Ādi-līlā

Chapter 3: The External Reasons for Lord Caitanya's Appearance

Verse 40 of 113
Cc Ādi 3.40

কলিযুগে যুগধর্ম—নামের প্রচার তথি লাগিঽ পীতবর্ণ চৈতন্যাবতার

कलियुगे युगधर्म—नामेर प्रचार तथि लागिऽ पीतवर्ण चैतन्यावतार

kali-yuge yuga-dharma—nāmera pracāra tathi lāgi' pīta-varṇa caitanyāvatāra

Synonyms

kali-yugein the age of Kali; yuga-dharmathe religious practice for the age; nāmeraof the holy name; pracārapropagation; tathithis; lāgi'for; pīta-varṇahaving a yellow color; caitanya-avatārathe incarnation of Lord Caitanya..

Translation

The religious practice for the age of Kali is to broadcast the glories of the holy name. Only for this purpose has the Lord, in a yellow color, descended as Lord Caitanya.

Purport

In this age of Kali the practical system of religion for everyone is the chanting of the name of Godhead. This was introduced in this age by Lord Caitanya. Bhakti-yoga actually begins with the chanting of the holy name, as confirmed by Madhvācārya in his commentary on the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad. He quotes this verse from the Nārāyaṇa-saṁhitā:

dvāparīyair janair viṣṇuḥ pañcarātrais tu kevalaiḥ
kalau tu nāma-mātreṇa pūjyate bhagavān hariḥ

"In the Dvāpara-yuga people should worship Lord Viṣṇu only by the regulative principles of the Nārada-pañcarātra and other such authorized books. In the age of Kali, however, people should simply chant the holy names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upaniṣads, such as the Kali-santaraṇa Upaniṣad, where it is said:

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

iti ṣoḍaśakaṁ nāmnāṁ kali-kalmaṣa-nāśanam
nātaḥ parataropāyaḥ sarva-vedeṣu dṛśyate

"After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Verse 40 of 113
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