If you have ever watched or read Harry Potter (no need to research if you haven’t), you may remember the scene when Harry first went to Ollivander’s shop to get his wand. Among the many wands he tried, there was one particular wand that resonated with him. As soon as he held it, there was a spark – something special. Later on, Harry even went on to become the possessor of the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand, capable of stupefying, mystifying, and producing the most extraordinary magic.
The Holy Name: A Real Magic Wand
Just as Harry received his magic wand, similarly, when we came to Krishna consciousness, we received the Holy Name. Or maybe, even before coming to Krishna Consciousness, someone gave us the Holy Name. The Holy Name is like a magic wand. It has tremendous potential. It can resonate with anyone and everyone, irrespective of one’s caste and creed. It is said to be the perfect medicine, the mantra that can reignite our lost love for Krishna.
When we chant the Holy Name, magic starts happening in our lives. Just as one may not understand how a flick of a wooden stick can make things appear or disappear, similarly one may not understand how a simple mālā made of Tulasi or neem can lighten the heart and lift it to the spiritual sky. Yet, that is the power of the Holy Name. Its magic goes far beyond this world. It can remove the darkest anarthas from the heart and bestow bliss that no material magic can compare with.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disciple Hayagriva Prabhu once said – “By chanting, you can stay high forever. No more coming down.” That is the magic of the Holy Name – it can forever lift us from this dark material world.
The Elder Wand and the Guru’s Blessing
What to speak of when we receive beads from our spiritual master? That is like receiving the Elder Wand. The true gift is not the beads themselves, but the Holy Name, which the spiritual master formalizes through the process of initiation. The Holy Name is already powerful, but when we receive it in paramparā, we also inherit the blessings of the entire disciplic succession.
One with the Elder Wand in the Harry Potter series was said to become invincible. Similarly, one who chants the Holy Name becomes invincible before māyā, provided he is sincere. A devotee, backed by the blessings of guru and Kṛṣṇa, has tremendous power to overcome temptations, cross obstacles, and achieve the highest perfection of life. If we have a competition between maya’s prowess and guru’s mercy, the latter has to ALWAYS win! Maya is powerless before the power of a pure devotee.
We already have this magic wand in our hands. Some of us even have the “Elder Wand,” received from our guru. Still, it is surprising that māyā sometimes defeats us. How is that possible? Because we do not use our wand. We do not chant sincerely. Even a simple flick of the Elder Wand can make difficulties disappear. In the same way, even simple, heartfelt chanting can protect us. But if we neglect it, māyā’s illusory tricks overpower us.
Guarding the Golden Opportunity
Human life, along with the association of devotees, is a golden opportunity. We have received the Holy Name, which is the most powerful magic in existence. Still, if we waste our time in useless gossip or worldly talk, and fail to take shelter of the Holy Name, then we miss out on Krishna’s magic.
King Kulashekhara prays,
āścaryam etad dhi manuṣya-loke
sudhāṁ parityajya viṣaṁ pibanti
nāmāni nārāyaṇa-gocarāṇi
tyaktvānya-vācaḥ kuhakāḥ paṭhanti
The greatest wonder in human society is this: People are so incorrigible that they reject the life-giving nectar of Lord Nārāyaṇa’s names and instead drink poison by speaking everything else. Mukunda Mala 38
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport to Bhagavad Gita 9.31: “the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare should be continued without stoppage. This will protect a devotee from all accidental falldowns. He will thus remain perpetually free from all material contaminations.” Even if challenges come, one who has the Holy Name always has the greatest shelter.
We must not underestimate what we already have. We have been given the real magic wand in the form of the Holy Name. If we sincerely use it, we can witness Krishna’s magic in action at every step of our lives.
The Holy Name is like the perfect magic mantra. It has countless effects: it purifies, protects, elevates, and ultimately delivers us to Krishna’s eternal service. All that is required is that we take it seriously, sincerely, and constantly with TOTAL FAITH.
O tongue, please constantly chant the mantra composed of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s names. This is the only mantra for destroying all enemies, the mantra worshiped by every word of the Upaniṣads, the mantra that uproots saṁsāra, the mantra that drives away all the darkness of ignorance, the mantra for attaining infinite opulence, the mantra for curing those bitten by the poisonous snake of worldly distress, and the mantra for making one’s birth in this world successful. Mukunda Mala Stotra 31
