Scriptures say that in this age of Kali Yuga only chanting the holy name of Krishna can solve all our miseries. Let us see how.
In previous ages, all the sacrifices had to be done very carefully. So, earlier one referee priest was there to point out the mistake.
In this fallen age of Kaliyuga, there’s no such priest available who can understand whether the sacrifice is going perfect or not. Also, to get the ingredients is very difficult. We can’t even get pure dalda, so what to speak of pure ghee.
And earlier, when the kings used to do these sacrifices, they would give so much money in charity. Now who can spend so much money to satisfy everyone. And tons of ghee were required for the sacrifice.
Holy Name gives us Krishna prem
We have one verse in Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.52
kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ
tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ
dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ
kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt
This verse says, people lived for one lakh years in Satya Yuga. So, 50,000 years they would perform their duties according to Varnashrama and then 50,000 years they would spend in meditation.
We can’t even sit for a few minutes, so how will we perform deep meditation. Also, our lives are very short.
The kings would do costly sacrifices very reverentially and very perfectly. That’s very difficult in this Kaliyuga.
In Dvapara Yuga, it was by worshiping the moorti of the Lord, the Sri arcā-vigraha. They would build big temples of marbles coated with gold. And they would have very beautiful deities with real gold jewellery and diamonds and rubies.
We saw all the invaders came, smashed our temples, looted all the jewelleries and everything else. Even now in Kaliyuga, we read sometimes the police have found even the pujari stealing the jewellery of the deity. So, this is also very difficult in Kaliyuga.
Prabhupada told us don’t put a real gold and silver just to attract the thieves. So that’s all very difficult.
So, Srimad Bhagavatam says, kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Whatever result one got in Satya-yuga by meditation, Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices (yajna), Dvāpara-yuga by archa vigraha puja, same result (kalu tad,) can be achieved, even better result, by this harinam sankirtana.
By harinam we will get krishna prem, higher than even getting puruṣārthas (dharma,artha,kama and moksha). Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, premā pumartho mahān – to achieve love of Godhead is the highest perfection of life.
No qualification required for chanting holy name
We know people perform dharma in order to get lots of money (artha) and then they enjoy their senses (kama) and then they try for moksa (liberation). But beyond that is Krishna prem.
There is a verse in Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.51
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
Nidhi means ocean. So, this Kaliyuga is ocean of faults. O King this Kaliyuga is ocean of faults, asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ (still there’s one great quality). How is that possible? When there’s ocean of faults, maybe some tiny little good quality could come up.
But it says mahān guṇaḥ, there’s one great quality of this Kaliyuga, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya/ mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet, that simply by Krishna kirtan, not kali kirtan, Shiva kirtan, mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet, we will go to braj, we will get braj prem, that is the real fruit of chanting hare krishna mantra.
So, in this Kali yuga, all the different types of sacrifices are not recommended.
It is recommended that one chant the holy name of Krishna.
We have heard there’s no hard and fast rules. And then we wonder then why are we following four regular principles if there’s no hard and fast rules? Not like that. Hard and fast rules are generally there for desa-kala-patra.
But it doesn’t matter whether you’re qualified or unqualified, any place, any time, you can chant the Holy Name. Anywhere, any person can chant.
For sacrifices, there were qualified brahmanas. Also, Vedic mantras can only be chanted by the brahmans.
But for chanting, no qualification. Doesn’t matter who you are. You may be a sudra, you may be anything you allowed to chant this holy name of Krishna. That type of no rules and regulations.
Only medicine in Kali Yuga is the holy name
So, it is stressed in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 6.242
harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
Three times it says – harer nāma, harer nāma, harer nāma. Simply by chanting, simply by chanting, simply by chanting, the holy name, eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā, there’s no other process, there’s no other process, no other process, no other process in this age.
People immediately get upset, why are you so narrow minded? Why only chanting Hare Krishna? You are narrow-minded. No, this is intelligence. Just like, if we’re suffering from some disease, do we go to the medical shop and say, “I’m sick give me some medicine.”
“What medicine you want?”
“Well, they’re all nice medicines, give me any medicine.”
Do we do that? No.
First, we go to the doctor. He finds out what we’re suffering from. Then he recommends a particular medicine for that disease. Just like, suppose that I’m suffering from diabetes.
Children they really don’t like to take medicine, so what do they do they put a lot of sugar. They coat it with sugar, or they mix a lot of sugar in the medicine so that the children will take their medicine.
But for me that medicine will be poison if I’m suffering from diabetes. That medicine is a good medicine, approved by the government, recommended by doctors, but for me, it will be poison. I have to take the medicine as per my disease.
So, one tiny little word is in this sloka – kalau – that we’re all suffering from this disease of Kali Yuga. So, in this Kali yuga, Jnana, Dhyan, Karma will not work. Only chanting the holy name of Krishna will help us in this dark age of Kali Yuga.
