Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.30
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Honolulu, May 29, 1976

Pradyumna: Translation: “My dear king, the order carriers of Visnu, the Visnudutas, immediately arrived when they heard the holy name of their master from the mouth of the dying Ajamila, who had certainly chanted without offense because he had chanted in complete anxiety.”

Prabhupada:

nisamya mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam bhartur nama maharaja parsadah sahasapatan

So this is the benefit of chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Both the order carriers of Yamaraja and order carriers of Lord Visnu, they’re everywhere, just like the police is everywhere. But as soon as you call them, from the police’s station they immediately inform the patrol police on the car, immediately he comes. If there is such material arrangement within the government, how much nice arrangement is there in the supreme government?

So we have to practice this, that Hare Krsna maha-mantra. If we practice, there is chance at the time of death repeating the same thing, Hare Krsna maha-mantra. So immediately you are saved, not to go to the yama-mandira. The powerful name, holy name is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no difference—absolute. Absolute means… Just like here if I simply chant “mango, mango, mango,” there is no mango. Mango is different from the name mango. If I want to eat mango, the substance mango I must have. So there is difference between the name and its substance. That is material—duality. But in the absolute world there is…, means there’s no duality. The name mango and mango: the same. This requires advanced knowledge. So there is no difference between Krsna the name and Krsna the person. There is no difference. Otherwise this is practical. You’re chanting Hare Krsna. Twenty-four hours you can chant, you’ll never feel tired. But if you chant any other thing… [break]

etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah. God realization…, the atheist class, they say, “There is no God.” But if you chant the God’s holy name, you’ll see God. There is no difficult process of… The Kali-yuga especially, this is a special prerogative of this age because God realization is very, very difficult for them. But if you take advantage of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy… It is… Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy means it is perpetual. Not that because Caitanya Mahaprabhu has introduced the sankirtana movement, therefore the name is as good as the person. No. It is always the name Narayana or Krsna, the name of the Supreme Lord, is as good as the Su… It is always. But in this age especially it has got special potency. That is because we are all very, very fallen souls. (child crying) (aside:) The child. We are very, very fallen souls. We cannot do anything. It is very, very difficult. Although at any time, as it is said before, kevalaya bhaktya. Kecit kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah [SB 6.1.15]. Simply by bhakti, devotional service, one can become liberated from all contamination. That’s a fact, especially in this age. Otherwise why the Europeans and Americans, they will join this movement and chant if there is no effective measure? Why? They are not fools, rascals; they are educated. They’re coming from respectable family. It is not that we are befooling them to chant Hare Krsna and dance. No. They are feeling ecstasy. It’s a fact. Not blindly they are doing. Not only in one place, hundreds of centers. Why? That is the effect of chanting. If you chant, you get the effect, because the holy name and the Supreme Lord, there is no difference.

That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: namnam akari bahudha nija… God has many names. It is not that you have to chant only “Krsna.” No. If you have got any other name of God… Must be God’s name. But they do not believe in God. Generally they think there is no God, or if there is God, God is dead. Something like that. And I don’t think there is any definitive name in any other religious system. It is only in the Vedic system there is name. So anyway, if somebody thinks that “This Krsna is an Indian name. Why shall I chant ‘Krsna’?” Well, you chant any other name, but it must be God’s name. Then it will be effective. Just like immediately chanted “Narayana.” Not that one has to chant “Krsna.” “Narayana” will do. “Govinda” will do. Must be God’s name, because God and God’s name… There are sahasra, one thousand Visnu-stotra. God has many names, hundreds and thousands. So any name you prefer, you chant, you’ll get result. This is the perfect… God, factually, He has no name. How many names you will remember? But His names are given according to His activities. Krsna, Krsna is the best name. Why? That Krsna means “all-attractive.” This name can attract everyone. This is the most perfect. Although God has many names, out of many names the Krsna name is mukha or the primary.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu has introduced Krsna name, krsna-varnam. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s identification is given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, krsna-varnam, krsnam varna iti, iti krsna-varnam (?). He is always chanting “Krsna.” He’s Krsna, krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam [SB 11.5.32]. The incarnation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu is described in the Eleventh Canto, Fifth Chapter. He’s described. He has recommended in the sastra that in the Kali-yuga this incarnation, this form of God, should be worshiped. What is that? That is here: krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam. He is always chanting “Krsna,”and He’s Krsna. He belongs to the category of Krsna, krsna-varnam. Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam. But in this age His bodily complexion is not blackish, (indistinct). Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam: [SB 11.5.32] accompanied by His associates. Just like there is Nityananda, there is Advaita, there is Gadadhara. So sanga upangastra-parsadam. Astra, astra means weapon. So sanga… Because when God incarnates, He has got two business: paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. So one business is to give protection to the devotees and to annihilate the duskrta, those who are sinful. So first annihilating, it requires weapon, sankha, cakra, gada, (indistinct). Lord Ramacandra has got bows and arrows, and Krsna has got Sudarsana-cakra. But here it is said, sanga-upanga-astra. What is that astra, weapon? Caitanya Mahaprabhu has no astra. Seemingly there’s a… But this is astra, this hari-sankirtana. This is astra. In the Kali-yuga there is no profit by killing them. They’re already killed. So therefore this is the astra. To kill the miscreants this is astra, this hari-sankirtana. If they’ll simply chant Hare Krsna, this is astra that will kill all their sinful reaction of life, then become devotee. This is astra. Now it is not required the bows and arrows or… Because they’re already dead, because they have no conception of God. Simply fighting how to avoid God, this is their business. It is very difficult to convince them about the existence of… They’re seeing every moment there is existence of God, but they’re so stubborn, so much bewildered by maya, they’ll not. So, under the circumstances, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He’s therefore called namo maha-vadanyaya, most munificent incarnation. Why? Krsna-prema-pradaya te [Madhya 19.53]. Even without understanding Krsna, simply by chanting Hare Krsna mantra they become ecstatic for love of Krsna. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s benediction: no qualification, but if he simply chants Hare Krsna mantra he’ll be ecstatic. Krsna-prema-pradaya te.

To understand Krsna is very difficult job. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many millions of persons, one is endeavoring to make his life perfect. But they do not know what is perfection of life. So yatatam api siddhanam. Siddhi means to understand that “I’m not this body. I don’t belong to this material world.” That is siddhi. Siddhi. Everyone is under the impression that “I’m this body.” “I’m Indian,” “I’m American,” “I’m Hindu,” “I’m Muslim,” “I’m Christian”—bodily upadhi, designation. He does not become free from the designation. The other day we were talking on Mr. Huxley(?) I think. He was talking of philosophy, but He was thinking, “I’m Englishman. I do this like that.” So this bodily concept of life is there although he’s philosopher. What kind of philosopher? Philosopher begins when there is no more bodily conception. What is that? Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. So this kind of philosophy has no meaning, because how a dog can become philosopher? That is not possible. A human being can become philosopher. So long I’m on the bodily concept of life, I’m in the line of cats and dogs. So how we can become philosopher? There is no question of. But they’re philosophizing, means bluffing, and similar men, he’s thinking, “I believe.” You believe or not believe, the law will go on.

So everyone is proposing “I believe.” That’s why the government law is there, that “If you do this, you’ll be punished like this.” That is government law. Suppose you have stolen something, committed theft, you must be punished for six months’ imprisonment. So you believe or not believe, the law will act. If you say in the court, “I believe,” what is the meaning of your belief? There’s no question of belief. Law is law. Ignorance is no excuse. If you go in the court and if you’re punished, so if you say, “My lordship, I believe like this. I’ll not be punished. So you’re punishing me,” so that is no excuse. You believe or not believe, the law is law. So, similarly, these philosophers theorizing so many “I believe.” So these things will not go. These things will not go. That is useless, simply waste of time. You must know there is God. How we can deny it? There is supreme power. I am being controlled every moment. Who wants to die? And who is forcing me to die? How he can deny the superior power? I do not want to become old man, and superior power forces me, “You must become old man.” So, so long there is force behind you, you have to act according to that. Where is your so-called belief or independence? That is foolishness. That is foolishness. But they have no brain that “I am being kicked. I’m being enforced to do something, and still I’m thinking ‘independent,’ ‘I believe.’ ” What is this meaning of his belief? There is no question of. This is foolishness.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is just to educate man that you believe or not believe, it doesn’t matter. There is God. There is the proprietor, but He’s coming personally and He’s saying, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva- loka-mahesvaram suhrdam sarva-bhutanam: [Bg. 5.29] “I am the proprietor, I am the enjoyer, and I am everyone’s friend. If you want to be delivered from this miserable condition of material life, I am your best friend.” Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Krsna. Because He’s the father. Who can be better friend than the father? Ha? Father always wants to see that “My son is happy.” That is natural. There is no begging, “Father, be kind upon me.” No. Father is already kind. But if you revolt against the father, then you suffer. Similarly, God is our father, God is our friend, naturally, and He says, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam, aham bija-pradah pita: “I am the seed-giving…,” not only for the human beings—all species of life, they are living entities. Then according to your karma, therefore different dresses. Just like we have got in this meeting different dresses. So (indistinct) human beings, the dress will be different. That is another thing. Similarly, the living entity is part and parcel of God, but someone has become human beings, some has become cats, someone has become tree, some as insects, some as demigods, some as (indistinct), some as the ant—varieties. Because they wanted to become like that, and God has given them the chance, “All right. You want to become like this and enjoy life? All right, you become like this.” So this is arrangement that God is there, and He is everyone’s father. He is everyone’s friend. He is always ready. He’s coming personally to canvas. He’s so kind. Just hear, immediately.

nisamya mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam bhartur nama maharaja parsadah sahasapatan

God has sent so many order carriers. Just see if one is inclined to come to Him. Just see. So as soon as the order carriers—they’re travelling everywhere—so, “Here’s a person, he’s chanting ‘Narayana.’ Come on. Take him.” Just see. “Here this person is chanting ‘Narayana.’ Yes.” Bhartur nama maharaja nisamya. “Oh, it is wonderful. He’s chanting ‘Narayana.’ ” Immediately Yamadutas wonder, “Why they are disturbing him? Stop!”

So take this chance of chanting harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. You’re always safe. The Yamadutas, the order carriers of Yamaraja, will not be able to touch you. It is so (indistinct). So take this opportunity, chanting Hare Krsna. I’m very glad that you are doing, but be very strict, sincerely chant. Your life is saved. Your next life is saved. Everything is all right.

Thank you very much. (end).