Nama means

Expressions researched:
"Nama means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So nāma means name, and then, rūpa means form.

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

So we have no connection with Kṛṣṇa. But if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, immediately our first chance to contact Kṛṣṇa begins. So it has to be practiced. Not that immediately I realize Kṛṣṇa. That is not... Of course, if one is advanced, it is possible immediately. So śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Nāma means name. So Kṛṣṇa is not only name. Ādi, that is the beginning, but form, activities. Just like śravanaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). So śravanaṁ kīrtanam, glorifying or describing about Kṛṣṇa... So He has got His form. So nāma means name, and then, rūpa means form. Nāma, rūpa... Līlā means pastimes; guṇa means quality; entourage, his associates; all these... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved (CC Madhya 17.136). Na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. By ordinary senses we cannot understand... Either Śrī Kṛṣṇa's name... We are hearing our, through the aural reception, Kṛṣṇa's name, but if we keep our ear without purification... Of course, by hearing, it will be purified. We have to help. Help means to avoid the offenses, ten kinds of offenses. So in this way we shall help the purificatory process. Just like if I want to ignite fire, so I must help the igniting process by drying the wood. It will very soon get fire. Similarly, simply chanting, that will help us also. It will take time. But if we avoid the offenses, then it will be very quickly purified. The action will be there.

Nāma means after you understand or realize nāma, then you'll understand His qualities, transcendental qualities.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Just like the eyelid is just attached to the eye, but I cannot see. This is imperfect. Neither we can see very close, neither we can see very long distance point, neither we can see in darkness. There are so many conditions. If those conditions are fulfilled, then our senses can act. Therefore it is to be understood that our senses are imperfect. Therefore Bhāgavata says ataḥ, therefore, śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nāmādi... Nāma means His name, His holy name, ādi, that is the beginning. To understand Kṛṣṇa is to begin chanting His name, nāma. Nāmādi. Ādi means in the beginning. Therefore we recommend the students to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Nāma means after you understand or realize nāma, then you'll understand His qualities, transcendental qualities. When, in the Vedic scripture, when it is said that the Absolute Truth is nirguṇa... Nirguṇa means, guṇa means quality, and nir means negative. And nir, nir, na arthe. Nir also used to ascertain. So nirguṇa can be used in two senses. The first sense is negative, "no guṇa, no quality," and the second is "it is difficult to ascertain."

Śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma is not ordinary nāma, name. Nāma means name. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma is transcendental, absolute.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

In the Upaniṣads it is said that God, the Absolute Truth, Brahman, can walk so fast that even air cannot go so fast. In this way, there are descriptions. So that means, as stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His form, He has got form undoubtedly, but His form is different. The Māyāvādī philosopher, whenever they think of form they think in terms of his own form. That is their defect. Therefore it is said in the Bhāgavata, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma is not ordinary nāma, name. Nāma means name. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma is transcendental, absolute. There is no difference between the name and person and object. Here, there is difference. The name and the object is different. Water and the name "water" and the substance water—different. I cannot satisfy my thirst simply by chanting "water, water." But by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, I can realize God. That is the difference.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Nāma means name. Here is Kṛṣṇa, God's name. Form, here is the form. He is engaged in enjoyment with Rādhārāṇī and playing on His flute.

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 7, 1971:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is against all this rascaldom, all this rascaldom. We present, "Here is God." Here is God. Take His name. Take His address also. That is also... It is so perfect. They are searching after God. We are giving the name, address, activity, everything, quality, all. Nāma-rūpa-līlā-parikara-vaiśiṣṭhyam, everything. Nāma means name. Here is Kṛṣṇa, God's name. Form, here is the form. He is engaged in enjoyment with Rādhārāṇī and playing on His flute. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ bar... (Bs. 5.30). We are not imagining. Not that this artist imagines, the poet imagines. No. We don't do that rascaldom. We don't do that. We take information from the Vedas. Kṛṣṇa, when He was present personally, He played on His flute. The gopīs saw and the cowherds boys saw five thousand years ago. And the ācāryas took information. Even if you don't believe in the history, then come to śāstra. The śāstra says veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam: (Bs. 5.30) "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always engaged in playing on His flute." This is Vedic statement.

This blunt material eyes, he cannot see Kṛṣṇa, or cannot hear Kṛṣṇa's name, nāmādi. Nāma means name. Nāma means name, form, quality, pastime.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

Just like Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. We are Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, all living entities, but we do not see each other. You cannot see me, I do not see you. "No, I see you." What you see? You see my body. Then, when the soul is gone from the body, why you are crying "My father is gone"? Why father is gone? Father is lying here. Then what you have seen? You have seen the dead body of your father, not your father. So if you cannot see the particle of Kṛṣṇa, the soul, how you can see Kṛṣṇa? Therefore śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). This blunt material eyes, he cannot see Kṛṣṇa, or cannot hear Kṛṣṇa's name, nāmādi. Nāma means name. Nāma means name, form, quality, pastime. These things cannot be understood by your material blunt eyes or senses. But if they are purified, sevonukhe hi jihvādau, if they are purified by the process of devotional service, you can see Kṛṣṇa at all times and everywhere. But for ordinary person, alakṣyam: not visible. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, God is everywhere, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. So alakṣyam sarva-bhūtānām. Although Kṛṣṇa is outside and inside, both, still we cannot see Kṛṣṇa unless we have got the eyes to see Kṛṣṇa.

Nāma-rūpābhyām. Nāma means name and rūpa means form. So, so long we are living, our name, our fame, our form, our activities, are glorious, very good.

Lecture on SB 1.8.38 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1973:

So this is the case not only with the Pāṇḍavas but every one of us. When somebody dies, big man, big scientist, big politician, big philosopher, when he's dead, the big name, "Here is Mr. Nixon, here is Mr, Sir Isaac Newton, or...," this is name. Nāma-rūpābhyām. Nāma means name and rūpa means form. So, so long we are living, our name, our fame, our form, our activities, are glorious, very good. And as soon as the life is gone, nobody cares. It is a lump of matter. That's all. Now at the... When one is living, a big man, nobody can go before him or touch him—there are so many guards. But the same man, when he's dead, if he's lying on the floor, if somebody kicks on his face, nobody cares, finished.

Harer nāma means chanting of the holy name. That is simple. But when you chant harer nāma then you gradually understand what is Hari, what is His form, what is His quality, what is His activities. Then you can understand.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

In the Agni Purāṇa it is said and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also the same thing. Agni Purāṇa says, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, and here in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam it is said, yathā harer nāma-padair udāhṛtaiḥ tad uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhakam. Harer nāma means chanting of the holy name. That is simple. But when you chant harer nāma then you gradually understand what is Hari, what is His form, what is His quality, what is His activities. Then you can understand. Because without harer nāma your heart is dirty—ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12)—unless your heart is cleansed you cannot understand what is Hari, what is His name, what is His form, what is His quality, what are His activities. You cannot understand.

Nāma means name, and guṇa means quality, and karma means activities. That is not ordinary karma.

Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

This is the conclusion, that etāvatālam agha-nirharaṇāya puṁsāṁ saṅkīrtanaṁ bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām. Therefore Yamarāja is recommending that by our fruitive activities we are implicated in so many sinful reaction of life, so saṅkīrtanaṁ bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām. Not only the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is called saṅkīrtana of the holy name of the Lord, but here it is said, guṇa-karma-nāmnām. Saṅkīrtanaṁ bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām. Not that when you read Kṛṣṇa, the book which is full of Kṛṣṇa's activities... That is also saṅkīrtana. That is also saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana does not mean simply chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Saṅkīrtana means you discuss Kṛṣṇa's activities, that is also saṅkīrtana. That is not different from saṅkīrtana. It is clearly stated here that bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām. Nāma means name, and guṇa means quality, and karma means activities. That is not ordinary karma. Just like when we read Kṛṣṇa book, Kṛṣṇa is killing so many demons, He is kidnapping somebody, He is... So many things. It appears just like ordinary, I mean to say, malpractices in the material world. It appears like that. "So what is this God? He is killing so many persons, He is kidnapping some woman. What is this God?" they may say. But they do not know that that is also transcendental. That is as pure as chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is as pure as. Otherwise, what interest we have got to read Bhagavad-gītā? It is in the battlefield. Senayor ubhayor madhye. Combination of two parties, soldiers, and they are fighting, they are killing.

Initiation Lectures

Nāma means name; ādi, because name is the beginning of everything. Just like if I want to make friendship with you, I ask you, "What is your name?" That is the beginning.

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

The Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "Everything is generated from Him." So if there is name, you have got name, I have got name, anything... This tape recorder has got name, this plate has got name, the place has got name, the carpet has got name, and simply God has no name? Why? (laughs) Just see the fallacy. The fountainhead of all names is God, and He has no name. You see? He is zero. These are the arguments. But we don't accept. The thing is they do not know the name because their senses are not purified. You cannot understand God by imperfect senses. Therefore Bhāgavata says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Nāmādi. Nāma means name; ādi, because name is the beginning of everything. Just like if I want to make friendship with you, I ask you, "What is your name?" That is the beginning. If you go to the court, before beginning the judgment, "What is your name? What is your father's name?" You submit any application, "What is your name?" So nāmādi.

Nama means surrender, to become submissive. Namanta eva. Namanta eva. That is the qualification.

Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969:

So mantra means... Namaḥ. Nama means surrender, to become submissive. Namanta eva. Namanta eva. That is the qualification. Namaḥ. When we utter this word namaḥ, means "I surrender." Anyone, I say namaskāra, namaskāra means the surrendering process: "I accept the surrendering process." So when we surrender to Kṛṣṇa or His representative, then apavitraḥ. Apavitraḥ means contaminated and pavitraḥ means purified. So one may be in contaminated stage or purified stage. It doesn't matter. One who... Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, one who remembers Kṛṣṇa, the lotus-eyed... Puṇḍarīkākṣam means lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa. So bahya. Bahya means externally, and abhyantara, internally. Bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means purified. And another meaning of śuciḥ is brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa means purified. So those who are going to be sacred-threaded today, they should remember that they are being accepted as śuciḥ, as brāhmaṇa. After chanting process for the six months or one year, it is supposed that he has already become purified.

General Lectures

Harer nāma means the holy name of the Supreme Lord.

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

There is no difference. I have already explained that we are recommending that you chant the holy name of God. If you have got any holy name of God in your religion, you can chant that. We don't say that you chant Kṛṣṇa. Just like you are thirsty, you want water. Somebody may call "water," somebody may call "pani," somebody may call "jala." That doesn't matter. But you want water. Similarly, if you have got any name for calling the Supreme Lord, you call in that name. It doesn't matter. That is our recommendation. When we say, harer nāma. Harer nāma means the holy name of the Supreme Lord.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Harer nāma means God's name.

Room Conversation with Christian Priest -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Harer nāma means God's name.

Priest: You see, for instance, in Christianity for a long time there was a bhakti, and this bhakti was devoted to the name of Jesus. So for a very long time you had that Jesus bhakti. And in your country, in America today, like you have got the Hare Kṛṣṇa, you have got also the Jesus devotees. Now, this is also present in many places. And the name does not matter. There is no name who has got the... Because then you find again what...

Prabhupāda: No. If Jesus is the name of God, then you can chant. If Jesus is the name of God. But Jesus, Lord Jesus Christ, says that he is son of God. Of course, there is no difference between son and the father. That is another thing. But still, if I want the father, how by calling the name of son I can get the father? That is also another thing.

Priest: Yeah, but I mean, this is another point.

Prabhupāda: But if you have got the father's name, why should you call Him by the son's name?

Harer means of the Lord and nāma means name.

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Dr. P. J. Saher: Like iron in fire.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's right. (German) (break) ...Vedic injunction:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

For your perfection you simply chant the name of the Lord harer nāma, harer. Harer means of the Lord and nāma means name. Thrice. Just like we give stress three times, "You do it. You do it. You do it." This is a good stress. Similarly, the śāstra says harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma, nāma eva kevalam, simply chant the Lord's name. Kalau, in this age of Kali. Nāsty eva, nāsty eva, nāsty eva gatir anyathā. There is no other alternative for self-realization, no other alternative for self-realization, therefore stress should be given for everyone to chant the holy name of the Lord. (German) Kali means the age of quarrel, the age of quarrel. This age is simply for fighting and quarrel. They're not interested to understand the Absolute Truth. But they're interested in fighting and quarreling. Therefore this age called Kali. Kali means fighting.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Nāma means chanting of the holy name. Gana means also prayer. And also daṇḍavat.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- March 13, 1975, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: That's it. (says something in Hindi regarding daṇḍavat) (chuckles) That is very good. That is our process. Sāṅkhya-pūrvaka-nāma-gana-natibhiḥ. The Vaiṣṇavas, they chanted with a numerical strength, sāṅkhya-pūrvaka. Sāṅkhya-pūrvaka-nāma-gana-natibhiḥ. Nāma means chanting of the holy name. Gana means also prayer. And also daṇḍavat. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he took vow that "So many times I will offer daṇḍavat." So these things are... If this child simply offers daṇḍavat to the Vaiṣṇava or Viṣṇu, so it will not go in vain. Even if he does not know any śāstra, simply offers obeisances, that will also be taken into credit. It is so nice thing. Sāṅkhya-pūrvaka-nāma-gana-natibhiḥ kālāvasāni-kṛtau. So therefore Deity worship is recommended. So if anyone does not know anything, if he simply comes and offers obeisances, that is also nice. Therefore Deity worship is important for the common man. Even if he does not know anything, if he simply comes and offer obeisances, if he little dances with kīrtana, everything will be taken into credit. Then one day he will become a devotee. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). The jñānavān, the so-called jñānavān they do not care for the Deity-puffed up. But Kṛṣṇa says this class of jñānavān, after many, many births, when he'll be actually jñānavān, he will offer obeisance. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). It is so difficult and easy. A jñānavān, after many, many births, come to this conclusion, "Here is vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). I offer my obeisances." And the same obeisances can be offered by a child without being jñānavān, but the result is the same.

Nāma means the name and the person. There are many hundreds and thousands of names, and each name is as good as the person.

Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Dr. Wolfe: We may assume, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that God has innumerable names.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Wolfe: And most of them not known to us. If we can say "most" about innumerable.

Prabhupāda: You can... Then you know from us. We can... There is Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu also. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. Nāma... Nāma means the name and the person. There are many hundreds and thousands of names, and each name is as good as the person. Because it is absolute, there is no difference between the person and the person's name.