Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Madhya-līlā | Chapter 7: The Lord Begins His Tour of South India |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita Madhya 7.37
tomāra dui hasta baddha nāma-ganane
jala-pātra-bahirvāsa vahibe kemane
SYNONYMS
tomāra — Your; dui — two; hasta — hands; baddha — engaged; nāma — the holy name; ganane — in counting; jala-pātra — waterpot; bahir-vāsa — external garments; vahibe — will carry; kemane — how.
TRANSLATION
"Since Your two hands will always be engaged in chanting and counting the holy names, how will You be able to carry the waterpot and external garments?
PURPORT
From this verse it is clear that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chanting the holy names a fixed number of times daily. The Gosvāmīs used to follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Haridāsa Thākura also followed this principle. Concerning the Gosvāmīs — Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha Bhatta Gosvāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrīla Gopāla Bhatta Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī — Śrīnivāsa Ācārya confirms, sańkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhih. (Shad-gosvāmy-ashtaka 6) In addition to other duties, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the system of chanting the holy name of the Lord a fixed number of times daily, as confirmed in this verse (tomāra dui hasta baddha nāma-ganane). Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to count on His fingers. While one hand was engaged in chanting, the other hand kept the number of rounds. This is corroborated in the Caitanya-candrāmrita and also in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī's Stava-mālā:
badhnan prema-bhara-prakampita-karo granthīn katī-dorakaih
sańkhyātum nija-loka-mańgala-hare-krishneti nāmnām japan
(Caitanya-candrāmrita 16)
hare krishnety uccaih sphurita-rasano nāma-gananā-
krita-granthi-śrenī-subhaga-kati-sūtrojjvala-karah
(Prathama-caitanyāshtaka 5)
Therefore devotees in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must chant at least sixteen rounds daily, and this is the number prescribed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Haridāsa Thākura daily chanted 300,000 names. Sixteen rounds is about 28,000 names. There is no need to imitate Haridāsa Thākura or the other Gosvāmīs, but chanting the holy name a fixed number of times daily is essential for every devotee.
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness