Only Nitai-vayulekhan to destroy Aparadhas? - Nitai-Bhakti
Hauptmenü:
Only Nitai-vayulekhan to destroy Aparadhas?
Fragen / Questions > Questions & Answers
Question
Some Nitai fans say, only Nitai-vayulekhan is able to destroy the ahankara and puts an end to our aparadha and by this leads to Harinam-sidhi and rapidly to Krsna-prem.
In short, I found this text here: "Our false ego is what induces us to commit offenses at the lotus feet of the Lord's devotees and thereby destroy our painstakingly planted garden of devotion. Without destroying this false ego, even if we are relieved from the burden of suffering the results of committing such aparadha, our aparadhas will continue to exist and take newer forms. The reason is that the inner and subtle tendency to commit such abominable offenses is still existent dormant within us."
Do you support this view?
Answer
Not in this form. Let me explain why.
In general: Every single Holy Name of the Lord, who is no different from Himself, has the power to destroy the aparadhas. For that, the ahankara must not be dissolved.
First, by the mercy of a pure devotee or the mercy of the Holy Name you reach the state of namabhasa (here starts the purification from the anarthas and from the hankering for material desires). Afterwards comes shuddha-nama (the pure name). By chanting the pure name, Krishna reveals Himself to the bhakta. Very quickly the bhakta runs now step by step toward the goal, Krishna-prema, which actually dissolves the false material ego (ahankara).
You see, the process starts with the aparadha-free chanting of the Holy Name (namabhasa) not with the annihilation of the ahankara (false material ego). Nobody on this stage (namabhasa) of chanting is free from the ahankara.
You see, the process starts with the aparadha-free chanting of the Holy Name (namabhasa) not with the annihilation of the ahankara (false material ego). Nobody on this stage (namabhasa) of chanting is free from the ahankara.
The conclusion is clear: There is no precondition to dissolve first the ahankara for chanting namabhasa and shuddha-nam. But one thing is definitely true: We must chant at least on the level of namabhasa, to reach shuddha-nam and later Krishna-prem.
And how doe we come to namabhasa?
If you read Harinam Cintamani and Navadvipa Dham mahatmya, both from Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, you will find superficially some contradictions. In one place he says only chanting the Hare Krishna mantra during the whole day and night (beside sleep time) will stop all the aparadhas against the holy name.
On the other side he says, only Nitais and Gaurangas name are able to stop the aparadhas and finally only Nitai-Gauranga nam will bless you with Krishna-prema.
In reality this is not a contradiction. Full absorption in Krishnas name rise one quickly to the level of shuddha nam.
In reality this is not a contradiction. Full absorption in Krishnas name rise one quickly to the level of shuddha nam.
But, and here comes the big ‘but’, almost nobody in this age of Kali has the capacity to deepen himselve fully into the holy name of Sri Krishna. And this is the reason, why they are not able to get a spiritual taste as long as they remain on the level of aparadha. So, the ahankara is still there and also our tendency to commit aparadhas against the holy name, and also all our anarthas are still alive.
Completely different behave the holy names of Gaura and Nitai. They don’t accept any aparadhas, Nitai not even Vaishnava aparadha. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur wrote therefore:
"But the magnanimity of the names of Lord Nityananda and Gauranga is especially for the souls who are offenders and full of anarthas and desires for material sense-gratification. The chanting of Lord Nityananda and Lord Gaurangas Names and Their worship quickly delivers the soul from all the offenses and thus the soul achieves shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Gaura-Krishna without any delay."
(Purport of Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 8.31)
"But the magnanimity of the names of Lord Nityananda and Gauranga is especially for the souls who are offenders and full of anarthas and desires for material sense-gratification. The chanting of Lord Nityananda and Lord Gaurangas Names and Their worship quickly delivers the soul from all the offenses and thus the soul achieves shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Gaura-Krishna without any delay."
(Purport of Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 8.31)
Don't forget, also by chanting Nitai-nam the ahankara is still present, also our tendency to commit aparadhas against the holy name and also the anarthas are still alive. But Nitais loving heart is blind for our faults and so, by His mercy, we start with His name on the level of namabhasa, the stage of purification.
Taking shelter by Lord Nitais and Gaurangas names is therefore much much much more easy, secure and - very important - much quicker than taking shelter in Lord Krishnas names while doing aparadhas. With Nitais name you get purified from the influence of the ahankara, even while on the stage of aparadhas, mixed with anarthas and material desires. Nitais name bestows even little little drops of ecstatic feelings, which are normally only accessible by the pure name (shuddha nam).
This is written also by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur in Navadvip Dham Mahatmya:
"When someone calls out the names of Nitai and Caitanya, Krishna-prema comes looking for him. Offenses do not hinder his progress, and he soon sheds tears of ecstasy out of pure love of God."
We see here by “calling out the name of Nitai and Gauranga” all perfection of shuddha-nam (Krishna-prem) can be attained. Chanting (kirtanam) the name of Nitai is enough to reach this supreme goal. Actually every single process of bhakti is enough.
Srila Prabhupada wrote:
"There are nine different processes of devotional service (sravanam kirtanam vishnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam), but all of them are meant only for the service of the Supreme Lord. Therefore whether one hears, chants, remembers or worships, his activities will yield the same result. Which one of these processes will be the most suitable for a particular devotee depends upon his taste."
(Purport of Cc 1.9.25)
Srila Prabhupada wrote:
"There are nine different processes of devotional service (sravanam kirtanam vishnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam), but all of them are meant only for the service of the Supreme Lord. Therefore whether one hears, chants, remembers or worships, his activities will yield the same result. Which one of these processes will be the most suitable for a particular devotee depends upon his taste."
(Purport of Cc 1.9.25)
Actually Nitai-vayulekhan is a combination of deep smaranam, pada-sevanam and arcanam in which the arca vigraha is replaced by the form of the Sanskrit sillables of Nitais name, and as we know the name is directly identical with the Lord Himself.
So, if we look deep into the process of Nitai-vayulekhan, we find only parts of the nine processes of bhakti, nothing else or something new. Therefore it is ridiculous to claim that only by Nitai-vayulekhan one is able to overcome the ahankara or the aparadhas. This claim possesses no shastric basis.
But those rarely and very special souls who practise Nitai-bhakti can easily say that Nitai-vayulekhan has the power to eradicate the false ego (ahankara), as each and every single one of the nine processes of bhakti.
And which one or which combination is the best?
The answer of Srila Prabhupada is:
"Which one of these processes will be the most suitable for a particular devotee depends upon his taste."
In short:
- The ahankara (false ego) goes as last!
- by chanting Nitais aparadha-free name the anarthas and our hankering for material desires flee from our heart first. Then comes shuddha-nam and finally Krishna-prem, which automatically manifests our true eternal identity as an eternal loving servant of the Lord.
- Everybody can say: "Nitai-bhakti is the quickest and most safest way to stop aparadhas and finally to relish Krishna-prem and our eternal true ego as servant of Sri Krishna!"
