When the holy name is everything, why do we need prudent action to complement prayer?
Answer Podcast
When the Holy Name is Everything, Why Do We Need Prudent Action to Complement Prayer?
You wrote in an article that spirituality is a complement, not a replacement, for material necessities. For example, medicines are needed, and prayer is not a substitute for medication. But then, we often hear that chanting the holy names is sufficient to deliver the soul. If that’s the case, why would we need to do anything else?
Three points can help clarify this:
1. Contextual Application by Great Devotees
If we were to take the idea that the holy name alone is sufficient in an absolute and literal sense, then why would Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have taken sannyasa? He did so not because he needed sannyasa for his own spiritual advancement, but because it brought social respectability to his message, making people take the holy name more seriously. So even for the propagation of the holy name, certain social, cultural, and intellectual accommodations were made.
Just as the chanting of the holy name requires a level of intellectual receptivity, it also requires a certain level of physical functionality. For example, basic health is necessary—even to chant properly. If our health collapses, how will we chant attentively or serve practically?
2. Spiritual Practice Requires Material Support
Yes, the holy name can purify and liberate us, but for us to receive, relish, and serve the holy name, certain material preconditions must be met—at the very least, the ability to live and function in the world.
The Bhagavatam gives the analogy that the body is like a tree and liberation (moksha) is like its fruit. If the tree is cut down, there can be no fruit. Similarly, if the body is not maintained, spiritual progress is impeded. Thus, maintaining our health and life situation prudently is part of our service to Krishna.
Moreover, Lord Chaitanya preached and engaged in philosophical debates with Advaita Vedantins so they would begin taking the holy name seriously. Similarly, today’s audiences also need intellectual explanations to accept and appreciate the holy name.
3. Bhakti is Holistic and Contextual
If the holy name alone were sufficient in all situations, then why are there nine limbs of devotional service? Why did Rupa Goswami elaborate on 64 practices of bhakti in his Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu? He did so even after receiving direct instructions from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chanting is central, but it is not the only limb.
We need a holistic understanding of bhakti. Without that, we risk oversimplifying spiritual life and misapplying its principles. For example, the gopis are celebrated as the highest devotees, but they did far more than just chant—they served Krishna in countless ways. So if we want to follow their example, we must not isolate one practice from the full context of their devotion.
Yes, the holy name can liberate us. But what does the holy name do? It connects us to Krishna in a relationship—and any real relationship involves care for the totality of our being. We are meant to offer our whole being to Krishna, and to do that, we must take care of that being, materially and spiritually.
Some exalted devotees may be so absorbed in Krishna that they are indifferent to everything else, including bodily maintenance. In such rare cases, they may gracefully leave the world while chanting, fully surrendered to Krishna’s will. Whether Krishna intervenes materially or not, they are spiritually protected.
But most of us are not yet at that level. If we feel inspired to serve in this world, then we should act prudently, drawing from how past acharyas balanced prayer and practical action. We can then emulate their example in our own lives, harmonizing the spiritual and the material for deeper devotion.
Thank you.