Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 11
The Glories of Lord Ananta (Śeṣa/Saṅkarṣaṇa) and the Cosmic Foundation Beneath Pātāla
यन्नाम श्रुतमनुकीर्तयेदकस्मा- दार्तो वा यदि पतित: प्रलम्भनाद्वा । हन्त्यंह: सपदि नृणामशेषमन्यं कं शेषाद्भगवत आश्रयेन्मुमुक्षु: ॥ ११ ॥
yan-nāma śrutam anukīrtayed akasmād ārto vā yadi patitaḥ pralambhanād vā hanty aṁhaḥ sapadi nṛṇām aśeṣam anyaṁ kaṁ śeṣād bhagavata āśrayen mumukṣuḥ
Even if he be distressed or degraded, any person who chants the holy name of the Lord, having heard it from a bona fide spiritual master, is immediately purified. Even if he chants the Lord’s name jokingly or by chance, he and anyone who hears him are freed from all sins. Therefore how can anyone seeking disentanglement from the material clutches avoid chanting the name of Lord Śeṣa? Of whom else should one take shelter?
FAQs
This verse states that merely hearing and then uttering the Lord’s name—even suddenly, in distress, after falling, or even in jest—can destroy sins immediately and completely.
In this chapter, Śukadeva describes the supremacy and devotional greatness of Bhagavān Ananta/Śeṣa; here he concludes that a mumukṣu should take shelter of Him because His name eradicates sin and grants the path to liberation.
Make hearing and chanting God’s names a daily habit—especially in stress—trusting that sincere remembrance purifies the mind and life, and redirects one toward liberation-centered living.