62 Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta
various scriptures. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there are many references to this fact.
In the Twelfth Canto it is said, kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet:
In the age of Kali there are many faults, for people are subjected to many miserable
conditions, yet in this age there is one great benediction—simply by chanting the
Hare Krsna mantra one can be freed from all material contaminatign and thus be
elevated to the spiritual world. The Narada-paficaratra also praises the Hare Krsna
maha-mantra as follows:
trayo vedah sad-angani
chandarsi vividhah surah
sarvam astaksarantahstham
yac canyad api van-mayam
sarva-vedanta-sararthah
samsararnava-taranah
“The essence of all Vedic knowledge—comprehending the three kinds of Vedic
activity [karma-kanda, jfiana-kanda and upasana-kanda|, the chandah or Vedic
hymns, and the processes for satisfying the demigods—is included in the eight syl-
lables Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. This is the reality of all Vedanta. The chanting of the
holy name is the only means to cross the ocean of nescience.’”’ Similarly, the
Kalisantarana Upanisad states, ‘‘Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—these sixteen names composed of
thirty-two syllables are the only means to counteract the evil effects of Kali-yuga. In
all the Vedas it is seen that to cross the ocean of nescience there is no alternative to
the chanting of the holy name.” Similarly, Sri Madhvacarya, while commenting
upon the Mundaka Upanisad, has said:
dvapariyair janair visnuh
pancaratrais ca Revalam
kalau tu nama-matrena
pujyate bhagavan harih
“In the Dvapara-yuga one could satisfy Krsna or Visnu only by worshiping Him
gorgeously according to the Paficaratriki system, but in the age of Kali one can
satisfy and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari simply by chanting
the holy name.” In his Bhakti-sandarbha (verse 284), Srila Jiva Gosvami strongly
emphasizes the chanting of the holy name of the Lord as follows:
nanu bhagavan-namatmaka eva mantrah; tatra visesena namah-sabdady-alankrtah Sri-
bhagavata srimad-rsibhis cahita-Sakti-visesah, Sri-bhagavata samam atma-sambandha-visesa-
pratipadakas ca tatra kevalani sri-bhagavan-namany api nirapeksany eva parama-purusartha-
phala-paryanta-dana-samarthani tato mantresu namato'py adhika-samarthye labdhe katharm
diksady-apeksa? ucyate—yady api svarupato nasti, tathapi prayah svabhavato dehadi-
sambandhena kadarya-silanam viksipta-cittanarnm jananarn tat-sankocikaranaya srimad-rsi-
prabhrtibhir atrarcana-marge kvacit kvacit kacit kacin maryada sthapitasti
Srila Jiva Gosvami states that the substance of all the Vedic mantras is the chanting
of the holy name of the Lord. Every mantra begins with the prefix mama om and
