How Chanting Releases from Karma?


Question:  How Chanting Releases from Karma?

Our scriptures say a spirit gets into the cycle of birth and death based on the past karma. And this cycle will not end until and unless the spirit gets cleansed of its own karmic results. Then how chanting of Krishna's holy name will help a spirit to overcome the woes in the present cycle (life)?  This claim, if so, goes against the law of karma Sri Krishna himself proclaimed in Bhagavad-gita.

Answer:  By Krishna's Special Mercy

While it is karma which keeps us in the cycle of birth and death, it was envy of God, not karma, which got us caught up here in the first place. Krishna confirms in the Bhagavad-gita that if we surrender to Him He will release us from our karma. Just as the president can grant a pardon and release a person from prison even if he was not qualified by the rules of the prison to be released, in a similar way Krishna will release from the wheel of karma anyone who surrenders

unto Him even if their karma dictates that they must remain in the cycle of birth of death. Because the law of karma is acting under the energy of Krishna, He has the power to override it and release anyone from it who has surrendered unto Him. Krishna is not under the law of karma. He is over the law of karma.

Since Krishna orders us to chant His names, when we agree to seriously take up the regular chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra we are surrendering ourselves unto Krishna and become qualified by His special mercy for release from the wheel of karma.

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