Now, he says that "I am so perplexed that my lamentation cannot be satisfied even if I get the kingdom of the universe. I am going to fight for the kingdom only of this earth, or the India." Of course, formerly, India means Bhārata. Now India is a name given by the foreigners. The real name of this planet is Bhāratavarṣa, this planet. Now, gradually, it has been cut up. It has been cut up, just like we have got immediate experience that some portion of India is now cut up, and that is named Pakistan. You know, all. Similarly, this whole planet, five thousand years before, this whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. Bhāratavarṣa. And before that, thousands and millions of years before, this planet was known as Ilāvṛtavarṣa. Ilāvṛtavarṣa. And now, since the time of Emperor Bharata... There was an emperor whose name was Bharata. So from the name of Bharata, this planet's name became Bhāratavarṣa. So up to five thousand years before... Why five thousand years before? Say, up to four thousand years before, although the modern history cannot give account, chronological account, more than 2,500 years, but we are speaking... About four thousand years before, this planet was called Bhāratavarṣa. Now, Arjuna says that "We are going to fight for the matter of this Bhāratavarṣa planet.
Real name
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 7
For iron to be attracted by a magnet is natural. Similarly, for all living entities to be attracted toward Kṛṣṇa is natural, and therefore the Lord's real name is Kṛṣṇa, meaning He who attracts everyone and everything. The typical examples of such attraction are found in Vṛndāvana, where everything and everyone is attracted by Kṛṣṇa. The elderly persons like Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodādevī, the friends like Śrīdāmā, Sudāmā and the other cowherd boys, the gopīs like Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Her associates, and even the birds, beasts, cows and calves are attracted. The flowers and fruits in the gardens are attracted, the waves of the Yamunā are attracted, and the land, sky, trees, plants, animals and all other living beings are attracted by Kṛṣṇa. This is the natural situation of everything in Vṛndāvana.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
The seventy-third branch of the original tree was Rāmadāsa, the seventy-fourth was Kavicandra, the seventy-fifth was Śrī Gopāla dāsa, the seventy-sixth was Bhāgavata Ācārya, and the seventy-seventh was Ṭhākura Sāraṅga dāsa.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anubhāṣya, “In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (203) it is said, "Bhāgavata Ācārya compiled a book entitled Kṛṣṇa-prema-taraṅgiṇī, and he was the most beloved devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu." When Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited Varāhanagara, now a suburb of Calcutta, He stayed in the house of a most fortunate brāhmaṇa who was a very learned scholar in Bhāgavata literature. As soon as this brāhmaṇa saw Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he began to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When Mahāprabhu heard his explanation, which expounded bhakti-yoga, He immediately became unconscious in ecstasy. Lord Caitanya later said, "I have never heard such a nice explanation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I therefore designate you Bhāgavata Ācārya. Your only duty is to recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is My injunction." His real name was Raghunātha. His monastery, which is situated in Varāhanagara, about three and a half miles north of Calcutta on the bank of the Ganges, still exists, and it is managed by the initiated disciples of the late Śrī Rāmadāsa Bābājī. Presently, however, it is not as well managed as in the presence of Bābājī Mahārāja.
"Another name of Ṭhākura Sāraṅga dāsa was Śārṅga Ṭhākura. Sometimes he was also called Śārṅgapāṇi or Śārṅgadhara. He was a resident of Navadvīpa in the neighborhood known as Modadruma-dvīpa, and he used to worship the Supreme Lord in a secluded place on the bank of the Ganges. He was not accepting disciples, but he was repeatedly being inspired from within by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to do so. Thus one morning he decided, "Whomever I see I shall make my disciple." When he went to the bank of the Ganges to take his bath, by chance he saw a dead body floating in the water, and he touched it with his feet. This immediately brought the body to life, and Ṭhākura Sāraṅga dāsa accepted him as his disciple. This disciple later became famous as Ṭhākura Murāri, and his name is always associated with that of Śrī Sāraṅga. His disciplic succession still inhabits the village of Śar. There is a temple at Māmagāchi that is said to have been started by Sāraṅga Ṭhākura. Not long ago, a new temple building was erected in front of a bakula tree there, and it is now being managed by the members of the Gauḍīya Maṭha. It is said that the management of the temple is now far better than before. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (172) it is stated that Sāraṅga Ṭhākura was formerly a gopī named Nāndīmukhī. Some devotees say that he was formerly Prahlāda Mahārāja, but Śrī Kavi-karṇapūra says that his father, Śivānanda Sena, does not accept this proposition."
The fifth branch was Ananta Ācārya; the sixth, Kavi Datta; the seventh, Nayana Miśra; the eighth, Gaṅgāmantrī; the ninth, Māmu Ṭhākura; and the tenth, Kaṇṭhābharaṇa.
Texts 197 and 207 of the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā describe Kavi Datta as the gopī named Kalakaṇṭhī, texts 196 and 207 describe Nayana Miśra as the gopī named Nitya-mañjarī, and texts 196 and 205 describe Gaṅgāmantrī as the gopī named Candrikā. Māmu Ṭhākura, whose real name was Jagannātha Cakravartī, was the nephew of Śrī Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grandfather. In Bengal a maternal uncle is called māmā, and in East Bengal and Orissa, māmu. Thus Jagannātha Cakravartī was known as Māmā or Māmu Ṭhākura. Māmu Ṭhākura's residence was in the district of Faridpur, in the village known as Magḍobā. After the demise of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Māmu Ṭhākura became the priest in charge of the temple known as Ṭoṭā-gopīnātha, in Jagannātha Purī. According to the opinion of some Vaiṣṇavas, Māmu Ṭhākura was formerly known as Śrī Rūpa-mañjarī. The followers of Māmu Ṭhākura were Raghunātha Gosvāmī, Rāmacandra, Rādhāvallabha, Kṛṣṇajīvana, Śyāmasundara, Śāntāmaṇi, Harinātha, Navīnacandra, Matilāla, Dayāmayī and Kuñjavihārī.
Kaṇṭhābharaṇa, whose original name was Śrī Ananta Caṭṭarāja, was the gopī named Gopālī in kṛṣṇa-līlā.
Because of all the antiseptic effects of the nima tree and because Lord Caitanya was born beneath a nima tree, Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī gave the Lord the name Nimāi. Later in His youth He was celebrated as Nimāi Paṇḍita, and in the neighborhood villages He was called by that name, although His real name was Viśvambhara.
CC Madhya-lila
The monastery known as Śṛṅgeri-maṭha is situated in the state of Karnataka, in the district of Chikmagalur. This monastery is located at the confluence of the rivers Tuṅga and Bhadrā, seven miles south of Harihara-pura. The real name of this place is Śṛṅga-giri or Śṛṅgavera-purī, and it is the headquarters of Śaṅkarācārya.
Śaṅkarācārya had four principal disciples, and he established four centers under their management. In North India at Badarikāśrama, the monastery named Jyotir-maṭha was established. At Puruṣottama, the Bhogavardhana or Govardhana monastery was established. In Dvārakā, the Sāradā monastery was established. And the fourth monastery, established in South India, is known as Śṛṅgeri-maṭha. In the Śṛṅgeri-maṭha, the sannyāsīs assume the designations Sarasvatī, Bhāratī and Purī. They are all ekadaṇḍi-sannyāsīs, distinguished from the Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs, who are known as tridaṇḍi-sannyāsīs. The Śṛṅgeri-maṭha is situated in South India, in a portion of the country comprising Āndhra, Draviḍa, Karṇāṭa and Kerala. The community is called Bhūrivāra, and the dynasty is called Bhūr-bhuvaḥ. The place is called Rāmeśvara, and the slogan is ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Deity is Lord Varāha, and the energetic power is Kāmākṣī. The ācārya is Hastāmalaka, and the brahmacārī assistants of the sannyāsīs are known as Caitanya. The place of pilgrimage is called Tuṅgabhadrā, and the subject for Vedic study is the Yajur Veda.
His real name was Mālādhara Vasu, but the title Khān was given to him by the Emperor of Bengal. Thus he became known as Guṇarāja Khān. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives the following genealogical table of Guṇarāja Khān: (1) Daśaratha Vasu; (2) Kuśala; (3) Śubhaśaṅkara; (4) Haṁsa; (5) Śaktirāma (Bāgāṇḍā), Muktirāma (Māinagara) and Alaṅkāra (Baṅgaja); (6) Dāmodara; (7) Anantarāma; (8) Guṇīnāyaka and Vīṇānāyaka. The twelfth generation included Bhagīratha, and the thirteenth Mālādhara Vasu, or Guṇarāja Khān. Śrī Guṇarāja Khān had fourteen sons, of whom the second son, Lakṣmīnātha Vasu, received the title Satyarāja Khān. His son was Śrī Rāmānanda Vasu; therefore Rāmānanda Vasu belonged to the fifteenth generation. Guṇarāja Khān was a very well known and wealthy man. His palace, fort and temples are still existing, and from these we can deduce that the opulence of Guṇarāja Khān was certainly very great. Śrī Guṇarāja Khān never cared for the artificial aristocracy introduced by Ballāl Sena.
CC Antya-lila
His real name was Pradyumna Brahmacārī. The name Nṛsiṁhānanda had been given to him by Lord Gaurasundara Himself.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
They are wandering in the street. They are meant for helping you. They are not meant for controlling you. But when you agree to be controlled by the police, then it will control you. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Then you become under the police control, if you become criminal. And what is that criminality? The criminality is that kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā. Kṛṣṇa is the original enjoyer, God.
When I speak Kṛṣṇa, it means God. God has got many names according to different religious system. But the real name is Kristo (pronounced "Kreesto"). And you will be glad to understand that this Kristo, it is a Greek word, and it is a perverted pronunciation of Kṛṣṇa, this Greek word. The meaning of Kristo in Sanskrit dictionary and the Greek dictionary always the same, about this word. And from this Kristo the word has got Christo or Christ. So even in Christian world the God's name is there. Jesus the Christ or Jesus the son of Kristo, or Kṛṣṇa.
So Lord Jesus Christ said, "My Lord, hallowed be Thy name." He wants to glorify the name of the Lord. And some people says that there is no name of God. How? If Lord Jesus Christ says "Hallowed by Thy name," there must be name. The name is there, but he did not pronounce it because the people at that time will not be able to understand or maybe some reason, but he says there is name. So we are making this propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the "Hallowed by Thy name. My Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, let Your holy name be glorified." This is our movement.
Therefore we have to purify our senses. These senses will give you opportunity to hear His transcendental name, to see His transcendental form, to understand His transcendental quality, and so many things. He has got His name, He has got His qualities, He has got His form. Then He has got His associates. Everything. Whatever we see in this material world, they are simply perverted reflection of the reality. Real form is there. Real name is there in the spiritual world. Just like my name, "such and such," your name, "Mr. John." This "John" is not actually your name, because you are spirit soul, eternal. But this "John" name is in relationship with this temporary body. As soon as this body is finished, the "John" name is finished. Then again, you take another body, you have got another name. Therefore this is not your name. But Kṛṣṇa, His name in the spiritual world and in this world, the same. His name does not change. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (CC Madhya 17.136). By service attitude. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. The name, form, quality, associates, when we are in service attitude, they become revealed to us. It is not that... Just like we ask you, "What is your name?" So if I ask God, "O God, what is Your name?" God is not subject to our, such, I mean to say, challenging. You see? He will not reveal His name. You cannot understand. If you want to know God by your challenge, that "I can understand, I can see; therefore I shall see God, then I'll...," you'll never see Him. You'll never see.
So here it is said... Vyāsadeva, he writes... This Bhagavad-gītā is one of the chapter of Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means the history of greater India. Formerly Bhārata... "India" is given name by the Westerners, but real name is Bhārata, Bhārata-varṣa. This planet was formerly known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa, and later on, after the Emperor Bharata, this planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. So Bhārata-varṣa means not only India, but the whole planet. At least five thousand years ago it was known as Bhārata-varṣa. Bhārata-varṣa name is there, but it indicates only India. So this Bhagavad-gītā is a chapter of Mahābhārata. Perhaps you know the book Mahābhārata, "Greater Bhārata-varṣa," "The History of the Greater Bhārata-varṣa." That is Mahābhārata. So the background of this Bhagavad-gītā is that there was worldwide fight, battle, called the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra, the place is still there. If some of you went to India, (you) might have seen it is near Delhi, New Delhi. The railway station is called also Kurukṣetra. So there was a battle five thousand years ago. The parties were two cousin-brothers, and this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. Therefore it is called bhagavān uvāca.
This is social arrangement. And spiritual arrangement-brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So we are known, advertised, as Hindu. Actually there is no such word in the whole Vedic literature, Hindu. It is a name given by the Mohammedans on account of the river Sindu. They pronounced sa as ha. So the Sindu was mispronounced as Hindu and the side, or this side of Indus River, who resided, they are called by the Mohammedans as Hindus. The Hindu name is given by the Mohammedans. Actually, our dharma is varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas. That is the real name, varṇāśrama-dharma. The whole Vedic culture is dependent on varṇāśrama. It is meant for everyone, not that it is meant for Indians only, no. Four varṇas and four āśramas.
So how these four varṇas are recognized? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Brāhmaṇa. (aside) The child must stop. The first varṇa is brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa is the head of the varṇas, social arrangement. So brāhmaṇa, first of all it is said... Not here in the Eighteenth Chapter. In the, I think, Fourth Chapter it is. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13) "The catur-varṇa—the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra—they are created by Me according to guṇa and karma, quality and action." One is designated, "Here is an engineer." This engineer is not by birthright, "Because my father is an engineer, so I become an engineer," no. You must have the qualification of the engineer. That is called guṇa. If you simply say that "I am a son of an engineer, therefore you must accept me as engineer," that is not accepted. Have you got qualification of engineer? If he says "Yes," then consider it. So guṇa.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Now, you should understand Kṛṣṇa as God. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa... Last week I explained that if there can be any name of God... There are many thousands of names of God. Somebody says, "God has no name." Yes, God has no particular name because, as I explained, God's name is ascertained according to His activity. Just the other day I explained. God appeared as the son of Nanda Mahārāja, so He is called son of Nanda. That is another name, Nanda-nandana. Nanda-nandana means one who gives pleasure to Nanda. So everyone's son, child, gives pleasure to his parents. So Kṛṣṇa, by His activities, childhood activities, He gave pleasure to His father and mother, Yaśodā and Nanda. Therefore He is known as Yaśodā-nandana, Nanda-nandana. He was lover of Rādhārāṇī; therefore He is called Rādhā-ramaṇa. In this way, Kṛṣṇa has got different names, or God has got different names, according to His activities. But His real name is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. He attracts everyone. Kṛṣṇa attracts both the nondevotees and devotees. Devotees are very much attracted to Kṛṣṇa to render service, and nondevotees are attracted to Kṛṣṇa to kill Him, but everyone is attracted. Somebody is attracted to vanquish God. That is also another attraction, indirect attraction. If I always think of my enemy, "How shall I vanquish him?" that is an attraction.
"You are not ordinary scholar. You have produced Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata." The other day I explained what is Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is the... The real meaning of Mahābhārata is "History of India." History of... Mahā, mahā means great, and great history of India. Bhārata means India. India's real name is Bhāratavarṣa. Perhaps you know. Bhāratavarṣa. This whole planet was known in the beginning as Ilāvṛtavarṣa. Then there was a king, Mahārāja Bharata. So according to his name the whole planet became Bhāratavarṣa. This whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa according to Vedic literature. But now it is now divided. There is a long history, how the human society was distributed all over this planet. So far Mahābhārata is concerned, you Americans or Europeans, you also originally belonged to India, according to Mahābhārata. Turkish civilization and Greece civilization was originally from India. Two sons of Mahārāja Yayāti, they were given kingdom of Turkey and Greece, and from Turkey and Greece the European civilization or population has increased and from Europe, the Americans, they have come here. Of course, that is historical point.
This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, mahā-purāṇam, it is called mahā-purāṇam. Mahad ākhyānam. Ākhyānam, narration, history. It is not fictitious; it is history. The activities of the Kauravas, Pāṇḍavas, many other activities mentioned here. Dhruva Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja... Many, many devotees and their activities, their history. It is not mythology. The rascals, they say mythology. No. It is history. Mahābhārata. Mahā means greater and bhārata means this planet. So Mahābhārata means the history of this planet. Now it is minimized, "India." India is given the name given by the Britishers or the Europeans. Real name is Bhārata, Bhārata-varṣa, according to the name of Mahārāja Bharata. So this greater India, Mahābhārata, this is also history. Itihāsa. Itihāsa-purāṇa. Purāṇa means old history. Purāṇa means old. It is not mythology. Purāṇa.
If somebody is greater than Him, then how He can be great? Nobody can be greater than Him. That is greatness, either you say in English language or Muhammadan language. Allah akbar: "Allah, the Supreme Being, is the great." We also say, paraṁ brahma. So nobody can be greater than Him or equal. Asamordhva. So they wanted "a son like You." That means somebody must be equal to Him. "Like You" means equal to Him. So who can be equal to Kṛṣṇa? But He can expand Himself with many equals. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself in millions' and millions' forms. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Everything is there. Although He is living in Goloka, still, by His omnipotency, omnipresence, He can be everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-ca... So that Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, is equal with Kṛṣṇa. Not anything else equal with Kṛṣṇa, but the Paramātmā is equal with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore by His expansion, He agreed to become son of Devakī, and there may be hundreds and thousands of Devakī, devotees. He is unlimited. His devotees are unlimited. Their demands are unlimited.
So everything is Kṛṣṇa's unlimited. So therefore all-unlimited means Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. That is the real name of God, if God can be given one name. Because God has no name, but His names are given according to His activities. Then how to concentrate in one name? That one name is Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. That is the real name of Kṛṣṇa.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
But Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to go to the temple of Viśveśvara. At Benares, the most famous temple is Viśveśvara, Lord Śiva's temple. Because this place, Benares, is the place of Lord Śiva. Just like Vṛndāvana is the place of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Ayodhyā is the place of Lord Rāma, so there are different places in India. So Benares is the place of Lord Śiva, and he's known there as Viśveśvara. It is very old city, Kāśī—the real name is Kāśī—and it is coming from the Satya-yuga. It is not new city. It is very old city. Satya-yuga. Mahārāja Hariścandra, he was the king of this, and Hariścandra happens to be previous to Lord Rāmacandra. So it is very old city. Viśveśvara sthāne.
- snāna karite yabe yā'na gaṅgā-tīre
- tāhāñi sakala loka haya mahā-bhiḍe
So when Caitanya Mahāprabhu goes to the Ganges to take His bath, and after taking bath He used to visit the temple of Viśveśvara in the morning, so at that time hundreds of people gathered round Him.
Initiation Lectures
Prabhupāda: Prayāg. Prayāg dāsī. Prayāg is the chief holy place in India, where we held our... That is Allahabad. That is Prayāg. Another name is Prayāg. Real name is Prayāg. Tīrtha-rāja, the king of pilgrimage. So you have to serve. Come on. You know the rules and regulation?
Candanācārya: Do you know the rules and regulations?
Prayāg: Yes. No illicit sex, no intoxicants, no meat, fish or eggs, and no gambling.
Prabhupāda: Next. Come on. (japa)
Aravinda: Sītā-Rāma dāsa.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Sītā-Rāma. Raghupati rāghava. Lord Rāmacandra, husband of Sītā. You are servant of Sītā-Rāma. Very high position. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulations? All right. Thank you.
Sahadeva, the youngest brother of Arjuna. That's all. Our names are so many, but the real name is dāsa, dāsa, "servant." Our position is servant of the servant. We don't want to become master of the master. Our position is servant of the servant. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). The more we become servant of the servant, the more we become advanced. It is very difficult to understand from material stand of... Here everyone wants to become master of the master. And the spiritual world, they want to become servant of the servant. That is a bigger position. So as we make advance in spiritual life, we understand this. So, that's all right. No. No. You perform the marriage, that change, and get them promise. Yes. Yes, take it.
So general instruction is that this marriage is being taken place in front of Kṛṣṇa, His devotees. There is no written agreement, but this promise is agreement, that none of you who are going to be married, there is no question of separation. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness marriage does not mean sense gratification. No. The marriage is for producing nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Because at the present moment the population is not being produced very nicely; therefore there is disturbance of peace all over the world. But if there are Kṛṣṇa conscious children, they'll grow up and they will possess all good qualities. So peace automatically will come if people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, because they become highly qualified, without committing any sinful activities.
General Lectures
God has practically no name. "No name" means He has name, but nobody knows how many names He has. Yes, that is the way. Because God is unlimited, therefore His names must be also unlimited. You cannot fix up one name. Just like Kṛṣṇa is sometimes called Yaśodā-nandana, the son of Mother Yaśodā. That is quite all right, because He played the part of son of Yaśodā-mā. So Yaśodā-nandana means son of Yaśodā. Devakī-nandana, son of Devakī. Vasudeva-nandana, Nanda-nandana, Pārtha-sārathi. Pārtha-sārathi means He acted as the charioteer of Arjuna, Pārtha, the son of Pṛthā. Arjuna's mother's name was Pṛthā. So Arjuna's another name—Pārtha. And because He acted as the charioteer of Pārtha, His name is Pārtha-sārathi. So actually, Kṛṣṇa, or God, has many dealings with His many devotees, and that particular dealing may be called His name. Therefore... He has innumerable devotees, therefore He has innumerable names. You cannot fix up one name.
But this Kṛṣṇa name means "all-attractive." He attracts everyone. That is the real name, all-attractive. You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture. He is attractive to the animals, cows, calves, birds, bees, trees, plants, water, in Vṛndāvana. He's attractive to the cowherds boy. He's attractive to the gopīs, He's attractive to Nanda Mahārāja, He's attractive to the Pāṇḍavas. He's still attractive to the whole human society.
You cannot follow all the rituals in any scripture. That is very difficult. We are now so fallen it is not possible. Therefore the general regulation is that you chant the holy name of the Lord. It does not mean that we are requesting you to chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. We believe that Kṛṣṇa is the name of God, but if you have got another name... God has many names. God is unlimited, therefore He has got unlimited names. So if you chant the holy name of God, it doesn't matter, if it actually meaning... Just like "water." Water, if somebody says jala, he means water. If somebody says "water," he means water. If somebody says pāni, he means water. So actually, if the word you use as the name of God, if it's actually real name of God, then by chanting that holy name, you realize God. Therefore tongue is the beginning of realization. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). As well as controlling the tongue, we have to spiritualize the tongue. If you keep the tongue materialized, then it is defective. So two things are done by the tongue: tasting foodstuff and chanting the glories of the Lord. If we engage our tongue in this way... Foodstuff means..., our process is to offer foodstuff to the Lord and the remnants of foodstuff we eat, prasāda. So this is one process, this is one business of the tongue. And another business of the tongue is to chant the holy name of the Lord. So in this way, if you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then gradually your realize. You cannot realize, but God reveals Himself, what He is. So Vedic knowledge means to realize God. That is ultimate aim of Vedic knowledge. And here, Bhagavad-gītā, He's revealing Himself to Arjuna, because he's a devotee. So if we take the words of Arjuna, then we also realize God. This is the process.
Guest: I would like to put a question about the relation between Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Paramātmā and Brahman.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, "Father..." Just like your son may call you, "Father," but you have got a name also, "Mr. such and such." My son, your son, everyone's son calls his father, "father." But the father has a name also. Similarly, God is the general name, but still, He has got a particular name. And that name is Kṛṣṇa. And that is accepted by Jesus. Jesus the Christ or Jesus the son of Christ or Kṛṣṇa. And he identified himself as the son of God. Therefore the name of God is... Either you call Kṛṣṭa or Kṛṣṇa or Christo, it doesn't matter. The name of God is Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṭa.
Pater Emmanuel: Yes, when we can't speak of a name of God, of a proper name... (German)
German devotee: He says that when we speak of a real name of God, that is Christos.
Prabhupāda: This Christos means Kṛṣṇa. (German)
Pater Emmanuel: Because a name is of God. We know the name of God only by revelation, by revelation of the son of God because the son of God is also God. He has the three personality: God, father, son and holy ghost. And the son has revealed the name of father, and His name is, who has revealed is Christos, Christ. And also you can as a name or all you take Christ, Jesus Christ.
Prabhupāda: So it doesn't matter, Kṛṣṇa or Christ. The name is there. And we are recommending according to Vedic scripture that in this age one should simply chant the holy name of God. We are chanting that,
- Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
- Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Viṣṇujana: Jehovah.
Prajāpati: But it's the same word. In fact, everyone agrees they do not know what the real name is. Some say Yahweh; some say Jehovah. The Jewish tradition replaces completely and says Adonai, instead.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. He may not say. But we have to take from the meaning. What is the meaning?
Viṣṇujana: "No one is beyond Me."
Prabhupāda: That's all right. "No one is beyond Me." Then he comes to our conclusion, all-attractive. This is... They come to our conclusion, all-attractive. Because if somebody is beyond Him, then he should be attractive. But if He's final attractive, then all-attractive, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. What do you think?
Prajāpati: It would be very nice to engage them in this way, Śrīla Prabhupāda. But they're not interested. They're interested in...
Acyutānanda: Self. "Then my aim is that..." They're interested in people, then. How they understand self.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: ...to the USA, many sahajiyās, they requested me, "Sir, why you are going? You are in Vṛndāvana. Continue your bhajana. What is the use of preaching?"
Rāmeśvara: What is the use of preaching?
Prabhupāda: Preaching. They advised me like that.
Rāmeśvara: They don't believe in Lord Caitanya, these sahajiyās in Vṛndāvana?
Prabhupāda: Mostly. They have no knowledge. Material. Prākṛta-sahajiyā. Their real name is prākṛta. Their thoughts are on this material platform. Just as they are preferring this conjugal love because here the sex is prominent. They are thinking that is the highest stage. What is the lowest stage here, they're taking that as the highest stage. In the.... Of course, in the spiritual world there is such thing, but as Kṛṣṇa has many other līlās, why they are not attracted to other līlās?
Rāmeśvara: They don't want to be limited. They think that Kṛṣṇa is the kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So why...
Prabhupāda: That is good. That is always true, but Kṛṣṇa says,
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
- kaścid yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
- (BG 7.3)
Prabhupāda: Yes, name means authorized. Name means authorized. Not fictitious. If you chant fictitious name, that will not be effective. But if you chant real name of God, then you'll be purified. So if you have got name of God, chanting, there is no question of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You chant. If you have got the name, real name of God, chant it. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. God is unlimited, therefore He must have unlimited names also. But the name must be God's name; then you chant, you'll be purified. So there is no question of sectarianism in this movement. We are recommending that you chant the holy name of the Lord. Do it. Is there any objection? Suppose you say that you are Muhammadan. If I say you chant the holy name of God, have you got any objection?
Ali: Yes.
Prabhupāda: You have got objection?
Ali: Oh, no, no, chanting, I do chant myself.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all. We are preaching this. We don't say that you become one of us. You chant the holy name of the Lord, that's all.
Correspondence
1972 Correspondence
One thing, on the invitation card you have written All Glories to Our Guru Maharaja. This is impersonalism. As soon as we offer obeisances to guru, the name should be there. We are strictly personalists. The sahajiya's, they write Glories to Guru. Why you are learning this impersonalism, who has taught you? Daily I am offering obeisances to my Guru by vibrating his real name, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, otherwise it is impersonal.
Formerly, I told that Calcutta should support Mayapur. So whoever can take charge of both, he should be President. You should discuss these things amongst yourselves. Simply taking title of President will not help. Why there are no letters from Tamala Krishna, why he is not taking active part in Mayapur? I originally entrusted him with responsibility for Mayapur, but he does not even write what is the situation there, nor does he co-sign for money to be sent.
Whether you can deal with so many problems? I am receiving so many letters daily from Calcutta. The temple officers are appointed to minimize my time, not increase it with so many letters. Best to stop expanding, or if you cannot raise funds there, close up the Calcutta center. It is not that the officers should be expert in one field only, they should be expert in everything.
1977 Correspondence
So far the title Swami is concerned, although this word is used generally for Sannyasins, this Swami is my particular name as Sannyasi. Therefore, it must be suffixed at the end of my real name, A.C. Bhaktivedanta. So far the prefix "Swami" is concerned, every sannyasi has got to do that, but two ways Swami (Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami) is not good looking. The end "Swami" is necessary because it is my Sannyasa name. The first Swami may be transformed into Goswami, which is on the same order of Swami. Therefore, I use the prefix Tridandi Goswami and suffix Swami, as I have printed on my card enclosed herewith. That will be nice. In small lettering, it can be written above my name "Tridandi Goswami". Vaisnava sannyasins are known as Tridandi gosvamis, and Mayavadi sannyasins are know as only Swami.
With reference to the boys holding kirtanas independently, our propaganda should be like that. That people may open different centers of their own, or each and every householder may have his own class at home. Not that everyone is required to join the society; they may take the idea from the society and introduce in their private life. And if possible, let us sell to them the paraphernalia of Kirtana, karatalas, mrdanga, Deities, etc.
| Page Title: | Real name |
| Compiler: | Sahadeva, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 06 of Mar, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=6, OB=0, Lec=14, Con=4, Let=2 |
| No. of Quotes: | 27 |