Harinama-sankirtana (the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord) may be most familiar from seeing the devotees out in the streets, dancing and chanting the maha-mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare accompanied by mridangas (two headed drums) and karatalas (hand cymbals). Krishnas holy names are endowed with all of His potencies and this sound vibration can reawaken a person to his spiritual identity and existence. We have forgotten our real identity as spiritual beings, part and parcel of Krishna, and this forgetfulness is the root cause of all our suffering. When a person is asleep he forgets who he really is and in his dreaming he assumes one illusory identity after another, in each existence suffering unnecessarily.
500 years ago Lord Krishna came as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (or Lord Gauranga). He appeared as a devotee of Krishna (Himself) to reawaken all the conditioned souls by the method of harinama-sankirtana. He would go with His followers into the streets and chant the names of Krishna so that peoples suffering could be ended, and they could take to the real activity, the spiritual activity, of worshiping and serving the Supreme Lord.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in one song:
Jiv jago jiv jago gauracandra boleKota nidra jao maya pisacira kole
Lord Gauranga calls: "Wake up sleeping souls, wake up sleeping souls! You have slept so long in the lap of the witch Maya" (the superintendent of the material world who facilitates one forgetting his spiritual nature).
He continues, "You came into this world saying O my Lord, I will certainly worship you but having forgotten this promise, you have remained in great ignorance."
"I have descended just to save you. Other then Myself, who else is your friend?"
"I have brought the medicine for destroying the illusion of Maya. Now pray for this hari-nama maha-mantra and take it."
Although Lord Caitanya performed harinama-sankirtana throughout India, He desired harinama to be performed in every town and village around the world for the benefit of everyone, without discrimination.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanata Swami Prabhupada brought harinama to the rest of the world, fulfilling the desire of Lord Caitanya. Srila Prabhupada created ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) to take harinama-sankirtan to every town and village. The members of ISKCON are working to achieve that goal and we need your help.
500 years ago Lord Krishna came as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (or Lord Gauranga). He appeared as a devotee of Krishna (Himself) to reawaken all the conditioned souls by the method of harinama-sankirtana. He would go with His followers into the streets and chant the names of Krishna so that peoples suffering could be ended, and they could take to the real activity, the spiritual activity, of worshiping and serving the Supreme Lord.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in one song:
Jiv jago jiv jago gauracandra boleKota nidra jao maya pisacira kole
Lord Gauranga calls: "Wake up sleeping souls, wake up sleeping souls! You have slept so long in the lap of the witch Maya" (the superintendent of the material world who facilitates one forgetting his spiritual nature).
He continues, "You came into this world saying O my Lord, I will certainly worship you but having forgotten this promise, you have remained in great ignorance."
"I have descended just to save you. Other then Myself, who else is your friend?"
"I have brought the medicine for destroying the illusion of Maya. Now pray for this hari-nama maha-mantra and take it."
Although Lord Caitanya performed harinama-sankirtana throughout India, He desired harinama to be performed in every town and village around the world for the benefit of everyone, without discrimination.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanata Swami Prabhupada brought harinama to the rest of the world, fulfilling the desire of Lord Caitanya. Srila Prabhupada created ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) to take harinama-sankirtan to every town and village. The members of ISKCON are working to achieve that goal and we need your help.