HOLYNAME- The Only Shelter!

“One can be free from all sinful reactions after reaching a place of pilgrimage, but one can have the same benefit at home or at any place simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord”. Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.15, Srila Prabhupada

The Yuga-Dharma prescribed for Kali-Yuga is Harinaam Sankirtan (Chanting of the Holy-name of the Lord). Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can also be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra.

Hare Krishna Mantra was preached initially 500 years ago by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is none other than Krishna in the mood of Srimati Radharani. He is the hidden avatar of the Divine Couple Sri Radha and Krishna. Later Srila Prabhupada (the founder Acharya of the worldwide ISKCON movement) on the order of his spiritual master went to the western world and distributed this “Love of Godhead” in the form of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra in every corner of the world.

The Holy Name of Krishna is so potent that even if it is chanted in an inattentive state it gradually cleans the contaminated consciousness of the person chanting the pure names of Krishna and makes a person spiritually charged. Of all Krishna’s various energies, one reigns supreme, that is his Kripa-Shakti, mercy-energy. Out of love, Krishna comes to this world in the form of his Holy-Name, making Himself easily accessible to even conditioned souls.

Being the part and parcel of Krishna- The Supreme Lord, the soul is always hankering for happiness and contentment, In Sri Harinama Chintamani (2.35) Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that in this world of life and death only two spiritual entities exist: individual souls and the Holy Name of Lord Krishna. The art of chanting is to bring the two together. All else is lifeless matter. Thus when we chant the Holy Name, what we really aspire for is the descent of Krishna into out lives. We wish that Krishna will personally come to our tongue, and from there enter our heart so that a sweet, loving relationship – a heart to heart relationship can develop. The temple of the heart is the place where we long to receive and install Krishna and permamnently keep him there. This is the idea of chanting. Srila Prabhupada expressed it clearly:

“Chanting HARE KRISHNA mantra means keeping Krishna always within your heart.”

The Hare Krishna mahamantra is the chain which connects us to Shri Krishna in Goloka…absorbed in his transcendental pastimes with Srimati Radharani and the Vrajavasis. When we chant Krishna’s names he responds to our calling and he hears the holyname very eagerly and carefully.

Krishna’s Holy-Name is even more merciful than Krishna himself!

Just how we see Ajamila’s example who was a Brahmana in a city known as Kanyakubja married a prostitute maidservant and because of her association he lost all his Brahmanical qualities.

 Ajamila used to earn the bread for his family by cheating others in gambling, arresting them and spent most of the time of his life in these abominable sinful deeds and thus eighty-eight years of his life passed by. Ajamila had ten sons and the youngest of all was a boy named Narayana, and because he was the youngest of all he was very dear to both the parents. Ajamila was very much attached to him and took care of Narayana very lovingly, he was always engaged in calling out the names of the child. Days passed by and old Ajamila could not understand that his own time was  now exhausted and death was upon him.

When the time of death arrived for Ajamila he began thinking exclusively of his son Narayana. Ajamila then saw three Yamadutas with deformed bodily features, fierce twisted faces and hair standing erect on their bodies, with ropes in their hands they had come to take him away. Ajamila got bewildered when he saw them and because of a very strong attachment to the child he began to call out his name with tears in his eyes he somehow or other chanted the Holy-Name of Narayana.

The moment he called out the name Narayana immediately the Vishnudutas arrived when they heard the Holy Name of their eternal master from the mouth of Ajamila, who had certainly chanted without offense because he had chanted in complete anxiety. The Vishnudutas with resounding voices forbade the order carriers of Yamaraja.

Yamaraja’s messengers explained to the Vishnudutas that Ajamila was a good and wise man in the beginning but later led an impious life and also committed many crimes. But, the Vishnudutas whose eyes were just like the petals of lotus flowers, dressed in yellow silken garments, decorated with garlands of lotuses, wearing very attractive helmets on their heads and earring on their ears, they appeared very fresh and youthful. Their arms were decorated with bows and quivers of arrows and swords, clubs, conchshells, discs and lotus flowers told the Yamadutas that they cannot take Ajamila for he has chanted the name of Narayana with devotion, so they do not have the right to touch Ajamila!

A person even if he has committed heinous crimes, if he utters the Holy-name of The Supreme Lord is immediately released from the bondage no matter how heavy the bondage of sin is, such is the power of Narayana’s name. Thus the Vishnudutas explained that Ajamila has been freed not only from sins in this life, but from the sins of many, many thousands of other lives. Chanting the glories of the Lord’s Holy Name awakens all good fortune. Therefore Ajamila should not be punished by Yamaraja.

Ajamila could understand how fortunate he was to have chanted the names of the Lord at the end of his life. He then went to Haridwar where he engaged in devotional service without fail, always thinking about the Supreme Lord. Thus, the Vishnudutas went there, seated him on a golden throne and took him away to Vaikunthaloka.

diksa-purascarya-vidhi apeksa na kare

jihva-sparse a-candala sabare uddhare

One simply has to vibrate the holy name with his lips.

Thus, even a man in the lowest class (candala) can be delivered. {CC Madhya Lila 15.08}

                                          CHANT AND BE HAPPY