Ontology of the holy name

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswati Ṭhakura

শ্রী গৌड़िয-কন্ঠহার

Gaudiya Kanṭhahāra:

The Jeweled Necklace of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas

17th Jewel

NĀMA-TATTVA

The Ontology of the Holy Name

Being a compendium of quotations from revealed scriptures

concerning the truths about the cult of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu

Compiled under the authority and direction of

His Divine Grace

Bhaktisiddhānta Sāraswāti Goswāmī

Prabhupada

Translated and edited, with original Sanskrit and Bengali and Roman transliteration by

B. V. Mahāyogi, Michael Dolan

NĀMA-TATTVA

The Efficacy of Gāyatrī and the Holy Name

১৭.১৬
কৃষ্ণ-মন্ত্র হৈতে হবে সংসার-মোচন 
কৃষ্ণ-নাম হৈতে পাবে কৃষ্ণের চরণ

17.16

kṛṣṇa-mantra haite habe saṁsāra-mocana 
kṛṣṇa-nāma haite pābe kṛṣṇera caraṇa

Through the gāyatrī mantra one attains liberation from material existence.

Through the holy name one attains the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. (Cc. Ādi 7.73)

The Glories of Hari-kathā

१७.१७
श्रुतम्-अप्य्-औपनिषदं दूरे हरि-कथामृतात् 
यन् न सन्ति द्रवच्-चित्त- कम्पाश्रु- पुलकादयः
17.17

śrutam-apy-aupaniṣadaṁ dūre hari-kathāmṛtāt 
yan na santi dravac-citta- kampāśru- pulakādayaḥ

The Upaniṣads have ascertained nirviśeña brahma as the subject of the śruti, whereas they only take a distant view of hari- kathā. This is because through hearing and chanting about Brahman, one's heart is not moved, tears do not

pour from the eyes, and the bodily hairs do not stand on end. 

(Padyāvalī 39)

The Glories of the Holy Name Surpasses that ofImpersonal Brahman

१७.१८
यद् ब्रह्म-साक्षात्-कृति-निष्ठयापि 
विनाशमायाति विना न भोगैः
अपैति नाम-स्फुरणेन तत्ते 
प्रारभ्द-कर्मेति विरौति वेदः

17.18

yad brahma-sākṣāt-kṛti-niṣṭhayāpi 
vināśamāyāti vinā na bhogaiḥ

apaiti nāma-sphuraṇena tatte 
prārabhda-karmeti virauti vedaḥ

O holy name! The seeds from which sin sprouts within the heart are not burned to ashes by realization of Brahman or by constant meditation on eternal consciousness. But, O holy name, as soon as You appear on the tongue of a sincere chanter, all the karmic seeds of sin are burned to ashes. Thus all sinful reactions, past, present and future are finished. 
This is proclaimed by the Vedas.

(Kṛṣṇa-nāmāṣṭakam, Rūpa Gosvāmī 4) 

Kīrtana of the Holy Name is Best of All

१७.१९
अघच्चित्-स्मरणम् विष्णोर्- बह्वायासेन साध्यते
औष्ठस्पन्दन-मात्रेण कीर्तनतु ततो वरम्

17.19

aghaccit-smaraṇam viṣṇor- bahvāyāsena sādhyate

auṣṭhaspandana-mātreṇa kīrtanatu tato varam 

The remembrance of Viṣṇu certainly cuts sin to pieces, but it is very difficult to attain perfection through remembering Viṣṇu. Only after great effort is such remembrance possible. However, simply by moving the lips, there is the kīrtana

of the holy name of Viṣṇu, and therefore kīrtana is the topmost process of devotional service. 

(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, 11.453) 

The Holy Name Surpasses Worship and Meditation

१७.२०
जयति जयति नामानन्द-रूपं मुरारेर् विरमित-निज-धर्म-ध्यान-पूजादि-यत्नम् कथमपि सकृदात्तं मुक्तिदं प्राणिना यत् परम्-अमृतम्-एकं जीवनं भूषणं मे

17.20

jayati jayati nāmānanda-rūpaṁ murārer viramita-nija-dharma-dhyāna-pūjādi-yatnam kathamapi sakṛdāttaṁ muktidaṁ prāṇinā yat param-amṛtam-ekaṁ jīvanaṁ bhūṣaṇaṁ me 

All glories, all glories to the all-blissful holy name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which causes the devotee to give up all conventional religious duties, meditation, and worship.

When somehow or other uttered even once by a living entity the holy name awards him liberation. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is the highest nectar in my life and my only treasure. 

(Bṛhad-Bhāgavātmṛta 1.1.9)

१७.२१
येन जन्म शतैः पूर्वं वासुदेवः सनर्चितः 
तन्-मुखे हरि-नामानि सदा तिष्ठन्ति भारत
17.21

yena janma śataiḥ pūrvaṁ vāsudevaḥ sanarcitaḥ 
tan-mukhe hari-nāmāni sadā tiṣṭhanti bhārata

O descendant of Bhārata, one who has previously worshiped Lord Vāsudeva in hundreds of lifetimes can now chant the holy name eternally. 

(Hari-bhaktivilāsa 11.454)

The Holy Name is not Regulated by Time, Place, and Circumstance

१७.२२.२३
न देश नियमो राजन् न काल नियमस् तथा विद्यते नात्र सन्देहो विष्णोर्-नामानु-कीर्तने कालोऽस्ति दाने यज्ञे च स्नाने कालोऽ स्ति सज् जपे विष्णु-सङ्कीर्तने कालो नास्त्यत्र पृठिवीतले

17.22 and 23

na deśa niyamo rājan na kāla niyamas tathā vidyate nātra sandeho viṣṇor-nāmānu-kīrtane kālo'sti dāne yajñe ca snāne kālo' sti saj jape viṣṇu-saṅkīrtane kālo nāstyatra pṛṭhivītale

O king, there are no rules governing the time and place wherein the holy name of Viṣṇu can be chanted. 
Of this there can be no doubt. Charity and sacrifice

are governed by various rules regarding time and place, as are the taking of one's bath and the silent uttering of different mantras. But the holy name of Viṣṇu can be chanted in saṅkīrtana at any time in any place on earth. 

(Haribhakti-vilāsa 11.412, 413)

१७.२४
न देश-नियमस् तस्मिन् न काल-नियमस्-तथा 
नोच्छिष्ठादौ निषेधो ऽस्ति श्री हरेर्-नाम्नि लुब्धक

17.24

na deśa-niyamas tasmin na kāla-niyamas-tathā nocchiṣṭhādau niṣedho 'sti śrī harer-nāmni lubdhaka

O hunter, there are no restrictions on when or where the holy name of Śrī Hari may be chanted and no prohibitions regarding the uncleanness of the mouth from which the holy name comes forth. 

(Hari- bhakti-vilāsa 11.408)

१७.२५
एतावतालम् अघ-निर्हरणाय पुंसां सङ्कीर्तनं भगवतो गुण-कर्म-नाम्नाम् विक्रुश्य पुत्रम् अघवान् यद् अजामिलो ऽपि नारायणेति म्रियमाण इयाय मुक्तिम्

17.25

etāvatālam agha-nirharaṇāya puṁsāṁ saṅkīrtanaṁ bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām vikruśya putram aghavān yad ajāmilo 'pi nārāyaṇeti mriyamāṇa iyāya muktim

It should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities.

This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he gets relief from material bondage if he chants without offences. 

Ajāmila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Nārāyaṇa.