TEXT 37
tomara dui hasta baddha nama-ganane
jala-patra-bahirvasa vahibe kemane
SYNONYMS
tomaraYour; duitwo; hastahands; baddhaengaged; namathe holy name; gananein counting; jala-patrawaterpot; bahir-vasaexternal garments; vahibewill carry; kemanehow.
TRANSLATION
"Since Your two hands will always be engaged in chanting and counting the holy names, how will You be able to carry the waterpot and external garments?
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 Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Haridasa Thakura also followed this principle. Concerning the Gosvamis-Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami, Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami-Srinivasa Acarya confirms: sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. (Sad-gosvamy-astaka 6) In addition to other duties, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the system of chanting the holy name of the Lord a fixed number of times daily, as confirmed in this verse (tomara dui hasta baddha nama-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 Rupa Gosvami's Stava-mala:
badhnan prema-bhara-prakampita-karo granthin kati-dorakaih
sankhyatum nija-loka-mangala-hare-krsneti namnam japan
(Caitanya-candramrta 16)
hare krsnety uccaih sphurita-rasano nama-ganana-
krta-granthi-sreni-subhaga-kati-sutrojjvala-karah
(Prathama-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. Haridasa 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 number of times daily is essential for every devotee.

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