Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c10.s1.13

c10.s1.13

Before people enter into the relationship of preceptor and disciple, at least one year's constant companionship on their part is necessary for the discovery of each other's qualities and defects. During this time the person desiring discipleship should serve and honour the preceptor by various acts of devotion and service, of which a long list is given. The name of the Guru is not to be lightly taken; and, in uttering it one must prefix it by oṃ śrī and suffix it by the phrase viṣṇu-pāda, in accordance with the direction of the Nārada-pañcarātra. When the prescribed period has elapsed, the disciple should pray to the preceptor to initiate him in the Mantra of Viṣṇu; for Viṣṇu is the highest god and the only saviour, and alone deserves the epithet of the Bhagavat. Viṣṇu is incomparable, and one who compares him with other deities is a low-born infidel and is sure to go to hell! The worship of a god other than Viṣṇu is compared to saluting a Caṇḍāla woman rather than one's own mother, and to taking poison instead of nectar. The Śrī-Vaiṣṇava Mantra, therefore, is highly glorified as the means of attaining all supernatural powers. There are two kinds of Viṣṇu-Mantra; namely, the Mantra of eight (*oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya*) and twelve syllables (*oṃ namo bhagavate nārāyaṇāya*) respectively. The former is called the Mantra-rāja, because it is highly potent; and those who utter it go to the abode of Viṣṇu for good. This great Mantra is called the essence of the Vedānta; it is inseparable from Viṣṇu himself and comprises all lores and gods. The Mantra of twelve syllables is also highly efficacious. Similar also are the Mantras of Narasiṃha and Rāma. The Śrī-Kṛṣṇa Mantra of eighteen syllables (*klīṃ kṛṣṇāya govindāya gopī-jana-vallabhāya svāhā*) is also very potent; for the real Svarūpa of Kṛṣṇa is described in it as revealing the world with the help of Svāhā, which means Māyā. In the Gopāla-tāpanī the universe is mystically said to have originated from the component part of this Mantra, namely, water was evolved from the syllable *ka*, earth from *la*, fire from *i*, the moon from the nasal *vindu* or *anusvāra*, and the sun from its sound (Nāda), the sky from the syllables *kṛṣṇa*, air from the syllable *ya*, cows from the word *govindāya*, the fourteen branches of learning from *gopī-janāya*, and the sexes from the word *vallabhāya*!