type of pramāda, then with a steady mind one will always be immersed in nāma–rasa.
Āgraha (Eagerness)
(43)
saṅkalpita nāma saṅkhyā pūrṇa karibāre
nā haya ayatna nāme dekhi bāre bāre
“One must be determined to complete one’s prescribed number of Names. Again and again, one should not be careless in observing the Name. (15)
(15) Those who are addicted to inattention in the form of vikṣepa, try to finish their prescribed number of Names as quickly as possible. One should not be careless and, again and again, maintain caution in observing one’s nāma-sādhana.
(44)
satarka haiyā kari nāma saṅkīrtana
pramāda chāḍiyā kari nāmera bhajana
“Perform nāma–saṅkīrtana with care. Reject pramāda and worship the Name.
(45)
saṅkhyādhika spṛhā chāḍi ekāgra-mānase
nirantara kari nāma tava kṛpā-bale
“One must reject the desire to simply increase the number (of rounds), and with one-pointed concentration one will incessantly chant the Holy Names, by Your mercy. (16)
(16) “Increasing the number of names” – one should try to chant the syllables of the Name clearly and with feeling. It is proper to make an endeavour in this regard.
(46)
ei kṛpā kara prabhu nāmete pramāda
nā bādhe āmāra citte nāma rasāsvāda
“O Lord, please give Your mercy, so that inattention to the Name never becomes an obstacle to my mind, and I can relish nāma-rasa.
Prakriyā (The Method)
(47)
ekāgra mānase nirjanete svalpa kṣaṇa
nāma smṛti abhyāsa karibe bhakta jana
“One should spend a little time alone, and practice meditating upon the Name with single-minded attention.
(48)
ataeva spaṣṭa nāma bhāva lagna mane
sadā haya e prārthanā tomāra caraṇe
“Thus, one will be able to chant the Name clearly and with feeling within one’s mind. This is my constant prayer at Your feet.
(49)
āpana yatnete keha nāhi pāre
tomāra prasāda vinā e bhava-saṁsāre
“By one’s own endeavours, no one in this world of birth and death can overcome distraction without Your mercy. (17)
(17) “No jīva can overcome pramāda by his own effort. However, by Your mercy, it becomes easy. Therefore, in all endeavours it is necessary to pray fervently for Your mercy.”
Yatnāgrahera āvaśyakatā. Niṣkapaṭa nāma grahaṇe tāhā avaśya thāke, natuvā aparādha (It is Necessary to Make a Great Endeavour. One Must Chant the Name Sincerely, without Duplicitous Pretense, Otherwise There Will be an Offence)
(50)
yatna kari kṛpā māgi vyākula antare
tumi kṛpāmaya kṛpā kara ataḥpare
“I shall try to beg for Your mercy with a desperate heart. You are the repository of compassion, so kindly be merciful.
(51)
tava kṛpā lābhe yadi nā kari yatana
tabe āmi bhāgya hīna he śacī-nandana
“O Śacī-nandana! If I do not try to attain Your mercy, then I will be bereft of any good fortune.” (18)
(18) Those who engage in bhajana on the strength of their own intelligence or wealth can never achieve success. Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is at the root of all activities. Therefore, one who does not endeavour to attain Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is deprived of good fortune. At the end of this chapter, it is said that one should practice meditating on the Name with one-pointed concentration. In this regard, Śrī Mahāprabhu gave the following advice to all jīvas (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khāṇḍa 23.75-78):
āpane sabāre prabhu kare upadeśa
kṛṣṇa-nāma mahā-mantra śunaha hariṣe
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
prabhu bale hari-nāma ei mahā-mantra
ihā japa giyā sabe kariyā nirbandha
ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe sabāra
sarva-kṣaṇa bala ithe vidhi nāhi āra
(“The Lord gave everyone this instruction: ‘Be happy by hearing the mahā–mantra comprised of Kṛṣṇa’s names – Hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare, hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare.’ The Lord said – ‘Chant this mahā–mantra. All of you chant it a prescribed number of times. By doing so, you will attain all perfection. Chant at every moment. There is no other rule to follow.”)
Here, the word nirbandha means that the devotee will chant these sixteen names and thirty-two syllables, one-hundred and eight times on tulasī beads. Four rounds on the beads is a grantha. One should regularly chant one grantha, and then gradually increase till one is chanting sixteen granthas, or one lakṣa (64 rounds). When one gradually increases to chanting three lakṣas (192 rounds), then all his time will be spent with the Name. All the previous mahājanas obeyed the Lord’s instruction and attained all perfection. It is still possible for everyone to attain all perfection through nāma–japa. Those who are already liberated (mukta), those who desire liberation (mumukṣu) and materialists (viṣayī) are all eligible to chant the Name. When chanting the Name, dIfferent emotions are seen in the mukta etc. In both the state of viraha (separation) and sambhoga (union), the Holy Name is eternally relished.
(52)
hari-nāma-cintāmaṇi alaṅkāra yāra
hari-dāsa-pada-yuga bharasā tāhāra
This person, who decorates himself with this Hari-nāma Cintāmaṇi, has faith in the feet of Hari Dāsa.
iti śrī-hari-nāma-cintāmanau nāmāparādha-pramāda-vicārau
nāma dvādaśa-paricchedaḥ
Thus ends the Twelth Chapter of Śrī Hari-nāma Cintāmaṇi entitled, ‘A Deliberation on the Nāmāparādha of Pramāda.’
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