Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya-Śata-Nāma-Stotraṁ
THE TOP 100 NAMES OF GOD
Daily Recitation & Meditation
One Hundred Names of the Lord of Kali-yuga, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda who stated:
“A neophyte student who is not sufficiently educated or enlightened should not indulge in the worship of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa or the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Even if he does so, he cannot get the desired result. One should therefore chant the names of Nitāi-Gaura and worship Them without false prestige.”
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8.31
Introduction
(I)
In the Bṛhad-viṣṇu-sahasranāma-stotra, Uttara-khaṇḍa, Padma Purāṇa (72.335) it is said:
rāma rāmeti rāmeti, rame rāme manorame;
sahasra-nāmabhis tulyaṁ, rāma-nāma varānane.
Lord Śiva addressed his wife, Durgā: “O Varānanā (lovely-faced woman), I chant the holy name of Rāma, Rāma, Rāma and thus constantly enjoy this beautiful sound. This holy name of Rāmacandra is equal to one thousand holy names of Lord Viṣṇu (Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma-stotraṁ).”
(II)
In the Brahmāṇda Purāṇa it is stated:
sahasra-nāmnāṁ puṇyānāṁ, trir-āvṛttyā tu yat phalam;
ekāvṛttyā tu kṛṣṇasya, nāmaikaṁ tat prayacchati.
“The pious results (puṇya) achieved by chanting the thousand holy names of Viṣṇu (Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma-stotraṁ) three times can be attained by only one utterance of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.”
(III)
In the Brahma-rahasya it is stated:
kṛṣṇa-caitanyeti nāma, mukhyān mukhyatamaṁ prabhoḥ;
helayā sakṛd uccārya, sarva-nāma-phalaṁ labhet.
“The holy name Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is the topmost even among all the important primary holy names of the Lord Kṛṣṇa. By chanting this name just once, a person attains the results (puṇya) of chanting all the other holy names of the Lord.”
So from the above three very important verses we can easily come to the following conclusion:
1000 Names of Lord Viṣṇu (Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma-stotraṁ) = 1 Name of Lord Rāma.
3 Names of Lord Rāma (or 3000 Names of Lord Viṣṇu) = 1 Name of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
1 Name of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu = Sum Total of all the Names of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and Viṣṇu.
In the Viṣṇu-yāmala it is said:
kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmnā ye, kīrtayanti sakṛn narāḥ;
nānāparādha-muktās te, punanti sakalaṁ jagat.
“Those who chant the name of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya even once, become free from all offenses and purify all the worlds by their very presence.”
Śrīla Jagadānanda Paṇdita says in Prema-vivarta:
gaura ye viśāla nāma sei nāma gāu;
anya saba nāma-māhatmya sei nāme pāu.
“The most powerful names of God are the names of the most merciful incarnation of God, who is known as Lord Gaura. The glories and power of all the other names of God are completely present in the names of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
Since the name of Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is equal to the sum total of all the principle names of God and since by chanting His name just once, a person can purify the three worlds, one cannot even estimate the auspicious results of chanting the following 100 Names of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If one faithfully chants this Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya-Śata-Nāma-Stotraṁ daily, he is sure to achieve the fulfillment of all his desires in this life, become eligible to purely chant the Hare Kṛsṇa maha-mantra and ultimately achieve the kingdom of God at the end of his life. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda writes in his commentary on Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8.31:
“A neophyte student who is not sufficiently educated or enlightened should not indulge in the worship of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa or the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Even if he does so, he cannot get the desired result. One should therefore chant the names of Nitāi-Gaura and worship Them without false prestige. […] Considering the position of the people of this age, however, the chanting of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s name is more essential than the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the most magnanimous incarnation, and His mercy is very easily achieved.”
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8.24 states:
‘kṛṣṇa-nāma’ kare aparādhera vicāra;
kṛṣṇa balile aparādhīra nā haya vikāra.
“There are ten offenses to be considered while chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Thus, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa (even for millions of lives) one may not become ecstatic in love of God.”
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8.31 states:
caitanya-nityānande nāhi esaba vicāra;
nāma laite prema dena, vahe aśrudhāra.
“But if one only chants, with some slight faith, the holy names of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, very quickly he is cleansed of all offenses. Since in the chanting of the names of Nitāi-Gaurāṅga there is no consideration of offenses, one will very quickly come to the stage of love of God, simply by chanting Their names.”
In Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 1.41 purport, it is stated: “According to specific pastimes, the names are spiritually empowered. “
Also Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura describes in the Hari-nāma-cintāmaṇi, Chapter Two:
ei rūpa nityalīlā-prakāśaka nāma;
e-saba kīrtane jīva pāya kṛṣṇa dhāma.
“The names of the Lord which reveal His eternal variegated pastimes are known as His principle names. Anyone who specifically chants these names of the Lord will surely attain the Lord’s supreme abode.”
Thus these 100 Names of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are very very special because They fully describe His superexcellent pastimes beginning from His appearance in Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma till His later pastimes as a sannyāsī in Śrī Jagannātha Purī. Also one gets the mercy of Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu (the original spiritual master) by reciting these names because they have originated from Him. Thus by reciting these 100 names everyday with a simple heart, one will get a full vision of the Lord’s pastimes performed throughout His presence on this planet and gradually one will become absorbed in those pastimes. The ultimate result will be that such a person will become qualified to enter into those pastimes and personally enjoy with the Lord eternally. The only qualification required to achieve the maximum benefit from the chanting of these 100 names is described as follows:
kuṭināṭī chāda mana karaha sarala;
gaura-nāma laya labhe sarva phala.“
If one chants these names of Lord Gaura with a simple and non-duplicitous mind and heart, then he will very quickly achieve the fruit of the fulfillment of all his desires.”
Therefore one can conclude that it will for the great benefit of all the seekers of the Absolute Truth to loudly recite this Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya-Śata-Nāma-Stotraṁ daily, preferably in front of a picture or Deities of Śrī Śrī Nitāi Gauraṅga, before beginning the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This will ensure the complete success of even the most neophyte spiritual aspirant in the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra. The further benefits of chanting this Stotraṁ have been described in the Śrī Caitanya-Śata-Nāma-Stotra Māhātmyaṁ at the end nadīyā-nagare nitāi nece’ nece’ gāy re In the towns and villages of Nadīyā (Śrī Navadvipa-dhāma), Lord Nityānanda (Lord Balarāma) ecstatically dances and sings these most auspicious one hundred names of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They are as follows:
