Simple thought

i know that as long as i can appreciate and stick to the practice of daily chanting the Most Merciful Holy Names of Nityananda Gauranga, while keeping my self humble and simple, my path back to home, back to Godhead remains secure. That's why i pray with all my heart: Oh merciful spritual master! Oh Lord Nitaai! Please, award me this single benediction, that as long as i live, i may appreciate Your matchless transcendental qualities and consequently keep up chanting the Holy Names of Nityananda Gauranga, come what may.

Matus

Gaura Naam for perfected as well as conditioned

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!

The unparalleled magnanimity of Lord Gauranga and His Holy Name can be conceived in two ways. In terms of perfectional stage, He and His Name are willing and desiring to grant one the topmost achievement of all the desires on the path of bhakti yoga, including the eternal and most intimate service at the Lotus Feet of Shrimati Radharani and Her Closest Associates, along with the eternal service to Lord Gauranga Himself (as Gauranga=Radha-Krishna, Gaura Lila = Krishna Lila). As long as one is attached to and drinks the nectar of Lord Gauranga's Lotus Feet and Holy Name, one is being given place at Shrimati Radharani's Lotus Feet (Shria Prabhudananda Saraswati, Shri Chaitanya Chandramrita). That is why the eternal perfect associates of Lord Gauranga, like Shrila Haridasa Thakura or Shrila Narahari Sarkara, desire to spend last moments of their manifest pastimes in chanting Lord Gauranga's Name in order to teach us how to obtain all our cherished fruits of our Naam bhajan and also to relish Themselves these fruits which are given to Them by the final absorption into Gauranga Naam, Rupa, Guna and Lila (which automatically and simultaneously reveal also the whole Radha-Krishna Tattva).

"Haridasa Thakura began chanting, “Shri Krishna Chaitanya”, again and again, and while drinking the sweetness of the Lord’s moon-like face, tears constantly glided down from his eyes. It was while chanting the holy name, “Shri Krishna Chaitanya”, that Haridasa Thakura gave up his air of life and left his material body." (Chaitanya Charitamrita)

gaura vihane, na vañchi parāṇe, gaura ka’rechi sāra
gaura baliya, jauka jīvane, kichu nā cāhiba āra

"Without Gaura I cannot live. Gaura is my everything. I pray to give up my life taking the name of Gaura – I ask for nothing else." (Shrila Narahari Sarkara, Mana Re Kaha Na Gaura Katha)

In term of conditioned stage, Lord Gauranga and His Holy Name along with Lord Nityananda and His Holy Name are ready to offer shelter to the most fallen and degraded persons. That is the second aspect of Lords Nityananda Gauranga's unprecedented magnanimity. Although They are offering something which has never been given before and which has been carefully conceiled all the countless years even from great vedic scholars and yogis, They are ready to give it to anyone and everyone, regardless the fallen and conditioned stage of one's existence.

shri chaitanya avatare bada vilakshana
aparaadha-sattve jiva labhe prema-dhana.. (Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya, Ch.1 Verse 51)

"The incarnation of Lord Gauranga is exceptionally opulent, powerful and influential among all forms of God. Even though Lord Krishna's Name considers offenses and does not give love to an offensive soul, Lord Gauranga's Name, Pastimes and Abodes do not consider offenses and award pure love of God to even the offensive souls. This unprecedented and unimaginable munificence of Lord Gauranga's incarnation is the only life-saving hope for the conditioned souls of Kali Yuga."

aparaadha baadhaa tara kichu naahi kare
niramala krishna-preme taara ankhi jhare..53

"Even the formidable obstacles posed due to the offenses in one's heart are rendered ineffective by the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga and the eyes miraculously flow with the sublime tears of pristinely pure love for Lord Krishna when one chants the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga even though offenses are present in the heart."

Lord Nitai-Gauranga and His Holy Name is the beginning as well as the end. Lord Gauranga covers the all spectrum, as He is the Original, Complete and Most Merciful Supreme Lord. Thus it is a very great gift the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga, and our wholehearted expressions of gratitude shall be repeatedly offered to all the devotees of the Lord, who were, are and will be revealing and distributing this rarest gift of Nityananda Gauranga Naam to all the most needy and desperate souls as myself.

Yours insignificant,
Matus

Shri Shacinandana Vandana

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!

i recorded Shri Shachinandana Vandana, which i am sharing with You here for Your pleasure :)



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Sri Sacinandana-vandana
("A Hymn to the son of Sachi")
by Srila Sridhara Deva Gosvami Maharaja

(1)
jaya sacinandana, sura-muni-vandana
bhava-bhaya khandana jaya he

All glories to Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the son of Sacidevi. Great sages and demigods always sing His praise, for by doing so, the fear of repeated birth and death is cut to pieces.

(2)
jaya hari-kirtana, nartana vartana
kalimala kartana jaya he

All glories to the kirtana of the holy name of Krsna, for when one chants the holy name of Krsna and dances in ecstasy, the filth of this iron age of Kali disappears.

(3)
nayana-puranadara, visvarupa snehadhara
visvambhara visvera-kalyana

Sri Caitanya delights all eyes with his charming beauty. He is the most dearly beloved Lord of all and the intimate brother of Visvarupa. He brings the highest auspiciousness to everyone, for He floods the entire universe with the nectar of love of godhead and thus saves all living beings.

(4)
jaya laksmi-visnupriya, visvambhara-priyahiya
jaya priya kinkara isana

All Glories to Laksmipriya and Visnupriya-devi, who are very dear to Sri Nimai Pandita. All glories to Their dear family servant, Isana.

(5)
sri sita-advaita-raya, malini srivasa jaya
jaya candrasekhara acarya

All glories to Sita Thakurani and Sri Advaita Acarya, all glories to Malini devi and Srivasa Thakura, and all glories to Acarya Candrasekhara.

(6)
jaya nityananda-raya, gadadhara jaya jaya
jaya haridasa namacarya

All glories to Srila Nityananda Prabhu, Gadadhara Pandita and Haridasa Thakura, the Namacarya.

(7)
murari mukunda jaya, premanidhi mahasaya
jaya yata prabhu parisada

All glories to Murari Gupta, and all glories to Mukunda Dutta. All glories to all the other eternal associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

(8)
vandi savakara paya, adhamere krpa haya
bhakti svaparsada-prabhupada

By singing the glories of Srila Prabhupada(Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada) and all those great souls who are eternal associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, even the lowest of men can obtain the highest treasure of divine love.

---

Jaya Gaurahariii! Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrinda! Jaya Navadvipa Dhama! Jaya Shrila Shridhara Maharaja! Jaya Shrila Gurudeva!

Your servant,
Matus

One day i saw a sadhu...

Chapter 1 of Jaiva Dharma:

“One day I saw a Vaishnava sadhu loudly singing about the pastimes of Sri Hari. I opened my eyes and saw that he was bathed in streams of tears, and in his ecstatic rapture the hairs of his body
were standing on end. He was chanting the names “Sri Krsna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda!” in a choked-up voice, and as he danced, his feet slipped so that he fell on the ground again and again. When I saw him and heard his song, my heart filled with an indescribable ecstasy."

Faith in Gauranga, that is costly

i would like to share with You a conversation between Shrila B.R. Shridhara Swami and a devotee regarding the chanting of Gaura Naam.

Shrila B.R. Shridhara Swami: Gaura Haribol, Gaura Haribol, Gaura Haribol...

Devotee: Lord Nityananda Prabhu recommended that we chant Gauranga, Gauranga, Gauranga, Gauranga, Gauranga as the proper internal ... (inaudible)

Shrila B.R. Shridhara Swami: If we have faith in that we will be more gainer then taking Krishna Naam, because there is the consideration called offenses - Krishna Naam kare aparadhera vicara, and less offense in Gaura Naam. But faith in Gauranga that is rare. To have faith in Gauranga, that is costly. But if you anyhow can gather that, then it will be more beneficial than you negotiate direct with Krishna. Direct negotiate... The offense is more possible that side and less offense here. More forgiveness. But Krishna Naam has got some universal characteristics accepted by majority of persons and Gaura Naam is not accepted in such a wider circle. So it is difficult to put faith there. But if one can have his faith, then he will be gainer, because less consideration of aparadha, offense. He has particularily come for the fallen souls. So grace is more there. But to put faith in Him that will be ...(inaudible) difficult. Until we can understand Him ontologically we cannot go by the help of our experience. Not accepted by greater circle as Krishna is accepted. So many higher scriptures are also in favor of Krishna avatara, then the wide circle they accept Krishna as Lord, but minor circle accept Gauranga as God and there are not so many scriptures supporting Him. So it is difficult to have faith in Him. But if anyhow one can come nearer, He will be more gainer.

Gauranga, Gauranga, Gauranga, Gauranga, ...

For downloading and listening the original audio: http://guardian-of-devotion.de/audio/2a.mp3

Your servant,

Matus

Pancha Tattva Mantra & japa beads question

Question:

"i personally didnt know that srila prabhupada advises that one should not chant the pancha tattva mantra... i have been doing one round of it before i chant! so rather we chant nityanada and gauranga directly?"

Answer:

Yes, Shrila Prabhupada did not agree when He got to know that rounds of Pancha Tattva Mantra are being chanted on the japa beads, as there is not a single evidence of it being done by any of our previous acharyas (spiritual preceptors).

"Who is that rascal sannyasi who has recommended to chant Pancha Tattva mantra on the japa beads? First, send me his name." (Letter of Shrila Prabhupada to: Govardhan 4, Juhu, Bombay-54, 18 November, 1973)

Pancha Tattva Mantra should be chanted before the Hare Krishna Mahamantra (at least 1 time, recommended 3 times) and even can be chanted before the rounds of Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas.

Pancha Tattva Mantra for does who don't know goes as follows:
SHRI KRISHNA CHAITANYA PRABHU NITYANANDA SHRI ADVAITA GADADHARA SHRIVASADI GAURA BHAKTA VRINDA

As in the case of Pancha Tattva Mantra, there is no such disaggreement on the side of Shrila Prabhupada or other previous acharya in regard of chanting Nityananda Gauranga on japa beads. On the contrary, it was done by our acharyas, as for example by Shrila Shivananda Sen, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, Sapta Rishis, Shiva and Parvati, etc... as per our authorized scriptures.

There is no difference between Nitai-Gauranga and Hare Krishna. So logically, both of them can be chanted in the same way, means in kirtan, japa, and so on... Shrila Prabhupada confirms it:

"Nitai-Gauranga and Hare Krishna, there is no difference. Nitai-Gauranga is also nice. Whatever he finds convenient, let him chant." (Shrila Prabhupada's Room Conversation with Yoga Student regarding Japa)

by Matus

Gaura-Kirtana

Meanwhile many devotees of Lord Krishna understood the importance of taking shelter of and understanding the nature Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu as well as Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Yet few of them understand and trust the confidential instruction of how to do it practically, that means to do it by performance of Gaura-Kirtana, by the concregational chanting of Lord Gauranga's Name, Form, Qualities and Pastimes. There is actually no other way as stressed by Shrila Murari Gupta in His Shri Chaitanya Charita Maha-kavya, Parikrama 4, Sarga 19:

etad antar-gata yasya / gauranga-guna-kirttanam
sa eva saki nanye ca / kotisho jnana-paragah

"Only one who can enter into the chanting of Gauranga's qualities can actually
comprehend them, and not millions of others who may be fully conversant with
transcendental knowledge."

Here especially the concregational glorification of Lord Gauranga's qualities, gauranga-guna, is mentioned, which makes it easy to understand that this kirtana, or congregational glorification, actually refers to non other than Lord Gauranga Himself. In many other instances however the term Gaura-Kirtana is being used by our acharyas as the summarizing term for Gaura-Naam- & Gaura-Rupa- & Gaura-Guna- and Gaura-Lila-Kirtana (Naam=Name; Rupa=Form; Guna=Qualities; Lila=Pastimes).

Some devotees believe that Gaura-Kirtana refers exclusively to the glorification of Lord Krishna as introduced by Lord Gauranga Himself. Still if one attentively studies the bonafide holy scriptures and songs about Lord Gauranga such as Shri Chaitanya Bhagavata, one can see that the terms Gaura-Kirtana and Krishna-Kirtana are used to indicate the glorification of Lord Gauranga or Lord Krishna respectively. Although they are the same Supreme Personality, there exist eternal processes of how to worship and glorify them, especially when considering the fallen condition of the souls of the present age.

There are many pastimes mentioned in our scriptures, where it is described how Lord Advaita Acharya and Lord Nityananda engage Themselves together with Their Companions in Gaura-Kirtana, beginning with Gaura-Naam-Kirtana. Just to mention one of them here:

tatash ca prema-gosvami / sammantrya sva-janaih saha
navina gaura-candrasya / nama-sankirttana shubham

karoti mandali-ktya / harena vainavaih saha
ntyati paramoddanda / garjjati dhavati kvacit

"Then Shri Advaita Acarya, the gosvami of prema assembled His own men and created a new form of sankirtana from the names of Gaura Candra. He jubilantly formed a circle of all the vaishnavas, and within it He danced very high, sometimes roaring and sometimes running." (Shri Chaitanya Charita Maha-kavya, Parikrama 4, Sarga 19)

These pastimes are being eternally enacted in the Eternal Abode of Lords Nityananda Gauranga. Bhakti-yoga means to gradually accomodate all our activites according to the model of the spiritual world. And Gaura-Kirtana is definitely an integrate part of that model. So if we want to enter and accomodate ourselves eternally in the company of Lord Gauranga, then there is no other way except repeated performace of Gaura-Kirtana.

So let us pray at the Lotus Feet of Lord Nitai, Lord Advaita Acharya and Their Holy Names, that They we may engage ourselves with faith and enthusiasm in this most auspicious and powerful performance of Gaura-Kirtana. Let us also fall at the Lotus Feet of all the Gaura-Bhakta-Vrinda, the Eternal Associates of Lords Nityananda Gauranga, to gain trust in their instruction to continuously and with simple heart chant the Holy Names, Qualities and Pastimes of Lords Nityananda Gauranga:

gao punah punah, gaurangera guna,
sarala haiya mana
e bhava-sagare, emana dayala,
na dekhi je eka-jana

"With a simple heart sing over and over again of Shri Gauranga’s glorious qualities! No one has ever seen such a compassionate person as He in the entire ocean of material existence." (Yadi Gauranga Nahita by Shrila Vasudeva Ghosha)

Your insignificant servant, searching after shelter of all Gaura-Kirtana-Bhaktas,
Matus