Chanting Different Names of Krishna -

Nowadays devotees argue a lot about which specific mantra or name of Krishna should be or is allowed to be chanted in japa. Now, in Siksastaka Gouranga Mahaprabhu says that Krishna has invested all His powers into His different names like Govinda, etc. As far as I understand from this verse, chanting the name "Govinda" or "Gopala" or "Radha-Krishna", or any other name of Krishna (or Gouranga) is approved by Mahaprabhu, and it may lead to the same result as chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. So far I have not met any logical argument to defeat this view, the only "argument" was that "No, we must chant only Hare Krishna mantra on beads, because Srila Prabhupad said so". What do you all think?

Well, in the Caitanya Bhagavata Mahaprabhu specifically instructs us to chant the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra in japa. Caitanya Bhagavata (2.23.75-78):

Apane sabAre prabhu kore upadeze |
kRSNa-nAma mahA-mantra zunoho hariSe || 75 ||
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare|| 76 ||
prabhu kohe kohilam ei mahA-mantra |
iha japa giyA sabe koriyA nirbandha|| 77 ||
iha hoite sarva-siddhi hoibe sabAra |
sarva kSaNa bolo ithe vidhi nAhi Ara || 78 ||

“The Lord ordered everyone in great joy: ‘Listen to the Krishna-nama maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.’ The Lord said: ‘I spoke this maha-mantra. Perform japa of this mantra a prescribed number of times. All perfection will be attained through this. Chant this mantra every moment – there is no other rule.’”

Of course there is no particular restriction prohibiting one from chanting other mantras as well, but certainly no other mantra should be given a more prominent position than the mantra Mahaprabhu taught us to chant.

Of course all of the holy names have equal power. That is not really the issue. The maha mantra is specifically designed to invoke yugal-kishor, the Divine Couple (Hare is the vocative case of harA, another name for Radharani). Sometimes I chant some variations on the mahamantra just for fun:

Example:
Radhe Krishna Radhe Krishna Krishna Krishna Radhe Radhe
Radhe Syama Radhe Syama Syama Syama Radhe Radhe

I believe that is the Nimbarki style.

It is so sad that nowadays if anyone wants to do things even a little different than the Iskcon-way, he is immediately condemned as demon, deviant, sahajiya, Prabhupada's enemy, offender, candidate for hell...

Why nowadays? It was always like that.......

Maybe its time to check out the competition, Openmind. After all, life is short, so do yourself that one favor - you won't regret it.