Shloka 30
Prāyaścitta, the ‘Elephant Bath’ Problem, and the Opening of Ajāmila-Upākhyāna
निशम्य म्रियमाणस्य मुखतो हरिकीर्तनम् । भर्तुर्नाम महाराज पार्षदा: सहसापतन् ॥ ३० ॥
niśamya mriyamāṇasya mukhato hari-kīrtanam bhartur nāma mahārāja pārṣadāḥ sahasāpatan
ข้าแต่มหาราช เมื่อได้ยินการสรรเสริญพระหริ—คือพระนามขององค์นาย—ออกจากปากของอชามิละผู้กำลังสิ้นใจ เหล่าบริวารของพระวิษณุ คือวิษณุดูต ก็รีบมาถึงในทันที
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks, hari-kīrtanaṁ niśamyāpatan, katham-bhūtasya bhartur nāma bruvataḥ: the order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu came because Ajāmila had chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. They did not consider why he was chanting. While chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa, Ajāmila was actually thinking of his son, but simply because they heard Ajāmila chanting the Lord’s name, the order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇudūtas, immediately came for Ajāmila’s protection. Hari-kīrtana is actually meant to glorify the holy name, form, pastimes and qualities of the Lord. Ajāmila, however, did not glorify the form, qualities or paraphernalia of the Lord; he simply chanted the holy name. Nevertheless, that chanting was sufficient to cleanse him of all sinful activities. As soon as the Viṣṇudūtas heard their master’s name being chanted, they immediately came. In this regard Śrīla Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha remarks: anena putra-sneham antareṇa prācīnādṛṣṭa-balād udbhūtayā bhaktyā bhagavan-nāma-saṅkīrtanaṁ kṛtam iti jñāyate. “Ajāmila chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa because of his excessive attachment to his son. Nevertheless, because of his past good fortune in having rendered devotional service to Nārāyaṇa, he apparently chanted the holy name in full devotional service and without offenses.”
FAQs
This verse shows that even a dying person’s utterance of Hari’s name is so potent that the Lord’s own attendants immediately come to respond and protect the chanter.
They heard Hari-kīrtana—the utterance of the Lord’s name—from Ajāmila’s mouth, and as the Lord’s personal servants they rushed there at once upon hearing that divine sound.
Practice regular nāma-kīrtana (chanting God’s names) so that remembrance of Hari becomes natural—especially in moments of fear, crisis, or at life’s end.