Text 24

Chanting the holy name completely cleanses the self. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.12.48) states:

सङ्कीर्त्यमानो भगवान् अनन्तः श्रुतानुभावो व्यसनं हि पुंसाम्
प्रविश्य चित्तं विधुनोत्य् अशेषं यथा तमो’र्को’भ्रम् इवाति-वातः

saṅkīrtyamāno bhagavān anantaḥ śrutānubhāvo vyasanaṃ hi puṃsām
praviśya cittaṃ vidhunoty aśeṣaṃ yathā tamo’rko’bhram ivāti-vātaḥ

Bhagavān Śrī Hari Himself enters the heart of a devotee who describes His name, form, qualities, pastimes and so on, or hears His glories; and He destroys all the darkness of the sins present there. Upon entering the heart of the jīva, the Supreme Lord destroys his offences, impediments, duplicity and material desires, just as the sun drives away darkness or a powerful wind scatters the clouds. This cleanses the mirror-like hearts of those who take shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name, and very quickly they attain their pure transcendental forms.

श्रुत अनुभूत यत अनर्थ संयोग
श्री-कृष्ण-कीर्तने सब हय त वियोग

śruta anubhūta yata anartha saṃyoga
śrī-kṛṣṇa-kīrtane saba haya ta viyoga

ये रूप वायुते मेघ सूर्य तमः नाशे
चित्ते प्रवेशिया दोष अशेष विनाशे

ye rūpa vāyute megha sūrya tamaḥ nāśe
citte praveśiyā doṣa aśeṣa vināśe

कृष्ण-नामाश्रये चित्त दर्पण-मार्जन
अति-शीघ्र लभे जीव कृष्ण प्रेम-धन

kṛṣṇa-nāmāśraye citta darpaṇa-mārjana
ati-śīghra labhe jīva kṛṣṇa prema-dhana

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

The glories of nāma-saṅkīrtana are described in this Text. Nāma Prabhu enters the heart of the living entity who is performing nāma-saṅkīrtana, destroys all his anarthas and makes his heart soft and smooth. Not only that, nāma-saṅkīrtana will also destroy all kinds of anarthas in a person who merely sees or hears saṅkīrtana, just as the sun drives away darkness or the wind drives away the clouds. The scriptures state that the jīvas’ tendency to enjoy will be completely destroyed on the strength of their performing nāma-kīrtana in the association of devotees.

At the end of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (12.13.23) Śrī Vedavyāsa glorifies nāma-saṅkīrtana:

नाम-सङ्कीर्तनं यस्य सर्व-पाप-प्रणाशनम्
प्रणामो दुःख-शमनस् तं नमामि हरिं परम्

nāma-saṅkīrtanaṃ yasya sarva-pāpa-praṇāśanam
praṇāmo duḥkha-śamanas taṃ namāmi hariṃ param

All sins are completely destroyed by the chanting of Śrī Bhagavān’s names, and all kinds of miseries are relieved by complete surrender to His lotus feet and by always bowing down to Him. I offer my respectful obeisances unto that Absolute Truth, Śrī Hari.