Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.25.11
यन्नाम श्रुतमनुकीर्तयेदकस्मा-
दार्तो वा यदि पतित: प्रलम्भनाद्वा ।
हन्त्यंह: सपदि नृणामशेषमन्यं
कं शेषाद्भगवत आश्रयेन्मुमुक्षु: ॥ ११ ॥
yan-nāma śrutam anukīrtayed akasmād
[yan-naama shrutam anukeertayed akasmaad]
ārto vā yadi patitaḥ pralambhanād vā
[aarto vaa yadi patitah pralambhanaad vaa]
hanty aṁhaḥ sapadi nṛṇām aśeṣam anyaṁ
[hanty amhah sapadi nrinaam ashesham anyam]
kaṁ śeṣād bhagavata āśrayen mumukṣuḥ
[kam sheshaad bhagavata aashrayen mumukshuh]
Word-for-word
yat
—
of whom
nāma
—
the holy name
śrutam
—
heard
anukīrtayet
—
may chant or repeat
akasmāt
—
by accident
ārtaḥ
—
a distressed person
vā
—
or
yadi
—
if
patitaḥ
—
a fallen person
pralambhanāt
—
out of joking
vā
—
or
hanti
—
destroys
aṁhaḥ
—
sinful
sapadi
—
that instant
nṛṇām
—
of human society
aśeṣam
—
unlimited
anyam
—
of other
kam
—
what
śeṣāt
—
than Lord Śeṣa
bhagavataḥ
—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
āśrayet
—
should take shelter of
mumukṣuḥ
—
anyone desiring liberation.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yan-nāma śrutam anukīrtayed akasmād
yat
of whom
nāma
the holy name
śrutam
heard
anukīrtayet
may chant or repeat
akasmāt
by accident
ārto vā yadi patitaḥ pralambhanād vā
ārtaḥ
a distressed person
vā
or
yadi
if
patitaḥ
a fallen person
pralambhanāt
out of joking
vā
or
hanty aṁhaḥ sapadi nṛṇām aśeṣam anyaṁ
hanti
destroys
aṁhaḥ
sinful
sapadi
that instant
nṛṇām
of human society
aśeṣam
unlimited
anyam
of other
kaṁ śeṣād bhagavata āśrayen mumukṣuḥ
kam
what
śeṣāt
than Lord Śeṣa
bhagavataḥ
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
āśrayet
should take shelter of
mumukṣuḥ
anyone desiring liberation.
Even if he be distressed or degraded, any person who chants the holy name of the Lord, having heard it from a bona fide spiritual master, is immediately purified. Even if he chants the Lord’s name jokingly or by chance, he and anyone who hears him are freed from all sins. Therefore how can anyone seeking disentanglement from the material clutches avoid chanting the name of Lord Śeṣa? Of whom else should one take shelter?
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
If a sinful person chants Ananta’s name after hearing it, or chants suddenly, out of suffering, or in a joking mood, that person becomes purified and destroys unlimited sins of other men. Who else other than Śeṣa is the object of shelter for persons desiring liberation?
Even Ananta’s name can deliver the most fallen, but even more, that person can purify others. Nārada thus praises the form of Śeṣa in two verses. If a fallen person, even the most sinful, chants the name of Saṅkarṣaṇa, he becomes purified completely. And further, he immediately destroys unlimited sins of other men who see his form. How should one chant? One should hear it from others, or even suddenly one can chant, or in distress one can chant. Or even in joking one can chant his name. Then what to speak of faithful persons who chant with devotion?
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Even chanting the holy name jokingly or by accident purifies the chanter and the hearer. The name is so potent that intentionality is not a prerequisite. Get the name into your environment by any means; results will follow.
Reflection Questions
- Where could I introduce the Lord's name into my environment that I currently keep silent?
- If even casual chanting purifies, why am I waiting until I 'feel ready' to chant deliberately?
My note
Source: vedabase.io