Prayer while chanting

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.


This book by Srila Gurudeva, Harmony, it is SO beautiful!! Every page is a gem of instructions. Instructions on what is proper behavior, on how to honor vaishnavas, on how to be humble, on householder or sanyasi life, etc. etc....there is so much nectar here.

I am sharing from this book again today:

"Consider thinking in this way: 'I am worthless. I have offended many vaishnavas, and the reaction is that I am stupid and nonsense. Although I chant the holy name, tears do not come and my heart does not melt. O Krsna, what shall I do?'

art by Annapurna dasi

"You can also remember Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and pray: 'O Caitanya Mahaprabhu, You are causelessly merciful. Plese bestow Your mercy upon me. In this kali yuga life is short, there are many problems, and the mind is always upset. What should I do? I am always besieged with obstacles in my attempt to execute bhakti. I am without vaishnava association. I am weak, and I have not obtained Krsna's mercy. O Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I know only You. You have given mercy to Jagai and Madhai. Why not to me? I am more wretched than them, and therefore I am qualified to receive Your mercy.'


"If you weep in this way, Krsna will bestow His mercy. By chanting in this way, you heart will melt and tears will come. If tears are not coming, you can think, 'I have committed so many offenses.' Always repent like this and chant, 'Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.'"

- Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja, Toulouse, France, July 1999