Text 3

The Viṣṇu-rahasya states:

यद् अभ्यर्च्य हरिं भक्त्या कृते क्रतु-शतैर् अपि
फलं प्राप्नोत्य् अविकलं कलौ गोविन्द-कीर्तनात्

yad abhyarcya hariṃ bhaktyā kṛte kratu-śatair api
phalaṃ prāpnoty avikalaṃ kalau govinda-kīrtanāt

Whatever fruit can be obtained in Satya-yuga by devoutly performing austerities and so on for hundreds of years, can be obtained in the age of Kali simply by chanting the names of Śrī Govinda.

सत्य-युगे शत शत यज्ञे हर्यर्चन
कलिते गोविन्द-नामे से फल-अर्जन

satya-yuge śata śata yajñe haryarcana
kalite govinda-nāme se phala-arjana

“The result received in Satya-yuga by meditation on the Supreme Lord, in Tretā-yuga by worshipping Him through great sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by performing arcana of Him according to proper rules, is obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting nāma-ābhāsa, the semblance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s names.”

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

In Kali-yuga, Śrīman Mahāprabhu, the saviour of the fallen, accepted the mood and conduct of a devotee and taught the path of devotion to the entire world. The Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa^[1] states:

हरेर् नाम हरेर् नाम हरेर् नामैव केवलम्
कलौ नास्त्य् एव नास्त्य् एव नास्त्य् एव गतिर् अन्यथा

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

In Kali-yuga there is no other way for the living entity than chanting harināma. There is no other way, there is no other way.

The mention of pure harināma three times in this verse demonstrates the need for fixed determination in performing bhakti and the need for one to understand the futility of other practices like karma, jñāna and yoga.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 17.21) words this verse as above. The verse in Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa (38.127) has the same meaning but slightly different Sanskrit wording: harer nāmaiva nāmaiva nāmaiva mama jīvanam / kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā.