January | 2025 | The Hare Krishna Movement

Sri Namamrta: The Nectar of The Holy Name

This morning I was looking through my bookshelf and I saw a book I didn’t recognize. But when I opened it, I saw my name was written on the first page. I must have purchased it on one of our trips. I had completely forgotten about it, and it was still brand new. I love a new book, so I was overjoyed to discover what was inside. Thousands of quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s many books on the Nectar of the Holy Name. So today I am posting just a few of them that jumped out at me, but I am also including the entire book as a free PDF at bottom of post.

‘kanhara smarana jiva karibe anuksana?’
‘krsna−nama−guna−lila−pradhana smarana’

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, “What should all living entities constantly remember?”
Ramananda Raya replied, “The chief object of remembrance is always the holy name of the
Lord, His qualities and pastimes.”
(Sri Caitanya−caritamrta Madhya−lila 8.252)

krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari−kirtanat
[Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit]:

“Whatever result was obtained in Satya−yuga by meditating on Visnu, in Treta−yuga by
performing sacrifices and in Dvapara−yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can also be
obtained in Kali−yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha−mantra.”
(Srimad−Bhagavatam 12.3.52)

The Holy Name Is the Universal and Supreme Religion for this Age

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
(Sri Caitanya−caritamrta 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.”

krsna−varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra−parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana−prayair
yajanti hi su−medhasah

“The pious results derived from chanting the thousand holy names of Visnu three times can
be attained by only one repetition of the holy name of Krsna.”
( Sri Caitanya−caritamrta Madhya−lila 9.33)

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih

“One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself
lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all
sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one
can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.”

New Years’ Resolution

Happy New Year everyone, hopefully This will be a good year.

Ya know, every year I make New Years’ resolutions, to be a better person, or to wake up early every day, stop eating so much white sugar and white flour, practice yoga, exercise, walk, chant my 16 rounds, etc. Typically my resolutions don’t even make it past the first week in January. But this year I am going to try something a little different. Keeping it simple. I am going to try to love God [Krishna] more.

I am reminded of the George Harrison song “My Sweet Lord”

My Sweet Lord

…I really want to see you
Really want to be with you
Really want to see you, Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord

My sweet Lord
My Lord
My Lord

I really want to know you
Really want to go with you
Really want to show you, Lord
But it won’t take long, my Lord (Hare Krishna)

full song below

But I am also reminded of the words of Srila Prabhupada in the KRSNA Book;

...Since Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, one should know that all his desires should be focused on Kṛṣṇa… if we concentrate our loving propensities upon Kṛṣṇa only, then immediately universal love, unity and tranquillity will be automatically realized. When one waters the root of a tree, he automatically waters the branches, twigs, leaves and flowers; when one supplies food to the stomach through the mouth, he satisfies all the various parts of the body.

The art of focusing one’s attention on the Supreme and giving one’s love to Him is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (from Preface)

And from the Introduction of the KRSNA Book;

The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is also described in the Brahma-samhita as the abode of cintamani. That abode of Lord Krsna known as Goloka Vrindavan is full of palaces made of touchstone. There the trees are called desire trees, and the cows are called surabhi. The Lord is served there by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. His name is Govinda, the Primeval Lord, and He is the cause of all causes. There the Lord plays His flute, His eyes are like lotus petals, and the color of His body is like that of a beautiful cloud. On His head is a peacock feather. He is so attractive that He excels thousands of Cupids.

Krishna is so attractive, that it shouldn’t be hard to love Him more. Maybe this is a New Year Resolution I can actually keep.