Non-Difference and Difference

 

Q. What is the Achintya Bheda-Abheda (Simultanous difference and non-difference) between Gauranga Nama and Krishna Nama? 

 

A. by Swami Gaurangapada:

 

Krishna Nama and Gauranga Nama are same but there are some differences also. The following are some differences:

 

1. There are 10 offenses to be avoided in Krishna Nama.whereas there are no offenses considered in Gaura Nama.

 

2. Although Krishna is Gauranga, but Gauranga is audarya vigraha. It is said in Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya that if one worships Krishna without Gauranga, then Krishna Prema will come after a very prolonged period of time, but if Gauranga is worshipped along with Krishna, then Krishna Prema will come in a short time.

 

Those who say that Krishna Mantra includes everything so that there is no need of chanting Gauranga Mantra,  should think why scriptures say in the above way. The actual understanding is that Krishna Prema can be obtained very quickly by chanting Gauranga's Name. If Krishna's Name alone, (without Gauranga's Name) is chanted then sage Narada and Pushkara Tirtha both state in Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya that it will take millions and millions of years to awaken Krishna Prema.

 

Why it is said that by chanting Gauranga's Name along with Krishna's Name very quickly Krishna Prema will come? This is because Gauranga's Name eradicates all types of namaparadha (offenses) in the chanting of Krishna's name.

 

"namaaparaadham sakalam vinasya

chaitanya naamashrita maanavaanaam"

 

3. Lord Nityananda Prabhu says that offenders are punished in Vrindavana but they are given Krishna Prema in Navadvipa.

 

4.In Anubhasya commentary to Chaitanya Charitaamrita, Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur says that although Krishna Nama and Gauranga Nama are non-different from each other, still Krishna Nama shows mercy on liberated souls and Gauranga Nama shows mercy on fallen and offensive jivas. Hence he recommends to chant Nityananda and Gauranga Nama.

 

We have to consider whether chanting Pancha Tattva Mantra three times before kirtana and one time before Hare Krishna mantra is sufficient for the most fallen souls of Kali Yuga?

 

When Prabhupada said chant Krishna's Name always he meant the Hare Krishna Mantra, and when he says chant Gauranga's Name always he meant the Gauranga Mantra not the Pancha Tattva Mantra. This is clear from the fact that he told to chant Gauranga's Name always but not  to chant Pancha Tattva Mantra always ie. only three times before Hare Krishna Kirtana and one time before one round of Hare Krishna.

 

All bonafide Vaishnava Mantras can be chanted on Tulasi Beads. If devotees of Lord Nrisingha can chant japa of Nrisingha Mantra on beads, if devotees of Lord Rama can chant Rama Mantra on japa beads, if devotees of Lord Narayana can chant the Narayana Mantra on japa beads, why can't a devotee of Lord Gauranga exclusively attached to Lord Gauranga chant japa of the most bonafide and sublime Gauranga Mantra on beads considering the fact that Lord Gauranga is the ultimate origin of all the above Vishnu Tattvas and the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself?

 

Shrila Prabhupada said Christians and others can chant the bonafide Names of God known in their religions(Christ, Allah etc) on beads. Please refer science to the book the Science of Self-Realisation.. So why would Shrila Prabhupada object to the chanting of Lord Gauranga's name on beads especially when he came specially to preach the Holy Name of Lord Gauranga around the world as per his own words found in this book?

 

As per the greatest Vedic book Jaiva Dharma by Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, there are three kinds of devotees who enter into the supreme abode of Goloka Vrindavana (Chp 17, Jaiva Dharma):

 

ONE CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY WORSHIP GAURANGA BY CHANTING THE GAURA-GOPALA MANTRA AND RADHA-KRISHNA BY CHANTING THE HARE KRISHNA MAHA-MANTRA

 

Vrajanatha: What is the final destination of the soul who is a devotee of Lord Gauranga?

 

Babaji: Krishna and Gauranga are not different. They are both shelters of the feature of sweetness (madhurya-rasa). They do have one difference. Madhurya-rasa (the Lord's sweetness) has two features: 1. madhurya (sweetness), and 2. audarya (mercy). When sweetness is prominent, Lord Krishna is manifested. When mercy is prominent, Lord Gauranga is manifested. The spiritual world of Vrndavana is divided into two abodes: 1. the abode of Lord Krishna, and 2. the abode of Lord Gauranga. The eternally perfect and eternally liberated souls who have sweetness first and mercy second reside in Lord Krishna's abode. They are Lord Krishna's associates. The eternally perfect and eternally liberated souls who have mercy first and sweetness second reside in Lord Gauranga’s abode. They are Lord Gauranga’s associates. Some souls manifest two forms and reside in both abodes simultaneously. Other souls manifest only one form and are present in one of the abodes and not in the other. Souls who during the time of sadhana worship only Lord Gauranga, at the time of attaining perfection go to Lord Gauranga's abode and serve Him there. Souls who during the time of sadhana worship only Lord Krishna, at the time of attaining perfection go to Lord Krishna's abode and serve Him there. Souls who during the time of sadhana worship both Lord Krishna and Lord Gauranga, at the time of attaining perfection manifest two forms, go to both Lord Krishna's abode and Lord Gaurngaa's abode, and in their two forms serve the two Lord's simultaneously in both places. This truth: that Lord Gauranga and Lord Krishna are simultaneously one and different from each other, is a very confidential secret.

 

Commentary by Swami Gaurangapada:

 

So it is very clear that there are three kinds of souls who enter the topmost Vaikuntha planet Goloka which has two partitions: Navadvipa and Vrindavana. Those who worship only Lord Gauranga by chanting the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas enter into Navadvipa and those who worship only Lord Krishna by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra may enter into Vrindavana only when they become free from all offenses which may take a very long time. The third kind of souls are those who worship both Gauranga and Krishna simultaneously by chanting both Their Names and they enter into both Navadvipa and Vrindavana simultaneously with two spiritual bodies after attaining perfection. Even the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas can take us into eternal Vrindavana as per Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya and even the Hare Krishna Mahamantra can take us to the eternal Navadvipa because they are totally non-different. The only biggest problem is that since the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and Krishna’s Name has the consideration of the ten offenses for the conditioned souls, they may not achieve either of the two abodes even for thousands of lifetimes or millions of years simply by only the chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra as per the revealed scriptures.

 

It is greatly unfortunate and inauspicious for the world that some devotees worship the Deities of Their Lordships Shri Shri Nityananda-Gauranga daily but criticize the sublime process of chanting  The Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga on a daily or regular basis on beads. This is a clearly a big offense of differenciating between the Holy Name and Deity (Form) of the Lord.

 

Imagine a devotee standing before a Deity of  Their Lordships Shri Shri Nityananda-Gauranga in a temple. And if there are 1000 visitors in that day asking which Deity is this, he or she will have to chant the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas 1000 times each that day. So this is not prohibited. But just because you hold the most purifying Tulasi beads in your hand while chanting the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas it becomes a taboo for some. To say that Krishna’s Name in the form of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra can be chanted on japa beads and Gauranga’s Name in the form of the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas cannot be chanted on beads is cleary commiting the biggest offense of considering difference between the Holy Names of Lord Krishna and Lord Gauranga.

 

"Simply by chanting or hearing the name of Lord Nityananda, the sinful inclinations in the hearts of all the living entities in the universe are permanently destroyed and their inherent purity is automatically awakened. On chanting or hearing the name of Lord Nityananda, even the merchants, degraded, fallen and foolish people are purified and immediately become realized in the Absolute Truth and great devotees of the Lord." (SBSSTP in Shri Chaitanya Bhagavata, Madhya-Khanda 3.134 purport)