[Advaita-l] What does "Hare Krishna" Mean?

[Aravind Mohanram]

Here are some references from Srimad Bhagavatan in reply to some of your questions (my replies are followed by >>> and in italics):

"Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at braincells.com> wrote:
On Thu, 18 Dec 2003, Aravind Mohanram wrote:

> Haribol,
>
> >Because it can't. There is no "magic spell" that can give anyone moksha.
> >Bondage is caused by ignorance so only the opposite of ignorance can
> >result in liberation. It's not a question of whether one recites one name
> >or 100,000, if it is done without jnana it will not avail.


>>>

tasmât sañkîrtanam visnor

jagan-mañgalam amhasâm

mahatâm api kauravya

viddhy aikântika-niskrtam

TRANSLATION

Úukadeva Gosvâmî continued: My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sañkîrtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.

SB 6.3.31

This verse is similar to the assurance Krishna gives in 18.66 Gita. 

Exactly. Note that it is "understanding" which causes "coming." Also
note the text doesn't say "constantly devoted" it says "satata yuktanam"
i.e. "constantly _joined_" This is why it is important to learn sanskrit
rather than rely on someone elses say-so.

>>> "satata yuktanam", Prabhupada translates as always engaged and that when followed by bhajatam in the verse, gives the meaning constantly devoted. I did not notice your reasoning last time - now I see where the confusion is. 

By whom? There is a popular saying quoted by Bhaskara Raya "kalau
chandivinayakau" which suggests that in Kaliyuga worship of Mataji and
Ganesh Bhagavan is the means of moksha.

>>>It is said in Srimad Bhagavatam,


kaler dosa-nidhe râjann

asti hy eko mahân gunah

kîrtanâd eva krsnasya

mukta-sañgah param vrajet

TRANSLATION

My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mahâ-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.

SB 12.3.51


krte yad dhyâyato visnum

tretâyâm yajato makhaih

dvâpare paricaryâyâm

kalau tad dhari-kîrtanât

TRANSLATION

Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Visnu, in Tretâ-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvâpara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mahâ-mantra.

SB 12.3.52

Neither the Bhagavata Purana or any other shastra that explains the
nine-fold path of bhakti gives a special priority to namasankirtana.

>>>BP does and I have shown some examples above. There are also quotes from countless other texts but it'll take me more time to provide the references. As explained in my last email, followers of Chaitanya place more emphasis on hare krishna maha-mantra and u can see that in Prabhupada's translation. 

Thanks.

Aravind.





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