Please accept my humble obeisances & Dandavat Pranamas
All Glories to Sri Sri Guru & Gauranga.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All Glories to ALL Vaisnavas.
Hare Krishna
I know that Hare Krishna Maha Mantra has NO LIMIT, but I would like to know if 16 really is enough?
I have read that originally, our Srila Prabhupada wanted his devotees to do 32 rounds daily without fail. The devotees weren't very qualified at that time, so Srila Prabhupada was so merciful that he lowered it to 16....but as I have gradually increased taste for chanting, I want to fully please Srila Prabhupada.
Is 32 rounds also Srila Prabhupada's mercy? He might have lowered it from 64 for fallen devotees like myself. I don't want to be just "boarder-line Chanting" Hare Krishna. If I have made any offense in asking this question, please forgive me. I just want to please Srila Prabhupada and Sri Gauranga.
Your Servant
David
Replies
Hare Krishna David pr,
PAMHO, AGTSP, AGTSG&SG
I was in the Japa workshop by HG Mahatma pr last week end and he told about the history of 16 rounds. HDG Bhakthi Sindantha Saraswathi Thakur had ordered to chant 64 rounds to Srila Prabhupaada and all his desciples. When SP went to US, and after some time when some devotees were ready for accepting initiation, SP told them that they have to chant 64 rounds of HK daily. The devotees replied "NO WAY"...!!! Then SP said OK then 32... devotees again replied "NO WAY"....!!! Then SP thought for a while and said 16 rounds daily "NO LESS"... and devotees agreed for that.
After some time some of the desciples asked SP as where it was mentioned about 16 rounds in Shastras. Then SP replied that its no where mentioned but since they were not ready for chanting 32, he reduced it to 16. However, what SP said and all disciples take oath during the initiation is to chant 16 rounds MINIMUM and there is no Max limit. SP used to say chant min 16 rounds and then never stop. This is what Krishna also expects from his devotees... Satatam kirtayantho maam...
Hari bol!!!
Dear devotees Hare Krsna, In caitanya Caritamrta being a lakha pati , chanting 64 rounds is requested by Lord Caitanya.
Srila Bhakti siddhanta Sarasvati asked all initiated brahmins to chant minimum 16 rounds. Harinam initiates could chant 4 rounds a day.
Srila Prabhupada was chanting 16 rounds and asking us to chant a minimum of 16 rounds for both Harinam diksha and Gayatri diksha. More stress on chanting rounds.
Main thing is to chant without offense.
Hari Bol !
Thank you for helping me with these questions that frequently come to my mind.
Hare Krishna David Prabhu, please accept my humble obeisances! all glories to Srila Prabhupada!
attentive 16 is must in order to please Krishna. But You can chant more. First Krishna sees quality then comes quantity.
i know Devotee who started to chant 32 and more but You take it as a vow then You have to follow it whole life. otherwise not giving vow You can chant even whole day. It is very nice that if You have desire to chant more!
Your servant,
Hari bol Mata Maral, Hari Bol David Prabhu.
You answered one of my questions. I have a related query - do we need to do it in on sitting?
Your servant,
Sharanagat
Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
sitting is better for concentration.
Your servant,
Hari bol Mata Maral, accept my humble obeisances!
It was a typo, I meant to ask: do we need to do it in one sitting?
Your servant,
Sharanagat
Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances! all glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Srila Prabhupada recommends to chant all 16 in one sitting. If we can not do so then 8, if even not that than 4 at one sitting.
Other "extra" rounds we can chant anyhow. For example, sometimes i had desire to chant while cooking of course it was uncomfortable but that day Prasadam was something not as usually...!
Your servant,
Hari bol Maral Mata jee!
Very nice guidance.
Please give some explanation on this subject matter Mataji's & Prabhuji's.
Hare Krishna