THE DIVINE MANIFESTATION OF ASHTAKSHAR MANTRA

Once Shri Thakurji and Shri Swaminiji, assumed the play of reciprocal man-lila i.e. annoyance in love and emotions in their forest garden in Golok Dham, out of their own divine will, which got intensified to an extent beyond all limits. The beauty of Thakurji's hidden feminine aspect radiated on His lotus face, similarly the beauty of Swaminiji's hidden masculine aspect radiated on hers. From the eternal union of these two hidden aspects, the burning fire of their passionate desire for reunion emerged in the shape of Shri Vallabh who witnessed the divine couple's entire lilas.

Shri Vallabh approached Swaminiji and with the utmost dedicated sentiments of love, escorted her into the presence of Thakurji. At the exalted moment of their ecstatic reunion, Shri Vallabh gazed towards them and pronounced, 'Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama', which means, 'Shri Swaminiji and Shri Krishna, I surrender to you'

In this way 'Ashtakshar Mantra' got manifested. He, who is the reunited form of the divine couple, is exceedingly beloved to all the devotees of Golok Dham. Therefore, the name Shri Vallabh was given as, Vallabh means 'dearly beloved'. Following this, according to Prabhu's instructions, Shri Maha Prabhuji manifested on earth to grant Salvation to all Daivi souls and to whom, he bestowed ashtakshar mantra as the first initiation.

This mantra has eight letters. 'ASHT' means eight and 'AKSHAR' means letter, thereby it is called ashtakshar mantra. These eight letters are not inanimate like ordinary letters, but, they are bestower of wondrous divine powers. Each letter has profound depths of significance reviled by Shri Gosainji in his text 'description of significance of Ashtakshar Mantra'.

Initially let us consider the in-depth meaning of each individual letter in chronology.

	Attainment of good fortune and wealth
	Destroyer of sin
	Destroyer of three types of sufferings
	Remover of the suffering of the cycle of birth and death
	Attainment of divine knowledge
	Unwavering devotion for Shri Krishna
	Divine love for Guru who reveals the supreme precious jewel, Shri Krishna
	Merging with shri hari and being liberated after taking re-birth. Merging in the devotional path is superior to merger in the path of knowledge.

Now an in-depth elucidation of each of the letters.

'Shri' is the Bestower of good fortune. Here good fortune refers to a happy married life for which ample wealth is required. Wealth comes of its own to a devotee who unceasingly repeats ashtakshar mantra and he will not be required to engage in any efforts to obtain it himself. The reason for this is that Prabhu's devotees always are desire less, An apt example of this is in the account of Shri Maha Prabhuji's sevak Narayandas Brahmachari in which it is narrated that piles of money appeared in his home each night. Considering it to be impure dirt, he swept it out of the house in the morning and threw it away. From a worldly perspective, the pleasures of married life are considered to be the height of mundane pleasures and normally tremendous efforts are to be made to obtain them. One who ceaselessly repeats astakshar mantra, with no desire, will attain these pleasures just by the pronounciation of the letter 'Shri'.

'KRU' The pronunciation of this letter absolves a soul of the most heinous sins. All the means for becoming purified of sins delineated in the scriptures are rigorous and requires undergoing much hardship and physical strain. Entrance into the devotional path becomes possible only when all sins have been destroyed .

There are three types of sins :-

(1) Committed by the body.
(2) Committed through speach.
(3) Committed mentally.

Unceasingly repeating ashtakshar mantra as suggested by Shri Mahaprabhuji is an exceedingly simple means for removing all of the three above mentioned sins and the pronunciation of the letter will destroy them all.

'SHNA' Human beings experience three types of sufferings:-
(1) Adhibhautik.
(2) Adhyatmic.
(3) Adhidaivik.

On being relieved from these sufferings, the heart and mind becomes purified and then only Prabhu's seva and remembrance arises. Other than surrender, there is no means for purification. Pronunciation of this letter removes the three types of suffering, the heart and mind gets purified and pious inclination arises.

'SHA' By pronouncing this letter one is liberated from the cycle of birth and death and moving repeatedly through the eighty four lakhs of species. By becoming freed from egotism and attachment, one is released from worldly bondage and becomes worthy for bhagavad attainment.

'RA' One who is devoid of all worldly attachment, considers mundane pleasures to be insignificant. At that point an intense desire for attaining Prabhu arises and ,. profound questioning begins, 'who is Prabhu ? what is His nature ? What is the nature of an individual soul ? How one can please Prabhu and thereby attain Him?' By pronouncing the letter, a penetrating requisitiveness on all these matters awakens and upon realization of this knowledge total fulfillment is attained.

'NAM' After realization of the knowledge about Prabhu's personality one attains Bhakti (Devotion) through a firm, unwavering love for Him. By pronunciation of the letter, the divine Love for HIM develops. Devotion is not attained by every one but depends upon divine grace. Prabhu bestows HIS graces on those to whom He so desires. Devotion is superior of knowledge.

'MA' For entering into the path of devotion, guru's grace is mandatory and realization of Prabhu comes through the door of Guru. It is by guru's grace that one attains worthiness for seva. Guru is the bridge between Prabhu and the individual soul. Love for Prabhu comes where there is first love for guru. This love is attained by pronunciation of the letter. It is through Guru's grace that the darkness of ignorance is removed. Knowledge of Pushti Marg is attained and one experiences the 'anand' of Prabhu's own form.

'MA' Once the soul becomes totally and exclusively absorbed in Prabhu, by pronunciation of the letter, he merges with Prabhu and takes no further birth. ,

In this way, each letter of ashtakshar mantra has the capacity to bestow divine powers, Knowing that the souls have surrendered to Him and are entirely devoid of any means for divine attainments, Shri Maha Prabhuji, in his unlimited compulsion bestowed this divine precious gift.

To reveal the greatness of 'ashtakshar mantra' Shri Gusainji wrote the text 'Description of Ashtakshar Mantra' and by studying this in depth, one can understand its profound meaning.