FIVE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT CHANTING HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTHRA!
Five Doubts from the devotees and replies to them:
(1) DOES CHANTING REQUIRE DIKSHA FROM A GURU?
ACTUAL QUESTION:
“Can we just start chanting by the process as said by you earlier or we have to go near a spiritual master take dikshya and then start chanting…??”
REPLY:
For starting of chanting, you need not get diksha from a spritual master. Only if you chant 16 rounds for about one year and follow four regulative principles, a spritual master will give you diksha. It is the process recommended by Srila Prabhupada.
So, chanting precedes diksha. Only if you chant consistently, you will get a master to whom you will promise to chant and do services to Lord. After getting master, you will get services under his giuidance. Thats all. So, start chanting immediately. No need for diksha to start chanting. Just the guidance of your temple devotees is sufficient.
Also know: 32 WAYS OF HOW NOT TO CHANT.
(2) YOU ADVISE TO CHANT BEFORE BED. IF A PERSON PERFORMS SEX AFTER CHANTING, IS IT ALRIGHT?
ACTUAL QUESTION:
“Sir u hv told us dt we shud do sum rounds of mahamantra at our bed time in the nite coz it will give us a great relaxation and sweet sleep.. Im fully agree with u.. Bt sir a bachelor boy/girl cn do it bt hw cn a married man/woman cn do it.. Coz if he/she does chanting just before going to sleep and aftr that he/she will do kaam.. Is dis nt disrespect to mahamantra?? Is dis nt an offence??”
REPLY:
Srila Prabhupada said that one should do 64 rounds (Or, atleast 50 rounds) of chanting before going to bed, if he likes to get a devotee child. This is the word of acharya, not me. No one can impurify Maha Manthra. It is pure, divine and Krishna Himself. This material and REGULATED KAMA between wife and husband also comes from Krishna as per His words in Bhagavad Gita. So, if a couple performs sex after chanting, it is good to get good devotee children and this practice is not bad. Regulated sex within marriage is Krishna’s another form.
Also read this post : CHANTING HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTHRA – IMPORTANCE, TIPS AND COMPLETE PROCEDURE!
(3) ISKCON DEVOTEES TOLD ME THAT I NEED NOT QUIT MEAT FOR STARTING CHANTING. IS IT RIGHT?
ACTUAL QUESTION:
“Bt when i started chanting i was told from iskcon dt if u eat meat,egg etc then no problem u cn chant coz even a demon cn also chant the holy names of krishna and there is no restrictions abt it and when u start chanting after sum time u’ll also quit eat nonveg without any labour or killing ur desire to eat it.. it will happen self with the effect of chanting.. And nw im feeling they were rite.. Nw i dnt hv desire of eating nonveg or anyother tamasi food.. Surely dis is effect of chanting. Hare Krishna.”
REPLY:
Actually, in the system devised by Srila Prabhupada, he did not impose any severe restrictions till the siksha level of 4 rounds per day. But, when you start to chant 8 or 16 rounds a day, some restrictions start. This is to bring the devotee to the pure state stage by stage. As you said, when the taste in chanting increases, the anarthas fade away one by one. However, without the efforts to quit, one can not quit a bad habit. When a person associates with vaishnavas, all his bad habits will go gradually. But, he must like to come out of bad habits. Otherwise, it is impossible to quit bad habits. We will be chanting as well as sinning. Desire to become a good devotee is the requirement in devotional service. Both our desire and the good effects of chanting will work out and make us pure. This is the secret.
Read the Ten offences against chanting the Holy name of Krishna, by clicking here
(4) CAN I CHANT OTHER NAMES OF KRISHNA AND OTHER MANTHRAS?
ACTUAL QUESTION:
“ Sir, can we get liberation by having one sight of shree krishna? if yes why shouldn’t prefer chanting d mantras written below:
The following is the “Mahamantra” of Lord Krishna. It is found in the Gopala Tapani Upanishad. Those who repeat this Mantra 18 lakhs of times with concentration, Suddha Bhava and intense Sraddha will doubtless have direct Darshan of Lord Krishna. It is 18 Akshara Mantra. “Om Kling Krishnaya Govindaya Gopijana Vallabhaya Svaha. ”
The following is the Nyasa for the Mantra: “Om Kling Krishnaya Divyatmane Hridayaya Namah”.
“Govindaya Bhumyatmane Sirase Svaha”. “Gopijana Surya-atmane Sikhaya Vashat”.
“Vallabhaya Chandra-atmane Kavachaya Hum”. “Svaha Agnyatmane Astraya fut. ”
Besides if this mantra is difficult to recite than one can also go for:
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya” is a 12 Akshara Mantra of Lord Krishna.
Dhruva repeated this Mantra and obtained His Darshan. Repeat it 12 lakhs of times. What i want to know is how should we chose our mantras , because the above mantras are pretty precise , d no of times they need to be repeated has been mentioned.
So plz Help sir , so i could set my mind on a mantra”
REPLY:
From your question, it seems that you are confusing yourself having many manthras in your hand. That is why, acharyas have suggested simple manthras that can be chanted for the people of kaliyuga who have very short life time.
For this kaliyuga, chanting the Lord’s Name is recommended as the prime sadhana. You can chant any name of the Lord. But, for every manthra, you have to follow certain conditions. For example, Gayathri manthra should be chanted in a very pure physical and mental state and in a calm place. And it can not be chanted at all places.
That is why, Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu has recommended us to chant Hare Krishna Maha Manthra that is very simple and very effective. It can be chanted by anyone in any state. No need for any rules to start chanting. And you can start even with a single round, ie, 108 times and then increase as much as you can and start following disciplinary rules stage by stage and accept a spiritual master only when you are physically and mentally prepared.
This Hare Krishna Maha Manthra and the rules associated with it is very suitable for the people of kaliyuga in which the attack of maya is very severe.
So, without confusing yourself, chant
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Simple, effective and no formalities. It is also capable of purifying yourself and make you eligible to go back to Krishna Himself.
Also Read: I am disturbed by NEGATIVE THOUGHTS while chanting. What to do?
(5) IF I OMIT A WORD IN HARE KRISHNA MANTHRA, WHAT TO DO?
ACTUAL QUESTION:
“Hare krishna . Please accept my abiesance. I need only one clarification that while chanting HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTRA , if we skip one r two word(s) lke Hare krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Ram Hare Hare. Do we hav to start that round again or we should nt count that round ….. Do Clarify “
REPLY:
If you have done mistake in pronounciation of the Hare Krishna Maha Manthra or skipped any word(s), you need to repeat that particular manthra once again. You need not skip that full round. If you had committed this mistake only once, just add one more time and chant 109 times for a round. That is enough. If you had committed mistake two times in a round, then, chant 110 times in a round.
However, if your chanting is interrupted by any call or any visits or your physical inconveniences, do not include that round in counting and start a new round.
Small mistakes can be rectified just by chanting the manthra once again. No problem. Only the dedication is important here. Chant every word perfectly and firmly WITH LOVE.
In due course of time, when you advance in devotion, your chanting will automatically become perfect.
Don’t worry, but, continue to take sincere efforts to avoid mistakes and omissions in future. Try till you become perfect.
That is enough.
Also read: THREE STAGES OF ATTAINING THE PERFECTION IN CHANTING