Chapter 15 - Efficacy of the Name of Kṛṣṇa

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: Purāṇas (especially the later ones) glorify the name of God (be it Śiva or Viṣṇu). But here the glorification of the name Kṛṣṇa comes after describing the importance and the worship etc. of a Brahmin couple who are supposed to represent Viṣṇu and his consort Kīrti in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa and of feeding Brāhmaṇas.

Śrī Bhagavān said:

1. O excellent interlocutor, I shall decisively and in the proper order describe and explain those questions you have put before. Listen.

2. The Lord of the month of Mārgaśīrṣa is Keśava accompanied by Kīrti. His worship is to be performed as stated before.

3. Considering the Brāhmaṇa as Keśava and his wife as Kīrti, the couple should be duly honoured with clothes, ornaments and cows.

4. O dear one, if the couple is honoured and worshipped, I too am worshipped undoubtedly. Hence the couple should be necessarily honoured. That will give me satisfaction.

5-7. Different kinds of charitable gifts must be made, which will gratify me. They are: the gifts of cows, lands and especially gold, clothes, bed, ornaments, and houses. These should be given. They cause satisfaction to me. Out of all (kinds of) gifts three are proclaimed to be most excellent, viz. land, cow and learning.

8. If these three are given, O dear one, I shall have immeasurable pleasure. Hence in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa these three splendid gifts should be made by men.

9. O sinless one, the procedure of the holy bath has been clearly described by me before. This is undoubtedly the procedure of worship, holy bath and charitable gifts.

10. One who takes but one meal (everyday) and devoutly feeds Brāhmaṇas during the whole month of Mārgaśīrṣa, shall be liberated from sickness and sins.

11. He shall become a great agriculturist and shall have abundant wealth and foodgrains. Of what avail is much talk in this connection? Listen to my great secret.

12. Fire-god and Brāhmaṇa, these two represent my mouth, O bestower of honour. The mouth named Brāhmaṇa is the most excellent one and not so Fire-god.

13. That which is offered as Homa in the mouth named Brāhmaṇa, O dear son, shall become a crore of times meritorious. That which is named Fire is dependent upon Brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇas are free.

14. Milk-pudding resembling the moon (in whiteness) with plenty of sugar and ghee should be offered as Homa in the mouth of a Brāhmaṇa. It causes delight to me, O son.

15. O son, if you wish for the happiness of wife and sons etc., worship the mouth of Brāhmaṇa with splendid Modakas, circular pancakes, juice of wild date tree and Pheṇikā sweet fried in ghee. It causes delight to me.

16. In the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, perform Havana in the mouth of a Brāhmaṇa with splendid cooked rice that has the lustre and fragrance of (white) lilies, that is served along with Mudga pulse (green gram) and plenty of ghee with good flavour.

17. Sīkaraka (a variety of sweet delicacy) that is boiled in milk and ghee with plenty of dried date fruits (called Khāriks) and Cāra fruits (Buchanania latifolia?), sugar, camphor and coconut kernels causes auspiciousness.

18. Splendid and attractive side-dishes and pickles should be prepared in the monṃ of Mārgaśīrṣa, O Four-faced One, for the sake of Brāhmaṇas.

19. The pleasant Śikhariṇī (a dish with curds, sugar, spices etc. called Śrīkhaṇḍ in Marathi) and other things pleasing to them should be prepared. After making all these things, he should feed Brāhmaṇas with great respect, O son.

20. The more they relish (the sweet) things served and eat them, the greater is my delight. It is a rare thing in the world.

21. Hence the different things should be prepared in such a way that the Brāhmaṇas are pleased. If they are pleased, I am also pleased undoubtedly.

22. Believe, O Four-faced One, I am not speaking untruth to you. This secret has been stated by me for the sake of your welfare, O bestower of honour.

23. Even if they shout rebuke and beat, they are worthy of being bowed to, O bestower of honour, because of my love (for them).

24. This should be done in this manner always, O son, particularly in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa. You had asked, “What should be eaten?”, O Brahmā; hear that.

25. My Ucchiṣṭa (remnants after taking food) should be eaten by those who are devoted to me. O son, it is sanctifying. It bestows salvation even on sinners.

26. If anyone eats the leavings of my food everyday, he should attain the merit of a hundred Cāndrāyaṇa rites for every lump thereof.

27. The devotees will have two types of food: Avaśiṣṭa (that which is not partaken and so left over) and Ucchiṣta (partially consumed and left over). They do not have any other types of food. Should they take (anything else) they shall perform the expiatory rite of Cāndrāyaṇa.

28. If anyone takes food, drink etc. without dedicating it to me, the food is as bad as the faeces of a dog and the drink just like liquor.

29. Hence, O son, food, drink and medicine should be dedicated to me first and then taken with great devotion. They make what is impure into one that is pure.

30. My Ucchiṣṭa yields the benefit of Tīrtha, Yajña etc. It destroys the evils of Kali. It bestows good status even on persons of vicious deeds,

31. No devotee should partake of the food offerings to oṃer deities. By eating the cooked rice of non-devotees one shall fall into hell.

32. Listen attentively to what should be stated about which you have asked. I shall state it out of love for you, though it is a great secret of mine.

33. My name should be uttered particularly in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa.^[1] The name Kṛṣṇa should be repeatedly uttered. It is exceedingly pleasing to me.

34-35. This is my vow. Even Suras and Asuras do not know this, O my son. Only he who has sought refuge in me mentally, verbally and physically attains all the worldly desires. He will attain Vaikuṇṭha which is greater than everything and (will have) even my beloved Kamalā (the goddess of fortune).

36. If anyone remembers me everyday uttering ‘Kṛṣṇa’, ‘Kṛṣṇa’ continuously, I redeem him from Naraka in the manner in which the lotus comes up breaking through water.

37. He who worships me just for fun, or out of hypocrisy, or due to foolishness, greediness or even fraudulently is my devotee. He does not have to repent.

38. When death is imminent, if people repeat “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa”, O dear son, they will never see Yama even if they are sinners.^[2]

39. Earlier in his life a man might have committed all sorts of sins. But at the time of death if he remembers (to utter the name) Kṛṣṇa, he shall undoubtedly attain me.

40-41. If a helpless miserable man utters the words “Obeisance to Kṛṣṇa, the great one” he attains the immutable (eternal) region.

When death is imminent, if a person utters “Śrīkṛṣṇa” and gives up his life even as he utters it, the leader of ghosts (i.e. Yama) stands far off and sees him going to heaven.

42. Whether in a cremation ground or in a street, if a person utters “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa” and dies, O son, he attains me alone. There is no doubt about it.

43. If any man dies anywhere within the sight of my devotees, he shall attain salvation even without remembering me.

44. O son, do not be afraid of the blazing fire of sins. It shall be sprinkled (and put out) with the drops of water issuing from the cloud named Śrīkṛṣṇa.

45. Why should there be any fear of the serpent of Kali that has very sharp fangs? He will perish on being burned by the fire issuing forth from the wood of the name of Śrīkṛṣṇa.

46. Excepting remembering Śrīkṛṣṇa there is no other medicine for men who are burned by the fire of sin and who are separated(?) from performance of Karmas.

47. Just as there is Gaṅgā in Prayāga, Narmada in Śuklatīrtha and Sarasvatī in Kurukṣetra, so also is the glorification of Śrīkṛṣṇa.

48. Without the remembering of Śrīkṛṣṇa there is no redemption of men who are immersed in the ocean of worldly existence and who are submerged in the waves of great sins.

49. Excepting the remembrance of Śrīkṛṣṇa, there is no oṃer viaticum (provision for a journey) to those who go (to the other world), to the sinning people who do not wish for it (even) at the time of death.

50. There is Gayā, Kāśī, Puṣkara and Kurujāṅgala, O son, in mansions wherein there is the glorification (of the Lord) with the repetition “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa” everyday.

51. If the tongue of anyone prattles “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa” always, his life is fruitful, his birth is fruitful, his happiness alone is fruitful.

52. If the two syllables HA and RI are uttered by anyone at least once, he has girt up his loins for proceeding towards salvation.

53. Sinning people cannot commit as many sins as my name is competent to burn down.

54. If anyone glorifies the Lord by repeating “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa”, neither his body nor his mind are pierced (by sin). (One will not be touched by) sin and affliction if one glorifies the Lord by saying “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa”.

55. There shall be no ailment or sin in the mind of that man who never forsakes the wholesome and beneficial word Śrīkṛṣṇa in Kali Age.

56. On hearing a man repeatedly uttering “Śrīkṛṣṇa” the Lord of the Southern Quarter (Yama) wipes off his sin acquired in the course of hundreds of births.

57. The sin that is not dispelled by hundreds of Cāndrāyaṇa (expiatory rites) and thousands of Parāka rites, is removed by repeatedly uttering “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa”.

58. I have no pleasure at all (in hearing) crores of other names. When the name Śrīkṛṣṇa is uttered, I get more and more delight.

59. The benefit that is proclaimed (as resulting from) performing the rites during crores of lunar and solar eclipses is obtained by uttering “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa”.

60. Such (great) sins as carnally approaching the wife of the preceptor or stealing gold etc. are dispelled by glorifying Śrīkṛṣṇa like snow heated by sunshine.

61. If a person is contaminated with the great sins beginning with carnally approaching forbidden women, he is liberated from them if he glorifies Śrīkṛṣṇa at least once, even at the time of his death.

62. A man may be of impure mind. He may not strictly adhere to the code of good conduct. Even he does not become a ghost, if he glorifies Śrīkṛṣṇa in the end.

63. If, in Kali Age, the tongue does not glorify the good qualities of Śrīkṛṣṇa, let it not exist in the mouth. Let that unchaste one go to the nether worlds.

64. O son, the tongue that glorifies Śrīkṛṣṇa is to be respected by all means whether it is in one’s own mouth or in another man’s mouth.

65. If it does not glorify the good qualities of Śrīkṛṣṇa day and night, the tongue is a creeper of sin, though called (by the designation) tongue.

66. Let that tongue which is in the form of a disease fall shattered into hundred pieces, if it does not utter “Śrīkṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Śrīkṛṣṇa”.

67. If a man gets up in the morning and repeats aloud the greatness of the name of Śrīkṛṣṇa, I shall be the bestower of welfare on him. There is no doubt about it.

68. He who recites the greatness of the name of Śrīkṛṣṇa at the time of the three junctions (morning, noon and dusk) shall attain all desires. On death he attains the greatest goal.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

As it is the glorification of Mārgaśīrṣa, the name of Kṛṣṇa is recommended—not that this Japa is restricted to this period only.

[2]:

The belief in the efficacy of uttering the name of God at the time of death still persists in India. The great reverence for God’s name expressed in vv 38-68 is re-echoed and repeated by saints all over India since then.