(The following is an excerpt from Srila Jagadananda Pandita’s ‘Prema Vivarta‘)

The Glories of the holy name of Krishna are endless

One day at the house of Kasi Mishra, a devotee named Krishnadasa revealed some of his personal feelings to Lord Chaitanya.
He said, ‘If I am allowed to ask, please enlighten me about the glories of the holy name of Lord Krishna, the depths of which even the likes of Brahma and Shiva cannot comprehend’.

Lord Chaitanya replied, ‘The Glories of the holy name of Krishna are endless. Even Lord Krishna does not know the limits of it. So what to speak of an ordinary living entity?
I can tell you whatever I have heard from the scriptures. Listen with faith, and you shall be delivered from this material world.
The Holy Name of Krishna eradicates all sins, heals all diseases, relieves one of all miseries, and eliminates obstacles posed by Kali Yuga.
The Holy Name of Krishna even delivers the residents of Hell and nullifies reactions to all kinds of sins and offenses.
The accomplishment of all pious activities is simply a pastime of the Holy Name.
The Sun-like Holy Name shines more radiantly than the Vedic scriptures.
All the Vedic scriptures declare that chanting the Holy Name of the Lord is superior to visiting the Holy places or performing any pious activity.
The Holy Name of the Supreme Lord is the bestower of the ultimate desire (of liberation). It is all-powerful and blesses the world with joy. Such is its wonderful nature.
One who chants the holy Name becomes worshipable to the entire world. The Holy Name is the shelter of the hopeless and the redeemer of the fallen.
The Holy Name of the Supreme Lord is worshipable at all places and always. It bestows all kinds of liberation, entrance unto Vaikuntha (Spiritual world) and love of Sri Hari, the Supreme Lord.
The Sruti and the Smriti scriptures contain numerous proofs that Chanting the Holy Name of the Supreme Lord is the sole purpose of human life and the principal means of attaining devotion (bhakti)’.

The Holy Name destroys all Sins

(Lord Chaitanya continued) 

One of the features of the Holy name is that it destroys all sins. First of all, hear about this subject based on evidence from the scriptures.
Take note of the sinner Ajamila who had chanted the holy name ‘Narayana’, lying helplessly (upon his deathbed). He immediately became absolved of the innumerable sins that he had committed over millions of his births.

ayam hi krta-nirveso janma-koty-amhasam api
yad vyajahara vivaso nama svasty-ayanam hareh
(Srimad Bhagavatm, 6.2.7)
–
(The Vishnu-Dutas said) Ajamila has already atoned for all his sinful actions. Indeed, he has atoned not only for sins performed in this life but also for those he had performed in millions of lives. It is because he had chanted the holy name of Narayana in a helpless condition.

One who chants the Holy Name of Lord Hari becomes absolved of the sins of murdering a woman, a King, a cow, or a brahmana. It counteracts the sins of a drunkard and relieves one of the heinous crimes of committing adultery with his own Guru’s wife, betraying his friend or stealing, etc.
When one’s sins are nullified, one grows devoted to Krishna. In this way, the living entity attains great spiritual fortune, by chanting the Holy Name of Lord Hari (Krishna).

stenah sura-po mitra-dhrug brahma-ha guru-talpa-gah
stri-raja-pitr-go-hanta ye cha patakino-pare
sarvesam apy aghavatam idam eva sunishkritam
nama-vyaharanaam vishnor yatas tad-visaya matih
(Srimad Bhagavatam, 6.2.9-10)
–
(Vishnu-dutas said) The chanting of the holy name of Lord Vishnu is the best process of atonement for a thief, a drunkard, a traitor, one who kills a brahmana, or for one who commits adultery with the wife of his guru or another superior. The Holy name atones the sins of one who murders women, the king, his father, or slaughters cows, and commits other sins. The Lord becomes attentive to the protection of those who chant His Holy Name.

Religious rites and vows are insignificant in comparison to the Holy Name

The religious rites like ‘Chandrayan Vrata’ as mentioned in the scriptures do not completely eradicate the sins of a sinner.
The chanting of Krishna’s holy Name just once, however, delivers the sinner of all his sins.

na niskrtair uditair brahma vadibhis
tatha visuddhyaty-aghavan vratadibhih
yatha harer nama-padair udahrtais
tad uttamahsloka-gunopalambhakam
(Srimad Bhagavatam, 6.2.11)
–
(Vishnu-Dutas said) By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.The chanting of the holy Name reminds one of the Lord’s qualities.

If one chants the holy name of Krishna or Hari indirectly, jokingly, for entertainment or even neglectfully – then this namabhasa (impure but offenseless chanting of the Holy Name) will destroy his innumerable sins and enable him to enter into Vaikuntha(the spiritual world) overstepping the jurisdiction of Yamadutas (attendants of Yamaraja).

sanketyam parihasyam va stobham helanam eva va
vaikuntha-nama-grahanam-asesagha-haram viduh
(Srimad Bhagavatam, 6.2.14)
–
(Vishnu-dutas said) Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord indirectly, jokingly, for entertainment, or even neglectfully, one is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins. This is accepted by all the learned transcendentalists.

Yamaraja never torments those who helplessly and submissively call out the names of Krishna, Hari or Narayana after having fallen, slipped, been broken, bitten, burnt or having suffered an injury.

patitah skhalito bhagnah sandastas tapta ahatah
harir-ity-avashenaha puman-narhati yatanah
(Srimad Bhagavatm, 6.2.15)
–
(Vishnu-dutas said) If one chants the holy name of Hari and then dies because of an accidental misfortune, such as falling, slipping, suffering broken body, being bitten, burnt, or being injured, then one is immediately absolved from having to enter hellish life, even though he is sinful.

Chanting the Holy Name knowingly or unknowingly

Just as when the wood is placed in a fire, similarly all the sins of a person are burnt to ashes, when he knowingly or unknowingly chants the holy name of Krishna.

ajnanad athava jnanad uttamahsloka-nama yat
sankirtitam-agham pumso dahed edho yathanalah
(Srimad Bhagavatm, 6.2.18)
–
Just as a fire burns dry grass to ashes, similarly the holy name of the Supreme Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, all the sins of a person.

Chanting absolves sins of the past as well sins that are yet to fructify

The Holy Name of the Lord quickly nullifies the reactions to one’s present sins, sins associated with one’s previous lives, and sins that shall fructify in the future. The living entity has no friend in his life other than the Holy Name of the Supreme Lord.

vartamanas tu yat papam yadbhutam yad-bhavishyati
tat sarvam nirdahatyasu govinda-kirtananalah
(Laghu Bhagavata)
–
The fire of chanting of Lord Govinda’s Name quickly burns away the reactions to sinful activities that have accumulated not only in this life but over many past lives and even those which are yet to ripen in the future.

Even those who offend and commit sins against the virtuous people of this world attain deliverance by chanting the Holy Name of the Supreme Lord.

sada droha-paro yas tu sajjananam mahitale
jayate pabano dhanyo harer-namanukirtanat
(Laghu Bhagavata)
–
An offense committed against a saintly person is a grave violation and can only be atoned by chanting the Holy Name of the Lord.

Billions of Parayachiitas (Atonements) do not compare to chanting the Lord’s Holy Name

The billion means of atonement specified in the Vedic scriptures are incomparable to the chanting of the holy name and glories of Lord Krishna.

vasanti yani kotistu pavanani mahitale
na tani tattulyam yanti krishna-namanukirtane
(Kurma Purana)
–
The billion processes of atonements that exist in this world do not compare with chanting the Holy Name of Krishna, which is superior.

Those who chant the Holy Name have no more sins

A sinner can never commit the amount of sins that chanting the holy name of the Lord can eradicate.

namnosya yavati saktih papa-nirharane hareh
tavat kartum na saknoti patakam pataki janah
(Brhad Vishnu Purana)
–
A sinner cannot commit the volume of sins that the Holy Name of the Lord has the power to nullify.

There are no sins that can be committed in thought, word or deed in this age of Kali that cannot be nullified by chanting the holy Name of Lord Govinda.

tannasti karmajam loke vagjam manasam eva va
yan na ksapayate papam kalau govinda-kirtanam
(Skanda Purana)
–
There are no sins that can be committed in thought, word or deed in this age of Kali that cannot be nullified by chanting the holy Name of Lord Govinda.

The Holy name cures all diseases

(Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continued)
All the Vedic scriptures sing that the holy name of the Supreme Lord can cure all diseases. O Krishnadasa! Believe Me when I say this.
 This is the truth. Trust Me! Chant the holy names ‘Achyutananda’ and ‘Govinda’ with faith. Cry and call upon Sri Madhusudana.
Chanting the Holy Name of the Lord cures one of all kinds of diseases.

achyutananda-govinda-namochcharana-bhisitah
nasyanti sakala rogah satyam satyam vadamy aham
(Brhan Naradiya Purana)
–
This is the Truth! This is the Truth! Chanting the Names ‘Achyutananda’ and ‘Govinda’ causes diseases to die out of fear.

The Holy Name transforms the greatest sinners into the most glorious saints

By chanting the Holy Name of the Lord day and night, even the greatest sinner is purified and is transformed into a saint who can purify others by his association.

mahapataka-yukto pi
kirtayan manisam harim
suddhantahkarano bhutva
jayate pamkti-pavanah
(Brahmanda Purana)
–
By chanting the Holy Name of the Lord day and night, even the greatest sinner is purified and is transformed into a saint who can purify others by his association.