sarveṣām apy aghavatām idam eva suniṣkṛtam |
nāma-vyāharaṇaṁ viṣṇor yatas tad-viṣayā matiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.2.10)
“This utterance of the name of Viṣṇu is the best means of atonement even for all [types of] sinners because one [i.e., anyone who utters his name] becomes an object of his attention.”
nāmāparādha-yuktānāṁ nāmāny eva haranty agham |
aviśrānti-prayuktāni tāny evārthakarāṇi ca ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 3.48.23 or 4.25.23; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.526; Bhakti Sandarbha: 265)
“The names [of Hari] certainly destroy the sins of those who have committed offense to the name; uttered incessantly, they are certainly effective.”
madhura-madhuram etan maṅgalaṁ maṅgalānāṁ
sakala-nigama-vallī-sat-phalaṁ cit-svarūpam |
sakṛd api parigītaṁ śraddhayā helayā vā
bhṛgu-vara nara-mātraṁ tārayet kṛṣṇa-nāma ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.451; Tattva Sandarbha: 15; Bhagavat Sandarbha: 35; Bhakti Sandarbha: 172)
“O best of the Bhṛgus, the name of Kṛṣṇa, the sweetest of the sweet, the most auspicious of the auspicious, the eternal [alt., true] spiritual fruit of the vine of all the Nigamas [i.e., Vedas], can deliver any human being when chanted even once, faithfully or negligently.”
nāmaikaṁ yasya vāci smaraṇa-patha-gataṁ śrotra-mūlaṁ gataṁ vā
śuddhaṁ vāśuddha-varṇaṁ vyavahita-rahitaṁ tārayaty eva satyam |
tac ced deha-draviṇa-janatā-lobha-pāṣaṇḍa-madhye
nikṣiptaṁ syān na phala-janakaṁ śīghram evātra vipra ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 3.48.24 or 4.25.24; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.527; Bhakti Sandarbha: 153, 265; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.3.60)
“Be it with proper or improper [pronunciation of] syllables, one name [of Bhagavān] without separation [alt., or even with separation of its syllables] which has entered one’s speech, path of remembrance, or the base of the ears certainly delivers [a living being]. This is certainly true. If that [i.e., the name of Bhagavān] should be cast down among those who are heretical out of greed related to the body, wealth, or people, [however,] O brāhmaṇa, it certainly does not become fruitful quickly here.”
ākṛṣṭiḥ kṛta-cetasāṁ sumahatām uccāṭanaṁ cāṁhasām
ācaṇḍālam amūka-loka-sulabho vaśyaś ca mukti-śriyaḥ |
no dīkṣāṁ na ca dakṣiṇāṁ na ca puraścaryāṁ manāg īkṣate
mantro’yaṁ rasanā-spṛg eva phalati śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmātmakaḥ ||
(Lakṣmīdhara; cited in Padyāvalī: 29; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.15.112)
“This mantra consisting of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name attracts [even] the highly exalted of purified mind, dispels [even] extremely severe sins, is easily available to [all] people who are not mute, including [even] caṇḍālas, controls the fortune of mukti, does not consider dīkṣā, donations, or prepartory rites (puraścaryā) in the least, and bears fruit just by touching the tongue.”
śrīman-nāma prabhos tasya śrī-mūrter apy ati-priyam |
jagad-dhitaṁ sukhopāsyaṁ sa-rasaṁ tat-samaṁ na hi ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.3.184)
“Prabhu’s splendid name, dearer to him than even his beautiful form, is beneficial for the world, easily worshipped, and full of rasa. Indeed it has no equal.”
ekasminn indriye prādurbhūtaṁ nāmāmṛtaṁ rasaiḥ |
āplāvayati sarvāṇīndriyāṇi madhurair nijaiḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.3.163)
“The nectar of the name manifest in one sense floods all the senses with its own sweet rasas.”
tuṇḍe tāṇḍavinī ratiṁ vitanute tuṇḍāvalī-labdhaye
karṇa-kroḍa-kaḍambinī ghaṭayate karṇārbudebhyaḥ spṛhām |
cetaḥ-prāṅgaṇa-saṅginī vijayate sarvendriyāṇāṁ kṛtiṁ
no jāne janitā kiyadbhir amṛtaiḥ kṛṣṇeti varṇa-dvayī ||
(Vidagdha-mādhava: 1.33; cited in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.1.99)
[Paurṇamāsī to Nāndīmukhi:] “When they dance in my mouth, they increase my yearning to obtain numerous mouths. When they sprout in the hollows of my ears, they produce the desire for tens of millions of ears. When they appear in the courtyard of my heart, they conquer the functioning of all my senses [and thus render me senseless]. I do not know with how much nectar the two syllables ‘Kṛṣ-ṇa’ have manifest.”
ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyaṁ indriyaiḥ |
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.234; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.17.136)
“Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name and so forth shall not be expressible by the senses. Indeed, it only manifests itself when the tongue and so forth are intent upon service.”
viṣṇor nāmaiva puṁsāḥ śamalam apaharat puṇyam utpādayac ca
brahmādi-sthāna-bhogād viratim atha guroḥ śrī-pada-dvandva-bhaktim |
tattva-jñānaṁ ca viṣṇor iha mṛti-janana-bhrānti-bījaṁ ca dagdhvā
saṁpūrṇānanda-bodhe mahati ca puruṣaṁ sthāpayitvā nivṛttam ||
(Vyāsapāda; cited in Padyāvalī: 24)
“Only Viṣṇu’s name removes impurity and produces meritorious action, detachment from enjoyment of the positions of Brahmā and so forth, bhakti to the two beautiful feet of guru, and knowledge of the nature of Viṣṇu; [only Viṣṇu’s name] burns away the seed [i.e., cause] of revolving in birth and death here [in this world], establishes a person in deep awareness of complete bliss [in the service of Śrī Viṣṇu], and [finally, seeing its work complete,] retires [i.e., manifests in the form of its bearer, Viṣṇu].”
