He Who Must Be Named

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7 mins September, 2026
He Who Must Be Named
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He Who Muste Named An immensely popular book series hints (inadvertently, no doubt)

at the power of chanting the Lord’s holy names


By Narangi Devi Dasi


I WAS A TEENAGER when I read the Harry Potter books and was completely enamored by the love, courage, friendship, morality, and philosophy described in the series. I felt there were many lessons to be learned from not only the heroes but also the villains of the books. The villain known as “the Dark Lord” is ruthless, selfish, cruel, and exploitative. He fails to understand the notion of love in this world, and this proves to be his downfall, as love is the core principle that drives protagonists to fight him against all odds and in the face of extreme fear and loss.


People are terrified to mention his name, so they refer to him as “he who must not be named” or “you know who.” I was fascinated by the idea that mentioning the name of the fearful, loathsome, cruel dark lord would invoke his presence and hence invoke intense fear and anxiety in the one saying his name. Any utterance of his name is alleged to bring inauspiciousness and misfortune upon the speaker and hearer and is thus strictly forbidden.


What’s IN A Name?


One may question whether the importance of speaking or not speaking someone’s name is a credible idea. But consider that sound is an extremely powerful element that can either uplift or degrade one’s consciousness when allowed to enter through the ears. The importance of sound vibrations is extensively mentioned in the divine Vedic texts, which detail how the Supreme Person has encapsulated the entire Vedic knowledge in the transcendental sound om. Sound is also the first element that enters the material world during its creation. Therefore ancient Vedic literature expansively mentions the importance of regularly reciting Vedic hymns, verses, mantras, and chants. Transcendental sound vibrations have immense power to uplift one’s consciousness and put a spirit soul in direct contact with God. The sacred Srimad-Bhagavatam and many other ancient wisdom texts of India stress chanting the names of the Supreme Lord, who has infused His names with all His powers, potencies, energies, and auspiciousness. Thus the spiritual seeker who regularly recites His holy names will not only be freed from numerous sins and escape the bondage of the material world but also ultimately acquire the highest perfection of human life – love for the Supreme Lord.

Benedictions Of The Supreme Lord


Unlike the Dark Lord of the Harry Potter books, the most merciful Supreme Lord Krishna is our best friend, our true well-wisher. A great benediction of Krishna is that He appears in the form of His numerous names in the material world to give us His association. His holy names, unlike ours, are nondifferent from Him. These sound vibrations give incredible


spiritual and material benefits when uttered and transform the impious hearts of those engrossed in the material world. Therefore He descends in the form of His innumerable names so embodied souls may chant those names and awaken their love for Him.


His holy names describe His qualities, forms, pastimes, and relationships with His devotees. Those interested in discovering and developing their relationship with the Supreme Person make it a habit to chant His names on beads at least a certain number of times daily. This deeply calming, purifying, and empowering practice, called japa, helps to build a taste for serving the Lord in love.


Common Questions About Chanting The Holy Names

Who is eligible to chant the Lord’s wonderful names?


Everyone, without consideration of race, caste, color, gender, wealth,


education, beauty, etc., is qualified to uplift their consciousness from the most fallen state to the most divine by chanting. No impurities of body, character, heart, actions, or desires are considered a disqualification to take up the practice.


How long do the effects last?


The effects of chanting (or singing) the Lord’s holy names are eternal. All varieties of disagreeable qualities, numerous sins, unwanted desires, and impurities of the heart that are incompatible with the nature of the soul keep the soul bound in the cycle of birth and death. This bondage leads us to accept one body after another and keeps us circulating in this world. Chanting destroys all these obstacles and enables us to develop a deep connection with the Lord.


What is the nature of the holy names?


The holy names are transcendental and eternal because they are nondifferent from the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Lord. Therefore, uttering the Lord’s names keeps the soul truly satisfied while living in this temporary world of illusion.


What does one experience by chanting the Lord’s names?


One feels anchored, profoundly content, and deeply blissful by associating directly with Krishna through His names. The soul encounters many disturbances while trapped within the body, but taking shelter of holy names eases these troubles. The Lord’s names are the light the soul needs to navigate through dark, difficult times.


Can the Lord’s names deliver one at death?


The devotees who spend their lives developing affection and attraction for Krishna and His names can spontaneously utter those glorious names with their last breath and achieve the highest destination. Lord Krishna promises this in the divine pages of the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore, after a lifetime of sufficient practice, committed chanters, guaranteed entry into the supreme abode of Krishna, have no fear of death. It is their ticket to the spiritual world, where they achieve their true form of eternity (sat), pure consciousness (cit), and bliss (ananda).


Is chanting the names an easy practice?


Chanting the holy names can require some effort in the initial stages due to the distracted nature of the mind. However, the effort to control the mind and the struggle to develop a taste for the holy names are extremely purifying and help one navigate disturbances in this world with grace and poise.


Which names should one chant?


For the current age especially, the ancient Vedic scriptures prescribe chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.


Benefits Of Mantra Meditation


• At the physical level, maha- mantra meditation is scientifically proven to provide a restful and soothing state for the brain that increases its focus, sharpness, and energy.


• On a subtle platform, vocal meditation by chanting the Lord’s names pacifies an otherwise agitated, anxious mind that is extremely difficult to control, thereby decreasing needless anxieties and worries caused by racing thoughts.


Scientific studies have been conducted to prove the beneficial effects of this meditational technique. In 2021, W. J. Niva, et. al., published the randomized controlled trial “Mahamantra chanting as an effective intervention for stress reduction among nursing professionals.” They analyzed the levels of stress markers in the blood of two groups of people – those chanting and those not chanting – and concluded that chanting significantly reduced such markers among the chanters. Similarly, in 2022, A. Tseng


published a narrative review (“Scientific Evidence of Health Benefits by Practicing Mantra Meditation”) in the International Journal of Yoga and showed not only a decrease in anxiety, stress, and burnout but also improved immunity, decreased hypertension, and overall improved quality of life with this technique. This was an extensive review that cited numerous other studies with similar conclusions in favor of mantra meditation.


• Spiritually, chanting Hare Krishna is a cry of help to our supreme loved one and brings a profound sense of connection with the Supreme


Lord, who is our father, mother, and maintainer. This practice gradually cleanses and upgrades the consciousness and ultimately helps one attain love for Him.


In Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.51– 52), Sukdeva Gosvami mentions the spiritual/devotional benefits of chanting:


kaler dosha-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah


kirtanad eva krishnasya mukta-sangah param 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 maha- mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.”


krite yad dhyayato vishnum tretayam yajato makhaih


dvapare paricaryayam kalau tad dhari-kirtanat


“Whatever result was obtained in


Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices,


and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”


In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.14) ancient sages glorify the benefits of the Lord’s holy names:


apannah samsritim ghoram yan-nama vivaœo grinan


tatah sadyo vimucyeta yad bibheti svayam bhayam

“Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by

even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified.”


Our Supreme Lord is incredibly loving, merciful, and compassionate. Much like any parent, He is easily pleased and responds to the sincere call of a struggling devotee who endeavors to approach Him through His names and calls out to Him with affection and sincerity. Taking shelter of the Lord’s divine names is all-purifying, extremely auspicious, and our only hope of salvation. One of His prominent names is Syamasundara, “the Beautiful Dark Blue One.” Therefore, we should chant, sing, and hear His names daily in a prayerful mood for the pleasure of “He who must be named.”


Narangi Devi Dasi and her husband, Nagara Candra Dasa, both physicians, are disciples of His Grace Vaiœeshika Dasa. They live in Jackson, Tennessee, where there is no ISKCON temple, but they lead a small congregation of devotees for classes, home programs, festivals, and book distribution. She writes a blog at https://narangi. substack.com.

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He Who Must Be Named

He Who Must Be Named
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He Who Muste Named An immensely popular book series hints (inadvertently, no doubt)

at the power of chanting the Lord’s holy names


By Narangi Devi Dasi


I WAS A TEENAGER when I read the Harry Potter books and was completely enamored by the love, courage, friendship, morality, and philosophy described in the series. I felt there were many lessons to be learned from not only the heroes but also the villains of the books. The villain known as “the Dark Lord” is ruthless, selfish, cruel, and exploitative. He fails to understand the notion of love in this world, and this proves to be his downfall, as love is the core principle that drives protagonists to fight him against all odds and in the face of extreme fear and loss.


People are terrified to mention his name, so they refer to him as “he who must not be named” or “you know who.” I was fascinated by the idea that mentioning the name of the fearful, loathsome, cruel dark lord would invoke his presence and hence invoke intense fear and anxiety in the one saying his name. Any utterance of his name is alleged to bring inauspiciousness and misfortune upon the speaker and hearer and is thus strictly forbidden.


What’s IN A Name?


One may question whether the importance of speaking or not speaking someone’s name is a credible idea. But consider that sound is an extremely powerful element that can either uplift or degrade one’s consciousness when allowed to enter through the ears. The importance of sound vibrations is extensively mentioned in the divine Vedic texts, which detail how the Supreme Person has encapsulated the entire Vedic knowledge in the transcendental sound om. Sound is also the first element that enters the material world during its creation. Therefore ancient Vedic literature expansively mentions the importance of regularly reciting Vedic hymns, verses, mantras, and chants. Transcendental sound vibrations have immense power to uplift one’s consciousness and put a spirit soul in direct contact with God. The sacred Srimad-Bhagavatam and many other ancient wisdom texts of India stress chanting the names of the Supreme Lord, who has infused His names with all His powers, potencies, energies, and auspiciousness. Thus the spiritual seeker who regularly recites His holy names will not only be freed from numerous sins and escape the bondage of the material world but also ultimately acquire the highest perfection of human life – love for the Supreme Lord.

Benedictions Of The Supreme Lord


Unlike the Dark Lord of the Harry Potter books, the most merciful Supreme Lord Krishna is our best friend, our true well-wisher. A great benediction of Krishna is that He appears in the form of His numerous names in the material world to give us His association. His holy names, unlike ours, are nondifferent from Him. These sound vibrations give incredible


spiritual and material benefits when uttered and transform the impious hearts of those engrossed in the material world. Therefore He descends in the form of His innumerable names so embodied souls may chant those names and awaken their love for Him.


His holy names describe His qualities, forms, pastimes, and relationships with His devotees. Those interested in discovering and developing their relationship with the Supreme Person make it a habit to chant His names on beads at least a certain number of times daily. This deeply calming, purifying, and empowering practice, called japa, helps to build a taste for serving the Lord in love.


Common Questions About Chanting The Holy Names

Who is eligible to chant the Lord’s wonderful names?


Everyone, without consideration of race, caste, color, gender, wealth,


education, beauty, etc., is qualified to uplift their consciousness from the most fallen state to the most divine by chanting. No impurities of body, character, heart, actions, or desires are considered a disqualification to take up the practice.


How long do the effects last?


The effects of chanting (or singing) the Lord’s holy names are eternal. All varieties of disagreeable qualities, numerous sins, unwanted desires, and impurities of the heart that are incompatible with the nature of the soul keep the soul bound in the cycle of birth and death. This bondage leads us to accept one body after another and keeps us circulating in this world. Chanting destroys all these obstacles and enables us to develop a deep connection with the Lord.


What is the nature of the holy names?


The holy names are transcendental and eternal because they are nondifferent from the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Lord. Therefore, uttering the Lord’s names keeps the soul truly satisfied while living in this temporary world of illusion.


What does one experience by chanting the Lord’s names?


One feels anchored, profoundly content, and deeply blissful by associating directly with Krishna through His names. The soul encounters many disturbances while trapped within the body, but taking shelter of holy names eases these troubles. The Lord’s names are the light the soul needs to navigate through dark, difficult times.


Can the Lord’s names deliver one at death?


The devotees who spend their lives developing affection and attraction for Krishna and His names can spontaneously utter those glorious names with their last breath and achieve the highest destination. Lord Krishna promises this in the divine pages of the Bhagavad-gita. Therefore, after a lifetime of sufficient practice, committed chanters, guaranteed entry into the supreme abode of Krishna, have no fear of death. It is their ticket to the spiritual world, where they achieve their true form of eternity (sat), pure consciousness (cit), and bliss (ananda).


Is chanting the names an easy practice?


Chanting the holy names can require some effort in the initial stages due to the distracted nature of the mind. However, the effort to control the mind and the struggle to develop a taste for the holy names are extremely purifying and help one navigate disturbances in this world with grace and poise.


Which names should one chant?


For the current age especially, the ancient Vedic scriptures prescribe chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.


Benefits Of Mantra Meditation


• At the physical level, maha- mantra meditation is scientifically proven to provide a restful and soothing state for the brain that increases its focus, sharpness, and energy.


• On a subtle platform, vocal meditation by chanting the Lord’s names pacifies an otherwise agitated, anxious mind that is extremely difficult to control, thereby decreasing needless anxieties and worries caused by racing thoughts.


Scientific studies have been conducted to prove the beneficial effects of this meditational technique. In 2021, W. J. Niva, et. al., published the randomized controlled trial “Mahamantra chanting as an effective intervention for stress reduction among nursing professionals.” They analyzed the levels of stress markers in the blood of two groups of people – those chanting and those not chanting – and concluded that chanting significantly reduced such markers among the chanters. Similarly, in 2022, A. Tseng


published a narrative review (“Scientific Evidence of Health Benefits by Practicing Mantra Meditation”) in the International Journal of Yoga and showed not only a decrease in anxiety, stress, and burnout but also improved immunity, decreased hypertension, and overall improved quality of life with this technique. This was an extensive review that cited numerous other studies with similar conclusions in favor of mantra meditation.


• Spiritually, chanting Hare Krishna is a cry of help to our supreme loved one and brings a profound sense of connection with the Supreme


Lord, who is our father, mother, and maintainer. This practice gradually cleanses and upgrades the consciousness and ultimately helps one attain love for Him.


In Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.51– 52), Sukdeva Gosvami mentions the spiritual/devotional benefits of chanting:


kaler dosha-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah


kirtanad eva krishnasya mukta-sangah param 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 maha- mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.”


krite yad dhyayato vishnum tretayam yajato makhaih


dvapare paricaryayam kalau tad dhari-kirtanat


“Whatever result was obtained in


Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices,


and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”


In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.14) ancient sages glorify the benefits of the Lord’s holy names:


apannah samsritim ghoram yan-nama vivaœo grinan


tatah sadyo vimucyeta yad bibheti svayam bhayam

“Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by

even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified.”


Our Supreme Lord is incredibly loving, merciful, and compassionate. Much like any parent, He is easily pleased and responds to the sincere call of a struggling devotee who endeavors to approach Him through His names and calls out to Him with affection and sincerity. Taking shelter of the Lord’s divine names is all-purifying, extremely auspicious, and our only hope of salvation. One of His prominent names is Syamasundara, “the Beautiful Dark Blue One.” Therefore, we should chant, sing, and hear His names daily in a prayerful mood for the pleasure of “He who must be named.”


Narangi Devi Dasi and her husband, Nagara Candra Dasa, both physicians, are disciples of His Grace Vaiœeshika Dasa. They live in Jackson, Tennessee, where there is no ISKCON temple, but they lead a small congregation of devotees for classes, home programs, festivals, and book distribution. She writes a blog at https://narangi. substack.com.