Krishna’s Holy Names

Haribol

I am part of a new blog called “All About Krishna“. That is a sort of group/community type of blog for everyone to share their love for Krishna. Do visit 🙂

Here’s a post I wrote for the blog recently –

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What’s so special about Krishna’s names? Why do we need to build our love and faith in Krishna’s names? Why is chanting Krishna’s holy names so important? What’s so special about the names of God? Let’s look at what great saints and our religious scriptures say about Krishna’s names:

1. The way to self-realization

Kirtaniya Sada Hari

Kirtaniya sada hari: Constantly engaged in chanting the Holy Names of Lord Hari

I just came back home after an ecstatic evening. This weekend was just so incredibly Krishna Conscious. I didn’t go for the event on Thursday, but I went yesterday and today.

Yesterday, HH Bhakti Brnga Govinda Maharaj sang such a beautiful kirtan. But my mind is foolish. I was so not into it. I was looking around me and everyone was just taken in by the kirtan. Why not me?

He did it again

I was working on two reports for university last night. They weren’t due today but I wanted to submit them as I have holidays starting tomorrow and I didn’t want to spend them stressing out about my reports that were due. So I was working late into the night. I took a shower at around 2 AM and I was absolutely planning on not chanting for the day as I was just wiped out. I was really exhausted and literally braindead. I thought that I would just go ahead and chant anyway. But I was way too sleepy. I was contemplating all this while I was in the shower. I was telling myself not to break my routine and that I should just go ahead and fight the sleepiness and chant. However I was seriously tired and didn’t feel like I had it in me to chant.

Krishna’s Mercy

Last night, as usual, I was feeling too sleepy to chant. I was going to chant at all, but I didn’t want to break my routine again like last time. So I started chanting, feeling terribly sleepy. I thought I’d just do one round.

“Help me chant. Let me concentrate.” I said. Then I got really dramatic and for some reason, I said, “If there really is a God then help me chant!”

How absurd! I don’t know why on earth I became so dramatic like that. It’s kind of funny lol. Either way, can you guess what happened next?

My concentration level just soared. My attentiveness was much better than it was a minute ago. I was shocked myself! My sleepiness had gone. I was reciting the mantra rather fast, but that usually is what helps me concentrate better. If I chant with slow speed, I can barely follow. With Krishna’s mercy, I had chanted my 2 rounds for the day 🙂

Yesterday, I was faced with a situation that normally makes me doubt and question Krishna. But somehow, it didn’t bother me at all. This is very very rare. Usually I just lose my mind and start doubting Krishna and asking Him to prove and reveal Himself to me. Yesterday, I was just peaceful. Doubting questions did occur to me, but they didn’t get to me, if you know what I mean. The only words resonating in my ears were Lord Chaitanya’s words from the Siksastakam:

“You are my worshippable Lord.”

The Lord is being very merciful to me. Lord, I thank You for holding me firm in my faith. You promised to preserve what I have and carry what I lack. You carried me out of my doubt. You helped me to chant. Lord, give me strength, give me unflinching faith. Please keep all of us in steady faith, God. Keep us in Your love.

A Love So Incredible

I’m chanting up to 2 rounds daily now, by Krishna’s mercy. Today while I was chanting, I was so distracted. I couldn’t concentrate at all! I even dropped my beads back into my bag once by mistake, in the middle of my round.

Then I thought I should try to picture Krishna to concentrate better. It also occurred to me how a fellow blogger, In Love With Krishna, mentioned that she tries to visualize Krishna while chanting (thank you, ILWK). So I decided to try to visualize Krishna. Oh, the sweetest image of Him formed in my mind! It was so beautiful!

The Way to Bliss: Just Ask Him

Krishna let me taste some bliss last night. Thank You, Lord.

Last night, I was riding some emotional waves. I was feeling very sensitive. While I was chanting last night, somehow, I realized that last night I did not have the will to ask Krishna to show me any more miracles, any proof of His existence, etc. I realized that I didn’t need to beg for that. The first thing I need is to have faith in Him. So I begged for faith. I begged for love. I begged Him to smear my eyes with the ointment of love.

“Only a person whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love can see the beautiful form of Sri Krishna.” Bhagavad Gita Purport, 11:50

HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj in Dubai

On 12th September, I was given the opportunity to attend a lecture by HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj. I’m so grateful. I didn’t get to see him at the Janmashtami/Ratha Yatra festival on the 10th so Krishna gave me another opportunity 🙂

We got to the hall and Swami had still not arrived so kirtans were going on. That’s what I love about Hare Krishna festivals. There’s never an idle moment. Every time we have to wait, every time the sound system fails, somehow if something gets delayed, it’s just another opportunity for kirtan.

Realizations: The importance of the Mahamantra + God’s Love

So why do I need to chant? Why can’t I just pray in my own words, from my heart? I could definitely do that for a longer time with more attention rather than chanting. I often think, what is the use? I’m just saying the mantra while my mind is somewhere else, I’m thinking about other things. Why don’t I just pray? Then one day, while chanting, I realized something.

How to chant Hare Krishna properly

AMAZING tips, truths and thoughts!

Please please visit this website to learn how to chant properly and how to realize the power of the Holy Name: http://www.harekrsna.de/artikel/japa-chanting.htm

I just read it, and I did my rounds for the day after reading it. I have to say, it really really helped. I was feeling so blissful! I was thinking that Radha and Krishna are here, I need to “welcome them” as the article suggested. So I did. And I needed to realize that the Holy Name is all I have and all I will ever ever need. I was feeling little chills. I was thinking wow if this is how people feel when they chant, what would happen if I trembled while chanting like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would?!

It really is true, you guys. The Holy Name has special powers that we cannot even begin to understand. Please read the article. It really will help you experience the Holy Name! All we have to do is ask! We just need to ask Krishna to plant the seed of devotional service. We just need to ask Him to show us some mercy!

My Experiences with the Hare Krishna Mantra

Here I am, with a post on my personal experiences with chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. This was due a long time ago, but I had exams and assignments to work on, so my apologies.

So here’s all the coolio stuff that happened to me with regard to the mantra:

The first time I heard a studio recording of the Hare Krishna mantra with careful attention,