Ātreya Ṛṣi: So this name of God is diff . . . if God is transcendental, if God is spiritual, then how could His name be committed to our relative conceptions? (break)
Prabhupāda: . . . indicates God, then it is Godless. That is our point. If it indicates to God . . . just like Allah. If this name indicates to God, then it is this Allah word as good as God. There is no difference. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ (Śikṣāṣṭaka 2). The Allah, the conception of Allah means "The Great," is it not? So God is great. So by chanting Allah, I am meaning God, the Supreme Powerful. So it is as good. And actually in mosque, they chant Allah-u-akbar, like that, so far I've heard. So that prayer, if it is not God's name, then what is the use of this prayer? That is God's name. Similarly, the Hindus may chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; they're indicating to the same personality. It may be different language. Therefore, it is as good as God because God is absolute. But this, this name is authorized because Muhammad said that you chant "Allah." So it is authorized, because he is God's representative. Therefore my request is, or our request is that you chant the name of Allah. We don't say that you chant Kṛṣṇa. You chant the holy name of God. If Allah is approved name of God, you chant this. That is our request. We don't force you that you chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. No, we don't say that. If somebody says Jehovah is the name of God, that's all right; you chant Jehovah. Allah is the name of God; that's all right, you do it. We simply request that you chant the holy name of God. That's all. If you have got it, we don't force you that you chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. That is not our way. We accept: if Allah is God's name, it is as good as the name Kṛṣṇa. We are not so sophisticated that you have to chant this Kṛṣṇa's name. No, we say harer nāma. That is the śāstra, harer nāma: the name of the Lord. So there are many thousands of names, that's a fact. So you actually chant the name of God. Pick up of the millions of God's name, whatever you like, you pick up and chant. That is our propagation.
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam
- kalau nāsty eva, nāsty eva, nāsty eva gathir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)
In this age of quarrel and disagreement, God realization is very difficult; therefore, you chant the holy name of God, then you'll gradually realize Him. This is our program. So we don't force you that you chant this name Kṛṣṇa. No. Śāstra says, harer nāma, the holy name of God, chant. That is our program.