What are the meanings of mahamantra?

Goswami Maharaj: Hare Krishna. Any questions from anyone? We have to keep the cook happy. Yes.
Ananda Vardhan: Maharaj, now guidebook in this incarnation of Hare Krishna mahamantra there are two sentences. One is, “The inner conception of the mantra is responsible for our spiritual attainment,” what does it mean: ‘the inner conception of the mantra’, how does it connect with our spiritual attainment? And the next sentence is, “But inner conception of the devotee will guide them to their destination,” How should we understand this?

Hare Krishna. It seems that in Krishna consciousness there is always an outer conception and an inner conception about everything including Hare Krishna mahamantra. In the presence of Giriraj Govardhan we are thinking of the Jiva Goswami’s sloka,

antaḥ kṛṣṇaṁ bahir gauraṁ
darśitāṅgādi-vaibhavam
kalau saṅkīrtanādyaiḥ sma
kṛṣṇa-chaitanyam āśritāḥ
(Bhāgavata-sandarbha: 81)

“Antaḥ Kṛṣṇa,” talking about Mahaprabhu. Internally He is Krishna. Krishna meaning Krishna Syama Sundar. Externally Gaura. Externally He is golden. But we shouldn’t think here that internal and external are some sort of value judgment. Just making an observation, externally He is golden, “Rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita,” (Cc: Ādi, 1.5) what is the cause of that golden radiance? Radha-bhava. The heart of Radharani is radiating this golden halo.

Even in the Pastimes of Radha and Krishna in Their playful dialogue or [Their] playful arguing, sometimes they are using different word meanings to indicate different things. Sometimes Krishna means Krishna, sometimes Krishna means blackish or dark or other things. Once They were having a playful argument about who is really King or Queen of Vrindavan. Krishna and His friend Madhumangal are arguing, “It says in the scriptures, it is Krishna-van. This forest is Krishna’s.” And Srimati Radharani and Her girlfriends are arguing, “No-no-no that doesn’t mean Krishna, the person. It means because there are so many trees in the forest and it is very dark, a dark forest. She is the Queen of that dark forest. She is the Queen, Vrindavanesvari. So, first we have to understand that, what is expressed and then what is not expressed.

There is one Sanskrit dictionary called Nirukti, which is interesting, it means ‘what was not said’, ‘what was not expressed’. If you think about it, isn’t that what you expect from a dictionary? [For] the clear meaning of words to everyone, you do not need a dictionary. But Nirukti, here is a meaning that may not have been conveyed. It was not spoken. Then they are giving some other explanation.

I remember the devotees at the time of [their] initiation very much like to hear the meaning of their names. They are very eager to hear that. And even Srila Guru Maharaj asked Saraswati Thakur, his name was Ramendra Chandra Bhattacharya. He got initiated and he named him Ramendrasundar. He asked, “What does Ramendra here mean?”

Saraswati Thakur began explaining that Rama, Hare Rama that Rama is not Ramachandra or Balaram but Radha-Raman, Raman-Radha, the lover of Srimati Radharani, and He is giving joy and happiness to Srimati Radharani in Divine Pastimes. And Guru Maharaj said, “That sound is still ringing in my ears.” So, even he asked. But Srila Gurudeva didn’t like the devotees to ask. [laughs] It is one of those things. Sometimes he would say, if they say, “What my name means?” he would say, “What was your Christian name, do you know what that means?”

So, once this boy from Australia, excellent craftsman, he made all those tables in the theistic media centre in Sevak Bhavan, Madhuranan. He was sitting on the veranda once and asked Srila Gurudeva, “Srila Govinda Maharaj, Srila Gurudev, can I ask you a question?”
“Yes.”
“What is Hare Krishna mean? What does Hare Krishna mahamantra mean?” (not his name)
Gurudeva put his newspaper down, “What was your name before?”
”Matthew,”
Gurudeva said, “What does Matthew mean?”
“Messenger of God.”
Gurudeva said, “Ah, alright” and folded the newspaper. Because usually if he asked the devotees, “What does your name mean?” they do not know what their name means. But he said, “Messenger of God.”
Gurudev said, “Alright,” and he started explaining something about the mahamantra.

And I should say, on one level, we are forbidden from going into the detailed explanation of that. And we can say we do not even know them. But this type of analysis, about what you have there, what you’ve read there, that sort of general indication is what is given to us. So, sometimes Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Swami Maharaj as well would point out that Hare is in the vocative case, which means in Srila Guru Maharaj’s words, “No plea is to be attached to this.” We are not chanting for something. People have that idea that you chant the mantra to get something. So, that was Guru Maharaj’s explanation, “No plea is to be attached.” It is invoking ‘Hare’—Srimati Radharani and Krishna. But Srila Prabhupad Swami Maharaj when he gave a general explanation too, he said, “It is like a prayer to be engaged in service.”

So, all of these things, service, seva, das, dasi, Krishna-das, Radha-dasi they have some general meaning and some more specific meaning. So, Srila Guru Maharaj would say, “According to the inner awakenment of the devotee, the aspiring servitor, meaning is attached or revealed or things revealed deeper sorts of meaning. So, when Santan Goswami says to Mahaprabhu,

‘ke ami’, ‘kene amāya jāre tāpa-traya’
ihā nāhi jāni—‘kemane hita haya’
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya, 20.102)

“Who am I? Why am I suffering from the three-fold miseries in this world? If I do not know this, how can I know what is good for me?”

So, in the general sense it has been expressed there, in Mahaprabhu’s response,

jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya—kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya, 20.108)

“You are the eternal servant of Krishna, that is your identity. Forgetfulness of that is why you have to suffer in this world. Adhyatmik, adhidaibik, adhiboutik, self-inflicted miseries, those inflicted by others, those inflicted by the environment, so-called natural disasters, tsunami, hurricane, earthquake.

So, he says, “You are the eternal servant of Krishna. That is your actual position’. But what is that service of that servant of Krishna? We have: viddhi-bhakti [and] raga-bhakti. Viddhi-bhakti—the archan, we are worshiping the deity. Srila Guru Maharaj says, “It is like mock fight, mock battle. Sometimes the soldiers are practising, sometimes they are using live ammunition when they are practising. It is like that. Sākṣāt Vrajendra Nandan Hari, the Deity is there, Krishna is fully there, but our capacity to realise and appreciate that is limited.

But still we are told to engage in worshipping the Deity in this particular way; some style, some practice, some mantras. And they are meaningful. And they will become more meaningful according to the inner awakenment of that servitor. Generally speaking, [the] devotees will receive the Brahma-gayatri and just vibrate that mantra. Speaking of being of eager to know what is your name, to know this, to know that, I remember, maybe in 1972, devotees were asking, “What does this mean? We get the gayatri mantra on a piece of paper, what does it mean?” They asked Srila Prabhuapad and he didn’t respond. At that time he told his Sanskritist Pradyumna Prabhu, “You give some translation.” So, as best as he could, he gave some translation. But at that time, with all due respect and deference to Pradyumana prabhu, we were somewhat disappointed. I didn’t think much about it for 30 years or so, no, no, excuse me. Thinking about it 10 years later, we can say, at the lotus feet of Srila Guru Maharaj, he began giving his gayatri explanation.

Srila Gurudeva at that time, sweetly questioned, “Maharaj, why are you doing this, this is so high, so deep, so profound, in one sense it is so beyond the capacity or the adhikar of the perceived recipients. Why? Maybe this kind of thing—keep it hidden and not to express,” knowing that I am recording, I am likely to publish that, which I did, originally in the end of The Guardian of Devotion booklet, later in the concluding chapter of the Subjective Evolution of Consciousness. But Guru Maharaj’s response at that time was, “If I don’t, who will?” So, we are very fortunate to hear that.

And what was he telling us? Externally, we think, bhu, bhuvar, svah, tapa... talking about different worlds, lower, middle, and higher planetary systems, how the Sun reveals everything in the Universe, it seems to be saying something like that. And you read there, Srila Guru Maharaj’s explanation: bhu, bhuvar, svah, these are planes of experience, all being revealed by Savitur, Sun. What is the Sun-like effulgence which is revealing everything? Atma, the soul. And atma means atma and Paramatma. So the Paramatma world it is all being revealed, but the Paramatma world in this sence means the world above, which is varenyam, it is worshippable. “Bhargo vai vṛsabhānujātma-vibhavai,” (Gānāt trāyate) very beautifully he is taking these things. They have some external meaning, the Sun, bhargo means illumination, but he is taking: bhargo vai vṛsabhānu nandinī, it’s a reference to Srimati Radharani. She is illuminating the seva-mayo yam loka, the world of service. So, Srila Prabhupad, rightly said this Hare Krishna mahamantra, is a prayer, “Oh Lord, oh energy of Lord, please engage me in Your service.” It is prayer to Hladini-sakti, Mahabhava-svarupini, Radha Thakurani, Radha-dasyam.

All the significant, deep profound levels of interpretation will go in the direction of Radha-dasyam, the service of the holy lotus feet of Srimati Radharani. So, what does She do? She is the one who can please Krishna the best. She has the best ideas how to please Krishna. All the devotees are aspiring for the service of Her holy lotus feet.

So, perhaps we’re talking recently [with] Srila Guru Maharaj of Gadhadar’s pranam for his Bhagavat collection slokas. Another is,

yadamiya-mahimā-śrī bhāgavatyām kathāyāṁ
pratipadam anubhatam apyālabdhā-abhidheya
tadakhila-rasa-mūrteḥ syāma-līlā valamvaṁ
madhura-rasābdhi-rādhā-pādapadmam prapadye
(Guru Mahārāj’s śloka book: 566)

“In Srimad Bhagavatam, you can read so many stories there and there is a particular level of meaning.”

Sometimes devotees read and become bewildered by what they read. There are also those kind of things, sometimes known as asura-mohan, that which is meant to bewilder the asuras. They have an ‘aha-moment’, they think they have found a loophole or flaw, something so uttery inconceivable, unbelievable, as to cause one to disbelieve everything. Krishna is so kind that He will also supply that. He will give the atheists the breath of life to denounce His existence. And so many things are there.

Soon we will be celebrating (7th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam): Prahlad Maharaj, Nrisimhadev, the beginning of pure, suddha bhakti. We read in the 2nd Canto: Sukadev answering Pariksit Maharaj; 3rd Canto: Kapiladev, Devahuti; 4th Canto: the Kumaras, Puranjan many other things.

tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda-
kiñjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.5.43)

They just smell the tulasi garlands. Their minds underwent a total transformation. 5th Canto: Rsabhadev; 6th Canto: Ajamila, Chitraketu; 7th Canto: Prahlad; 8th Canto: Mohini-murti, the churning of the nectar ocean, Vamanadeva; 9th Canto Ambarish Maharaj; 10th Canto Pastimes of Krishna; 11th canto Uddhava-Gita; 12th Canto summary. But Guru Maharaj is saying in his prayer,

Actually every step of the way, every incremental step of the way in the Srimad Bhagavatam, every sloka, every story, everything that has been given there, everything that is to be understood there, is taking us to one conclusion, to one direction, which is the service of the holy lotus feet of Srimati Radharani.

“Tadakhila-rasa-mūrteḥ syāma-līlā valamvaṁ,” what does that mean, ‘Śyama-lila’? Here it means madhura-rasa. It is a way of expressing madhura-rasa. Once Srila Gurudev went before the Deities, Guru-Gauranga-Gandharva Govindasundar in Nabadwip and I was standing next to him. He looked and turned to me and said, “Heavy madhura-rasa.” [laughing] “There is?” He is seeing something [and saying], “Heavy madhura-rasa.” And he said, “Black is the colour of madhura-rasa.” Syamasundar, Krishna-van, Syāma-līlā valambaṁ. Radharani, Her sakhis think, “She is the Queen of Krishna-van.” Syāma-līlā valambaṁ, the whole Syama-lila is dependent upon Her. She is the Queen. We hear in Brahma-samhita,

ānanda-chinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis
tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ
goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.37)

Just as Krishna has His expansions, incarnations, Radharani has Her expansions, incarnations, The ultimate counterpart, Krishna’s better half. If you thought Krishna was good, He is the absolute good and He has a better half. Is that conceivable? The absolute good has a better half? Logic, rational thought will not help us. Embrace this, only grace—Sri Guru, the ujjvala-rasa-acharya. Who is the ultimate Guru? Srimati Radharani. Sri Guru’s grace.

Predominating moiety—Krishna, predominated moiety—Radharani. But who is greater? We say Krishna [is] asamordhva—no-one is greater or equal to Krishna. That’s like in our contract. We have to say that. And then you find out: no, but Radharani is in the superior position. Krishna wants that to be known,

rādhām ādhāya hṛdaye
tatyāja vraja-sundarīḥ
(Gīta-govinda: 3.1)

dehi pada pallavamudāram
(Gīta-govinda: 10.1.7)

Krishna wrote in His own hand, that I touch the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani and beg forgiveness for my offences.

What did it say again? Read it to me again.
Ananda Vardhan: The inner conception of the mantra is responsible for our spiritual attainment. But inner conception of the devotee will guide them to their destination.

Goswami Maharaj: Also in Chaitanya-charitamrita it says, “sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa siddha-rūpeṇa chātra hi,” (Cc: Madhya 22.158) At a particular level of the spiritual evolution and development, it says, “Vraja-lokānusārataḥ,” these are talking about very high level spiritual development, devotee will find some particular servitors, serving mood irresistibly charming and wants to proceed in that way. It is all asraya-vigraha coming under the shelter of the superior servitor. We are told that our position, which is none [laughs], as Gurudev said in St. Petersburg once, “First realise that you are a worm in a bucket of stool and then start from there.” [laughs] But then Guru Maharaj will sometimes say, “So, where would you rather be, King of the world, or a worm in a bucket of nectar in the upper world?”

Sometimes he said, “Make a cottage in that plane.” Mahaprabhu is saying,

ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
sthita-dhūli-sadṛśaṁ vichintaya
(Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam: 5)

“Although I am your kinkar, your servant, somehow I’m in this ocean of maya and forgetful of my servitor identity. So, by Your mercy You can reinstate me and make me one of the atoms in the dust of Your holy lotus feet.”

That is always the prayer, pada-dhuli. Das Goswami [is] praying to eternally be the dust of the lotus feet of Rupa Goswami. Mahaprabhu [is] expressing this here. And it is not just for the beginners. Uddhava expresses, “āsām aho charaṇa-renu-juṣām ahaṁ syāṁ,” (SB: 10.47.61) He is also expressing some prayer like that.

And in the Radhastakam, written by Rupa Goswami, in praise of Srimati Radharani,

hari-pada-nakha-koṭī-pṛṣṭa-paryanta-sīma-
taṭam api kalayantīṁ prāna-koṭer abhīṣṭām
pramudita-madirākṣī-vṛnda-vaidagdhya-dīkṣā-
gurum ati-guru-kīrtiṁ rādhikām archayāmi
(Śrī Rādhāṣṭakam: 7)

“Hari-pada-nakha-koṭī-pṛṣṭa-paryanta-sīma,” we take it that, as always they say, the least aspect is considered to be the feet. That is why [we are] always approaching the feet, it shows humility: go to the feet. Here Rupa Goswami is pushing that even, what is the least aspect of the feet? The nails. “Hari-pada-nakha,”—means the nails on the lotus feet of Krishna.

Radharani says, “Hari-pada-nakha-koṭī-pṛṣṭa-paryanta-sīma-taṭam api kalayantīṁ prāna-koṭer abhīṣṭām,”—the nails of the lotus feet of Krishna are infinitely superior than my own life magnified millions of times. It says, “Gurum ati-guru-kīrtiṁ rādhikām archayāmi,” this type of worshipable vision, the highest devotee who possesses the highest level of Krishna consciousness, Mahaprabhu [has] taken Her bhava with His, “sva-bhaktebhyaḥ śuddhāṁ nija-bhajana-mudrām upadiśan.” (Stava-mālā: Prathama Chaitanyāṣṭaka, 1) From Her perspective, He is expressing Krishna consciousness. And what is Her perspective? The least aspect of Krishna is infinitely more valuable than the highest aspect of myself, multiplied millions of times.

So, we are saying, ‘Hare Krishna’. Whatever she knows, sees etc., [for] the devotees, it would be foolish to proceed in any other way. Who has that vision? who can be close to Her, share that vision? Like Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakur, Tungavidya, who is sometimes described as qualified as Radharani Herself. What has he written in that poetry, Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi? Sometimes Guru Maharaj will say, Bilvamangal Thakur in Krishna-karnamritam, which Mahaprabhu so much loved to listen, again this is Guru Maharaj’s type observation, “Well, it is all about Krishna.” Of course, that is going to make Radharani happy, Mahaprabhu happy, feeling separation. But he is making observation, Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi of Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakur has three hundred slokas about Radharani, [as Krishna-karnamritam has approximately three hundred slokas about Krishna].

Then you can understand who Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakur [is]. He must be, one of this exclusive fanatical followers of Srimati Radharani who says,

yasyāḥ kadāpi vasanāñch ala-khelanotthadhanyāti-
dhanya-pavanena kṛtārtha-mānī
yogīndra-durgama-gatir madhusūdano ’pi
tasyā namo ’stu vṛṣabhānu-bhuvo diśe ’pi
(Rādhā-rasa-sudha-nidhi: 2)

“Yasyāḥ kadāpi vasanāñch ala-khelanottha,” when the breeze from the skirt of Radharani comes upon Krishna, “dhanyāti-dhanya pavanena kṛtārtha,” He thinks: Jackpot, lottery, He has got the ultimate treasure. “Yogīndra-durgama-gatir,” which Krishna? That one the yogis and jnanis are struggling [to find],

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo
  vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām
  (Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.3.4)

They are meditating for millions of years and trying to see the Lord in the heart, to get the glimpse of Krishna, that Krishna, “yogīndra-durgama,” means, the King who the yogis aspire to, very difficult to catch the glimpse of, if He gets the breeze from the dress of Radharani upon Him, He considers Himself to be fortunate, that He has got the ultimate treasure from the breeze of Her dress.

So, what is his conclusion? This is a sloka glorifying Her. So, if that’s how Krishna feels from Her breeze, what will my position be? “Tasyā namo ’stu vṛṣabhānu-bhuvo diśe ’pi,” the direction in which that daughter of Vrisabhanu Maharaj appeared is worshippable and close enough for me. The direction in which She appeared, I will worship. She is so Great.

So, the strategy of capturing Krishna [is] by promoting Srimati Radharani and taking Her line: Radhika-Madhavasam. As Guru Maharaj says [about] Chaitanya Saraswat Math, “śrīmad-rūpānuga śrī-kṛtamati-guru-gaurāṅga-rādhā-jitāśā,” it is an aspiration in the line of Sri Rupa.

Raghunath Das Goswami,
mukhe rādhā rādhā bale,
bhāse nayanera jale, rādhe rādhe
(Kothāya Go Premamayi Rādhe Rādhe: 8)

Crawling on his hands and knees in Govardhan and Vrindavan, with tears streaming down his eyes, taking the name of Srimati Radharani. He is the prayojana-tattva-acharya of this line,

āśā-bharair amṛta-sindhu-mayaiḥ kathañchit
kālo mayātigamitaḥ kila sāmprataṁ hi
tvaṁ chet kṛpāṁ mayi vidhāsyasi naiva kiṁ me
prāṇair vrajena cha varoru bakāriṇāpi
(Vilāpa-kusumāñjali: 100, 102)

This is a prayer to Radharani, “My aspiration is the service of your holy lotus feet. That service, that’s how and that’s why I am maintaining my life and existence. [It] is with that aspiration, without which my life is of no value. “Prāṇair vrajena,” what is more valuable than my life—Vraja, that’s of no value to me without You and Your service. What is more valuable than Vraja? Krishna Himself, “Bakāriṇāpi,” Bakari means who killed Baka, a dreadful demon.

So, inner awakenment, inner attainment has to be along these lines. Same Das Goswami is saying,

sākhyāya te mama namo ’stu namo ’stu nityaṁ
dāsyāya te mama raso ’stu raso ’stu satyam
(Vilāpa-kusumāñjali: 16)

I don’t aspire for intimacy or higher service. My focus is on the least. Same thing with Radharani, focus on the least. Prabodhananda—focussed on the least. So, Guru Maharaj compared: if we try to go into the intimate details, it is like you are seeking to immigrate to America and you have questions about the CIA and the government and the White House. That is not appropriate for somebody who wants to [become a citizen]. Start with the visa, and then go to green card and then citizen. But to enquire about the confidential things, that won’t be looked upon favourably.

We have to be invited in. So many times Guru Maharaj used the concept of passport and the visa. The passport is not sufficient. You must be granted the visa which means the visa issuing country, they determine that it is in the interest of the country for you to enter. We assume it is in our interest. But when will it be in the interest of the country, it is when you are issued a visa to enter there.

But it is clear where it is going. That is for certain. As we say, “Nabadwip is Vrindavan in distribution mode. Gaura-lila is the entrance to Krishna-lila.” Sometimes Guru Maharaj would say, “The sankirtan of Mahaprabhu, that is rasa-lila in distribution mode, increasing the number of participants.” That’s where it is going. I mention this, may be shouldn’t. It is on tape: we always talk of the opening of Mayapur Chandradaya Mandir. I think this is where to stop. And Gurudeva went, “Kaṁ prati kathayitum īśe,” (Cc: Madhya 19.98) the famous sloka of Raghupati Upadhyaya, Prabhupada welcoming Srila Guru Maharaj and Janardan Maharaj was there too, you can see him running up and down the stairs on the old video film. The devotees are asking, “Prabhupad, what do we do to install the Deities?” Prabhupad answered, “Sridhar Maharaj has arrived, the Deities are installed. What do we do is we invite Sridhar Maharaj. That’s what we do.” [laughs] But anyway, he and Guru Maharaj [are] sitting on the same vyasasan, you know the picture. We used to call the Holy Trinity, with Gurudeva speaking “kaṁ prati kathayitum īśe,” sloka and
Prabhupad and Guru Maharaj were sitting there. I discovered that photo at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and my friends gave me a perfect copy for reproduction. Anyway, many things were said there, but one thing Guru Maharaj said that is really astonishing. He said, “By chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra one day you will find that you are in the harem of Krishna.”

Hare Krishna