Chanting the holy name is the sum and substance of sanatana−dharma: In this age of Kali, there are no genuine religious principles. There are only the Vaisnava devotees and the Vaisnava devotional scriptures. This is the sum and substance of everything.
In this age a person should not envy Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement but should chant the holy names of Hari and Krsna, the maha−mantra. That is the sum and substance of eternal religion, known as sanatana−dharma.
- Sri Caitanya−caritamrta Madhya−lila 9.362
In Kali−yuga Krsna has incarnated as the holy name in order to deliver the sinful, who are suffering greatly: As the Lord says in Bhagavad−gita (4.7):
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion−at that time I descend Myself." In the present age, Kali−yuga, people are very much sinful and are consequently suffering greatly. Therefore Krsna has incarnated in the form of His name, as found in the
maha−mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
- Teachings of Queen Kunti
Because Kali−yuga is such a degraded and miserable age, Lord Caitanya advises everyone simply to chant Hare Krsna: According to the Vedic conception, there must be men in society who are factually brahmanas, capable of expounding the real truth. If everyone becomes a sudra, the Absolute Truth cannot be understood. It is said that at the present moment in Kali−yuga everyone is a sudra (kalau sudra−sambhavah), and it is very difficult in this age to find qualified brahmanas, for they are very rare. There is practically not a single qualified brahmana in this age.
prayenalpayusah sabhya
kalav asmin yuge janah
mandah sumanda−matayo
manda−bhagya hy upadrutah
"O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed." (S.B. 1.1.10) The people in this age are very short−lived and slow in understanding spiritual life. Actually, human life is meant for understanding spiritual values, but because everyone
in this age is a sudra, no one is interested. People have forgotten life's real purpose. The word manda means both slow and bad, and everyone in this age is either bad or slow or a combination of both. People are unfortunate and disturbed by so many things. According to Srimad−Bhagavatam there will eventually be no rain and consequently a scarcity of food.
The governments will also levy very heavy taxes. The characteristics of this age predicted by Srimad−Bhagavatam are already being experienced to some degree. Since Kali−yuga is a very miserable age, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Sri Krsna Himself, advises everyone simply to chant Hare Krsna.
harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Adi 17.21]
"In this age of Kali there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative for spiritual progress than the holy name, the holy name, the holy name of the Lord." (Brhan−naradiya Purana)
This process is not Caitanya Mahaprabhu's invention, but is advised by the sastras, the Puranas. The process for this Kali−yuga is very simple. One need only chant the Hare Krsna maha−mantra.
- Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti
Although God has given us all facilities to live peacefully on this earth, cultivate Krsna consciousness, and finally to come to Him, in this age we're unfortunate. We are short−lived, and there are so many people without food, shelter, married life or defense from the onslaughts of nature. This is due to the influence of this age of Kali. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, seeing the dreadful situation in this age, emphasized the absolute necessity for cultivating spiritual life. And how should we do it? Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives the formula:
harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Adi 17.21]
"Just always chant Hare Krsna." Never mind whether you are in a factory or in hell, in a shack or in a skyscraper−it doesn't matter. Just go on chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. There is no expense, there is no impediment, there is no caste, there is no creed, there is no color−anyone can do it. Just chant and hear.
- On the Way to Krsna
Everywhere in this age of iron everything is degraded, degraded in this sense: prayenalpayusah sabhya kalav asmin yuge janah [S.B. 1.1.10]. In this age of Kali the
duration of life is diminished, and men are not moved to understand self−realization, and if they are, they are invariably misled by so many deceitful leaders. The age is very corrupt.
Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu's process of chanting Hare Krsna is the best and the simplest method.
harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Adi 17.21]
"In this age of Kali there is no other religion than glorifying the Lord by utterance of His holy name, and that is the injunction of all the revealed scriptures. There is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way." This verse appears in the Brhan−naradiya Purana. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. Simply chant Hare Krsna. There is no other alternative. Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. In this age of Kali, there is no other alternative for self−realization.
So we have to accept it.
There is another similar verse in the Srimad−Bhagavatam. In the Twelfth Canto, Third Chapter (12.3.51), Pariksit Maharaja was informed by Sukadeva Gosvami of the faults of this age, and now all the symptoms of the age of Kali are apparent. In the conclusive portion, however, Sukadeva Gosvami said, kaler dosa−nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah: "My dear king, this age, Kali, is full of faulty things, but there is one good opportunity." What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta−sangah param vrajet: "Simply by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra one can become liberated and go back to Godhead."
¯The Science of Self−Realization