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Japa Means Radha Dasyam

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das Srila Prabhupada said that chanting the maha-mantra means begging Radharani for engagement in Kṛṣṇa’s service. But Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī presents a slightly different conception of the mahā-mantra in the…
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Effect of Japa with Meaning

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das The method of chanting the holy name involves deliberating on the meaning of the syllables along with sincerely crying for the Lord. Success in any yoga system involving mantra meditation depends on remembering the…
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The Seven Excellences of Nama

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das One week before his disappearance, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura imparted ten important instructions on devotional service. Regarding Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, he said, “The holy name with its noted seven…
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Eight Prayers of Divine Instruction

Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ sarvātma-snapanaṁ…
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Prabhupada’s Practical Tips on Chanting

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das Sruti-kirti Prabhu, a disciple and former personal servant of Srila Prabhupada, recounts Prabhupada’s practical instructions regarding chanting rounds. “It was easy to understand that Śrīla Prabhupāda enjoyed…
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Lord Caitanya Chants “His Rounds”

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das Lord Gauranga Himself and all realized souls in the Gaudiya line such as Namacarya Thakura Haridasa and the six Gosvamis set the example of chanting a fixed number of rounds daily. In Sad-gosvamy astakam, Srinivasa…
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Radharani’s Manjaris: Tattva & Lilas 030 “Manjaris Pride in Radha”

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das This series of posts presents the facts (tattva) regarding the identity, moods (gopi-bhava), intimacy and sevas of Srimati Radharani’s beautiful, talented handmaidens known as manjaris, kinkaris, or dasis. Many…
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Radharani’s Manjaris: Tattva & Lilas 029 “Manjari’s Expert Fanning Seva”

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das This series of posts presents the facts (tattva) regarding the identity, moods (gopi-bhava), intimacy and sevas of Srimati Radharani’s beautiful, talented handmaidens known as manjaris, kinkaris, or dasis. Many…
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Radharani’s Manjaris: Tattva & Lilas 028 “Shyam’s Bliss in Serving Radha”

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das This series of posts presents the facts (tattva) regarding the identity, moods (gopi-bhava), intimacy and sevas of Srimati Radharani’s beautiful, talented handmaidens known as manjaris, kinkaris, or dasis. Many…
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Tulasi Beads are Best

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das As Saktas (Durga worshipers) chant japa on rosewood beads and Saivites (Siva worshipers) chant on rudraksa beads, Gaudiya Vaisnavas chant japa on tulasi beads. Since Tulasi-devi is Kṛṣṇa’s favorite plant, the…
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Thakura’s Suddha-nama

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das In his masterpiece of devotional poetry known as Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes his encounter with sri-nama. In the passage below, he explains how the holy name gradually reveals its transcendental…
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Singing Bricks and Stones

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das The following anecdote shows the inconceivable power of suddha-nama chanted by a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa: “Once a devotee went to do his chanting where Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji did his in the outhouse of the…
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Effect of Suddha nama

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das “On the day that the jīva accepts śuddha-nāma, one name that he chants certainly destroys the sum total of all his prārabdha and aprārabdha-karma, and through the second name, prema will arise. Those who chant…
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Suddha nama – Descent & Perspective

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das Pure name (suddha-nama) is the result of a state of consciousness, which is completely devoid of other desires (anyabhilasita sunyam). The name of Kṛṣṇa that is chanted with wholehearted devotion and unalloyed…
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Seven Benefits of Namabhasa

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das Although it is not the perfect stage of chanting, namabhasa should not be underestimated, for it offers many benefits. Kṛṣṇa-prema, however, which is the greatest reward of chanting the holy name, can never be…
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Four Kinds of Namabhasa

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das 1. Sāṅketya-nāmābhāsa–is uttering the Lord’s name to allude to something else. For instance, Ajāmila called his son Nārāyaṇa at the time of his death, but Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name is also…
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Weeds of Bhukti Mukti Nama

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das Sri Caitanya compares bhakti to a creeper growing in a garden. Ideally, chanting Kṛṣṇa’s names should “water” this bhakti-lata (creeper of devotion), and make it grow to the mature stage of producing the…
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9. Offense: Instruct Faithless in the Glories of Nama

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das It is an offense to individually instruct a faithless person, or one who is not interested in hearing the glories of nama. Such a person will respond in a disrespectful way and commit unlimited offenses to the holy…

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