What Hare Krishna Means by by Giriraj Swami

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Chaitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye. (Siksastaka 4) Dhanam means wealth . . . But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, na dhanam: “I don’t want money.” Just the opposite. Everyone wants money. He says, “No, I don’t want money.” Na dhanam na janam: “I don’t want many men as My followers.” Just the opposite. Everyone wants. The politicians, the yogis, the swamis, everyone wants, “There may be hundreds and thousands of my followers.” But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, “No, I don’t want.” Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye. “Neither I want very nice, beautiful, obedient wife.” Then what do You want? Mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki: “Life after life, let me remain a faithful servant of Your Lordship.”

This is Vaishnava. He doesn’t want anything. Why will he want? If he becomes servant of Krishna, then what does he want? Suppose if you become servant of a very, very big man, then what is the question of your want? This is intelligence. . . . There is no question of want. Just try to become servant of God, and all your necessities will be sufficiently fulfilled. This is intelligence. Just like a rich man’s child, does he want anything from father? No, he simply wants father, mother. The father, mother knows what he wants, how he will be happy. That is the duty of the father and mother. Similarly, this is very good intelligence: just to try to become the sincere servant of Krishna. All your necessities of life will be sufficiently supplied. There is no question of asking.

Therefore intelligent devotees do not ask, “Give us our daily bread.” He’s God’s servant, and He will not get your bread? You have to ask from God? No. God is giving bread to the eight million other living entities. Birds, beast, tigers, elephants—they are not going to the church for asking bread. But they are getting it. So if God is supplying everyone food, why He shall not supply you? He is supplying. So we should not go to God for begging some material benefit. That is not actual devotion. We shall go to God for begging how we can be engaged in His service. That should be the begging.

“Hare Krishna” means . . . Hare means, “O energy of God,” and Krishna, “O Krishna, Lord Krishna, please engage me in Your service.” This is Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

It is simply praying, “O my Lord Krishna, O Srimati Radharani, Krishna’s energy, kindly engage me in Your service.” That’s all. All business finished. This is Vaishnava. So, Vaishnava has no necessity. He knows that “I have no necessity. My only business is to serve Krishna.” So he’s happy in all conditions.

—Srila Prabhupada, talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.6–7, June 8, 1975, Honolulu

Source: http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=15603

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