Blog

The Proper Utilization of Tongue

 Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Recently when I went to a small grocery shop, there was another buyer asking the shop keeper to give a packet of cigarette. The shopkeeper gave one packet and said,"The price is Rupees 20". The buyer got angry and said,"Yesterday I bought one packet and it was just 18". The shopkeeper cooly replied, "Yes. The price has changed from today morning and I know even if it is more than this you'll buy". The buyer grudgingly gave the money and said, "I have got a medicine from abroad which will make me give up smoking habit completely. The moment I start taking this you'll lose your business from me". Immediately a question came to my mind,"If the medicine is his house, why then he is buying cigarette in this shop?" I immediately got the answer from the shopkeeper who said to the buyer,"You have been telling me this for the past six months that the medicine is in your house. But you are not taking it because you like to smoke so much. So I will never lose my business from you". Though this conversation made me laugh, a little contemplation showed that I'm also in the same situation in one way.

By the mercy of our beloved Gurudeva and devotees, I have been blessed with the greatest treasure of holy name which can give the highest benediction of love of God. Still, my mind is hankering for material enjoyment and infected with envy towards others who are better than me. And always I am trying to make a permanent and comfortable settlement in this world. For a long time, I have been thinking that the process of devotional service is not that powerful because even after doing it for many years, my anarthas are not going away. But the above conversation answered my question. The medicine is there for the person and he is not taking it as per the directions. Instead he is postponing it everyday because he does not want to give up smoking. In the same way, in my case, the holy name is there, the mercy of the Lord and Gurudeva is there and tongue is also there. What is missing is the proper utilization of the tongue to chant the holy names sincerely. It is missing because I really do not want to get rid off the anarthas. This reminded me of an ancient sloka in this context.

naarayana iti shabdosti, vak asti vasa vartini
tataapi narake ghore patanti kim adbhutam

"The holy name "Narayana" is there and tongue is there at everyone's disposal. Even then so many people are falling down to hellish conditions. What a great wonder this is?"

So the great devotees and acharyas stress that we should constantly hear about the glories of the holy name so that we will get the enthusiasm to chant sincerely. When we chant with enthusiasm the Lord will bless us more and more so that we will develop a desire to become purified and want to become a sincere devotee. Then by His grace we'll be able to remember Him at the end of our lives. In the commentary to verse 6.2.49 of Bhagavata purana Srila Prabhupada mentions, "At the time of death one is certainly bewildered because his bodily functions are in disorder. At that time, even one who throughout his life has practiced chanting the holy name of the Lord may not be able to chant the Hare Krishna mantra very distinctly. Nevertheless, such a person receives all the benefits of chanting the holy name. While the body is fit therefore, why should we not chant the holy name of the Lord loudly and distinctly? If one does so, it is quite possible that even at the time of death he will be properly able to chant the holy name of the Lord with love and faith. In conclusion, one who chants the holy name of the Lord constantly is guaranteed to return home, back to Godhead, without a doubt."

Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj once told in this regard, "There are many verses in the scriptures glorifying the holy name. Reciting and remembering these verses will give us the impetus to chant lovingly". The Bhagavata purana is replete with verses glorifying the holy names of the Lord and states that chanting of the Lord's name is the most auspicious path for advancing spiritually. This is confirmed by the great authority Sukadeva Goswami himself as follows. (SB 6.3.24)

etaavataalam agha nirharanaaya pumsaam
sankirtanam bhagavato guna karma naamnaam
vikrushya putram aghavaan yad ajaamilo 'pi
narayaneti mriyamaana iyaaya muktim

"Therefore it should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offences. Ajamila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Narayana."

I pray at the lotus feet of our beloved Gurudeva and all the Vaishnavas so that I will get a drop of taste to chant the holy names sincerely.

Thank you very much
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Gurudeva,
Narahari Krishna Dasa,
Chennai.