English
Date - 31 May 2026
Topic - Japa Retreat.
Hare Krishna.
Guru Maharaj says, Please rest your chanting as we are about to start with today's Japa Retreat talk.
Are you ready ?? Get ready ??
Hope you have your Pens and diaries ready
You are a student and I'm your teacher. A student without a pencil is like a barber without a razor.
Make notes.
Try to maintain daily dairies during the Purushottam month, at least during the days of retreat. Is it very important? This is a special time not routine.
First there would be japa talk. Now it is the time of Retreat, time to Stop, Think and Proceed.
HG Prashanta Mataji and HG Sacchidanand prabhu ji have spoken to you already. Again they will come back, today it is my duty of Japa Retreat.
We all are usually asked to Chant, but seldom do we get the chance to hear how we should chant.
We should take full advantage of this opportunity that we are getting. So that you all become experienced chanters and you will chant with some basic knowledge, and understand what is essential.
As we all keep saying, practice makes one perfect.
Do daily practice ! You know some staff members say this person has pretty years of experience.... 20 years... But in reality, the staff member doesn't actually have experience of 30 years, whatever experience he had in his first 1 - 2 years he moves ahead with those teachings. He is not perfect, but employer says likewise he has more experience.
Our goal should not be just to become older, but to become wiser, with our experience we have to become perfectionists.
Our Goal is to remember Narayan in the Last breath
( Bhagvad Gita. 6.35 )
śrī-bhagavān uvāca asaṁśayam mahā-bāho mano durnigraham calam abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeņa ca grhyate
Translation -
Lord Krishna said: O mighty-armed son of Kunti, what you say is correct; the mind is indeed very difficult to restrain. But by practice and detachment, it can be controlled.
So let's start…
Advait acharya sent a message to Jagadananda Pandita.
Advait acharya is in shantipur and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is in Jagannath Puri, so he said ;
( CC.ANTYA...19.20 )
bāulake kahiha,- loka ha-ila bāula
bāulake kahiha,- hāțe nã vikāya caula
Translation -
"Please inform Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is acting like a madman, that everyone here has become mad like Him. Inform Him also that in the marketplace rice is no longer in demand.
He sent a message in a way that only Caitanya Mahaprabhu can understand.
( CC.Antya..19.21 )
bāulake kahiha, - kāye nāhika aula
bāulake kahiha, - ihā kahiyāche bāula"
Translation -
"Further tell Him that those now mad in ecstatic love are no longer interested in the material world. Also tell Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that one who has also become a madman in ecstatic love [Advaita Prabhu] has spoken these words."
When he heard Advaita Ācārya's statement, Jagadānanda Pandita began to laugh, and when he returned to Jagannatha Purī, Nīlācala, he informed Caitanya Mahaprabhu of everything.
After hearing the equivocal sonnet by Advaita Ācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu quietly smiled. "That is His order," He said. Then he fell silent.
Although he knew the secret, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī inquired from the Lord, "What is the meaning of this sonnet? I could not understand it."
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "Advaita Ācārya is a great worshiper of the Lord and is very expert in the regulative principles enjoined in the Vedic literatures.
"Advaita Ācārya invites the Lord to come and be worshiped, and to perform the worship He keeps the Deity for some time.
After the worship is completed, He sends the Deity somewhere else. I do not know the meaning of this sonnet, nor do I know what is in Advaita Prabhu's mind.
Advaita Ācārya is a great mystic. No one can understand Him. He is an expert in writing sonnets that even I myself cannot understand."
Hearing this, all the devotees were astonished, especially Svarūpa Dāmodara, who became somewhat morose.
( CC Antya 19.30 )
sei dina haite prabhura āra daśā ha-ila
kṛṣṇera viccheda-daśā dviguṇa bāḍila
Translation -
From that day on, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s emotional state changed markedly; His feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa doubled in intensity.
( CC Antya 19.31 )
unmāda-pralāpa-ceṣṭā kare rātri-dine
rādhā-bhāvāveśe viraha bāḍe anukṣaṇe
Translation -
As His feelings of separation in the ecstasy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī increased at every moment, the Lord’s activities, both day and night, were now wild, insane performances.
( CC Antya lila 20.4 )
svarūpa, rāmānanda, — ei duijana-sane
rātri-dine rasa-gīta-śloka āsvādane
Translation -
Day and night He tasted transcendental blissful songs and verses with two associates, namely Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram
Ram Ram Hare Hare
Now Caitanya Mahaprabhu is relishing his own naam sankirtan.
( CC Antya 20.12 )
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
Translation -
‘Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’
Till now Mahaprabhu preached the Shikshastakam in Navadvipa dham. Now he has taken Sannyas and had preached about hari naam sankirtan and for more than 6 years he did kirtan with his associates in Jagannath Puri always explaining to them glories of hari naam. But now he is going to relish the Shikshastakam himself.
We should also always read, hear and do kirtan of these so that we can improve our sadhana.
( CC Madhya 17.133 )
nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś
caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto
’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ
Translation -
‘The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’
( CC Antya 1.99 )
Tunde tandavinī ratim vitanute tundāvalī-labdhaye karna-kroda-kadambinī ghatayate karņārbudebhyaḥ spṛhām cetah-prāngana-sanginī vijayate sarvendriyāņāṁ kṛtim no jāne janitā kiyadbhir amṛtaiḥ kṛṣṇeti varņa-dvayī
Translation -
I do not know how much nectar the two syllables 'Krs-na' have produced. When the holy name of Krsna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.
This was the verse recited by Srila Rupa Goswami. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu liked hearing this shloka from Rupa Goswami so much that he even asked Srila Rupa Goswami to sing it again in front of everyone. As he already knew the shloka before but he wanted to hear it again with everyone present.
It is Srila Rupa Goswami’s personal experience when he chants hari naam, and we are Rupanuga of that Rupa Goswami.
Srila Rupa Goswami says when I chant the holy name of lord Krishna I Desire many mouths to Chant, and when the holy name enters the ears I desire millions of ears to hear it, when it finally dances in courtyard of my house it conquers every other activities of mind.
nama nache jiva nache nache prema dhana jagat nachaya maya kare palayana
(Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur)
Translation -
The Name dances, the soul dances, and divine love dances. The whole world then begins to dance and Maya flees.
Srila Rupa Goswami says, I feel like I'm swimming in the ecstatic love of Krishna. I think I also have to control myself, I also want to share some other things with you all.
aham vai sarva-bhūtāni bhūtātmā bhūta-bhāvanah śabda-brahma param brahma mamobhe śāśvatī tanū
( S.B 16.6.51 )
Translation -
All living entities, moving and nonmoving, are My expansions and are separate from Me. I am the Supersoul of all living beings, who exist because I manifest them. I am the form of the transcendental vibrations like oṁkāra and Hare Krşņa Hare Rama, and I am the Supreme Absolute Truth. These two forms of Mine — namely, the transcendental sound and the eternally blissful spiritual form of the Deity, are My eternal forms; they are not material.
Lord says, every living being is my expansion, and I'm Parmatma. So I descend in two ways. We should try to understand it by knowledge so that we get the right meaning. My two prominent forms are - Shabd Brahma first and Parabrahm second. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna is Shabd Brahma and Parabrahm is Sachidanand Vigraha.
There are three types of Chanting according to the Hari Bhakti Vilasa.
We perform kirtan in 2 ways - with using mridang kartal with many devotees and second is Japa Kirtan. It is called chanting in English.. chanting 16 rounds. Chanting and dancing is performing kirtan. But Japa is different from Kirtan, that is to be understood. So during japa we do kirtan of 3 types :
1. Vachika japa- in the form of singing (Kirtan)
We do pronunciation ( ucharan ) during japa, but we can't perform it loudly it will become kirtan and we can't do kirtan during japa.
2. Upaamshu japa- hearing and chanting
We sing loudly in Kirtan, where Japa involves vibration of the tongue along with mild sound. We should chant in such a way that we can hear our own japa alone, not for others to listen. This comes under our regulated rounds. In Kirtana, one sings and the other listens. But in the japa we chant and hear by ourselves.
3.Manasik Japa - chanting done within the mind. It is simple to understand. It is not spelled out, there may be some movement of lips but the transcendental sound is not vibrated around. By this our Smaranam or the tendency to remember strengthens.
It's quite difficult compared to other kinds of Japas eg: Gayatri mantra.
As it has to be chanted in the mind and remember its meaning. This is not supposed to be sung like Kirtan.
One more important technique -
Sripad Dhyana Chandra Goswami has given a Mantra;
mano-madhye sthito mantro, mantra-madhye sthitam manah.manomantra-samāyukt am, etad dhi japa-lakşaņam.
Translation -
This is a very simple formula for chanting that guarantees perfection in our Japa Sadhana.
Please note this - Mind plays a pivotal role in the chanting of the holy name. We have to fix the mantra in the mind and the mind inside the mantra. We have to transform the mind into Krishna consciousness. By chanting and hearing the holy name again and again we can achieve perfection in the chanting. And it's called Mananam.
The tongue, ears and mind -are included in the process of chanting. This process is meant to awaken the soul. Mindless chanting is of no use. If the mind is not being engaged in the chanting, then it's just a fruitless endeavour. We should mind our mind. Proper chanting includes proper remembrance of Lord Krishna. Slow chanting benefits individuals and loud chanting benefits and delivers others also.
Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (17.129) states :
manah-samharanam saucam maunam mantrartha-cintanam avyagratvam anirvedo japa-sampatti-hetavah
Translation -
While chanting, one should be one-pointed and give up talking about mundane topics. With a pure heart, one should think about the meaning of the holy name, and be steadfast and patient in one's chanting and remembrance of the holy name.
"In order to perfect one's chanting of japa, one needs to cultivate the following qualities:
1. Control of the mind
2. Internal and external purity
3. Silence
4. Contemplation of the mantra's meaning
5. Patience
6. Steadfastness.
Silence doesn't mean to be quiet. It means being away from material talks and thoughts.
One should always glorify the Lord. The mantra and Krishna are non different. With utmost patience and determination, we should chant our rounds. Sit back and chant steadily.
We are in the association of the Lord directly while chanting. We should not get depressed and anxious while chanting.
Jagadananda Pandita explains in his Prem Vivart Granth,
laghūcchāre ‘japa’ haya, ucchāre ‘kīrtana’
smaraṇa-kīrtane saba haya ta' gaṇana ॥ 15 ॥
Translation -
Laghūcchāre (softly uttered) chanting is called japa. Ucchāre Kirtan (loudly uttered) chanting is called kīrtana. Both are counted within the practices of smaraṇa (remembrance) and kīrtana (chanting/glorification).
When the Holy Name is recited softly or in a low voice, it is called japa. When it is chanted audibly for oneself and others to hear, it is called kīrtana. Both are valid forms of devotional remembrance of the Lord's Name.
satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaśh
cha dṛiḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaśh cha māṁ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate
( B.G - Chapter 9, Verse 14 )
Translation -
Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.
Our ultimate goal is remembrance ( smaran ) of lord krishna.
( Sri Chaitanya Bhagwat 1.16.281. )
japile śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma āpani se tāre
ucca-saṅkīrtane para-upakāra kare
Translation -
When one chants the holy name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa softly (japa), one delivers oneself.
But by loudly chanting the holy name in saṅkīrtana, one benefits and delivers others as well.
Charity begins at home, if you want to donate then start form your own house. So while doing japa if you can't uplift yourself then what to think about uplifting others. So japa is to deliver oneself and kirtan is performed to deliver others. It is mentioned that he, who chants holy names and performs loud kirtan, gets 1000 times more benefits.
( Hari bhakti vilas 17.129 )
manaḥ-saṁharaṇaṁ śaucaṁ
maunaṁ mantrārtha-cintanam
avyagratvam anirvedo
japa-sampatti-hetavaḥ
Translation -
Withdrawal of the mind from worldly distractions, purity, silence, contemplation on the meaning of the mantra, steadiness, and freedom from discouragement — these are the causes of success in japa (chanting).
Take mental notes if you want success in your japa. If in your japa you desire to attain remembrance of lord krishna or even desire to attain lord krishna. These are essential points ;
1. manaḥ-saṁharaṇam — withdrawing the mind from sense objects. Focus on the holy name. This is what is do during japa. The mind is always wandering. Wherever it goes, one should always bring it back again and again. Mind is active.
2. śaucam — Cleanliness. It should be clean wherever we live, external and internal cleaning. With the help of mahamantra we have to clean our mind. If we have to clean our internal consciousness then saucam is important. Ceto darpan marjanam…
Cleanliness is also a tool for purifying the ( antaḥkaraṇa ) inner consciousness.
3. maunam — talk less, think more. We were listening to Sachinandan Prabhu. Kirtan for other people were criticizing everyone. So maunam means stop it. A person who is always engaged in lords katha, lila, kirtan is also maunam ( silent ). Sometimes maun is misunderstood, it doesn't mean to keep quiet but to speak only related to the lord's name, guna, katha and for all other talks, stop it. Keep your mouth shut. Don't engage in mundane talks. That is maunam. Say that much.
4. mantrārtha-cintanam — hare Krishna hare Krishna, krishna krishna hare hare, hare ram hare ram, ram ram hare hare. This mantra is equal to krishna that is the simple meaning. There are many comments on maha mantra given by Gopalguru Goswami, Jiva Goswami, Bhaktivinod Thakur, they have written about bhava ( emotions/ feelings ) during chanting so everyone should read it. It's time for chintan ( contemplation/ reflection ), manan, dhyana ( meditation )
5. avyagratvam — because we are under the influence of rajasik guna, we make haste. In japa also we make a rush. So haste could be a waste. We should chant japa with patience and steadiness. Sit back, relax and chant. With mantra contemplation chant with patience. What is rush ?? You are with lord, then why do you want to attain someone else's call ? No !! You are properly situated… you be there ! Don't go anywhere else.
6. anirvedaḥ — not becoming discouraged. Don't get oppressed, suppressed, depressed. There are many reasons that will make you disturbed or unsettled, facing all that challenges while not getting shaken is anirvedah. Handling, defeating, conquering these reasons before japa, during japa, after japa we have to become steady in our japa.
japa-sampatti-hetavaḥ — the causes of perfection in chanting (japa) so these 6 items are very important for sadhakas.
Bhakti Vinod Thakur Prabhupada Tika in Harināma-cintāmaṇi (Instructions on Japa Meditation)
japa-kāle manake ekāgra-bhāve laha
citte śuddha thāka, vṛthā kathā nāhi kaha
nāmārtha cintaha sadā dhairyāśraya kara
nāmete ādara kari' kṛṣṇa-nāma smara
Translation -
"While chanting japa, count the beads with one-pointed concentration. Keep your heart and mind pure, and do not engage in useless talk. Always contemplate the meaning of the Holy Name. Take shelter of patience and steadiness. With deep respect for the Holy Name, remember and chant the name of Krishna.”
During japa keep your mind steady, citte śuddha thāka… means saucham ( cleanliness ), vṛthā kathā nāhi kaha… discussed about maunam, nāmārtha cintaha sadā.. means contemplation, dhairyāśraya kara.. means don't get disturbed, nāmete ādara kari' kṛṣṇa-nāma smara.. means respecting lords name, we are always with lord.. respecting naam ( name ) and lord we should chant the holy name. This is what Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur suggests.
And we are coming to end.
Note it. These are words of Shukracharya ;
( ŚB 8.23.16 )
mantratas tantrataś chidram deśa-kālārha-vastutah sarvam karoti niśchidram anusańkīrtanam tava
Synonyms -
mantratah - in pronouncing the Vedic mantras improperly; tantratah - in insufficient knowledge for following regulative principles; chidram discrepancy; deśa - in the matter of country; kāla - and time; arha - and recipient; vastutah - and paraphernalia; sarvam all these; karotisarvam all these; karoti makes; niśchidram - without discrepancy; anusańkīrtanam constantly chanting the holy name; tava - of Your Lordship
Translation -
There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when Your Lordship's holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless.
Offcourse hari naam is complete, it is itself bhagwan. There are mantras and tantras we may pronounce improperly, and we may fall from our position, because the surrounding situations, timings, and muhurt were not right. Don't worry, for japa every situation and timing is best.
But even if we somehow make mistakes, listen to what he is saying… sarvam karoti niśchidram.. means even if one makes mistakes or there are holes present your holy name will fill up those holes. So don't worry. Keep doing japa, kirtan. Day in, day out, every week, every year, lifetime…
Someone said I was making naam apradh during japa so I left chanting.. NO !! Always do naam japa. That naam japa is lord himself so he will accept and forgive your mistakes, he will fix everything.
Do japa everyday. kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ… always be engaged in chanting.
Thus we should continue chanting without getting demotivated. The Lord will definitely take care of us.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Do your best and leave the rest to the Lord.
Do not fear. I'm always with you. That is all I can say in this retreat.
I'm sure you all have questions and doubts but in this situation we may not be able to manage it so…
Gaur premanande..... Hari… Haribol !
Srila Prabhupada ki jay ! Hari naam prabhu ki jay ! Purushottam maas ki jay !
Gaur Premanande hare Haribol !
