PRAYERS BEFORE JAPA (​FOR APARADHA MUKTI​)

nikhila-sruti-mauli-ratna-m​ā​l​ā​ dyuti-nir​ā​jita-p​ā​da-pankaj​ā​nta
ayi mukta-kulair upā​ ​syamā​ ​nam paritas tvam hari-nama samsrayami

O Hari-nama! The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are constantly being
worshiped by the glowing radiance emanating from the string of gems known as
the Upanishads, the crown jewels of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored by
liberated souls such as Narada and Sukadeva. 0 Hari-nama! I take complete
shelter of You. (Namastaka 1)

nivrtta-tarsair upagiyam​ā​n​ā​d bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-'bhir​ā​m​ā​t

ka uttamasloka-gunā​ ​nuvā​ ​d​ā​t pum​ā​n virajyeta vino p​ā​sughn​ā​t

Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the

parampara system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such
glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary
glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right
medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death.
Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher
[animal killer], or one who is killing his own self? (SB 10.1.4).
 Nrsimhadeva Gives Prema
One can also pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva to remove ​anarthas and ​aparadhas from
the heart. The auspicious and most merciful Lord Nrsimha has unlimited power
to purify the heart, destroy obstacles to devotion, and bestow attraction for
chanting Hare Krsna. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura shows the relationship between
Nrsimhadeva’s mercy and Radha-Govinda prema: “In Navadvipa-dhama, at the
abode of Lord Nrsimha known as Nrsimha Puri or Devapalli, I will roll on the
ground in ecstatic love, begging for unalloyed love of Krsna. In my heart reside
duplicity, insincerity , and desire for fame, and the six enemies: lust, anger, greed,
envy, illusion and madness( kama, krodha, lobha, matsarya, moha, mada). I will
pray at the feet of Lord Nrsimha, therefore, to purify my heart and give me the
desire to serve Krsna. Weeping, I will beg at the lotus feet of Nrsimha that I may
worship Radha-Govinda in Navadvipa, free from all obstacles. When will that
Lord Hari, who strikes fear in fear personified, be pleased and bestow his mercy
on me? Although this form of the Lord is terrible for the evil, He is exceedingly
auspicious for the devotees headed by Prahlada. When will Nrsimhadeva become
pleased to mercifully speak to me, a worthless fool, and remove my fears?

“ Lord Nrsimha will say,” Dear child, stay here happily in Gaura-dhama. Worship
Radha-Govinda and develop attraction for the holy name. By the mercy of My
devotees all obstacles will be transcended. With a purified heart just worship
Radha-Govinda- the abodes of sweet nectar.”

“After speaking in this way, when will Lord Nrsimha joyfully place His feet upon
my head? At that moment, by the Lord’s mercy, I will exhibit symptoms of
ecstatic love for Radha-Govinda, and roll on the ground before the door of His
temple.”
Haridasa Thakura spoke a powerful prayer for n​ā​ma-krpa(the mercy of the holy name). Devotees
who enter the spirit of this prayer in a regular way will find it an amazing support in their
chanting:

krp​ā​ kari namā

​ ​-rupe ​ā​m​ā​ra jihvaya
nirantara n​ā​ca prabhu dhari tava paya

r​ā​kha inha lao t​ā​nha tava icch​ā​ mata

yanha rakha deha more krna-n​ā​m​ā​mrta

jagajjane n​ā​ma dite tava avat​ā​ra

jagajjana-majhe more kara angikara

ā​mi ta adhama tumi adhama t​ā​rana

ubhaye sambandha ei patita pavana

acchedya sambandha ei tom​ā​ya ​ā​m​ā​ya

y​ā​ra bale n​ā​m​ā​mrta e adhama c​ā​ya

O Lord! Be merciful and appear on my tongue in Your holy name; dance there constantly, O
Lord! I fall at Your lotus feet and beg You.

You may keep me in this world or take me to Your abode as You please, but whatever You do
with me, feed me the divine nectar of Your names.

You have descended to this world to distribute the holy name, so kindly also consider me
one of those You intended to bless.

I am the most lowly, whereas You are committed to the uplift of the lowest; this is our
eternal relationship, O Savior of the fallen!

On the strength of this unbreakable connection between us, O Lord, I beg You to shower me
with the nectar of the holy name. (Harinama Cintamani, 11.53-57)

apar​ā​dha-sahasr​ā​ni, kriyante ‘har-nisam may​ā

daso ham iti mam matva, ksamasva Madhusudana

Day and night, I make thousands of offenses. Oh Madhusudana! Thinking of me as Your

servant, kindly forgive them.
 Sri Vaisnava Sarana
(Surrender to the Vaisnavas)
By Sri Devakinandana Dasa Thakura
vrndavana-vasi jata vaisnavera gana
prathame vandana kori sabara carana

nilacala-vasi jata mahaprabhura gana

bhumite podiya bandon sabara carana

navadvipa-vasi jata mahaprabhura bhakta

sabara carana bandon hoiya anurakta

mahaprabhura bhakta jata gauda dese sthithi

Sabara carana bandon koriya pranati

je dese je dese boise gaurangera gana

urdhva-bahu kori bandon sabara carana

hoiyachena hoibena prabhur jata dasa

sabara carana bandon dante kori ghasa

brahmanda tarite sakti dhara jane jane

e veda purane guna gaye jeba sune

mahaprabhura gana saba patita-pavana

tain lobhe mui papi loinu sarana

vandana korite mui koto sakti dhori

tamo-buddhi-dose mui dambha matra kori

tathapi mukera bhagya manera ullasa

dose ksami mo-adhame koro niji dasa

sarve vancha siddhi hoy, jama-bandha chute

jagate durlabha hoiya prema-dhana lute

manera vasana purna acirate hoya

devakinandana dasa ei lobhe koya
Translation:
First of all I offer my obeisances to the feet of all the Vaisnavas living in Vrndavana.(1)

Falling to the ground, I offer my obeisances to the feet of all of Mahaprabhu’s followers
who reside in Jagannatha Puri.(2)

With deep loving attachment, I honor the lotus feet of all those devotees of Mahaprabhu
who live in Navadvipa.(3)

I pray and offer my obeisances to the feet of all those followers of Mahaprabhu who live
anywhere in Bengal.(4)

With upraised arms I pray to the feet of all of Gauranga’s followers, in whichever
country they may live.(5)

With a straw between my teeth. I pray to the lotus feet of all of Mahaprabhu’s servants, as
many as have been or ever will be.​(6)

Everyone has heard the Vedas and the Puranas sing the glories of the Vaisnavas, each and
every one of whom possess the power to deliver the entire universe.​(7)

Since all the devotees of Mahaprabhu are the deliverers of the fallen souls. I have eagerly
come to take shelter of their lotus feet, even though I am a most sinful person.​(8)

What power do I possess to glorify the Vaisnavas? My doing so is simply a display of my

arrogance, a product of my ignorant mind.​(9)

Yet this dumb fallen soul will consider himself fortunate and become happy if all of you
forgive my offences and accept me as your servant.​(10)

Those who take shelter of the Vaisnavas see all their desires fulfilled and they can easily
escape the punishment of Yamaraja. They can then plunder the treasury love of God which
is extremely rare in this material world.​(11)

All the desires of such devotees are quickly fulfilled. Greedy for their mercy,
Devakinandana Dasa glorifies the Vaisnavas.(12)
[RECITE 10 TIMES]

sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunatha, sri-jiva gopala-bhatta dasa-raghunatha

ei chay gosair kori carana vandan, jaha hoite bighna-nas abhista-puran

ी- प सनातन भ टा-रघुनाथ, ी-िजव गोपाल-भ टा दसा-रघुनाथ

ईई चय गोसाइर कोर चाररण वंदन, जाहा हुते बघाना-नास अ भशा-पुराण

By the causeless mercy of the six Gosvamis-Sri Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunatha Bhatta,
Sri Jiva Raghunatha dasa and Gopal Bhatta- the obstacles to devotion can be
removed, the service of Radha Govinda Yugala can be attained, and all one’s
personal desires for services can be fulfilled.

[RECITE 10 TIMES]
Dasa aparadha yena hrdaye na pase
Krpa kara mahaprabhu maji nama rase

दास अपार या येना हर दन ना पासे

कृपा करो मह भु माजी नामा रास

O Mahaprabhu, please be merciful to me so that the 10 Offenses never

touch my heart, and I can always remain absorbed in the rasa of Holy Name.
---Harinama Cintamani 13.59
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
[RECITE 11 TIMES]
ananta-koti vaishnava jana
ananta-koti bhakta jan
ananta-koti rasika-jana tatha
ananta-koti mere gurujana
main janma janma se apake
caranoki dhula-kana
mujhako le lo apani sarana
mere mana ki hata do bhatakana
laga do mujhe ko krsna-carana
laga do mujhe ko gaura-carana
yadi aparadha mujhese bana gaye
apake caranaravinda mein
jane mein ya anajane mein
kisi jamma mein ya isi janma mein
ksama karo mere gurujana
main hun apaki carana-sarana
papi hun, aparadhi hun
khota hun ya khara hun
accha hun ya bura hun
jaisa bhi hun, main to apaka hun
meri ora niharo!
krpa-drsti vistaro
he mere prana-dhana
nibhalo aba to apanapana
main hun apake carana-sarana
he mere janma-janma ke gurujana

O innumerable devotees, realized souls and spiritual masters, I am a dust particle at

your lotus feet life after life. Please give me shelter and stop the wanderings of my mind.

Please affix me at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna and Gaura. If I have committed any offense
at your lotus feet knowingly or unknowingly, in this lifetime or some other lifetime, O
spiritual masters, please forgive me! I am under your shelter.

I may be sinful, offensive, dishonest, good or bad. Whatever I may be, I am still yours.
Please cast your merciful glance at me. O wealth of my life, O my spiritual masters
lifetime after lifetime, please allow me to maintain my feeling of belonging to you! I have
surrendered to your lotus feet.