DESCRIPTION OF ASHTAKSHAR MANTRA

DESCRIPTION OF ASHTAKSHAR MANTRA

Meaning : O Krishna. O Krishna. Whoever ceaselessly repeats the name of Krishna in this way attains the anand and paramanand of his divine form and attains His eternal abode of Golok Dham.
 

Meaning : What harm can the Lord of Hell do to one who perpetually remembers Shri Krishna? By doing so, the most heinous of sins are destroyed.

 

Meaning : The Lord of Hell is afraid of one who unceasingly repeats ashtakshar mantral 'Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama.'
 

Meaning : By the power of ashtakshar mantra, liberation and other divine fruits may be attained by daivi souls who are devoid of any means for these attainments. Guru Shri Vithalnathji (Sri Gosainji) is revealing his treatise on this subject.
 

 

Meaning : I myself am giving in- depth detailed commentary on the profound essence of ashtakshar mantra. One who has imbibed this and in whose heart ashtakshar mantra resides is a bhagavadiya beloved of Sri Vallabhacharyaji.
 

Meaning :-

- By the pronounciation of this letter, the good fortune of wealth is attained.

- This letter destroys sin.  

- All the three types of suffering is removed.

- From this letter one is liberated from the cycle of the birth and death.

- From this letter one attains the divine knowledgeof Prabhu.

- This letter bestows unwavering and everlasting devotion for Shri Krishna.

  - From this letter one attains love for Guru who imparts the teachings of Krishna's seva.

  - From this letter one attains merger with Prabhu after which taking rebirth is not necessary.

 

Meaning : By repeating ashtakshar mantra, with knowledge of its deeper significance, one attains love and devotion for Shri Krishna and detachment is attained. Pleasures and liberation are firmly established.


 

Meaning : From the repetition of ashtakshar mantra, one will be free from illness and all sins will be destroyed. Wealth and power is immediately attained and one can reside in the home with security and stability.

 

Meaning: One who recites ashtakshar mantra can not be harmed by ghosts or other spirits, wild animals, thieves, etc. and in adversities one is protected by Prabhu. In His shelter, enemies become friends and just as a mouse seeing a snake becomes frightened, enemies become filled with trepidation.

 

Meaning : By repetition of ashtakshar mantra, sinful actions, harmful conditions, detrimental planetary configurations in one's horoscope are all destroyed and anand swarup Shri Krishna everlastingly resides in the heart.


 

Meaning : The repetition of ashtakshar mantra removes all forms of suffering and happiness is attained in all spheres., This mantra is superior to all others and therefore it should be repeated unceasingly day and night.

 

Meaning : This mantra is the purifier of all the three worlds, so, what doubt can there be that it purifies the human soul ? It is the king of all mantras and reigns supreme

 

Meaning : Any one who perpetually repeats the mantra in solitude with reverence, attains wealth and powers. This mantra reveals the profound depths of Shri Krishna and Shri Maha Prabhuji has manifested it for the benefit of his devotees.

Meaning : This mantra is the essence of all scriptures, vedas, puranas etc.

 

Meaning : The precious, invaluable words of Srimad Vallabhacharya Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama should be remembered perpetually.


In this way to reveal the profound significance of ashtakshar mantra, Shri Gosainji has described each letter individually.

To impart his teachings that ashtakshar mantra should be repeated unceasingly, Shri Maha Prabhuji has written in the text Navratna:

Meaning : Shri Maha Prabhuji declares 'it is my view point that one should perpetually, with every bhava, repeat ashtakshar mantra and associate with those devotees who do so'. Shri Maha Prabhuji's main teaching is that ashtakshar mantra should be repeated with every bhava (Sarvatma Bhava) and unceasingly.

Sri Gosaiji writes :

Meaning : From the time of my father Shri Maha Prabhuji manifested Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama, we have been freed from all worries concerning any undertaking of this world or the transcendent sphere.
In Shiksha Patra Shri Hariraiji states :

Meaning : In favourable times and in adversity, 'Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama' manifested by Shri Mahaprabhuji, is both the means and the fruit. In this way many great scholars and Goswami-Acharyas have described the profound significance of ashtakshar mantra, shedding light so that daivi souls may attain liberation.


One of the distinguishing characteristics of ashtakshar mantra is that it does not begin with Omcar, unlike other seed mantras which do begin with Omcar. According to scriptural law, any mantra beginning with Omcar should not be pronounced in any impure state, such as, if one has been to the toilet and subsequently has not bathed or during the sutak etc. The prescribed method for purification must be adopted before such mantras are pronounced. In his unlimited compassion, Shri Maha Prabhuji bestowed graced upon daivi souls so that they would not be deprived of the right to repeat Prabhu's name even for an instant in this age of Kaliyuga. Perpetually, day and night under all circumstances, ashtakshar mantra should be repeated within the heart. Through this unceasing repetition, one can avoid useless thoughts and discussions and seva in the form of Prabhu's name can be performed because Prabhu's name has equal significance as Prabhu's seva in His own divine form as expressed in the following renown line from Sri Maha Prabhuji's writtings.
 

Prabhu expresses His divine play in this universe through two means. His own form and His name. Also, as we walk and move about throughout the day and night, unknowingly, ants, beetles, and other insects are crushed beneath our feet. If at that moment Prabhu's name is being repeated in our heart, by the power of Bhagavad name, that soul will be liberated and we will be saved from the sin of killing a living soul. In this way by the repetition of ashtakshar mantra day and night with humbleness, all suffering and faults will be removed. Wealth, fame and other worldly pleasures will be gained and liberation, full absorption and merging into Prabhu's divine form will be realized.

In the stories of Bhagwadiya, narrations on the ashtakshar mantra are found : One time as Shri Maha Prabhuji was moving in the circumambulation of India, he imparted the teaching Do not let even a moment pass without the repetition of ashtakshar mantra. Unceasingly pronouncing Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama'. Krishnadas Meghan did not fully realize the profound significance of this teaching. The group along with Shri Mahaprabhuji camp on the edge of a pond. For the purpose of making leaf plates and bowls, Krishnadas wandered quite distant into the dense forest. He came to a pond and on the water's edge a large parrot was sitting on the branch of a tree, which had bent low.

Being in the dark dense forest and seeing such strange parrot, which, he had never seen before, Krishnadas got frightened and began repeating ashtakshar mantra. He pronounced ashtakshar mantra three times and each time the parrot drank some water. Observing these strange, phenomina, which he had never seen before, Krishnadas hurriedly collected the leaves and returned back to the camp where Shri Maha Prabhuji inquired 'Krishnadas, what did you see in the forest?'.

Krishnadas related all that he had seen and experienced. To reveal the hidden reasons for the events, Shri Maha Prabhuji explained " Krishnadas, that parrot which you saw is a devotee who has taken birth as a bird. He practise unceasingly repetition of ashtakshar mantra. Hearing you reciting it three times, he was able to pause for a moment to quench his thirst. I have explained to all of you formerly that the perpetual repetition of ashtakshar mantra is for your welfare and the welfare of those who will hear it". In this way Shri Maha Prabhuji taught the power of ashtakshar mantra to his intimate sevaks.

In the treatise called Narad Panchratra, the greatness of ashtakshar mantra is described. By reciting ashtakshar mantra, sinful actions, adverse circumstances and the devastation of unfavorable planetary configuration are all removed and the anand swamp Shri Krishna everlastingly resides in the heart. If the moment or crisis or disaster arises, on remembering ashtakshar mantra deeply in the heart the difficulties will be resolved of its own and by the grace of Shri Vallabhacharya, Bhagavad realisation will be attained.