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Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 7: The Lord’s Tour of South India : Madhya 7.37 : PURPORT :
From this verse it is clear that Caitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting the holy names a fixed number of times daily. The Gosvamis used to follow in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Haridasa Thakura also followed this principle.
Concerning the Gosvamis-Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami, Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami-Srinivasa Acarya confirms: sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. (Sad-gosvamy-astaka 6) In addition to other duties, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the system of chanting the holy name of the Lord a fixed number of times daily, as confirmed in this verse (tomara dui hasta baddha nama-ganane). Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to count on His fingers.
While one hand was engaged in chanting, the other hand kept the number of rounds. This is corroborated in the Caitanya-candramrta and also in Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Stava-mala:
badhnan prema-bhara-prakampita-karo granthin kati-dorakaih
sankhyatum nija-loka-mangala-hare-krsneti namnam japan
(Caitanya-candramrta 16)
hare krsnety uccaih sphurita-rasano nama-ganana-
krta-granthi-sreni-subhaga-kati-sutrojjvala-karah
(Prathama-Caitanyastaka 5)
Therefore devotees in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must chant at least sixteen rounds daily, and this is the number prescribed by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Haridasa Thakura daily chanted 300,000 names. Sixteen rounds is about 28,000 names. There is no need to imitate Haridasa Thakura or the other Gosvamis, but chanting the holy name a fixed number of times daily is essential for every devotee.
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 11: The Beda-kirtana Pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu : Madhya 11.165 : PURPORT :
Although Haridasa Thakura was such a highly exalted Vaisnava that he was addressed as Haridasa Gosvami, he still did not like to disturb the common sense of the general populace. Haridasa Thakura was so exalted that he was addressed as thakura and gosani, and these titles are offered to the most advanced Vaisnavas. The spiritual master is generally called gosani, and thakura is used to address the paramahamsas, those in the topmost rank of spirituality.
Nonetheless, Haridasa Thakura did not want to go near the temple, although he was called there by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. The Jagannatha temple still accepts only those Hindus who are in the varnasrama order. Other castes, especially those who are not Hindu, are not allowed to enter the temple. This is a long-standing regulation, and thus Haridasa Thakura, although certainly competent and qualified to enter the temple, did not want even to go near it. This is called Vaisnava humility
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 11: The Beda-kirtana Pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu : Madhya 11.176 : PURPORT :
This statement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is significant. Nibhrte vasiya tahan kariba smarana: “I shall sit down there in that solitary place and remember the lotus feet of the Lord.” Neophyte students are not to imitate sitting in a solitary place and remembering the lotus feet of the Lord by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
We should always remember that it was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself who wanted such a place, either for Himself or Haridasa Thakura. No one can suddenly attain the level of Haridasa Thakura and sit down in a solitary place to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and remember the lotus feet of the Lord. Only an exalted person like Haridasa Thakura or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is personally exhibiting the proper behavior for an acarya, can engage in such a practice.
(By Yashodanandan Das)
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