98 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 2

“By once chanting the holy name of the Lord, which consists of the two
syllables ha-ri, one guarantees his path to liberation.” (Skanda Purana)

These are some of the reasons why the Visnudiitas objected to the
Yamaditas’ taking Ajamila to the court of Yamaraja.

TEXT 8

TaAT AUASA Ht AMeaTHIy |
Tl aaa AME AIT <I

etenaiva hy aghono ’sya
krtam sydd agha-niskrtam
yada naérayandyeti
Jagada catur-aksaram

etena—by this (chanting); eva—indeed; hi—certainly; aghonah—
who possesses sinful reactions; asya—of this (Ajamila); krtam—per-
formed; syat—is; agha—of sins; niskrtam—complete atonement;
yada—when; narayana—O Narayana (the name of his son); a@ya—
please come; iti—thus; jagdda—he chanted; catuh-aksaram—the four
syllables (nd-rd-ya-na).

TRANSLATION

The Visnudiatas continued: Even previously, while eating and at
other times, this Ajamila would call his son, saying, ‘““My dear
Narayana, please come here.” Although calling the name of his
son, he nevertheless uttered the four syllables na-ra-ya-na. Simply
by chanting the name of Narayana in this way, he sufficiently
atoned for the sinful reactions of millions of lives.

PURPORT

Previously, when engaged in sinful activities to maintain his family,
Ajamila chanted the name of Narayana without offenses. To chant the
holy name of the Lord just to counteract one’s sinful activities, or to com-
mit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy name, is offen-
sive (namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhih). But although Ajamila

engaged in sinful activities, he never chanted the holy name of Narayana
