Scriptural Verses About the Holy Name
The Vedic scriptures contain a vast treasury of verses glorifying the holy name of the Supreme Lord. These verses, drawn from the Upanishads, Purāṇas, Itihāsas, and the writings of great acharyas, constitute the scriptural foundation upon which the entire practice of chanting rests. The following is a compilation of the most significant and authoritative verses.
From the Upanishads
Kali-Santarana Upanishad
The primary Vedic source of the mahāmantra:
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
"These sixteen names composed of thirty-two syllables are the only means capable of completely destroying all the sins of Kali-yuga. In all the Vedas there is no other method found as sublime for this age."
From the Purāṇas
Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa (38.126)
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way."
Padma Purāṇa
nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaḥ caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ
"The holy name of Krishna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krishna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krishna's name is complete and is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krishna Himself."
Viṣṇu-dharmottara Purāṇa
na deśa-niyamas tatra na kāla-niyamas tathā nocchiṣṭādau niṣedho 'sti śrī-harer nāmni lubdhaka
"O hunter, there is no restriction of place or time for chanting the holy name of Lord Hari. Even if one is in an impure state, there is no prohibition."
From the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
SB 12.3.51
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom."
SB 6.2.14 (The Story of Ajāmila)
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."
SB 1.2.17
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām
"Sri Krishna, who is the Paramātmā in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages."
From the Bhagavad-gītā
Bg. 9.14
satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā nitya-yuktā upāsate
"Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion."
Bg. 10.25
yajñānāṁ japa-yajño 'smi
"Of sacrifices, I am japa [the chanting of the holy name]."
This extraordinary declaration by Lord Krishna Himself establishes japa as the supreme sacrifice—the sacrifice that directly represents God.
From Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Śikṣāṣṭakam
Verse 1
paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
"All glories to the Sri Krishna sankirtana!"
Verse 3
tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street."
Conclusion
These scriptural verses represent only a fraction of the enormous Vedic evidence supporting the chanting of the holy name. From the oldest Upanishads to the writings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the unanimous testimony of all authorized scriptures is clear: the holy name of Krishna is the supreme spiritual practice, the ultimate purifier, and the direct path to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.