English
8th June 2019
Be focused like an Archer while chanting
Our devotees from Melbourne they have been chanting with us on Saturdays. Are you there today also? Identify yourself. We chant everyday but some chant only on Saturdays.
I was wondering about Mauritius devotees, their numbers have gone down, can someone check? I see Vrsabanu Prabhu. Numbers have gone down from 50 to 30 now. Otherwise we chant every day Saturday, Sunday or Monday we chant every day.
We have to chant the prescribed number of rounds “kritanya sadha hari” prescribed number of rounds.
sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-kritau [Shad Goswami Ashtakam]
The six goswamis of Vrindavan they have set this standard. Our Acarya Namacarya Srila Haridas Thakur had prescribed 47 rounds, but he chanted big number 300000 names of Lord every day . Even in his old age he struck to his prescribed rounds. I asked Srila Prabhupada on one morning walk why we chant 16 rounds, he replied 16 is minimum, you can chant 16,000 who can stop you.
So we need to chant, this is “yuga dharma” in this age we have to chant the Hare Krishna maha mantra.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare.
There is a statement in Bhagvatam that compares this activity of chanting or recitation of mantra to the activity of shooting bow and arrow using bow and arrow,Dhanur vidya. So there in the statement it is explained that Pranav, the mantra that we chant is the bow, is danush. The living entity jiva, is the arrow baan, and the laksha, the destination the target of this arrow is the Lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
It is a Bhagvatam statement so it certainly truth, a statement the fact, just to understand this we also say that chanting of Hare Krishna mantra is sadhan and sadhya. It is means and the goal.
The Lord comes in this world or as we chant Hare Krishna the Lord makes His appearance, so He becomes the means sadhan and that Lord carries the jiva or living entity back with Him back to Krishna or back to Godhead. The living entity is brought to the lotus feet of the Lord. Sadhan and sadhya which is mantra is non- different from the Lord. The holy name is non -different from the Lord.
Fixing the arrow to the bow that is quite an act and expertise and there is art, it is a science. Putting the arrow and bow together and also be focused on the target. Dronacharya was teaching his students this Dhanur vidya and they had to shoot at the sky, the mountain, the bird hanging from the tree.
And there is a boatman in his boat riding through the ocean and the target is Boston and the captain of the boat has to focus on his target, his guide is the light house, this is where the Boston is and he is thinking, I have to get there. In order to get to his target, he must ensure that that the engine is right and he remains on the right course even the winds are blowing unfavorably. His boat may be going this way sometimes that way. But he must steer his boat in the right direction towards the light house. He must make sure that the course is right. This is what we call as attentive chanting. To throw this living entity in the direction of the Lord. Because we don’t want to hit the Lord. Srila Prabhupada has explained in the purport, we should not think in the term of bow and arrow and we are shooting and the destination is the lotus feet of Lord. We should not be attacking violently; shooting should be like a flower. We are making offering of ourselves, the living entity at the lotus feet of the Lord.
Then of course there is the baan the arrow is ready, that’s why it is said,
jiv jago, jiv jago, gaurachandra bole
Gauranga from spiritual sky is calling come, come in My direction. So, Gauranga is calling you or He has come as you have addressed Him by calling His name. Gauranga is very merciful, He is magnanimous. You are receiving His ahaituki -causeless mercy, you don’t deserve but the Lord is so kind. He comes and calls you wake up, wake up sleeping souls. The soul has to wake up if you are talking of bow and arrow activity. The arrow is there and you have to be aware and it has to be willing to reach the destination and reach the lotus feet of the Lord or abode of the Lord- going back home, back to Godhead.
So the bow, the arrow and the lakshay, the destination make sure that they are perfectly aligned and in good shape, the right mantra, which we have we have the best mantra the maha-mantra. Other mantras are there. Every devi and devata have their mantras. Mantras are there to please different Gods and Goddesses.
In karma kanda section of the Vedas, different mantras are there, you could chant and go to heaven, pitri lok depends what you pray for. Some pray for bhuta and pischas, written in karma kanda section of the Vedas. If our desire is to go all the way to Vaikuntha to Goloka then we must chant the corresponding mantra to go back to Vaikunta. By the Grace of Gauranga and the parampara we have the best mantra- The maha mantra.
The bow, the arrow and the destination. The bow we have is the best.The mantra, the bow is perfect .The arrow is the living entity, the jiva is willing and ready and wants the Lord’s lotus feet. With devotional service and we have really woken up and we must also not cause offenses, Nama apradha are there. We are committing offenses against the holy name. The mantra is a personality, the mantra is Krishna Himself but if the living entity is committing offenses against the holy name, then what hope is there for the living entity.
Focus on the target In dhanur vidya, the string is pulled and is released as a result the arrow gets a boost from behind and if it is done with full attention full focus then that arrow will reach the destination and the target. Something that must give the boost is the holy name but if we are offensive and do not have faith in the holy name then the living entity will not be going towards the Lord.
So remember the successful archer always successfully hits his targets and his whole act of shooting, his mind, his body, his intelligence and his focus is on his target and when everything is aligned, the arrow the bow and the target and then he becomes successful . So remember that when we are chanting we should remember the successful archer, his mind, body and soul is focused. Like that there is a bow, arrow and the target the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Keep this in the mind when chanting always remember the archer and his focus, if he is not aligned and focused he will not hit his target. Stay focused on the chanting remembering how the archer aligns everything to hit the target. Remember the Bhagavatam and the activity of bow and arrow - keep this in mind when chanting.
Question: who is the archer?
Answer : Who is the dhanudari here, the arrow is there, the bow is there, the destination. The archer is the living entity. Thinking of the one who is chanting, he is dhanudari he is the archer, you are the archer and you are also the bow at the same time. Good question. Bow and arrow focus on the target. Archer is the chanter of the holy name.
yatra yogeshvarah krishno yatra partho dhanurdhara
tatra shirr vijayo buthirdhruva nitir matir mama [BG 18.78]
In the case of Arjuna battling on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is the archer, living entity is archer and the Lord has come. His bow is the mantra and who is giving him the mantra? Sri Krishna is right there giving the mantra, Lord is even driving the chariot, the Lord is acting like the danusha, Lord is acting like mantra.
Oh! You have some mantra for me? Arjuna is getting confused in the middle of the battle, the Lord is giving intelligence from within.
In our case, dadami buddhi yogam. Lord gives advice in the form of mantra. So there was a team, Arjuna is archer, Lord is dhanusha which is physically Gandiv is the hand of Arjuna, but the real bow is the Lord. In the case of Arjuna the Lord is personally there, to give him a boost so that his arrows can reach the target, that time his enemies they are stumbling blocks so they had to be removed.
Arjuna was hitting the enemies, as they were getting hit, they were getting killed and they were all getting liberated, they were all going back to Godhead. They were becoming associates of the Lord. Arjuna the archer was not only bringing himself to the lotus feet of the Lord but all those whom he was killing they were also becoming bhan/arrow and going to the Lord.
Okay so another question.
Question: Who is the Lord and who is the living entity?
Answer: Bow is the Lord and the destination is the Lord and the living entity is you, the chanter. Holy name is the bow the holy name is the destination, means and the goal. The holy name brings living entity back to the form of the Lord. Living entity is entering the past times of the Lord and the holy name brings the living entity back to the Lord, back to spiritual sky back to their eternal action of serving the Lord.
No more questions are coming up only comments, I will read them. If there are other questions you can discuss it among yourselves. If there are very difficult questions and you have no answers then refer it to us. Otherwise keep chanting.
Hare Krishna