170 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 3

Sravanam kirtanam dhyanam
harer adbhuta-karmanah

Janma-karma-gunanam ca
tad-arthe ’khila-cestitam

“One should always chant and hear about the extraordinarily wonderful
activities of the Lord, one should meditate upon these activities, and one
should endeavor to please the Lord.” (Bhag. 11.3.27)

Sridhara Svami also quotes from the Purdnas, papa-ksayas ca bhavati
smaratam tam ahar-nisam: “‘One can become free from all sinful reac-
tions simply by remembering the lotus feet of the Lord day and night
[ahar-nisam].” Furthermore, he quotes from Bhagavatam (6.3.31):

tasmat sankirtanam visnor
Jagan-mangalam armhasam

mahatam api kauravya
viddhy aikantika-niskrtam

All these quotations prove that one who constantly engages in chanting
and hearing of the holy activities, name, fame and form of the Lord is
liberated. As stated wonderfully in this verse, etdvatalam agha-
nirharanadya pumsam: simply by uttering the name of the Lord, one is
freed from all sinful reactions.

The word alam, which is used in this verse, indicates that simply
uttering the holy name of the Lord is sufficient. This word is used with
different imports. As stated in the Amara-kosa, the most authorized dic-
tionary in the Sanskrit language, alam bhiisana-parydpti-sakti-varana-
vacakam: the word alam is used to mean “ornament,” “sufficiency,”
“power” and “restraint.” Here the word alam is used to indicate that
there is no need of any other process, for the chanting of the holy name
of the Lord is sufficient. Even if one chants imperfectly, one becomes
free from all sinful reactions by chanting.

This power of chanting the holy name was proved by the liberation of
Ajamila. When Ajamila chanted the holy name of Narayana, he did not
precisely remember the Supreme Lord; instead, he remembered his own
son. At the time of death, Ajamila certainly was not very clean; indeed,
