Text 26] | Narada Muni Cursed by Prajapati Daksa 295

TEXT 26

qarerdaat = fafenyararaa: |
ATA AA TA AAT Feq TI Nil

tad-upasparsandd eva
vinirdhiita-malasayah

Japanto brahma paramam
tepus tatra mahat tapah

tat—of that holy place; upasparsanat—by bathing regularly in the
water; eva—indeed; vinirdhiita—completely purified; mala-dsayah—
of all the dirt within the heart; japantah—chanting or murmuring;
brahma— mantras beginning with orn (such as om tad visnoh paramam
padam sada pasyanti sirayah); paramam—the ultimate goal; tepuh—
performed; tatra—there; mahat—great; tapah—penances.

TRANSLATION

At Narayana-saras, the second group of sons performed
penances in the same way as the first. They bathed in the holy
water, and by its touch all the dirty material desires in their hearts
were cleansed away. They murmured mantras beginning with
omkara and underwent a severe course of austerities.

PURPORT

Every Vedic mantra is called brahma because each mantra is preceded
by the brahmdksara, aum or omkara. For example, ori namo bhagavate
vasudevaya. Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (7.8), pranavah sarva-
vedesu: “In all the Vedic mantras, | am represented by pranava, or
omkdara.”” Thus chanting of the Vedic mantras beginning with omkdra is
directly chanting of Krsna’s name. There is no difference. Whether one
chants omkara or addresses the Lord as Krsna, the meaning is the same,
but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended that in this age one
chant the Hare Krsna mantra (harer nama eva kevalam). Although
there is no difference between Hare Krsna and the Vedic mantras
beginning with omkdra, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the leader of the
