Understanding Krishna's paradoxical nature—eternally unborn yet taking birth, fully inactive yet controlling all—grants complete liberation.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.30 — October 10, 1974, Māyāpur 741010SB-MAYAPUR [28:36 Minutes] SB-01.08.30_741010SB-MAYAPUR Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.] janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ tiryaṭ-nèṣiṣu yādaḥsu tat atyanta-viḍambanam [SB 1.8.30] [break] [01:03] "Of course, it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst the animals, men, sages and aquatics.
Verily, this is bewildering." Prabhupāda: janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ tiryaṭ-nèṣiṣu yādaḥsu tat atyanta-viḍambanam [SB 1.8.30] This viḍambanam word, the English translation is almost similar—"bewildering." Viḍambanam, "bewildering." So this is to be understood, what is Kṛṣṇa, because He descends out of His causeless mercy as human being for reestablishing the principles of religious system: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg. 4.7]. [aside:] That's all right. So this is to be understood. Superficially understanding Kṛṣṇa...
Of course, even not understanding, simply by uttering the word "Kṛṣṇa" in love and affection, one becomes delivered. It is said, eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari baro nare[?]. Kṛṣṇa-nāma is so powerful, it is said, if you chant thousand times Lord Viṣṇu's name, then the result is equal to once chanting Lord Rāma's name. I forget that..., to recite that verse.
But the purpose is this: that viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma is recommended to be chanted by common man. But śāstra says that after chanting one thousand of Lord Viṣṇu's name—there are hundreds and thousands of names—it is equal to if you chant once Lord Rāma's name. Similarly, if you chant three times Lord Rāma's name, then it is equal to once chanting Kṛṣṇa's name. So we understand or not understand, if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, the result is there.
Without any offense, if we chant, then the result is... Once chanting of Kṛṣṇa's name is so powerful that immediately the chanting makes you free from all kinds of reaction of sinful activities. Eka kṛṣṇa-nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari baro nare[?]. The pāpīs, they are very much expert in committing sinful activities, but Kṛṣṇa, this holy name once chanted is so powerful that this expert sinful man cannot commit so many criminal..., I mean, sinful activities.
This is there. So some way or other, if we offenselessly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa name, it is so powerful. So here Kuntī says, janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasya. Aja means who never takes birth. Ajasya.
Aja, the living entities, they are also aja, but sometimes the living entity, being attracted by the material energy, they come to this material world. Then their quality of aja, or not to take birth, becomes vanquished. Because in the material world one has to take birth. But actually spirit soul, or the Supreme Spirit, Kṛṣṇa, they are aja.