104 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 2

athainam mapanayata
krtasesagha-niskrtam

yad asau bhagavan-ndma
mriyamanah samagrahit

atha—therefore; enam—him (Ajamila); maé—do not; apanayata—
try to take; krta—already done; asesa—unlimited; agha-niskrtam—
atonement for his sinful actions; yat—because; asau—he; bhagavat-
néma—the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
mriyamaénah—while dying; samagrahit—perfectly chanted.

TRANSLATION

At the time of death, this Ajamila helplessly and very loudly
chanted the holy name of the Lord, Narayana. That chanting alone
has already freed him from the reactions of all sinful life.
Therefore, O servants of Yamaraja, do not try to take him to your
master for punishment in hellish conditions.

PURPORT

The Visnuditas, who are superior authorities, gave orders to the
Yamaditas, who did not know that Ajamila was no longer subject to tri-
bulation in hellish life for his past sins. Although he had chanted the
holy name Narayana to indicate his son, the holy name is so transcenden-
tally powerful that he was automatically freed because he had chanted
the holy name while dying (ante nérayana-smrtih). As Krsna confirms
in Bhagavad-gita (7.28):

yesam tv anta-gatam papam
Jananam punya-karmanam

te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose
sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the
duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determina-
tion.” Unless one is freed from all sinful reactions, one cannot be pro-
moted to the platform of devotional service. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gita
(8.5) it is stated:
