After a lifetime of study, authorship of nearly 100 books, and decades of peerless professionalism in the British court system, Bhaktivinoda Thakur retired. 

He would spend the last years of his life doing what he truly loved — chanting the holy names in the sacred land of Mayapur dhama, on his beloved island of Godruma dwipa. 

But before doing so, he left one last piece of literary work for the world to take benefit from:

Sri Bhajana Rahasya - The Deep Secrets of Krsna Worship 

Taking the Siksastakam prayers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the backbone of this exposition, Bhaktivinoda Thakur weaves together a beautiful skeleton of verses taken from other scriptures to help us flesh out a spiritual identity grounded in firm philosophical understanding. 

One particular verse he brings in from Sanatana Goswami's Hari Bhakti Vilasa is a potent framing for how to have potent japa — something we all want (or need to want).

I wanted to share it here as we have begun the all important Kartik month and many of us are thinking about how to improve our chanting of the holy name.    

manaḥ saṁharaṇaṁ śaucaṁ
maunaṁ mantrārtha-cintanam
avyagratvam anirvedo
japa-sampatti-hetavaḥ

While chanting, one should be one-pointed and give up talking about mundane topics. With a pure heart, one should think about the meaning of the holy name, and be steadfast and patient in one's chanting and remembrance of the holy name.

To elaborate a little more on these 6 secrets to good japa:

1) manah samharanam — controlling the mind by putting diligent effort into remembering the non-difference of Krsna's name, qualities, forms and pastimes while chanting, and staying close to devotees who are strong in their practice. 

2) saucam — living a lifestyle that is regulated in habit and giving yourself a clean, intentional space to do your japa.

3) maunam — choosing your words carefully in your personal dealings and avoiding any criticism or gossip. Tough exchanges get stuck in our psyche and distract us during our japa. Also — NO PHONES WHILE CHANTING 😊

4) avyagratvam — being steady in our chanting habits: number of rounds, time of the day we chant, using the same beads, etc. 

5) anirvedo — not getting discouraged and letting a bad period of chanting (which we all will face from time to time) become a habit of chanting badly. We should be patient and forgiving with ourselves and stay determined. 

6) mantrartha cintanam — continuously remembering that Krsna and His servants in Vrindavan are present in the maha-mantra while we are chanting. 

Happy Japa! 😊

Class Schedule

Sunday 10/31 | Ananda Murari Dasa
Monday | Kishor Gopal Dasa
Tuesday | Lokarama Dasa
Wednesday | Uma Devi Dasi
Thursday | TBD
Friday | Lokarama Dasa
Saturday | Ujjvala Dasa
Sunday 11/7 | Offerings for Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance