Sri Sanmodana Bhasyam, Part 4
BY: SUN STAFF
Jun 21, 2010 — CANADA (SUN) — A commentary on Lord Caitanya’s ‘Siksastakam’ by HDG Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, with a Bengali song for each verse that expands upon Mahaprabhu’s devotional moods (Sanskrit, 1886).
The chanting of mantras that is properly supposed to take place in the mind is called japa; by japa, the chanter receives his desired perfection. Audible chanting in which the lips move is called kirtana; it is more effective than japa and avails the greatest benefit to the hearer. Samkirtana means total or perfect kirtana; all other devotional activities become unnecessary if one does samkirtana.
Samkirtana can never be partial or imperfect glorification of Lord Krsna’s holy name, because partial or imperfect chanting of Krsna’s name is unable to cause a wonderful transformation in the living entities. Partial or imperfect kirtana should not be accepted as samkirtana, as people would then doubt the potency of kirtana.
Let samkirtana, the total and perfect chanting of Krsna’s holy name, be victorious. The experience of something mundane can only be incomplete, but the transcendental plane is never touched by material nature. Therefore, by the discussion of transcendental subject matter – Krsna, the supreme subject one experiences all supra-mundane perfection. Amongst these perfections are seven that are especially invoked by chanting Lord Krsna’s holy name, as explained in this verse by Lord Caitanya.
The chanting of Lord Krsna’s holy name acts as a purifying agent upon the mirror of the living entities’ contaminated hearts. The heart of the conditioned soul is completely covered over by three impurities: the desire to lord over matter, the godless attitude of being the sole enjoyer and/or renouncer of the fruits of one’s actions, and atheism. These three treacherous contaminations form a sheath that covers the mirror of consciousness, causing one to reject His true nature as a jiva.
Krsna’s holy name alone frees the consciousness of these impurities. By constantly chanting and thus taking complete shelter of the holy name, the jiva gradually perceives the reflection of his original form as the servant of Lord Krsna in the mirror of his consciousness.
This material existence appears to be pleasurable and sweet, but in reality it is like a fire in the depths of a forest; such a fire can reduce the entire forest to ashes. The faithless non-devotees must constantly tolerate the excruciating burning pain of the flaming forest fire of material existence. But when Lord Krsna’s holy name is congregationally chanted in full perfection, the devotees, even though they may dwell in the material world, are never scorched by those flames.
Lord Krsna’s holy name imparts the supreme goodness and munificence. Sreyah means benediction; kairava – white lilies; candrika – moon rays or white luminescence. Just as the rising moon illuminates and reveals the whiteness of the white water lily, similarly the chanting of Krsna’s holy name reveals the greatest benediction for the entire universe. Human society cannot benefit from material desires for sense enjoyment, fruitive work or speculative knowledge. Chanting Krsna’s name blesses all with the greatest prosperity.
The Mundaka Upanishad notes two types of knowledge or education: material knowledge and transcendental knowledge. Indirectly, the chanting of Lord Krsna’s holy name is the cause and sustainer of even material knowledge, but primarily it is the life and soul of all transcendental knowledge. Chanting induces the jiva to break free from the shackles of false ego and prestige arising from material education and leads him to understand his eternal relationship with Lord Krsna. The ultimate purpose of transcendental knowledge is to simply chant Krsna’s holy name.
The chanting of the Holy name expands the ocean of transcendental bliss. A limited expanse of water cannot be described as an ocean; therefore “unlimited bliss” is being compared to a boundless ocean. Chanting Krsna’s name causes one to relish the sweet nectar of that ocean fully at every step. Because this transcendental experience is unfettered by imperfections, one can always relish full spiritual nectar from the chanting of Krsna’s holy name.
Leave a Reply