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First Offense: Rectification

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

Offending Vaiṣṇavas is the first and foremost offense. Although Jagāi and Mādhāi committed every possible sin, they never committed the sin of blaspheming a Vaiṣṇava. Harināma cintāmaṇi says one can nullify this offense by repenting bitterly, and falling at the feet of the offended devotee. One should sincerely beg forgiveness with tears in the eyes and regret in the heart. One should then declare himself a fallen wretch in need of the Vaiṣṇava’s mercy. The kindly Vaisnava will surely absolve the offense.

An excerpt from the book Art of Chanting.

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The Ten Offenses to the Holy Name (from Padma Purana)

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

1.satāṁ ninda-namnaḥ param aparādham vitanute, yataḥ khyātiṁ yātaṁ katham u sahate tu tad vigarhām–To show envy or criticize a devotee or saintly person.

2.śivasya śrī visnor ya iha guṇa nāmādi sakalam, dhiyā bhinnaṁ paśyet sa khalu hari-nāmāhita-karaḥ–To think that the names or qualities of the demigods are equal to Kṛṣṇa.

3.guror avajñā–To disrespect or disobey the guru.

4.śruti śāstra-nindanaṁ–To disrespect the scriptures.

5.tathārthavādo–To think that the glorification of the Name is empty praise.

6.hari nāmni kalpanam–To imagine meanings of the Name.

7.nāmno balād yasya hi pāpabuddhir, na vidyate tasya yamair hi śuddhiḥ –To commit sin on the strength of the Name.

8.dharma-vrata-tyaga-hutādi-sarva, subha-kriyā sāmyam api pramādaḥ–To consider the Name on the same level as pious actions.

9.aśraddadhāne vimukhe’py aśṛṇvati, yas copadeṣaḥ śiva-nāmāparādhaḥ–To give the Name to unqualified people.

10.śrute’pi nāma-māhātmye yah prīti rahito naraḥ, ahaṁ mamādi paramo nāmni so’py aparādha-kṛt–Not to have faith or taste in the Name even after hearing its glories, and to accept the Name without giving up material attachment.

An excerpt from the book Art of Chanting.

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Good Results of Nama-aparadha

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

“The accumulation of sins from nāma-aparādha is even more dreadful than the result of committing the five mahā-pāpa millions of times. Thus one can easily estimate the dire results of nāma-aparādha. Nevertheless, there are some good results.

“The holy name will give whatever result the nāma-āparādhī desires while he is chanting the names, but it will not award kṛṣṇa-prema. At the same time, the offender has to suffer the result of his offenses against the holy name. One who commits offenses to the holy name, and one who takes the name with a wicked mentality will get the following results: In the beginning, the nāmāparādhī chants the name with a wicked mentality, but after sometime he occasionally chants the name free from wickedness.

“This chanting without a crooked mentality causes him to accumulate sukṛti. Slowly, slowly, as that sukṛti increases, its influence enables him to get the association of saintly people who are chanting suddha-nama. The influence of saints induces the nāma-āparādhī to chant the holy names constantly, which eventually frees him from nāma-aparādhas.” (Jaiva Dharma ch. 25)

An excerpt from the book Art of Chanting.

Effects of Nama-aparadha

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

By offending sri-nama one loses his taste and attraction for sadhana-bhakti. In other words, a devotee will no longer derive any happiness from hearing and chanting, sadhu-sanga and serving Sri Guru. The world of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees becomes dry, tasteless and hackneyed. Apathy toward Kṛṣṇa is a diseased condition of the soul. As a sick man taking medical treatment quickly regains his taste for palatable foods, similarly, an offender who continually chants the holy name will nullify his transgressions and regain a taste for the holy name.

nāmāparādha-yuktānāṁ, nāmāny eva haranty agham
aviśrānti prayuktāni, tāny evārtha-karāṇi ca

By continuous chanting, an offender to the holy name will gradually become free from sins and offenses. He will rise to the platform of offenseless chanting and eventually attain the ultimate goal of life, kṛṣṇa prema. (Padma P. Svarga-khanḍa 48,49)

Although a devotee tries to give up offenses, he is actually helpless and cannot do so alone. One can only get free from nama-aparadha through bhakti, the power of Kṛṣṇa’s name, and by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa’s associates.

An excerpt from the book Art of Chanting.

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Chapter Three: Nama-aparadha

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

Nama-aparadha is an utterance of the holy name that is made with enmity in the heart. It is the lowest form of chanting wherein one commits any of the ten offenses against the holy name. As long as one chants with offenses, it is absolutely impossible to attain love of God.

“Offenses against the holy name (nama-aparadha) are the most frightening of all kinds of sins and offenses. All other kinds of sins and offenses go away naturally and automatically as one utters harinama, but nama-aparadha does not go away so easily.” (Jaiva Dharma ch. 24)

The lives of Vijaya Kumara and Vrajanatha depicted in Jaiva Dharma show that continuous chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa japa frees one from material desires, and quickly elevates one to the perfectional stage of kṛṣṇa-prema, pure love of God. If these signs of spiritual advancement are not manifesting, one can conclude that he is a nama-aparadhi. Such an offender must understand that the holy name is the only shelter for one who offends the holy name. Filled with repentance and remorse, one must beg the holy name to forgive him and accept him in His service once again.

“In the book Nāma-kaumudī, it is recommended that if one is an offender at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava, he should submit to that Vaiṣṇava and be excused. Similarly, if one is an offender in chanting the holy name, he should submit to the holy name and thus be freed from his offenses.” (SB 7.5.23-24 p.)

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura eloquently explains the need to “welcome Kṛṣṇa properly” in the next quotation:

“Kṛṣṇa is sat-cit-ananda and that sat-cit-ananda will manifest in us as soon as we welcome the transcendental word. If we are sincere, He would come into our vision, and we would easily discover Him. We live in Kali-yuga, an atmosphere surcharged with erroneous impressions.

“So we cannot expect in the beginning to chant the Name properly without difficulty. We never welcome Kṛṣṇa properly by uttering His Name. In course of our chanting, hundreds of irrelevant things intervene due to our uncontrolled desires. We are full of many mundane impressions, so we must guard ourselves against committing the ten offenses while chanting the holy name of Hari.” (Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura)

Definition of Nama-aparadha

The word aparadha is composed of two parts: apa–which means against, without, to take away, or give up; and radha–which means success, prosperity, to please, flow of affection. Literally the term nama-aparadha means to displease the holy name. In other words, Sri Kṛṣṇa, who is non-different from His holy name, becomes displeased and unhappy with our offensive behavior toward His nama-rupa. Nama-aparadha is an offense committed against the holy name, which acts against one’s spiritual success by taking the flow of one’s affection away from the Supreme Lord.

Some acaryas say the word “aparadha” means against or without Radha. Nama-aparadha, therefore, is the lowest type of chanting where Kṛṣṇa (nama) is without (apa) Radha (radha). Offenses to Kṛṣṇa’s holy name are also offenses against Radha, who represents the topmost expression of loving affection for Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti or devotion cannot exist without the presence of Srimati Radhika.

If a minor obstacle stands in the way, the name chanted becomes a semblance of the name (namabhasa), which awards benefits after some time. If a major obstacle stands in the way, the name chanted becomes nama-aparadha, which can only be overcome by constant chanting. Committing any one of the ten offenses can constitute a major obstacle to chanting the holy name and should be carefully avoided.

An excerpt from the book Art of Chanting

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Verses in Praise of the Holy Name

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

When the sastras describe the glories of the holy name there is no exaggeration because they are not referring to the material sound, but to the spiritual sound that appears through the material sound by a qualified person at the time of chanting. Sastras are not referring to the material sound composed of the various letters and syllables. Simply reciting the external syllables of the holy name: ha re kṛṣ ṇa ha re rā ma is not the actual holy name.

Reading, meditating on, and memorizing a few of the following verses will increase one’s appreciation and attachment for chanting Kṛṣṇa’s holy name.

An excerpt from the book Art of Chanting

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Glories of the Holy Name: Gives Everlasting Wealth

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

aparādha-śūnya ho’ye loho kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇa mātā, kṛṣṇa pitā, kṛṣṇa dhana-prāna

Being careful to remain free of offenses, just take the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is your mother, Kṛṣṇa is your father, and Kṛṣṇa is the treasure of your life. (Gitavali, “Sri Nagar Kirtana”)

viceyāni vicāryāṇi, vicintyāni punaḥ punaḥ
kṛpaṇasya dhanānīva, tvan-nāmāni bhavantu naḥ

O Lord, just as a miser continually collects, counts and remembers his money, in the same way let us continually collect, count, and remember Your holy names. (Padyavali v. 30)

An excerpt from the book Art of Chanting

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Chapter Two: Glories of the Holy Name

One will strengthen his faith and determination to chant japa by repeatedly hearing the wonderful glories of the holy name, and by studying different slokas in praise of nama-bhajana. Such practices are endorsed by the previous acaryas such as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura who said, “Chant the nama-mahima (glories of the holy name). Practice that daily. I also do that. Harinama is our life.”

Whether chanted correctly or incorrectly, knowingly or unknowingly, carefully or carelessly, the all-powerful name of Kṛṣṇa will always give results. The unlimited glories of the holy name cannot be understood with logic, reason or intellect. Only by faith, devotion, and constant chanting can one realize the greatness of sri-nama. In this dark age of Kali, kṛṣṇa-nama is the easiest, quickest, safest and surest way to attain spiritual perfection in love of God. In the matter of self-realization, nama-japa is the “king of all sadhanas.”

Chanting Kṛṣṇa’s sweet names purifies the heart; sanctifies and steadies the mind; destroys the six enemies [lust, anger, greed, envy, illusion, madness]; stops birth and death; dissolves sins; scorches samskaras; annihilates attachment; induces detachment; uproots desires; empowers one; makes one fearless; removes illusion; bestows supreme peace; delivers prema; reveals the Lord and His dhama; shows one’s svarupa; showers bhakti-rasa; and engages one in his nitya-seva for the pleasure of Radha-Syama.

Nama Reveals the Spiritual Body

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura clearly explains that the experience of one’s internal spiritual form (siddha deha or svarupa), which is necessary for practicing raganuga-bhakti, is revealed by the grace of Kṛṣṇa’s holy name. Generally one realizes his spiritual form at the stage of bhava-bhakti. At this stage of perfection, which precedes prema-bhakti, Sri Kṛṣṇa’s suddha-sattva or svarupa sakti

(personal spiritual potency) is transmitted into the heart of the sadhaka from the heart of one of Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates. This in turn reveals the specific attributes of one’s eternal spiritual form. By purely chanting the holy name, therefore, one can realize his spiritual body.

An excerpt from the book Art of Chanting.

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Three Names – Gauna, Mukhya and Madhurya

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

Harināma-cintāmaṇi explains two categories of holy names: mukhya nāma (primary) and gauṇa nāma (secondary). “The holy names of the Lord that describe His transcendental pastimes are defined as principal names. Chanting these names reveals Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, gives Kṛṣṇa-prema, and eternal residence in Vṛndāvana. Primary or principal names include Govinda, Gopāla, Rāma, Śrī Nandanandana, Rādhā-nātha, Hari, Yaśomatī Prāṇādhana, Madana-Mohana, Śyāmasundara, Mādhava, Gopīnātha, Vrajagopāla.” (Harinama-Cintamani)

“Primary names are fully transcendental, identical with the svarūpa of the Lord, and remain eternally in the spiritual world. The Lord’s names descend to the material world to destroy the influence of māyā. Secondary names, however, have been introduced from the creation of the material universe. Names such as Śrīsti-karta (creator of the universe), Jagat-pati (controller of the universe) and Paramātmā describe God from the perspective of the conditioned souls and how He relates to them.” (Nama-bhajana)

“Secondary names describe the Lord’s functions and affiliation with His material energy (e.g. Brahman, Paramātmā, Īśvara, Jagannātha, or as the Christians say, creator, maintainer and annihilator.) Such names of the Lord are invoked by karmis and jñānis, not bhaktas. Chanting secondary names of the Lord gives piety, material elevation and salvation. However, kṛṣṇa-prema, the most perfect result of chanting the holy name of the Lord, is attained only by purely chanting Kṛṣṇa’s principal names. This is because the secondary names, although also impregnated with the Lord’s pastime potencies, have it in partial degrees only.” (Harinama-Cintamani)

Why doesn’t chanting of secondary names give prema? Secondary names are distant, incomplete and somewhat impersonal. Hence, they are devoid of the personal expression of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy and love. There is no expression of prema in gauṇa nāma because they have no līlā or pastimes within them.

When one chants mukhya nāma like Govinda or Gopīnātha, and remembers Kṛṣṇa’s loving pastimes with the gopīs, prema will flow into his heart from the prema-sāgara (ocean of divine love) within these names. These names are directly Sri Kṛṣṇa Himself, and as such are endowed with all the potencies found within the Lord’s personal form. Make an experiment comparing mukhya nāma with gauṇa nāma:

If you chant “Paramātmā! Paramātmā! Paramātmā!” nothing will come but thirst and fatigue. But if you chant “Rādhe Rādhe Govinda, Govinda Rādhe! Rādhe Rādhe Govinda, Govinda Rādhe!” you will soon become intoxicated with ambrosial nectar, and completely forget your bodily identity. As Srila Prabhupada once said, “By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you will feel invigorated, fresh and enlivened.” Under the powerful influence of the prema-filled primary names of Kṛṣṇa, you may someday pass the entire night crying, laughing, singing, dancing or rolling on the ground like a madman.

Śrīla Prabhupāda confirms this point, “This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. You chant whole day and night, and dance, you’ll never get tired. But take another name. Just after half an hour, finished. It is botheration.” (SPT 2/17/69)

“In the Padyāvalī, there is a statement by some devotees: ‘We shall not care for any outsiders. If they should deride us, we shall still not care for them. We shall simply enjoy the transcendental mellow of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and thus we shall roll on the ground and dance ecstatically. In this way we shall eternally enjoy transcendental bliss.’ ” (Nectar of Devotion)

Five hundred years ago, one spy reported to the Muslim Governor, “All these devotees of Lord Caitanya become like madmen. They simply dance and chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes they even cry and roll on the ground.” (Cc. Madhya 16.166)

Besides mukhya and gauna-nama, there is another form of nama known as madhurya-nama, which Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes in the following passage:

“The maha-mantra contains the topmost sweet names of the Lord. Provocation for all the rasas mixed with intimate attachment is found in the Hare Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra. There is no mention of the Lord’s prowess (aisvarya) or giving liberation (mukti). This mantra reveals only that a soul has an individual attraction for the Supersoul by the thread of love. These names (Hare, Kṛṣṇa, Rama) are the mantra for those on the path of madhurya-rasa. Constantly chanting and meditating on these names is the best form of worshiping the Supreme Lord.” (Kṛṣṇa-samhita).

An excerpt from the book Art of Chanting.