Lord Vishnu ( Hari Hara ) |
In
the Sri Sanatkumara-samhita,
from the ancient Skanda Purana, we find a conversation between the great
sage Sri Narada and Lord Sadashiva, the master of the demigods. Starting at text
number 26 to text 30, Narada Muni asks Lord Sadashiva, “O master please tell
what method the people of Kali-yuga may adopt to easily attain the
transcendental abode of Lord Hari [Krishna]. O Lord, what mantra will carry the
people from this world of birth and death? So everyone may benefit, please tell
it to me. O Lord, of all mantras what mantra needs no purashcharana, no nyasa,
no yoga, no samskara, and no other thing? A single utterance of the
Lord’s holy name gives the highest result. O master of the demigods, if I am
competent to hear it, please kindly tell me the Lord’s holy name.”
In
texts 31-35 , Lord Sadashiva gives his answer: Lord Sadashiva said: “O
fortunate one, your question is excellent. O you who wish for the welfare of
all, I will tell you the secret chintamani [wish-fulfilling] jewel of all
mantras. I will tell you the secret of secrets, the most confidential of all
confidential things. I will tell you what I have not told either the goddess or
your elder brothers. I will tell you two peerless Krishna mantras that are the
crest-jewels of all mantras. One is:
“‘Gopijana-vallabha-charanau
sharanam prapadye.’ (I take shelter of the feet of He who is the gopi’s
beloved.) This mantra has three compound words, five individual words and
sixteen syllables.
“The
second mantra is: ‘Namo gopijana-vallabhabhyam.’ (Obeisances to the divine
couple, who are dear to the gopis) This mantra has two words and ten syllables.
In
texts 36-41, Lord Sadashiva continues: “One who either with faith or without
faith once chants this five-word mantra resides among Lord Krishna’s gopi-beloveds.
Of this there is no doubt. In chanting these mantras there is no need of purshcharana,
nyasa, ari-shuddhi, mitra-shuddhi, or other kinds of
purification. In chanting these mantras there is no restriction of time or
place. All, from the lowest outcaste to the greatest sage, are eligible to chant
this mantra. Women, shudras, and all others are eligible. The paralyzed, mute,
blind, and lame are eligible. The Andhras, Hunas, Kiratas, Pulindas, Pukkashas,
Abhiras, Yavanas, Kankas, Khashas, and all others even if born from sinful wombs
are also eligible. They who are overcome with pride and ego, who are intent on
committing sins, who are killers of cows and brahmanas, and who are the greatest
of sinners, are also eligible. They who have neither knowledge nor renunciation,
they who have never studied the shruti-shastra and other scriptures, and
all others, whoever they may be, are also eligible to chant these mantras.”
Then
in texts 42-48 Lord Sadashiva explains who is not eligible and who should not be
told these sacred mantras or the purpose of them: “Anyone who has devotion to
Lord Krishna, the master of all masters, is eligible to chant these mantras, but
they who have no devotion, even they may be the greatest of sages, are not
eligible. They who have performed many yajnas (rituals), given charity,
visited all holy places, been devoted to speaking the truth, accepted the
renounced order, traveled to the farther shore of the Vedas and Vedangas,
devotedly served the brahmanas, taken birth in good families, and performed
austerities and vows, but are not devoted to Lord Krishna, are not eligible to
chant these mantras. Therefore these mantras should not be spoken to one who is
not devoted to Lord Hari, nor to one who is ungrateful, proud, or faithless, nor
to an atheist or a blasphemer. One should not speak these mantras to one who
does not wish to hear them, nor to one who has not stayed for one year in the
speaker’s ashrama. One should carefully give these mantras to one who is free
from hypocrisy, greed, lust, anger, and other vices, and who is sincerely
devoted to Lord Krishna. The sage of this mantra is Lord Sadashiva. The meter is
Gayatri. The Deity is Lord Krishna, the beloved of the gopis. The purpose
is to attain service to dear Lord Hari.”
In
text 53 Lord Sadashiva says: “By once chanting this mantra one attains
success. Of this there is no doubt. Still, for the purpose of chanting japa
one should chant this mantra ten times daily.”
In
texts 54-77 of the Sri Sanatkumara-samhita, Lord Sadashiva describes the
most nectarean meditation of the mantras, after which he continues with many
additional topics in regard to the pastimes of Radha and Krishna and the
importance of the land of Vrindavana:
“O
best of brahmanas, now I will tell you the meditation of this mantra. I meditate
on two-armed Lord Krishna, who is dark like a monsoon cloud, dressed in yellow
garments, garlanded with forest flowers... crowned with a peacock feather, and
garlanded with lotus whorls, whose face is splendid like ten million moons,
whose eyes move restlessly... whose forehead is marked with the tilaka of
sandal paste and musk... who is splendid with earrings like two rising suns,
whose perspiration-anointed cheeks are like two glistening mirrors... who with
raised eyebrows playfully glances at His beloved’s face, the tip of whose
graceful raised nose is decorated with a glistening pearl... whose bimba-fruit
lips are splendid in the moonlight of His teeth, whose hands are splendid with
bracelets, armlets, and jewel rings... who holds a flute in His left lotus hand,
whose waist is splendid with a graceful belt, whose feet are splendid with
graceful anklets... whose eyes are restless with the nectar of amorous pastimes,
who jokes with His beloved, making Her laugh again and again... and who stays
with Her on a jewel throne under a kalpa-vriksha [wish-fulfilling] tree
in Vrindavana forest. In this way one should meditate on Lord Krishna and His
beloved.”
“On
the Lord’s left side one should meditate on Sri Radha, who is dressed in blue
garments, who is splendid like molten gold... who with the edge of Her garment
covers Her graceful lotus smile, whose restless chakori-bird eyes dance on Her
beloved’s face... who with Her forefinger and thumb places betel nuts and
crushed betel leaves in Her beloved’s lotus mouth... whose full, raised
breasts are decorated with a glistening pearl-necklace, whose waist is slender,
whose broad hips are decorated with tinkling ornaments... who is decorated with
jewel earrings, finger rings, toe rings, bracelets, armlets, and tinkling golden
anklets... whose limbs are graceful with the best of beauty, who is always in
the prime of youth, and who is always plunged in the nectar of bliss. O king of
brahmanas, Her friends, whose age and qualities are like Hers, devotedly serve
Her with chamaras, fans, and other articles.”
“Please
hear, O Narada, and I will tell you the meaning of these mantras. The material
world is manifested by the Lord’s maya potency and other external
potencies. The spiritual world is manifested by the Lord’s chit potency
and other internal and everlasting spiritual potencies. The protector of these
potencies is said to be the gopi Sri Radha, who is Lord Krishna’s
beloved. The transcendental goddess Sri Radha is the direct counterpart of Lord
Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She is
the pleasure potency of Lord Krishna. The wise say that She is the pleasure
potency of Lord Krishna. Durga and the other goddesses in the world of the three
modes are a million-millionth part of one of Her expansions. She is directly
Goddess Maha-Lakshmi and Lord Krishna is Lord Narayana. O best of sages, there
is not the slightest difference between Them. O best of sages, what more can I
say? Nothing can exist without them. This universe made of spirit and matter
together is Their potency. She is Durga and Lord Hari is Shiva. Lord Krishna is
Indra and She is Shachi. She is Savitri and Lord Hari is Brahma. She is Dhumorna
and Lord Hari is Yama. O Narada, please know that everything is Their potency.
Even if I had many hundreds of years, I could not describe all Their glories.”