Section 47 D
These statements should not be taken as mere eulogies because the Padma Puräëa states, "it is an offense to consider the glories of the holy name to be exaggerated."
If even after chanting the holy name a person remains in material bondage, it is to be understood that some great offense, like imagining the glories of the holy name to be exaggeration, is causing the obstacle. As is described in the Puräëic statements such as the one cited in Çré Viñëubhakti Candrodaya. "If out of delusion one does not follow in the procession of the Lord riding His chariot, he will take birth as a Brahmä-räkñasa a type of ghost, even if free from all karma by culture of knowledge."
Therefore, on the authority of saintly people, the name of the Lord is of a blissful nature just like His form. As Çré Çaunaka said (S.B.2.3.24):
Alas! that heart is certainly steel framed which, inspite of one's chanting the holy name of the Lord, does not melt. Because when the change of heart occurs, tears fill the eyes and the hairs stand on end out of happiness.
Therefore In the Skanda Puräëa, Prabhasa Khaëòa, the above reasons are used to establish directly that His name is the same as His form being the fruit of all the Vedas:
O best of the Bhågu dynasty, the holy name of Kåñëa is the sweetest of the sweet and the most auspicious of the auspicious. It is the pious fruit of the creeper of all the Vedas and is conscious in nature. Whosoever chants it but once, whether with faith or with contempt, becomes liberated.
So the name is the very svarüpa of the Supreme Lord. This is clearly stated in the Çré Närada-païcarätra while explaining the eight-syllabled mantra, "Lord Näräyaëa Himself directly exists in the mouth of people in the form of eight syllables."
In the Upaniñads while referring to Oà, it is said, "Indeed all this is Om" (Chändogya 2.23.3), and "the letter Om is all this" (Mäëòükya Upaniñad 1.1). The (Mäëòükya kärikä Ägama 26-29) states:
Praëava (Om) is param Brahmä and is said transcendental. Praëava is unprecedented, imperishable, has no outside or inside, and there is nothing beyond it. Praëava is the beginning, middle, and end of everything. After knowing Praëava in this way, one knows Him. Know Praëava to be the Supersoul in everyone's heart. A sober man who knows this all-pervading Om does not lament any more. Om is immeasurable, unlimited, auspicious, and as that which brings an end to duality. Only he who knows Om is to be considered a thoughtful sage and no one else.
One should not think these statements about a mere syllable are only eulogistic and that such qualifications are possible only in the personal form of the Supreme Lord. Like any other incarnation, Om is the letter incarnation of the Lord. Accepting the authority of the same Vedas which describe the Lord, it is possible that Om is non-different from the Lord. Therefore there is no difference between the name and the possessor of the name. As stated in the Padma Puräëa:
The holy name of Kåñëa is a wishfulfilling gem and has a complete transcendental form. It is pure, complete and eternally liberated because it is non-different from the possessor of the name.
The meaning is this: The name is a wishfulling gem because it supplies all objects of desire. It is not only that much but it is directly Lord Kåñëa who has characteristics such as consciousness. The reason behind this is that it is non-different from its possessor.
An objection is raised: How can the holy name, possessed of such attributes, be generated from the senses of a human being?
Answer: No, the complete Veda manifested on the senses of the human beings by the Supreme Lord. As the Supreme Lord Himself says in the 11th Canto beginning with, "The sound manifestation of the Lord, çabda-brahman, is most difficult to grasp", (S.B.11.21.36) and (S.B. 11.21.37):
As the unlimited, unchanging, and omnipotent Personality of Godhead dwelling within all living beings, I personally establish the Vedic sound vibration in the form of omkara within all living entities. It is thus perceived subtly, like a single strand of fiber on a lotus stalk.
And in the explanation of the division of the Vedas in the twelfth canto (S.B. 12.6.47):
Observing that people in general were diminished in their life span, strength, and intelligence by the influence of time, great sages took inspiration from the Supreme Personality of Godhead sitting within their hearts and systematically divided the Vedas.
Çrédhara Swämé also comments, "The verse explains they were inspired by the Lord sitting in the heart', expecting that some may doubt the authority of the Vedas, thinking them to be products of human intelligence." This is his comment.
And (SB. 12.13.19):
I meditate upon that pure and spotless Supreme Absolute Truth, who is free from suffering and death. In the beginning He revealed this incomparable torch light of knowledge to Brahmä, who then spoke it to the sage Närada.' Just as here it is said that Lord revealed Çrémad Bhägavatam to Brahmä similarly He also reveals His name.
Keeping all this in mind, in the prayers offered to the womb of Devaki (garbhastuti) (S.B.10.2.36):
O Lord, Your transcendental name and form are ascertained by those who merely speculate on the path of the imagination. Your name, form, and attributes can be known only through devotional service.
Purport
In the çrutis as well as in the småtis there are descriptions of various types of sacrifices, austerities, charities or chanting of mantras for attaining different objects either in this life or after death. Tehre are also detailed descriptions of atonements for getting rid of one's sins. They are quite difficult to perform. For example if a twice born person, dvija, drinks wine unknowingly then he should drin hot cow's urine until death (Manu-småti 11.90). It is also one's common experience that to achieve something in the material world one has to work very hard. Based on this knowledge it is very hard to believe that one can attain aything spiritual or material by mere chanting of the holy name. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé warns against such mentality. He says that one should not think that these scriptural statements are artha-väda, exaggerated glorification. According to Purvamimäàsä, the Vedas contain five types of statements, sa ca vidhi-mantra-nämadheya-niñedhärthavädä-bhedät païcavidhaù (Artha-saàgrahaù 1.10). These are vidhi, mantra, nämadheya, niñedha, and arthaväda. The purpose of arthaväda is to encourage persons to perform certain religious acts and discourage the opposite, irreligious acts. Such statements will either be eulogistic or critical in nature. For example, there is an injunction in the Taétréya saàhitä (7.1.30) väyarvyaà svetam älabhet bhütikäma--"One desirous of wealth should sacrifice a horse to the Wind-god." In another part of the Saàhitä (2.1.1), Vayu is glorified so that one will be attracted to worshiping him--väyurvai kñepiñöhä devatä--"Vayu is indeed a swift god." This glorification of the Wind-god implies that he will quickly reward his worshippers. This will encourage people to sacrifice a horse for the Wind God. Still, it comes in the category of arthaväda, or exaggeration. The scriptural statements glorifying the holy name are not in the same class; they should not be considered exaggerations. To do so is to commit one of the ten offenses against the holy name, tathärthavädo harinämni kalpanam (Padma Puräëa, Brahmä Khaëòa 25.15).
Moreover, if statements eulogizing the chanting of the holy names are considered arthaväda, then naturally the question arises: Arthaväda for which vidhi, or injunction, because arthaväda is always subordinate and supplementary to a vidhi väkya, an injunction. This vidhi can be different from chanting, or it can be chanting itself. There are no statements that describe arthaväda as part of another vidhi. If it is a part of the chanting vidhi, then there is no difference between them as they are both direct statements recommending one to chant. Moreover, any injunction that recommends the performance of activities and directly states their benefits, should not be considered as arthaväda. When the direct or primary meaning is applicable, one should not search out a secondary meaning, gauëa mukhyayor mukye kärya-saàpratyaya.(Çré bhagavan-näma-Kaumudi 1)
Therefore, it should be understood without doubt that the names of the Lord are transcendental and non-different from Him as confirmed in the Padma Puräëa verse cited in this Text:
Another objection may be raised. If the Lord's name is transcendental, then how can it be uttered with one's material tongue? Çréla Jéva Gosvämé says that the name is not vibrated with the tongue. It is self manifest just like the Lord and appears by His own will. This is also the verdict of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé (B.R.S 1.2.234):
"Because the name, form and so on of Lord Kåñëa are transcendental they are imperceptible to the material senses. But when a devotee wishes to serve them, as by chanting the name with the tongue, they self-manifest."
A vivid example is Bharata Mahäraja, who took birth as a deer. When faced with death the deer chanted the name of Hari (S.B. 5.14.45). Normally, a deer has no ability to produce articulate sound, but in this case the name manifested on its tongue when the deer desired to chant. This proves that the holy name is independent and can manifest by its own sweet will, being nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Gajendra, the elephant is another example of holy name becoming self-manifest (S.B.8.3.32).
Not only the holy name but the Vedas are self-manifest as well. In the eleventh canto Kåñëa describes this to phenomenon to Uddhava (S.B. 11.21.36,37,38, 39):
"The transcendental sound of the Vedas is very difficult to comprehend and manifests on different levels within the präëa, senses, and the mind. This Vedic sound is unlimited, very deep and unfathomable, just like the ocean."
"As the unlimited, unchanging, and omnipotent Supreme Lord dwelling within all living beings, I personally establish the Vedic sound vibration, in the form of oàkära, within all living entities. It is thus perceived subtly, just like a single strand of fiber on a lotus stalk."
An objection can be raised here. If holy name is so powerful and glorious then why do people in general do not feel its potency even after chanting daily thousands of times. Besides the scriptural descriptions, it is almost impossible to find a person who has experienced the power of chanting as described. The answer for this is taht chanting should be free from the offense. Just as chanting pleases the Lord, an offense displeased Him. Naturally the act of displeasing will curb the holy name to manifest its power. Just as one may serve a King in various ways but at the end of the day he uses abusive language. This will not please the King rather he will be upset, and more so if the server is abusing while serving. The king would like to hang such a servant. Therefore one has to chant avoiding even slightest offense. Although fire has the power to burn the grass but it will not burn the green grass. The grass must be dry before it can burn. Offenses ar so powerful that even a jévanmukta can fall down. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé writes (BRS.1.3.54)
"By the influence of an offense towards the dear devotees of Kåñëa one can loose even bhäva bhakti or it may change into lower class or may turn into bhäväbhäsa, depending upon the intensity of the offense."
Monkey Dvivida was a servant of Lord Rämacandra but he committed an offense towards Laxaman. The result was that he became demoniac and was killed by Lord Balaräma. Offense to a devotee is also an offense towards holy name. And this offense makes one's hert hard like stone so that he can not feel any effect if chanting. Therefore more important that mere chantnig is to avoid offenses. If one is not cautious to avoid offenses the chanting will implicate him more and more into material life. It is like potent medicine. If taken wrongly it will have powerful reaction. Therefore Lord Caitanya advised amänina mänadena kértanéyaù sadä hari. Amänina mänadena preceds kértanéya Hari in this verse.