18 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 7

TRANSLATION

“Since Your two hands will always be engaged in chanting and counting the
holy names, how will You be able to carry the water pot and external gar-
ments?

PURPORT

From this verse it is clear that Caitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting the holy
names a fixed number of times daily. The Gosvamis used to follow in the
footsteps of $ri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Hariddsa Thakura also followed this
principle. Concerning the Gosvamis —Srila Rapa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami,
Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami, Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami—Srinivasa Acarya confirms: sankhya-por-
vaka-ndma-gana-natibhih. (Sad-gosvamy-astaka, 6) In addition to other duties,
$ri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the system of chanting the holy name of the
Lord a fixed number of times daily, as confirmed in this verse (tomdra dui hasta
baddha ndma-ganane). Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to count on His fingers. While
one hand was engaged in chanting, the other hand kept the number of rounds.
This is corroborated in the Caitanya-candramrta and also in Srila Ripa Gosvami's
Stava-mala:

badhnan prema-bhara-prakampita-karo granthin katidorakaih
sankhydtum nija-loka-mangala-hare-krsneti namnarm japan
(Caitanya-candramrta, 9)

hare krsnety uccaih sphurita-rasano nama-ganana-,
krta-granthi-sreni-subhaga-kati-siitrojjvala-karah
(Caitanyastaka, 5)

Therefore devotees in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must chant at least
sixteen rounds daily, and this is the number prescribed by the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness. Haridaésa Thakura daily chanted 300,000
names. Sixteen rounds is about 28,000 names. There is no need to imitate
Haridasa Thakura or the other Gosvamis, but chanting the holy name a fixed num-
ber of times daily is essential for every devotee.

TEXT 38

GUNA AC SFA cq SLGSA
GAS AAA COMMA CH BCA AWA Il Sv

premavese pathe tumi habe acetana
e-saba samagri tomara ke kare raksana
