Chanting the Holy Names

Chanting is the most important item in execution of devotional service

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya once asked Lord Caitanya: Which item is most important in the execution of devotional service? The Lord replied: The most important item is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

Çréla Prabhupäda writes:

Actually chanting of the Holy Name regularly is our life and soul, and on the basis of such activities all other devotional services will sustain. [Letter to: Ekayani, Los Angeles, 10 Feb, 1970]

One may have other duties to perform under the direction of the spiritual master, but he must first abide by the spiritual master's order to chant a certain number of rounds. In our Kåñëa consciousness movement, we have recommended that the neophyte chant at least sixteen rounds. This chanting of sixteen rounds is absolutely necessary if one wants to remember Kåsëa and not forget Him. Of all the regulative principles, the spiritual master's order to chant at least sixteen rounds is most essential. [CC Madhya 22.113]

War Against Maya

To begin devotional service is to declare war against mäyä.

Mäyä enchants the entire world. Indeed, people have forgotten the ultimate goal of life because of the dazzling attractions of the material world. [CC Antya 3.250 Purport]

When the conditioned soul tries to get out of her clutches by spiritual advancement of knowledge, material nature becomes more stringent and vigorous in her efforts to test how much the aspiring spiritualist is sincere. The material energy, or mäyä, will then offer more allurements. [PoY]

Example of Viçvämitra Muni

In this regard, there is the story of Viçvämitra Muni, a great king, a kñatriya, who renounced his kingdom and took to the yoga process in order to become more spiritually advanced.

Viçvämitra Muni meditated so intently that Indra, the King of heaven, noticed him and thought, “This man is trying to occupy my post. The heavenly planets are also material, and there is competition – no businessman wants another businessman to exceed him. Fearing that Viçvämitra Muni would actually depose him, Indra sent one heavenly society girl, named Menakä, to allure him sexually. Menakä was naturally very beautiful, and she was intent on disrupting the muni's meditations. Indeed, he became aware of her feminine presence upon hearing the sound of her bangles, and he immediately looked up from his meditation, saw her, and became captivated by her beauty. As a result, the beautiful girl Çakuntalä was born by their conjugation. When Çakuntalä was born, Viçvämitra lamented: “Oh, I was just trying to cultivate spiritual knowledge, and again I have been entrapped.” He was about to flee when Menakä brought his beautiful daughter before him and chastised him. Despite her pleading, Viçvämitra resolved to leave anyway.

Being Safe in our War against Mäyä

There are many learned sages, philosophers and transcendentalists who try to conquer the senses, but in spite of their endeavors, even the greatest of them sometimes fall victim to material sense enjoyment due to the agitated mind. Even Viçvämitra, a great sage and perfect yogé, was misled by Menakä into sex enjoyment, although the yogé was endeavoring for sense control with severe types of penance and yoga practice. And, of course, there are so many similar instances in the history of the world.

In the material world everyone, including Lord Çiva and Lord Brahmä—to say nothing of other demigods in the heavenly planets—is subjected to the influence of sense objects, and the only method to get out of this puzzle of material existence is to become Kåñëa conscious. Lord Çiva was deep in meditation, but when Pärvaté agitated him for sense pleasure, he agreed to the proposal, and as a result Kärtikeya was born. When Haridäsa Öhäkura was a young devotee of the Lord, he was similarly allured by the incarnation of Mäyä-devé, but Haridäsa easily passed the test because of his unalloyed devotion to Lord Kåñëa.

Çréla Prabhupäda explains:

The illusory energy personally came to test Haridäsa Öhäkura, but she was unable to captivate him. How is this possible? It was because Haridäsa Öhäkura, fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Kåñëa, was always absorbed in thoughts of Kåñëa by chanting the holy names of the Lord 300,000 times daily as a vow. [CC Antya 3.250 Purport] There are so many dangers in this material world that one may fall down from an exalted position at any time. Yet, if one keeps himself always pure & steady by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, he will be safe without doubt. [SB: 6.1.63 Purport]