Hari-Näma-Cintämaëi

The Touchstone of the Holy-

Name

by Çréla Saccidänanda Bhaktivinoda

Öhäkura
 Chapter – 15

Bhajana-praëälé
 Chapter – 15 Bhajana-praëälé

gadäi gauräìga jaya jaya nityänanda

jaya sétänätha jaya gaura-bhakta-vånda

• The Lord said, "Haridäsa, by your devotion you have received all knowledge available
in the universe.

• All the Vedas are dancing on your tongue; all the conclusions of scripture are in your
speech.

• Now speak clearly about the rasa (sentiment or mellow) of the holy name.

• How does the jéva get qualification for the rasa of the name?“

• Haridäsa, in great bliss, said, "Through Your inspiration, I will describe it.
 They have
Atheists and malicious nature
Mayavadis towards Krsna.
They go to hell.
Aparadha
Because of
If offenses are
carelessness, and
avoided, they
Devotees due to incomplete
achieve chaya
sambandha
namabhasa
Jnana

Chaya (Faith is They achieve

pure) Suddha nama

Holyname Sraddha Pratibimba

Namabhasa (Mixed faith, They attain Santa
Karma mishra rati, Salokya mukti
bhakti, Jnana etc.
mishra Bhakti)
namabhasa

Suddha nama Sanketyam, They may

Asraddha Parihasyam, achieve
Bhava namabhasa Sthobam, impersonal
Helanam liberation.
Prema
 They have
Atheists and malicious nature
Path of Practicing Devotee Mayavadis towards Krsna.
They go to hell.
Aparadha
Because of
If offenses are
carelessness, and
avoided, they
Devotees due to incomplete
achieve chaya
sambandha
namabhasa
Jnana

Chaya (Faith is They achieve

pure) Suddha nama

Holyname Sraddha Pratibimba

Namabhasa (Mixed faith, They attain Santa
Karma mishra rati, Salokya mukti
bhakti, Jnana etc.
mishra Bhakti)
namabhasa

Suddha nama Sanketyam, They may

Asraddha Parihasyam, achieve
Bhava namabhasa Sthobam, impersonal
Helanam liberation.
Rasa Prema
 Chapter – 15 Bhajana-praëälé

• "The highest, purest state, the perfection of the Absolute Truth, is called rasa.

• This rasa is not the emotions or sentiment of the material world but is the inherent
nature of the Absolute Pure; it is unlimited, full of bliss and the greatest glory.

• The Absolute Truth reveals His variegated character through His energies, which are
inseparable from His very existence (abhinna).

• His energies create the variegated spiritual world which is prerequisite to rasa.

• "Through His spiritual energy, Kåñëa reveals His form, name, dhäma and activities.
 Chapter – 15 Bhajana-praëälé

• The Supreme Truth is known as Kåñëa with a Çyämasundara form, residing in

Goloka-dhäma, performing His sweet pastimes with His devotees.

• Thus variety and rasa exist in the Lord due to His spiritual energies, which cannot be
separated or differentiated from the substance of the Lord (abhinna).

• In this way, the Absolute Truth remains supreme, whole (akhaëòa), beyond duality
(advaita), and simultaneously engages in a transcendental world full of beautiful
forms, activities and emotions.

• "The shadow energy of the Lord's spiritual energy is called mäyä. By the will of Kåñëa,
this energy creates the material world outside of the spiritual dimension.
 Chapter – 15 Bhajana-praëälé

• Through His jéva-çakti, He creates the innumerable souls situated between the
material and spiritual worlds, similar in quality to Kåñëa but infinitesimal in size.

• Because of their borderline quality, the jévas are of two types, eternally bound jévas
and eternally liberated jévas.

• Those who are eternally liberated are qualified as Kåñëa's eternal servants in the
spiritual sky, and those who are eternally bound engage and suffer in the material
shadow away from Kåñëa.

• The jévas dwelling in the material world are of two types, those taking Kåñëa's name
and associating with devotees, who will go to the spiritual world of rasa by the power
of the name, and those who ignore Kåñëa and toil hopelessly for rasa in relation to
inert matter.
 Chapter – 15 Bhajana-praëälé

• "The gradual realization of rasa in the name is compared to the blossoming of a

flower.

• The name is compared to a flower in bud when it is spread to the general mass of
people in the world.

• When one realizes the beautiful form of Kåñëa in Goloka Våndävana through
continual chanting of the name, that is compared to the partially opened flower.

• Continuing sädhana further, when Kåñëa's sixty-four qualities become revealed in the
name, that is compared to the fragrance from the half-opened flower.

• When one realizes the eternal pastimes of Kåñëa in Goloka Våndävana, the flower is in
full bloom.
Symptoms of Nistha, the stage at which
the Holy-Name reveals the Form of the
Lord
 Nistha is characterized by absence of the following symptoms

1. Laya (sleep)

2. Vikshepa (distraction)

3. Apratipatti (indifference or disinterest in spiritual topics)

4. Kashaya (tendency toward bad habits)

5. Rasasvada (taste for material enjoyment).

1. Laya refers to the tendency to sleep during kirtana, shravana and smarana
(japa), in order of increasing tendency.

2. Vikshepa refers to distraction toward mundane topics while performing service

(i.e., gossiping while doing japa).

3. Apratipatti refers to the occasional inability to perform kirtana, etc. in spite of

the absence of laya or vikshepa.

4. Kashaya means the tendency to indulge in anger, greed, pride, etc due to past
bad habit.

5. Rasasvada refers to inability to absorb the mind in kirtana if one gets the
opportunity for material sense pleasure.
 Symptoms of Ruci, the stage at which
the Holy-Name reveals the Qualities of
the Lord
• When the golden coin of bhakti, shining effulgently by the fire of steady
practice and propelled by its own energy, becomes fixed in the devotee's
heart, ruci or taste for devotional activities appears.

• When a person develops a taste for the activities of bhakti such as hearing
and chanting, which is vastly greater than attraction to anything else, that is
called ruci.

• Unlike the previous stages, at the state of ruci constant performance of

hearing and chanting does not result in even the least fatigue.

• Ruci quickly produces a great attachment to the activities of bhakti.

Ruci follows Nistha and not the
other way round?
 syät kåñëa-näma-caritädi-sitäpy avidyä-
pittopatapta-rasanasya na rocikä nu
kintv ädaräd anudinaà khalu saiva juñöä
svädvé kramäd bhavati tad-gada-müla-hantré

The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kåñëa (kåñëa-

näma-caritädi), despite being transcendentally sweet like sugar
candy (sitä syät apy). But the tongue of one afflicted by the
jaundice of avidyä [ignorance] (avidyä-pittopatapta-rasanasya)
cannot taste anything sweet (na rocikä nu). But, simply by carefully
chanting these sweet names every day (kintu ädaräd anudinaà
khalu sa eva juñöä), a natural relish awakens within his tongue
(svädvé kramäd bhavati), and his disease (tad-gada) is gradually
destroyed at the root (müla-hantré).
The Two Types of Ruci
• Ruci is of two types: that which depends on excellence of elements, and
that which does not.

• Excellence of elements refers to an excellence relating to such things as the

Lord's name, qualities, form.

• For instance a person may only experience pleasure from kirtana if it is

pleasing to the ear and artistically sung, or may only relish topics of the
Lord if they are delivered skillfully with literary ornaments and qualities, or
may only enjoy Deity worship if all the implements, place, and materials are
of high standard.

• This is just like a person with a weak appetite who, when notified of a
meal, will ask what types of preparations there are and of what quality.
• The first type of ruci is in which a slight trace of impurity remains.

• Therefore if a person depends on the excellency of the material elements of

kirtana to experience a spiritual taste, one should understand that this is
evidence of impurity in his heart.

• A person with the second type of ruci will experience great pleasure
wherever and whenever there is a performance of kirtana.

• He does not depend on excellence of the elements because he has actual

depth in his taste.

• One should understand that he has no trace of impurity in his heart.

 Deep Regret over his Past
Consciousness is a symptom of
Ruci
• "Oh friend, giving up the nectar of Krsna's names, why are you engaging
yourself in pursuits for security and enjoyment, so hard to attain?

• What can I say? I am unfortunate, for I am the lowest criminal.

• Though I have received the mercy of the spiritual master, I have not
understood its proper value. Instead I have been wandering everywhere,
and in that way I have wasted my life.

• Keeping a precious jewel tied in the hem of my cloth, I have been

searching out a cracked cowrie, a spot of false happiness between the
banks of the river of material engagements.
• Not practicing any anga of bhakti, I have simply manifested lack of energy.

• So deceitful I am, such is my sense of taste, that I lick up acrid-tasting

profane gossip like nectar and remain apathetic to hear the names,
qualities and pastimes of the Lord.

• How unfortunate I am! When I start to hear about the Lord, I comfortably
fall asleep, and at any opportunity for vulgar discussion, I prick up my ears
and become wide awake.

• In this way I have contaminated the assembly of devotees and everything

else.
• Old and bent as I am, what sinful act have I not performed, simply for the
satisfaction of my insatiable belly?

• I do not know what type of hell I will have to suffer for all my activities.“

In this way the devotee will despair over his previous state of
consciousness with a taste of disgust.
Activities of a Person at the
Stage of Ruci
• Then, in a remote place, like a swan, he will begin tasting and speaking
reverently the nectarean topics about the Lord, the juice from the fruit of
the desire tree, the Great Upanisad, Srimad Bhagavatam, containing the
mystic science of bhakti.

• He will converse constantly with devotees, to the exclusion of all topics

other than Krsna like a curious spectator, first standing, then sitting,
finally entering in with full attention.

• He will take refuge in the Lord's dhama and will fix himself purely in the
Lord's service.

• Ignorant people will think he is going crazy.

• The blissful devotional service performed by the expert devotees is like a
dance.

• The devotee begins to learn the lessons of that dance; being taken by the
hands of the dance instructress, ruci, he learns all experiencing an
extraordinary, unprecedented, unimaginable golden bliss which cannot be
described.

• In what blissful realm will he come to exist, when in time, he is made to

dance by the supreme masters of dance, bhava and prema?