Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.8

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

etenaiva hy aghono 'sya kṛtaṁ syād agha-niṣkṛtaṁ yadā nārāyaṅāyeti jagāda catur-akṣaram [SB 6.2.8]

[break] [01:42]

Prabhupāda:

etenaiva hy aghono 'sya kṛtaṁ syād agha-niṣkṛtaṁ yadā nārāyaṅāyeti jagāda catur-akṣaram [SB 6.2.8]

Now, the question may be... The Viṣṅudūta asked the Yamadūta, "You don't touch him. Don't try to take him away. He is now clean of all sinful reaction. You cannot touch him." Yamadūta is meant for the unclean, sinful men, not for the pious, clean men. Criminal department is meant for the unclean, not for the honest gentlemen. Similarly Yamarāja is meant for punishing the sinful men. So apparently he was sinful man. He did everything. But the Viṣṅudūta came to deliver him.

So the question is that "When this man became sinless?" So that answer is given here, etenaiva: "This chanting of 'Nārāyaṅa,' by this process," eva, "indeed, he, also," aghonaḥ—agha means "sinful"—asya, "of this Ajāmila," kṛtaṁ syād agha-niṣkṛtam, "he is now cleansed of all sinful reaction." When he became? Yadā, "from that time," yadā, nārāyaṅa, " 'O Nārāyaṅa,' " āyeti, āyeti, " 'Come here please...' " He was affectionate to his youngest son, little son, child. Generally, father-mother becomes very much attached. So this child was named Nārāyaṅa. So constantly he was chanting, "Nārāyaṅa, please come here." [aside:] What is that?

Devotee: [indistinct] [loud noise of bird] [someone claps hands]

Prabhupāda: That's all right. "Nārāyaṅa, please come here. Take your milk. Nārāyaṅa, please sit down here. Nārāyaṅa, take your meals," like that. So although he was addressing his son, he did not know that this chanting of "Nārāyaṅa" is going to his credit, although he did not know. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. He did not know what is the use of chanting "Nārāyaṅa," these four alphabet, catur-akṣaram. But some way or other, he was chanting.

So Nārāyaṅa is so kind that although he did not mean real Nārāyaṅa—he was meaning his son—but the affection was there for Nārāyaṅa. So Nārāyaṅa is so kind that consciously or unconsciously, if you chant the holy name of the Lord, it goes to your credit. Just like sometimes when you walk in the street, people say "Hare Kṛṣṅa!" So this is also going to their credit. When they offer their respect to a Vaiṣṅava, that goes to their credit. When one comes in this temple, offers his obeisances, it goes to their credit, because Kṛṣṅa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

So some way or other, with some purpose even it is so... Generally people come with a purpose, that "I shall go to the temple, offer my respect to the Deity, and I shall ask this benediction." That is also good, even if he has come with a motive. So Nārāyaṅa or Kṛṣṅa is so kind. Kāmād bhayāt lobhāt... Or if one chants Nārāyaṅa name with śuddha, then what to speak?

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is so nice that even people joke with us, "Hare Kṛṣṅa," it goes to his credit, even joking. When this Hare Kṛṣṅa movement was started by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at that time India was under Pathan rule, Muhammadan kingdom. So the constables, they were requested to "Arrest these chanters." The brāhmaṅas, the smārta brāhmaṅas, because Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached that "Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra you will be liberated," so the smārta brāhmaṅas, they thought it very dangerous, because their profession will be lost. So they protested to the magistrate, Muhammadan magistrate, Chand Kazi, that "This Caitanya, the Nimāi Paṅḍit, He has inaugurated one movement that 'Simply by chanting one will become liberated.' This is not according to our Hindu scripture. So you may be Muhammadan, but you are our ruler. You should give us some protection. Otherwise this Nimāi Paṅḍit will ruin our Hindu religion." This was the complaint. So after all, he is the magistrate. He took some action, and he forbade through the constables that "You cannot chant." Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was informed by His followers that "We have been ordered by the magistrate to stop..." Just like in foreign countries we are being very occasionally arrested by the police, taken to the jail. So many obstacles are there. But our students are so adamant, they don't stop. They prefer to go to jail, but they will never stop. They are so much determined.

So this persecution of devotees, it is from the very beginning. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was five-years-old boy, and he was simply chanting "Nārāyaṅa." So his father became enemy, what to speak of others. His father. He was atheist. He did not believe in God. So he asked his son, "Why you are chanting 'Nārāyaṅa'?" "Nārāyaṅa is God, the Supreme Lord." "Eh? Supreme Lord? I am Supreme Lord. You chant my name." The boy will not hear. So there was enmity. He was persecuted. So not in this age. Devotees are supposed to be persecuted all the time. Christ was crucified. So this is the position of the devotee in the material world, that they become very easily enemy of the demons. But the devotees are not afraid of the demons.

So the purport is that yadā nārāyaṅa āyeti jagāda catur-akṣaram. So Ajāmila was benefited, although he did not know the distinction between pious and impious activity on account of too much attachment with this material world. He was the husband of a prostitute, and he got some children. So to maintain the family and children he used to adopt any means, never mind. He did not know what is sinful and what is not sinful. But his only credit was that he was chanting "Nārāyaṅa." He was chanting "Nārāyaṅa." It does not mean knowingly we shall commit sinful activities and chant "Nārāyaṅa." It is not meant, that. He did not know what is sin, what is not sin, what is Nārāyaṅa, but circumstantially he was doing all the sinful activities; at the same time he was chanting "Nārāyaṅa." This is by accident. He did not know that "I am becoming sinless by chanting Nārāyaṅa." He did not have that concept. Knowingly... Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. If somebody chants the name of Nārāyaṅa knowingly, that "I am chanting the name of Nārāyaṅa; therefore let me do..., act some sinful activity," it will be counteracted. They are very sinful. They are not excused. But he was innocent. He did not know that what is the effect of sinful activities, neither he knew what is sinful activities, neither he knew what is Nārāyaṅa. Therefore it was going to his credit. The Viṣṅudūta informed the Yamadūta that "He is already cleansed. Don't worry about him." Because he was chanting nārāyaṅāyeti. Nārāyaṅāyeti: "Nārāyaṅa, my dear son, please come here." He was very much attached. Yadā nārāyaṅeti jagāda. He uttered catur-akṣaram, four words, four alphabets only, catur-akṣaram.

So Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has given in this connection many, many quotation from the śāstra how one can become free from all sinful reaction by chanting the holy name of the Lord, importance of chanting the holy name. So we are also preaching the same thing under the direction of higher authorities, Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalaṁ kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā [Cc Ādi 17.21]

[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]

In this age people are generally, seventy-five or eighty percent or ninety percent, they are all sinful. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10].

[O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.]

This is the position of the people in this age. They are mandāḥ, all bad, all bad. You cannot distinguish who is bad and who is good. All bad, and very slow. They do not know what is the value of life, how to make this human form of life successful. Mandāḥ. Just like we are chanting all over the whole world that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra and you will be happy." Still, they are not very much interested. Mandāḥ, slow: "All right, I shall do it at the time of death. Now let me enjoy." Mandāḥ. And manda-matayo. And if one is interested for spiritual advancement of life, he will go to some rascal, some avatāra, some yogī, some bluffer, some magician, as spiritual salvation. Mandaḥ manda-matayo. Why they are attracted by these rascals? Manda-bhāgyā: unfortunate. Kṛṣṅa says directly, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. They will not hear Kṛṣṅa. They will hear these rascals, so-called yogīs, so-called avatāras, so-called mahātmās. Manda-bhāgyāḥ. Therefore upadrutāḥ. They are always, constantly, disturbed. This is the position.

So therefore this age, Kali-yuga, is the ocean of faulty things. Doṣa-nidhi. Nidhi means ocean. And you will find, just like unfathomed water in the ocean, Pacific Ocean, similarly, this Kali-yuga is the ocean of unfathomed sinful activities. Kalau doṣa-nidhe. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, kalau doṣa-nidhe rājan hy asti eko mahān guṅaḥ [SB 12.3.51].

[My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.]

In this age this ocean of faults, there is a very valuable thing. That is special concession to these fallen souls of this age. Because Kṛṣṅa is so kind, He is always anxious to deliver us. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham [Bg 4.7]. He is father. He is the seed-giving father of all living entities. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, mamaivāṁśaḥ. So He is very unhappy. Of course, He cannot be unhappy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12].

[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]

But at least, because we are His sons and we are rotting in this material world for sense gratification, in this way He is very sorry.

Therefore He comes and teaches us, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām [Bg 18.66]: "You rascal, why you are going here and there? Just surrender unto Me. I will give you..." But still, the rascals will not take.

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ [Bg 7.15]

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

Because they have been trained up with the atheistic temperament they will never surrender. They will go on committing sinful life, duṣkṛtina. They do not know what is the value of life, mūḍha. And in spite of getting this human form of life, still, they remain mūḍha. Therefore narādhamā, the lowest of the mankind. "No. They are passing M.A., B.A. examination, and so many titles, academic career." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. This kind of knowledge has no value. The value is already taken away. Therefore you will find highly educated person: he is committing sinful life, organized. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. He does not know how to live. Why? The basic principle is āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because they have taken the atheistic way of life, therefore they are suffering.

So this is the position of this age, and the one benefit is that kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. If you chant this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra... Particularly says, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya [SB 12.3.51].

[My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.]

Kṛṣṅa and Rāma. Kṛṣṅa means including Rāma and other incarnations. This is the statement in the śāstra.

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu kṛṣṅaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham bhajāmi [Bs 5.39]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṅa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions.]

Kṛṣṅa has so many expansion, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu: Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, ity ādi. So Kṛṣṅa is existing with innumerable expansion of His form. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṅa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanam [Bs 5.33].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]

So Hare Kṛṣṅa and Hare Rāma. Therefore it is enjoined by the śāstra, "Chant these two names:

Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare"

So Rāma and Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Lord, and Hare means Harā. So Harā means the potency, pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord, Harā. It is addressed as Hare. So Hare Kṛṣṅa means Rādhā-Kṛṣṅa, and Hare Rāma means Sītā-Rāma. So either you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa or Sītā-Rāma, it is the same. And this is the only way. This is only. There is no difficulty. So however your condition may be fallen, take this instruction of the śāstras and chant,

Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]