Ādi-līlā, Chapter 7
57
that a Vaiṣṇava should be completely conversant with Vedānta philosophy, yet he should not think that studying Vedānta is all in all and therefore be unattached to the chanting of the holy name. A devotee must know the importance of simultaneously understanding Vedānta philosophy and chanting the holy names. If by studying Vedānta one becomes an impersonalist, he has not been able to understand Vedānta. This is confirmed in  Bhagavad-gītā  (Bg. 15.15). Vedānta means “the end of knowledge.” The ultimate end of knowledge is knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, who is identical with His holy name. Cheap Vaiṣṇavas ( sahajiyās ) do not care to study the Vedānta philosophy as commented upon by the four  ācāryas . In the Gauḍīya-sampradāya there is a Vedānta commentary called the  Govinda-bhāṣya , but the  sahajiyās  consider such commentaries to be untouchable philosophical speculation, and they consider the  ācāryas  to be mixed devotees. Thus they clear their way to hell.
TEXT 73
कृष्णमन्त्र हेतु हवे सर्गार-मोठन ।
कृष्णनाम हेतु पावे कृष्णेर ठरण ॥ १७ ॥
kṛṣṇa-mantra haite habe saṁsāra-mocana
kṛṣṇa-nāma haite pābe kṛṣṇera caraṇa
SYNONYMS
kṛṣṇa-mantra —the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa  mahā-mantra ;  haite —from;  habe —it will be;  saṁsāra —material existence;  mocana —deliverance;  kṛṣṇa-nāma —the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa;  haite —from;  pābe —one will get;  kṛṣṇera —of Lord Kṛṣṇa;  caraṇa —lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
“Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.
PURPORT
In the  Anubhāṣya , Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī says that the actual effect that will be visible as soon as one achieves transcendental knowledge is that he will immediately become free from the clutches of  māyā  and fully engage in the service of the Lord. Unless one serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead Mukunda one cannot become free from fruitive activities under the external energy. However, when one chants the holy name of the Lord offenselessly, he can realize a transcendental position which is completely aloof from the material conception of life. Rendering service to the Lord, a devotee relates to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in one of five relationships—namely,  śānta ,  dāsya ,  sakhya ,  vātsalya