bhagavannAmabodhendra-yogIndra-gurumAshraye ||

namastripurabhairavyai ||

The following words from kratusmR^iti declares the usefulness of nAmasmaraNa for all, irrespective of varNa, Ashrama or other restrictions:

viprANAM yatiyoginAM shrutimatAM vedAntinAM karmiNAm

chaNDAlAdiShu yauvanaM cha bhajatAM ekAntato vAsinAm |

hatyA-pAna-suvarNachaurya-gurudArAsa~NgamaM kurvatAm

sarveShAmidameva nAma sharaNaM viShNoH paraM ma~Ngalam ||

nAmasmaraNa finds mention even in the nitya kR^itya prescribed for a paramahamsa yati:

svashAkhopaniShadgItA viShNornAmasahasrakam |

shrIrudraM praNavaM chaiva nityamAvartayedyatiH ||

- There are people who perform the greatest of sins such as indulging in murder, drinking, theft, gurutalpagamana etc. which find no prAyashchitta in most kalpas. The sacred name of bhagavAn or bhagavatI, is their sole refuge, on account of its capability to offer pApa nivR^itti.

- Some prAyashchitta kalpas address only certain varNas. But nAmasmaraNa is as applicable to a chaNDAla as to a vipra.

- The word viprAH here indicates those who are involved in the observence of shrutyukta karma with the kAmanA of shreyas. As nAmasmaaraNa is capable of granting the highest shreyas, it finds mention in this context.

- By stating shrutimatAm vedAntinAm karmiNAm, the smR^iti here refers to the three factes of Vedic life: shrutipArAyaNa, karmAnushThAna and vedAntashravaNa. Those immersed in these are also reminded of the need for nAmasmaraNa.

- By stating viprANAM yatiyoginAM, it is delcared that nAmasmaraNa is recommended for all the four Ashramas.

shrImadAcharya quotes two specific refrences from vishNudharmottara and rAmatApanyupaniShad to state the usefulness of nAmasmaraNa for a mumukShu and hence its utility in attaining tattvaj~nAna:

sarvANyetAni nAmAni parasya brahmaNo.anagha | [viShNudharmottare]

ramante yogino.anante satyAnande chidAtmani |

iti rAmapadenAsau paraM brahmAbhidhIyate ||

The same is stated elsewhere:

shrutismR^itipurANeShu rAmanAma samIritam |

tannAmakIrtanaM bhUyaH tApatrayavinAshanam ||

sarveShAmeva pApAnAM prAyashchittamidaM smR^itam |

nAtaH parataraM puNyaM triShu lokeShu vidyate |

nAmasa~NkIrtanAdeva tArakaM brahma dR^ishyate || [chyavanasmR^itau]

shrInR^isiMhAshrama, while discussing the meaning of the holiest of names, nR^isiMha, as depicting jIvabrahmaikya in his work bhedadhikkAra, asserts the usefulness of nAmasmaraNa for a mumukShu.

For those seeking further puShTi, the following pramANa from matsyapurANa can be cited:

viShNornAmaiva pumsaH shamalamupanudatpuNyamutpAdayaccha

brahmAdisthAnabhogAdviratimatha guroH shrIpadadvandvabhaktim |

tattvaj~nAnaM cha viShNoriha mR^itijananabhrAntibIjaM cha dagdhvA

pUrNAnandaikabodhe mahati cha puruShaM sthApayitvA nivR^ittim ||

Moreover, as stated by bhagavannAma bodhendra, nAmakIrtana can grant one the phala of nididhyAsana, as stated in viShNupurANa: dhyAyan kR^ite yajan yajnaiH etc.

The Astikas also believe that those who are immersed in nAmasmaraNa all their life and during death, obtain the fortune of receiving tattvopadesha and mukti due to the resulting jnAna, from the Lord himself:

yAvajjIvaM praNavamathavA vartayedrudriyaM vA

yAjurvedaM vasatimathavA vAraNasyAM vidadhyAt |

tyaktvA lajjAM kalimalaviShacChedakAnIrayedvA

viShNornAmAnyanishamamR^itaprAptireShA chaturdhA ||

The same promise from mahAdeva is seen in kAshIkhaNDa as well.

There are three facets of nAmasmaraNa detailed in viShNudharmottara:

1. nAmasmaraNa

2. nAmashravaNa

3. nAmakIrtana

Each of these can individually grant all merits discussed above and thus, one can only imagine the bliss when the three are practiced together!

jantorapashchimatanoH sati karmasAmye

niHsheShapAshapaTalacChidurA nimeShAt |

kalyANi deshikakaTAkShasamAshrayeNa

kAruNyato bhavasi shAmbhavavedhadIkshA ||