So if somebody says, "If everything is Bhagavān, why not worshiping the Goddess Kālī and Durgā becomes bhakti?" No. That is not. Here it is distinctly stated, bhakti-yogaḥ bhagavati. Bhakti-yogaḥ bhagavati. And that bhakti-yoga, how it begins? Tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ. Tan-nāma, His name, His holy name, grahaṇa, chanting. The method is very simple. Tan-nāma-grahaṇa-ādibhiḥ. Ādibhiḥ means beginning is chanting. There are other processes. Chanting, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam... (SB 7.5.23). There are different processes, but the beginning is chanting and hearing. Tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ. Nāma-grahaṇa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, nāma saya sari tako apana karya.(?) So this, our process, first of all, we give the chanting process. Sixteen rounds. That whole process of bhakti-yoga begins from that point. And the more you become experienced and more you relish the chanting, the more you become advanced. Other things will automatically come and make you perfect. Tan-nāma. Therefore we should be very much, I mean to say, strict in the principle of following the regulative principles and avoiding offenses and chant the mantra faithfully. That is the beginning of religion, and that is the beginning of liberation. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu blesses that ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. If you chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in faith and according to rules and regulations... Even rules and regulation fails, but chanting may not be stopped. Even sometimes we fail. There is possibility of failing, because we are conditioned, and there is every chance of falling down. So despite you are fallen down, still, you should go on chanting.
This verse Nārada Muni's instruction, we were discussing the last meeting. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). One has taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness cult and is chanting as far as possible, but there is possibility, because one is not mature, there are so many attraction of māyā, he may fall down. But Nārada Muni says, "Still, he is not in loss." It is so powerful. "Still he is in gain. And one who does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he is following the religious principles... Everyone has got some religion. Still, what does he gain? He does not gain anything." That is the verdict of Nārada Muni. A person who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, giving up his all religious principles and occupations, even he falls down on account of his immature position, he is much gainer than the person who is sticking to his religious principle, so-called religious principle, but does not know what Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He does not gain anything. That is the verdict of Nārada Muni.
- nāmoccāraṇa māhātmyaṁ
- hareḥ paśyata putrakāḥ
- ajāmilo 'pi yenaiva
- mṛtyu-pāśād amucyata
- (SB 6.3.23)
So the evidence is that Ajāmila, simply by his chanting "Nārāyaṇa," he became saved from imminent danger, being arrested by the Yamadūtas, or death.
- etāvatālam agha-nirharaṇāya puṁsāṁ
- saṅkīrtanaṁ bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām
- vikruśya putram aghavān yad ajāmilo 'pi
- nārāyaṇeti mriyamāṇa iyāya muktim
- (SB 6.3.24)
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.