SB 06.03.31 tasmat sankirtanam visnor... cited

Expressions researched:
"jagan-mangalam amhasam" |"mahatam api kauravya" |"tasmat sankirtanam visnor" |"the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins" |"viddhy aikantika-niskrtam"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "6.3.31" or "jagan-mangalam amhasam" or "mahatam api kauravya" or "tasmat sankirtanam visnor" or "the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins" or "viddhy aikantika-niskrtam"

SB Canto 6

SB 6.3.24, Translation and Purport:

Therefore it should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajāmila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Nārāyaṇa.

In the assembly of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī's father, Haridāsa Ṭhākura confirmed that simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord one is liberated, even if he does not chant completely inoffensively. Smārta-brāhmaṇas and Māyāvādīs do not believe that one can achieve liberation in this way, but the truth of Haridāsa Ṭhākura's statement is supported by many quotations from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

In his commentary on this verse, for example, Śrīdhara Svāmī gives the following quotation:

sāyaṁ prātar gṛṇan bhaktyā

duḥkha-grāmād vimucyate

"If one always chants the holy name of the Lord with great devotion in the evening and in the morning, one can become free from all material miseries." Another quotation confirms that one can achieve liberation if one hears the holy name of the Lord constantly, every day with great respect (anudinam idam ādareṇa śṛṇvan). Another quotation says:

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ dhyānaṁ

harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ

janma-karma-guṇānāṁ ca

tad-arthe 'khila-ceṣṭitam

"One should always chant and hear about the extraordinarily wonderful activities of the Lord, one should meditate upon these activities, and one should endeavor to please the Lord." (SB 11.3.27)

Śrīdhara Svāmī also quotes from the Purāṇas, pāpa-kṣayaś ca bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam: "One can become free from all sinful reactions simply by remembering the lotus feet of the Lord day and night (ahar-niśam)." Furthermore, he quotes from Bhāgavatam (6.3.31):

tasmāt saṅkīrtanaṁ viṣṇor

jagan-maṅgalam aṁhasām

mahatām api kauravya

viddhy aikāntika-niṣkṛtam

All these quotations prove that one who constantly engages in chanting and hearing of the holy activities, name, fame and form of the Lord is liberated. As stated wonderfully in this verse, etāvatālam agha-nirharaṇāya puṁsām: simply by uttering the name of the Lord, one is freed from all sinful reactions.

SB 6.3.31, Translation and Purport:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the saṅkīrtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.

We should note that although Ajāmila chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa imperfectly, he was delivered from all sinful reactions. The chanting of the holy name is so auspicious that it can free everyone from the reactions of sinful activities. One should not conclude that one may continue to sin with the intention of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa to neutralize the reactions. Rather, one should be very careful to be free from all sins and never think of counteracting sinful activities by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, for this is another offense. If by chance a devotee accidentally performs some sinful activity, the Lord will excuse him, but one should not intentionally perform sinful acts.