Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


I wondered what "Rama" meant when we say the mantra, Hare Rama, you see.

Expressions researched:
"I wondered what" |"meant when we say the mantra, Hare Rama, you see"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Rāma means...
Room Conversation -- September 2, 1973, London:

Guest (1): (Bengali) Gandhiji, he was politician, he was actually not devotee, and he could not understand Bhagavad-gītā. But how the name of Rāma has come when he died? The name of Rāma, Hare Rāma, has come from his last word. How it has come. It is, it is...

Prabhupāda: Practice, practice. Raghupati rāghava rājā rāma.

Guest (1): So that came at the last word.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): It is due to his pious or practice.

Prabhupāda: Practice. That will act, that will act, that will act.

Guest (1): So this was my question about how, he was not acting, but...,

Prabhupāda: No. He did not know. But because he was chanting raghupati rāghava rājā rāma, that has given him this effect, yes. On account of chanting. But he really did not understand. Just like the same example, the Mohammedan. He said "hā rāma." He wanted to speak "hārāma," but it become "hā rāma." That is the... He did not know anything about Rāma, but the name Rāma is so powerful that although he said, "hārāma," it effected. Yes. But Gandhi may not know the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā, but as he chanted "hā rāma," that has been effective.

Pearl: I wondered what "Rāma" meant when we say the mantra, Hare Rāma, you see.

Prabhupāda: Rāma means...

Guest (3): So it was not due to his pious activities, but only he was practicing.

Prabhupāda: No, that is pious activity, that is pious activity.

Guest (1): That is why at the time of death he spoke Rāma, raghupati rāghava rājā rāma.

Prabhupāda: He was a pious man.

Guest (1): He was pious man.

Prabhupāda: Undoubtedly.

Guest (1): So he chanted "Rāma" in practice.

Prabhupāda: Daily he was chanting raghupati rāghava rājā rāma. So...,

Guest (3): (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Where this chanting effect will go? Yes. The chanting... Hare Kṛṣṇa. But I mean to say that he could not teach what Rāma.

Guest (1): (laughs) No.

Prabhupāda: That is his misfortune. But in spite of his misfortune, because he was practiced to chant the name of Rāma, he was pious. Although he was ignorant. He was absorbed in thought of politics. He should have, if he would have understood that Rāma is a fact, Kṛṣṇa is a fact... That he did not understand. Then he would have preached the glories of Rāma, glories of Kṛṣṇa. He took the chanting of Rāma for his political purposes. He utilized for political purpose. Just like... That is nāma-aparādha. Samaḥ śubha-kriyā mati pramāṇaḥ (?). He was trying to get some material profit by chanting the holy name of Rāma. That he got, material profit. He was the most famous politician, all over the world.

Guest (1): But he did not accept any post, you know that? At the same time...,

Prabhupāda: But he also accepted "Mahatma" although what...

Guest (1): But not political post.

Prabhupāda: That is another trick, it may be. Or he did not like. It may be. Because he was so great, what is the presidency? Presidency elected post for five years. But he was recognized all over the world as a great leader. That is greater than any president's post or prime minister's post. So that is not much. But the thing is that if he was actually aware of the importance of Rāma, that he did not. He took it, "Rāma" as some means for his political purpose. But still it effected. At the time of death he said, "Rāma." So...

Guest (1): So you think he has gone to heaven or some, what is his position?

Prabhupāda: No... But because he did not understand Rāma, therefore he cannot go to the kingdom of God. But he'll get very high position.

Guest (1): High position.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. He may go to the heavenly planet

Guest (1): Still in the material world.

Śrutakīrti: He said he's still in the material world. Heavenly planets is still the material world.

Prabhupāda: Heaven is in the material world. Heaven is in the material world. You can get greater standard of life, greater duration of life, that's all. Higher standard of life. Just like Brahmā. Brahmā's one day you cannot calculate. He's so powerful, how he's created this universe. But he is in the material world. He's also a living entity like us, but very exalted. So he cannot get the post of Brahmā. But he can get life in higher planetary system. That is certain. That is explained in the, find out that verse. That is explained in the...um. That verse, yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). But he did not understand Bhagavad-gītā, that's a fact.

Page Title:I wondered what "Rama" meant when we say the mantra, Hare Rama, you see.
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, Rishab
Created:26 of Jul, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1