FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.3.23

नामोच्चारणमाहात्म्यं हरे: पश्यत पुत्रका: । अजामिलोऽपि येनैव मृत्युपाशादमुच्यत ॥ २३ ॥
nāmoccāraṇa-māhātmyaṁ
[naamochchaarana-maahaatmyam]
hareḥ paśyata putrakāḥ
[hareh pashyata putrakaah]
ajāmilo ’pi yenaiva
[ajaamilo ’pi yenaiva]
mṛtyu-pāśād amucyata
[mrityu-paashaad amuchyata]
Word-for-word
nāma — of the holy name uccāraṇa — of the pronouncing māhātmyam — the exalted position hareḥ — of the Supreme Lord paśyata — just see putrakāḥ — O my dear servants, who are like my sons ajāmilaḥ api — even Ajāmila (who was considered greatly sinful) yena — by the chanting of which eva — certainly mṛtyu-pāśāt — from the ropes of death amucyata — was delivered.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nāmoccāraṇa-māhātmyaṁ
nāma
of the holy name
hareḥ paśyata putrakāḥ
ajāmilo ’pi yenaiva
mṛtyu-pāśād amucyata
uccāraṇa
of the pronouncing
māhātmyam
the exalted position
hareḥ
of the Supreme Lord
paśyata
just see
putrakāḥ
O my dear servants, who are like my sons
ajāmilaḥ api
even Ajāmila (who was considered greatly sinful)
yena
by the chanting of which
eva
certainly
mṛtyu-pāśāt
from the ropes of death
amucyata
was delivered.
My dear servants, who are as good as my sons, just see how glorious is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The greatly sinful Ajāmila chanted only to call his son, not knowing that he was chanting the Lord’s holy name. Nevertheless, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, he remembered Nārāyaṇa, and thus he was immediately saved from the ropes of death.
Purport

There is no need to conduct research into the significance of the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The history of Ajāmila is sufficient proof of the power of the Lord’s holy name and the exalted position of a person who chants the holy name incessantly. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

In this Age of Kali, no one can perform all the ritualistic ceremonies for becoming liberated; that is extremely difficult. Therefore all the śāstras and all the ācāryas have recommended that in this age one chant the holy name.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O sons! See the glories of chanting the name of the Lord, by which even Ajāmila was freed from the ropes of death. One does not have to search for proof. We have a direct example.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Yama uses Ajāmila as proof: a great sinner chanted merely to call his son and yet attained liberation. The name's potency does not depend on the chanter's awareness of what he is doing.
Reflection Questions
  • What proof of the name's power have I already seen and forgotten?
  • What would it mean to chant boldly, trusting potency more than my own merit?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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