So original person, the Supreme Lord—kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28)—He also comes. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, that is Kṛṣṇa's expansion, incarnation, They also come, and Kṛṣṇa also come. Kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo. He is the Supreme Person, pumān. Pumān means the puruṣa, the enjoyer, the proprietor. That is Kṛṣṇa. So immediately you can be in touch with Kṛṣṇa by vibrating this sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so potent. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). The name of Kṛṣṇa is cintāmaṇi, transcendental. It is not this material sound, material name. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya. Living force, caitan. It is not dead sound. If you want water, if you chant only "water, water, water, water," you will not get water, because it is material sound. The water substance is different from the word water. Therefore, simply by chanting "water, water," you cannot quench your thirst. You must have the substance water. That is material sound. Anything you take, simply by chanting the name, you will not get the thing. That is material.
But in the spiritual world, the name and the person or the substance is the same. There is no difference. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name is the same. There is no difference. Therefore, those who are chanting "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa," they are becoming more and more engladdened, enthusiastic to chant. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, the first installment of benefit is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12): you become cleansed of your heart, cleansed of the contamination of your heart." There are many verses. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you don't get anything because there is nāma-aparādha, offenses in chanting. . . There are ten kinds of offenses. So if you can avoid the offenses. . . The name is pure, "Kṛṣṇa." But even though it is chanted offensive, by chanting, chanting, you become cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. It may take little time, but be sure that your consciousness will be cleansed, clear, transparent, and that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The. . . At the present moment we have got consciousness, but that is contaminated: "I am American conscious," "I am Indian conscious." Somebody is dog conscious, cat conscious, so many consciousness. But by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, this contamination of the consciousness will be cleansed, crystalized. It will be. Then you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are in direct touch.
We are direct in touch with Kṛṣṇa, but it is covered by some cloud of ignorance. Otherwise, nothing can exist without Kṛṣṇa's touch. That is not possible. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). Kṛṣṇa is. . . One Kṛṣṇa is expanded all over the creation. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but due to the contamination of material modes of nature, we are thinking we are apart from Kṛṣṇa, separate from Kṛṣṇa, or we do not know Kṛṣṇa, although we are in touch. So that is to be cleansed. The via media impediment has to be cleansed. That is called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). By chanting this transcendental vibration, your heart will be cleansed. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). The more you chant and hear, śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, then it becomes pious activities.