Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 03.05.2018, Rila)

(continues from the previous Monday)

It is said that the holy name is always there – not only in the spiritual sky, but in the material world as well. Where will you find the holy name, especially the mahamantra, in the spiritual sky?

Answer: Everywhere?

Swami Tirtha: Everywhere? Is it a guess or what? Well, it depends on your vision, but more precisely, more exactly?

Somebody: In the hearts of the devotees?

Swami Tirtha: All right… but, by chance, have you ever heard of Brahma Samhita? Please, look it up! In the very first verses you will find the explanation – where the holy name is in the spiritual sky. It is written on the petals of the lotus flower on which Radha and Krishna are dancing. There is the holy name, there is the mahamantra. It surrounds the divine dance of Radha-Govinda. Govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajami! And then it is reflected to all other layers and realms of divine and material realities. This is where we can find the holy name in the spiritual sky. I mean the mahamantra.

So its origin is, of course, supremely transcendental. Maybe in other ages it’s not so obviously given or obviously practiced, yet it’s always there. But here, in our age, it is stressed by all the acharyas.

And even in other lines, in other schools of thought, it is accepted. You know that in the Lord’s prayer the second expression is “Hallowed be Thy name!” Or in Islam they have 99 plus one names of God. We have at minimum 108 names; and this is the short version. Otherwise we have a thousand names, and practically we have unlimited names. In the Vedanta Sutra it is said that every word is a name of God, every word is a glorification of God. So can you tell a lie? Impossible! You should open up your mouth only if what you speak is better than silence. So be careful about your words, they should describe the divine reality, they should be holy, sacred. Therefore our prayer should be: “I tell the truth. I tell the true word” – then you might come to that level of sacred speech.

All right, but then we are lost in multiplicity. There are so many names of God… and which to say: there are primary names and there are secondary names – as it is described in the Harinama Chintamani. The secondary name is like Creator or Father and this and that – like describing functions. The primary names are rasic.

(to be continued)