Chanting Hare Krishna on Beads

Chanting Hare Krishna on Beads

We can follow Haridasa Thakura’s example, however, by chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra on our beads every day and offering respect to the Tulasi plant. This is not at all difficult for anyone, and the process of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra with a vow before the Tulasi plant has such great spiritual potency that simply by doing this one can become spiritually strong.

BEFORE we chant EACH round CHANT:

(1) NAMA OM VISNU-PADAYA KRSNA-PRESTHAYA BHUTALE SRIMATE BHAKTIVEDANTA SVAMIN ITI NAMINE. NAMAS TE SARASVATE DEVE GAURA VANI PRACARINE NIRVISESA SUNYAVADI PASCHATYA DESA TARINE.

(2) SRI-KRSNA-CAITANYA PRABHU-NITYANANDA SRI-ADVAITA GADADHARA SRIVASADI-GAURA-BHAKTA-VRNDA.

NOW begin.
(3) HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE. HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.

Note: start with BIG bead.
680724IN.MON Prabhupada: You BEGIN FROM THIS BIG BEAD, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, and then after finishing, begin second. In this way, there are 108, one, two, three. Come to this point, then begin from this point. Note: Don’t cross THE SUMMIT.(TURN ROUND IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEN YOU REACH THE SUMMIT)

690325IN.HAW
Now you can chant, those who are initiated. (ceremony begins, chanting of om apavitrah) (break) …Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Then take another bead, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In this way you come to this end. DON’T CROSS THIS SUMMIT. AGAIN BEGIN FROM THIS END. In this way chant daily sixteen rounds.

OUR OBEISANCES
Adi 7.4
“In the Age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by performance of sankirtana-yajna.” (Bhag. 11.5.32) Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by His plenary expansion Sri Nityananda Prabhu, His incarnation Sri Advaita Prabhu, His internal potency Sri Gadadhara Prabhu and His marginal potency Srivasa Prabhu. He is in the midst of them as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should know that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by these other tattvas. THEREFORE OUR OBEISANCES TO SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU ARE COMPLETE WHEN WE SAY SRI-KRSNA-CAITANYA PRABHU NITYANANDA SRI-ADVAITA GADADHARA SRIVASADI-GAURA-BHAKTA-VRNDA. AS PREACHERS OF THE KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT, WE FIRST OFFER OUR OBEISANCES TO SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU BY CHANTING THIS PANCA-TATTVA MANTRA; THEN WE SAY HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE. HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE. THERE ARE TEN OFFENSES IN THE CHANTING OF THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA, BUT THESE ARE NOT CONSIDERED IN THE CHANTING OF THE PANCA-TATTVA MANTRA, NAMELY, SRI-KRSNA-CAITANYA PRABHU-NITYANANDA SRI-ADVAITA GADADHARA SRIVASADI-GAURA-BHAKTA-VRNDA. SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU IS KNOWN AS MAHA-VADANYAVATARA, THE MOST MAGNANIMOUS INCARNATION, FOR HE DOES NOT CONSIDER THE OFFENSES OF THE FALLEN SOULS. THUS TO DERIVE THE FULL BENEFIT OF THE CHANTING OF THE MAHA-MANTRA (HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE. HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE), WE MUST FIRST TAKE SHELTER OF SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU, LEARN THE PANCA-TATTVA MAHA-MANTRA, AND THEN CHANT THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA. THAT WILL BE VERY EFFECTIVE.

Why 108?
670218CC.SF
Now, so there are Upanisads. Generally they take eleven Upanisads primarily, but there are 108 Upanisads. Sometimes the explanation is given that “WHY WE HAVE GOT 108 BEADS?” “BECAUSE THERE ARE 108 UPANISADS.” SO CHANTING OF HARE KRSNA WITH 108 BEADS MEANS THAT WE ARE SURPASSING THE STUDY OF 108 UPANISADS. ANOTHER MEANING IS THAT THERE ARE 108 DAMSELS WHO SERVED KRSNA WITH ALL RESPECT AT VRNDAVANA. SO THAT IS ALSO ANOTHER EXPLANATION, 108. WE ARE SERVING KRSNA’S SERVITORS, HUNDRED AND…, CHIEF DAMSELS OF, AT VRNDAVANA. So these 108 Upanisads are described, isa kena katha prasna munda mandukyo taittiri… You can count how many: Isopanisad, Kenopanisad, Kathopanisad, Prasnopanisad, Mundakopanisad, Mandukyopanisad, Taittiriyopanisad. Then aitareyas ca chandogya brhad-aranyakam tatha. Then Aitareya Upanisad, Chandogyopanisad, Brhad-aranyakopanisad, Brahmokaivalyopanisad, Jabalopanisad. There are so many Upanisads, 108 Upanisads. Aruneyopanisad, Garbho, Narayano, Hamsa. This Hamsaduta, the name, the Hamsa Upanisad, it comes from Hamsa. Garbho narayano hamso binduro narada sikah. Sika-upanisad, Narada Upanisad.

Note: RESPECT FOR BEADS
710718IN.DET Lectures
Come on. Next. Who’s this? Oh, all right. Then how many still remaining? All right. (chants japa) First of all grains mixed up. (more japa) Come on. Take your. Come on. Whose beads are lying on the floor there? Whose beads? OH, YOU NEVER PUT IT IN THE FLOOR. WHEN THERE IS NO BAG, YOU PUT LIKE THIS.

Note: engaging the sense of touch by touching the tulasi beads–tulasi is a pure devotee of the Lord.
SB 9.4.18-20
Maharaja Ambarisa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Krsna, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord’s temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Krsna or about Krsna. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Krsna, Krsna’s temples and Krsna’s places like Mathura and Vrndavana, HE ENGAGED HIS SENSE OF TOUCH IN TOUCHING THE BODIES OF THE LORD’S DEVOTEES, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasi offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord’s prasada. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Maharaja Ambarisa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.

BECOME SPIRITUALLY STRONG.
Antya 3.100
Haridasa Thakura used to chant the holy name on his beads 300,000 times daily. Throughout the entire day and night, he would chant the sixteen names of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. One should not, however, imitate Haridasa Thakura, for no one else can chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra 300,000 times a day. Such chanting is for the mukta-purusa, or liberated soul. WE CAN FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE, HOWEVER, BY CHANTING SIXTEEN ROUNDS OF THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA ON BEADS EVERY DAY AND OFFERING RESPECT TO THE TULASI PLANT. THIS IS NOT AT ALL DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE, AND THE PROCESS OF CHANTING THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA WITH A VOW BEFORE THE TULASI PLANT HAS SUCH GREAT SPIRITUAL POTENCY THAT SIMPLY BY DOING THIS ONE CAN BECOME SPIRITUALLY STRONG. Therefore we request the members of the Hare Krsna movement to follow Haridasa Thakura’s example rigidly. Chanting sixteen rounds does not take much time, nor is offering respects to the tulasi plant difficult. THE PROCESS HAS IMMENSE SPIRITUAL POTENCY. ONE SHOULD NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY.

Note: why the devotees who have accepted the envious (wanting to be worshiped as good as God  – the position of acarya) role of so-called gurus and thus competeing against Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON have lost taste for chanting.

NoD 18
AS ATTACHMENT CAN BE INVOKED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF PURE DEVOTEES, SO ATTACHMENT CAN ALSO BE EXTINGUISHED BY OFFENSES COMMITTED AT THE LOTUS FEET OF PURE DEVOTEES. To be more clear, by the association of pure devotees attachment for Krsna can be aroused, but if one commits offenses at the lotus feet of a devotee, one’s shadow attachment or para attachment can be extinguished. This extinguishing is like the waning of the full moon, which gradually decreases and at last becomes dark. One should therefore be very careful while associating with pure devotees to guard against committing an offense at their lotus feet.

TRANSCENDENTAL ATTACHMENT, EITHER SHADOW OR PARA, CAN BE NULLIFIED BY DIFFERENT DEGREES OF OFFENSES AT THE LOTUS FEET OF PURE DEVOTEES. IF THE OFFENSE IS VERY SERIOUS, THEN ONE’S ATTACHMENT BECOMES ALMOST NIL, AND IF THE OFFENSE IS NOT VERY SERIOUS, ONE’S ATTACHMENT CAN BECOME SECOND CLASS OR THIRD CLASS.

DAILY WITHOUT FAIL
70-02-19 Letter: Sucandra
It is most important that our activities be regular or, in other words, on a schedule. EVERYONE SHOULD CHANT HIS BEADS SIXTEEN ROUNDS DAILY WITHOUT FAIL AND FOLLOW THE REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES STRICTLY. These basic Krsna Conscious duties are essential to be performed regularly, and they will give you the necessary strength of spirit to keep always fixed up in devotional service. As soon as a devotee is regularly engaged in this way, always engaged in Krsna Consciousness, Krsna will reveal the whole spiritual science from within the heart of such sincere devotee.

THIS IS THE ESSENTIAL PROCESS
70-03-06 Letter: Nityananda
PLEASE FOLLOW THE REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES STRICTLY, AND CHANT DAILY SIXTEEN ROUNDS OF BEADS REGULARLY WITHOUT FAIL. THIS IS THE ESSENTIAL PROCESS FOR DISSOLVING THE CLOUDS OF ILLUSION OR MAYA; AND WHEN THE CLOUD OF ILLUSION IS REMOVED, THEN WE CAN UNDERSTAND KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS PERFECTLY AND THAT IS THE HIGHEST PERFECTION OF HUMAN LIFE. So be fixed in devotional service, chant Hare Krsna mantra and be happy. I am waiting to hear of your further progress in spreading this Krsna Consciousness movement for the benefit of all concerned.

HELP ME
73-01-09 Letter: Hasyakari (Howard Bernd), Rathangapani (Randy Buchert), Varuthapa
My request to all of you is that you very seriously stick to the principles of devotional service as you have learned them, and especially observe strictly the four prohibitions and without fail always chant at least 16 rounds on your beads daily. In this way you will be always happy.

Now you have got the golden opportunity of this human form of life, and it is not by accident that you have met your spiritual master, so if you are actually intelligent you will stick very tightly to your position of Krsna Consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. The essential point to remember is that you should try always to please your spiritual master under every condition. That means to follow his orders and instructions very carefully. MY FIRST INSTRUCTION TO ALL OF MY DISCIPLES IS THAT THEY SHOULD HELP ME SPREAD THIS KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT ALL OVER THE WORLD, UTILIZING THEIR ENERGY AS BEST THEY ARE ABLE TO DO IT. IN THIS WAY, KEEPING YOURSELVES ALWAYS ENGAGED IN KRSNA’S BUSINESS 24 HOURS, YOU WILL BECOME FREE FROM ALL ATTACHMENT TO MAYA BY KRSNA’S GRACE. JUST AS WHEN THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT COME TOGETHER, THE DARKNESS CANNOT STAND BEFORE THE LIGHT, SO MAYA CANNOT REMAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF KRSNA. ALWAYS REMEMBER THEREFORE TO CHANT HARE KRSNA AND THAT WILL SAVE YOU IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES WITHOUT ANY DOUBT.

HE MUST BE SURE TO KEEP HIS VOW.
NoD 7
In the Naradiya Purana it is directed, “One should not accept more than necessary if he is serious about discharging devotional service.” The purport is that one should not neglect following the principles of devotional service, nor should one accept the rulings of devotional service which are more than what he can easily perform. FOR EXAMPLE, IT MAY BE SAID THAT ONE SHOULD CHANT THE HARE KRSNA MANTRA AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES DAILY ON HIS BEADS. BUT IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, THEN ONE MUST MINIMIZE HIS CHANTING ACCORDING TO HIS OWN CAPACITY. GENERALLY, WE RECOMMEND OUR DISCIPLES TO CHANT AT LEAST SIXTEEN ROUNDS ON THEIR JAPA BEADS DAILY, AND THIS SHOULD BE COMPLETED. BUT IF ONE IS NOT EVEN ABLE TO CHANT SIXTEEN ROUNDS, THEN HE MUST MAKE IT UP THE NEXT DAY. HE MUST BE SURE TO KEEP HIS VOW. IF HE DOES NOT STRICTLY FOLLOW THIS OUT, THEN HE IS SURE TO BE NEGLIGENT. THAT IS OFFENSIVE IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD. IF WE ENCOURAGE OFFENSES, WE SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. IT IS BETTER IF ONE FIXES UP A REGULATIVE PRINCIPLE ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY AND THEN FOLLOWS THAT VOW WITHOUT FAIL. THAT WILL MAKE HIM ADVANCED IN SPIRITUAL LIFE.

YOUR LIFE will be SUBLIME.
69-10-08.Krs Letter: Krsna dasa
“We request you to chant HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE, HARE RAMA HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA HARE HARE, and your life will be SUBLIME.

YOUR LIFE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL

“710331LE.BOM Lectures
Or if you feel that you cannot read or you have no money to purchase book, never mind. Lord Caitanya has given you very simple path: CHANT HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE. HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE. IF YOU CHANT THIS MANTRA WITH FAITH AND DEVOTION, WITHOUT ANY OFFENSE, BUT SIMPLY BY CHANTING YOU WILL REALIZE YOURSELF, YOU WILL REALIZE GOD, KRSNA, AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. These are the statements of Vedic literature. Simply by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, one can cleanse his heart of all the dirty things. And as soon as the dirty things are moved, then you become liberated. Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. Immediately the blazing fire of material existence is extinguished.

These are the processes recommended in the Vedas. We are simply preaching the authorized principles of the Vedas, and we request you all to accept it. Not accept it blindly, but take it with all your reason and intelligence. Just like Caitanya-caritamrta says,

caitanyera dayara katha karaha vicara vicara karile citte pabe camatkara

It is not that we are forcing something. By force you cannot do anything. That is artificial. That is not… But it is a fact that in everyone’s heart there is Krsna consciousness because that is pure consciousness. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, naturally, just like father and the son, there is an eternal relationship. Similarly, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we have got eternal relationship with Krsna. That is now covered by the dirty things of maya. But as soon as we remove, we cleanse these dirty things from our heart, then immediately we can understand what is Krsna and what is our relationship with spirit.

nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya/ sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya Everyone’s heart, there is Krsna bhakti. Otherwise, how these Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Japanese, they are taking to Krsna consciousness? We have Muhammadans also. Many Muhammadans, they are taking to Krsna consciousness. Therefore it is to be understood that Krsna consciousness, or love for Krsna, is existing in everyone’s heart. It is simply to be awakened. Nothing more. How it is awakened? Sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. if you simply give your aural reception to the Krsna katha. Krsna katha means what is spoken by Krsna, the Bhagavad-gita, and Krsna katha means speeches and words which are spoken about Krsna. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is also Krsna katha, and Bhagavad-gita is also Krsna katha.

THE PROCESS HAS IMMENSE SPIRITUAL POTENCY.
Antya 3.100 The Glories of Srila Haridasa Thakura
Haridasa Thakura used to chant the holy name on his beads 300,000 times daily. Throughout the entire day and night, he would chant the sixteen names of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. One should not, however, imitate Haridasa Thakura, for no one else can chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra 300,000 times a day. Such chanting is for the mukta-purusa, or liberated soul. WE CAN FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE, HOWEVER, BY CHANTING SIXTEEN ROUNDS OF THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA ON BEADS EVERY DAY AND OFFERING RESPECT TO THE TULASI PLANT. THIS IS NOT AT ALL DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE, AND THE PROCESS OF CHANTING THE HARE KRSNA MAHA-MANTRA WITH A VOW BEFORE THE TULASI PLANT HAS SUCH GREAT SPIRITUAL POTENCY THAT SIMPLY BY DOING THIS ONE CAN BECOME SPIRITUALLY STRONG. Therefore we request the members of the Hare Krsna movement to follow Haridasa Thakura’s example rigidly. Chanting sixteen rounds does not take much time, nor is offering respects to the tulasi plant difficult. THE PROCESS HAS IMMENSE SPIRITUAL POTENCY. ONE SHOULD NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY.

Seeing The Supreme Lord

Once, Sri Madhavendra Puri traveled to Vrndavana, the holy place where Lord Krishna spent His childhood. There he came upon the hill known as Govardhana. This hill was very important to Krishna and the cowherd boys because it provided such nice grass for their cows.

When Madhavendra Puri saw Govardhana hill it reminded him of Krishna and His pastimes and he became almost mad in his ecstasy of love of Godhead, and he did not know whether it was day or night. Sometimes he stood up, and sometimes he fell on the ground. He could not discriminate whether he was in a proper place or not.

After walking around the hill, Madhavendra Puri went to Govinda-kunda and took his bath. He then sat beneath a tree to take his evening rest. While he was sitting beneath the tree an unknown cowherd boy came with a pot of milk. He placed it before Madhavendra Puri and smilingly addressed him as follows: “Please drink the milk I have brought. Why don’t you beg some food to eat? What kind of meditation are you undergoing?” When he saw the beauty of that boy Madhavendra Puri became very satisfied. Hearing His sweet words, he forgot all hunger and thirst. Madhavendra Puri said: “Who are You? Where do You reside? And how did You know that I was fasting?” The boy replied, “Sir, I am a cowherd boy, and I reside in this village. In My village no one fasts. In this village a person can beg food from others and thus eat. Some people drink only milk, but if a person does not ask anyone for food I supply him all his eatables. The women who come here to take water saw you, and they supplied Me with this milk and sent Me to you.” The boy continued: “I must go very soon to milk the cows, but I shall return and take back this milk pot from you.” Saying this the boy left the place. Indeed, He suddenly could be seen no more, and Madhavendra Puri’s heart was filled with wonder.

After drinking the milk, Madhavendra Puri washed the pot and put it aside. He looked toward the path, but the boy never returned. Madhavendra Puri could not sleep. He sat and chanted the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and at the end of the night he dozed a little, and his external activities stopped. In a dream he saw the very same boy. The boy came before him and, holding his hand, took him to a bush in the jungle. The boy showed Madhavendra Puri the bush and said: “I reside in this bush, and because of this I suffer very much from severe cold, rain showers, winds and scorching heat. Please bring the people of the village and get them to take me out of this bush. Then have them situate me nicely on the top of the hill. Please construct a temple on the top of the hill,” the boy continued, “and install Me in that temple. After this wash Me with large quantities of cold water so that My body may be cleansed.

For many days I have been observing you, and I have been wondering, ‘When will Madhavendra Puri come here to serve Me?’ I have accepted your service due to your ecstatic love for Me. Thus I shall appear, and by My audience all fallen souls will be delivered. My name is Gopala. I am the lifter of Govardhana Hill. I was installed by Vajra and here I am the authority. When the Mohammedans attacked, the priest who was serving Me hid Me in this bush in the jungle. Then he ran away out of fear of the attack. Since the priest went away I have been staying in this bush. It is very good that you have come here. Now just remove Me with care.” After saying this the boy disappeared. Then Madhavendra Puri woke up and began to consider his dream. He began to lament: “I saw Lord Krishna directly but I could not recognise Him!” Thus he fell down on the ground in ecstatic love. Madhavendra Puri cried for some time but then he fixed his mind on executing the order of Gopala thus he became tranquil.

After taking his morning bath Madhavendra Puri entered the village and assembled all the people. Then he said: “The proprietor of this village, Govardhana-dhari, is lying in the bushes. Let us go there and rescue Him from that place. The bushes are very dense and we will not be able to enter the jungle. Therefore take choppers and spades to clear the way.

After hearing this all the people accompanied Madhavendra Puri with great pleasure. According to his directions they cut down bushes, cleared a path and entered the jungle. When they saw the Deity covered with dirt and grass they were all struck with wonder and pleasure. After they cleansed the body of the Deity some of them said: “The Deity is very heavy. No one person can move Him.” Therefore some of the stronger men assembled there to carry Him to the top of the hill.

A big stone was made into a throne and the Deity was installed upon it. Another big stone was placed behind the Deity for support. All the brahmana priests of the village gathered together with nine waterpots and water from Govinda-kunda lake was brought there and filtered. When the Deity was being installed nine hundred pots of water were brought from Govinda-kunda. There were musical sounds of bugles and drums and the singing of women.

During the festival at the installation ceremony some people sang and some danced. All the milk, yogurt and clarified butter in the village was brought to the festival. Various foods and sweets as well as other kinds of presentations were brought there. I am unable to describe all these. The villagers brought a large quantity of tulasi leaves, flowers and various kinds of garments. Then Sri Madhavendra Puri personally began the abihiseka [bathing ceremony]. After all inauspicious things were driven away by the chanting of the mantra the Deity’s bathing ceremony started. First the Deity was massaged with a large quantity of oil so that His body became very glossy. After the body of the Deity was cleansed He was dressed very nicely with new garments. Then sandalwood pulp, tulasi garlands and other fragrant flower garlands were placed upon the body of the Deity. After the bathing ceremony was finished incense and lamps were burned and all kinds of food offered before the Deity. These foods included yogurt, milk and as many sweets as were received. The Deity was first offered many varieties of food, then scented drinking water in new pots and then water for washing the mouth. Finally pan mixed with a variety of spices was offered. After the last offering boga-aratrika was performed. Finally everyone offered various prayers and then obeisances, falling flat before the Deity in full surrender.

As soon as the people of the village had understood that the Deity was going to be installed they had brought their entire stock of rice, dhal and wheat flower. They brought such large quantities that the entire surface of the top of the hill was filled. The potters of the village brought all kinds of cooking pots and in the morning the cooking began. Ten brahmans cooked the food grains and five brahmans cooked both dry and liquid vegetables. The vegetable preparations were made from various kinds of spinach and roots and fruits collected from the forest. Someone had made bada and badi by mashing dhal. In this way all the brahmanas prepared all kinds of food. Five to seven men prepared a huge quantity of chappatis [flat bread] which were sufficiently covered with ghee [clarified butter], as were all the vegetables, rice and dhal.

All the cooked rice was stacked on palasa leaves which were on new cloths spread over the ground. Around the stack of cooked rice were stacks of chappatis and all the vegetables and liquid vegetable preparations were placed in different pots and put around them. Pots of yogurt, milk, buttermilk and sikharini, sweet rice, cream and solid cream were placed alongside the vegetables. In this way the Annakuta ceremony was performed and Madhavendra Puri Gosvami personally offered everything to Gopala. Many water pots were filled with scented water for drinking and Lord Sri Gopala, who had been hungry for many days, ate everything offered to Him. Although Sri Gopala ate everything offered, still, by the touch of His transcendental hand, everything remained as before. How Gopala ate everything while the food remained the same was transcendentally perceived by Madhavendra Puri Gosvami; nothing remains a secret to the devotees of the Lord.

The wonderful festival and installation of Sri Gopalaji was arranged in one day. Certainly all this was accomplished by the potency of Gopala. No one but a devotee can understand this.

Madhavendra Puri offered water to Gopala for washing His mouth and he gave Him betel nuts to chew. Then, while arati was performed, all the people chanted, “Jaya, jaya!” [All glories to Gopala]. To arrange for the Lord’s rest Sri Madhavendra Puri brought a new cot and over this he spread a new bedspread and thus made the bed ready. A temporary temple was constructed by covering the bed all around with a straw mattress. Thus there was a bed and a straw mattress to cover it. After the Lord was laid down to rest on the bed Madhavendra Puri gathered all the brahmanas who had prepared the prasada and said to them: “Now feed everyone sumptuously from the children up to the old-aged!” All the people gathered there sat down to honour the prasada, and by and by they took food. All the brahmans and their wives were fed first. Not only did the people of Govardhana Village take prasada, but also those who came from other villages. They also saw the Deity of Gopala and were offered prasada to eat.

Seeing the influence of Madhavendra Puri all the people gathered there were struck with wonder. They saw the Annakuta ceremony, which had been performed during the time of Krishna, was now taking place again by the mercy of Sri Madhavendra Puri.

All the brahmanas present on that occasion were initiated by Madhavendra Puri as Vaisnavas and he engaged them in different types of service.

When it was advertised throughout the country that Lord Gopala had appeared atop Govardhana Hill all the people from neighbouring villages came to see the Deity. One village after another was pleased to beg Madhavendra Puri to allot them one day to perform the Annakuta ceremony. Thus day after day the Annakuta ceremony was performed for some time.

The ideal place to execute Krishna consciousness is Vrajabhumi, or Vrndavana, where people are naturally inclined to love Krishna and Krishna is naturally inclined to love them. Throngs of people came from different villages to see the Deity of Gopala and they took maha-prasada sumptuously. When they saw the superexcellent form of Lord Gopala all their lamentation and unhappiness disappeared. All the villagers in the neighbouring Vrajabhumi [Vrndavana] became aware of the appearance of Gopala, and all the people from these villages came to see Him. Day after day they performed the Annakuta ceremony. In this way not only the neighbouring villages but all the other provinces came to know of Gopala’s appearance.

Thus people came from all over bringing a variety of presentations. The people of Mathura, who are very big capitalists, also brought various presentations and offered them before the Deity in devotional service. Thus countless presentations of gold, silver, garments, scented articles and eatables arrived. The store of Gopala increased daily. One very rich ksatriya of the royal order constructed a temple, someone made cooking utensils and someone constructed boundary walls. Each and every family residing in the land of Vrajabhumi contributed one cow. In this way thousands of cows became the property of Gopala. Eventually two brahmanas in the renounced order arrived from Bengal and Madhavendra Puri, who liked them very much, kept them in Vrndavana and gave them all comforts. These two were then initiated by Madhavendra Puri and he entrusted them with the daily service of the Lord. This service was performed continuously and the worship of the Deity became very gorgeous. Thus Madhavendra Puri was very pleased.

This is the way to install the Deity, construct the temple and increase the property of the temple. Everyone should be enthusiastic to contribute to the construction of the temple for the Deity, and everyone should also contribute food for the distribution of prasada. The devotees should preach the gospel of devotional service and thus engage the people in practical service to the Deity. Wealthy people can also be attracted to take part in these activities. In this way everyone will become spiritually inclined, and the entire society will be converted to Krishna consciousness. The desire to satisfy the material senses will automatically diminish and the senses will become so purified that they will be able to engage in bhakti [devotional service to the Lord] Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate. By serving the Lord one’s senses are gradually purified. The engagement of one’s purified senses in the service of Lord Hrsikesa is called bhakti. When the dormant propensity for bhakti is awakened one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is. Bhaktya mam abijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah. (Bg. 18.55) This is the process of giving humanity the chance to awaken Krishna consciousness. Thus people can perfect their lives in all respects.

One who hears this narration with faith and devotion attains the treasure of love of Godhead at the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krishnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their footsteps.

(from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila, Forth Chapter)