The Metamorphosis of the Mantra - Thoughs on Krishna-mantra and Krishna-nama

nAmnAm AkAri bahudhA nija sarva zaktis tatrArpitA -- The Lord has revealed His various names with all of their respective potencies. Here the word "nija" can be taken to refer either to the Lord and His specific names, or alternatively to the specific potencies each name of the Lord possesses. abhinnatvAn nAma-nAminoH -- The name and the named are nondifferent. Consequently each name will contain the specific potencies of a particular form of the Lord. Chanting the name of Krishna will reveal the special attributes and potencies of Sri Krishna, while chanting the name of Paramatma will invoke the corresponding attributes and potencies of Paramatma. To state that upon chanting the name of Paramatma nothing but thirst and fatigue will come is to declare that Paramatma is impotent.

The potency of the various holy names, both primary and secondary, is glorified everywhere in the scriptures. I am quoting from Sri Jiva's Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anuccheda 49):


Having cited the verse above, Jiva goes on to explain how these names are glorified throughout the Sruti and the Puranas. Now, the names "Acyuta", "Ananta" and "Vishnu" ("Infallible", "Unlimited" and "All-pervasive" respectively) are not the kind of names we would consider to be directly related with Vraja-lila. Someone may then argue, "There are deeper meanings to the aforementioned names. Sri Krishna is addressed as Acyuta as He did not fail to fulfill the desires of the gopis on the arena of rasa, He is famous as Ananta as He danced simultaneously with every cowherd maiden, and He is the Vishnu whose pastimes pervade all the forests of Vraja, and whose love-plays with the damsels of Vraja were praised by Sukadeva (Bhagavata 10.33.39)." To this we reply, "However, such explanations can be given of each and every secondary name. In their song of separation (Bh. 10.31.4), the gopis addressed Sri Krishna as the antarAtma-dRk, the indwelling witness, which is but another name of Paramatma. Nevertheless their perception was laden with prema, ever-devoid of aisvarya-jnana." Here we are concerned with the direct meaning of the name.

The entire Anuccheda is filled with citations from the scriptures such as Rig Veda and the various Puranas about the glory of the name of Vishnu, the name of Narayana, and even the syllable "Om". Therein Jiva refutes the theory that the syllable "om" and other names of the Lord discussed would be devoid of potency, repeatedly stressing that all of His names are identical with Him.

I do not know of any source older than Bhaktivinoda for the division of names as primary (mukhya) and secondary (gauna). Bhaktivinoda himself (Harinama Cintamani, second chapter) gives examples of both names along with an explanation of the results of chanting the secondary names, as you noted. I am presenting the original Bengali text below for reference.


Here the division Bhaktivinoda makes is clear. All mukhya-nama relate to Vraja-lila, while the gauna-nama relate to srishti-lila (pastime of creation). Interestingly, Bhaktivinoda does not classify names such as Narayana, Laksmipati and so forth. Certainly there is a further division of mukhya-nama into two categories, namely mukhya-nama leading to Vraja and mukhya-nama leading to Vaikuntha.

Now, in regards to the passage I presented from Bhagavat Sandarbha in which the names of Acyuta, Ananta and Vishnu were quoted, one may argue that these names actually belong to the category of mukhya-nama, as Mahaprabhu, quoting from Siddhartha Samhita (in Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya 20), has presented the names of Acyuta and Vishnu among the 24 vilasa-forms of Vaikuntha. However, then we must also note names such as Janardana (He who excites the mankind), Hrishikesa (Lord of the senses), Padmanabha (He from whose navel the lotus grew) and Narayana (the refuge of all living entities, he from whom the waters of creation emanate) are certainly given on account of the Lord's contact with jada-prAkRti and attributed to Laksmi-pati of Vaikuntha.

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I should note that after this correspondence I discussed the statement quoted with Mahanidhi Swami during my visit to Radha-kunda. He intended the statement as an eulogy of the sweetness of mukhya-nAma, not a strictly philosophical definition.

In regards to the theme of the mantras retiring, it is true that at one point the diksa-mantras will retire. However, this does not take place at the time of svarupa-siddhi. It takes place when one takes birth in the prakata-lila in a Vraja-svarupa. As long as the body of a sadhaka is there, acts of sadhana will go on, and once the siddha-identity is all that exists, naturally one has adopted behavior appropriate for one's svarupa. In Vraja-lila, Sri Radha Herself has no diksha (Govinda Lilamrita, 11.124):


Radharani Herself has no diksa in Vraja-lila. How, then, could the maidservant be chanting diksa-mantras amidst the lila at any time? At the time of siddhi, there is no more acts of sadhana, as the purpose of sadhana is fulfilled. According to Narottama, that which is contemplated at the time of sadhana will be attained in the siddha-deha. Having contemplated on the Kama-gayatri during sadhana, in the siddha-deha one will be filled with divine passion (klIM), ever-cognizant of the divine cupid of Vraja (kAmadevAya vidmahe), heart pierced by His flowery arrows (puSpabANAya dhImahi), the amorous pastimes of the Divine Couple manifest before your eyes (tanno 'naGgaH pracodayAt). In other words, the mantra does not retire as such, but rather reveals its true form, as if transforming from syllables into reality before our spiritual eyes. Call it the metamorphosis of the mantra if you will.

I noted that in Vaikuntha Gopa Kumara still chanted his mantra. However, at that time, Gopa Kumara still wasn't fully established in his desired relationship with Sri Krishna, and the mantra carried him forward up until Goloka Vrindavana and Vrajabhumi, giving him the darshan of the mantra-devata, the sweet Madana-Gopala of Vraja.

Certainly there is nama-kirtan and lila-kirtan in the spiritual world. In the Bhagavata (10.9.1-2) it is described:


This is perhaps the most famous among all examples. The cowherd boys also, when wandering off to the fields with their cows, fondly sing songs of their dear friend Krishna, and the gopis, while engaged in their tedious household affairs, burning in the fire of separation, try to restrain themselves from singing about Him, afraid that their relatives may hear and become suspicious.

kathA gAnam! In the abode of Govinda, every word is a song!

As for the Hare Krishna mantra, Raghunatha Das Gosvami has explained what Srimati Radharani thinks when She chants the maha-mantra. Please look at his Harinamartha-ratna-dipika for further information.

The idea presented by Mahanidhi Swami about Krishna-mantra and samsara-mocana is drawn from the Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi-lila, 7.73, where Mahaprabhu speaks to Prakasananda Sarasvati.


Some, like Sridhar Maharaja (Sri Guru and His Grace, chapter 9), have given a dual interpretation of this verse, stating precisely what Mahanidhi Swami has said in his book, that after liberation the mantra will retire. However, let us not miss the point that the Kama-gayatri is a nAmAtmika-mantra, a mantra consisting of Krishna's names! The context of the verse also gives no support for such a dual interpretation. Verse 83 of the chapter indicates that all the while the discussion has been on the Krishna-nama maha-mantra alone.

In eternal Nabadwip Sri Gauranga engages in kirtan every night in the house of Srivas. Who would think that no devotee in that sangha will ever say Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Another thing that comes to mind is that the Gopis made a sankirtan when they found that Gopinath had vanished while they were doing rasa-lila. Those divine ladies were with their loving friends, they were all together, but feeling very much alone, and they were running through the forest, singing Hari's names, searching for Sri Krishna, reality the beautiful.