Chapter Six
The Gopala Mantra
Identity and Importance
"It is stated in the Brahma-samhita that Lord Brahma was initiated into the eighteen
letter Gopala-mantra, which is generally accepted by all the devotees of Lord Krishna.
We follow the same principle because we belong to the Brahma-sampradaya, directly
in the disciplic chain from Brahma to Narada, from Narada to Vyasa, from Vyasa to
Madhva Muni, from Madhva Muni to Madhavendra Puri, from Madhavendra Puri to
Isvara Puri, from Isvara Puri to Lord Chaitanya and gradually to His Divine Grace
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, our divine master.
The chanting of this holy Gopala-mantra is the only shelter of the desireless pure
devotee of the Lord." (SB 2.9.6 p.)
Of all the diksa mantras mentioned in the sastras, the Gopala-mantra (or Krishnamantra)
is the most important.
Shri Krishna is the svayam-bhagavan and the sarva-avatari (original Personality of
Godhead, the source of all other avataras), and His vraja-lila displays the greatest
