Only the dvijas (the brähmaëas) and the devas (the demigods) can be delivered from material existence by the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a mantra and is suitable for delivering the conditioned souls from mental speculation. The conditioned souls are engaged in a struggle for existence (manaù ñañöhänéndriyäëi prakåti-sthäni karñati [Bg. 15.7]). Deliverance from this struggle constitutes the highest benefit, but unless one gets a mantra from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, deliverance is impossible. The beginning mantra is the Gäyatré mantra. Therefore, after purification, when one is qualified to become a brähmaëa (dvija), he is offered the Gäyatré mantra. Simply by chanting the Gäyatré mantra, one can be delivered. This mantra, however, is suitable only for the brähmaëas and demigods. In Kali-yuga, we are all in a very difficult position, in which we need a suitable mantra that can deliver us from the dangers of this age. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His incarnation as Lord Caitanya, gives us the Hare Kåñëa mantra.... In His Çikñäñöaka, Lord Caitanya says, paraà vijayate Sri Krishna Sankirtan: "All glories to the chanting of Sri Krishna Sankirtan!" The mahä-mantra—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—is directly chanted by the Lord Himself, who gives us this mantra for deliverance.We cannot invent any means to be delivered from the dangers of material existence.... Sparks are beautiful as long as they are in the fire. Similarly, we have to remain in the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always engage in devotional service, for then we shall always be brilliant and illuminating. As soon as we fall from the service of the Lord, our brilliance and illumination will immediately be extinguished, or at least stopped for some time. When we living entities, who are like sparks of the original fire, the Supreme Lord, fall into a material condition, we must take the mantra from the Supreme Personality of Godhead as it is offered by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. By chanting this Hare Kåñëa mantra, we shall be delivered from all the difficulties of this material world.
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 8.6.15)
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