All scriptures such as the Vedas and the saints have openly extolled the glory of chanting the Holy Name. The Rig Ved has stated –

 “om âhasya jânanto nâma chidviviktan mahaste vishno sumatim bhajâmahe om tatsadityâdi.” – (1.156.3)

 Srimat Jiva Goswâmipâd has explained this verse as follows –

“O Vishno! Your name is conscious and hence self-manifested. If we do not realize the correct way to pronounce it or entirely comprehend its glory – if we know only little bit of its magnificence and continue to chant we shall gain knowledge about You”

 Sri Krishna has told Sri Arjun in Âdi purân –

“Dear Arjun, who sing my name and dance before me – I am telling the truth – they buy me (I become their slave). Who sing my name and cry before me I become their slave since I am Janârdan¹. I do not belong to anyone else.”

 Sri Krishna has told in the Mahâbhârat –

 “Krishnâ (Draupadi) has called out to me crying “Govinda!” although I am so far from her – this cry rendered from her heart has put me in a debt that is increasing every moment – this debt is refusing to leave my mind (I cannot forget this debt).”

 Sri Bali Mahârâj told Shukrâchârya in Brihan-Nâradiya Purân –

 “When the two syllables “‘Ha’ and ‘ri'” are present on the tip of one’s tongue he attains the realm of Sri Vishnu and he never returns to this world.”

 Lord Shiva told Sri Nârad in Linga Purân –

 “Harinâm destroys the evils of Kaliyug; if someone chants this name while going, sitting, standing, sleeping, eating, and breathing, just to complete a sentence or without any reason or reverence – he attains liberation; and who chants Harinâm with devotion goes to His abode and gains the Supreme Being.”

 Srimad-Bhâgavatam recommends chanting of the Holy Name as the supreme means and the topmost achievable goal –

 

“etan-nirvidyamânânâmichchhatâmakutobhayam,

yoginâm nripa nirnitam harer-nâmânukirtanam.”

– (S.B.2.1.11)

 Shridhar Swâmi has explained this verse as follows –

 “No means is greater than chanting the Holy Name for the sâdhak or for a siddha (one who has realized his spiritual goal). Therefore Srimad-Bhâgavatam is saying – ‘O King, who wants to fulfill material desires must necessarily chant the Holy Name to accomplish their goal; the ones striving for liberation too have only one option – that is, to chant the Holy Name; when the yogis (the gyânis) practice their path nicely it makes them take to the path of chanting the Holy Name. There is no need to cite any evidence for this – that is why Srimad-Bhâgavatam uses the word ‘nirnitam‘, meaning, it is an axiom -have no doubt about it.”

 We can achieve all our desires by resorting to Sri Harinâm Sankirtan alone and although we may not perfect other parts of bhajan, simply by chanting the Holy Name we attain perfection.

 We can chant the Holy Name in any place or at any time. Srimat Jiva Goswâmipâd has written –

“Chanting the Holy Name has the same power in all the ages, however in Kaliyug Sri Bhagavân Himself exhorts the living being to chant, hence it has more glory in Kaliyug. In an ordinary Kaliyug, Sri Bhagavân appears as a Yugâvatâr and spreads the Holy Name, but this is a very special Kaliyug since Swayam Bhagavân Sriman-Mahâprabhu has descended along with His associates. He Himself chants the Holy Name and makes the living beings do so. Therefore Harinâm kirtan is more wonderful now. Even though we have to perform other parts of bhajan, we should do them along with chanting. When Karbhâjan Rishi described the yuga-dharma of Kaliyug he told King Nimi –

“In Kaliyug the ones who are very intelligent worship Sri Hari with plenty of Sankirtan-yagna (by chanting lots of Harinâm)” – (S.B.11.5.32)

 “Sri Krishna-Chaitanya Mahâprabhu has revealed the Harinâm Sankirtan. Whoever worships Him by chanting the Holy Name is indeed blessed. He alone has good intelligence while the rest of the people are foolish. Chanting the Holy Name is the essence of all yagnas.”

• – (C.C.Âdi.3.77-78)

 The scriptures highly extol Sri Harinâm kirtan and state its colossal power – let us hear some of it. The most sinful person can destroy his sins by taking refuge of the Holy Name –

 “Just as the roar of a lion drives out the wild animals man can annihilate all his sins by chanting the Holy Name.” – (Garud Purân)

 What to speak of destroying sins; the Holy Name can redeem one even from the hell –

 “Wherever the residents of hell chanted the Holy Name they gained devotion for Sri Bhagavân and attained divine abodes.” – (Nrisimha Purân)

 The Holy Name destroys mental as well as physical ailments –

 “As soon as we remember His Name and glorify Him all mental and physical ailments are destroyed – I pay obeisance unto That Sri Anantadev (Sri Bhagavân).” – (Skanda Purân)

 “When we chant the Holy Name constantly all our illnesses, troubles, disturbance are destroyed and we are fill with peace.” – (Brihad Vishnu Purân)

 “Even the most fallen sinner gains a pure heart and becomes a devotee if he chants the Holy Name continuously.” – (Brahmânda Purân)

 “Who chants the names Hare, Keshav, Govinda and Vâsudev – Kaliyug has no mastery (effect) on them.” – (Brihan-Nâradiya Purân)

 “My dear child, you need not recite the Rig, Sam and Yajur Vedas; simply chant the name of Govinda continuously since His Name alone is worthy of praise.” – (Skanda Purân)

 

“We can get the result of serving hundreds of holy places by chanting Sri Vishnu’s name.” – (Vâman Purân)

“It is extremely pious to donate one crore cows during the solar eclipse, to reside for one kalpa in the water of Gangâ at Prayâg, to perform one million yagnas and give gold equal to Moun Meru in alms – however they are not equal to a hundredth fraction of chanting Lord Govinda’s name.” – (Skanda Purân)

 “If we chant Sri Vishnu’s name we get rid of the cycle of birth and death, our enemies such as lust and anger are destroyed and we gain spiritual knowledge.” – (Skanda Purân)

 “There are various powers (shaktis) in alms-giving, fasting, austerities and holy places. Some shaktis can destroy all the sins of the devatâs and grant well being. Râjsuya, Ashwamedh yagna and spiritual knowledge too have power. Bhagavân Sri Hari has dragged all those shaktis from there and placed them in His Name.” – (Skanda Purân)

 “The ones who chant ‘Nârâyan’, ‘Jagannâth’, ‘Vâsudev’, ‘Janârdan’ etc are praised everywhere.” – (Brihan-Nâradiya)

 “The ones who have no other respite, are steeped in sense gratification, are inimical by nature, without spiritual knowledge and material detachment and without any control over sexual desire and devoid of any righteous conduct – they can simply chant the Holy Name and can attain such a hight state – that even all righteous people put together cannot reach.” – (Padma Purân)

 “The ones who always chant the names such as ‘Nârâyan’, ‘Achyuta’, ‘Ananta’, ‘Vâsudev’ etc. are united with me.” – (Varâha Purân)

 “The one who always engages in sins, even he can attain the supreme abode of Sri Vishnu by chanting the Holy Name.” – (Nandi Purân)

 “Dear brahmins, the ones who constantly chant Your Holy Name in spite of being hungry and thirsty – Sri Hari is extremely pleased with them.” – (Brihan-Nâradiya Purân)

 “Chanting the Holy Name of Sri Dâmodar is the only good thing in life – it is also treasure we can gain and the sole benefit of living.” – (Skanda Purân and Padma Purân)

“The connoisseurs of bhakti ras consider the chanting of the Holy Name as the outcome of bhakti, since the Holy Name is the only sure way to arouse precious divine love – it never fails.” – (Srila Sanâtan Goswâmi in Brihad-Bhâgavatam.2.3.165)

 Srila Sanâtan Goswâmipâd has explained this statement as follows –

 “Aho! How much can I extol Sri Harinâm-sankirtan that is the greatest of all means? The connoisseurs of bhakti have ascertained chanting of the Holy Name as the highest achievable goal. You may ask – prem is the outcome of devotional practice and chanting is the means to achieve it, why are you calling it the ‘result of bhakti‘? My answer is – You are right. However chanting the Holy Name leads certainly to prem (whosoever chants the Holy Name will surely get prem), hence we are calling it the result of bhakti. In fact there is no exception to this rule.”

 Therefore the saints call Harinâm-sankirtan as the product of bhakti. When we chant the Holy Name we naturally gain the priceless divine love -the result of devotional practice.  Hence chanting is the goal.

 Sriman-Mahâprabhu has stated with His holy lips –

 “Chanting the Holy Name destroys all our sins and redeems us from material attachment. It purifies the innermost heart and is the source of all devotional practices. It arouses Sri Krishna-prem, and makes us relish its nectar. It gives us Sri Krishna and immerses us in the nectarine ocean of sevâ.”

– (C.C.Antya.20.10-11)

(to be continued……….)

 

---

¹ The One Who wipes the tears of His dear ones

² People who always conduct themselves righteously