[Chaturamnaya] Jagadguru Speaks: Chant the Lord's Name and Attain the Highest

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Around the beginning of the month, a nugget of Wisdom from the Jagadguru may be posted
on the Chaturamnaya list : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/chaturamnaya )
 
 
http://www.tattvaloka.com/uploads/jagadguruSpeech/pdf/2105773657JSpeaks%20--%20MARCH%202021%20Final%20-.pdf
 
 
There are four yugas (or time periods) mentioned in our 
scriptures, namely, the Krta, Treta, Dvapara and Kali Yuga.
 
During the Krta Yuga, the dharma observed by people was of
four parts: Satyam (truthfulness), daya (compassion), tapas
(austerity) and danam (charity). With the passage of time, in
the Treta Yuga, adharmic qualities like asatyam (untruth), himsa
(violence/ harmful acts), asantosha (discontentment) and kalaha
(strife and quarrel) surfaced in the world.
 
During the Dvapara Yuga, due to the rise in the
aforementioned adharmic (unrighteous) attributes, the
prevalence of dharmic (righteous) traits like satyam, daya, tapas
and danam dwindled, to the extent that adharma reduced
dharmic qualities to one half. In the Kali Yuga, dharmic
attributes have further declined against adharmic traits, by
another quarter. Towards the end of this Kali Yuga, even that
little dharma will perish. 
 
  kalau tu dharmapAdAnAM turyAMsho.adharmahetubhiH .
  edhamAnaiH kShIyamANo hyante so.api vina~NkShyati ..
  (Srimad Bhagavatam)
 
However, despite being enveloped by the darkness of
unrighteousness, the Kali Yuga still has one remarkable feature:
The glory of namasankirtanam (singing the Lord's holy name).
Through this means alone, man can extricate himself from all
bondage and attain the Paramatma (the Supreme Lord). 
 
Whatever merit is obtained through dhyana (deep meditation
and contemplation on the Lord) in the Krta Yuga, yaga
(ritualistic sacrifice) in the Treta Yuga and puja (ordained
worship) in the Dvapara Yuga is just as easily obtained in the
Kali Yuga through the namasankirtanam of the almighty Lord.
Our forefathers have instructed thus:
 
  kR^ite yaddhyAyato viShNuM tretAyAM yajato makhaiH .
  dvApare paricharyAyAM kalau taddharikIrtanAt ..
  (Srimad Bhagavatam)
 
May everyone understand this well and engage daily in the
practice of chanting the Lord's holy name. Our blessings for all.