{"id":79,"date":"2008-08-05T10:22:01","date_gmt":"2008-08-05T10:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/?p=79"},"modified":"2008-08-06T12:51:52","modified_gmt":"2008-08-06T12:51:52","slug":"glory-of-chanting-the-holy-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/sweet_books\/a-z-of-mahamantra\/glory-of-chanting-the-holy-name\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 3: Glory of chanting the Holy Name"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dhameshwar<\/a>

Dhameshwar Sri Nitaichand<\/p><\/div>\n

All scriptures such as the Vedas and the saints have openly extolled the glory of chanting the Holy Name. The Rig Ved has stated –<\/p>\n

\u00a0“om <\/em>\u00e2hasya j\u00e2nanto n\u00e2ma chidviviktan mahaste vishno sumatim bhaj\u00e2mahe<\/em> om tatsadity\u00e2di<\/em>.” – (1.156.3)<\/p>\n

\u00a0Srimat Jiva Gosw\u00e2mip\u00e2d has explained this verse as follows –<\/p>\n

“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”<\/p>\n

\u00a0Sri Krishna has told Sri Arjun in \u00c2di pur\u00e2n –<\/p>\n

“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 Jan\u00e2rdan1<\/sup><\/a>. I do not belong to anyone else.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0Sri Krishna has told in the Mah\u00e2bh\u00e2rat –<\/p>\n

\u00a0“Krishn\u00e2 (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).”<\/p>\n

\u00a0Sri Bali Mah\u00e2r\u00e2j told Shukr\u00e2ch\u00e2rya in Brihan-N\u00e2radiya Pur\u00e2n –<\/p>\n

\u00a0“When the two syllables “\u2018Ha’ and \u2018ri'” are present on the tip of one’s tongue he attains the realm of Sri Vishnu and he never returns to this world.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0Lord Shiva told Sri N\u00e2rad in Linga Pur\u00e2n –<\/p>\n

\u00a0“Harin\u00e2m<\/em> destroys the evils of Kaliyug<\/em>; 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 Harin\u00e2m<\/em> with devotion goes to His abode and gains the Supreme Being.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0Srimad-Bh\u00e2gavatam recommends chanting of the Holy Name as the supreme means and the topmost achievable goal –<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“etan-nirvidyam\u00e2n\u00e2n\u00e2michchhat\u00e2makutobhayam,<\/em><\/p>\n

yogin\u00e2m nripa nirnitam harer-n\u00e2m\u00e2nukirtanam.”<\/em><\/p>\n

– (S.B.2.1.11)<\/p>\n

\u00a0Shridhar Sw\u00e2mi has explained this verse as follows –<\/p>\n

\u00a0“No means is greater than chanting the Holy Name for the s\u00e2dhak <\/em>or for a siddha<\/em> (one who has realized his spiritual goal). Therefore Srimad-Bh\u00e2gavatam is saying – \u2018O 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<\/em> (the gy\u00e2nis<\/em>) 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-Bh\u00e2gavatam uses the word \u2018nirnitam<\/em>‘, meaning, it is an axiom -have no doubt about it.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0We can achieve all our desires by resorting to Sri Harin\u00e2m Sankirtan<\/em> alone and although we may not perfect other parts of bhajan,<\/em> simply by chanting the Holy Name we attain perfection.<\/p>\n

\u00a0We can chant the Holy Name in any place or at any time. Srimat Jiva Gosw\u00e2mip\u00e2d has written –<\/p>\n

“Chanting the Holy Name has the same power in all the ages, however in Kaliyug<\/em> Sri Bhagav\u00e2n<\/em> Himself exhorts the living being to chant, hence it has more glory in Kaliyug<\/em>. In an ordinary Kaliyug<\/em>, Sri Bhagav\u00e2n<\/em> appears as a Yug\u00e2vat\u00e2r<\/em> and spreads the Holy Name, but this is a very special Kaliyug<\/em> since Swayam<\/em> Bhagav\u00e2n<\/em> Sriman-Mah\u00e2prabhu has descended along with His associates. He Himself chants the Holy Name and makes the living beings do so. Therefore Harin\u00e2m<\/em> kirtan <\/em>is more wonderful now. Even though we have to perform other parts of bhajan,<\/em> we should do them along with chanting. When Karbh\u00e2jan Rishi described the yuga-dharma <\/em>of Kaliyug<\/em> he told King Nimi –<\/p>\n

“In Kaliyug<\/em> the ones who are very intelligent worship Sri Hari with plenty of Sankirtan-yagna<\/em> (by chanting lots of Harin\u00e2m<\/em>)” – (S.B.11.5.32)<\/p>\n

\u00a0“Sri Krishna-Chaitanya Mah\u00e2prabhu has revealed the Harin\u00e2m Sankirtan<\/em>. 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<\/em>.”<\/p>\n