The chanting of the maha-mantra of a manjari-gopi
The Meaning of the maha mantra
The chanting of the maha-mantra of a manjari-gopi is done to please Swamini, Srimati Radharani, to remind Her of Krishna. Hare in the maha-mantra is then Hari, Krishna.
She also chants this Maha-mantra as we read in the Maha-Mantra Vyakhya explanation of the maha mantra by Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami.
ekada krishna virahat dhyayanti priya sangamam
mano vashpa nirasartha jalpatidam muhur muhuh
ekada - once upon a time; krishna-virahat - out of separation from Krishna; dhyayanti - meditating; priya - Her beloved; sangamam - union; manah - mind; vashpa - tears; nirasa - removing; artha - the purpose; jalpati - repeats; idam - this; muhuh muhuh - again and again.
Once upon a time, Sri Radhika was feeling so much separation from Krishna that She was constantly meditating on union with Him. Then, to remove Her heartache, She repeated the following mantra:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
1) Hare - nama matrena mama mano harasi -
"O Hari! Simply with Your name You steal My mind!" (sva madhuryena me ceto harasi - "You steal My heart with Your sweetness.")
2) krishna - vamsi vadyena grihat vanam mamakarshasi -
"O Krishna! With Your fluteplaying You attract Me from My home into the forest!" (The name Krishna comes from the word akarshana, which means 'attracting' Ed.)
3) Hare - lajja-dhairyadikam harasi
"O Hari! You take away My shame, patience etc."
4) Krishna - sanga saurabhyena mamakarshasi -
"O Krishna! You attract Me with Your bodily fragrance."
5) Krishna - sanga-lavanyena pralobhya mamakarshasi -
"O Krishna! You attract Me and make Me lusty with Your bodily elegance!" (vanam pravishtaya me kancukim sahasaivagatyakarshasi - "When I enter into the forest You suddenly come and pull at My blouse")
6) Krishna - sarvadhikanandena pralobhya mamakarshasi -
"O Krishna! You attract Me and make Me lusty with Your topmost bliss!" (Krishna mat kucau karshasi - "Krishna! You then attract My breasts")
7) Hare - sva bahu nibaddham mam pushpa-sayyam prati nayasi
"O Hari! You take Me to the bed of flowers by binding Me up with Your arms!"
8) Hare - tatra nivesitaya me antariyam balat harasi -
"O Hari! Having laid Me down there, You forcibly remove My underwear!"
9) Hare - antariya vasana harana mishanatma viraha pidam harasi -
"O Hari! On the pretext of removing My underwear You remove My pangs of separation!"
10) Rama - svacchandam ramase mayi -
"O Rama! Then You enjoy in Me as You like!" (The verb ramana means to make love, Ed.)
11) Hare - yad avasishtam kincin me vamyam asit tad api harasi -
"O Hari! Then You take away whatever little opposition was left in Me!"
12) Rama - mam ramayasi svasmin purushayitam api karoshi
"O Rama! You enjoy Me and You also allow Me to assume the male role (thus enjoying viparita vilasa, or reverse pastimes)."
13) Rama - ramaniya cudamane tava navina vaktra madhuryam api nihsankam tad atmanam tava ramaniyakam man nayanabhyam dvabhyam evasvadyate
"O Rama! O crest jewel of beauties! Through My eyes I relish the sweetness of Your youthful face and Your loveliness without fear!"
14) Rama - kevala ramana rupenapi ramakarta ramana prayojakah kintu tad bhava rupa rati murtir iva tvam bhavasiti bhavah
"O Rama! You become rati personified in Your mood as My only lover, being the cause as well as the performer of the love game!"
15) Hare - maccetana mrigim api harasi ananda murccha prapayasiti bhavah
"O Hari! (Hari also means lion, Ed.) You take away My doe-like mind, causing Me to swoon in ecstasy."
16) Hare - simha rupa tadapi rati karmani prakatita maha pragalbhya iti bhavah
"O Hari! In the form of a lion You are showing great boldness in lovemaking!"
SRI HARINAMARTHA-RATNA-DIPIKA
BY RAGHUNATHA DASA GOSVAMI
(Translated by Jagadananda Das)
ekada krsna-virahad dhyayanti priya-sangamam |
mano-baspa-nirasartham jalpatidam muhur muhuh ||
hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare |
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare ||
One day, Radha was feeling separation from Krishna and was meditating on the reunion she hoped to have with him. In order to rid herself of the depression she felt in his absence, she began to repeatedly chant his names. hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.
he hare sva-madhuryena mac-ceto harasi |
O Hare! You steal my mind with your sweetness.
tatra hetur he krsna iti krs-sabdasya sarvarthah nas ca ananda-svarupa iti svarthe nah sac-cid-ananda-svarupaka iti sviyena sarva-dik-paramanandena sarvadhika-paramanandena va pralobhyeti bhavah |
With her next utterance of the name Krishna, she explains how that is possible. The name Krishna comes from the combination of the syllables krs, which means everything, and na, which means an identity steeped in bliss. Thus Krishna is the form of eternity, knowledge and bliss who attracts and tempts everyone in every direction with the supreme joy of his own being, a joy which is superior to any other.
tatas ca he hare dhairya-lajja-guru-bhayadikam api harasi ||
So, Hari, you take away even my most strongly held character traits, like self-control, shame, and fear of my superiors.
tatas ca he krsna sva-grhebhyo vanam prati mam akarsasi ||
Then, Krishna, you draw us out of our houses and into the forest.
tatas ca he krsna vanam pravistaya me kancukim sahasaivagatya karsasi ||
Then, when I have entered the woods, you suddenly appear out of nowhere and start pulling on my blouse.
tatas ca he krsna mat-kucau karsasi ||
Then, Krishna, you start touching my breasts.
tatas ca he hare sva-bahu-nibaddham mam puspa-sayyam prati harasi ||
Then, O Hari, you wrap me in your arms and lead me off to the bed of flower petals.
tatas ca he hare tatra nivesitaya me antariyam api baladd harasi ||
Then, O Hari, while I am sitting there helplessly, you tear off my skirt as well.
tatas ca he hare antariya-vasana-harana-misenatma-viraha-pidam sarvam eva harasi ||
And so, O Hari, by taking my clothes off my body, you take away all the sufferings accumulated in my soul as a result of my separation from you.
tatas ca he rama svacchandam mayi ramase ||
Then, O Rama, you enjoy with me to your full satisfaction.
tatas ca he hare yad avasistam kincin me vamyam asit tad api harasi ||
By so doing, O Hari, whatever little recalcitrance was left in me, that too was stolen by you.
tatas ca he rama mam ramayasi svasmin purusayitam api karosi ||
And so, O Rama, I become so frenzied with passion that I take the initiative in lovemaking, like a man.
tatas ca he rama ramaniya-cudamane tava navina-vaktra-madhuryam api nihsankam tad atmanam tava ramaniyakam man-nayanabhyam dvabhyam evasvadyate iti bhavah ||
Then, O Rama, you who are the crest-jewel of the charming! Without any interference, I can now relish the beauty of your youthful face, indeed the very beauty of your very soul with both of my eyes.
tatas ca he rama na kevalam ramana-rupenapi ramana-kartr-ramana-prayojakah |
kintu tad-bhava-rupa rati-murtir iva tvam bhavasiti bhavah ||
Then, O Rama, not only do you engage me in lovemaking by actively taking the role of a lover, even though this is true. It is as though you were also incarnate in the very act of love itself as its essence.
tatas ca he hare mac-cetana-mrgim api harasi, ananda-murccham prapayasiti bhavah ||
Then, O Hari, you who are like a lion, capture the deer of my mind. In other words, your loving makes me faint.
yato he hare simha-svarupa tad api rati-karmani prakatita-maha-pragalbhya iti bhavah ||
Because you are a lion, O Hari, you have shown such self-confidence, proficiency and boldness in the art of love.
evambhutena tvaya preyasa viyukta ksanam api kalpa-kotim iva katham yapayitum prabhavamiti svayam eva vicaraya iti nama-sodasakasyabhiprayah | tatas ca namabhis cumbakair iva krsnah krsnaya sahasaivakrsto milita-paramananda eva | tasyah sva-sakhinam tat-parivara-vargasya tad-bhava-sadhakanam arvacinanam api sri-radha-krsnau manasam sampurayatah ||
Being separated from you, my dearest lover, it seems that even a moment is like a million millennia. How then will I be able to suffer through this age-long separation? Please consider this fact. This is the summary meaning of the sixteen names of the Mahamantra. Having chanted them in this spirit, Krishna is attracted by Radha’s chanting of these magnet-like names and he suddently appears to experience the ecstasy of union. May the Divine Couple, Sri Sri Radha-Krishna fulfill the desires of her sakhis, his cowherd friends, as well as of all those who today are engaged in the practices of devotional service in the hope of one day attaining the same mood of love.
