Another question on "Radhey Shyam" and "Hare Ram Hare Krishn" maha mantra

Question: I have a question about chanting the holy names of God. Over the last couple of years I have been chanting the Hare Krishn maha mantra daily. I do about one round in the morning and then as a means to try and remember Krishn, I chant it quietly to myself throughout the day whenever I can remember. Last night I heard in a lecture that I was listening to, that Maharajji instructed one of his disciples to chant the name "Radhey Radhey" instead of what he was used to chanting which was chanting "Ram Ram". Also, tonight I just read on the JKP website a letter written by Maharajji about how to do devotion. In it he says,

"All the time in your heart you must remember the name ‘Radhey Shyam’ or ‘Radhey Radhey."

My question to you is, should I do the same and chant "Radhey Radhey" instead of the maha mantra or does it not make a difference?

Also, what does Radhey Shyam mean? Is Shyam a name of Krishn, like Govinda?

Answer: Practically speaking, you can chant anything that helps you remember Radha and Krishn. There is no strict rule about what name to chant. In JKP, we do devotion to Radha Krishn, and we desire to attain Their Divine love. They are the most loving form of God. It is a natural phenomenon that you are likely to think about the one whose name you are saying. When you chant the name "Radhey", you are likely to remember Radhey, so you will attain Radhey. When you chant the name Ram, you are likely to remember Ram, so you will attain Ram. Thus, you should chant the name of the form of God you wish to attain.  

Regarding the Hare Ram maha mantra, it contains the names of Krishn, Ram and Vishnu and can be used for devotion to any one of Them. In JKP, we do many chantings with the different names of Radha and Krishn, and we also chant the Hare Ram mantra. When I am quietly remembering God's name throughout the day, sometimes I like to chant the Hare Ram mantra too. But most of the time I say either 'Radhey Shyam' or 'Radhey Radhey'. The reason is that it is simpler and also, it can be done with the breath which helps. You can say "Radhey" on the inhalation and "Shyam" on the exhalation (silently in your heart). Or you can say 'Ra' on the inhalation and 'dhey' on the exhalation. Both work very well. The effect is very deep and immediate. This is something which Shree Kripaluji Maharaj emphasizes a lot. He says it is important to do this throughout the day as much as you can. This helps to maintain a remembrance of Radha and Krishn so that your devotion continues throughout the day, even when you are working.

Shyam is a name of Krishn, just like Govind. Shyam means the one who is dark complexioned. Shyama is a name of Radha, which means the one who is with Shyam or belongs to Shyam.

Of course, along with remembering any name of God, it is most important to do roop dhyan. The power of the name for the most part remains dormant unless we also visualize the form of God whose name we are taking. You can see the form of Radha Krishn in whole or in part. You can visualize any part of Their body, and you can even have an interaction with Them. Feel that They are close to you, even if your imagination of the visual form is weak. And feel that They are yours and you belong to Them.

Swami Nikhilanand, JKP Radha Madhav Dham. © 2011. All rights reserved.

Vishnu, Shiv, and Durga - The 3 forms of Almighty God

Response to a question: In one of your lectures, you have said that there are 3 main forms of the Almighty - Vishnu, Shiva, and Durga. Isn't the third main form of the Almighty Brahma? I thought Durga was a part of Shivji. Can you kindly clarify my confusion?

This is a very good question and a common misconception. Brahma is actually a celestial god (note that it is written with a small or lower case 'g'). He is a devta, not bhagwan. Devtas or celestial gods are under maya, which means their abode is temporary and is destroyed when the universe is dissolved. Supreme God (big or upper case 'G') or Bhagwan's abode is beyond maya, Divine and eternal, so it is not affected by the dissolution of the universe. If somone worships a celestial god (like Brahma, Indra, Vayu, Agni, Varun, Kuber, etc.), they go to the abode of that celestial god. But they don't stay forever. They return to this world and take birth again. If someone worships any form of supreme God (like Krishn, Ram, Vishnu, Shiv, Durga, Ganesh, Kartikeya, Kali, Gauri, Amba, Lakchmi, Saraswati, Parvati, Hanuman, etc.) then they go to the supreme Divine abode of God which is beyond maya and they stay there forever, never to be reborn in this world under the bondage of maya.

To address your questions directly, yes Shiv and Durga (or Parvati) are one. Durga is shakti and Shiv is shaktiman (the base in which the power resides). The three main almighty forms of God are Vishnu, Shiv and Durga, because all the other almighty forms are affiliated to them. Lakchmi and Saraswati are affiliated to Vishnu; Ganesh, Kartikeya and Hanuman are affiliated to Shiv; and Kali, Gauri, Amba, etc. are affiliated forms of Durga. So all those forms are Divine and almighty, but Vishnu, Shiv and Durga are considered main. Beyond the almighty forms of God (and including Them and all Their powers) are the loving forms of God Krishn and Ram (which included Radha and Sita).

Where does Brahma come in and why do we talk about Vishnu, Shiv and Brahma? In the creation of the universe, Krishn's almighty power, Maha Vishnu of Vaikunth abode, creates the whole universe and becomes omnipresent in it. The universe is endless. In the endless universe, uncountable number of planetary systems, or brahmandas are created (a brahmand includes an earth planet with its sun and other planets, and a corresponding swarg (celestial abode) and narak (hellish abode). In every one of those brahmandas, God Vishnu and God Shiv take avatar in order to manage the affairs of that planetary system. In every brahmand there is also a Brahma who is assigned to be the creator of that brahmand. He creates with the power given to him by supreme God. Vishnu maintains the brahmand and Shiv destroys it in the end. These are the three governors of a brahmand. Both Vishnu and Shiv are avatars of God from the Divine world. Their abodes in this brahmand are also Divine, like embassies of the Divine abode, here in the material plane. Brahma's abode is the topmost celestial abode, and Brahma himself is not a form of supreme God, he is a celestial god.

To review, Brahma is one of the three governors of a brahmand, along with Vishnu and Shiv. However, Vishnu and Shiv are forms of supreme Divine God, and Brahma is a celestial god.

Swami Nikhilanand, JKP Radha Madhav Dham. © 2011. All rights reserved.