FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.8.53

जपश्च परमो गुह्य: श्रूयतां मे नृपात्मज । यं सप्तरात्रं प्रपठन्पुमान् पश्यति खेचरान् ॥ ५३ ॥
japaś ca paramo guhyaḥ
[japash cha paramo guhyah]
śrūyatāṁ me nṛpātmaja
[shrooyataam me nripaatmaja]
yaṁ sapta-rātraṁ prapaṭhan
[yam sapta-raatram prapathan]
pumān paśyati khecarān
[pumaan pashyati khecharaan]
japaḥ ca — the chanting mantra in this connection paramaḥ — very, very guhyaḥ — confidential śrūyatām — please hear me — from me nṛpa-ātmaja — O son of the King yam — which sapta-rātram — seven nights prapaṭhan — chanting pumān — a person paśyati — can see khe-carān — human beings who travel in space.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
japaś ca paramo guhyaḥ
japaḥ ca
the chanting mantra in this connection
paramaḥ
very, very
guhyaḥ
confidential
śrūyatāṁ me nṛpātmaja
śrūyatām
please hear
me
from me
nṛpa-ātmaja
O son of the King
yaṁ sapta-rātraṁ prapaṭhan
yam
which
sapta-rātram
seven nights
prapaṭhan
chanting
pumān paśyati khecarān
pumān
a person
paśyati
can see
khe-carān
human beings who travel in space.
O son of the King, now I shall speak unto you the mantra which is to be chanted with this process of meditation. One who carefully chants this mantra for seven nights can see the perfect human beings flying in the sky.

Within this universe there is a planet called Siddhaloka. The inhabitants of Siddhaloka are by nature perfect in the yoga achievements, which are of eight varieties: one can become smaller than the smallest, lighter than the lightest, or bigger than the biggest; one can immediately get whatever he likes, one can even create a planet, etc. These are some of the yogic perfections. By virtue of the laghimā-siddhi, or purificatory process to become lighter than the lightest, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka can fly in the sky without airplanes or airships. It is hinted herein by Nārada Muni to Dhruva Mahārāja that by meditating upon the transcendental form of the Lord and at the same time chanting the mantra one becomes so perfect within seven days that he can see the human beings who fly in the sky. Nārada Muni uses the word japaḥ, which indicates that the mantra to be chanted is very confidential. One may ask, “If it is confidential, why is it mentioned in the writing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ?” It is confidential in this sense: one may receive a published mantra anywhere, but unless it is accepted through the chain of disciplic succession, the mantra does not act. It is said by authoritative sources that any mantra chanted without having been received from the disciplic succession has no efficacy.

Another point established in this verse is that meditation should be carried on with the chanting of a mantra. Chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is the easiest process of meditation in this age. As soon as one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he sees the forms of Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and Their energies, and that is the perfect stage of trance. One should not artificially try to see the form of the Lord while chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but when the chanting is performed offenselessly the Lord will automatically reveal Himself to the view of the chanter. Therefore the chanter has to concentrate on hearing the vibration, and without extra endeavor on his part, the Lord will automatically appear.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O prince! Hear from me the highest secret mantra, by chanting which a person can see the associates of the Lord travelling in the sky in seven days. Hear the mantra. I will put it in your right ear. I will teach you. Even if you utter it audibly (prapaṭhan), it has effect, what to speak of half-audibly (upāṁśu) or in the mind, which will have even greater effect. Khecarān means “associates of the Lord.”
Nārada now gives the mantra; chanted for seven nights with this meditation, you can even see perfect beings flying. Mantra paired with vivid form yields tangible results; this is not a vague tradition.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I underestimating what a sustained, focused mantra practice could actually do?
  • What would seven nights of disciplined mantra and meditation look like in my real schedule?
📝 My note

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