Power of Holy Names - Part 2

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

This is in continuation of the offering, "Power of Holy Names", mailed few days ago, based on the transcription of the Bhagavatam class given by our beloved spiritual master, Srila Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on 8 July 1996 in Dubai, on the verse 6.2.8 from Srimad Bhagavatam.

etenaiva hy aghono ’sya kṛtaṁ syād agha-niṣkṛtam
yadā nārāyaṇāyeti jagāda catur-akṣaram

The Viṣṇudūtas continued: Even previously, while eating and at other times, this Ajāmila would call his son, saying, “My dear Nārāyaṇa, please come here.” Although calling the name of his son, he nevertheless uttered the four syllables nā-rā-ya-ṇa. Simply by chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa in this way, he sufficiently atoned for the sinful reactions of millions of lives.

In the previous offering we heard Gurudev explaining the first word of the above verse - that is etena (by this chanting). Maharaj insisted on the importance of chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra and how we need to start it immediately, without waiting for peaceful time in our life to start the same. Now in this mail let us continue to hear more nectar from Gurudev.

"I was talking to a devotee who said that he was remembering his father who was very devoted to Krishna. But when the father was alive, this person did not take interest and now he repents. Its too late to repent now. But it happens that many a times we don't realise the value of the father when he is alive. When the roof is on our head, we don't know the value of the roof. But once the roof is blown out we are completely opened to storm and rains, then we realise the value of the roof. So please when the roof is above your head itself come to devotional service. Now we will continue with the word-to-word equivalents. Please repeat. eva — indeed; hi — certainly; aghonah — who possesses sinful reactions; (Devotees repeat after Maharaj). agha means sins. In Bhagavad Gita verse 3.16 Lord Krishna says

evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ
aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati

My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the Vedas certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain.

In this verse Krishna gives us the process. evam pravartitam cakram - Srila Prabhupada has given us the process. Daily wake up early in the morning ; Do mangala arathi, Tulsi pooja, then chanting, greeting the deities and Bhagavatam class. This is morning program - the process given by Srila Prabhupada. If you don't follow the process, nānuvartayatīha yaḥ - in this life, in this planet, if you don't follow the process, then the result is - aghāyur - your life is full of sins. You don't do mangala arathi and you are completely lazy. You don't feel like getting up at all and if you start the day with that laziness, then the whole day is gone.  aghāyur - and once you don't feel alright, then the tablets are there. You keep ringing the doctor. "Hello Doctor - I am not feeling well." Doctor gives some tablets and you start the day with medicines. Once when I was staying in the Manor, I used to call the devotee staying with me in the room to come for mangala-arathi daily. But he wouldn't come. Every day when he gets up, he will check the tube of his urine as to how much salt is there etc.  He had some guage to measure it and then immediately he will ring his doctor and tell how much salt was there etc. Doctor will advise him to take some tablet and immediately he will take that tablet. By the time I return from mangala-arathi, he would have taken 12 tablets and would say to me that he is not well. I told him that because you are not coming and taking Krishna's darshan, you have to take your urine's darshan in the morning. You have to take some darshan. Either Krishna's darshan or urine's darshan. If you come to Krishna's darshan, you are happy without any medicine. This is pure lunacy. We are lunatics if we don't take shelter of Krishna.

Now let us go to the next line. (Maharaj continues with word-to-word and devotees repeat after him.) asya — of this (Ajāmila); kṛtam — performed; syāt — is; agha — of sins; niṣkṛtam — complete atonement; yadā — when; nārāyaṇa — O Nārāyaṇa (the name of his son); āya — please come; iti — thus; jagāda — he chanted; catuḥ-akṣaram — the four syllables (nā-rā-ya-ṇa).

You all know this story how just by merely unconsciously chanting Lord's names, Ajamila was saved at the time of his death. The Vishnudutas came and there was a fight between the Yamadutas and Vishnudutas. The important message here is that even if one unconsciously chants the holy name, the effect is there. For example, this child does not know that fire hurts. But if he touches the fire, the fire will burn. Same way, we don't know the advantage of chanting Krishna's names. But you force yourself to chant and you will have the benefits. That is the main instruction."

Krishna willing we will continue to hear from Gurudev in the subsequent mails.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Sudarshana devi dasi.