The highest development of saranagati.

By Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

The mahamantra can give us everything. It has that type of power. Mahaprabhu said in His Siksastakam (1):

cheto-darpana-marjanam bhava-mahadavagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam

[“Sri Krishna-sankirtan cleanses the mirror of consciousness, extinguishes the raging forest fire of material existence, shines moonlight on the evening lotus of good fortune, is the life of those enlightened with paramour love for the Lord, expands the ocean of ecstasy, is the taste of full nectar at every moment, and soothes the entire self. May Sri Krishna-sankirtan be supremely victorious!”]

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this Kali-yuga. He is Himself Radha-Krishna, but for the conditioned souls, He also appeared as a Yuga-avatar. That is His outward aspect for this mundane world. Krishna came for two causes: (1) to preach Hari-nam-sankirtan to the jiva-souls, and (2) to take and enjoy the mood and colour of Radharani.

harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah
sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah sachi-nandanah
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta: Adi-lila, 1.4)

[“May the radiant, golden Lord, the son of Mother Sachi, shine forever in the core of your heart.”]

Mahaprabhu said, “We can get everything  through the Hare Krishna mahamantra”, but pancharatrik diksa [‘second initiation’] also helps that. We see that in the scriptures there are some rules and regulations for pancharatrik diksa. If we can properly follow them, then help will come to us from the transcendental world. Krishna-mantra is the seed of all mantras, and the seed of Krishna-mantra is Om. This word first appeared in the mundane world through Brahma, and Brahma meditated on it. Then all the other mantras came. Mahaprabhu Himself showed us that we must offer ourselves through the mantram. That is the meaning of the mantram actually.

One day in the evening, while Srila Saraswati Thakur was chanting Hari-nam on his beads, two sannyasis were trying to understand the meaning of Krishna-mantram, in particular the word Gopi-jana-vallabhaya. Prabhupad said, “It is in nimitarthe chaturthi”, which means offering oneself for that cause. So, “I am offering myself for that purpose [that of Gopi-jana-vallabha—the gopis’ Beloved].”

You will see the great meaning of this through Sriman Mahaprabhu in Chaitanya-charitamrta.

diksa-kale bhakta kare atma-samarpana
sei-kale krsna tare kare atma-sama
sei deha kare tara chid-anandamaya
aprakrta-dehe tara charana bhajaya
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta: Antya-lila, 4.192–3)

[“At the time of initiation, a devotee fully surrenders themself. Krishna then accepts them and makes their body spiritual and joyful, and they serve His feet in that supramundane body.”]

When a devotee offers themself with their full energy, body, mind, and soul, then Krishna looks at their devotion, and He Himself takes everything from them. In Srimad Bhagavad-gita (18.66), you have heard,

sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja

“I am only the person who can give you relief and ecstasy. So, take shelter of Me.”

This is the first stage of saranagati [surrender], and that takes us up to Vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita: the way the gopis worship and satisfy Lord Krishna in Vraja Dham. That type of service chance will come to us, and that is supreme, that gopi-bhava.

We are getting gopi-bhava through this mantram, and we must serve Krishna in this way. We need entrance and service in that world. This is the meaning of Krishna-mantram actually.

I shall give you what I got from my Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, what Srila Guru Maharaj got from Srila Saraswati Thakur, what Srila Saraswati Thakur got from Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur and Srila Gaura Kisor Das Babaji Maharaj. This is our preceptorial line from down to up. From up to down, this mantram has come from Bhagavan Sri Krishna to Brahma, from Brahma to Narad, Narad to Vyasadev, and Vyasadev to Madhva Acharya. Through this preceptorial line, this seed came down to Madhavendra Puri, and he planted it very nicely. In this way it took the form of Krishna-prema and came through Madhavendra Puri to Isvara Puri and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sriman Mahaprabhu then showed us how we should plant this beautiful, transcendental tree, this creeper of devotion, through this mantram.

I have got from Srila Guru Maharaj this charge to spread this mantram and Krishna consciousness in this mundane world. So, it is my duty to give it to souls who are surrendered  to Krishna. You are surrendered to Krishna. So, I am giving this mantram which I have got from my Guru Maharaj to you.

Source

Spoken 2 April 1991.

Reference

aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kachid upasana vraja–vadhu-vargena ya kalpita
srimad-bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pumartho mahan
sri-chaitanya-mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah nah parah
(Srila Srinath Chakravarti)

“‘Our worshippable Lord is the son of the King of Vraja, Krishna, whose abode is Vrndavan. The most pleasing worship is that performed by the wives of Vraja. Srimad Bhagavatam is the flawless authority, and divine love is the ultimate goal of human life.’ This is the conception of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and we adore it as supreme.”