Pleasure Of The Soul

If the soul in Krsna consciousness has no material activity, then what does he do? He is simply engaged in watering the plant that is in his heart. Krsna says, "Those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible. They are always engaged in chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination. Offering homage unto Me, they worship Me with devotion." (Bg. 9.13-14) Once one has the lotus feet of Krsna indelibly imprinted in his soul, once the eye of the soul has seen His feet and the ears of the soul have heard His voice and the nostrils of the soul have smelled His fragrance and the tongue of the soul has tasted the nectar of His names and the hands of the soul have touched His transcendental body, then all material engagements cease and Krsna becomes his all in all. It is at this point that the soul understands that Krsna is the supreme pleasure principle and that the pleasures of the soul can be obtained through Him only. Under illusion we think that we are enjoying material nature, but what kind of enjoyment is there? It is temporary; it is fraught with danger; it is incomplete. When one becomes elevated in Krsna consciousness, then he forgets all these material engagements.

Anyone can come to this stage by the chanting of the holy names of Krsna. The word "Krsna" means all-attractive, and when this word vibrates off the tongue, the sleeping soul is jolted wide awake. The word "Hare" refers to the energy of the all-attractive Krsna. It is by Mother Hare, Srimati Radharani, the energy of Krsna, that we attain Krsna Himself. This is the force that propels the sleeping soul out of the entanglement of material nature. The word "Rama" means enjoyer. When this word vibrates off the tongue, one actually participates in enjoyment which is beyond human conception and is eternal. Together, in the combination called the mahamantra, chanted by the great saint Srila Haridas Thakur, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare," they elevate the soul to the highest ecstasy of love for Krsna. Lord Caitanya, in His Siksastaka, spoke of the powers of Hari-kirtana or chanting the names of Krsna, the mahamantra, in this way:

This reciprocal love with Krsna, as expressed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is the highest expression of spiritual consciousness. The life of Caitanya was devoted to Hari-kirtana, the celebration of Krsna by chanting His names, and He recommended this method for all men as the most efficient way for the watering of the soul in this dry age. Then let us sound the thunder of kirtana drums and send torrents of His names showering on the heads of all. The thunder rattles our windowpanes now! Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.