# Receiving the Holy Name One has to learn about the beauty and transcendental position of the holy name of the Lord by hearing the revealed scriptures from the mouths of devotees. The transcendental sound must be received through the chain of disciplic succession, for if not received in this way, the holy name does not act. --- ## From Spiritual Sources **The holy name must be received from spiritual sources:** ![[cc/antya/1/101#purport|Chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of the Lord cannot be performed by the ordinary senses. The transcendental vibration of the Lord's holy name is completely spiritual. Thus it must be received from spiritual sources and must be chanted after having been heard from a spiritual master]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/1/101|Antya 1.101]] Purport --- **One should receive the holy name from spiritual authorities:** ![[sb/2/1/11#purport|Constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all...hearing from the authorities is the first essential]] —SB [[sb/2/1/11|2.1.11]] Purport --- ## Through the Disciplic Succession **The transcendental sound must be received through a representative of the disciplic succession:** ![[sb/1/5/39#purport|Communion with the Lord by transmission of the transcendental sound is nondifferent from the whole spirit Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is a completely perfect method for approaching the Lord...There is no bar for chanting this transcendental sound by anyone, provided it is received through Nārada's representative, coming down by the chain of disciplic succession, or the paramparā system]] —SB [[sb/1/5/39|1.5.39]] Purport --- **If not received through the chain of disciplic succession, the holy name does not act:** ![[sb/4/8/53#purport|One may receive a published mantra anywhere, but unless it is accepted through the chain of disciplic succession, the mantra does not act. It is said by authoritative sources that any mantra chanted without having been received from the disciplic succession has no efficacy]] —SB [[sb/4/8/53|4.8.53]] Purport --- ## From the Spiritual Master **The disciple receives the authority to chant the holy name from the spiritual master:** ![[cc/adi/7/92#purport|A person who cannot keep his faith in the words of his spiritual master but acts independently never receives the authority to chant the holy name of the Lord]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/7/92|Ādi 7.92-96]] Purport --- **The holy name should be received from, and chanted under the direction of, the bona fide spiritual master:** ![[sb/1/5/38#purport|[The transcendental sound representation] should be received from the transparent agency of the bona fide spiritual master, and the chanting may be practiced by the direction of the spiritual master. That will gradually lead us nearer to the Lord]] —SB [[sb/1/5/38|1.5.38]] Purport --- **One can understand the glories of the holy name by the mercy of the spiritual master:** ![[cc/adi/7/73#purport|The holy name and the Lord are identical. One who is completely free from the clutches of māyā can understand this fact. This knowledge, which is achieved by the mercy of the spiritual master, places one on the supreme transcendental platform]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/7/73|Ādi 7.73]] Purport --- **The spiritual master delivers the disciple from māyā by initiating him into the chanting of the holy name:** ![[cc/madhya/9/61#purport|It is the spiritual master who delivers the disciple from the clutches of māyā by initiating him into the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra...the spiritual master awakens the sleeping living entity to his original consciousness so that he can worship Lord Viṣṇu. This is the purpose of dīkṣā, or initiation. Initiation means receiving the pure knowledge of spiritual consciousness]] —Cc. [[cc/madhya/9/61|Madhya 9.61]] Purport --- **One must receive the mahā-mantra from a guru, who makes it more powerful:** ![[sb/4/24/31#purport|When a mantra is chanted by a great devotee, the mantra becomes more powerful. Although the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is powerful in itself, a disciple upon initiation receives the mantra from his spiritual master, for when the mantra is chanted by the spiritual master, it becomes more powerful]] —SB [[sb/4/24/31|4.24.31-32]] Purport --- ## The Chanting of Pure Devotees **The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee:** **When the mantra is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord in love, it has the greatest efficacy on hearers,** and as such this chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved. —*The Science of Self-Realization* --- **Chanting of the holy names by pure devotees is very attractive and effective:** ![[cc/madhya/11/94#purport|There are many professional chanters who can perform congregational chanting with various musical instruments in an artistic and musical way, but their chanting cannot be as attractive as the congregational chanting of pure devotees. If a devotee sticks strictly to the principles governing Vaiṣṇava behavior, his bodily luster will naturally be attractive, and his singing and chanting of the holy names of the Lord will be effective]] —Cc. [[cc/madhya/11/94|Madhya 11.94-95]] Purport --- **Simply by hearing the holy name chanted by a pure devotee, one is purified:** ![[cc/antya/3/126#purport|Pure devotees chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and simply by hearing this chanting from a purified transcendental person, one is purified of all sinful activities, no matter how lowborn or fallen one may be. As soon as one is thus completely free from the reactions of sinful activities, he is eligible to render devotional service to the Lord]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/3/126|Antya 3.126]] Purport --- **The offenseless chanting of a pure devotee can purify hundreds and thousands of other people:** ![[cc/madhya/17/48#purport|Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one can claim His potency. Nonetheless, if one is a pure devotee, hundreds and thousands of men can be purified by his vibration. This potency is within every living being, provided he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly and without material motives]] —Cc. [[cc/madhya/17/48|Madhya 17.48-49]] Purport --- ## Not from Nondevotees **One must not hear the holy name chanted by non-Vaiṣṇavas:** Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden us to hear the holy name of Kṛṣṇa chanted by non-Vaiṣṇavas, such as professional actors and singers, **for it will have no effect. It is like milk touched by the lips of a serpent,** as stated in the Padma Purāṇa: > *avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam* > *śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ* —Cc. [[cc/antya/1/101|Antya 1.101]] Purport --- **One should avoid hearing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanted by a nondevotee:** **As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects.** —*The Science of Self-Realization* --- **[← Back to Śrī Nāmāmṛta](wiki/compile/sri-namamrita)**