Recently, while uttering the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, I was reflecting, am I really chanting the Holy Name? The same Holy Name which has descended from Goloka, why is it appearing only like alphabets to me?
Shrila Prabhupada says,
There is one word by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, nāmākṣara bahir haya nāma nāhi haya: “The… Simply the alphabets are coming, but that is not nāma.” Nāmākṣara, Hare Kṛṣṇa, the alphabets, are coming out, but it is not the holy name. (Room Conversation with artists about BTG, 1977)
And what is the effect of such chanting?
Shrila Prabhupada says,
Krish-na it is coming out, but it has no spiritual effect, nāma no effect. Nāmākṣara bāhirāya baṭe nāma kabhu naya. (Lecture SB 6.1.9)
The entire verse is as follows. Bhaktivinode Thakura quotes in Jaiva Dharma from Prema Vivarta by Jagadananda Pandit.
asādhu-saṅge bhāī, kṛṣṇa-nāma nāhi haya
nāmākṣara bahirāya baṭe, tabu nāma kabhu naya
“’My dear brothers, a person cannot purely chant kṛṣṇa-nāma in the company of non-devotees. The sound and the syllables may be uttered, but that is not real chanting.’
What is the solution?
He continues,
kabhu nāmābhāsa haya, sadā nāma-aparādha
e saba jānibe bhāī, kṛṣṇa-bhaktir bādha
“’Chanting in this manner is at best nāmābhāsa, because chanting in bad association is always mixed with nāmāparādha. Dear brother, kindly understand, these kinds of chanting—nāmāparādha and nāmābhāsa—are detrimental to spiritual progress and cannot be considered pure kṛṣṇa-bhakti.’
yadi karibe kṛṣṇa-nāma, sādhu-saṅga kara
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-vāñchā dūre pārihāra
“’If you really desire to chant kṛṣṇa-nāma purely, earnestly seek sādhu-saṅga, the company of the pure devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Reject all unwanted cravings for sense enjoyments, liberation, mystic powers, and other material desires.’
daśa aparādha tyaja māna-apamāna
anāsaktye viṣaya bhuñja āra laha kṛṣṇa-nāma
“’Avoid the ten nāmāparādhas and rise above the dualities of honour and dishonour, and so on. Life in the material world is to be utilized in the service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Render service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa without attachment to mundane objects and chant kṛṣṇa-nāma constantly.’
kṛṣṇa bhaktir anukūla saba karaha svīkāra
kṛṣṇa-bhaktir pratikūla saba kara parihāra
“’Accept everything favourable for executing kṛṣṇa-bhakti as your very life and completely reject anything that is unfavourable for practising kṛṣṇa-bhakti.’
kṛṣṇa āmāya pāle, rakṣe—jāna sarva-kāla
ātma-nivedana-dainye ghucāo jañjāla
“’Bear in mind that Śrī Kṛṣṇa always protects and maintains every jīva. With deep humility, submit your life and soul to the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which will free you from unwanted material desires.’
sādhu pābā kaṣṭa baḍa, jīvera jāniyā
sādhu-bhakta-rūpe kṛṣṇa āilā nadīyā
“’The omniscient Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, knows how rarely the jīva may find actual sat-saṅga, so He has come personally as a pure devotee to Nadīyā.’
gorā-pada āśraya karaha buddhimān
gorā bāī sādhu-guru kebā āche ān
“’Therefore, all who are endowed with superior intelligence must take shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Gaurāṅga, because Śrī Gaurāṅga is the perfect sādhu and guru.’
Therefore, the prime solution to get above this namakshara, or namaparadha chanting is to surrender unhesitatingly at the lotus feet of a Vaishnava, for sadhus will only help us get taste for the Holy Name.
