# The Holy Name Counteracts Kali-yuga The chanting of the mahā-mantra is especially meant for counteracting the contaminations of Kali, including impersonalism, the demoniac mentality, and all the degraded effects of this age. --- ## Counteracting the Philosophy of Impersonalism ![[cc/adi/7/120#purport|the Māyāvāda philosophy, misguiding people by claiming the living entity to be the Lord, has created havoc throughout the entire world and led almost everyone to godlessness. It is to counteract these most abominable activities of the Māyāvādī philosophers that Lord Caitanya has introduced the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/7/120|Ādi 7.120]] Purport --- People should simply engage in the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, for thus they will gradually come to understand that they are not the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as they have been taught by the Māyāvādī philosophers, but are eternal servants of the Lord. As soon as one engages himself in the transcendental service of the Lord, he becomes free. Therefore the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only light for the foolish living entities who think either that there is no God or that if God exists He is formless and they themselves are also God. **These misconceptions are very dangerous, and the only way to counteract them is to spread the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.** —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/120|7.120]] Purport --- ## More Important Than Varṇāśrama-dharma Because varṇāśrama-dharma has been lost in this age, Lord Caitanya has introduced the chanting of the mahā-mantra: Varṇāśrama-dharma, the Vedic system of society, is meant to give human beings a chance to perfect their lives by pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, the varṇāśrama-dharma has been lost in this age. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just to give relief to the rotting, conditioned souls of this Age of Kali-yuga, has given us the mahā-mantra. Although we may try to revive the perfect varṇāśrama system, it is not possible in this age. People are fallen, disturbed and unfortunate... In this age, there will be insufficient rainfall and food, and the government will plunder one's income by heavy taxation... **How can the peaceful varṇāśrama-dharma be revived when people are so harassed in this age? It is virtually impossible.** Therefore the system of bhakti-yoga, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, should be adopted. —*Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūti* --- ![[cc/madhya/9/254#purport|Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, however, differed when He said that the best process is hearing and chanting about Lord Viṣṇu]] —Cc. [[cc/madhya/9/254|Madhya 9.254-58]] Purport --- ## Counteracting the Effects of Kali-yuga The chanting of the mahā-mantra is especially meant for counteracting the contaminations of Kali: In the Kali-santaraṇa Upaniṣad it is stated: > *hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa* > *kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare* > *hare rāma hare rāma* > *rāma rāma hare hare* > > *iti ṣoḍaśakaṁ nāmnāṁ* > *kali-kalmaṣa-nāśanam* > *nātaḥ parataropāyaḥ* > *sarva-vedeṣu dṛśyate* "The sixteen words—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—are **especially meant for counteracting the contaminations of Kali.** To save oneself from the contamination of Kali, there is no alternative but the chanting of these sixteen words." —*Teachings of Lord Caitanya* --- ![[cc/adi/7/76#purport|Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—these sixteen names composed of thirty-two syllables are the only means to counteract the evil effects of Kali-yuga]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/7/76|Ādi 7.76]] Purport --- ![[sb/1/18/7#purport|Mahārāja Parīkṣit made an organized effort to propagate the chanting of the Lord's holy name, and thus he saved the citizens from the clutches of Kali]] —SB [[sb/1/18/7|1.18.7]] Purport --- ![[sb/1/18/6#purport|if there is an arrangement for the constant chanting of the holy names, qualities, etc., of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no chance at all for the personality of Kali to enter. That is the technique of driving away the personality of Kali from the world]] —SB [[sb/1/18/6|1.18.6]] Purport --- ![[sb/1/16/32#purport|Only by the propagation of the chanting of the holy name of the Lord can we be immune from all effects of the Age of Kali]] —SB [[sb/1/16/32|1.16.32-33]] Purport --- ![[sb/9/10/51#purport|If people take to this saṅkīrtana movement of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, they will certainly be freed from the contamination of Kali-yuga, and the people of this age will be happy, as people were in Satya-yuga, the golden age]] —SB [[sb/9/10/51|9.10.51]] Purport --- ## Kṛṣṇa Appears in His Name to Annihilate the Demons ![[sb/10/3/21#purport|kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa avatāra. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is also an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa in the form of the holy name]] —SB [[sb/10/3/21|10.3.21]] Purport --- Every one of us who is actually afraid of the asuric rulers and politicians must welcome this incarnation of Kṛṣṇa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then we will surely be protected from the harassment of asuric rulers. At the present moment these rulers are so powerful that by hook or by crook they capture the highest posts in government and harass countless numbers of people... The entire world is in a precarious condition, and the only hope is this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. —*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/10/3/21|10.3.21]] Purport --- ![[sb/10/1/22#purport|Kṛṣṇa has appeared by His name, in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, which will certainly diminish the burden of the world]] —SB [[sb/10/1/22|10.1.22]] Purport --- ## The Holy Name Destroys the Demoniac Mentality ![[sb/10/1/64#purport|Let people chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra constantly. Then their demoniac tendencies will be killed, and they will become first-class devotees]] —SB [[sb/10/1/64|10.1.64]] Purport --- In this age Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is also like that: to deliver the devotees and annihilate the nondevotees, the demons. But in this age He has a different weapon. That weapon is not a club or disc or lethal weapon—**His weapon is the saṅkīrtana movement. He killed the demoniac mentality of the people by introducing the saṅkīrtana movement.** That is the specific significance of Lord Caitanya. In this age people are already killing themselves. They have discovered atomic weapons with which to kill themselves, so there is no need for God to kill them. But He appeared to kill their demoniac mentality. **That is possible by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.** —*The Science of Self-Realization* --- **[← Back to Śrī Nāmāmṛta](wiki/compile/sri-namamrita)**