Text 35

The Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa (38.127)^[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 the holy name. There is no other way, there is no other way.

अन्य धर्म कर्म छाडि हरिनाम सार
कलि-युगे ताहा विना गति नाहि आर

anya dharma karma chāḍi harināma sāra
kali-yuge tāhā vinā gati nāhi āra

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

In Kali-yuga, Svayam Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa has appeared in the form of His name. Through harināma the whole world can be delivered. The words harer nāma in this Text are used three times to make people with mundane intelligence become fixed in chant ing harināma. The word kevala (meaning ‘only’) is used to make it extremely clear that jñāna, yoga, tapasya and other activities are to be renounced. Salvation is never possible for one who disregards this instruc tion of the scriptures. To emphasise this, the words nāsty eva (meaning ‘no other way’) are repeated three times at the end of the verse.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This verse is from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 17.21). The verse in Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa (38.127) has a different Sanskrit wording, but same meaning: harer nāmaiva nāmaiva nāmaiva mama jīvanam / kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā.