Shloka 11
Ajāmila Delivered: Viṣṇudūtas Establish the Supremacy of the Holy Name
न निष्कृतैरुदितैर्ब्रह्मवादिभि- स्तथा विशुद्ध्यत्यघवान् व्रतादिभि: । यथा हरेर्नामपदैरुदाहृतै- स्तदुत्तमश्लोकगुणोपलम्भकम् ॥ ११ ॥
na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhis tathā viśuddhyaty aghavān vratādibhiḥ yathā harer nāma-padair udāhṛtais tad uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhakam
Com as expiações e votos prescritos pelos conhecedores do Veda, o pecador não se purifica tanto quanto ao pronunciar, ainda que uma vez, os nomes de Hari; pois esse canto desperta a lembrança das glórias do Senhor, o ‘Uttamaśloka’.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments that the chanting of the holy name of the Lord has special significance that distinguishes it from the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of atonement for severe, more severe or most severe sinful actions. There are twenty types of religious scriptures called dharma-śāstras, beginning with the Manu-saṁhitā and Parāśara-saṁhitā, but herein it is stressed that although one may become free from the reactions of the most sinful activities by following the religious principles of these scriptures, this cannot promote a sinful man to the stage of loving service to the Lord. On the other hand, chanting the holy name of the Lord even once not only frees one immediately from the reactions of the greatest sins, but also raises one to the platform of rendering loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described as uttamaśloka because He is famous for His glorious activities. Thus one serves the Lord by remembering His form, His attributes and pastimes. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that this is all possible simply by chanting the Lord’s holy name because of the Lord’s omnipotence. What cannot be achieved through the performance of Vedic rituals can be easily achieved through the chanting of the Lord’s holy name. To chant the holy name and dance in ecstasy is so easy and sublime that one can achieve all the benefits of spiritual life simply by following this process. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu declares, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam: “All glories to Śrī Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana !” The saṅkīrtana movement we have started offers the best process for becoming purified of all sinful reactions and coming immediately to the platform of spiritual life.
FAQs
This verse says that prescribed atonements and vows do not purify a sinner as thoroughly as uttering Hari’s holy names, which awaken realization of the Lord’s divine qualities.
In the Ajāmila narrative, the Bhāgavatam highlights that even accidental or imperfect chanting of the Lord’s name can bring profound purification—surpassing routine expiations—because it connects one to the Lord Himself.
Along with ethical living, make daily holy-name chanting a core practice, because it transforms the heart at the root level rather than only addressing external consequences.