Nama Tattva
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(ŚB 12.3.51)
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
kaleḥ — of the Age of Kali; doṣa-nidheḥ — in the ocean of faults; rājan — O King; asti — there is; hi — certainly; ekaḥ — one; mahān — very great; guṇaḥ — good quality; kīrtanāt — by chanting; eva — certainly; kṛṣṇasya — of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa; mukta-saṅgaḥ — liberated from material bondage; param — to the transcendental spiritual kingdom; vrajet — one can go.
My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.
(ŚB 11.5.36)
kaliṁ sabhājayanty āryā
guṇa jñāḥ sāra-bhāginaḥ
yatra saṅkīrtanenaiva
sarva-svārtho 'bhilabhyate
kalim — the Age of Kali; sabhājayanti — they praise; āryāḥ — progressive souls; guṇa-jñaḥ — who know the true value (of the age); sāra-bhāginaḥ — who are able to pick out the essence; yatra — in which; saṅkīrtanena — by the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Supreme Lord; eva — merely; sarva — all; sva-arthaḥ — desired goals; abhilabhyate — are attained.
Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this Age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of saṅkīrtana.
(ŚB 12.3.52)
kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ
tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ
dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ
kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt
kṛte — in the Satya-yuga; yat — which; dhyāyataḥ — from meditation; viṣṇum — on Lord Viṣṇu; tretāyām — in the Tretā-yuga; yajataḥ — from worshiping; makhaiḥ — by performing sacrifices; dvāpare — in the age of Dvāpara; paricaryāyām — by worshiping the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa; kalau — in the Age of Kali; tat — that same result (can be achieved); hari-kīrtanāt — simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā mantra.
Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
(ŚB 11.5.37)
na hy ataḥ paramo lābho
dehināṁ bhrāmyatām iha
yato vindeta paramāṁ
śāntiṁ naśyati saṁsṛtiḥ
na — there is no; hi — indeed; ataḥ — than this (process of saṅkīrtana); paramaḥ — greater; lābhaḥ — thing to be gained; dehinām — for embodied souls; bhrāmyatām — who are being forced to wander; iha — throughout this material universe; yataḥ — from which; vindeta — one obtains; paramām — the supreme; śāntim — peace; naśyati — and is destroyed; saṁsṛtiḥ — the cycle of repeated birth and death.
Indeed, there is no higher possible gain for embodied souls forced to wander throughout the material world than the Supreme Lord’s saṅkīrtana movement, by which one can attain the supreme peace and free oneself from the cycle of repeated birth and death.
(ŚB 2.1.11)
etan nirvidyamānānām
icchatām akuto-bhayam
yogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁ
harer nāmānukīrtanam
etat — it is; nirvidyamānānām — of those who are completely free from all material desires; icchatām — of those who are desirous of all sorts of material enjoyment; akutaḥ-bhayam — free from all doubts and fear; yoginām — of all who are self-satisfied; nṛpa — O King; nirṇītam — decided truth; hareḥ — of the Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa; nāma — holy name; anu — after someone, always; kīrtanam — chanting.
O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.
(ŚB 3.33.7)
aho bata śva-paco ’to garīyān
yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā
brahmānūcur nāma gṛṇanti ye te
aho bata — oh, how glorious; śva-pacaḥ — a dog-eater; ataḥ — hence; garīyān — worshipable; yat — of whom; jihvā-agre — on the tip of the tongue; vartate — is; nāma — the holy name; tubhyam — unto You; tepuḥ tapaḥ — practiced austerities; te — they; juhuvuḥ — executed fire sacrifices; sasnuḥ — took bath in the sacred rivers; āryāḥ — Āryans; brahma anūcuḥ — studied the Vedas; nāma — the holy name; gṛṇanti — accept; ye — they who; te — Your.
Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Āryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled everything required.
(ŚB 8.23.16)
mantratas tantrataś chidraṁ
deśa-kālārha-vastutaḥ
sarvaṁ karoti niśchidram
anusaṅkīrtanaṁ tava
mantrataḥ — in pronouncing the Vedic mantras improperly; tantrataḥ — in insufficient knowledge for following regulative principles; chidram — discrepancy; deśa — in the matter of country; kāla — and time; arha — and recipient; vastutaḥ — and paraphernalia; sarvam — all these; karoti — makes; niśchidram — without discrepancy; anusaṅkīrtanam — constantly chanting the holy name; tava — of Your Lordship.
There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when Your Lordship’s holy name is chanted, everything becomes faultless.
(ŚB 6.2.14)
sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā
stobhaṁ helanam eva vā
vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam
aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ
sāṅketyam — as an assignation; pārihāsyam — jokingly; vā — or; stobham — as musical entertainment; helanam — neglectfully; eva — certainly; vā — or; vaikuṇṭha — of the Lord; nāma-grahaṇam — chanting the holy name; aśeṣa — unlimited; agha-haram — neutralizing the effect of sinful life; viduḥ — advanced transcendentalists know.
One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.
(ŚB 1.1.14)
āpannaḥ saṁsṛtiṁ ghorāṁ
yan-nāma vivaśo gṛṇan
tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta
yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam
āpannaḥ — being entangled; saṁsṛtim — in the hurdle of birth and death; ghorām — too complicated; yat — what; nāma — the absolute name; vivaśaḥ — unconsciously; gṛṇan — chanting; tataḥ — from that; sadyaḥ — at once; vimucyeta — gets freedom; yat — that which; bibheti — fears; svayam — personally; bhayam — fear itself.
Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, which is feared by fear personified.
(ŚB 6.2.18)
ajñānād athavā jñānād
uttamaśloka-nāma yat
saṅkīrtitam aghaṁ puṁso
dahed edho yathānalaḥ
ajñānāt — out of ignorance; athavā — or; jñānāt — with knowledge; uttamaśloka — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nāma — the holy name; yat — that which; saṅkīrtitam — chanted; agham — sin; puṁsaḥ — of a person; dahet — burns to ashes; edhaḥ — dry grass; yathā — just as; analaḥ — fire.
As a fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, without fail, all the reactions of one’s sinful activities.
(ŚB 12.12.47)
patitaḥ skhalitaś cārtaḥ
kṣuttvā vā vivaśo gṛṇan
haraye nama ity uccair
mucyate sarva-pātakāt
patitaḥ — falling; skhalitaḥ — tripping; ca — and; ārtaḥ — feeling pain; kṣuttvā — sneezing; vā — or; vivaśaḥ — involuntarily; gṛṇan — chanting; haraye namaḥ — 'obeisances to Lord Hari'; iti — thus; uccaiḥ — loudly; mucyate — one is freed; sarva-pātakāt — from all sinful reactions.
If when falling, slipping, feeling pain or sneezing one involuntarily cries out in a loud voice, “Obeisances to Lord Hari!” one will be automatically freed from all his sinful reactions.
(ŚB 12.3.44)
yan-nāmadheyaṁ mriyamāṇa āturaḥ
patan skhalan vā vivaśo gṛṇan pumān
vimukta-karmārgala uttamāṁ gatiṁ
prāpnoti yakṣyanti na taṁ kalau janāḥ
yat — whose; nāmadheyam — name; mriyamāṇaḥ — a person who is dying; āturaḥ — distressed; patan — collapsing; skhalan — voice faltering; vā — or; vivaśaḥ — helplessly; gṛṇan — chanting; pumān — a person; vimukta — freed; karma — of fruitive work; argalaḥ — from the chains; uttamām — the topmost; gatim — destination; prāpnoti — achieves; yakṣyanti na — they do not worship; tam — Him, the Personality of Godhead; kalau — in the Age of Kali; janāḥ — people.
Terrified, about to die, a man collapses on his bed. Although his voice is faltering and he is hardly conscious of what he is saying, if he utters the holy name of the Supreme Lord he can be freed from the reaction of his fruitive work and achieve the supreme destination. But still people in the Age of Kali will not worship the Supreme Lord.
(ŚB 2.3.24)
tad aśma-sāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedaṁ
yad gṛhyamāṇair hari-nāma-dheyaiḥ
na vikriyetātha yadā vikāro
netre jalaṁ gātra-ruheṣu harṣaḥ
tat — that; aśma-sāram — is steel-framed; hṛdayam — heart; bata idam — certainly that; yat — which; gṛhyamāṇaiḥ — in spite of chanting; hari-nāma — the holy name of the Lord; dheyaiḥ — by concentration of the mind; na — does not; vikriyeta — change; atha — thus; yadā — when; vikāraḥ — reaction; netre — in the eyes; jalam — tears; gātra-ruheṣu — at the pores; harṣaḥ — eruptions of ecstasy.
Certainly that heart is steel-framed which, in spite of one’s chanting the holy name of the Lord with concentration, does not change when ecstasy takes place, tears fill the eyes and the hairs stand on end.
(ŚB 11.2.40)
evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ
hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty
unmāda-van nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ
evam-vrataḥ — when one thus engages in the vow to chant and dance; sva — own; priya — very dear; nāma — holy name; kīrtya — by chanting; jāta — in this way develops; anurāgaḥ — attachment; druta-cittaḥ — with a melted heart; uccaiḥ — loudly; hasati — laughs; atho — also; roditi — cries; rauti — becomes agitated; gāyati — chants; unmāda-vat — like a madman; nṛtyati — dancing; loka-bāhyaḥ — without caring for outsiders.
By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion.
(ŚB 12.13.23)
nāma-saṅkīrtanaṁ yasya
sarva-pāpa praṇāśanam
praṇāmo duḥkha-śamanas
taṁ namāmi hariṁ param
nāma-saṅkīrtanam — the congregational chanting of the holy name; yasya — of whom; sarva-pāpa — all sins; praṇāśanam — which destroys; praṇāmaḥ — the bowing down; duḥkha — misery; śamanaḥ — which subdues; tam — to Him; namāmi — I offer my obeisances; harim — to Lord Hari; param — the Supreme.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Hari, the congregational chanting of whose holy names destroys all sinful reactions, and the offering of obeisances unto whom relieves all material suffering.
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How many verses does Nama Tattva have?
Nama Tattva has 15 verses.