Śrī Nāma Pracāra – Ājñā Ṭahāla

(1)
nadīyā-godrume nityānanda mahājana
pātiyāche nāma-haṭṭa jīvera kāraṇa

In Nadīyā, at Godruma, that great personality Nityānanda has opened a marketplace of the Holy Name for delivering the jīvas.

‘Nadīyā’ – the nine islands of Śrī Navadvīpa-Dhāma. ‘Godrume’ – amongst these nine islands, one is called Godruma, or Gādigāchā. ‘Nityānanda mahājana’ – Śrī Mahāprabhu showed His mercy towards the jīvas of Kali-yuga by giving the instruction to Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu to preach the Holy Name from door to door; therefore, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is the mūla-mahājana (the main personality) of the nāma-haṭṭa (marketplace of the Holy Name) located in Godruma. Although all the employees of the nāma-haṭṭa are eligible to patrol according to the Lord’s instruction (ājñā-ṭahāla), still the great personalities who make up the patrol, are especially empowered to render these duties in a selfless manner. Above all others, Prabhu Nityānanda and the watchman Haridāsa Ṭhākura have shown the glories of this post in their very own unique ways. Going out on patrol hoping to collect milk and rice etc. is not pure ājñā-ṭahāla.

(2)
(śraddhāvān jana he, śraddhāvān jana he)
prabhura ājñāya, bhāi, māgi ei bhikṣā
bala `kṛṣṇa,’ bhajo kṛṣṇa, kara kṛṣṇa-śikṣa

O people with faith! O people with faith! O brothers, by the order of the Lord, I beg this favour – Chant “Kṛṣṇa,” worship Kṛṣṇa, and follow Kṛṣṇa’s teachings.

The noble patrolman plays karatālas and calls out, “O people with faith! I do not want any worldly thing or favour from you. My only request is this – that you kindly accept the Lord’s instruction and chant kṛṣṇa-nāma, you worship Kṛṣṇa and you follow the teachings of Kṛṣṇa. Taking up kṛṣṇa-nāma specifically means giving up nāmābhāsa (the clearing stage of chanting) and chanting the transcendental Name (cinmaya-nāma).”

There are two kinds of nāmābhāsa – chaya–nāmābhāsa (a shadow of the Holy Name) and pratibimba–nāmābhāsa (a reflection of the Holy Name). Chaya-nāmābhāsa naturally and gradually becomes the Holy Name that awards all perfection. This is because even though one may be in the darkness of ignorance, there is no trace of the desire for bhoga (sense enjoyment) or mokṣa (liberation), which are unfavourable for bhakti. Those who do not understand tattva (spiritual truths) initially try to chant this type of nāmābhāsa in the association of sādhus, and by the strength of their company, they become acquainted with nāma-rasa (the mellows of the Holy Name) and are able to sing śuddha-nāma. They are most fortunate.

For those who are desirous of the results of bhukti and mukti, the Name appears as pratibimba–nāmābhāsa. They easily receive the insignificant results they desire from the Holy Name, but they cannot attain the touchstone of śuddha-nāma. This is because they cannot give up those things that are detrimental to bhakti, specifically in relation to bhoga and mokṣa. In special circumstances, due to good fortune arising from the mercy given by a devotee or the Lord, one may fully abandon the desires for bhoga and mokṣa, one’s heart may be purified of all duplicitousness and one may take complete shelter of śuddha-nāma. But that is extremely rare.

O people with faith! Rejecting nāmābhāsa and singing śuddha-nāma is certainly of true benefit for the jīvas. Worship Kṛṣṇa by constantly chanting kṛṣṇa-nāma. Perform bhajana, either on the path of vidhi or rāga, depending on your specific qualifications by engaging in śravaṇa, kīrtana, smaraṇa, sevana, arcana, vandana, dāsya, sakhya, and ātma-nivedana. If you have a taste for vidhi-marga, then accept instructions on the process of worship (bhajana-tattva) at the feet of Śrī Guru, and after the removal of all the unwanted desires (anarthas) in life, then deliberate upon Kṛṣṇa. If you have lobha (divine greed) for the path of rāga, then follow the attachment (anurāga) and character of an eternal vraja-vāsī or vraja-vāsinī (male or female resident of Vraja), and according to that ruci (taste), engage in vraja-rasa-bhajana (worship in the mellows of Vraja). Engaged in that vraja-rasa-bhajana and attaining the mercy of the guru, one achieves eternal residence in Vraja and is eligible to gain one’s spiritual form to render service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

(3)
aparādha-śūnya ha’ye laha kṛṣṇa-nāma
kṛṣṇa mātā, kṛṣṇa pitā, kṛṣṇa dhana-prāṇa

Being free of offenses, take up the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is your mother, Kṛṣṇa is your father, and Kṛṣṇa is the wealth of your life.

Aparādha – they are ten in number. (1) Envy of the Vaiṣṇavas and criticism of Vaiṣṇavas. (2) The understanding that Śiva and other devatās are separate controllers from Kṛṣṇa. It should be understood that the different devatās are said to be the vibhutis (expansions) and servants of Kṛṣṇa, thus the fault of considering them to be different than Kṛṣṇa, or that there are numerous supreme controllers, will cease. (3) Disregarding the guru. The dīkṣā-guru and the śikṣā-guru are the two types of spiritual masters. One must believe in the words of the guru and consider him to be a specific manifestation of Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa-prakāśa), or understand that he is an eternally beloved transcendental principle belonging to Kṛṣṇa (nitya-preṣṭha śuddha-tattva). (4) Offences to the śruti-śāstra. Śruti-śāstra – this is comprised of the Vedas and their supplements, the Purāṇas and the dharma-śāstra, scriptures with the same conclusions such as the Bhagavad-gītā-śāstra, the Brahma-sūtra, which is a form of the mīmāṁsa–darśana, and its commentary the Śrīmad–Bhāgavata, the expansions of the Vedas such as the itihāsas and all the sātvata-tantras; and finally, all the bhakti-śāstras composed by various mahājanas and their commentaries on all the śāstras. One must have specific faith in all these śāstras. (5) Interpreting hari-nāma, meaning to conclude that the glories of the Holy Name written in the śāstra are simply exaggerated praise. (6) Sinful conduct on the strength of the Holy Name. By chanting the Holy Name with faith, all of one’s previous sinful reactions are easily eradicated, and one has no taste to continue committing further sins. If there is a desire to commit sins relying upon the Holy Name, that is an offence. (7) When one considers the Name to be equal to pious activities like dharma (religiosity), vratas (vows) or tyāga (renunciation) etc. hoping that the Holy Name will bestow the results of bhoga or mokṣa – he is a nāmāparādhī (an offender to the Holy Name). (8) It is an offence to give hari-nāma to those who are faithless, averse or disinterested in listening about it. When faith has not appeared, one should not give instructions on hari-nāma. The glories of the Holy Name should be spoken only to those in whom faith in hari-nāma has arisen. (9) To not have faith or taste in the Name even after hearing about the glories of the Holy Name. (10) It is offensive for those who are full of ahaṁtā-mamatā (a mood of egotism and possessiveness) to engage in hari-nāma. When one considers the material body to be the self, and develops pride based on that body, and believes that material objects are their own property and becomes attached to them, then one naturally commits hari-nāmāparādha. This is because one cheats themselves out of the understanding that the sādhya (the goal) as and the sādhana (the practice to attain the goal) are both transcendental.

O people of faith! Being free of these ten offenses, chant kṛṣṇa-nāma. Only Kṛṣṇa is the jīva’s mother, father, child, wealth, husband, and Lord of their life. The jīva is a cit-kaṇa (a finite spiritual ray), Kṛṣṇa is the cit-sūrya (the infinite spiritual sun) and the material world is the prison house of the jīva. Indeed, kṛṣṇa-līlā, which is beyond the realm of matter, is the wealth that is to be attained.

(4)
kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi’ anācāra
jīve dayā, kṛṣṇa-nāma sarva-dharma-sāra

Abandon unrighteous activities and perform your worldly duties in relation to Kṛṣṇa. Show compassion to other jīvas and chant kṛṣṇa-nāma – that is the essence of all dharma.

O faithful jīva! You have turned away from Kṛṣṇa and are experiencing the happiness and distress of this māyika world. This situation does not befit you. While you remain bound to the wheel of karma due to the fault of being averse to Kṛṣṇa, please take up one recourse. On the path of pravṛtti (material life), then just become a householder, a brahmacārī, or a vānaprastha, or on the path of nivṛtti (renunciation), then be a sannyāsī, but in whatever position you are, give up unrighteous activities (anācāra), offer your body, home, wife, children, and wealth unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and in Kṛṣṇa’s world, engage your senses and mind with various discussions concerning the nature of Kṛṣṇa, and with a heart free from aversion to the Lord, pass through the journey of life. The supreme nectar of favourable service unto Kṛṣṇa will eventually become condensed until it breaks through both your gross and subtle bodies and your eternal transcendental form (aprākṛta-svarūpa) will be reawakened. Theft, speaking lies, cheating, arguing, debauchery, violence to other jīvas, politics etc. whether they are performed by oneself or by the society, are harmful and all considered to be anācāra. Rejecting all these, perform pious activities while staying in Kṛṣṇa’s world. This is the essential point – showing mercy to all jīvas and living a pure life, you should chant kṛṣṇa-nāma. There is no difference between kṛṣṇa-nāma and Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of the Holy Name, Kṛṣṇa in the form of His names, forms, qualities and pastimes (nāma, rūpa, guṇa, and līlā) will be perceived through the eyes of your siddha-svarūpa (spiritual form). In a few days, your cit-svarūpa will manifest and will remain floating in the ocean of kṛṣṇa–prema.