(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 July 2014, Serbia, Summer Camp, Caitanya Candramrta Seminar Part 1)
Sri Caitanya-candramrta by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati
Chapter 1, Verse 10
“Moving His hands and feet, raising the two golden rods of His arms, trembling as He dances, and loudly calling out ‘Hari! Hari!’ in ecstatic bliss, Lord Caitanya-candra vanquishes the inauspiciousness of this world. To that Lord Caitanya-candra, whose eyes are like two large lotus flowers, who is immersed in tasting the sweet nectar of pure love of Krsna, and who is the crest jewel of all incarnations, I offer my respectful obeisances.”
Devotional service is the one thing that can drive away inauspiciousness; there is nothing else – not big sacrifices, not so many other mantras. I was reading that mantras gain or lose their strength according to the piety or impiety of the environment, but the maha-mantra is not by any means dependent on anything external. Maha-mantra is entirely dependent on maha-mantra alone. Therefore the maha-mantra is always potent, even in the most impious, inauspicious condition. It is the one thing that can penetrate anywhere and everywhere without condition.
The brahmanas are chanting the brahma gayatri mantra which is so exalted, because it gives one the full understanding of transcendence. But in order to chant that gayatri mantra, one must have qualifications. Not anyone can chant that mantra – first one must adhere to the principles of goodness and then one can chant. So gayatri mantra reaches out into this world to those who are in goodness. It is, as Srimad Bhagavatam describes, that the mission of the Lord is to reclaim those who are in goodness.
But the maha-mantra does not make such a distinction. It is not only reaching out to those who are in goodness – it is reaching out to anyone and everyone; everyone gets purified! Devotees and Hell’s Angels alike – and whoever else is in between! All are getting benefit from the chanting of the holy name which is changing the entire situation of the universe.
Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur says that when you have a jewel that is very beautiful and effulgent, and when you put that jewel on a black background, it looks even better. Is not it? In the same way, we are here in the age of kali and sometimes we say, ‘It is so bad – the age of Kali! Do you know the things that are going on? Have you heard?!’ And then, we tell some kali-yuga stories. But actually, all this blackness and darkness of the age of kali is simply there to make the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu look more wonderful. That is all – it has no other significance, no other meaning! Kali-yuga – not much meaning! Can we even call this kali-yuga? Or should we call this Caitanya-yuga? Is not this yuga that is predominated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? Then, is not this the yuga where every jiva, every living entity, is touched by the mercy of Mahaprabhu?
Imagine how many living entities are in this room, we cannot possibly imagine that! How many germs! And all the germs and insects in this room are purified. This very room has been changed for the fact that for so many years, chanting has been going on and for so many years, the Deities have come here. So, all the living entities here, they have begun their devotional service by all that kirtan, by all that prasadam…
The auspiciousness of this movement is inconceivably great. People that come here, to this particular camp of Fruska Gauranga after the devotees are gone, according to Prabhodananda Sarasvati, they are getting the benefit of going to a holy place which has been purified and sanctified by the presence of devotees! This place is not only a place where we gather for some inspiration so that we can go home and somehow or other, motivate ourselves a little bit to keep on chanting. No! All that chanting and all the transcendental things that are here, are benefiting all the other visitors who are going to come for the rest of the year. It vanquishes the inauspiciousness of this world. That is the truth. So, just imagine how great the benefit of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement is! Who can imagine it!