हरि सर्वोत्तम । वायु जीवोत्तम | श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः
कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने ।
प्रणत-क्लेश-नाशाय गोविंदाय नमो नमः ॥
To Krishna (कृष्णाय), to the giver of Liberation मोक्ष (वासुदेवाय), to Lord Hari the remover of sorrows (हरये), to the One Supreme Soul (परमात्मने), to He who destroys the sorrows of all who surrender to Him (प्रणत-क्लेश-नाशाय), to Lord Govinda the rescuer of earth & revealed only by Vedas (गोविंदाय), we bow again and again (नमो नमः).
This Mantra was chanted by thousands of royal princes suffering in the clutches the wicked and powerful Jarasandha as they were faced with execution. This Emperor of Magadha had planned this as part of a grand sacrifice to gain even more powers and become an unstoppable tyrant. But by the power of the above Mantra, the imprisoned princes sought the grace of Lord Krishna who released them from their dire situation.
This Mantra is given to us by Lord Veda Vyaasa in Shrimad Bhaagavatam , and is recommended to be recited everyday – reciting it a hundred times a day will destroy innummerable problems. The Padma Purana also mentions its powers and Shiva has extolled its merits to Parvati.
मननात् त्रायते इति मन्त्रः – that which protects when reflected upon (with devotion and no deviations) is deemed a Mantra. Unlike Shloka-s, Stuti-s, Pada-s and Bhajan-s which are inspirational but man-made compositions, Mantra-s are “seen” and therefore associated with a Seer (मन्त्र-द्रष्टा ऋशि) and have a presiding deity (देवत), a poetic meter (छन्दस्) and a specific purpose (विनियोग).
In addition, Mantras intended for meditation (जप) require a formal procedure for physical cleansing and setup (अंगान्यास, करान्यास, दिग्बन्धन, उपसम्हार) as well as focusing the mind (ध्यान). And one has to be initiated (दीक्षा) into a जप-मन्त्र formally by a preceptor (गुरु) which happens only after attaining eligibility (अधिकार). Then japa has to performed every day with the specified procedure and accompanying conditions of daily routine (आह्निक), posture (आसन), time of day (काल) and count of repetitions (संख्य). Of course, one also needs to be in a calm and secure surrounding with time and facilities to perform japa.
The confluence of all the above is rare even if one has the good fortune of the initiation, training and inclination to perform Japa formally.
In contrast, the क्लेशनाशन श्री कृष्ण मन्त्र offers a very simple and incredibly powerful means to destroy one’s troubles and sorrows. Given their dire circumstances, how else could the thousands of royal princes imprisoned in the dungeons of Magadha reach out to the Lord and be rescued?
We too are surrounded and bound by many Jarasandha-s, Naraka-s, Kamsa-s and Kaurava-s in our daily lives. To help us in our journey through this era of Kali, we are blessed by the Supreme Lord’s descension in the form of Shri Krishna – let us bow again and again to our Lord of infinite and pure qualities and powers, the sole destroyer of all sins.
While the goal is to recite this Mantra 32 Crore times, 32 Lakhs in a lifetime is a significant achievement, 32000 in a month is a laudable effort, and even reciting it just 32 times in a day will destroy one’s ongoing problems.
It is important to note the following:
- Give importance to devotion and quality of japa rather than the count
- Say each syllable (अक्षर) of the Mantra correctly and completely
- Don’t recite loudly but say it softly barely on your lips so no one else can hear – in fact best is to do it silent in your mind (मनन) but do not doze off!
- Best to perform in proper posture (आसन) on cloth or grass (दर्भे) mat
- Meditate acknowledging you are different and infinitely inferior to the Supreme Lord of Six qualities = Ultimate bliss, Indweller of all, Destroyer of all sins, the Original image of all living forms, Giver of liberation (मोक्ष) and All-knowing. And that we inferior souls are of three qualities = सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस्.
By performing this Japa, let us remember the Lord of Kaliyuga Shri Krishna, remover of our sins and sorrows caused by our own nature and actions, known or unknown!
Source: HH Shri Sugunendra Tirtha Puttige Swamiji’s message (Krishna Japa Yagya initiative 2019)
/Raghunath Rao/ “Do your Best … and leave the Rest … “
(All mistakes mine – all credit to Gurus and Acharyas )
|| sarvaṁ śrī kṛṣṇārpanamastu ||
