In Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 6 Chapter 1 the order carriers of Yamarāja, the superintendent of death, come to take Ajāmila but Viṣṇudūtas prevent them. Yamadūtas argue that Ajāmila lived a very sinful life and has not undergone any atonement. Therefore he needs to be punished for his sinful actions. In Chapter 2, specifically from verse 1 through 20, Viṣṇudūtas explain how Ajāmila had already undergone atonement not only for sins of the current birth but for those of millions of his past lives as well!
It is described that Viṣṇudūtas are naya-kovidāḥ, very expert in argument and logic. Below are some of the important arguments that they put forward to Yamadūtas.
- Viṣṇudūtas lament that Yamarāja's administration is unfairly trying to punish an innocent person, the Ajāmila. Srīla Prabhupāda explains that in this day and age many innocent people, including those spreading spiritual knowledge, are punished by the so called administrators. The people of a nation put faith in the government and the government should properly protect them.
- Ajāmila chanted the holy name of Lord Hari, the means of liberation, in a helpless condition. This he did without offense and hence he is freed from sins of millions of lives. Śrīla Prabhupāda cites Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura and gives following verses from the smṛti-śāstra:
nāmno hi yāvatī śaktiḥ
pāpa-nirharaṇe hareḥ
tāvat kartuṁ na śaknoti
pātakaṁ pātakī naraḥ
“Simply by chanting one holy name of Hari, a sinful man can counteract the reactions to more sins than he is able to commit.” (Bṛhad-viṣṇu Purāṇa)avaśenāpi yan-nāmni
kīrtite sarva-pātakaiḥ
pumān vimucyate sadyaḥ
siṁha-trastair mṛgair iva
“If one chants the holy name of the Lord, even in a helpless condition or without desiring to do so, all the reactions of his sinful life depart, just as when a lion roars, all the small animals flee in fear.” (Garuḍa Purāṇa)sakṛd uccāritaṁ yena
harir ity akṣara-dvayam
baddha-parikaras tena
mokṣāya gamanaṁ prati
“By once chanting the holy name of the Lord, which consists of the two syllables ha-ri, one guarantees his path to liberation.” (Skanda Purāṇa) - Even previously, while eating and at other times, Ajāmila would call his son, saying, “My dear Nārāyaṇa, please come here.” Srīla Prabhupāda explains that even though he was actually calling his son and not the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa, the holy name was itself very effective and it freed him from the reactions to his sins. Ajāmila did not chant the holy name for the purpose of counteracting sins and performing further sinful acts (nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa buddhiḥ). Hence his chanting was not offensive and he remained sinless.
- The chanting of the holy names of Kṛṣṇa is the best means of atonement for all kinds of horrible sins and the Lord will personally protect the devotee who chants His name.
Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Viṣṇu, such sinful persons may attract the attention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, “Because this man has chanted My holy name, My duty is to give him protection.” SB 6.2.9-10
- There are twenty dharma-śāstras, religious texts that prescribe different kinds of atonement of different sinful actions. Even though the atonement prescribed in them frees one from the reactions of sinful acts, it doesn't free a person from sinful tendencies and it doesn't awaken love of the Supreme Lord in that person. However chanting of the holy names of the Lord does both of these; it gives freedom from sinful tendencies and awakens our pure love for Him.
Even if one does not understand the meaning of the Lord’s name, pastimes or attributes, one is purified simply by hearing or chanting of them. Such purification is called sattva-bhāvana. - Srīla Prabhupada in SB 6.2.12
- In SB 6.2.13 Viṣṇudūtas tell Yamadūtas not to take Ajāmila because he chanted the holyname in a helpless condition at the time of death. Srīla Viśvanātha Cakravarti Thākūra explains that the fact that Ajāmila was able to take the name of Nārāyaṇa at the time of death indicates that he was freed from all sins. At the time of naming his son Nārāyaṇa, from his first chanting, he has done all the atonement.
- I think the most important verse in this chapter is:
sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā
stobhaṁ helanam eva vā
vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam
aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ
One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.Ajāmila chanted the holy name as sāṅketyam, to indicate something else, i.e., his son. Srīla Viśvanātha Cakravarti Thākūra says that pārihāsyam means calling jokingly, but with affection, and not criticism. Helanam is with disregard and neglectfully.
Based on the arguments above, we can see that Ajāmila has been chanting the Lord's holy name indirectly to indicate his son. Since from the naming of His son, he has been chanting the holy name Nārāyaṇa. In his early life too, till the meeting of the prostitue, he was a well behaved bhrāmaṇa and as Śrīla Prabhupāda mentions in 6.1.27 he was worshiping Nārāyaṇa. All these must have helped him to take the name of Nārāyaṇa at the time of death and he was thus saved from the Yamadūtas.
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