harinama is a must

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SB 8.23.16

 

mantratas tantratas chidram

 

desa-kalarha-vastutah?

 

sarvam karoti nischidram

 

anusankirtanam tava

 

SYNONYMSThere may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and

observing the regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be

discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when

Your Lordship's holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless.

 

PURPORT

 

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended:

 

harer nama harer nama

 

harer namaiva kevalam

 

kalau nasty eva nasty eva

 

nasty eva gatir anyatha

 

[Adi 17.21]

 

"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is

chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no

other way. There is no other way." (Brhan-naradiya Puranna 38.126) In this

age of Kali, it is extremely difficult to perform Vedic ritualistic

ceremonies or sacrifices perfectly. Hardly anyone can chant the Vedic

mantras with perfect pronunciation or accumulate the paraphernalia for

Vedic performances. Therefore the sacrifice recommended in this age is

sankirtana, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord. Yajnaih?

sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah? (Bhag. 11.5.29). Instead of

wasting time performing Vedic sacrifices, those who are intelligent, those

who possess good brain substance, should take to the chanting of the

Lord's holy name and thus perform sacrifice perfectly. I have seen that

many religious leaders are addicted to performing yajnas and spending

hundreds and thousands of rupees for imperfect sacrificial performances.

This is a lesson for those who unnecessarily execute such imperfect

sacrifices. We should take the advice of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (yajnaih?

sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah?). Although Sukracarya was a

strict brahman?a addicted to ritualistic activities, he also admitted,

nischidram anusankirtanam? tava: "My Lord, constant chanting of the holy

name of Your Lordship makes everything perfect." In Kali-yuga the Vedic

ritualistic ceremonies cannot be performed as perfectly as before.

Therefore ®r…la Jiva Gosvami has recommended that although one should take

care to follow all the principles in every kind of spiritual activity,

especially in worship of the Deity, there is still a chance of

discrepancies, and one should compensate for this by chanting the holy

name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In our Krsnna consciousness

movement we therefore give special stress to the chanting of the Hare

Krsna mantra in all activities.