Sharanagati

(excerpts from a seminar of Swami Tirtha on the holy name, Ludashto, July 2013) 

(continues from the previous Monday) 

If you say ‘Hare Krishna’ – what is your conception? We have to practice it, analyze it, try to understand it very deeply. Because actually the mala is a symbol of rasa-dance – one Krishna, one gopi, one Krishna, one gopi… And everybody feels that ‘He is with me’. One bead is one Krishna in the rasa-mandala; and one knot is one gopi.

Kripadham: And the bead in the center?

Swami Tirtha: In the center… you can think who the third special person in the rasa dance is. But I cannot support it by shastra. Otherwise on the elementary platform they consider this bead as Krishna or Mount Meru, Sumeru – so that you don’t cross it over, there is where you turn back. This is basically the general explanation. You don’t touch it.

That means mala is the way back to that realm where these topics are there – ‘Whether this is my Krishna, whether this is my Radha, or this is a gopi – how is that?’ The mala will bring you back to that plane, where you deal with such questions.

So, when we say ‘Hare Krishna’ there are many layers. Practically all the great ones have given their expressions and their purports to the maha-mantra. For example Shrila Sadhu Maharaj said that Hare Krishna is like the ocean and the waves – black and white. In this way they are both united and they help us understand Radha-Krishna presence. And we would be very happy if at least one kind of understanding or explanation we can produce to the words of the maha-mantra. Anybody has some kind of interpretation of the maha-mantra?

I’d like to invite you to a question and answer game. You repeat the mantra two by two and I will try to say something.

Devotees: Hare Krishna!

Swami Tirtha: “Where are You?”

Devotees: Hare Krishna!

Swami Tirtha: “I am here.”

Devotees: Krishna Krishna!

Swami Tirtha: “Who are You?”

Devotees: Hare Hare!

Swami Tirtha: “I’m your happiness.”

Devotees: Hare Rama!

Swami Tirtha: “Do You love me?”

Devotees: Hare Rama!

Swami Tirtha: “I love you, but do you love Me?”

Devotees: Rama Rama!

Swami Tirtha: “I am Yours!”

Devotees: Hare Hare!

Swami Tirtha: “And You are mine.”

Kripadham: Hare Krishna! How is the story going on, Gurudev?

Swami Tirtha: Ah, They move in the kunja, They disappear from our eyes.

(to be continued)