Śrī Nāmāmṛta

The Nectar of the Holy Name
Compiled and edited by Śubhānanda dāsa

  • Preface
  • Introduction

Chapter 1: The Holy Name: The Universal and Supreme Religion for this Age

  1. 1. The Prime Religious Practice for the Kali-yuga is the Chanting of the Holy Name
  2. 2. In the Kali-yuga, Lord Kṛṣṇa Is Worshiped by Chanting of the Holy Name
  3. 3. The Yuga-dharma is Personally Introduced by Lord Kṛṣṇa in His Incarnation as Lord Caitanya
  4. 4. In the Kali-yuga, Chanting Yields the Results of Other Religious Practices Performed in Previous Ages
  5. 5. Saṅkīrtana-yajña is the Only Recommended Yajña for this Age
  6. 6. In this Age, Chanting of the Holy Name is the Supreme Form of Yoga
  7. 7. Chanting of the Holy Name Yields All Results of Austerity
  8. 8. Chanting Versus Other Spiritual Practices (Other than Yajña, Yoga, and Austerity)
  9. 9. Lord Caitanya Introduced the Mahā-mantra to Counteract the Philosophy of Impersonalism
  10. 10. In This Age, Chanting of the Holy Name is More Important than Varṇāśrama-dharma
  11. 11. The Holy Name Counteracts the Effects of the Kali-yuga
  12. 12. In This Age, Kṛṣṇa Appears in His Name in Order to Annihilate the Demons and Protect the Devotees
  13. 13. The Holy Name Destroys the Demoniac Mentality of the People in General
  14. 14. The Glories of Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura
  15. 15. The Chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is Not Limited to the Kali-yuga
  16. 16. Chanting of the Holy Name is the Easiest Means for Spiritual Advancement
  17. 17. Chanting of the Holy Name is the Foundation of Spiritual Life
  18. 18. Chanting of the Holy Name is the Most Important Element of Devotional Service
  19. 19. The Holy Name is Meant to be Chanted by All Persons
  20. 20. The Holy Name Benefits All Human Society
  21. 21. Even the Lowest of Men can be Elevated by the Holy Name

Chapter 2a: The Transcendental Attributes of the Holy Name

  1. 1. The Lord Has Innumerable Names (to Indicate Different Functions and Dealings)
  2. 2. “Kṛṣṇa” Is the Principal Name of God
  3. 3. The Meaning of the Name “Kṛṣṇa”
  4. 4. The Meaning of the Name “Rāma”
  5. 5. The Meaning of the Name “Hare”
  6. 6. The Relative Potency of the Names Kṛṣṇa,“ “Rāma,” and “Viṣṇu”
  7. 7. The Lord and His Holy Name are Nondifferent
  8. 8. The Holy Name is All-auspicious
  9. 9. The Holy Name of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is All-auspicious
  10. 10. The Mahā-mantra is a Spiritual Sound Vibration
  11. 11. The Holy Name is Ever Fresh
  12. 12. The Mahā-mantra is a Prayer for Deliverance, Protection, and Engagement in the Lord’s Service
  13. 13. The Mahā-mantra is the Essence and the Conclusion of All Vedic Knowledge, Rituals, Hymns, and Mantras
  14. 14. “Oṁ” and “Hare Kṛṣṇa”
  15. 15. Definitions: Japa, Kīrtana, Saṅkīrtana, and Śravaṇa
  16. 16. The Name of Christ
  17. 17. Other Instructions on the Transcendental Attributes of the Holy Name

Chapter 2b: The Transcendental Effects of the Holy Name

  1. 1. The Holy Name Revives One’s Dormant, Eternal Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
  2. 2. The Role of the Holy Name in the Progression of Devotional Service
  3. 3. The Holy Name Frees One from the Reactions to Sins
  4. 4. By Chanting the Holy Name, the Mind Becomes Controlled
  5. 5. The Holy Name Protects One from Pride
  6. 6. By Chanting, One Develops Forbearance
  7. 7. The Holy Name Eradicates Material Desires and Sinful Activity
  8. 8. The Holy Name Cleanses the Heart and Frees One from Material Contamination
  9. 9. The Holy Name Brings Faith in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
  10. 10. The Holy Name Liberates One from the Miseries of Material Existence
  11. 11. By Chanting the Holy Name One Becomes Enlightened
  12. 12. If One Chants His Holy Name, Kṛṣṇa Becomes Pleased and Obliged
  13. 13. Kṛṣṇa Helps the Sincere Chanter
  14. 14. By Chanting His Holy Name, One can Remember Kṛṣṇa
  15. 15. By Chanting, One Associates with the Lord Directly
  16. 16. The Holy Name Attracts One to Kṛṣṇa
  17. 17. The Holy Name Invokes an Attitude of Service to the Lord
  18. 18. By Chanting the Holy Name, One Achieves Direct Service to the Lord
  19. 19. By Chanting the Holy Name, One Comes to Understand / Realize / See Kṛṣṇa
  20. 20. The Holy Name Evokes Love of God
  21. 21. The Holy Name Evokes Ecstasy
  22. 22. Chanting of the Holy Name In the State of Ecstasy
  23. 23. By Chanting the Holy Name, One Returns Home, Back to Godhead
  24. 24. Even Improper Chanting of the Holy Name Yields Beneficial Results
  25. 25. A Devotee Can be Satisfied in Any Condition of Life Simply by Chanting
  26. 26. The Holy Name Protects the Devotee from Falldown
  27. 27. The Holy Name Protects One from Danger and Fear
  28. 28. Other Instructions on the Transcendental Effects of the Holy Name

Chapter 3: The Practice of the Holy Name

  1. 1. The Practice of the Holy Name
  2. 2. Offensive Chanting of the Holy Name
  3. 3. Offenseless Chanting of the Holy Name
  4. 4. One Must Receive the Holy Name from Proper Spiritual Authorities
  5. 5. The Chanting of a Pure Devotee is Especially Effective
  6. 6. One Should Not Hear the Holy Name from a Nondevotee
  7. 7. Where and When One Should Chant
  8. 8. One Must Chant the Holy Name Constantly
  9. 9. Devotees Must Chant (at Least) Sixteen Rounds Daily
  10. 10. One Develops a Taste for Chanting by Chanting
  11. 11. To Be Effective, Chanting Should be Accompanied by the Four Regulative Principles
  12. 12. Before Chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahā-mantra, One Should Chant the Pañca-tattva Mahā-mantra
  13. 13. One Must Distinctly Pronounce the Holy Name
  14. 14. One Must Chant Loudly Enough to Hear Oneself
  15. 15. One Must Chant in Humility
  16. 16. One Must Chant with Respect and Veneration
  17. 17. One Must Have Faith in the Holy Name
  18. 18. One Must Become a Servant of the Holy Name
  19. 19. The Process of Chanting is Very Simple
  20. 20. The Pure Brahmacari Engages Fully in the Chanting of the Holy Name
  21. 21. Householders Can Conduct Chanting at Home
  22. 22. A Neophyte Devotee Should Not Retire to a Secluded Place to Chant
  23. 23. One Should Not Concoct Chants and Mantras
  24. 24. Results of Giving Up Chanting
  25. 25. Chanting at the Time of Death
  26. 26. Other Instructions on the Practice of the Holy Name

Chapter 4: The Propagation of the Holy Name

  1. 1. The Holy Name Should be Propagated Throughout the World
  2. 2. The Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement and the Propagation of the Holy Name
  3. 3. Only One Empowered by the Lord Can Propagate the Holy Name
  4. 4. Only One Who Is Strictly Following Religious Principles Can Propagate the Holy Name

Chapter 5: Other Important Instructions Concerning the Holy Name

  1. 1. The Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement and the Holy Name
  2. 2. Qualifications and Disqualifications for Understanding and Chanting the Holy Name
  3. 3. Nāma-dīkṣā, Brahminical Initiation, and the Holy Name
  4. 4. Relative Importance of Chanting and Initiation
  5. 5. Relative Importance of Chanting and Deity Worship
  6. 6. The Interrelationship Between Chanting and Studying Scripture
  7. 7. Even if One Cannot Read or Understand the Scriptures, He Can Attain Perfection Through Chanting
  8. 8. One Chants the Holy Name Due to Devotional Service Performed in Previous Lives
  9. 9. Anyone Who Chants the Holy Name is Worthy of Respect
  10. 10. One Who Realizes that the Lord and His Name Are Identical is a Pure Devotee and Should Be Respected
  11. 11. Great Souls Chant the Holy Name
  12. 12. Our Misfortune: No Attachment for Chanting
  13. 13. To Preach Effectively, One Must Chant the Holy Name
  14. 14. Chanting of the Holy Name Continues in the Liberated State
  15. 15. Chanting of the Holy Name in Kṛṣṇa-līlā
  16. 16. Other Instructions

Appendix 1: Songs by Vaiṣṇava Saints on The Glories of the Holy Name

  • Śrī Nāma
  • Aruṇodaya-kīrtana I
  • Aruṇodaya-kīrtana II
  • Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Bol
  • Kabe Ha’be Bolo
  • Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nityānander Dayā
  • Iṣṭa-deve Vijñapti

Appendix 2: Important Verses from Vedic and Vaiṣṇava Literature on the Glories of the Holy Name

  1. 1. The Holy Name Is the Universal and Supreme Religion for this Age
  2. 2. The Transcendental Attributes and Effects of the Holy Name
  3. 3. The Practice of the Holy Name
  4. 4. The Propagation of the Holy Name
  5. 5. Other Verses About the Holy Name
  • About Śrīla Prabhupāda: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Instructions by
His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

compiled and edited by
Śubhānanda dāsa