Adhivasa-Kirtan - 11 March 2017

Today we are most fortunate to be in Vrndavana-dhama, following the mangala-adhivasa-sankirtana of Mahaprabhu’s appearance day. Right now, this mangala-adhivasa-kirtan is going on not only in this world, but in all 14 worlds of this universe.
We are in the Narottama Parivara. For the original Gaura-purnima festival in Kheturi-gram, Srila Norottama dasa Thakura invited Srimati Jahnava Mata to preside over the massive mahotsava. Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu had already ended their manifest lila and many of their parikara had followed, but Jahnava Mata said, “Do not worry. For eternal personalities there is only the present—no past or future.”
Millions attended that first Gaura Purnima festival. Devotees from Vraja-mandala, Gauda-mandala, Ksetra-mandala, and everywhere came and Srila Narottama dasa Thakura made perfect arrangements for everyone’s seva and prasada.
Narottama das Thakura is a follower of the Vraja-devis and has a sweet relationship with them. He called everyone to that place and desired to give them gaura-prema and the bhakti of Vraja. He collected prema-bhakti from his Guru Maharaja, Srila Lokanatha Gosvami, and now wanted to spread it everywhere.
The day before Gaura Purnima, adhivasa-kirtana took place. This kirtan ran on until the next day. Then the entire Panca-tattva, accompanied by all their parikara appeared and showered everyone with sankirtana-rasa. The devotees headed by Jahnava Mata felt supreme bliss. Many thought, “What is this nectar that Narottama Thakura is distributing?”
Mahaprabhu’s movement is the movement of sankirtana-rasa, and by sankirtana, Mahaprabhu’s glories reach all corners of the universe.
So, Narottama dasa Thakura started kirtan tonight and continued till the next day. This is adhivasa-kirtana, and we are trying to follow His footsteps. Jahnava Mata, for the benefit of everyone, established that the pancatattva mantra must be chanted along with the maha-mantra.
madhura-madhuram etan maìgalaà maìgalänäà
sakala-nigama-vallé-sat-phalaà cit-svarüpam
sakåd api parigétaà çraddhayä helayä vä
bhåguvara nara-mätraà tärayet kåñëa näma
Çré-Hari-Bhakti-Viläsa 11.234, quoted from Skanda-Puräëa)
“Çré Kåñëa-näma is the sweetest of the sweet and the most auspicious of all that is auspicious. It is the flourishing creeper, the eternal, fully ripened fruit of the Bhägavata, and the embodiment of knowledge, cit-çakti. O best of the Bhågu dynasty! Even if someone chants the holy name only once, with faith or indifference (helä), he is immediately delivered from this ocean of birth and death!”
The holy name is the sweetest thing, but we have no taste for sweet things. Who gives this taste? If we pray to the Panca-tattva we will obtain that taste. Narottama dasa Thakura prayed to Gaura-Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadadhara Pandita, Srivasa Thakura, and their associates that they bless everyone with the ability to constantly drink the nectar of the holy name. Jahnava Mata said that if one prays to the Panca-tattva then taste for the holy name, which is most auspicious, will come in the heart.
Nowadays, people of poor intelligence say that the panca-tattva-mantra should not be chanted alongside the mahamantra. They say it will disturb their so-called mood of kunja-seva. This idea is bogus.
Jahnava Mata explained deep secrets about the Pancatattva to the devotees, as well as how every rasa and svarupa of the Lord, His servants, and His beloveds, are present within that tattva. She also—being Ananga Manjari—empowered Narottama dasa Thakura to spread nama-sankirtana and the Pancatattva.
How can Mahaprabhu make His appearance within our hearts? We have no proper place there. Therefore, we do this mangala-adhivasa-kirtana. Other than this nothing is helpful in Kali-yuga.
Chant the holy name in the association of the bhakta, for they carry the wealth of Sri Hari, who is non-different from His name, within their hearts.
näma cintämaëiù kåñëaç caitanya-rasa-vigrahaù
pürëaù çuddho nitya-mukto ’bhinnatvän näma-näminoù
Bhaktirasämåta-sindhu, Pürva Vibhäga 2.233
Harinama is cintamani. Harinama will give whatever you need. Why not chant the holy name? Just take shelter of harinama.
The Panca-tattva appeared before the eyes of everyone during that kirtana of Narottama dasa Thakura. There were thousands of groups, each with lead dancers, mrdanga players, and so on—all could see Mahaprabhu. The sound of that kirtana was tumultuous. Just try to imagine that kirtan!
Mahaprabhu thinks, “Sometimes, in other forms, I dance and sing a little. But now, I am able to continuously dance and sing with My bhaktas with no restrictions at all.”
Only demons are against this nama-sankirtana. Simply by remembering the premi-bhaktas we can understand nama’s full glories.
We are so fortunate that our previous acaryas, especially Srila Bhaktsiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, have taken the essence of all rasa and siddhanta and are presenting it to us. Now, if we do not follow, then no one is as foolish as us.
If you want to please Mahaprabhu, simply make the promise that you will not do anyone else’s kirtana for at least one day (the day of Gaura Purnima). Mahaprabhu said:
grämya-kathä nä çunibe, grämya-värtä nä kahibe
bhäla nä khäibe ära bhäla nä paribe
amäné mänada haïä kåñëa-näma sadä la’be
vraje rädhä-kåñëa-sevä mänase karibe
Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 6.236
Do not listen to the mundane talk of common men or engage in discussions about mundane topics. Do not eat palatable foodstuffs or dress yourself nicely. Expect no honor from others and give honor to all. In this manner, always chant Kåñëa’s holy names and within your mind perform sevä to Çré Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa in Vraja.
If you do not do krsna-kirtan then the chaya-vega, six urges, will definitely disturb you.
When Mahaprabhu was born, all the people of Navadvipa, being scared of the lunar eclipse, all bathed in the Ganga and chanted the names of the Lord. Thus Mahaprabhu started spreading the holy name even before He was born. Everyone was chanting when He appeared, including His parents.
taà nirvyäjaà bhaja guëa-nidhià pävanaà pävanänäà
çraddhä rajyan matir atitaräm uttama-çloka-maulim
prodyann antaù-karaëa-kuhare hanta yan-näma-bhänor
äbhäso ’pi kñapayati mahä-pätaka-dhvänta-räçim
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 2.1.103 (Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila 3.62)
O reservoir of good qualities, just faithfully perform bhajana of Çré Kåñëa without duplicity. He is the supreme savior among all saviors, and the most exalted of those worshipped with transcendental çlokas. When even a slight appearance of His name, which is like the sun, arises in one’s cave-like heart, it destroys the darkness of great sins that are present there.
Tomorrow there is nothing else to do but nama-kirtan. Tomorrow is Holi. Our hearts are dirty. How can we make our hearts holy, or pavitra? Only by ceto-darpana-marjanam. If we follow this process of chanting the holy name then our hearts will be truly holy. If you do not even try to make this promise—that you will chant the holy name—then what is the use of all your supposed sadhana?
Make the promise that you will try to clean your heart and take up harinama. Continuously pray for the mercy of Mahaprabhu and His bhaktas for the ability to do this.
Mahaprabhu came not with just the yuga-dharma but with prema-nama-sankirtana. If you fail to take this chance and process you are a fool. Let everything else burn tomorrow. Let there only be nama-sankirtana!
Jahnava Mata gave this instruction and process and the devotees faithfully followed that. Then the full-blown preaching of Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana movement started. Our Guru-varga continues this preaching.
We are so fortunate to be in Mahaprabhu’s movement. If you miss this chance—the chance to completely absorb yourself in the holy name on the occasion of Mahaprabhu’s advent—you will not have only wasted one year but your whole life. Srila Gurudeva always explained this, and if anyone saw him then they can remember—how he used to go to Navadvipa and engage everyone in parikrama and nama-sankirtana. The thousands of pilgrims who all came to Mahaprabhu’s dhama slept on the ground without worry whether there were mats or not or whether there was enough food or not. Everyone was completely absorbed in the nectar of nama-rasa. In the early years, they used to dig huge ditches in the ground and fill them full of kichari and ksira, but no one was disturbed or sick; everyone was content and full of respect for nama and gaura-prema. There is no need to think of maintaining the body. Maintain the soul, by nama rasa, and then the body will automatically be maintained.
Offer as much nama as possible to Mahaprabhu until He shows Himself to you. He does not want chappana-bhoga (an offering of 56 food items) from you; He wants you to offer Him harinama from your heart. This makes Him so happy. When He appeared in Mayapura, Narada, Siva, Brahma, and all the devatas came to have His darsana and danced in great joy. Why? Because the giver of nama and the giver of prema had come. If you do not chant nama then you will have only kama and will definitely become a demon. By chanting nama under our Guru-varga’s guidance you will have vraja-prema.
In that festival of Kheturi, Jahnava Mata spoke this strong hari-katha. This is diksa. Only chanting a mantra without relationship or service to the mantra-devata—this is not diksa. Real diksa is when you promise to follow Sri Guru’s instructions. If you promise then you will get help. Promise and then try—that is the process. But if you do not even try then you will have no help or protection. Live in the present—not the past or future. Always remember, “I must, I must, I must follow. I am Mahaprabhu’s follower. I will offer harinama to Him.”
Mahaprabhu said, “Become a ‘lakhapati’. This is My puja. I want nothing else from you.” [‘Lakhapati’ means ‘a person with lakhs of rupees’, but Mahaprabhu’s use of this word meant that if anyone wanted Him to accept their offerings to Him they had to chant one lakh of harinama daily, or 100,000 holy names while chanting the mahamantra.]
Why waste this life? Let us chant harinama! Let us offer this to Guru-pada-padma. Then we will always be with him and the whole Guru-varga. The Guru-varga has relationship with those who do nama-bhajana, otherwise they have no relationship with anyone.
So, tomorrow, try, pray, and cry. That is all. Crying is necessary. The dry rocky wastelands of our hearts must melt. By chanting harinama the heart will melt, and then we can cry. Unfortunately, people only cry when they are sad for something in this world, but who cries for prema-bhakti.
Tomorrow, only do this nama kirtan. Kåñëotkértana-gäna-nartana-parau premämåtämbho-nidhé. Then the Gosvamis will be present with us. If we make the promise and start nama, then Guru and all Vaisnavas will be with us. The only reason we are here is because of the holy name. Nothing else can attract and control our senses.
Pray for Mahaprabhu’s shelter. He wants to give everything. If we follow the gardening process, the fruit of prema will come. But if you cannot follow this then what can I do. I am only distributing Mahaprabhu’s message. This is my service. If you accept this message then my life will be successful. If you do not accept this, then I will pray to the Guru-varga, “Please, one day, make them greedy.”