Chanting purifies the soul progressively, initiating a lifelong spiritual journey under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Initiation Lecture — May 21, 1968, Boston 680521IN-BOSTON [39:29 Minutes] Prabhupāda: This verse is, namaḥ: “I offer my respectful…”Namaḥ means “I offer my respectful obeisances.”Apavitraḥ means “uncleanliness,” and pavitra means “cleanliness.” So either one is in cleanliness or uncleanliness, it doesn’t matter. Yaḥ, anyone who chants or remembers puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ... Puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ means Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ: anyone, either in cleanliness or uncleanliness, it doesn’t matter, if he remembers or chants the name of Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarī…, sa, that person, bahya—bahya means “externally,”abhyantaraḥ, “internally.” There are two things: externally, internally. So that person becomes purified, bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means “purified.” The power is so great that simply by remembering and chanting one becomes purified, and therefore three times we chant this śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu.
This is the purport of this mantra. Now, as I repeat, you chant. [responsive word-by-word chanting by devotees] vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca [I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.] nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. [I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.] nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine [I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.] śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ [I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.] mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-varāya te mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-varāya te [I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.] I forget. Ah, guru... rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe [I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.] nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine [I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.] śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa. mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te [I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.] namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe [I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.] namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye vipralambha-rasāmbhode pādāmbujāya te namaḥ [I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.] namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te [I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.] nama gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ vaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ ṣrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ [I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.] vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ [I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.] namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ [O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.] pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam [I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.] he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te [O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.] jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor mama manda-mater gate mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madana-mohanau [Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.] dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ śrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau śrī-śrī-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi [In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them.] śrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī vaṁśī-vaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ karṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥśriye 'stu naḥ [Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.] tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgī rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari vṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye [I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.] hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare [My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.] Now give up [pause] [japa] [break] Initiation…, initiation does not mean that it is a ceremony and it is finished. No.
It is progressing. It is progressing just like education. It is progressing. So in the first beginning, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], just to cleanse oneself from the understanding of material identification, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. [”’Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’] So at least for one year chanting regularly, observing the rules and regulation, one comes to the platform of spiritual platform. And then, another initiation, this is called dīkṣā. That is also dīkṣā, that is first process. This dīkṣā, second process, is not very essential.
The essential is to chant. In this age, there is no need of this second initiation. But those who are going to be recognized as properly initiated, so this second installment was introduced by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ [Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 2.12], his twice birth he’s completed. [By chemical manipulation, bell metal is turned into gold when touched by mercury; similarly, when a person is properly initiated, he can acquire the qualities of a brāhmaṇa.] And so far men are concerned, they are offered the sacred thread.
Not the woman. The idea is woman, every woman, is supposed to be married. Of course, in your country it is not very compulsory, not very essential. In India is still, but it is gradually declining.
Unless a woman is married, his life is frustrated on his debt. Even one woman is diseased or something like that—nobody cares to marry such girl—then the system is that she marries one banana tree in order to get the certificate that she’s married. So marriage is so much compulsory according to Vedic civilization for woman. Woman’s independence is never allowed by Vedic smṛti. Smṛti means regulation, Vedic regulation.
Woman must be under the care of father so long she is not married, and then in her youthful age she must be under the care of the proper husband, and she must be under the care of elderly children in old age. Now you will see how much husband takes care of the wife, how much it is obliging. You will see from the history of Rāmāyaṇa. Rāma…, Lord Rāmacandra’s wife was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. So it is not that the husband or like, “My one wife has gone; I can marry for the second time.