References and Notes from

Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Shri Bhajana-rahasya

The contaminations that cover the mirror of consciousness are swept away by chanting the holy name, for it is the embodimtnt of profound spiritual bliss. For example, Shrila Rupa Gosvami writes in his Namastaka [7]:

suditashrita-janarti-rashaye ramya-cid-ghana sukha-svarupine
nama gokula-mahotsavaya te krishna purna-vapushe namo namah

“O holy name! OLord Krishna! You dissipate the sufferings of Your surrendered devotees caused by their offenses to the holy name. You possess the transcendental form of ecstatic beauty and bliss, and You appear as the embodiment of sublime joy for the residents of Gokula. You are therefore a fully spiritual entity of the same spiritual nature as the Vaikuntha planets. I offer my repeated obeisances unto You."

aaaaIt is stated in the Shrimad-Bhägavatam [6.2.46]

nätah param karma-nibandha-krintanam
mumukshatäm tirtha-padänukirtanät
na yat punah karmasu sajjate mano
rajas-tamobhyäm kalilam tato 'nyathä

“Therefore one who desires freedom from material bondage should adopt the process of chanting and glorifying the name, fame, form and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at whose feet all the holy places stand. One cannot derive the proper benefit from other methods, such as pious atonement, speculative knowledge and meditation in mystic yoga, because even after following such methods one takes to fruitive activities again, unable to control his mind, which is contaminated by the base qualities of nature, namely passion and ignorance.”

A quote from the Skanda Puräna appears in Hari-bhakti-vilasa [11.234]:

madhura-madhuram etan mangalam mangalänäm
sakala-nigama-valli-sat-phalam cit-svarupam
sakridapi parigitam shraddhayä helayä vä
bhrigu-vara nara-mätram tärayet krishna-näma

''The holy name of Krishna is the highest benediction, above any other benedictions; it is sweeter than the sweetest honey, the eternal fruit of transcendental knowledge of the tree of the entire scriptures. O best of the Bhargavas! If anyone chants Lord Krishna's name just once without offense, whether he chants with faith or indifferently, the holy name immediately liberates him.”

In the Garuda Puräna it is stated:

yad icchasi param jnänam jnänäd yat paramam padam
tadädarena räjendra kuru govinda-kirtanam

“O best of Kings! If you desire to acquire that extraordinary knowledge by which the Supreme Goal is realized, then chant Lord Govinda's name with love and devotion.”

And in Shrimad-Bhägavatam [3.5.40]

dhätar yad asmin bhava isha jiväs
täpa-trayenäbhihatä na sharma
ätman labhante bhagavams tavänghri-
cchäyäm sa-vidyäm ata äshrayema

“O Father, O Lord, O Personality of Godhead, the living entities in the material world can never have any happiness because they are overwhelmed by three kinds of miseries. Therefore they take shelter of the shade of Your lotus feet, which are full of knowledge, and we also take shelter of them.”

And in Shrimad-Bhägavatam [4.29.49] it is stated, sä vidyä tan-matir yayä: “Real knowledge is that realization which increases our attachment for the Supreme Lord.”

In the Shrimad-Bhägavatam [8.3.20] it is said:

ekäntino yasya na kancanärtham
vänchanti ye vai bhagavat-prapannäh
aty-adbhutam tac-caritam sumangalam
gäyanta änanda-samudra-magnäh

“Unalloyed devotees, who have no desire other than to serve the Lord, worship Him in full surrender and always hear and chant about His activities, which are most wonderful and auspicious. They are thus always merged in the ocean of transcendental bliss. Such devotees never ask the Lord for any benedictions.”

ririririThe Padma Puräna states:

tebhyo namo 'stu bhava-väri-dhi-jirna-panka
sammagna-mokshana-vicakshana-pädukebhyah
kåshneti varna-yugalam shravanena yeshäm
änandathur bhavati narttitaroma-våndah

“I offer my respectful obeisances at the feet of that extraordinary person whose body shivers with sublime joy and erupts with ecstasy at the sound of Kåshna's sweet name, and who is expert in redeeming the conditioned soul is engrossed in the mire of the ocean of repeated birth and death".

In Shrimad-Bhägavatam [12.12.48] it is said:

sankirtyamäno bhagavän anantah
shrutänubhävo vyasanam hi pumsäm
pravishya cittam vidhunoty ashesham
yathä tamo 'rko 'bhram iväti-vätah

“When people properly glorify the Supreme Persondity of Godhead or simply hear about His potencies, the Lord personally enters their hearts and cleanses away every trace of misfortune, just as the sun removes the darkness or as a powerful wind disperses the clouds.”

From the Namastaka:

närada-vinojjivana sudhormi-niryäsa-mädhuripura
tvam kåshna-näma kämam sphura me rasane rasena sadä

“O holy name of Kisna! You are the life-sustaining elixir of Shri Narada Muni's vina, the exhilarating waves on the ocean of nectar. Therefore I beg You to remain eternally dancing ecstatically on my tongue.”

And in Namastaka [2]:

jaya nämadheya muni-vånda-geya
jana-ranjanäya paramäksharäkåte
tvam anädaräd api manäg udiritam
nikhilogra-täpa-patalim vilumpasi

“All glories unto You, O holy name! The sages have always sung hymns praising You, and You have now appeared in transcendental form of the supreme syllables for the pleasure of all humanity. If one chants those syllables of the holy name, even indifferently, indirectly, jokingly, deceptively, or slightly You destroy his most dreaded sinful reactions, thereby extinguishing all of his sufferings. Therefore, You are always victorious.

And from the Chaitanya-Bhägavata [Madhya 23.76-77]:

hare kåshna hare kåshna kåshna kåshna hare hare
hare räma hare räma räma räma hare hare
prabhu kahe-kahilän ei mahä-mantra
ihä japa giyä sabe kariyä nirbandha
hi haibe sarva-siddhi haibe sabära
sarva-kshana bala'ithe vidhi nähi ära

“Lord Chaitanya said: 'I am giving you this mahä-mantra: Hare Kåshna Hare Kåshna Kåshna Kåshna Hare Hare Hare Räma Hare Räma Räma Räma Hare Hare. Go and chant with sincere enthusiasm. By chanting this mantra you receive all the perfections of life, so continue to chant incessantly, for there are no rules or regulations for chanting the mahä-mantra."'