The glories of the holy name

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The glories of the holy name Krishna and His name are non-different. (1) The Lord's name has descended from Goloka. (2) Krishna's name is iInvested with the Lord's spiritual potency. (3) Krishna's name purifies the heart and mind. (4) The chanting process is simple, sublime, and all-auspicious; even a child can take part. It frees one from sinful reaction and material bondage. (5) Chanting "Rama" gives the same result as chanting the 1000 names of Visnu. (6) Chanting "Krishna" once has the same potency as 3,000 names of Visnu. The Lord's holy names are even effective for someone not even aware of their potency. Chanting contains the benefits of all other Vedic rites; to chant is the same as having performed all the Vedic processes of purification. (7) Chanting is the means for attaining pure love of God (Krishna-prema) in this age. It protects you from maya and falldown. It purifies the atmosphere. It yields the same

results as the processes of previous yugas. It elevates one even from a low background. Chanters are the most attractive to Krishna. All the Vedic knowledge is contained within the maha-mantra, the essence of the Vedas is to chant, and by chanting one realises the meaning of the Vedas. Chanting is the ultimate means to attain the ultimate success. Vedic verses glorifying the holy namesBy once chanting the holy name of the Lord, which consists of the two syllables ha-ri, one guarantees his path to liberation. (Skanda Purana)Simply by chanting one holy name of Hari, a sinful man can counteract the reactions to more sins than he is able to commit. (Brhad-visnu Purana)If one chants the holy name of the Lord, even in a helpless condition or without desiring to do so, all the reactions of his sinful life depart, just as when a lion roars, all the small animals flee in fear. (Garuda Purana)Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by

meditating on Visnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.52)To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person face to face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters immediately becomes eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he once utters the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or chants about Him, hears about His pastimes, offers Him obeisances or even remembers Him. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.33.6)My dear Narada, actually I do not reside in My abode, Vaikuntha, nor do I reside within the hearts of the yogis, but I reside in that place where My pure devotees chant My holy name and discuss My form, pastimes and qualities. (Padma Purana)O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless

way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.11) Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of sankirtana. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.5.36)Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.14)One can refer also to the story of Ajamila.Footnotes:(1) The name of Krishna and Krishna are nondifferent, but we cannot realize this intellectually. We have to practice chanting Hare Krishna to realse it. When we

actually advance in devotional service and chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra offenselessly, we will realise that Krishna and His name are nondifferent. (Teachings of Lord Kapiladeva p. 12)(2) Golokera prema dhana, harinama sankirtana(3)O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Krishna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by chanting Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them. (Siksastaka 2)(4) Glory to the Sri Krishna sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads

the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious. (Siksastaka 1)(5) Although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.51)The chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.31)(6) If a person utters the name Rama only once, he gets the result of chanting one thousand names of Visnu. And if somebody once chants the name Krishna, he achieves the results obtained by chanting the name Rama three times. In other words, uttering the name

Krishna once is equal to uttering three thousand other names of Visnu. (Mukunda-mala-stotra 2)(7) Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled everything required. "Srimad-Bhagavatam