Hare Krishna, today article: Japa – Essential to know is from Dharmavira Maharaja, disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada
Śrī Guru-Praṇāma:
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
caksur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-guruve namaḥ
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.”
Two important verses:
suna suna nityananda, suna haridasa
sarvatra amara ajna karaha prakasa
prati ghare ghare giya kara ei bhiksa
‘bala krsna, bhaja krsna, kara krsna-siksa’
“Listen, listen, Nityananda! Listen, Haridasa! Make My command known everywhere! Go from house to house and beg from all the residents, ‘Please chant Krishna’s name, worship Krishna, and practise what Krishna teaches.’” (Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat, 2.13.8-9)
harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverence is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.”
Mahā-mantra Hare Kṛṣṇa:
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma
Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Article: Japa – Essential to know
Dharmavira Maharaja
3 types of chanting and their benefits:
1) Shuddha Nam (pure chanting) will give Krishna Prema.
2) Namapradha (chanting with offenses) will give material success.
3) Namabhasa (without offenses but not pure) will give mukti but not Krishna Prema.
3 types of japa: vacika japa, upamsu japa and manasa japa according to Srila Sanatana Goswami in his book “Hari-bhakti-vilasa” 17/155
narasimhetrividho japa-yajnah syat tasya bhedan nibodhata | vacikas ca upamsus ca manasas ca tridha matah | trayanam japa-yajnanam sreyan syad uttarottarah ||155||
“One should understand that japa is of 3 types – vacika japa, upamsu japa and manasa japa – each one being progressively better than the previous one.” This basically means that vacika japa is the least superior and manasa japa is the most superior. 17/156
yad ucca-nica-svaritaih spashta-sabdavad-aksharaih | mantram uccarayed vyaktam japa-yajnah sa vacikah ||156||
“Vacika japa refers to chanting that is sometimes loud and sometimes soft with each syllable prounced very distinctly.” This kind of japa is the lowest chanting of japa of the three mentioned. 17/157
sanair uccarayen mantram ishad aushthau pracalayet | kincic chabdam svayam vidyad upamsuh sa japah smritah ||157||
“Upamsu japa refers to chanting that is sometimes loud and sometimes soft and yet the syllables of the mantra may not be distinctly discerned.” 17/158
dhiya yad akshara-srenya varnad varnam padat padam | sabdartha-cintanabhyasah sa ukto manaso japah ||158||
“Manasa japa refers to chanting japa while one mentally chants the mantra while meditating on its meaning.”17/159
tatra ca yajnavalkyahupamshu-japa-yuktasya tasmac-chata-guno bhavet | sahasro manasah prokto yasmad dhyana-samo hi sah ||159||
“Upamsu japa awards awards one hundred times more merit than vacika japa and manasa japa awards one a thousand times more merit because it is as good as meditation.” 17/ 163
kim canyatramanasah siddhi-kamais tu pushti-kamair upamshukah | vaciko maranoccate prashasto japa iritah ||163||
“Those who desire to attain perfection should practice manasa japa […]” Gauranga Mahaprabhu came to give us Shuddha Nam. Srila Prabhupada also gave us Shuddha Nam. Therefore he asked his disciples to chant the ten offenses against the holy names daily before japa.
