Re: How is Gauranga Mantra bonafide

Dear Guru-vrata dasa prabhu, Hare Krishna! Jaya Shrila Prabhupada! I am glad that you have at least accepted the Gauranga Mantra as bonafide now. If Shrila Prabhupada is against or does not recommend the chanting of the Gauranga Mantra, why is he using the words, *one who #CHANTS# the mantra Gauranga...*. In fact, he says that those who chant the Gauranga Mantra and the Hare Krishna are to be considered on the same level. He categorically states that all Gaudiya worshipers #ACCEPT# the Gauranga Mantra. What does *ACCEPT* mean? Does it means to only theoretically know about the Gauranga Mantra while rejecting, criticizing and prohibiting  others from chanting the Gauranga Mantra? I don't think so. "ACCEPT" means to worship the Gauranga Mantra as non-different from Lord Gauranga Himself and respect those devotees who are chanting the Gauranga Mantra along with the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, as being on the same level in the words of Shrila Prabhupada even if one does not want to chant the Gauranga Mantra oneself. "ACCEPT" means to be happy by singing and chanting the Gauranga Mantra sometimes. "ACCEPT" means to take shelter of this Holy Name of Lord Gauranga according to the instruction of Lord Nityananda Himself. Whether there is only one instruction or many instructions, every universal instruction of the Acharya in his books is the topmost instruction, and cannot be minimized by saying that he only said it at one place in his books. We, in this group, feel that this one purport is perfectly clear and enough for us about Shrila Prabhupada's position on the chanting of the authentic Gauranga Mantra and we don't need for him to repeatedly state it again and again. We are also trying to be sincere followers of Shrila Prabhupada's vani and for us, one clear universal instruction in his books which is not contradicted by any of his other instructions is enough, to sincerely follow that instruction. Sometimes the confidential secrets are mentioned only a few times by the Acharyas, like Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura states in the Navadvipa Dhaama Mahatmya about Gauranga's Holy Name. For your kind information, we are also worshiping the Deities of Shri Pancha Tattva in Shri Jagannatha Puri Dhaama and also chanting the full Pancha Tattva Mantra according to the instructions of Shrila Prabhupada.

Our understanding differs from your understanding of this purport of Shrila Prabhupada. When he says.."one who *CHANTS*  the mantra Gauranga..", we clearly understand that he has no objection whatsoever for chanting the Gauranga Mantra and we says that all worshipers of Shri Gaurasundara *ACCEPT* the Gaura Gopala Mantra, we understand that as his merciful recommendation to chant the Gauranga Mantra even though he may not have practically implemented it himself. You are free to maintain your own understanding, but please don't reject the last part of his commentary which states that both the chanters of the Gauranga Mantra and the chanters of Hare Krishna should be considered on the same level. So I would kindly request you to give proper respect if not equal respect to those devotees who are chanting the Gauranga Mantra along with the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, even though you may not be able to chant the Gauranga Mantra yourself, instead of attempting to minimize or discourage others from chanting the Gauranga Mantra. We are not trying to force or impose the chanting of the Gauranga Mantra on anyone nor do we expect all the devotees to Lord Krishna to chant the Gauranga Mantra because we know it is very confidential secret according to Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. We just have our own small group here where we discuss and glorify Nitaai Gaura Naama to those who are interested. We welcome healthy discussion here in the proper mood which you have but we want to glorify the Holy Names of Gauranga and Nityananda more than simply discussing why They should or should not be chanted since that is a non-brainer to us.

In regards to the Pancha Tattva Mantra, I have explained many times that Shrila Prabhupada has more than once stopped the regular chanting of the Pancha-tattva Mantra in japa as well as kirtana more than three times. On one hand, he states many times in his books that one very regularly chant the Holy Names of Gauranga and Nityananda but on the other hand he did not want rounds of Pancha-tattva Mantra to be chanted on beads and also he wanted that the Pancha-tattva Mantra chanted three times only at the beginning of the kirtana. This is because there is no precedent in the lives of our previous Acharyas and Associates of Lord Gauranga that the Pancha Tattva Mantra has been specifically chanted as japa on Tulasi beads regularly, so Shrila Prabhupada did not recommend chanting it regularly. It is believed that the Pancha Tattva Mantra was mercifully revealed more as a hymn or a song by Shrila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji to be sung since it is not mentioned as specific japa Mantra in any of the scriptures or the writings of our Acharyas. For this same reason, Pancha Tattva Mantra has not been mentioned in the books of Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura or Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada. A Japa Mantra has a fixed number of syllables and according to Jaiva Dharma, authorized Gaura Mantras are all clearly mentioned in the scriptures unlike the Pancha Tattva Mantra which is more like a hymn or a song or a verse glorifying Shri Pancha Tattva.

Shrila Prabhupada's purport of Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita 8.31 which Bhakta Matus has quoted above, is considerably taken from the Bengali commentary of his own Gurudeva Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada to the same verse. And in those original commentaries of Anubhashya of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada and of Amrita Prvaha Bhashya of Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the Pancha Tattva Mantra is not mentioned at all. Both the Acharyas greatly recommend the very regular chanting of the two Holy Names of Gauranga and Nityananda not the Pancha Tattva Mantra in their commentaries to the same verse. Thus, Shrila Prabhupada recommends the Pancha Tattva Mantra for chanting a few times before Japa and Sankirtana but not very regularly as he recommends for the Holy Names of Gauranga and Nityananda, if we consider all his instructions regarding the Pancha Tattva Mantra.

On the other hand, the 4-syllable Gaura Gopala Mantra "Gauraanga" has been chanted on beads as the most worshipable Ishta Mantra by great Rasika Acharyas like Shrila Shivananda Sena so it is fully authorized tobe chanted both in Japa and Kirtana. There is no instruction of any Acharya or Scriptures which contradicts this. I hope you can kindly agree with that and see the truth behind it with an open mind, not just think about what you have been told or what you feel about it.

I would like to kindly suggest that you try to read all the quotes of the Acharyas from our Nityananda Gauranga Naama section (url given above) and understand the Nitaai Gaura Naama Tattva better yourself so that you can share the proper conclusions with this group or with other devotees. Before sharing, it is our duty to read and try to understand all the quotes of all our previous Acharyas, who are all our Shiksha Gurus according to Hari Naama Chintamani. One's enthusiasm to share is very nice but the proper understanding should also be there first, otherwise one may end up minimizing Naama Prabhu Himself to oneself and others.

Yours in the service of Gaura Naama,
Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami.

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