PRANAAM MANTRAS
Srī Guru Praṇāma
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.
Srī Rūpa Praṇāma
śrī-caitanya-mano-’bhīṣṭaṁ
sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
dadāti sva-padāntikam
TRANSLATION
When will Srīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?
Mańgalācaraṇa
vande ‘haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrīgurun vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇacaitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā- śrīviśākhānvitāṁś ca
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Srīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Srīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī, and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Srī Nityānanda Prabhu, Srī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Srīvāsa Thākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Srīmatī Rādhārānī, and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.
Śrīla Prabhupāda Praṇati
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
TRANSLATION
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
Srīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Praṇati
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances to Srī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Srīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Srīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.
mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo ‘stu te
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Srī Caitanya's mercy, who deliver devotional service which is enriched with conjugal love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Srīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement which is against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Srīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Srīla Gaurakiśora Praṇati
namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye
vipralambha-rasāmbhode pādāmbujāya te namaḥ
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Srīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.
Srīla Bhaktivinoda Praṇati
namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is transcendental energy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Srīla Rūpa.
Srīla Jagannātha Praṇati
gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ
nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ
vaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ
ṣrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances to Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who discovered the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.
Srī Vaiṣṇava Praṇāma
vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.
Śrī Gaurāṅga Praṇāma
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
TRANSLATION
O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Srī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
Srī Pañca-tattva Praṇāma
pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ
bhakta-rūpasvarūpakam
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ
namāmi bhaktaśaktikam
TRANSLATION
I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional incarnation, devotional manifestation, pure devotee, and devotional energy.
Srī Kṛṣṇa Praṇāma
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kāntarādhā-kānta namo ‘stu te
TRANSLATION
O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma
jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor mama manda-mater gatī
mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madana-mohanau
TRANSLATION
Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.
Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma
dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ
śrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau
śrīmad-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau
preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi
TRANSLATION
In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Srī Srī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.
Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma
śrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī vaṁśī-vaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ
karṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥ śriye ‘stu naḥ
TRANSLATION
Srī Srīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.
Srī Rādhā Praṇāma
tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
vṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye
TRANSLATION
I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Pañca-tattva Mahā-mantra
(jaya) śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
TRANSLATION
Srī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is always accompanied by His plenary expansion Srī Nityānanda Prabhu, His incarnation Srī Advaita Prabhu, His internal potency Srī Gadādhara Prabhu, and His marginal potency Srīvāsa Prabhu. He is in the midst of them as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahā-mantra
HARE KṚṢṆA HARE KṚṢṆA
KṚṢṆA KṚṢṆA HARE HARE
HARE RĀMA HARE RĀMA
RĀMA RĀMA HARE HARE
PURPORT by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The transcendental vibration established by the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the sublime method of reviving our Krsna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. The material atmosphere, in which we are now living, is called Maya, or illusion. Maya means “that which is not.” And what is this illusion? The illusion is that we are all trying to be lords of material nature, while actually we are under the grip of her stringent laws. When a servant artificially tries to imitate the all powerful master, this is called illusion. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. Therefore, although we are engaged in a hard struggle to conquer nature, we are ever more dependent on her. This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our Krsna consciousness.
Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; this consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. And this process is recommended for this age by authorities. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by chanting this maha mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding--surpassing the stages of senses, mind, and intelligence--one is situated on the transcendental plane. This chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness-- namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation or any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy.
We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it. Of course, for one who is too entangled in material life, it takes a little more time to come to the standard point, but even such a materially engrossed man is raised to the spiritual platform very quickly. When the mantra is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord in love, it has the greatest efficacy on the hearers, and as such, this chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of non devotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects.
The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krsna and Rama are forms of addressing the Lord Himself. Both Krsna and Rama mean “the supreme pleasure,” and Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare in the vocative. The supreme pleasure energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord.
The material energy, called Maya, is also one of the multi energies of the Lord. And we, the living entities, are also the energy--marginal energy--of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, called Hara, the living entity is established in his happy, normal condition.
These three words, namely Hare, Krsna, and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the grace of the supreme father, Hari, or Krsna, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely.
No other means of spiritual realization, therefore, is as effective in this age as chanting the maha-mantra. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.