Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana Meaning

[Dot Liljenquist]

Comewith me to Jagannatha Puri, near to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Haridasa Thakura. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes are more deep than the ocean, more deep than even thousands upon thousands of oceans. No ordinary person can understand the Lord's pastimes, and even most devotees cannot realize them.

This is still their policy. They don't honor other religions. They don't chant the name Hari, Krsna, Govinda, or any other name of God, and they don't believe in the form of God at all. They are like mayavadis (impersonalists).

Haridasa Thakura replied, "Once there was a Mohammedan, a Muslim, who while passing through a forest felt the urge to pass stool. As he sat somewhere in the forest for passing, a very powerful boar saw him from a distance and ran to attack him from the backside. As boars run one-pointed with their eyes closed, so that boar ran to kill the person from the backside by tearing him to pieces with his sharp teeth. As soon as the man saw that the boar was going to attack him, he called out, 'Ha rama! Ha rama!' Ha rama means 'condemned' or 'abominable' or 'impure.' He condemned that boar by calling out, 'Ha rama, ha rama!'

"Hearing that man call out, 'Ha rama!' Krsna in the form of His incarnation Lord Rama considered, 'He is calling Me. I must go and help him.' Lord Rama came there at once, since He is non-different from His holy name. He gave that man liberation, and attainment of Vaikuntha-dhama. [*See endnote 1] This was all because the man had unknowingly chanted, 'O Lord Ramacandra' [ha means 'O', and Rama may refer to Lord Ramacandra]."

We should try to continuously chant Krsna's name in this process, like Haridasa Thakura. If a person cannot do this, still, he will achieve liberation. He will not die. [*See endnote 3] Krsna's name will save him. But try to chant the name in the approved process. First associate with a highly qualified Vaisnava who will give you diksa, at which time you will receive divya-jnana, or all transcendental knowledge. You will then become detached from worldly desires, and very soon you will develop a thick relationship with Krsna that will manifest according to your constitutional form. You will gradually develop sraddha, nistha, ruci, and asakti, and after that rati. This rati is suddha-sattva as I explained yesterday. [*See endnote 4]

Once, by the wish of Sri Krsna, Srila Haridasa Thakura came to see Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, who was at that time at the premises of his father. Many learned persons and brahmanas had assembled there, and they were discussing the glories of the holy name. Some were telling that the holy name can give liberation, and others told that it can never give liberation; both parties were quarrelling.

Upon the arrival of Haridasa Thakura, everyone honored him, and they asked him the same question with which they were struggling: "Can one achieve liberation by the holy name, or not?" Haridasa Thakura very humbly replied, "There is no need of the pure name for achieving liberation, for even by the semblance of the holy name anyone can very easily be liberated." [*See endnote 5]

[Haridasa Thakura said, "As the sun begins to rise, even before it is visible it dissipates the darkness of night. With the first glimpse of sunlight, fear of thieves, ghosts, and demons immediately disappears, and when the sun is actually visible, everything is manifest and everyone begins performing his religious activities and regulative duties. Similarly, the first hint that offenseless chanting of the Lord's holy name has awakened dissipates the reactions of sinful life immediately. And when one chants the holy name offenselessly, one awakens to service in ecstatic love at the lotus feet of Krsna. Liberation is the insignificant result derived from a glimpse of the awakening of offenseless chanting of the holy name. While dying, Ajamila chanted the holy name of the Lord, intending to call his son Narayana. Nevertheless, he attained the spiritual world. [*See endnote 6] What then to speak of those who chant the holy name with faith and reverence?" (Antya 3.183-187)]

Hearing the words of Haridasa Thakura, a brahmana named Gopal Cakravarti became very angry and began to challenge him. All others warned Gopal not to challenge Haridasa Thakura, because of the Thakura's elevated position in bhakti, but still he challenged, "Even the name itself cannot give liberation, and you are telling us that namabhasa (the semblance of harinama) can give liberation?! If I am speaking the truth, then your nose will fall off due to leprosy, and if I am wrong and you are right, then my nose will fall off!"

Everyone present became angry at that person, and the father of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami told him, "Get out from our assembly. I have no sympathy for you." He had been paying that person many thousands of rupees monthly for being his tax-collector, but now he said, "I have stopped all connection with you. Get out of my kingdom."

After a couple of days, that brahmana's entire body was attacked by leprosy and his nose melted away. After many days, being extremely upset, he left for Aparadha-bhanjana-pata (the place where offences are destroyed) in Navadvipa. There he prayed to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "I have done wrong. I have committed offenses to the feet of a high-class Vaisnava. Please excuse me."

Caitanya Mahaprabhu forgave this nama-aparadhi brahmana and instructed him to continuously chant the holy name. Gopala Cakravarti did so, and his leprosy soon disappeared, leaving him beautiful as before. And now, he was a devotee.

If you chant the holy name, a special kind of power comes to you; whatever you speak will become true. Your words will bear fruit. I have personally tested and examined this. Once I was chanting the holy name, thinking, "If I am chanting this name purely, then this must be done," and at once it was done. I have examined this so many times. If you are chanting the holy name purely and you tell someone, "Oh, you should die," then that person will die.

Narada Rsi cursed the sons of Nalakuvera and Manigriva, "At once become trees," and by the power of his chanting of the holy name, they immediately began turning into trees. Once, Narada told someone, "Oh! You are now dead? Oh, Come on, Come on, Come on." That person immediately came alive and began to speak. This is the power of the holy name.

Once, the ocean swallowed up a mother bird's eggs, which she had laid by the ocean's shore. Garuda came and told the ocean, "You should return the eggs to this bird." When he did not hear a reply, he breathed in, and by the power of the holy name he drank all of the ocean's water and the ocean became dry.

You can also examine whether or not this is true. Chant for some years like Srila Haridasa Thakura, or like any pure devotee, and you will see so much power come to you. Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja was so powerful that in a couple of years he successfully preached everywhere. Why? He was always chanting the holy name. By the power of the holy name and his own bhakti, so many souls came under his shelter. And what I am doing? I am only chanting. I am also successful in my preaching by the power of the name.

We have seen so many scriptural references about Haridasa Thakura. Last night we explained about a prostitute who was about 16 to 20 years old. Although she tried to seduce Haridasa Thakura, by his grace she became a very prominent devotee. We should try to chant the holy name like him.

Once, the very beautiful Maya-devi herself came to Haridasa Thakura on a full-moon night. He was staying in a solitary place on the side of the Ganges, where she went to him and prayed: "I see that you are the most beautiful man in the entire world, and you can see that I am also beautiful. Look at me for just a moment." But Haridasa Thakura was absorbed in chanting: "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare." She spent the entire night with him, speaking so many words to allure him. In fact, she came there three nights in a row, but each night Haridasa Thakura told her, "Please wait. I have taken a vow to chant 300,000 names a day."

Finally, at the end of the night of the third day she said to him with folded palms, "I am personally Maya-devi, the illusory energy of the Lord. I have cheated Sankara, Brahma the creator, Narada, Gautama, and so many others. I can cheat all others, but I am defeated by you. I am the same Maya, and now I am begging your mercy. Be pleased with me. I have received Rama-nama , but now I want to be initiated into the Krsna mantra. Please initiate me."

Although both Ramacandra and Krsna are the same by tattva (philosophical truth), there is some speciality in Rama. What speciality? First, those who take shelter of Rama cannot achieve the position of Sita. And second, Rama sometimes gives up Sita for no reason.

Believing the words of a very bogus washer-man, Rama gave up Sita for His entire life. [*See endnote 8] What was the fault, or offence, of Sita-devi that Ramacandra gave Her up? She had no fault. But Rama believed in the words of a washer-man, who had indirectly convinced Him to leave her. So, if you are chaste in your service to Rama, He may reject you also. We fear this may happen.

Do you know Narakasura? He conquered all the kings of India and then collected all the beautiful princesses for his personal enjoyment. Krsna knew about this from Narada Rsi. He went and killed that demon, and He told the sixteen-thousand princesses, "Now you are independent. You can easily go to your fathers, mothers, and others. I will arrange for your return home." But what did they say? "We don't want to return. No one will accept us now, because we have been in the house of Narakasura. So, we have taken Your shelter. Please give us the chance to serve Your queens. We will sweep and cook for them, and we will massage them. Somehow, please give us shelter." Krsna then took them all on His bird-carrier, Garuda, who expanded to a very large size and carried them all to Dvaraka. Krsna also expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms, married them all, and lived with them in separate palaces as His queens.

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