Taking full shelter of the holy name

Udilo Aruëa

Kértana songs to be sung at dawn
(from Gétävalé by Bhaktivinoda Thakur)

kåñëa-näma-sudhä koriyä pän,
juräo bhakativinoda-präë,
näma binä kichu nähiko äro,
caudda-bhuvana-mäjhe

SYNONYMS
kåñëa-näma-sudhä—the pure nectar of the holy name of Kåñëa; koriyä
pän—drinking; juòäo—thus satisfy; bhakativinoda-präë—the soul of
Öhäkura Bhaktivinoda; näma vinä—except for the holy name; kichu
nähiko ära—there is nothing else; caudda-bhuvana-mäjhe—within the
fourteen worlds.

TRANSLATION
Drink the pure nectar of the holy name of Kåñëa and thus satisfy the soul
of Bhaktivinoda. There is nothing but the holy name within all the
fourteen worlds.

BVT-
“Taking full shelter means to express the mood, ‘O Krsna, I am Yours! I
am taking shelter of You!’ ~in the mind and out loud.” (Jaiva Dharma Ch.
20)

Gopa Kumar’s expression about the fullness of mantra

BB 2.2.28
atyajaàç ca japaà svéyam
akåtajïatva-çaìkayä
vismartuà naiva çaknomi
vraja-bhümim imäà kvacit

SYNONYMS

atyajan—not giving up; ca—and; japam—chanting; svéyam—my own;
akåta-jïatva—of being ungrateful; çaìkayä—out of fear; vismartum—to
forget; na—not; eva—indeed; çaknomi—I was able; vraja-bhümim—
Vraja-bhümi; imäm—this; kvacit—ever.

TRANSLATION
For fear of being ungrateful, I never gave up my japa, nor for a moment
was I able to forget this Vraja-bhümi.

COMMENTARY
From Gopa-kumära’s point of view, the life of tending cows in Våndävana
was more attractive than any other circumstance, including residence in
the Nandana-vana. As long as he continued chanting his mantra, this
attitude could not be covered by illusion, because the natural effect of Çré
Madana-gopäla’s mantra was to attract the heart to the Lord’s sports in
Våndävana. Wanting to avoid being ungrateful, Gopa-kumära never
stopped chanting. He might justify abandoning the mantra only after
attaining its final goal. If he were to stop chanting before then, he would
not discover the mantra’s full benefits. Thus, to stop the chanting
prematurely would amount to ingratitude, for without having bothered to
receive all the mantra’s benefits, how could he properly acknowledge
them?

BB 2.2.83

taträthäpy avasaà teñäà
prabhäva-bhara-darçanät
guru-väg-gauraväd dåñöaphalatväc cätyajan japam

SYNONYMS
tatra—there; atha api—still; avasam—I remained; teñäm—their;
prabhäva—of power; bhara—the abundance; darçanät—due to seeing;
guru—of my spiritual master; väk—for the words; gauravät—out of
respect; dåñöa—having seen; phalatvät—the effectiveness; ca—and;
atyajan—not abandoning; japam—the chanting of my mantra.

TRANSLATION
Nonetheless, I stayed there for some time, attracted by the display of
great power. Out of respect for my guru’s order, and because I had seen
how effective my mantra was, I kept on chanting.

COMMENTARY
The atmosphere of Tapoloka weakened Gopa-kumära’s resolve to see the
Lord, but still he persevered in chanting his japa. His guru had ordered
him never to stop chanting, and Gopa-kumära did not want to be
ungrateful by disobeying.

Meaning of Mahamantra as explained in Hari Bhakti Vilasa