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Srila Bhaktivinode
Thakura Page
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION TO THE GLORIES OF THE HOLY NAME
All glories to Sri Gadadhara Pandit and Lord Sri Gauranga;
all glories to Lord Nityananda, the life of Srimati Jahnavadevi;
all glories to Sri Advaita Acarya and Mother Sita; all glories to
Srila Srivasa Pandit and all the devotees of Lord Caitanya.
At Nilacala, within His sacred temple near the ocean shore,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead resides in His form of wood
known as Darubrahman. The Supreme Lord Hari descended to the
material world in this form of Jagannatha to deliver the living
entities from their eternal bondage. He grants material benedictions
to those who require them and final release from all
material attachments to those who are more spiritually advanced.
In this same sacred abode, the same Supreme Lord took the
role of a renounced sannyasi to give His supreme blessing to
humanity. Residing in Kasi Misra's home, He propagated the only
dharma needed by the fallen souls of this age, and so established
the real meaning of religion in Kaliyuga.
There, like a desire tree yielding unlimited treasures,
surrounded by His many devotees, Lord Caitanya distributed love
of Godhead (Krsnaprema) freely to all people. Ensuring that His
teachings would be correctly disseminated, He had certain
associates speak on specific subjects while He Himself gave His
blissful audience.
Thus He relished Sri Ramananda Raya's revelation of the
confidential sweetness of the conjugal love of Sri Sri RadhaKrsna;
Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya's explanation of actual liberation;
Sri Rupa Goswami's intricate analysis of the various levels of
loving exchange with the Lord; and Srila Haridasa Thakura's
glorification of the supreme efficacy and excellence of the Holy
Name.
One day, after bathing in the ocean, Lord Caitanya met
Srila Haridasa Thakura under the Siddha Bakula tree. Greatly
pleased at seeing Srila Haridasa, the Lord inquired from him theÜn
them tightly. His entire body went into rapture, and he offered
humble prayers punctuated by shivering and tears. In a choked
voice Srila Haridasa said, "My Lord, Your wonderful pastimes are
unfathomable, and I am but unfortunate and illiterate. Your
lotus feet are my only resort. What is the use of asking such
questions of a worthless person like me?"
Srila Haridasa continued: "You are Krsna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who has appeared in Navadvipa to save all
living entities. O my Lord Gauranga, kindly shelter me in the
shade of Your lotus feet, for only this will engladden my heart.
Your holy name is unlimited, You are the embodiment of endless
excellences, and Your exquisite beauty draws me into a shoreless
ocean of joy. Your pastimes are everexpanding; You have
manifested Your name, form, qualities and activities in this
material world so even a fallen wretch like myself can relish
them. It is impossible for one with mundane vision to perceive
Your transcendental features with his limited senses, but now You
are mercifully revealing Yourself for the highest benefit of
humanity; this is indeed the direct display of the internal
spiritual potency of the Lord.
"You are the spiritual sun and I am an insignificant spark
of Your effulgence. You are my Lord and master and I am Your
servitor eternally. The ambrosia emanating from Your lotus feet
intoxicates all my senses. My only hope lies in the limitless
nectar of Your holy name. I am fallen what can I say of my own
volition? I am here just to execute Your orders. I shall be
greatly satisfied to speak the words You put into my mouth and I
will not consider whether they are right or wrong."
Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is
beyond anyone's jurisdiction, for He alone is the master
(sarvesvara) of all that exists. He completely independent,
being selfwilled and selffulfilled. His unrestricted desires
are effortlessly satisfied by His inconceivable internal potency
that constantly associates with Him. This potency is a feature
of His inherent nature and is therefore never independent of Him.
[Footnote 1 by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura:] He is known as
the nondual Supreme Consciousness by dint of His free will and
inconceivable potency. Empirical philosophers (jnanis) attempt
to rob this nondual Divinity of His personal will and potency by
postulating Him to be the impersonal Brahman. But in fact the
impersonal Brahman (Krsna's consciousness minus will and potency)
is only the effulgence of the Supreme non-dual Brahman.
Through the eightfold yoga system, yogis can perceive the
nondual Supreme Being within their hearts as the localized
Supersoul or Paramatma who pervades and witnesses all existence.
But different from them. The Vedas declare Lord Krsna to be the
infinite, absolute Vibhu; His energies are His attributes
(vaibhava). His vaibhava energies are the root of all existing
phenomena: yet even in the midst of unlimited phenomena
everexpanding throughout all time, Krsna remains aloof and
indivisible in His original form.
The three kinds of vaibhava
Vibhu is perceivable only by the grace of His vaibhava
energies, of which there are three kinds. They are, as revealed
in the scriptures, the spiritual energy (cid-vaibhava), the
material energy (maya or acid-vaibhava), and the marginal energy
(jiva-vaibhava).
[Footnote 2 by Bhaktivinoda:] Krsna's cid-vaibhava is a
direct transformation of His citsakti, His personal internal
potency. The display of cidvaibhava includes His abode, known
as the Vaikunthaloka; His innumerable names like Govinda, Hari,
etc.; His transcendental forms like the threefold bending form
with two hands playing the flute; His divine qualities, so
sublimely pleasurable to His devotees; His superexcellent
pastimes like the rasa dance in Vrindavana and its corresponding
appearance in Navadvipa as the the congregational chanting of the
holy names. These spiritual opulences are countless.
Another feature of the citsakti is the sandhini potency by
which all things exist and are held together as an interrelated
whole, including the relationships of the jivas to the Lord.
Similarly, the citsakti manifests the samvit potency, which
reveals knowledge of Krsna, His energies, and one's own identity.
The citsakti also generates the hladini potency, which
gives rise to the ecstatic bliss of spiritual relationships,
spiritual emotions and their combination in the sweet exchanges
of rasa or the mellows of divine love. All of these transformations
of the citsakti or Yogamaya (i.e. cidvaibhava and the
sandhini, samvit and hladini saktis) are beyond material place,
time and qualities, being eternally pure and full of bliss. [End
of footnote 2]
The citsakti is never affected by the inferior acitsakti.
Even when it descends to this material world, citsakti remains
untouched by the inebrieties of matter. Forever spiritual,
embodying the absolute nature of the Supreme Godhead, the
spiritual potency is glorified in the Vedic hymns as being equal
to the Lord Himself; thus it is known as Visnupada (intimately
connected with Visnu). There is no tinge of material influence inÜn
birth, which is a manifestation of passion, nor by annihilation,
which occurs in the mode of ignorance.
As the Supreme Lord's separated parts and parcels, the jivas
(the living entities, who are individual spirit souls) are
originally suddha-sattva, but due to their contact with nescience
they have come under the sway of the material modes of passion
and ignorance, and hence are now in the mixed or misra-sattva
category. Even demigods like Siva, though far superior in many
ways to the ordinary jivas, are nevertheless captivated by the
material glare due to false identification, and so fall in this
category of misra-sattva.
The Supreme Lord is always in pure goodness. He descends to
this material world by His inconceivable spiritual potency and is
always the controller of the material nature, maya, who is ever ready
to act as His maidservant. [End of footnote 3]
All the plenary expansions of the Lord such as Govinda,
Vaikunthanatha, MahaVisnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodaksayi
Visnu are in the category of absolute goodness, supreme and
divine, and are known as Visnutattva.
The Visnu-tattva forms may reside in any place, either the
spiritual abodes of Goloka, Vaikuntha, the Causal ocean, or in
this material universe, yet They are always the master of maya
and the supreme controller of every other living entity great or
small. Their remaining unaffected by the influence of the illusory
potency is evidence of their inconceivable spiritual position.
Brahma, Siva and the other demigods are misra-sattva, being
influenced by maya. The Visnutattva forms, Their abobes, Their
pastimes, and all else in the spiritual sky exist in pure
goodness.
Maya-tattva
A river called Viraja separates the material universe from
the spiritual abode. Everything in the fourteen material planetary systems
is acit-vaibhava or the temporary manifestation of
matter. This place has been described in the scriptures as DeviÜn
The material universe, including the physical bodies of the
living entities, is made up of the five gross elements of earth,
water, fire, air and either. Mind, intelligence and false ego are
subtle material elements that comprise the psychic bodies of the
living entities. The psychic bodies arise from desire. Yet the
soul is always purely spiritual and distinct from his subtle body;
he is by nature suddha-sattva, as are his original mind,
intelligence and ego.
The seven higher planetary systems Bhur, Bhuvar,
Svarga, Mahar, Jana, Tapa, and Satya or Brahma and the seven
lower planetary systems such as Atala, Sutala and so on are all
manifestations of maya (the illusory potency). Cid-vaibhava is
the complete whole, and maya is its shadow.
The jivas are originally completely spiritual, infinitesimal
and endowed with a limited degree of independence. The jivas are
countless in number and are in urgent need of spiritual bliss for
the attainment of their perfection. In seeking that
bliss, those who surrender their lives to Lord Krsna are
liberated from birth and death and reside eternally in the Lord's
company as His confidential associates.
On the other hand, the jiva-souls who desire self-importance
and selfish pleasure become attracted by maya, who awaits them on
the other side of the River Viraja. She entices them away from
Lord Krsna's service and lures them into the trap of the Devi dhama,
where they are chained to bodies manufactured by material
nature. Bound by the reactions of their misdeeds, they wander
from birth to birth in gross and subtle forms. Sometimes they
are elevated to the heavenly planets and afterwards go to hell.
In this way they travel through all the eight million four
hundred thousand species of life, suffering the pains of material
existence.
The Lord is the Supreme Personality, and the jiva is
His tiny part and parcel. Krsna is always concerned for the well-being
of His jivaexpansions. In whatever situation thejiva may find himself,
Lord Krsna is always prepared to grant thejiva his heart's desire, like
a well-wisher who never forsakeshis friend.
Krsna's relationship with the jiva is eternal: He uses the
jiva as an instrument through whom and to whom He manifests His
energies and opulences. The Lord is the controller, the jiva the
controlled; the Lord is independent, the jiva dependent; the Lord
is master, the jiva the beneficiary of the results of his service
to the master. Ün
sacrifices such as the fire sacrifice (agnistoma); executing the
eight-fold yoga process; offering havana or oblations; keeping
vows on full-moon days; giving in charity on auspicious days and
other occasions conducive to material benefit.
Although subhakarma is performed with Lord Visnu as the
presiding Deity, the performer lacks spiritual intentions. He
unfortunately takes complete shelter of material considerations
of object, time and place and cannot even intuit his dearth of
Krsna consciousness because such ritualistic considerations
thwart the mood of spiritual selfexamination and inquiry.
The results of subhakarma are material, for they merely
inflame lust for more enjoyment in higher planets. Such sacrifices
and their results can never satisfy the soul, the real
self, because their cause is illusion. These socalled auspicious
activities only avail the jiva temporary heavenly pleasures
diametrically opposed to transcendental bliss.
If a person is fortunate enough to get the association of a
saintly devotee and learns that he, the jiva, is an eternal servant
of Lord Krsna, then he easily surmounts the great obstacleof material nature.
This is very rare, being the result of avast accumulation of piety that can
never be acquired by theperformance of subhakarma, which gives only
insignificant results.
Empirical philosophy (jnanakanda) elevates one to the
brahmajyoti The dry empirical philosophers are more advanced than
the karmis, for they understand the material existence to be a
condition of suffering and so strive for liberation. The Lord is
kind to them also: He has given them the jnana-kanda section of
the Vedas so they can pursue impersonal knowledge of the Absolute.
Their final goal is absorption into the brahmajyoti. The
brahmajyoti is Krsna's blinding spiritual effulgence and is
situated on the bank of the Viraja. All the demons the Supreme
Lord kills also merge into Brahman, just beyond the periphery of
maya. Both the empiricists and fruitive workers are nondevotees,
disinclined to serve Lord Krsna. They can never relish the
sweetness of Lord Krsna's service.
Piety leading to devotional service
Sukriti, or pious activity, is of three varieties: n
karmonmukhi or piety derived from subhakarma, jnanonmukhi or piety
derived from the cultivation of knowledge, and bhakty-unmukhi or
piety derived from devotional activities. The first two lead,
respectively, to enjoyment of the fruits of action and to
liberation. The last leads to an appreciation for saintly
association. Bhaktyunmukhi is achieved by performing devotional
service to the Lord unknowingly, without spiritual knowledge.
Bhakty-unmukhi is the most important kind of sukriti, for it
impels the jiva to meet a pure, saintly devotee. By associating
with a devotee of Krsna, the jiva's faith becomes firm. Gradually
he develops a taste for chanting the holy name, becomes
compassionate towards all beings, and is then firmly fixed in
Krsna consciousness.
Compassionately, the Lord guides the karmi and jnani
to the unknowing performance of devotional service
The Lord is an ocean of magnanimity, and the supreme
controller of everyone. He is always keen to serve the
conditioned souls, including the karmis and jnanis. Thinking of
their welfare, He provides them the opportunity for indirect
devotional service.
The karmi who follows varnasramadharma associates with
saintly persons and executes his duties for the satisfaction of
the Supreme Lord Hari. Such activities cleanse his heart and
gradually destroy the desire for more fruitive work. In its
place the seed of sraddha, or pure faith, is sown within his
heart.
The jnani who sincerely seeks transcendental wisdom humbly
enters the company of pure devotees and invokes their inherent
compassion towards him. By their grace, he easily develops firm
faith in the direct process of pure devotional service. In this
way, by the jnani's indirect devotion to knowledge, he gets the
shelter of the pure devotees.
The Lord says, 'My servant, the jiva, may succumb to the
treachery of My illusory potency, but I keep his best interests
in My heart. By degrees I inspire him to develop an aversion to
sense enjoyment and liberation, and then grant him attraction to
devotional service unto Me. I lead the jiva in his pursuit to
fulfill his material desires by engaging him in the indirect
devotional processes of karma and jnana, and in this way I
strengthen his faith and love for Me.'
Lord Krsna is most compassionate. The indirect devotional
paths are but a hint of His causeless mercy. Without His loving
intervention, how could the jiva ever become purified?
The indirect processes have deteriorated badly in Kaliyuga
The Satya-yuga sages who took up the process of meditation
were personally purified by Krsna and given the treasure of
devotional service. In the Treta-yuga, the same spiritual success
n crowned those who flawlessly performed opulent sacrifices to
satisfy the Lord. In the Dvapara-yuga, He granted devotion to
those who adhered to the path of perfect Deity worship. With the
advent of Kali-yuga, Lord Krsna saw the dreadful condition of the
jivas and relinquished all hope in the processes of karma, jnana
and yoga. People in the Kali-yuga are short-lived, always harassed
by disease, and are born with a weak body and mind. The observance
of varnasramadharma and the cultivation of sankhya philosophy,
yoga, and empiricism will not yield the strength humanity needs to
redeem itself.
[Footnote 4 by Bhaktivinoda] In Kaliyuga, the indirect
devotional paths of jnana and karma are extremely narrow and
hazardous. They are intended to lead one to the shrine of
devotional service through either the association of saintly
persons during philosophical discussions, or by the ritualistic
offering to the Supreme Lord of the results of work performed
without desire. In Kali-yuga both paths have become contaminated. Genuine saintly persons, now rarely seen, have been
displaced by crass, commercial pseudospiritualists. Religious
duties are no longer performed for purifying the consciousness
but for enjoyment of the material results of the rituals.
Therefore these secondary paths are no longer beneficial. Even
the process of Deity worship that gave the highest spiritual
success in Dvaparayuga has become impure and degraded. [End of
footnote 4]
The prime process - chanting the holy name
The Lord, considering the jivas' welfare, descended in
Kali-yuga along with His holy name to propagate the yugadharma
(the religion of the age). By taking up the yugadharma the jiva
attains love of Krsna: he has only to remember the Supreme Lord's
name (namasmarana or japa) and chant the Lord's name
congregationally (namasankirtan).
The holy name is both the means and the end
The only method or means (sadhana) in this age is the holy
name of the Lord. The only goal (sadhya) to be attained in this
age is Krsnaprema. Even in the stage of perfection, the name is
not given up but is chanted all the more, for it is intrinsic to
the activities of prema. Indeed, the name is not different from
the Lord: it is the very embodiment of prema. If the means is
the end, then the end and the means never contradict one another.
If process is identical to the objective, then it is easy for the
jivas to attain the desired goal of life, Krsnaprema. By the
mercy of His holy name, Krsna easily delivers the jivas in the
age of Kali.
[Footnote 5 by Bhaktivinoda] In karma and jnana, the sadhana
and sadhya are in conflict. The only real goal or sadhya of the
Vedas is to attain the mercy of the Lord. As one approaches the
goal via the paths of karma and jnana, they vanish, being
impermanent. But namasadhya already exists in nama sadhana, for
the Lord is forever identical to His holy name. This truth is
known only by great good fortune. [End of footnote 5] Srila
Haridasa, the incarnation of Lord Brahma, fell at the Lord's lotus
feet with tears cascading from his eyes. His body heaving with
sighs, Haridasa declared, "I am extremely fallen and am much
engrossed in material life. Being the rascal I am, I never chanted
Your holy name."
Only those persons who appreciate Lord Hari, His devotees,
and devotional service can take this Harinama Cintamani to heart.
CHAPTER TWO
THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE HOLY NAME
All glories to Sri Gadadhara Pandit and Lord Sri Gauranga;
all glories to Lord Nityananda, the life of Srimati Jahnavadevi;
all glories to Sri Advaita Acarya and Mother Sita; all glories to
Srila Srivasa Pandit and all the devotees of Lord Caitanya.
Srila Haridasa continued to weep in ecstatic love. Lord
Gauracandra encircled him with His arms in a loving embrace and
said, "O Haridasa, a devotee of your caliber is rarely found.
You are wellversed in all spiritual conclusions and you are
always unaffected by maya.
Elevation by pure devotion
"Taking birth in a low family and caste, you have proven to
the world that Krsna is not obtained merely by amassing wealth,
reputation, lineage or refinement. Whoever develops unflinching
faith in unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Lord as you
have done is factually superior to the demigods.
"You are learned in all the truths of the holy name of the
Lord; your spiritual conduct is exemplary; and you are an expert
preacher. Therefore, O Haridasa, kindly reveal to Me something
of the unlimited glories of the holy name. Please allow Me to
savour your words.
Three stages of acceptance of the name
"One who chants the holy name even once is considered a
Vaisnava devotee, and the householders should be very attentive to
respect such a person. But the devotee who constantly chants
Krsna's name is even a better Vaisnava, for he is endowed with all
good qualities. The most advanced Vaisnava of all is he who
inspires others who see him to immediately chant the Lord's name.
When he chants the name even once, attraction to rendering eternal
devotional service to the Supreme Lord is irrevocably established.
Kindly tell Me how the nondevotees can be made to accept the
chanting of the holy name of Krsna."
The spiritual identity of the holy name
Srila Haridasa clasped his hands together. Eyes brimming
with tears and voice choked in spiritual love, he began his reply
in soft, gentle tones.
Lord Krsna's name is cintamani, formed of eternal and
transcendental touchstone. Just as a touchstone yields all
desirable objects, so the touchstone of Krsna's holy name gives
religiosity, wealth, sense pleasure and liberation to a
materialistic person. To a surrendered devotee, it offers pure
love of Krsna.
Lord Krsna and His holy name are not different; They are the
one and same Absolute Truth who is the allpervading yet supremely
independent form of dynamic spirituality (caitanya vigraha), z
fully cognizant and full of bliss, without beginning or end.
Eternally free of material imperfection (nitya mukta), always
situated in pure goodness (suddha sattva), the holy name,
identical (abhinna) with He who is denoted by the name (the nami,
or Krsna), descends to this world as the complete incarnation of
the highest sweetness (rasa).
Krsna's name, form, qualities
and pastimes are full of potency
Any object is known by four characteristic features: name,
form, qualities and activities. Lord Krsna, the Supreme Object,
is knowable in terms of His unlimited and eternal name, form,
qualities and pastimes. The absence of these four features in
anything denies its status as object. For example, Brahman is
impersonal and formless; hence it is not an object unto itself,
but simply a distinctive trait of the Supreme Lord.
Lord Krsna is the nondual Absolute Object who perfectly
manifests Himself through the four features of name, form,
qualities and pastimes. Each one of these features is fully
potent and able to express Him in totality. They exist and are
sustained by the Lord's sandhini potency, and they are eternal
and transcendental. As Lord Krsna attracts all living entities,
similarly the holy name, which is not different from Him, also
attracts everyone.
Krsna's sublime form is as identical to Him as His holy
name. Remembering and chanting Krsna's name immediately invokes
His beautiful form in the mind, and both dance there harmoniously
like inseparable partners.
Krsna's sixtyfour qualities are unlimited and transcendental.
Brahma and Siva are expansions of His qualities, but they only
partially display the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord,
which is infinite, eternal, unending and absolutely spiritual.
Krsna alone has the full sixtyfour qualities of the Supreme
Person; even His full expansions like Lord Narayana and avataras
like Lord Ramacandra are ornamented with only sixty of them.
Demigods up to the level of Siva possess fiftyfive of these
qualities, but only in limited measure. Ordinary jivas have just
fifty, visible in mere fractional degrees, like small drops. Only
Krsna, even amongst all His Visnu expansions, is the master of
four exceptional qualities visible in Him alone.
If the Lord's qualities are compared to waves, then His
pastimes appear in these waves and continuously form, crest and
reshape themselves again and again. Wherever they may be
enacted, either in Goloka, Vaikuntha, or Vraja, they are always
transcendental. Hence, the Lord's name, form, qualities and
pastimes are of the same spiritual substance.
Conditioned consciousness is
opposite to Krsna consciousness
The jiva conditioned by the illusory material nature
experiences a state of consciousness that is a complete reversal
of Krsna consciousness. Because he falsely identifies with his
body, the jiva's name, form, qualities and activities are full of
contradiction. Once he is purified of his material contaminations,
these four features become harmonious and identical with the soul.
But until he is liberated by the Lord's grace, the z jiva will
continue to suffer the pains of his false identification
eternally. Krsna, being beyond material existence, eternally
enjoys His name, form, qualities and activities as one Truth
inseparable from Him. T he holy name is the primary feature
Of the four characteristic features, the Lord's holy name
is the primary one because it awards cognition of the other three.
Therefore chanting the holy name is the foremost religious
activity (dharma) of a Vaisnava. From the holy name gradually
blossoms the Lord's form, qualities and pastimes. The entire
panorama of Lord Krsna's pastimes is present in the holy name.
Lord Caitanya has personally declared Krsna's name to be the
highest Absolute Truth.
There are only two realities in this world, the holy name
and the jiva In the entire material existence there is nothing
comparable to the holy name. The holy name is the most precious
jewel in the Lord's treasurehouse. In this whole universe there
are only two meaningful truths: the jiva and the holy name
everything else is deceptive. By the will of the Lord, the jiva
entered this realm of inert matter and was bewildered by it, as
when in the beginning Brahma thought himself to be all alone. But
when Krsna descended into the world as His holy name, the
spiritual reality of which Brahma and the other jivas are a part
was revealed.
The name is of two kinds - principal and secondary
The holy name can be categorized in two types: principal and
secondary. By taking shelter of Krsna's principal names, the jiva
obtains the real boon of spiritual life. The holy names of the
Lord that describe His transcendental pastimes and which contain
all of the Lord's spiritual excellences are defined as principal
names. They are, for example: Govinda, Gopala, Rama, Sri
Nandanandana, Radhanatha, Hari, Yasomati Pranadhana,
Madana Mohana, Syamasundara, Madhava, Gopinatha, Vrajagopal,
Raksala, Yadava, and so on. Anyone who chants the names of the
Lord that depict His eternal pastimes can attain the Lord's
supreme abode.
The secondary names and their symptoms
The Vedas address the Lord with names that describe His
affiliation with His material energy. These are His secondary
names, e.g. Creator, Supersoul, Brahman, maintainer and
annihilator of the world, Yajneswar, Hara, etc. Such names of the
Lord are invoked by those pursuing fruitive activities and
empirical knowledge. In keeping with the Vedic directions, the
chanting of such names of the Lord will result in piety and
salvation. However, Krsnaprema, the most perfect result of
chanting the holy name of the Lord, is attained only by saintly
souls who invoke Krsna's principal names.
The pure name and namabhasa; different results If the holy
name is chanted just once, though impurely so, or if the sound is
simply heard, then the living entity regardless of his high or low
caste is immediately liberated. This is z the declaration of
scripture. And furthermore, when the holy name is chanted in the
clearing stage (namabhasa the stage when impurities are swept from
the heart of the chanter), then the highest goal is attained after
some delay.
All other auspicious pious results including liberation can be
quite easily achieved in namabhasa, but the attainment of love of
Godhead is suspended for a while until the jiva reaches the summit
of chanting the pure name or suddhanama. One obtains love of Krsna
only after reaching this stage of pure chanting. In namabhasa, sin
and unwanted desires in the heart are eventually dissipated;
thereafter the devotee chants purely. Suddhanama offers the
devotee the highest spiritual success, love of Krsna.
Vyavadhana or 'disruption' causes offense
Chanting should be free from any form of disruption because
this will result in offenses against the holy name, which in turn
pose an insurmountable obstacle on the path to success. Vyavadhan
or 'disruption' is of two kinds. The first type is known as
varna-vyavadhan or disruption in the syllables. For example, in
the Bengali word 'hathikari', 'ha' and the last syllable 'ri' can
be put together to form 'Hari', a name of Krsna. But because the
syllables 'thi-ka' are inserted in the middle, the repetition of
'hathikari' will not give actual benefit. Yet the Islamic word
'haram' is not perverted by such disruption of the syllables or
varna-vyavadhan. The syllables comprising the holy name 'Ram' are
uninterrupted; hence, speaking the word 'haram' gives liberation
because it is namabhasa.
The second type of vyavadhana is called tattva-vyavadhana or
disruption of philosophical conclusions. This offense is much more
serious. Lord Krsna's name and Lord Krsna Himself are
non-different. But someone who is polluted by Mayavadi philosophy
imagines them to be separate. Such an offensive conclusion is
clearly against all Vedic teachings and will totally destroy one's
spiritual life. It is impossible to obtain Krsnaprema from such
chanting.
In summary, one should understand properly that the holy name
is identical to the Lord Himself. The principal names of Krsna
should be chanted as suddhanama, devoid of namabhasa and the
aparadha of vyavadhana. The person who takes these considerations
to heart and chants suddhanama even once is considered a Vaisnava.
He is to be served with faith and devotion.
Overcoming namabhasa and attaining prema
Anyone wanting to attain the highest spiritual success of
chanting purely must approach a bonafide spiritual master and
serve him carefully and sincerely. Gradually, as all the
anarthas or unwanted desires in the heart are destroyed, the
transcendental name of Krsna appears and dances on the tongue
of the devotee. The holy name, now nectarean in taste, cannot
but be relished by the devotee at every moment. Thus spiritually
intoxicated, the devotee always feels like dancing. As the holy
name dances, the devotee likewise dances, and at that moment the
ecstasy of love of Godhead also enters dancing into the devotee's
heart. Then the entire world will dance and maya will flee away.
Only the faithful are eligible to chant - the omnipotent holy name
The Supreme Lord has infused His transcendental name with
all of His potencies and offered it to humanity. One who has
sufficient faith in Lord Krsna's name is eligible to chant, and
only one who chants the name is properly executing the prescribed
duties of the human being. He is called an adhikari or possessor
of the holy name.
The holy name is so potent that chanting does not dependent
on conditions of time, place, rules, cleanliness, and so on.
Pious activities, such as the giving of charity, the performance
of sacrifices, the taking of ablutions, or the recitation of
Vedic mantras are all regulated by stringent rules. But for the
chanting of the holy name, the only prerequisite is faith. One
who takes shelter of the holy name with unflinching faith will
attain all perfection.
Accept things favorable to chanting and reject things unfavourable
The jiva in Kaliyuga must become free from deceit, join
Lord Krsna's family of devotees and continuously chant the holy
name. He should accept everything favorable for devotional
service and at the same time reject unfavorable things. He
should seek out the association of devotees and utilize his life
in service to the Lord's holy name and the Vaisnavas. He should
forgo all other religious practices and pious activities and
never worship any other devata. Nor should he think anything to
be independent from Krsna. One who always chants the holy name
and serves the devotees will surely obtain Krsnaprema.
Srila Haridasa Thakura again placed his head on the Lord's
lotus feet. Weeping, he begged the Lord that he might develop
attachment for the holy name.
One who is blessed with love and devotion and who takes
pleasure in serving Srila Haridasa Thakura's lotus feet will find
the touchstone of the holy name to be as precious as life itself.
CHAPTER THREE
THE UNCLARIFIED NAME (NAMABHASA)
All glories to Sri Gadadhara Pandit and Lord Sri Gauranga;
all glories to Lord Nityananda, the life of Srimati Jahnavadevi;
all glories to Sri Advaita Acarya and Mother Sita; all glories to
Srila Srivasa Pandit and all the devotees of Lord Caitanya.
Extending His lotuslike hands, the merciful Lord Caitanya
lifted up Srila Haridasa and said, "My dear Haridasa, please take
hold of yourself and inform Me about namabhasa. The holy name is
so potent and endowed with such transcendental qualities that
anyone can easily achieve liberation simply by chanting. Once
namabhasa is understood, one can strive to chant purely the holy
name of Krsna.
Ajnana is like mist, and anartha is like clouds
"The holy name is an allpowerful, brilliant sun that
disperses the darkness of maya or nescience. Clouds and mist may
sometimes blanket one's vision; the sun is then not visible.
Similarly, the jivas are covered over by the mist of ajnana
(ignorance) and the clouds of anartha (material tendencies).
"Lord Krsna and His holy name are identical. They are an
omnipotent spiritual sun that destroys the darkness of nescience.
To stream mercy upon the conditioned souls the sun of the holy
name has arisen on the horizon of this material world. The mist of
ignorance and the clouds of anartha spread a blanket over the
jiva's vision so that he is unable to see the sunlike holy name.
The sun is too big for any cloud or mist to cover, but if the
jiva's vision is obscured, then the sun is hidden from him.
Ignorance covers knowledge of the holy name, the Lord's
position, and selfidentity "Even after accepting the holy name, if
one does not understand the name's identity and transcendental
nature, a mist of ignorance is created that plunges the jiva into
darkness. One who is ignorant about Lord Krsna's position becomes
confused and begins to worship the demigods. Thus he is entangled
in the cycle of fruitive action or karma. That person who has not
realized the jiva's transcendental nature suffers from svarupa
bhrama (confusion of identity), and is in material consciousness,
deluded and always in ignorance."
Srila Haridasa Thakura exclaimed in exhilaration, "Today I am
most fortunate, for from my mouth the Supreme Lord Himself,
Caitanya Mahaprabhu, wants to hear about the holy name!" He then
began by elaborating further on the subject of ignorance.
One who is in ignorance does not know that Lord Krsna is
supreme over all. His eternal servitors are the demigods and all
other jivas. He does not know that the jiva's nature is
transcendental, and that the material world is an appearance of
maya, the Lord's illusory energy. Anyone who understands these
truths and their relationships is freed from the darkness of
ignorance and can pass beyond the veil of namabhasa.
The cloud of anartha is comprised of hankering for illusory
things, weakness of heart, and offenses
Hankering for things temporary and unreal, weakness of the
heart and mind, and offenses are clouds of anarthas that
keep the jivas in constant suffering.
Asat-trsna ('thirsting for the illusory') indicates desires
for things not related to Lord Krsna. These desires are: the
craving for socalled material gains in this world or in heaven,
the craving for mystic powers, and the craving for impersonal
liberation.
Hridaya-daurbalyam refers to propensities of the heart and
mind (viz. material attachment, deceit, enviousness of another's
advancement, and desire for name, fame and glory) that arise from
a condition of spiritual weakness.
Aparadha means offenses; these may be offenses to the holy
name (namparadha), to Krsna's service (sevparadha), to
Krsna's devotees (vaisnavparadha), or to other living entities
(jivparadha).
These clouds hide the sun of the holy name. If one chants
the holy name while maintaining these anarthas, the chanting can
at best be only the unclarified name (namabhasa). The holy name
is always perfect in itself, but namabhasa obfuscates the jiva's
vision of it.
Namabhasa is counteracted by sambandhatattva
As long as the jiva is not firmly established in the knowledge
of sambandha-tattva or the correct understanding of the
relationship between God, His energies, and the jiva, he will
continue to chant in the namabhasa stage. When the serious chanter
takes full shelter of a bonafide spiritual master, he learns how
to expertly perform devotional service and thus disperse the mist
and clouds in his heart. Once the cloud and mist are removed, the
sun of the holy name shines brilliantly once more and bestows the
devotee with love of Godhead.
Sambandha as relationship, abhideya as indication,
prayojana as necessity
The bonafide spiritual master gives the disciple
sambandha-jnana. The chanting of the holy name is the indication
(abhideya) of this eternal relationship (sambandha). The spiritual
master enthuses the disciple to take up abhideya or chanting. The
sun of the holy name then shines stronger and evaporates the mist
and clouds. Chanting at this stage becomes an indispensable need
(prayojana). Prayojana leads the devotee to pure love of Godhead,
at which point he experiences ecstasy in every moment of chanting.
The spiritual master must exactingly explain sambandha-jnana
to the disciple, who in turn must receive it with proper faith.
The quintessence of this knowledge is that Lord Krsna is eternally
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the jiva is His eternal
servitor, and the jiva's loving relationship with Krsna is
likewise eternal as an inherent trait of his nature.
In contact with material nature, the jiva forgets his
eternal relationship with the Lord and loiters aimlessly in this
world of illusion searching for bliss. The material world is a
veritable prison house where the jiva is penalized for turning
his back on Krsna. It consists of the fourteen planetary systems
which together are known as the Devidhama. These planetary
systems are the cells within the prison where the recalcitrant
jivas are confined. Devidhama is not a place for experiencing
happiness and bliss. The material socalled pleasures offered to
the jivas here are only temporary, and as such are the cause of
further suffering. As is the plan of any penal system, the jivas
are gradually reformed through this punitive arrangement.
By the mercy of a Vaisnava devotee of the Lord, an imprisoned
jiva may accept the holy name and the attendant sambandha-jnana
and finally ascend to pure love of Godhead. Such a fortunate soul
will consider even sayujya-mukti or impersonal liberation to be
reprehensible. But until he is solidly grounded on the
sambandha-jnana understanding, his chanting will be polluted by
anarthas. This is namabhasa. In this stage, the jiva cannot chant
the pure name of Krsna.
The result of namabhasa chanting
However, the value of the namabhasa stage of chanting is not
to be underestimated, for it avails many positive benefits to the
jiva and increases his piety. Verily, namabhasa prooves to be
one of the jiva's greatest benefits. It offers him more good
fortune than all religiosity, vows, yoga, or sacrifices can offer
together.
In namabhasa, all sins are absolved, liberating the jiva from
the effects of Kaliyuga. The namabhasa chanter becomes a
wellwishing servitor of the fallen souls because he frees others
as well as himself from the disease of material consciousness.
Fear and distress are subdued, allowing the chanter to enjoy
security and equanimity. The miseries inflicted by demons, ghosts,
hobgoblins, evil spirits and malefic planetary influences are
easily averted. Even if the chanter is destined for the
hellish planets he will attain liberation, because prarabdha karma
(sinful reactions of previous lives' activities that are taking
effect now) is countered.
Namabhasa is greater than the result of studying all the
Vedas, of visiting every pilgrimage place, or of performing every
possible altruistic and pious work. The four goals offered in
Vedas - religiosity, wealth, sense enjoyment and liberation are
made freely available by namabhasa chanting. It is endowed with
unimaginable power to reclaim any living entity. It bestows
unlimited joy and elevates even the derelicts to a very exalted
stage of realization. Namabhasa offers eternal residence in the
spiritual abode of Vaikuntha, especially in Kaliyuga. This is the
declaration of scripture.
Namabhasa has four attitudes: sanketa, parihasa, stobha and hela
The four attitudes in namabhasa chanting are sanketa
(unintentionally or coincidentally), parihasa (in jest or
ridicule), stobha (derisively) and hela (with disregard and
neglect).
Sanketa is of two kinds: 1) when one, though intending to
chant Lord Visnu's name, has a material conception of it, and 2)
when one has something entirely different than the Lord or His
name on his mind, but chants the holy name being somehow or other
reminded of that transcendental sound. The yavanas eat cows, yet
in spite of this they can attain liberation by uttering 'haram',
an ordinary word of their language (Urdu). Because sanketa is
the least offensive attitude of namabhasa, the power of the holy
name is largely undiminished when chanted in that way.
Chanting in jest - parihasa, like Jarasandha results in
liberation, as does chanting derisively (stobha, like Sisupal).
Even chanting inattentively and with disregard (hela) results in
deliverance from the pangs of material existence. Namabhasa
chanting can purify anyone. People of low upbringing like
mlecchas, gross materialists, and lazy persons can all avail of
this opportunity to obtain liberation.
The difference between sraddhanamabhasa and namabhasa
Faithful chanting that is yet afflicted by anarthas is known
as sraddhanamabhasa. The element of sraddha (faith) is absent
in the four attitudes of namabhasa chanting; even sanketa
chanting is tinged with neglect. Nontheless, the lowest attitude
of namabhasa (hela) gives one liberation, what to speak of
faithful chanting. Chanting with faith establishes one on the
platform of sambandha-jnana, which results in rati or attraction
for the holy name. Sraddhanama actually clears away anarthas
very easily and quickly.
Anarthafree namabhasa chanting becomes suddhanama,
which gives Krsnaprema n
Short of Krsnaprema, every other success is available in
namabhasa. When anarthas are nullified, then namabhasa is
converted to nama or suddhanama, the pure name. By pure
chanting and by following the rules of sadhana as instructed by
guru, sadhu and sastra, one slowly but surely acquires Krsna
prema - love of Godhead. But namabhasa chanting can never give
Krsnaprema.
That soul is indeed fortunate who has freed himself from
committing namparadha in the namabhasa stage. The offenseless
stage of namabhasa is far superior to karma and jnana, for it
nurtures the seed of faith that sprouts rati or attraction. This
attraction leads the chanter to suddhanama and finally to prema.
[Footnote 1 by Bhaktivinoda] The scriptures are filled with
words like 'namabhasa', 'Vaisnavabhasa', 'sraddhabhasa', 'rati-
abhasa', 'premabhasa', 'mukti-abhasa', etc. The suffix 'abhasa'
has a special meaning that is applicable in many ways.
Abhasa (faint or indistinct image) is of two sorts: svarupa
abhasa and pratibimba-abhasa. Svarupbhasa is the partial
infiltration of the full brilliance. For example, on a cloudy day
the light of the sun is only partially visible because the full
brilliance of the sun is shaded by the clouds. Namabhasa caused by
the cloudlike coverings of ignorance is called chayanamabhasa or
'the faint shadowy name.' The way to the shadowy name is opened by
chayasraddhabhasa or the faint shadow of sraddha (faith).
Pratibimba-abhasa means the reflection of a distorted image
of the real object, as sunlight is distorted when reflected off
the surface of water. Such a distorted, broken reflection can
never result in a complete perception of the original source of
light.
When the rays of the holy name reflect off the heart of a
Mayavadi, pratibimbanamabhasa appears, bequeathing sayujya mukti
upon the Mayavadis who chant it. Such chanting, however, will fail
to generate the quintessence of chanting - Krsnaprema. Indeed,
this type of namabhasa is a major namaparadha; therefore it cannot
really be counted as a namabhasa at all.
Chayanamabhasa or svarupanamabhasa is the real namabhasa,
and is subdivided into four categories of attitude, as previously
mentioned. The scriptures, while praising namabhasa, profusely
condemn pratibimba namabhasa. Chayanamabhasa is the result of
chanting the holy name with anarthas born of ignorance. But the
chanting of the holy name with anarthas nurtured by wicked and
distorted philosophy produces pratibimbanamabhasa, and this is a
major obstacle to devotional service and a grave offense.
A Vaisnavbhasa person, though not honored as a genuine
Vaisnava, should still be given the respect due a neophyte devotee
as long as he is not contaminated by the Mayavadi philosophy. Such
a person can easily become elevated by contact with saintly
personalities. The elevated Vaisnavas consider such neophytes to
be innocent and so shower mercy on them. They must not be ignored
and avoided like the agnostic Mayavadis. The pure devotees will
resuscitate the small spark of devotion in the neophytes,
encourage their propensity to worship the Deity and progressively
give them sambandha-jnana and establish them in devotional service
of the Supreme Lord and His devotees. But if a neophyte exhibits a
strong inclination to incorrigible Mayavadi attitudes, then he
must be avoided. [End of footnote 1]
When such a person sees pure firm faith in others, he is
impressed, and dim faith is invoked in him by good association.
Desiring elevation, he may chant constantly, but because he
nurtures strong attachments to sense pleasure and liberation, his
sraddha is not real it merely appears to be sraddha. This is
defined in the scriptures as pratibimba-sraddha-abhasa. Hence,
pratibimba-sraddha-abhasa results in pratibimba-namabhasa. If this
sort of namabhasa becomes further aberrated by Mayavadi
philosophy, the chanter thinks that the perfect and transcendental
name of the Lord is mundane and imperfect, and requires to be
perfected by impersonal knowledge. This offense obliterates
whatever little bit of genuine sraddha he may have had.
The difference between chaya and pratibimba namabhasa
Chaya-namabhasa is symptomatic of ignorance and weakness of
the heart. Many anarthas may plague the devotee in this condition,
but all these faults are rectified by continuous chanting of the
Lord's holy name. But pratibimba-namabhasa chanting increases
one's offenses.
According to the Mayavadis, Lord Krsna's name, form,
qualities and pastimes are all illusory, false, temporary and
contaminated. They mistake prema or pure love of Godhead for
sentimentalism. Mayavadi philosophy characteristically contradicts
the devotional path of bhakti at every turn. Therefore, Mayavadis
are the greatest offenders.
The Mayavadi's chanting is not real chanting. The syllables
of the Lord's name may emanate from his mouth, but the vibration
is bereft of the potency of the Lord. His chanting is filled
with yearnings for sense pleasure and liberation, and all the
while he thinks the Lord's name is material. Because he tries to
cheat, his chanting results in unrelenting misery.
How does the Mayavadi redeem himself?
If by some good fortune the Mayavadi relinquishes the desire
for sense gratification and liberation and, thinking himself a
servant of Krsna, begins to chant, he becomes exonerated from his
offenses and philosophical aberrations. He then takes shelter of
the holy name and repents. This opens the way to again hear from
and associate with the pure devotees. Thus his chanting leads him
to comprehend sambandha-jnana. If he chants while continuously
shedding tears of contrition, he can invoke the mercy of the holy
name. n The Mayavadi's offense is he sees bhakti as material
The Mayavadi considers both the transcendental form of Lord Krsna
and the jiva's constitutional position as the Lord's eternal
servitor to be transient and imaginary. This Mayavadi philosophy
is a grievous namaparadha. Namabhasa is truly a wish fulfilling
tree, for it even offers to the Mayavadis the sayujya liberation
so desired by them. Because the name is omnipotent, it offers
mukti-abhasa or seeming liberation in the pratibimbanamabhasa
stage. Amongst the five types of liberation, sayujya (becoming one
with God) is considered abhasa, or merely the hint of liberation.
Material suffering is indeed terminated in sayujya, but certain
spiritual doom follows.
The Mayavadis, captivated by maya, find sayujya pleasurable;
but it is only a mere hint of actual happiness. They forever
forfeit transcendental existence, knowledge, happiness and
devotional service, because sayujyamukti obfuscates remembrance of
Krsna. Where is the question of eternal bliss when the eternality
of bhakti and prema is doubted?
If the chaya-namabhasa chanter refrains from Mayavadi contamination,
he gradually attains suddhanama
If the chaya-namabhasa chanter is not contaminated by
atheistic concepts, then he has a good chance. He is ignorant
about the potency of the holy name, but it is the inherent nature
of the name to impregnate that knowledge into the chanter. For
example, the sun may not be visible when the sky is cloudy, but
once the clouds are dispersed, the sun shines through in full
glory. The disperal of the clouds of anartha and ignorace is
greatly assisted by the powerful influence of a bonafide spiritual
master, and in a short time the chanter is able to attain the pure
name and Krsnaprema.
A devotee must not associate with Mayavadis Concluding his
explanation of namabhasa, Haridasa said, "The devotee must
diligently avoid the association of Mayavadis and serve Vaisnavas
who are attached to the pure holy name. O Lord Caitanya, this is
Your injunction and whoever follows it is very fortunate. Those
who disregard and disobey this instruction are wretches who will
suffer for a hundred million births. My Lord, please rescue me
from bad association and keep me at Your lotus feet, for I can see
no other alternative to your lotus feet."
One who takes shelter at the feet of Srila Haridasa Thakura
will incessantly chant the holy name and find real satisfaction
in life.
CHAPTER FOUR
TEN OFFENSES AGAINST THE HOLY NAME (NAMAPARADHA);
BLASPHEMY OF THE DEVOTEES (SADHU-NINDA)
IS THE FIRST OFFENSE
[Introductory note by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura: "Namabhasa was
described in the previous chapter; the next ten chapters deal
with the ten offenses to the holy name, and Chapter Fourteen
explains offenses to the Deity (sevaparadha). The nama and seva
aparadhas initially arise from anarthas that cause namabhasa. If
these aparadhas are not corrected and become intentional, they
not only impede one's spiritual progress, but remove one from
devotional service entirely, placing him in hell. The first of
these offenses is the subject of this chapter. Criticism or
harmful intent to a qualified sadhu is a serious offense to the
holy name. How can the Lord tolerate criticism of those who
spread the glories of His name?"]
All glories to Lord Sri Gauranga, the life of Sri Gadadhara
Pandit; all glories to Lord Nityananda, the heart of Srimati
Jahnavadevi; all glories to Sri Advaita Acarya, the Lord of
Mother Sita; all glories to Srila Srivasa Pandit and all the
devotees of Lord Caitanya.
Lord Caitanya said, "Haridasa, now describe in detail the
offenses against the holy name." Srila Haridasa replied, "My
Lord, whatever I say will be on Your prompting alone. I am a
mere puppet.
The ten offenses against the holy name
"The scriptures enumerate ten offenses against the holy
name. I am very fearful of these offenses. I will list them one
by one. As I do, please give me the strength to avoid them, my
Lord."
1) Blasphemy of the devotees of the Lord.
2) To consider demigods to be independent of the Supreme
Lord, and to similarly think Lord Krsna's name, form,
qualities and pastimes are separate from Him.
3) To disobey the spiritual master who reveals the truth
about the holy name.
4) To criticize the scriptures that describe the
glories of the holy name.
5) To think the excellences and divine qualities of the holy
name are imaginary, and to so interpret the scriptural
glorification of the holy name.
6) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name.
7) To instruct the faithless on the glories of the holy
name.
8) To equate chanting of the holy name with auspicious
ritualistic activities recommended in the karmakanda
sections of the Vedas.
9) To be inattentive while chanting the holy name.
10) To not develop love for the holy name after learning the
the name's glories because of maintaining attachments to
the body and things related to the body.
To blaspheme devotees is the first offense To blaspheme a
devotee of the Lord is the first offense against the holy name,
and it completely disrupts one's spiritual life. The good
qualities of a devotee have been personally described by Lord
Krsna in His instructions to Uddhava, as recorded in the Eleventh
Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.
The devotee is merciful; is tolerant; is equal to all; does
penance without injuring the body; is truthful; is pure-hearted;
is compassionate; is free from lust in his intelligence; is
master of the senses; makes no claims of ownership; is gentle; is
clean; is regulated in eating; is peaceful; is apathetic to
materialism; is patient; is steady; takes Lord Krsna as his only
shelter; is free from illusion; is grave; has conquered over
hunger, thirst, lamentation, envy, old age and death; does not
expect honor from others; offers respect to others; is expert; is
not a cheater; is knowledgeable.
Qualities are of two kinds - svarupa and tathasta
These qualities can be divided into two categories: svarupa,
or the direct and indigenous quality of any substance, and
tathasta, qualities that are ornamental and visible when the
substance comes in contact with something else. The devotee's
acceptance of Lord Krsna as his only shelter (Krsna eka sarana)
is his svarupa-laksana, and all the other qualities are tathasta.
If by some good fortune one associates with a Vaisnava, he
may develop a taste for the holy name and takes complete shelter
at Krsna's lotus feet. Thus he develops the svarupa-laksana, and
then through continued chanting he will gradually develop all the
other laksanas or symptoms. The other symptoms are tathasta but
nevertheless are essentially present in a Vaisnava.
Saintliness depends not on external designations
but on svarupa-laksana
External designations such as the four social and religious
orders of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra and bramacari,
grihastha, vanaprastha, sannyasi are not the symptoms of a
devotee. The scriptures say the quality of complete surrender to
Lord Krsna is the hallmark of a devotee, and he alone can chant
Krsna's name purely. Through Raghunatha das Goswami's example, Sri
Caitanya taught everyone how the proper grihastha Vaisnava should
behave. Srila Raghunatha das Goswami appeared not in the brahmana
caste but in the inferior kayastha caste of the village of
Saptagrama. The Lord instructed him not to be impatient and
impulsive, but to return to his household life and remain there.
One is purified in degrees by following this orderly process.
There is no need to prematurely pretend that one is detached and
renounced just to impress people. Renunciation has to take place
within the heart. Wearing the dress of a renunciate when the
senses are still uncontrolled is called monkey renunciation or
markatavairagya.
The householder should regularly fulfill his duties.
Detatchment from matter will naturally arise within his heart as
he internally cultivates firm faith in Krsna while conducting
normal external social dealings among the people in general.
Very quickly Lord Krsna will personally liberate him.
The symptoms of a renounced sadhu
When Srila Raghunatha das Goswami at last left his household
and embraced a sannyasi's life, the Lord personally instructed
him about the proper path of renunciation. The sannyasi should
not engage in nor give audience to frivolous materialistic
conversations. The wearing of fine clothes and the tasting of
delicacies must be rejected. Being always ready to offer respect
to others, demanding no respect for oneself, the sannyasi should
constantly chant the holy name. He should render intimate
service to Sri Radha and Krsna in the mood of the residents of
Vraja.
The svarupa-laksana of both the householder - and sannyasi is the same
The svarupa-laksana or principal symptom (i.e. surrender to
Lord Krsna) must prevail in a devotee regardless of his varna or
asrama. The tathasta-laksana or marginal symptoms will naturally
vary according to the varnas and asramas, while undeviating
surrender to Lord Krsna remains as the fixed symptom of devotional
service in all cases.
Once he has this symptom, gradually but unfailingly the
marginal symptoms appear in the devotee's character. Even if the
marginal symptoms haven't reached full maturity in a surrendered
devotee, and instead some serious discrepancies are visible in
his character, he is still to be respected as a sadhu or saintly
soul. This is the verdict of the scriptures as expressed in Lord
Krsna's own words in the Bhagavad Gita, and it must be given full
respect.
It is offensive to criticize a devotee on the basis of his
past sins When one has developed a real taste for chanting, then a
single utterance of the holy name can eradicate all previous sins.
Some vestiges of sinful reaction may still remain in a particular
individual, but these will steadily be removed by the process of
chanting. As these last traces of sin disappear, he emerges a pure
devotee. Of course, the lingering traces of sin are seen by
ordinary people as actual sin; if a devotee is criticized because
of the traces of almostextirpated sin in his character, that is a
grievous offense. If criticism is made against a devotee for sins
committed prior to his surrendering to Krsna, that is likewise
another serious offense. Such a faultfinder surely invites the
wrath of Lord Krsna.
A few words on the principal symptom of a devotee
One who has fully surrendered to Lord Krsna will naturally
only chant Lord Krsna's name. By the grace of the Lord, such a
person is entitled to be called a sadhu. Only a devotee of Lord
Krsna is eligible to be respected as a sadhu, and none other.
One who proclaims himself a sadhu is but a charlatan and a
braggart; one who humbly says he is a poor soul surrendered to
Lord Krsna and who constantly chants Krsna's name is a real
sadhu. He, considering himself lower than a blade of grass and
more tolerant than a tree, offers all respects to others without
expecting any for himself. The holy name of Krsna grants such a
sadhu pure love of Godhead.
A Vaisnava firmly fixed in the holy name
is the real sadhu; criticizing him is nama-aparadha
Hearing such a sadhu chant the holy name, one should offer him
all respects, knowing him to be a perfect Vaisnava. A Vaisnava is
the spiritual master of the world, a true friend of every being,
and is always an ocean of compassion. Anyone who criticizes such a
Vaisnava goes directly to hell and suffers untold pains birth
after birth. The doors of bhakti are closed to such an offender
because devotional service is the merciful gift of a Vaisnava to
the living entities. The Vaisnava is an abode of Lord Krsna's
spiritual potencies; others receive Krsna bhakti only by his
confidential association.
This pure bhakti potency is distributed by a perfected pure
devotee to the aspirant devotee, and that devotee, becoming
perfect, distributes it to another aspirant. Thus the bhakti
potency expands. The three great touchstones of bhakti
sakti are the mercy of the pure devotee in the form of his
eatable remnants, the water from his foot bath, and the dust
from his lotus feet.
How a Vaisnava imbues his potency in others:
By remaining in the presence of a Vaisnava for some time,
one absorbs the bhakti energy flowing from the body of that
saintly person. If one is sufficiently faithful, he can bind
that energy within his own heart and experience immediate
ecstasy. By just a moment's association with a Vaisnava, bhakti
is invoked in the heart of a pious person, who will immediately
be inspired to chant Lord Krsna's name; gradually, the holy name
will award him all good qualities.
[Footnote 1 by Bhaktivinoda] The potency or sakti of pure
devotion is a blend of hladini (Krsna's pleasuregiving potency)
and samvit (Krsna's knowledgegiving potency). Bhakti reposes in
the heart of the transcendentalist and uses him as a vehicle for
further movement. When a jiva becomes free from envy and is
inclined to devotional service, the bhakti potency is then
transferred from the pure devotee's heart into that jiva's heart,
where it takes shelter of his soul and acheives perfection there.
This is a great mystery. [End of footnote 1]
There are four kinds of blasphemy of a devotee
The offender criticizes a Vaisnava about his caste, or some
unpremeditated accidental fall-down, or the last traces of his
previous sins, or his sinful activities prior to his surrendering
to Lord Krsna. Such an offender will never develop a taste for
chanting the holy name.
One who has taken complete shelter of the pure devotional
process is considered a pure Vaisnava. The four abovementioned
faults may be present in him, but he is totally free from all
other shortcomings. Hence, criticizing him spells doom for the
offender. The glories of the holy name are propagated by the
Vaisnava, and Lord Krsna does not tolerate any criticism against
him. One may discard all other activities like religiosity,
yoga, sacrifices, fruitive activities, empirical knowledge and so
on; if one simply chants the holy name, that is the quintessence
of spiritual culture.
The sadhu takes complete shelter of the holy name
Never criticizing demigods or other scriptures, the Vaisnava
simply chants the holy name. Regardless of whether such a sadhu
is a householder or a sannyasi, one should eagerly take the dust
from his lotus feet. The purity of a Vaisnava is judged by how
much attraction or rati he has for the name. His purity has
nothing whatsoever to do with his official status as a Vaisnava,
or his wealth, erudition, youth, pleasing appearance, strength or
following.
One who aspires to take shelter of the holy name must shun
the propensity to criticize devotees. Pure devotion in the
chanting of the holy name depends on association with the pure
devotee and his pure devotion. Without this assocation, everything
becomes perverted and spoilt. Bhakti immediately recedes at
the first indication of sadhuninda, which immediately becomes
nama-aparadha. Let the aspirant devotee reject sadhuninda and
associate with and serve the pure devotees.
There are two types of bad association,
the first being association with women
The proper Vaisnava behavior is to avoid asatsanga or bad
company that influences a person to disrespect a sadhu. Bad
association is of two kinds. The first is association with a
woman, which means either to have illicit connection with a woman
other than one's wife, or to be excessively fond of one's own
wife. The scriptures permit a husband only a properly regulated
relationship with his spouse. Keeping company with a licentious
or henpecked man also falls within this first category of asat sanga
or bad association.
Non-devotees are of three kinds
The second type of bad association is to mix with nondevotees. There are
three kinds of non-devotees: the Mayavadi,
the dharmadhvaji (pretender), and the nirisvara (atheist).
Mayavadis never accept the Supreme Lord's form as being eternal.
They say the Deity form of the Lord is material, and that the
jiva is also a product of maya. A dharmadhvaji is a person who
has no devotion or attachment in the heart but makes a show of it
externally. He wears the clothes of a devotee to accomplish
materialistic ends. A nirisvara is a nonbeliever who rejects God
outright. A serious aspirant or sadhaka must shun such bad
association. If anyone argues that avoiding such nondevotees is
sadhuninda, their company must also be shunned. One has to keep
away from such bad association and take complete shelter of the
holy name. Only then is love of Godhead ensured.
There are three kinds of devotees;
the lowest is the kanistha devotee
The neophyte devotee (kanistha Vaisnava) displays a faith
that is formal and worldly. He worships the Deity but has no
service attitude towards the devotees of the Lord. He is almost
a Vaisnava (Vaisnavapraya), but is not a real Vaisnava yet;
hence, he is not able to take full advantage of sadhusanga.
Such a neophyte will have to receive the blessings of a pure
devotee to advance further.
The madhyama devotee
The madhyama devotee knows well the importance of the Lord's
devotees, and remains always in their association. He is
convinced of Krsna's position as the Lord, the jivas as His
eternal servants, the means of advancement as bhakti and the goal
as prema. He is compassionate to the innocent and avoids the
company of atheists.
The madhyama stage of devotee marks the beginning of pure
Vaisnavism because at this stage one become eligible to chant the
pure name. The madhyama devotee knows well the different effects
of different types of association. He distinguishes between the
Vaisnavas and the non-Vaisnavas, for he is especially required to
serve the advanced devotees and avoid asatsanga and sadhu nindha.
Indeed, this is his necessity. If he neglects to differentiate
between the grades of devotees and between Vaisnavas and
nonVaisnavas, then he stands to commit Vaisnava aparadha.
The uttama devotee
A pure devotee of the highest order sees Lord Krsna manifest
everywhere and knows that everything rests in Him. He sees Krsna
is his very life and soul. He is unconcerned with distinctions
of who is a Vaisnava and who is not thus for him there is no
regulation to serve a Vaisnava. His whole life revolves around
the holy name, which he considers to be the essence of everything.
The scriptures declare that a kanistha devotee, being
ignorant of the proper attitudes towards Krsna, the devotees and
the holy name, is only capable of namabhasa chanting. A madhyama
devotee is worthy of chanting the pure name: therefore he must
always carefully avoid offenses to other devotees, so that his
chanting will be pure. The uttama Vaisnava can never commit any
offense, because he perceives Lord Krsna everywhere.
Every sadhaka should consider these points calmly and
reflect upon his real position. First, he must stop sadhuninda.
Then he should chant with firm faith, according to his status as
a Vaisnava. He should aspire to become fixed on the madhyama
platform through association with equal devotees, service to
superior devotees, avoidance of nondevotees, compassion for all
living entities and constant chanting of the holy name.
The remedy for sadhuninda
If anyone offends a devotee in a moment of delusion or
madness, he must fall at the devotee's feet and repent bitterly
and, weeping and full of contrition, beg forgiveness. He should
declare himself a fallen wretch, in need of that devotee's grace.
A devotee is very merciful; his heart will soften and he will
embrace the offender, thus exonerating him from his offenses.
Concluded Thakura Haridasa, "I offer this explanation of the
first of ten nama-aparadhas at Your lotus feet."
One who is like a bumble-bee lingering the lotus feet of
Srila Haridasa Thakura will find his life and soul in this
Harinama Cintamani.
CHAPTER FIVE
WORSHIPING THE DEMIGODS INDEPENDENTLY OF KRSNA
IS THE SECOND OFFENSE
All glories to Lord Sri Gauranga, the life of Sri Gadadhara
Pandit; all glories to Lord Nityananda, the heart of Srimati
Jahnavadevi; all glories to Sri Advaita Acarya, the Lord of
Mother Sita; all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya.
Srila Haridasa Thakura continued speaking with folded hands:
"O Lord of the Universe, now I pray that You may listen to my
explanation of the second offense against the holy name."
Visnutattva, or the principle of the Supreme Godhead Visnu
Lord Visnu is the supreme nondual Absolute Truth. Though He is
the ultimate lord of material creation, His own form is
transcendental, being always situated in pure goodness. Lord Krsna
in Goloka is the original and supreme form of Visnu. Krsna is
embellished with sixty-four extraordinary excellences, and He is
the shelter of all transcendental mellows. Lord Narayana possesses
sixty of those excellences, and to a lesser degree of fullness
than Him, so do Lord Visnu and the purusvataras.
[Footnote 1 by Bhaktivinoda] Lord Narayana, the Lord of
Vaikuntha, is Lord Krsna's vilasavigraha or partial expansion. In
Vaikuntha, the Sankarsana form of Narayana expands as Maha Visnu,
Who lies in the Causal Ocean. This is the first purusa expansion;
the next is Garbodakasayi Visnu, the source of Brahma. He enters
every universe as the purusvatar. He further expands as
Ksirodakasayi Visnu, the Supersoul within every living entity.
The three purusa expansions are known as Lord Visnu.
Ksirodakasayi Visnu is the source of the incarnations like Matsya,
Kurma, etc. All these incarnations are different forms of the same
Visnu principle and are ornamented with sixty transcendental
characteristics. The saktyavesvataras are jiva-tattva; in them
the potency of the Lord has descended. They are Lord's separated
expansions or vibhinnamsa and are exemplified as Parasurama,
Buddha, Prithu, and so on. [End of footnote 1]
The Supreme Lord's separated parts or vibhinnamsa are of two
categories. The ordinary jivas possess only fifty of the Lord's
transcendental characteristics, and these in lesser degree. But
in the second category of jivas, including the demigods, the same
fifty characteristics are found in full potency. Additionally,
five more qualities are partially evident in Siva. These five
qualities are exhibited in full potency only by the Visnu
category.
Thus the Visnu forms are adorned to the fullest degree with
the fiftyfive qualities of the demigods. They furthermore display
an extra five qualities for a total of sixty, which are visible to
a degree of absolute fullness in Lord Narayana alone. Siva and the
other demigods are the Supreme Lord's servitors. Though the
demigods are superior jivas, the Supreme Lord Visnu is the master
and controller of the jivas and demigods alike.
- Out of sheer ignorance,
people equate the Supreme Lord with the demigods
People who are ignorant of the Visnutattva principle try to
equate the Supreme Lord with the demigods, but Siva and the other
demigods are simply the order carriers of the Supreme Lord Visnu.
Mayavadis say that Brahman is really impersonal and formless,
and that the worshipable forms of God (i.e. the three
predominating deities of the modes of goodness, passion and
ignorance) are material. But the scriptures unequivocally declare
that Brahma only creates the material world and Siva only destroys
it, while Lord Narayana or Lord Visnu maintains everything
eternally, including Brahma and Siva and their cycles of creation
and destruction. Therefore only He is the eternal worshipable
Lord. Whoever worships other demigods and disregards Vasudeva, the
Supreme Lord Narayana, rots eternally in the hell of material
existence.
On the basis of the Vedas, some persons, accepting Lord
Visnu as the all-pervading Absolute Truth, argue that since the
Lord is present in all the demigods, the worship of demigods is
equivalent to the worship of Lord Visnu. This argument is
fallacious. The scriptures do not support the notion that the
worship of the demigods is the same as the worship of Lord Visnu.
In truth, Lord Visnu's worship accomplishes the worship of all
the demigods. Hence, separate worship of demigods is not
required.
The correct interpretation of the Vedic truth is: if
Lord Visnu is omnipresent, then worship of Him is automatically
worship of all the demigods. By watering the roots, a tree
prospers, but by watering the limbs, leaves and branches, the
tree withers and dies. Only foolish people who have forgotten
all Vedic principles can commit such a mistake. They fail to
understand that worship of Lord Visnu is an eternal activity in
pure goodness, beyond the three material modes.
Due to the advent of Kali Yuga and the contamination of
Mayavada, people disregard the supreme position of Lord Visnu and
worship the demigods independently of Him. Individual demigods
offer only specific benefits, while the Supreme Lord Visnu alone
can offer all benedictions. He is the maintainer of everyone.
If only these greedy materialists could realize the advantage of
worshiping Lord Visnu, they would abandon that kind of demigod
worship.
A householder Vaisnava's responsibilities
The householder Vaisnava should simply worship Krsna in all of
his duties and not worry about transgressing the Vedic codes. For
example, in all samskaras from insemination (garbhadhana) to
funeral rites (antyesthi), he should worship Krsna through the
Vedic mantras. The real purport of the Vedic injunctions is that
one should worship Visnu and the Vaisnavas directly and worship
the forfathers and demigods by offering them the remnants of Visnu
and Vaisnava worship.
If on the other hand the householder devotee worships the
demigods or forefathers directly, as is the Mayavadi method, he
commits the second offense to the holy name and is immediately
disqualified from the path of pure bhakti.
Another dangerous form of this same namaparadha is to
consider demigods like Siva to be separate supreme divinities.
Such polytheism is a heinous offense. "Lord Visnu is the Supreme
Godhead, but Lord Siva and the other demigods are also individual
supreme godheads" such thinking is completely wrong.
One can, however, worship the demigods as gunvataras,
saktyavesvataras or as Lord Visnu's servants. No one is
independent of the Visnu's control, for He is the Supreme
Controller and master of all energies. Demigods like Siva,
Brahma, Ganesa and Surya have been invested with the Supreme
Lord's potencies. Hence, they are powerful. The Supreme Lord is
one, the rest are His energies.
The householder devotee should abandon outright all
materialism in the execution of his duties. He should increase his
mood of pure devotion while satisfying his social and religious
obligations according to the varnasrama system. He should be
convinced that just by worshiping Krsna and His devotees, all
results will be attained.
[Footnote 2 by Bhaktivinoda] Human society should conduct
itself according to the guidelines of the varnasrama system; such
a lifestyle is called sanatanadharma or 'eternal religion'. India
is the land of piety (punyabhumi), and the varnasrama religious
system was introduced and implemented there by great sages of
yore. In other countries varnasrama is also present in some form,
though it never evolved into the perfected socio religious system
that was established in India. Human nature cannot find full
expression nor attain consummation without the social divisions of
varna. [End of footnote 2]
Even the lowborn outcastes are fully eligible to enter
devotional service to Krsna. But they must live their lives free
from sin and offenses; they will do that only by submitting to
the duties of householder life prescribed at least for the sudra
class. Without situating oneself in one of the four varnas,
there is no question of dharma or religious life. Even those
desiring just their own material welfare respect the customs of
varnasramadharma.
On the strength of worshiping Krsna in full surrender, one is
gradually elevated through varnasramadharma to the platform of
saintliness. But if one follows the varnasrama system without
worshiping Lord Krsna, he is doomed. Every householder is obliged
to fulfil his varnasrama responsibilities. He should therefore
live with restraint and accept only what is essential for serving
Lord Krsna, and fulfill the formal rules and responsibilities of
his varna. One easily accomplishes all this simply by chanting the
holy name and engaging in devotional service. Moreover, one
attains bhava or spiritual ecstacy by these same devotional
practices. With the advent of bhava, one transcends the
jurisdiction of rules and regulations.
As long as one needs a regulated, formal social life, he must
remain within the bounds of varnasrama. But after the first
stirrings of love of Godhead with the attainment of bhava, the
jiva's own divine nature becomes apparent: he will then require no
further inspiration from the external guidelines of
varnasramadharma. The mood of bhava is incomprehensible to
materialistic persons because it is transcendentally dynamic,
appearing in a person by its own volition regardless of that
person's varna or asrama. The Vaisnava householder who follows
this path of Krsna conscious varnasramadharma with
singlemindedness, shunning the Mayavadi contamination, thus
transcends the limits of varna and asrama.
Lord Visnu's name and qualities are not different from Him;
lack of this knowledge is namabhasa Lord Visnu's name, form,
qualities and so on should never be viewed as being separate from
the Lord Himself. He is nondual (advayatattva); as the complete
whole, He is the Supreme Absolute. If due to ignorance someone has
a dualistic concept of God, he can at best rise to the namabhasa
stage of chanting, but he will never reach prema. Then again, if
he can get the mercy of a bona fide spiritual master and can
overcome his anarthas, he will attain the pure name by the
progressive clearing process.
[Footnote 3 by Bhaktivinoda] Selfopinionated philosophers
fall into duality when they try to conceptualize God with their
tiny brains. Imposing duality upon Lord Visnu is an offensive
tendency that is very difficult to overcome. Mayavadi philosophers
propose that Brahman is formless and impersonal, and that Lord
Visnu's name, form etc are all products of illusion; with the
lifting of the veil of illusion, they expect to perceive Lord
Visnu as impersonal Brahman and nothing more. But such arguments
are foolish and nihilistic. The Mayavadi viewpoint stems from
madness and a stubborn ignorance of the fact that the Supreme Lord
is endowed with omnipotency. 'Omnipotent Brahman' is verily a name
for the Supreme Person, Lord Visnu. [End of footnote]
The intelligence of the Mayavadi philosopher is extremely
demented. Seeing that the material existence is variegated, he
concludes that the spiritual existence, being opposite to the
material realm, must be void. This incomplete, immature theorizing
leads him to imagine Brahman as dry and impersonal. In its
original state, Brahman has a name, form, qualities, pastimes and
so on but the Mayavadi is incapable of accepting this truth. If he
would accept it, Brahman would appear before him as Lord Visnu.
Mayavada is the wretched condition of human existence, and the
pure devotee is the scourge of this mischievious philosophy. He
establishes the correct scriptural viewpoint that the Supreme Lord
is nondifferent from His name, form, pastimes and qualities.
Nirvisesa and Savisesa Visnu versus the Mayavadi notion of Brahman
Both the personal and impersonal features are inherent in
Lord Visnu's divine Being. The Lord's acintyasakti (inconceivable
potency) harmoniously displays His personal and impersonal aspects
(savisesa, with variety, and nirvisesa, without variety). The
Supreme One, by His acintyasakti, exhibits allattractive beauty
and pastimes that silence all contradictory speculations about
Him.
Human intelligence is limited and puny. It cannot easily
fathom the Lord's inconceivable potency. So when a human being
tries to conceive of a supreme truth with his inadequate brain, he
can only come as far as the impersonal Brahman, which is a partial
representation of the Absolute Whole. In this way he is diverted
from the supreme goal of worship, Lord Visnu, whose lotus feet are
worshiped even by the great demigods. Ignorant of the benefit he
has lost, he becomes attached to the worship of impersonal
Brahman. But anyone who comprehends the transcendental nature of
the name, form and qualities of the Supreme Lord, knowing them to
be not different from Him, can perceive Lord Krsna in His divine
fullness by chanting His holy name purely.
Duality exists only on the material plane here a name is
different from the object it identifies. But as this is not the
case on the spiritual platform, it is a gross blunder to imagine
such a difference between the Lord and His name, form, qualities
and so on. The same pitfall entraps those who consider Siva and
other demigods to be independent of the Supreme Lord's control.
Why devotees do not mix with Mayavadis
The devotee who has taken singleminded shelter in the holy
name is a truly elevated soul. He worships Krsna and no one else
as the Supreme Lord. He does not attack the deities of other
scriptures, but worships and respects them as servitors of Lord
Krsna. He always refrains from dry speculation. When different
scriptures try to establish the superiority of other demigods, it
is only to facilitate the limited ability of a particular
mentality to grasp the absolute truth. These scriptures are
actually trying to elevate their followers to become devotees of
Krsna. Therefore one should never criticize other scriptures and
the demigods described therein, for such criticism is an offense.
A devotee should not accept remnants of food or garlands from
a Mayavadi, even if they were offered to Lord Visnu, because a
Mayavadi's worship is impure. A Mayavadi's chanting of the holy
name is likewise offensive. The Lord never accepts the Mayavadi's
offerings or worship. It is also an offense for the devotee to
accept garlands and other remnants of demigod worship, for this is
detrimental to the development of pure devotion. But if a devotee
worships Krsna and offers His remnants to the demigods, it will
not be offensive to receive these remnants, nor will one's
spiritual development be hampered in any way.
A pure devotee must always avoid the second offense to the
holy name and chant the name constantly. Thus he attains prema.
His entire success is found in the holy name.
The remedy for the offense
Illusion and madness blind the jiva, and thus he thinks that
others are also on the same platform as Lord Visnu. The only
remedy is to repent intensely and meditate on Lord Visnu, Krsna,
for by this remembrance all offenses are dissolved. Thereafter,
one must meticulously avoid committing the same offense again.
Remembrance of the Lord is the most effective penance; the
Vedas always recommend imperiled brahmanas to meditate upon the
lotus feet of Lord Visnu for protection. Remembering the Lord's
name is the same as meditating upon His lotus feet. The holy
name can disperse all previous offenses, for it acts as the
devotee's best friend. The Lord is an ocean of mercy and
forgiveness. Like a dear friend, he forgives one for previous
mistakes.
In conclusion, the devotee must disassociate himself from
demigod worshippers and polytheists and seek the company of
Vaisnavas who exclusively worship Krsna as their Supreme Lord.
One who is blessed with love and devotion and takes pleasure
in serving Srila Haridas Thakura's lotus feet will find this book
Harinama Cintamani as valuable as life itself.
CHAPTER SIX
TO DISRESPECT AND DISOBEY THE SPIRITUAL MASTER (GURUAVAJNA)
IS THE THIRD OFFENSE
All glories to Sri Pancatattva and Sri Sri RadhaMadhava.
All glories to Navadwipadhama, Vrajadhama, Jamunadevi and all
the Vaisnava devotees.
Srila Haridasa Thakura said, "O Lord, kindly allow me to
explain the third namparadha. This aparadha is to disobey the
orders of the spiritual master and thus to disrespect him."
The soul travels through many lifetimes in different bodies
and at last gets a chance at the rare human birth, which is
auspicious in every respect. The soul has rotated through
8,400,000 different species, It is by ajnatasukriti or
unintentional pious activities that the soul finally attains a
human body. A birth in the human form is most uncommon, because
only in that body are spiritual activities possible to perform,
unlike any other species.
A demigod or denizen of the heavenly planets is destined
only to enjoy the reactions of his past good karma. He cannot
voluntarily initiate any spiritual activities. Animals are
likewise bound by karmic reactions and are too steeped in gross
ignorance to undertake any pious activities independently. The
human birth alone is most conducive for spiritual life and
service to the Supreme Lord.
A spiritual master is essential for everyone Yet the fact
remains that this body is transient. If one does not carefully
endeavor for selfrealization, which is the greatest benediction,
then he returns again to the endless cycle of birth and death. An
intelligent person will therefore utilize this rare opportunity.
He will search out a spiritual master who can lead him to the
Supreme Lord Krsna.
[Footnote 1 by Bhaktivinoda] Such a spiritual master is the
only helmsman who can help the drowning jiva get across the ocean
of material nescience. Only the most foolish persons will attempt
to cross this ocean by their own intelligence. The achievement of
any success in this world requires the help of a teacher's
instructions. How, then, will one obtain perfection in the best of
all subjects, spiritual science, without the aid of a teacher? He
is who fit to teach this science is he who is self realized and
fully proficient in Krsna consciousness. [End of footnote 1]
A few of the characteristics of a bona fide spiritual master
are that he is peaceful, unperturbed and a pure devotee of Krsna.
He should be approached with humility. The jiva should satisfy
him with service and receive from him formal initiation into the
worship of Lord Krsna. Herein lies his best chance to surmount the
material entanglement. The jiva's inherent love for Krsna lies
dormant in the heart and can easily be revived by a qualified
spiritual master.
But the jiva can just as easily lose this chance by
challenging the spiritual master through speculative debates and
mischievious logic. He must evade such pitfalls, surrender to the
spiritual master's instructions and receive the proper mantra from
him. As for householders, they should take shelter of a bonafide
spiritual master and remain within the varnasrama system.
A good brahmana is fit to be a spiritual master
A brahmana is fit to be a spiritual master for all the other
varnas or social orders as long as he is a devotee of Lord Krsna.
But if a brahmana spiritual master is not available then a
spiritual master from another varna should be searched out. If
there is a choice, the householder would be best advised to accept
initiation from a spiritual master in the brahmanavarna.
A real spiritual master is one who is conversant with the
science of Krsna consciousness. A spiritual master can be from
any varna or asrama, but he must be a kalpataru or touchstone
that can fulfill the spiritual needs of people from all varnas
and asramas. He must be able to give the jiva suddharati (pure
attraction) for Krsna.
The prestige of having a spiritual master from a superior
varna is a material consideration, because that prestige simply
depends on the caste status of the one who judges the spiritual
master's caste. The factor of caste rarely has any bearing on
spiritual realization.
Necessity demands that one must find a spiritual master who
is bonafide and qualified. If he happens to belong to a higher
varna, so much the better. A householder may look for a spiritual
master from a higher varna, and if he finds one who is qualified
then he need not look for one from a lower varna. It must be noted
well, though, that in looking for a 'high class' spiritual master,
one should not choose an unqualified person simply for the
prestige of having a spiritual master from a higher varna.
A renunciate should accept a sannyasaguru
If a householder leaves home to embrace the life of a
renunciate but has not yet been satisfactorally trained in Krsna
consciousness, he naturally requires a qualified spiritual master.
For one who is determined to renounce, a spiritual master in the
sannyasa order is best. By receiving spiritual guidance and
initiation from a sannyasaguru, the renunciate will very quickly
relish the ecstacy of chanting the holy name.
If the householder previously had a qualified spiritual
master, he should not, when planning to renounce householder life,
disrespect or neglect that guru. Indeed, while he is in the
grhasthsrama, the householder is advised to take shelter of a
householder guru who is qualified and pure. That spiritual master
should always be honored.
But if such a householder spiritual master is not available,
one can take initiation from a qualified sannyasi even before
leaving home. In any case, the spiritual master must be qualified.
Under his instructions, the neophyte householder begins Krsna
consciousness and gradually advances to experience transcendental
loving emotions in the service of the Lord.
Only when the neophyte householder develops distaste for
material life is he ready to become a sannyasi. This is a natural
development of the practice of Krsna consciousness. Once he has
actually renounced sense gratification, he is obliged to accept a
sannyasi spiritual master. He must be trained in the life of
renunciation from the sannyasaguru and accept from him the clothes
or vesa of a mendicant.
Both diksaguru and siksaguru must be equally respected
There are two kinds of spiritual masters: the initiating
spiritual master or diksaguru, and the instructing spiritual
master or siksaguru. Both gurus have to be respected equally.
This is the key to success in Krsna consciousness.
The diksaguru initiates his disciple into the chanting of the
holy name and gives diksamantra. The siksaguru imparts
sambandhajnana or the knowledge of the jiva's relationship with
the Supreme Lord and his energies. The diksaguru is one but the
siksaguru can be many. In fact, all the pure Vaisnava devotees who
benedict the world by distributing the holy name are siksa gurus.
Both the diksaguru and the many siksagurus are to be equally
respected.
- The Vaisnava sampradayas
The four Vaisnava disciplic successions (sampradayas) are
the only real schools of saintly teachers. These sampradayas
have since days of yore disseminated the bona fide mantras, the
proper scriptural conclusions, the authorized devotional process
and the ultimate goal of life. If one wants to be saved from the
perils of false doctrines, then he should surrender to a saintly
spiritual master from one of the four Vaisnava schools.
The teachings left by the founderacaryas of the four
sampradayas are to be especially honored. Sri Ramanuja, Sri
Madhavacarya, Sri Nimbarkacarya, and Sri Visnuswami are the four
original acaryas of the Vaisnava schools. One should accept only
their teachings and conclusions and not others. One should receive
spiritual initiation in one of these four sampradayas and not
others. The founderacarya is the principal siksaguru. The
founderacarya of the sampradaya is the principal siksa guru for
the entire disciplic succession. Speculations that contradict his
teachings are to be immediately rejected. Only a saintly devotee
who has understood the teachings of the principal siksaguru is
eligible to be a diksaguru for others. If one thinks that he can
be initiated by an unauthorized guru or a Mayavadi into these
teachings, he errs severely. He will never attain Krsna
consciousness.
One should accept only a pure devotee as his spiritual master.
He who imparts wrong teachings and he who receives them are
both destined for hell. One who has accepted teachings and
conclusions outside the line of pure bhakti has wasted his life.
How then can such a person become a spiritual master? How can he
save other conditioned souls? He himself is in illusion and is
therefore imperfect, so how can he bring good fortune to others?
One must understand that a pure devotee is not an ordinary soul.
The scriptures declare that only he is eligible to be worshipped
as the spiritual master.
The principle of the spiritual master
The diksaguru and the siksaguru are both intimate associates
of Lord Krsna. They are eternally situated in the Vraja mood of
service, and they are manifestations of Lord Krsna's own energy.
[Footnote 2 by Bhaktivinoda] Never make the mistake of
judging the guru as an ordinary mortal. The spiritual master is
the representitive of Lord Krsna's potencies, sent by the Lord as
the eternal master of the disciples. He must always be worshiped
as an eternal associate of the Supreme Lord, empowered by the
Lord's superior spiritual potency.
On the other hand, the spiritual master must never be
considered to be the Supreme Lord Himself, for this is Mayavadi
philosophy and is not in line with the pure Vaisnava conclusions.
The Vaisnava devotees are very wary of such misinterpretations
because the Mayavadi whirlpool of word jugglery is so
contaminating to the heart. The spiritual master must always be
worshiped according to the scriptural conclusions, for when
properly executed, this worship results in pure Krsna
consciousness. [End of footnote 2]
Gurupuja and how to respect the spiritual master
Before one can worship Krsna, he must first worship the
spiritual master. While doing gurupuja, upacaras like seat,
footwash, arghya, bath, cloth, ornaments and so on are to be
offered; then with the spiritual master's permission one may begin
worship of RadhaKrsna vigraha. The Deity's prasadam is given to
the spiritual master first, then to the demigods and n
forfathers. Just as the disciple is required to get the spiritual
master's blessings before worshipping RadhaKrsna, before chanting
the holy name the disciple should remember the spiritual master
and his instructions.
One who disrespects the spiritual master commits a serious
offense that will expel him from the path of bhakti. The spiritual
master, Lord Krsna, and the Vaisnavas must be worshiped with equal
attention. Undeviating faith in the spiritual master will lead to
pure chanting and the final goal of Krsnaprema.
When to reject a guru
If by some misfortune the spiritual master falls into bad
association, he may gradually lose his spiritual realization and
potency. At the time the disciple accepted him, the guru was
exalted, famous and greatly realized. But offenses against the
holy name are so dangerous that even a highly qualified soul
becomes bewildered. In that condition he comes to detest
Vaisnava company and the chanting of the holy name. Gradually, he
is enslaved by lust, greed, wealth and women. If by the mercy of
Lord Krsna the disciple sees through all this, he must reject
that guru, seek out a pure devotee and under his spiritual
guidence cultivate the pure chanting of the holy name.
The spiritual master must be strict
The spiritual master must be strict with his disciples. He
must straighten out the prospective disciples before initiating
them, and punish the wayward initiated ones. This is the symptom
of a responsible spiritual master. A disciple's spiritual life is
rendered useless if he serves and worships a slack, irresponsible
guru. But as long as the relationship between the spiritual master
and the disciple is stable (i.e. each remains qualified in his
position) then there is no question of one rejecting the other.
The gurudisciple relationship is eternal. If both maintain
their pure positions and are bona fide, their eternal relationship
is never jeapordized. However, if the spiritual master is later
exposed as perfidious, the disciple must immediatley repudiate
him. The same is to be done by the spiritual master if the
disciple is similarly exposed. If such repudiation is not is not
carried out by both parties when it is necessary, then they stand
to be condemned.
A spiritual master must be tested before acceptance
to insure that he is a pure devotee
One who disrespects the bona fide pure Vaisnava spiritual
master is a reprobate fit to be shunned by all. It is advisable,
therefore, that before accepting a spiritual master one should
carefully choose the right person. Basically, the spiritual
master must be a pure devotee of the Lord.
[Footnote 3 by Bhaktivinoda] The scriptures recommend that
both the spiritual master and the disciple place each other under
strict scrutiny before mutual acceptance. This, then, precludes
the acceptance of a kulaguru or traditional family guru. Of
course, if the kulaguru is qualified, it is of immediate
convenience to accept him; but if he is not, a pure devotee should
be searched out and taken as one's spiritual master.
Since even ordinary household items are tested before
acquisition, it is only an unfortunate fool who will fail to go
through a testing period in the selection of the his true
spiritual master, who is his ever wellwisher. The unqualified
kulaguru, after he is offered due respect and worship, should be
requested to release the disciple from all duties of allegiance.
Having abandoned his connection to the family guru, the genuine
aspirant then must seek out a qualified spiritual master.
The point is that one must not bring upon himself the
calamity of having to reject his spiritual master. If one is
prudent then he can avoid such a situation. One must be very
careful not to commit any offense against a pure devotee guru.
This is so disasterous it will ruin both men and demigods alike.
[End of footnote 3]
How to serve the spiritual master
Never disrespect the articles used by the spiritual master:
for instance, his seat, bed, shoes, vehicle, footstool, bath
water, etc. Stepping on his shadow, worshipping another person in
his presence, giving initiation while he is still alive, showing
off spiritual knowledge in his presence and trying to control him
are to be totally rejected.
Whenever and wherever one sees his spiritual master, he
should offer his prostrated obeisances to him with prayers. The
guru's name must be uttered with great reverence. His orders are
never to be disobeyed. Always be eager to honor his remnants and
do not say anything that is displeasing to him. Fall humbly at
his feet and beg shelter from him and in this way act to please
him. Simply by behaving thusly, one can easily develop a taste
for chanting, which in turn offers all perfection. All this is
confirmed in the Vedas. But if one offends the namaguru, the
spiritual master who initiates one into the chanting of the holy
name of the Lord, he will surely fall into the sinful company of
atheists.
[Footnote 4 by Bhaktivinoda] The namaguru teaches scriptural
conclusions and reveals the esoteric nature of the holy name, and
he initiates the disciple in the mantra consisting of the holy
name. The Vaisnava diksaguru is the namaguru, and the diksamantra
is namatmika, receiving its life from the holy name. The mantra
loses its meaning and purpose if it is separated from the holy
name, and conversely, simply by uttering the holy name of the
Lord, the mantra is automatically chanted. [End of footnote 4].
The remedy for guruavajna
The only way to be pardoned for this offense is to forsake
sinful company, cast away blasphemous literatures and throw
oneself at the spiritual master's lotus feet, repenting piteously.
As a compassionate Vaisnava, the spiritual master will surely be
forgiving and bestow prema upon the disciple through the holy
name.
I, the wretched author of Harinama Cintamani, am a sinner.
My only hope of redemption is the dust of the lotus feet of
Haridasa Thakura.
CHAPTER SEVEN
CRITICISM OF THE VEDIC SCRIPTURES (SRUTISASTRA NINDA)
IS THE FOURTH OFFENSE
All glories to Srila Gadadhara Pandit, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Acarya and all the
devotees of Lord Gouranga.
Srila Haridasa Thakura said, "My Lord! To criticize the
Vedic literature and other literatures in pursuance of the Vedic
version is a serious offense that denies a person the ecstacy of
pure devotion."
The Veda (sruti) is the only proof
The srutisastra (the Vedic literature), which includes the
four Vedas, the Upanisads, the Puranas and other collorary
scriptures, has emanated from the Supreme Lord Krsna's own lips.
This literature establishes and proves the Absolute Truth. It
contains transcendental knowledge that is beyond the range of the
material senses, and it can be understood by Lord Krsna's grace
alone.
The senses are capable of experiencing only material
objects; transcendence lies completely beyond their bounds. The
science of Krsna consciousness is purely spiritual: hence it is
transcendental. That knowledge of transcendence has been
mercifully given by Lord Krsna in the Vedic literature for the
ultimate benefit of humanity. The word veda specifically refers
to scriptural knowledge received through the proper authorized
disciplic succession or parampara.
Human beings are born with four natural faults: they commit
errors, they are subject to illusion, they have the propensity to
cheat, and they have imperfect senses. Everything they do is
tainted by these faults. Vedic literature is free from any
mistakes or discrepancies. It is the only means to spiritual
salvation. The Vedic knowledge was originally revealed by the
mercy of Lord Krsna. It was compiled by sages who had received
this knowledge while in samadhi, or total spiritual absorbtion,
far beyond the range of the four natural human faults.
The sruti teaches ten principles
The Vedic literature teaches that both mundane fruitive
activities (karma) and empirical speculative knowledge (jnana) are
inferior paths. The conclusion is that perfection is available
only through bhakti. The Lord gives karma and jnana for
preliminary purification of the jivas, and afterwards gives pure
bhakti. In the Vedic literature there are ten principle
instructions. The first is that the proof or basis (pramana) of
real knowledge is the sruti. The other nine principles are
prameyas ascertained from the pramana. These ten principles
destroy nescience and establish true spiritual knowledge. The nine
ascertainable principles: the first three pertain to Krsna The
first of the nine prameyas is that Hari, Krsna, is the only
Supreme Absolute Truth. The second is that He is omnipotent. The
third is that He is Rasamurti, the embodiment of all spiritual
mellows. He is the source of bliss for all living entities and He
eternally resides in His abode in the spiritual sky. These first
three teaching pertain to the Supreme Lord, Krsna.
The second three pertain to the position of the jiva
The fourth prameya is that the jiva is the Lord's separated
part and parcel. The jivas are the infintesimal eternal spiritual
sparks of pure consciousness who comprise the innumerable living
entities. The jiva is of two types: eternally conditioned, who
populate the material world, and eternally liberated, who populate
the spiritual world.
The fifth prameya is that the conditioned souls are enamored
by the glitter of maya's illusory potency. They have forgotten
Krsna and remain eternally in this phenomenal world, enjoying and
suffering material existence.
The sixth prameya is that the eternally liberated jivas are
associates of Lord Krsna. They reside in the spiritual world and
enjoy transcendental loving relationships with the Lord. These
three, then, are the teachings about the jiva found in the sruti.
The seventh prameya is acintyabhedabhedasambandha
Everything material and spiritual is acintyabhedabheda
sambandha (simultaneously one and different). The jivas and matter
are inconceivably manifested from Lord Krsna's internal potency.
Once knowing acintyabhedabhedatattva, the jiva understands that he
is the servant of Krsna and is like the spark or ray of the
spiritual sun that is Krsna.
The transformations of the Lord's energy are beyond the
mind's grasp (acintya), says the sruti. But the socalled
transformations of the Supreme Lord Himself that the Mayavadis
would like to have us all believe in are only mischievious and
offensive postulations.
Thus, so far, the above seven prameyas comprise sambandha
jnana or knowledge of the eternal connection between the Lord and
his energies. The sruti further points out abhideya, which is the
means to acheive prayojana, the supreme goal. Abhideya is
devotional service The nine limbs of devotional service are:
hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, praying, rendering
service, carrying out the orders of the Lord, being a friend of
the Lord and completely surrendering to the Lord. The chanting of
the holy name is the most important devotional activity, and for
this reason the Vedas glorify the chanting of the syllable om.
Devotional service (sadhanabhakti) has two divisions: vaidhi and
raga. Abhideya, the ninefold process of sadhanabhakti, is the
eighth prameya.
- Prayojana is Krsnaprema
By the mercy of Lord Krsna, the jiva who takes shelter of
abhideya will attain Krsnaprema or love of Godhead. Krsna prema
is the prayojana (necessity and ultimate goal) of the jiva; it is
the ninth prameya.
[Footnote 1 by Bhaktivinoda] Pure devotion is indicated by
the human proclivity to always render favorable devotional service
to Krsna. Such devotion strives only for further excellence in
service, being satisfied with nothing else. Pure devotion is
uncontaminated by fruitive activity or empirical knowledge. The
Vedic literature recommends that we cultivate pure devotion by
taking full shelter of the holy name. [End of footnote 1]
These nine basic principles were ascertained from the sruti
by learned spiritual masters who taught them for the guidance of
all conditioned souls. But those who criticize the sruti, the
very source of spiritual knowledge, are offenders against the
holy name and are known as the lowest among men.
Philosophers who opposed the sruti
Jaimini, Kapila, Nagna, Carvaka, Sugata Buddha and Gautama
were philosophers who propagated theories based on mundane logic
and reasoning. Some of them did some lip service to the teachings
of the sruti, but they all rejected God. Jaimini proclaimed that
the best knowledge the sruti has to offer is the fruitive
ritualistic portion known as karmakanda. Kapila dared to argue
that God is imperfect. He accepted the process of yoga, but
without understanding its real goal realization of Paramatma.
Nagna spread poison by teaching tantric practices in the mode of
ignorance. Carvaka Nastika was an atheist who never accepted the
Vedic authority, and Sugata devised his own path of religion in
place of the sruti. Gautama propagated logic and did not worship
the Supreme Lord.
These mischievious interpretations are in fact offenses
against the Vedic literature. Through sophism, such philosophers
speak halftruths that are likely to confuse the ordinary listener,
though a learned devotee knows their sole object is to defame the
sruti. One who develops faith in these theories becomes an
offender. Therefore the devotee avoids hearing them. The
Mayavadi philosophy is equally as dangerous, for it supresses
bhakti in the heart of the jiva. Mayavadi philosophy is factually
camouflaged Buddhism. On the Lord's behest, Siva became its chief
proponent in the Kaliyuga. As Jaimini seemingly upheld Vedic
authority but practically propounded a warped version of the Vedic
conclusions, similarly Mayavadi philosophers pervert Vedic proofs
to establish their covert Buddhism. Thus they hide the essential
message of the sruti, which is the science of devotional service.
Astavakra, Dattatreya, Govinda, Gaudapada, Sankaracarya and
his followers are wellknown Mayavadi philosophers. In Buddhism,
the principal teaching is the nonexistence of the soul, and there
is no concept of Brahman. The theory of nothingness, the last word
in Buddhism, is rendered by the Mayavadis into the concept of the
formless, impersonal Brahman which they argue is beyond matter.
Such ideas diametrically oppose the eternal science of devotional
service. Any affiliation with such thoughts automatically makes
the jiva commit namaparadha.
The direct meaning is the real meaning
When all the principle understandings of the Vedic philosophy
are brought together, they add up to pure devotional service by
which the jiva attains pure love of Godhead. Wherever the
principle understandings are applicable, it is wrong to substitute
secondary understandings in their place. These principle meanings
all indicate the science of Krsna consciousness. To artificially
impose secondary meanings upon the Vedic statements is a sin that
distances one from the Absolute Truth.
From beginning to end, the srutisastra expounds the
superexcellence of the syllable om. The omkara is a name of Krsna,
and by chanting the Lord's name, the jiva attains the Lord's
supreme abode. The Vaisnava devotees of the Sri Sampradaya chant
om as a holy name of the Lord. The Vedas declare the holy name to
be the trancendental form of the Supreme Lord in this material
world; even namabhasa, the holy name's indistinct appearance,
grants all perfection. Only unfortunate fools will purposefully
disregard such Vedic teachings and thus ruin their lives by
offenses.
The sruti teaches pure chanting of the holy name
The devotee who takes shelter of the pure name accepts the
absolute authority of the Vedas, and quickly attains the nectar
of the name, Krsnaprema. The sruti proclaims that by chanting
the holy name of Hari, one experiences ecstatic bliss. Further,
it is declared that the eternally liberated residents of the
spiritual sky are always engaged in chanting the pure name.
Mayadevi engages the presentday critics of the sruti in sinful practices
As Kaliyuga degrades, more and more people worship maya, the
material energy. Even socalled great devotees give up the
opportunity to chant the Supreme Lord Krsna's holy name, which is
full of ecstacy, and instead take up tantric worship in the mode
of ignorance. Evercritical of the Vedic literature, they swerve
from the real path of religion to eat meat, drink alcohol and
perform other sinful activities. These offenders can never receive
the shelter of the name, nor can they enter the Supreme Lord's
eternal abode of Vrndavana.
Mayadevi engages such atheists in everincreasing sin,
depriving them of the nectar of chanting the holy name. The
superior spiritual energy is Lord Krsna's original and primeval
energy. Maya (Durga, Kali) is its shadow. Her intention is to
rectify the erring jivas who drift away from Krsna and bring them
back to Krsna consciousness. Indeed, this is her prime duty to the
Lord.
[Footnote 2 by Bhaktivinoda:] Maya showers two kinds of
graces niskapata (honest and unrestricted) and sakapata
(capricious and illusory). By her niskapata mercy she gives bhakti
by way of jnana (bhaktijnanamisra). Her sakapata mercy gives
temporary pleasures that overwhelm the jiva, bringing him under
the control of illusion. And when she is thoroughly merciless, she
casts the jiva into brahmasayuja liberation; thus he is doomed.
But she becomes pleased when someone renders service to a
saintly Vaisnava, and showers him with her true mercy, connecting
him to Lord Krsna's lotus feet. Maya is an eternal maidservant
of Lord Krsna. She punishes the wayward jivas who drift away
from Krsna's service, for those who want to serve maya are simply
cheaters who can never know happiness. Yet Mayadevi rewards
those who chant the holy name. She helps them cross over the
ocean of material nescience. [End of footnote 2]
The remedy for srutininda
One must avoid commiting the offense of criticizing the
Vedic scriptures and constantly chant the holy name. If one
inadvertently criticizes the sruti, he should sincerely repent
his error by properly glorifying the sruti. He should worship
the Vedic literature and the Srimad Bhagavatam with great joy and
respect, offering them flowers and tulasi. The Srimad Bhagavatam
is the essence of the Vedic teachings and is the scriptural
incarnation of Lord Krsna. The Bhagavatam will certainly shower
mercy upon the offender, because the Bhagavatam is an ocean of
mercy.
One who hankers for the dust of the lotus feet of Srila
Haridasa Thakur will wear this gem necklace called Harinama
Cintamani around his neck.
CHAPTER EIGHT
TO CONSIDER THE GLORIES OF THE NAME AS IMAGINARY
(ARTHAVADA HARINAMA KALPANAM)
IS THE FIFTH OFFENSE
All glories to Lord Gauranga and Srila Gadadhara Pandita;
all glories to Sri Sri Radha Madhava. All glories to the places
of Lord Gauranga's pastimes and all the Vaisnava devotees of the
Lord.
"O Lord Gauranga! The fifth namaparadha is to think that
the glories of the holy name are exaggerated, as for example when
one thinks, 'The scriptural presentation of the glories of the
Lord's holy name is not entirely true, because hyperbole has been
employed to increase the readers' faith in the chanting of the
name.'"
It is a fact that in the karmakanda and jnanakanda
sections of the Vedas, ritualism and philosophical speculation
have been overly praised. Such praises are intended to elicit
interest in these processes. But the same is not true in the
case of the holy name. Therefore to think so is an abominable
offense.
The glories of the holy name
The Puranas (smritisastras) say that anyone who chants the
holy name, whether with faith or neglect, attracts the mercy of
Lord Krsna. The holy name is the purest form of knowledge; it is
the best of all vratas or vows and the highest meditation; it
gives the most auspicious fruits; it is the greatest renunciation;
it gives incomparible peace; it is the most pious of holy works;
it is the supreme path of selfrealization; it is the greatest
liberation and goal; it is the topmost destination; it is the best
devotional service; it is the purest inclination; it gives love of
Godhead and is the essence of remembrance of the Lord; it is the
cause of all causes, the Supreme Absolute Truth; it is the most
worshippable object and acts as the supreme spiritual master.
'A thousand names of Lord Visnu is equal to one name of
Lord Rama, and three names of Lord Rama are equal to one name of
Lord Krsna': thus the holy name's transcendental nature is ever
glorified in the scriptures.
One goes to hell for thinking the the glories
of the name are exaggerated
Only a hardened atheist thinks that the passages of the sruti
and smriti scriptures describing the superexcellent qualities of
the name contain exaggerations. Whoever commits such an abominable
offense rots eternally in hell. Offenders claim that
misrepresentations have been made to increase attraction for
chanting. They have no idea of the purport of the scriptures and
of what is beneficial for humanity, because they take everything
backwards.
Because they have no reserve of previous pious activities
(bhaktisukrti), they can never develop faith in the scriptural
science of devotional service. The chanting of the holy name is z
the best form of devotional service. Without sufficient piety a
person can neither acquire a taste for chanting nor have adequate
faith in its results. Those who are attached to just one section
of the scriptures (i.e. karmakanda) cannot perceive the essential
meaning of the scriptures. There is no appeal to selfishness in
the methodology of the holy name
The exaggerations in the karmakanda section of the Vedas
appeal to ambitious materialists. Concessions to selfishness are
absent from the scriptural presentation of the method of chanting
the holy name in pure devotion. The scriptures frankly declare
that the results of the karmakanda process are merely transient
sensual enjoyments, whereas the results of chanting the holy name
and engaging in Krsna's service are eternal and permanent.
In the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, capriciousness,
cheating and exaggeration are shunned. For instance, when a
devotee inspires someone to chant, he does so without self
interested motives. He engages another in Krsna's service only for
the pleasure of Krsna. Though attractive material results of
chanting the holy name may be mentioned in some scriptures, a pure
devotee pays no heed to them, for he is beyond material desire.
But the officiator of a ritualistic sacrifice displays
explicit selfishness, for as a matter of course he expects
remuneration. Since the scriptures declare that chanting begets
unlimited auspicious results, why do such seekers of fruitive
rewards minimize the glories of the holy name?
The follower of karmakanda is supposed to gradually realize
that pious fruitive works, being material, give only unimportant
fruits. He should then perform his duties free of self interest.
This will purify his heart and help him to see the need for
chanting the holy name. A purified heart strives for self
realization and is naturally repelled by material activities.
Thus the real success of karma kanda, when performed without
material motivation, is attraction for the chanting the holy name
of the Lord. Pious results that a brahmana could not accrue
anywhere in the entire universe are easily obtained by chanting
Krsna's name. The supreme position of the chanting of the holy
name cannot be diminished by the envious statements of stubborn
karmis and jnanis.
Simply by namabhasa chanting one gains all the results of
the paths of karma and jnana. So if mere namabhasa offers such
wonderful results, then surely the pure name will offer so much
more, unlimitedly. Therefore, whatever results the scriptures
say are gained from chanting are easily obtainable by the devotee
who is attached to the pure name.
There is no point in objecting
to what the Lord Himself has wrought.
One who doubts this fact is a sinner who is doomed because of
commiting namaparadha. All the revealed scriptures the Vedas,
Ramayana, Mahabharata, the Puranas and others are filled with
glorifications of the superexcellence of the holy name. x What can
the person who blatantly disregards this evidence expect? He is
simply abominable. The holy name and the Lord Himself are the
same. Krsna personally positioned the chanting of His holy name at
the very top of all auspicious activities. He is fully
independant, autocratic and omnipotent. All processes have come
into force due to His energy. He invested karma kanda with his
material energy, and jnana kanda with his impersonal energy. Krsna
then invested of His own accord His entire personal potency in the
syllables of His holy name. There is no point in objecting to
these arrangements. An intelligent person will therefore carefully
avoid offending the allpowerful name of the Lord.
The remedy for the arthavada offense
If this namaparadha is somehow commited, the offender has to
go humbly to the assembly of Vaisnavas and attentively listen to
the narrations of the pastimes and qualities of the Supreme Lord
from the lips of a pure devotee. Full of remorse, the offender
must admit his transgression against the holy name and beg
forgiveness from the Vaisnavas. The Vaisnavas are realized in
the glories of the name, and they will mercifuly deliver the
offender from his sins by embracing him. The offender, now
purified, will be protected from further onslaughts of maya.
If a devotee meets or even just sees the face of an
unrepentent doubter of the power of the holy name, he should
immediatly plunge himself, fully clothed, into the Ganges for
purification; if the Ganges is not nearby, he should bathe in some
other pure water. In the event that this also is not possible, he
should purify himself by bathing mentally.
One who takes shelter of the mercy of Krsna's dear companion,
His flute, will be adorned by the glory of Harinama Cintamani.
CHAPTER NINE
TO COMMIT SIN ON THE STRENGTH OF CHANTING THE HOLY NAME
(NAMNO BALAD YASYAHI PAPABUDDHI)
IS THE SIXTH OFFENSE
All glories to Sri Gadadhara Pandit and Lord Sri Gauranga;
all glories to Lord Nityananda, the life of Srimati Jahnavadevi;
all glories to Sri Advaita Acarya and Mother Sita; all glories to
Srila Srivas Pandit and all the devotees of Lord Caitanya.
Chanting destroys all anarthas
Srila Haridasa Thakur continued by explaining that the holy
name is eternally situated in pure goodness. Those jivas who take
shelter of Krsna's holy name are most fortunate, because chanting
soon removes the anarthas from their hearts. Consequently,
hridaya daurbalyam (weakness of heart) disappears.
As faith in the Lord's holy name becomes firm, the propensity
to sin is totally extirpated. All previous sins are then
dissolved, and the heart shines with positive purity. Sinful
activities sprout from the seeds of sinful desire in the heart,
and the sinful desire seeds are rooted in ignorance; these three
(ignorance, the seeds of sin and sin) are the source of all
suffering for the conditioned soul. Not being able to bear the
sufferings of His dependent parts and parcels, the Lord in His
infinite compassion gives them help through the process of
bhaktiyoga by which the lust to enjoy the senses is driven from
their hearts.
As one practices bhakti, he finds materialistic endeavor to
enjoy wealth and women repulsive. He follows the path of
righteousness, being satisfied in his service to the Lord. He
accepts only what is favorable for executing devotional service
and rejects that which is unfavorable. He has absolute conviction
in all situations that Lord Krsna is his protector, savior and
maintainer. He is free from attachments to the body and the
notions of 'me' and 'mine.' In a humble state of mind, he
constantly chants the holy name of the Lord. Such a person is
never again inclined to sinful activities.
Previous sin and its faint residue are also destroyed
Chanting gradually diminishes the propensity to sin and
simultaneously purifies the consciousness. As the inclination to
commit sinful activities vanishes, taste for the holy name
appears, though a faint residue of previous sinful activity still
lingers on in the consciousness. The receeding sinful reactions
leave an odor of sinful habit (papa gandha), but the chanter's
contact with the name engenders a strength of willpower and a
purity of mind that overcomes this clinging smell of sin.
Lord Krsna promised Arjuna that His devotees will never be in
danger of destruction. If there are reverses He personally comes
to His devotees' rescue. The devotees' sins are annihilated by the
Lord's mercy alone. The empirical philosopher or jnani may subdue
his sins with great efforts and penance, but as soon as he leaves
or denies the shelter of Lord Krsna's lotus feet, he immediatly
falls down. The scriptures testify that whoever simply embraces
the Lord's protection is an elevated soul, and his progress will
never be impeded by obstacles.
There is no need for ritualistic penances or prayascitta
By chance, a devotee may commit some sin, but still he does
not have to undertake the penance of prayascitta. Such sins are
a passing phase that will be drowned in the nectar of the holy
name. The devotee is never lost from the path of pure devotion.
However, if a devotee again commits another sin, this time
calculating that the strength of holy name will counteract the
reaction, then he is not fixed on the path of pure devotion.
Rather, he is a deceitful person doomed by his offenses to the
holy name. Scripture affirms that there is a vast differencebetween sin committed due to sudden weakness or mistake and due
to premeditation.
Just being inclined to this namaparadha is utterly ruinous.
For karmis, the means to get free of sinful reaction is the
performance of prayascitta in repentence. But if someone even
contemplates relieving himself of the reaction of deliberate sin
by exploiting the purifying strength of holy name, he is utterly
ruined, and no amount of prayascitta will help him. Even after
untold retribution in hell, he will not be absolved from this
mental namaparadha. If just the inclination to commit sin on the
strength of chanting results in such tribulations for the soul,
the fate of one who acts on that inclination is too terrible to
envision.
This namaparadha is inevitable for the cheaters The scriptures
declare the holy name to be so potent that it can eradicate a
burden of sins that even in ten million lifetimes could not be
committed. Even the gravest of sins are counteracted just in the
'namabhasa' stage of chanting. And that is precisely why the
cheats and charlatans are attracted to the chanting of the holy
name. They forsake the responsibilities of honest labor as being
drudgery and, disguised in the renunciate's attire, travel from
country to country, their hearts smoldering with desires for
wealth and women. Such persons are called markata vairagis or
'monkey renunciates'.
These unfortunate fellows dress as sannyasis but nurture the
householder mentality. They are nothing more than dead weights
upon mother earth and human society and must be avoided. A devotee
who has taken shelter of the holy name can live in any n situation
in household life or in the forest as a hermit. If the household
situation is conducive to chanting, then the life of a mendicant
is unnecessary, but if household life is unfavorable, the devotee
is dutybound to forsake it. In either case, it is a terrible
offense to commit sins on the strength of chanting. Such an
offender is forever banished from the path of devotional service.
Devotees in the namabhasa stage of chanting must beware of
such cheating company because that company will have an evil
influence on them they will also fall down into committing this
dreaded namaparadha. As for those who are chanting the pure name,
they are always free from this namaparadha.
Pure devotees are free from the ten namaparadhas
Devotees who have taken complete shelter of chanting the pure
name are never prone to commit any of the ten namaparadhas. The
holy name Himself protects these pure devotees who have
surrendered themselves to chanting. But as long as the pure name
has not dawned in the heart of the devotee, he is always
threatened by the danger of commiting namaparadha. Therefore
devotees in the namabhasa stage have to particularly avoid this
offense of commiting sin on the strength of chanting.
Vigilance is required in the namabhasa stage
A devotee must seek the association of pure devotees who chant
the holy name without offense, and he should personally be very
alert against committing offenses. One who chants the name purely
is of fixed mind and consciousness, since he never deviates from
thinking about Krsna for even a moment. As long as one has not
strengthened his chanting to the point of full surrender to the
holy name, he must be very vigilant to avoid offenses. He must
especially guard against the offense of commiting sin on the
strength of chanting. He should continuously chant the holy name
and thus attract his spiritual master's mercy, which yields
sambandhajnana. This knowledge reveals the science of pure
devotion and the pure holy name.
The remedy for this namaparadha
If by some error one commits this namaparadha, one must go
before an assembly of pure Vaisnavas. The propensity to sin is
like a highway robber, and the pure devotees are like the
guardians of the path who come to one's aid when the someone calls
aloud for their help. Just hearing that call, the robber
immediately runs away, fearing that the guards will come. The
guardians, the pure Vaisnavas, will console the devotee with
soothing words and assurances of their protection.
I, the author of Harinama Cintamani, am a useless wretch. I
recite this composition having taken shelter of the pure Vaisnavas.
CHAPTER TEN
TO INSTRUCT THE GLORIES OF THE HOLY NAME TO THE FAITHLESS
(ASRADDADHANA VIMUKHE'PY ASRNVATI)
IS THE SEVENTH OFFENSE
All glories to Lord Sri Gauranga, the life of Sri Gadadhara
Pandit; all glories to Lord Nityananda, the heart of Srimati
Jahnavadevi; all glories to Sri Advaita Acarya, the Lord of
Mother Sita; all glories to Srila Srivasa Pandit and all the
devotees of Lord Caitanya.
With his hands folded and in a soft voice Srila Haridasa
Thakur said, "Now please hear about another namaparadha".
Sraddha (faith) is essential for chanting the holy name
The foremost requirement for chanting Krsna's holy name is
sraddha or firm faith. One who is bereft of it cannot hear the
name and is therefore unfit to chant. High birth, respectable
family, knowledge, strength, learning or wealth are not qualities
that make a person eligible to chant the name. The scriptures
extol sraddha to be the one indispensible ingredient for proper
chanting. Lord Krsna's name is the jiva's most valuable treasure.
Faith means to have complete conviction that chanting Lord Krsna's
name will automatically fulfill all duties and complete all pious
activities. Those who do not possess such faith are unfit to
chant.
It is an offense to instruct the faithless on the holy name
According to Vaisnava etiquette, a person who does not have
faith in the name should not be initiated into chanting. If a
faithless person is initiated into chanting or is instructed
about the glories of the holy name, then he will only defile and
neglect the name. This is the statement of scripture. The swine
will crush the pearls strewn before it and the monkey will tear
the cloth it is given; the faithless person will likewise
increasingly offend the holy name and thus invite his doom.
Simultaneously, the initiating guru will be dragged down by his
share in these offenses. Very soon, he will be forced off the
path of devotional service.
What is to be done if a faithless person wants to
be initated
The faithless person sometimes slyly comes to the Vaisnavas to
beg initiation into chanting. The devotee should see through this
pretentious cheating and refuse him initation. The pretender
thinks, "The holy name of Krsna is the allpurifying agent, and
once I've received the name I will not have to worry about
commiting sins. Besides, when I chant people will respect and
worship me as a Vaisnava then I can extract a goodly amount of
service from them. The prestige I have lost by my bad deeds will
be regained fully by chanting; such a loss will never occur again.
I shall at last become very happy in material life", etc. The
devotee should demand of the pretender his full renunciation of
dishonesty. To become worthy of initiation, he must at once
neglect his desires for distinction and adoration, and should
instead try to develop sraddha for the holy name.
Only when faith in the holy name is present in the heart can
one be initiated into chanting. The holy name then carries the
chanter across the material ocean of nescience. But as long as one
has not developed sufficient sraddha, he is unfit to chant. One
should hear the glories of the holy name from a saintly Vaisnava.
Becoming humble by hearing his instructions, he should cast aside
material desires and begin to chant. When the Vaisnava spiritual
master perceives the proper degree of sraddha in the candidate, he
initiates him into the greatest spiritual treasure Krsna's holy
name. But to initiate a faithless person is an abominable offense.
The guru goes to hell if he gives initiation to a faithless person
for remuneration.
If the guru knows that a person who has approached him for
initiation is an insincere, faithless pretender, and yet he still
heedlessly initiates this unfit person out of consideration for
the material gain it may bring him, he is condemned as a
namaparadhi. If the guru was unable to make a correct assessment
and gave the candidate initiation only to later discover that he
is a pretender, he must make immediate redress for his mistake.
The remedy for this namaparadha
If it was due to inadvertence and lack of experience that the
mistake of instructing and initiating a faithless person occurred,
the initiating spiritual master should be filled with fear and
remorse. He has to publicize his offense before the Vaisnava
community and reject that insincere disciple, excommunicating him.
If the guru fails to act promptly, he will gradually sink into the
depths of moral depravity and illusion, and be disenfranchized
from the path of devotion. Lord Caitanya's instructions to
preachers
Srila Haridasa Thakur said, "O Lord Caitanya, in Your
instructions to those You have ordained to propagate the holy
name, You specifically give warning about this. Preachers may
instruct the glories of the holy name only to the sraddhavan
(persons with sraddha).
"This the way by which the whole world will be inundated
with the chanting of the holy name: with loud congregational
chanting, the holy name is to be propagated widely among the
masses. Those who are faithful will come forward and choose a
bona fide spiritual master, receiving instructions and initiation
in the name from him. By sincere chanting they will surely
obtain love of Godhead, Krsnaprema.
"Prostitutes, criminals, cheaters and other sinful people
should first be made to give up their unrighteous, harmful ways.
Sincere faith should then be implanted in their hearts by good
association. When their faith in Krsna's holy name matures, only
then may they receive initiation. This is the duty of a preacher
as he goes from place to place.
The result of this namapardha
"If, without paying heed to Your instructions, a guru
initiates an insincere pretender, he commits a grievous offense
for which he goes to hell. The namapardhas committed by the
charlatan disciple slowly but surely diminish the guru's spiritual
potency, and finally the guru is ruined. This offense has a z
devastating effect on both the guru and the disciple they both
must enter hell. Sraddha first, then initiation
"My dear Lord, You were very merciful to Jagai and Madhai.
These brothers were born in a brahmana family, their original
names being Jagadananda and Madhavananda. They became known as the
worst rascals in Navadvipa due to their virulent and violent acts.
First You invoked faith in them and then You gave them the holy
name. O Lord, Your character and activities are exemplary, and
they spread illumination throughout the world. Let everyone follow
Your wonderful example."
Those who are servants of the servants of the Vaisnavas are
entitled to wear the precious gem of this Harinama Cintamani.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
TO EQUATE CHANTING WITH OTHER PIOUS ACTIVITIES (DHARMA VRATA TYAGA HUTADI) IS THE EIGHTH OFFENSE All glories to Lord Gauracandra, the avatara Who deliversthe holy name; all glories to the holy name, the essence of allVedic conclusions. Srila Haridasa Thakur continued, "O Lord, other piousactivities can never be equal to chanting the name."
The original form of the holy name
The Supreme Lord is like a transcendental sun Whose potency
is unlimited, everpure and allpervading consciousness. All His
endless expansions exhibit this absolute transcendental
consciousness, as do His name, abode, and pastimes. Unlike forms
of inert matter which are separate from their names, his direct
names are not different from Him.
Descending from Goloka, having been summoned by the chanting
of the pure devotee, the holy name enters that devotee's soul. The
pure name then emanates out of the soul and permeates his entire
body, dancing on the tip of his tongue. One who chants
understanding this is actually chanting the holy name, but one who
nourishes a material concept of the name is drowned in despondency
and suffers eternally in hell; a devotee should never see the face
of such an offender.
The scriptures declare Lord Krsna to be the only object of
research for seekers of the Absolute Truth. According to their
abilities, different reseachers adopted their own means to find
that one goal. Thus different paths like karma, jnana and bhakti
are deliniated. Those who are attached to gross materialism are
recommended the path of karma for purification. For souls
attracted to the illusionism of maya, the suggested path is the
cultivation of monistic philosophy. But for all jivas, pure
devotional service is the best and most suitable.
! What is subhakarma?
Persons pursuing mundane existence take to the worship of
the Supreme Lord out of fear of death. The Lord's lotus feet are
the perfect shelter, free from all anxiety, and are the only
means to cross over the ocean of nescience. But when the process
to obtain the protection of the Lord becomes colored by material
motives, then the process itself becomes mundane. Even though it
is the Lord who is being worshiped, because the process of
worship is mundane, the worship becomes materially pious activity
or subhakarma.
Subhakarma includes: altruistic work, fire sacrifices,
ablutions, charity, yoga, the practice of varnasramadharma,
pilgrimages, vows, offerings to forefathers, meditation,
cultivation of empirical knowledge, propitiation of demigods,
penances, austerities, etc. All these activities are means to
mundane objectives. But after a long period of practice of
subhakarma, the performer gradually obtains the real goal of all
his endeavors the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.
At this juncture, he must abandon the temporary ways of
subhakarma, for he now knows the genuine essence of all religious
duties bhakti, devotion to the Lord.
Subhakarma is indeed a viable path for conditioned souls to
attain the ultimate goal, i.e. love of Godhead. Yet one fact must
be clearly stated reaching perfection through subhakarma is a
timeconsuming affair. The ultimate objective is Krsna prema, which
is fully spiritual, but on the subhakarma path, the means to
attain it is mundane. Thus there is a gulf of difference between
the means and the objective.
[Footnote 1 by Bhaktivinoda] The evolution of the jiva from
mundane religiousity to Krsna consciousness is the master plan of
Providence, which impels the jiva to aspire for perfection. The
conditioned souls cannot exist without contacting matter. All
their thoughts and activities are intimately woven into the
fabric of materialism. Pious activities (subhakarma) provide a
means for the jiva to approach pure devotion through skillful
efforts of material contact. Simultaneously, this contact with
matter gives rise to discontent and suffering. Therefore, to
achieve the bliss of Krsna consciousness, in the end the jiva
must give up subhakarma. [End of footnote 1]
Chanting the holy name is not subhakarma
Out of His causeless compassion, the Supreme Lord incarnated
as the holy name, making Himself immediately available to the
jivas; thus the holy name is accepted by the intelligent and
righteous jivas as their only means of perfection. The scriptures
recommend chanting the Lord's name as the most effective process
of obtaining the supreme goal, but some persons understand this to
mean that chanting is one of many subhakarmas. This misconception
is similar to Lord Visnu being seen as just another demigod like
Siva or Brahma.
The holy name is fully spiritual and transcendental to
material nature. It is untainted by matter. Though the jiva is
likewise spiritual, he thinks himself material due to gross
ignorance. Consequently, he thinks that everything, including the
holy name of the Lord, is also material. Thus the chanting of
Lord Krsna's holy name came to be categorized as subhakarma, and
the jivas with Mayavadi leanings are convinced that this is right
and proper. But those who adhere to this view are excluded from
the path of devotional service.
The holy name is both the means and the end n The holy name
is the repository of spiritual bliss. He has descended to this
material world to be the means by which He, the summum bonum of
bhakti, is attained. The scriptures eulogize His divine glories,
for Krsna's name is both the means to prema and prema itself.
According to the individual jiva's degree of spiritual perfection,
he considers the Lord's holy name to be either the means or the
end. As long as one has not attained full Krsna consciousness, the
name appears as the means to reach that goal.
Subhakarma is the secondary means;
the holy name is the primary means
There are two means to the supreme goal: primary and
secondary. Subhakarma is the secondary means and the Lord's holy
name is the primary means. Though the holy name is counted as a
'means', it is nevertheless eternally the principle means. Once
this point is clearly understood, the differences between the
holy name and subhakarma will be clearly seen. The scriptural
verdict is that the holy name is the essence of spiritual bliss,
and is thus incomparible to any other subhakarma. One who chants
purely experiences how the insurpassable joy of the Lord and His
pastimes enters the heart and makes it soar with sublime delight:
such is the nature of the holy name of Krsna.
The joy of sayujamukti is insignificant
Even the bliss of selfrealization through jnana or yoga
cannot be compared to that of chanting the holy name, for the
state of joy in impersonal liberation is merely the cessation of
material suffering.
The wonderful quality of the holy name is that during the
sadhana (practice) period it is the means, and in the perfected
stage, it is the ultimate goal. Even while being utilized as the
means, the holy name remains always the goal. This cannot be said
of other subhakarmas, which are all mundane activities. The holy
name is purely spiritual, being selfmanifested from the realm of
suddhasattva. Even during the practice of sadhana, the holy name
is situated in pure goodness; the sadhaka's imperfections and
anarthas only seem to color it.
The holy name must be chanted in the association of
devotees: then all the material inebrities and anarthas disappear,
being replaced by the pure name of Krsna. The practice of
subhakarma must be discarded upon attainment of the shelter of the
ultimate destination. But chanters have never to give up the holy
name. They simply chant the pure name in the perfected stage.
The Lord's holy name is diametrically opposite in nature to
mundane subhakarma activities. In the sadhana stage, the devotee
should, by the grace of his spiritual master and on the basis of
Vedic proofs, comprehend the difference between the holy name and
subhakarma.
[Footnote 2 by Bhaktivinoda] Sraddha, when sufficiently
mature, brings one to the association of devotees. In that
association, one begins devotional service. The heart is
cleansed of all anarthas by chanting the holy name of the Lord.
As much as the heart is cleansed of anarthas, to that degree the
chanting becomes pure. Progressively, one is fixed in devotion
and develops taste for the holy name. The knowledge of these
developmental stages must be preliminarily understood and
believed in by the sadhaka through the grace of his spiritual
master. Otherwise, his anarthas will multiply due to his
committing namaparadha. But with this proper understanding and
faith, the pure name manifests very quickly. [End of footnote 2]
The remedy for this namaparadha
This namaparadha of equating the holy name with subhakarma
is committed because of sinful activities, especially the sin of
offending the devotees of the Lord. Immediate countermeasures
must be undertaken, because as a result of these offenses, the
jiva acquires the perverted Mayavadi understanding of the holy
name. Only the association of devotees can exculpate such
offenses.
To rid himself of this namaparadha, one must approach a
householder Vaisnava who originally came from a very low caste;
this is to stamp out any false understandings of designation and
caste distinctions. The offender should then smear all over his
own body, with great respect and faith, the dust of the feet of
that Vaisnava. He must also eat the remnants of this Vaisnava's
food and drink the water that washed his feet. In this way, the
proper attitude towards the pure name will again develop within
the offender's heart. The whole world sings of how Kalidasa was
saved from this namaparadha by the mercy of the Lord.
Srila Haridasa Thakur's attachment to the holy name
"My dear Lord, my consciousness is thoroughly mundane. Though
I mouth the names of the Lord, I am too unfortunate to experience
their transcendental touchstone qualities. O Lord! I beg You to
please appear as the holy name and dance on my tongue. I fall at
Your lotus feet and pray: if You like, You can keep me in this
material world or place me in the spiritual sky. Whatever desire
is Yours, You are free to fulfill, but please let me taste the
divine nectar of Krsna's holy name. You have descended amongst the
conditioned souls to distribute the holy name, so kindly also
consider me, an insignificant jiva. I am a fallen soul and You are
the savior of the fallen. Let this be our eternal relationship. O
Savior! On the strength of this relationship, I am begging from
You the nectar of the holy name.
Why the name is the religion of the age
"In Kaliyuga all other processes except the holy name are
incapable of redeeming the fallen souls. Therefore the chanting of
the holy name is the yuga dharma. Actually, it is the most n
efficient religious practice throughout all the ages. But in Kali
Yuga, unlike other ages, there is no other religion available.
Thus the holy name appears as the only religion that can redeem
the fallen souls."
Only one who is blessed with loving devotion as the servant
of Srila Haridasa Thakura, and who thinks himself devoid of
qualification, is fit to recite this Harinama Cintamani.
CHAPTER TWELVE
TO CHANT INATTENTIVELY (PRAMADA) IS THE NINTH OFFENSE
All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all His devotees;
by their causeless grace alone, I perform congregational chanting
of the holy name of the Lord.
The offense known as pramada or inattentive chanting
Srila Haridasa Thakura then said, "O Lord Caitanya, to Srila
Sanatana Goswami here in Jagannatha Puri and Srila Gopala Bhatta
Goswami in South India, you taught that the holy name must be
chanted attentively. Inattention in chanting is namaparadha.
One may carefully avoid all other namaparadhas, yet still not
experience the ecstasy of the pure name. This is an indication
of another type of namaparadha known as pramada, which prevents
the chanter from reaching the stage of nistha, or firm faith.
This in turn blocks the further growth of bhakti to the flowering
of Krsnaprema."
Three kinds of inattention
Pramada means 'madness', but 'inattention' and 'carelessness'
are also synonyms of this word. Inattentive chanting sows the
seeds of anarthas which soon develop in the heart. Inattention is
of three kinds. The first is called audasinya, or 'apathetic
devotional service', meaning a lack of fixed resolve in sadhana.
The second type is jadya, 'laziness' or even 'inertia'. The third
kind is viskepa, which means 'distraction' or 'misplacing one's
attention in engagements other than sadhana bhakti.'
It is essential to give special attention to chanting
while anuraga is undeveloped By a special stroke of good fortune,
a jiva develops enough sraddha to take shelter of the holy name.
By regularly chanting a fixed number of holy names with special
care and attention, he may, by degrees, progress to anuraga, or
spontaneous attraction for the Lord's name. He should chant his
prescribed number of rounds on a Tulasimala and increase his
rounds with time. Before he reaches the stage of anuraga, he must
be very cautious about offenses in chanting.
Most people are naturally very attached to material things,
their memories always absorbed in matter. They may indeed chant
the holy name of the Lord, but their minds may be far away from
the chanting. Even if they daily chant one lakha (one hundred
thousand) holy names on the japamala, not a drop of taste for the
Lord's name will be produced in their hearts. It is difficult to
restrain materialistic hearts from such offenses.
The process of overcoming apathy
One must make it his daily routine to chant for an hour in
the company of saintly Vaisnavas in a sacred, undisturbed place. z
Taking note of the Vaisnavas' devotional attitude and their relish
for the holy name, the neophyte should try to emulate this mood
and gradually rid himself of his apathy to chanting. Step by step,
his mind and attention should become fixed in the holy name. By
constant chanting, the sweetness of the holy name makes him
anxious to taste more of that nectar.
Advanced Vaisnavas advise that chanting is best performed in
the presence of Tulasidevi and in a place of Lord Krsna's
pastimes. The chanter should always seek the association of
saintly devotees and emulate their discipline. He must follow in
the footsteps of previous acaryas in the joyful method of
worshiping the Lord through His holy name. He may begin with an
hour of such chanting, then two, then increase it to four until
finally he will chant not less then three lakhas of holy names a
day. This helps him to soon sever his links with materialism.
Another effective method for ridding oneself of apathy
towards the holy name is to sit in a closed room alone and
meditate on the name as did the previous sages. Or one can cover
the head and face with a cloth and concentrate on the sound of
the holy name. This will immediately fix the mind firmly on the
holy name; slowly, one develops attraction for the name, and the
offense of apathetic inattentiion will vanish.
Overcoming laziness
Inattention arising from laziness (jadya) prevents a person
from relishing the nectar of the holy name. He is slow to chant
and remember the holy name. Even after trying, he very soon finds
the effort unendurable and wants to sleep or otherwise engage
himself in frivolity.
Advanced devotees are cautious against such an offense. They
never waste a single moment in useless talks or activities. Their
meditation on the Lord's holy name is unbroken. They are so
absorbed in the nectar of the holy name that they do not want
anything else. One must therefore aspire to associate with such
rare devotees and follow their example, thus ridding himself of
his laziness.
It is the nature of saintly Vaisnavas to be always engaged
in devotional activities. They never waste time uselessly. One
should become attracted to this devotional trait. One should ask
himself how he also can become like these devotees, immersed in
meditation upon the holy name; how, from this very day, he can
increase his chanting step by step until such time as he can
actually chant three lakhas of holy names with inspiration and
eagerness. When Lord Krsna sees such enthusiasm, He reciprocates
by removing the neophyte's mental inertia with the power of His
name, and by allowing him to remain in the association of His
advanced devotees.
Overcoming distraction
Distraction in chanting breeds illusion which becomes the
cause of further serious offenses against the holy name. This
illusion, difficult to overcome, engenders attraction to wealth,
women, position, success and the cheating propensity. When these
attractions cover the heart, the neophyte becomes neglectful of
the chanting of the holy name.
One must make a constant effort to try and drive such
attractions away from the mind by diligently following the ways of
Vaisnava culture. This will bring back his good fortune. For
instance, he should nicely observe the Ekadasi vows, the
appearance days of the Lord and other such important festival
days. He should spend the entire festival day and night chanting
and singing the glories of the Lord in association of saintly
devotees. The ideal way to observe these festivals is to be in one
of the dhamas (Navadvipa, Vrindavana, Puri etc.) with sadhus (pure
devotees in the line of Srila Rupa Goswami) reading and discussing
sastra (Vedic literatures like Bhagavadgita, Srimad Bhagavatam and
other Vaisnava scriptures). He should wholeheartily participate in
the festival programs without anxiety and hesitation. These
festivals will rekindle the dying spark of spiritual taste. Thus
he will be attracted to the pastimes of the Supreme Lord.
Tasting the superior flavor of pure Krsna consciousness, he
will naturally be disgusted by his inferior material attachments.
He will be enraptured by sweet songs of the Lord's pastimes sung
by the devotees, and his ears will fill up with nectar that
dislodges his mind from matter and fixes it upon the holy name
again. The devotee can then chant steadily in a joyous and
peaceful mood.
- Good advice for chanters
One must diligently complete the chanting of the daily
prescribed number of holy names according to one's vow. But
another kind of distraction occurs when one is too eager to
complete the fixed number of holy names even at the sacrifice of
quality. One must therefore always insure that he chants his
rounds sincerely. Also, one should better improve the quality of
his chanting rather than try to increase his daily number of
rounds for show. The name of the Lord should be always be
pronounced distinctly. Only by the grace of the Lord can this be
achieved. Thus one should pray to the Lord that he never falls
victim to the wiles of the illusion of distraction, and that he
can continue to taste the full nectar of the holy name.
The secret to success is humility
The devotee should make it a regular practice to spend a
little time alone in a quiet place and concentrate deeply on the
holy name. He should utter and hear the name distinctly. It is
impossible for the jiva to singlehandedly avoid and overcome the
illusion of distraction. By the mercy of the Lord, however, this
is accomplished with ease. Therefore it is essential to
prayerfully beg for the Lord's grace with great humility, for this
is the only means to salvation from this offense.
The necessity of developing enthusiasm
"O Lord Caitanya!" cried Thakur Haridasa. "You are an ocean
of compassion! I wholeheartedly beg for Your mercy. Indeed, if I
was unable to pray to You in this way, then no one would be more
unfortunate than I.
"Those who attempt to take up devotional service on the merits
of their individual intelligence and mental expertise will find
that all their endeavors are fruitless. Lord Krsna's mercy is the
prime cause of all successful work. One who does not z aspire to
obtain the Lord's mercy is indeed a very unfortunate soul." A note
about the vow of nirbandha
Srila Haridasa Thakur advised that we concentrate deeply on
the holy name of Krsna. Lord Caitanya's teachings on this matter
are found in the Caitanya Bhagavata, Madhya 23.650: "Hare Krsna
Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama
Hare Hare. The Lord said, 'This is the maha-mantra; now go and do
japa meditation, chanting these holy names a prescribed number of
times (nirbandha) each day. You will achieve all desirable
perfection from this chanting. Just chant the holy name
constantly, because no rules or regulations can restrict
chanting.'
The word nirbandha needs elaboration. The sadhaka should
chant the mahamantra on a japamala of 108 Tulasi beads. Four
rounds on the beads makes a granthi. By gradually increasing his
chanting, the sadhaka should aspire to chant 16 granthis or one
lakha of holy names: this number is considered as nirbandha. If
chanting is then even further increased to three lakhas of names,
the devotee will always be immersed in the Lord's holy name. All
the previous acaryas and mahajanas have followed this instruction
of Lord Caitanya and attained perfection. Even now, anyone can
attain perfection by proper chanting. Everyone, including the pure
devotees, the salvationists, and the materialistic persons are
eligible to chant the holy name of the Lord.
Two different moods of Krsnaprema are visible in pure
devotees, but the nectar of the holy name is relished in both of
these moods, in the happiness of meeting the Lord and in the pangs
of separation from the Lord.
One who wears the gem of Harinama Cintamani as a crown upon
his head will certeinly find shelter at Srila Haridasa Thakura's
lotus feet.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
TO MAINTAIN MATERIAL ATTACHMENTS OF 'ME' AND 'MINE'
IS THE TENTH OFFENSE
All glories to Sri Gadadhara Pandit and Lord Sri Gauranga;
all glories to Lord Nityananda, the life and soul of Srimati
Jahnavadevi; all glories to Sri Advaita Acarya, the Lord of
Mother Sita; all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya.
Drenched in tears of ecstatic love, Srila Haridasa Thakura
went on to explain, in a choked voice, the last of the offenses
to the holy name. "My Lord, this last namaparadha is the worst
kind of offense; its presence stops the flow Krsnaprema."
Even after having taken spiritual initiation, most materially
attached persons cannot fully give up bodily designations. They
maintain a 'me' and 'mine' mentality that sidetracks them from the
path of devotion. Bodily designations, e.g. 'I am a brahmana', 'I
am Vaisnava', 'I am king', or 'I am a rich man'; and
possesiveness, e.g. 'This is my position, wealth, son, grandson
and so on', symptomize immaturity of realization and are
deterrents to proper cultivation of devotional service. This is a
terrible offense that is only gotten rid of when one surrenders to
the holy Name.
The necessity and symptoms of surrender to the holy name
Having given up first nine namaparadhas, every devotee must
surrender completely to the holy name. According to the
scriptures, the process of surrender (saranagati) has six limbs.
It is impossible to explain them in detail here, but briefly they
are as follows.
The vow to accept everything favorable for the execution ofdevotional service; likewise, to reject anything unfavorable; to
be convinced that Lord Krsna will always give protection; to
depend wholly on Krsna for everything; to always feel meek and
humble; and to throw oneself at Lord Krsna's lotus feet in full
selfsurrender - these are the six limbs of surrender .
Devotional service is possible only while alive. Hence one
must accept that which keeps the body and soul together, and not
more. Life must be molded to facilitate devotional service.
Therefore one should develop a taste for objects that are
connected to Lord Krsna. Simultaneously, a natural distaste for
deterrents to devotional service will also arise within the
heart. Lord Krsna becomes the only protector and maintainer,
because no one is as dependable as He is. Knowing this, one
should think, 'As His eternal slave, I am somehow also an
insignificant member of Lord Krsna's family. My only aspiration
is to act according to His will.'
One must then drop all false designations like brahmana,
sudra, father, husband, king, subject, master, donor, maintainer;
and attachments to money, body, sons, wife etc. Instead, one
should enter the mood of the paraphernalia of Lord Krsna,
thinking: 'He is the real Master and Lord, and His will is
imperative. I am ready to act only to fulfil Lord Krsna's desire z
and will not even think about my own wishes. I will adjust my
household affairs for the Lord's satisfaction. By His wish I will
cross the material ocean. Only by His desire will I feel genuine
compassion for the suffering souls. In times of both joy and
sorrow I remain eternally Lord Krsna's servitor. My moments of
material enjoyment and my moods of renunciation are experienced
only due to the Lord's will.' When these feelings arise
spontaneously, one achieves the stage of atmanivedana (surrender
of the soul).
The consequences of not surrendering
One unable to accept the six limbs of surrender is a
prisoner of false ego who always thinks in terms of 'me' and
'mine'. He proudly declares, 'I am the master here. This
household and family belong to me. The fruits of work are mine
by right of labor, and I am their enjoyer, whether they be bitter
or sweet. I am my own protector and maintainer. This women is
my wife, here is my brother, he is my son. By the sweat of my
brow I earn my own living, and success is the reward of my endeavors.'
Intoxicated with such egoism, these materialistic persons
overestimate their own ability and intelligence. Scientists
propagate their theories and develop technology to flaunt their
denial of God. Among atheists, these are the worst demons. They
take credit for the so-called advancement of scientific technology
and for the material comfort it brings. But factually, it all
happens by the Lord's will: this they completely fail to see.
When the atheists hear the glories of the holy name they
disbelieve them. Yet sometimes even they utter Krsna's holy name
due to the pressure of social custom. But since this kind of
chanting is bereft of faith, they never experience bliss. Such
are the stereotyped ways of cheaters who make a mere show of
religion. By repeating Krsna's name, even though in neglect,
they earn a little piety, but they are deprived of the actual
result of chanting - pure love of Godhead.
The cause of their offensiveness is material engrossment.
They are so captivated by the illusory potency that they are
blinded, and it is extremely difficult for them to get free of
their offensive condition. Only one who acquires a taste for
pure devotional service becomes disgusted with material life;
leaving it, he takes full shelter of the holy Name.
How to rid oneself of this offense
Leaving aside all material attachments and accepting
voluntary poverty, one should humbly worship Lord Krsna's lotus
feet, taking full shelter of the chanting of the holy name. He
should aspire for the association of devotees and serve them
without material desires. Gradually his heart will become
impregnated with attraction for the holy name. The egoistic
mentality of 'me' and 'mine' will disappear and he will surmount
the ocean of material nescience.
By hearing the glories of the holy name, the last traces of
false ego will dissipate, and the symptoms of a pure devotee will
then blossom in his heart, and he will take to the six processes
of surrender. He who finds complete shelter in the holy name is x
a great soul, for he becomes the recipient of the great treasure
of Krsnaprema. The symptoms of one who is free from the ten
namaparadhas In being warned to avoid the ten offenses to the
holy name of the Lord, one is actually being ordered to positively
implement the specific saintly qualities that render these
aparadhas impossible. Therefore, one must: not criticize but serve
the saintly Vaisnavas; worship Krsna as the Absolute Supreme Lord;
give full respect to the spiritual master who initiates one into
the holy name; regard the scriptures that reveal the glories of
the holy name as preeminent; know within the heart that the holy
name is eternally situated in pure transcendence; root out and
destroy the desire to commit sins; preach the glories of the holy
name only to the faithful; give up ritualistic pious activities
entirely; chant with full attention and surrender fully to the
holy name.
Bhava is attained quickly when the chanting is free from
offenses When one is thus free from offenses, he becomes the most
fortunate soul in the three worlds. He acquires all good qualities
and is eligible to receive Lord Krsna's causeless mercy. Very
quickly, his chanting awards him the divine fruit of bhava, the
first stage of prema. Thus the offenseless chanter is promoted
from the sadhana or practice stage to bhava, or spontaneous pure
devotional service. From bhava comes prema, which, according to
the scriptures, is the mature fruit of pure devotion, the
pinnaccle of all perfection. Lord Caitanya personally guarantees
that if any devotee chants the holy name free from offenses, he
will quickly obtain Krsnaprema.
- Pure bhakti is priceless;
other attainments are imitation
If one continues to chant with offenses, then in spite of
many endeavors, he will never attain pure devotion. The fruitive
worker or karmi enjoys heavenly bliss through karma; the jnani
obtains liberation as a result of empirical knowledge; but pure
devotion to Krsna and Krsnaprema, which is very rarely attained,
is had only through the proper execution of sadhanabhakti.
The bliss of heaven and liberation is compared to motherof
pearl (the shining inner surface of a pearl oyster shell), and
pure bhakti to Krsna is the priceless gem pearl. It is the jiva's
prerogative and the success of his human birth to acquire pure
devotion. If one sincerely and expertly practices sadhana bhakti,
he very soon receives the seed of pure devotion or prema. The
meaning of expert practice is that one avoids the ten
namaparadhas.
One must be greedy for pure bhakti
to avoid offending the holy name
If one is sufficiently greedy for obtaining pure devotion,
then he will chant free from the ten offenses. He must diligently
avoid each of the offenses with feelings of deep repentance for
having ever commited them. He should pray sincerely to the lotus
feet of the holy name and chant with determination. Only then will
he be blessed with the mercy of the holy name, which z will
destroy all of his offenses. No other activity or penance can
possibly exculpate his offenses. - How to stop namaparadha
Offenses to the holy name of the Lord are dissolved only through
constant chanting. When they are so destroyed, they can never
reappear. Constant chanting means, apart from a minimal time for
rest and other bare physical necessities, that one should chant
throughout all hours of the day with intense contrition. No other
penance or ritual is as effective as this. When the offenses are
destroyed, the pure holy name blossoms within the heart. The pure
name of Krsna delivers bhava and finally prema.
Srila Haridasa Thakura concluded, "O Lord Caitanya, I humbly
pray at Your lotus feet that the ten offenses in chanting the
holy name of the Lord never find a place in my heart. Please
kindly grant that I may remain submerged in the nectar of the
pure name."
Bhaktivinoda, the servant of the devotees, is able to recite
Harinama Cintamani in great delight only on the strength of Srila
Haridasa Thakura's causeless mercy.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
OFFENSES IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE (SEVAPARADHA)
All glories to Sri Gadadhara Pandit and Lord Sri Gauranga; all
glories to Lord Nityananda, the life and soul of Srimati
Jahnavadevi; all glories to Mother Sita and Sri Advaita Acarya;
all glories to Srila Srivasa Pandit and all the devotees of Lord
Caitanya.
Srila Haridas Thakura is Namacarya
Lord Caitanya said, "My dear devotee Haridasa, the conditioned
souls of Kaliyuga will greatly benefit from this elaborate
explanation of the offenses against the holy name that you have
given. You are indeed a great spiritual master and acharya."
Srila Haridas Thakura is Namacharya, or the foremost
spiritual authority on the chanting of the holy name of Krsna.
He practiced everything he preached. He taught the jivas about
suddhanama, namabhasa, and the glories of Krsna's name; he also
instructed how one may stop comitting namaparadha all this by
his own example.
Lord Caitanya continued, "I much relished your dissertation
on the holy name. As an acarya, you are exemplary and as a
preacher, you are profound. You are always ornamented by the
priceless gem of the Lord's pure holy name. Ramananda Raya
taught me the sublime science of transcendental mellows, and now
you have revealed the glories of the holy name. Kindly tell me
something about the different kinds of offenses made in the
execution of devotional service to the Deity."
Srila Haridasa Thakura replied, "You are asking about a
subject that is known to a servant of the Deity. All my time is
taken up in serving the holy name. I don't know how to reply, yet
I cannot disregard Your instruction. I will speak whatever you
make me say."
- Varieties of sevaparadha
Offenses in devotional service (sevaparadha) are numerous.
In some scriptures, thirtytwo such offenses are listed, and in
others, fifty. By definition, sevaparadha is always related to
Deity worship. Learned devotees identify four classifications of
sevaparadha, which are: those pertaining to persons engaged in
Deity worship; those pertaining to the installation of Deities;
those pertaining to persons taking darsana of the Deity in the
temple; and those that generally apply in all cases.
- Thirty-two sevaparadhas
The list of thirty two offenses in Deity worship is as
follows: 1) entering the temple with shoes on; 2) alighting from a
vehicle before the Deity; 3) not observing the festival days; 4)
forgetting to offer obeisances and prayers to the Deity; 5)
offering worship to the Deity in an unclean or contaminated state;
6) offering obeisances on one hand; 7) circumambulating before the
Deity; 8) extending the feet towards the Deity or sitting on one's
haunches before the Deity; 9) sleeping or reclining in the
presence of the Deity; 10) eating before the Deity; 11) speaking
lies before the Deity; 12) speaking out loudly before the Deity;
13) talking with others before the Deity; 14) using abusive
language before the Deity; 15) giving charity or giving thanks to
others before the Deity; 16) quarrelling before the Deity; 17)
Crying, howling or shedding false tears before the Deity; 18)
criticizing someone before the Deity; 19) covering oneself with a
blanket or quilt before the Deity; 20) praising someone before the
Deity; 21) using obscene language before the Deity; 22) belching
or passing air before the Deity; 23) offering substandard
paraphernalia in the service of the Deity in spite of having
better; 24) eating or drinking unoffered food; 25) not offering
seasonal fruits and vegetables; 26) offering the Deity
contaminated food, or food first eaten by someone else; 27)
sitting with one's back to the Deity; 28) acting immodestly before
the Deity, as by sitting directly in front of the Deity; 29)
respecting or worshiping someone else before the Deity; 30) not
glorifying and offering obeisances to one's spiritual master
before the Deity; 31) glorifying oneself before the the Deity; 32)
slandering the demigods before the Deity.
More offenses listed in other scriptures
Other scriptural sources have listed additional offenses:
It is offensive to eat the food of materialists; to touch the
Deity of Hari in darkness; to touch the Deity without proper
rituals; to open the altar doors without an accompanying
performance of music and song for the pleasure of the Lord; to
offer food to the Lord that has been seen by a dog; to speak
during Deity worship; to leave the altar during Deity worship; to
offer arati without putting a flower garland on the Deities; to
worship Lord Krsna with unattractive or nonfragrant flowers; to
offer worship to Lord Krsna without first cleansing the face and
mouth; to offer worship to the Deity after sexual relations; to
touch a woman during her menstrual period; to touch fire during
Deity worship; to pass air before the Deity; to offer worship
wearing dirty or contaminated clothes; to offer worship while
angry; to offer worship directly after having been at a cremation
grounds, or having touched a dead body or seen a dead body's face;
to offer worship while suffering from indigestion or dysentery; to
eat garlic and onions; to chew betel and tobacco; to touch the
Deity after having had a massage with oil; to offer flowers from
an unclean pot; to worship at an inauspicious time; to worship
while sitting on the bare floor; to touch the Lord with the left
hand while bathing the Deity; to offer old or already offered
fruits or flowers; to boast during worshiping; to spit habitual n
®ly; to worship the Deity after having applied smudged or
horizontal (i.e. threelined) tilaka; to enter temple without
washing the feet; to offer the Deity food cooked by a
non-Vaisnava; to do puja in front of a non-Vaisnava; to not
worship Visvaksena (in place of Ganesa) before the puja; to see or
speak to a Siva or Durga worshipper; to bathe the Deity with water
touched by the fingernails; to use water for worship into which
sweat has fallen; to make oaths before the Deity; to step over the
Deity's prasada.
Sevaparadha is to be avoided those serving the Deity;
namaparadha is to be avoided by all devotees One who is engaged in
Deity worship must carefully avoid the sevaparadhas, and all
Vaisnavas must strictly abstain from the namaparadhas and relish
the taste of pure devotional service to Lord Krsna. The devotee
himself is the best judge of which offenses in seva to be vigilant
about, according to the service he is engaged in. But the
responsibility of avoiding namaparadha is applicable to every
Vaisnava at all times.
On the path of bhava-seva, or spontaneous devotional
service, namaparadha must be nonexistent Especially, that devotee
who worships the Lord in a secluded place in the ecstacy of
separation from the Deity must be free of the ten offenses against
the holy Name. In bhavaseva, service is performed in the mind;
there is not even opportunity for sevparadha. Only when the
devotee on this path is completely free of namaparadha can he
attain bhava, spontaneous loving devotional service to Krsna.
Constant meditation upon the holy name of the Lord is the
sadhana practice in bhava-seva, the offenseless stage of
devotional service. By the grace of the Lord, each of the nine
limbs of sadhanabhakti finally culminates in the prema of the pure
holy name. One who has ascended to this stage of realization may
then fully submerge himself in the nectar of chanting the holy
name, leaving aside other services.
[Editor's footnote:] Lord Caitanya instructed Srila
Raghunatha das Goswami on the worship of Sri GovardhanSila thusly
(as recorded in Caitanya Caritamrita, Antya 6.294-304):
'"This stone is the transcendental form of Lord Krsna.
Worship the stone with great eagerness. Worship this stone in the
mode of goodness like a perfect brahmana, for by such worship you
will surely attain ecstatic love of Krsna without delay. For
such worship, one needs a jug of water and a few flowers from a
Tulasi tree. This is worship in complete goodness when performed
in complete purity. With faith and love, you should offer eight
soft Tulasi flowers, each with two Tulasi leaves, one on each
side of each flower."
'After thus advising him how to worship, Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu personally offered Raghunatha das the Govardhana-Sila n
with His transcendental hand. As advised by the Lord, Raghunatha
das worshiped the Sila in great transcendental jubilation. Svarupa
Damodara gave Raghunatha das two cloths, each about six inches
long, a wooden platform and a jug in which to keep water. 'Thus
Raghunatha das began worshiping the stone from Govardhana, and as
he worshiped he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, the
son of Nanda Maharaja, directly in the stone. Thinking of how he
had received the Govardhana-Sila directly from the hands of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Raghunatha das was always overflooded with
ecstatic love. The amount of transcendental bliss that Raghunatha
das enjoyed simply by offering water and Tulasi is impossible to
achieve even if one worships the Deity with sixteen kinds of
paraphernalia.
'After Raghunatha das had thus worshiped the Govardhana-Sila
for sometime, Svarupa Damodara spoke to him as follows: "Offer
the Govardhan stone eight kaudis worth of the first-class
sweetmeats known as khaja and sandesh. If you offer them with
faith and love, they will be just like nectar."' [End of editor's
footnote]
It is on the strength of Srila Haridas Thakura's instruc
tions that a lowly person without means can recite the Harinam
Cintamani.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE BHAJANA OF CONFIDENTIAL WORSHIP
" OF THE HOLY NAME
" (BHAJANA PRANALI)
All glories to Sri Gadadhara Pandita and Lord Gauranga; all
glories to Lord Nityananda,; all glories to Sri Advaita Acarya,
the Lord of Mother Sita; all glories to all the devotees of Lord
Caitanya. One who rejects all other processes of elevation and
simply immerses himself in the chanting of the holy name is truly
a magnanimous soul and is glorious in all respects.
Lord Caitanya said, "My dear Haridasa, simply on the
strength of your wonderful devotion, you are conversant with all
knowledge. All the Vedic philosophical conclusions about the
Absolute Godhead, the jiva, maya, the pure name of the Lord,
namabhasa and namaparadha are revealed in your speech. It is
therefore rightly said that the Vedas gleefully dance upon your
tongue." The Lord, fully satisfied with His devotee, now
desired to hear the precepts of namarasa, the rare spiritual
science of the sweet mellows of the holy name, from the mouth of
Srila Haridasa.
Lord Caitanya continued, "Now please instruct Me about
namarasa. How can a jiva become eligible to receive it?" Srila
Haridasa Thakur then prayed at the Lord's lotus feet, submitting
with intense prema that whatever he would speak on this subject
would be inspired by the Lord Himself.
The true Rasa
In the Vedas the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called
Rasa. This rasa or the nectar of transcendental love permeates
the spiritual Kingdom of God. Worldy poets dabble in a rasa that
is totally mundane. Factually, theirs is not rasa but a perversion of it.
The rasa that is transcendental and ever situated in pure
goodness, beyond the jurisdiction of the twentyfour elements of
material nature, is in truth the real rasa. It is unknown even to
the atmaramas, the self-satisfied mystics who have surpassed
material nature but are yet unable to perceive transcendental
variegatedness. Rasa is eternal, full of cognizance and ever
blissful, eversheltered at Lord Krsna's lotus feet.
The Supreme Absolute Truth exists as saktiman or the
Energetic and sakti or the Energy. Qualitatively, saktiman and
sakti are the same, though differences between the two are to be
appreciated. Saktiman is always the Supreme Controller, willful
and independent; sakti always displays His full and supreme
potency. His sakti or potency manifests in three ways: the cit
potency or the spiritual nature, the jiva, and maya or the
material nature.
The cit potency reveals the Supreme Truth, His name, abode,
pastimes and beauty. Lord Krsna is that Supreme Truth. His
exquisite dark complexion, syama, is His beauty. Goloka is His
abode and the place of His pastimes. His name, abode, form,
qualities and pastimes are everexistent features of the nondual
spiritual substance, and the display of these transcendental
varieties is the function of His cit potency.
Lord Krsna is the original form of all transcendental
qualities. His eternal divine nature is His spiritual potency.
There is no inherent difference between the form of Krsna and His
divine nature. Yet spiritual variety (rasa) creates an impression
of difference, which is exhibited in the spiritual world.
Mayasakti is the external potency
The reflection of the spiritual potency is called mayasakti
or material nature. She is also known as the external potency.
She has produced this material world or Devidhama as ordered by
Lord Krsna.
There are two types of jivasakti
The marginal region (tatastha) of the spiritual potency
manifests the jiva-sakti. The jiva is eternal and inconceivably
one with and yet simultaneously different from the Supreme Lord.
He is Lord Krsna's spiritual energy and is therefore meant to be
part of the transcendental paraphernalia of the Lord's service.
There are two categories of jivas: nitybaddha and nityamukta,
or eternally conditioned and eternally liberated souls. The
eternally liberated jiva is entitled to render eternal devotional
service. The eternally conditioned jiva is engrossed in material
activities. He can also be said to be of two types: extroverted
and introspective.
The introspective nityabaddha jivas are searching for the
Absolute Truth. The extroverted jivas are totally absorbed in the
external features of gross matter and thus are far removed from
Krsna. They simply want to exploit things meant for Lord Krsna's
service for their own enjoyment. The more fortunate and pious
jivas amongst the introspective ones come into contact with
devotees and in their association take to the chanting the Lord's
holy name, which transports them through the portals of the
spiritual world. The less fortunate introspective jivas are
attracted to the paths of karma and jnana by which they worship
various demigods or finally merge into the impersonal Brahman.
The flowering of rasa
The holy name of Lord Krsna is the bud of the flower of
rasa, which is the essence of pure transcendence. By the grace of
Krsna, rasa is propagated in the material world in the form of
His holy name.
With the first opening of the bud of the holy name comes the
realization of the enchanting Syamasunder form of Krsna in Goloka
Vrindavan. The Lord's sixty-four transcendental qualities are
like the irresistible fragrance from the partially blossomed
flower.
When this flower comes into full bloom, it manifests the
eternal and confidential pastimes of Lord Krsna known as the
asta-kaliya-lila, or the eightfold loving affairs of Sri Sri
RadhaKrsna. And although this manifestation is transcendental, it
still appears in the material world. " The bhaktisakti Latent
within the jiva are the miniscule spiritual potencies of ahlada
(bliss) and samvit (knowledge). With the flowering of rasa, the
svarupasakti (the internal potency of the Lord Himself) descends
to contact and revive these tiny spiritual potencies of the jiva;
all this is effected by the causeless mercy of the holy name. The
svarupasakti descends as Bhakti devi, who embodies the full
mixture of the hladini and samvit potencies. This mixture is
called the bhaktisvarupamsakti, the potency of the form of pure
devotion. When his latent bliss and knowledge are infused with
this bhaktisvarupamsakti, the spontaneous loving attitude required
for entering the asta kaliyalila appears in the heart of the
chanter of the holy name.
The churning of rasa
Thus one reaches a state of perfection known as sthayibhava,
or permanent emotion, which is also known as rati. Four bhavas
combine to transform rati to rasa. The four bhavas
are: vibhava, anubhava, sattvika, and vyabhicari (or sancari).
Vibhava, the element that excites loving sentiment, has two
subdivisions: alambana and uddipana. Alambana or the root is again
of two parts: the visaya (subject) and the asraya (recipient). The
devotee of Lord Krsna is the asraya, and Lord Krsna Himself is the
visaya. Lord Krsna's transcendental beauty and qualities are known
as uddipana or the impetus. Thus where there is alambana (the root
relationship of the devotee and Krsna) and uddipana (the impetus
of the realization of Krsna's form and qualities), lila and rasa
can occur.
Anubhava (the external symptoms of the internal permanent
emotion) is what results from vibhava, or the effect of alambana
and uddipana. When these emotions become more intense, they are
transformed into sattvikabhava (loving emotions that cannot be
checked). At this same time sancaribhava (emotions that set
into motion the progress of rasa) come into play.
Rasa is like a machine. Rati, or permanent emotion, is the
axle of this machine. Once the machine starts moving by the
combined energy of the four bhavas, the permanent emotion
(sthayi-bhava) is then converted into rasa. The devotee, who is
the asraya (like a shelter or container), becomes the relisher of
that rasa. And that rasa is the Vraja-rasa or the spiritual
mellow of Vrindavan. That rasa is the essence of everything, and
is for the jiva the highest goal. The Vedas expound four goals -
dharma, artha, kama, moksha; but in fact the pinnacle of all
these perfections is rasa. The fully realized and perfected
beings are entitled to taste that rasa.
Elevation via the Hare Krsna mahamantra.
Amongst the introspective jivas, he who is attracted to pure
devotional service is the most evolved. The jiva can take up the
path of bhakti only after he has accrued sufficient sukriti or
piety from previous births. When such a jiva develops strong faith
or sraddha, he comes into contact with a pure devotee spiritual
master. By the grace of the spiritual master, he is initiated into
the chanting of the Hare Krsna mahamantra the holy names of the
Divine Couple. z Though this jiva is blessed with sraddha, his
desire for material gain poses an obstacle on his path of
progress. The spiritual master graces the jiva with a disciplinary
process suitable for overcoming this obstacle. Thus he gains
spiritual strength from chanting. Chanting on Tulasi beads and
meditating on a fixed number of holy names every day is the best
form of worship, and will surely lead to success. Therefore, in
the beginning, a little time should daily be spent in seclusion
for full concentration upon the holy name. In degrees, as chanting
increases, a more profound relationship with the holy name is
developed, and the material impediments fall away.
The path of bhakti features two important engagements, one
of which is Deity worship, the other chanting and meditating upon
the holy name. Although both engagements are expedient, chanting
and meditating on the holy name is preferred by the more deeply
serious devotees.
Many elevated pure devotees at times chant aloud the holy
names on their beads, and then at other times meditate upon
Krsna's pastimes on the beads. The advantage of performing
kirtan, or audibly chanting the maha-mantra on the beads, is that
three kinds of devotional service hearing, chanting and
remembering are accomplished simultaneously. Of course, all
the nine limbs of devotional service reside in the holy name; of
them, hearing, chanting and remembering are the best.
Chanting automatically manifests the other limbs of
devotional service, like pada-sevanam, dasyam, sakhyam, atma-
nivedanam, and so on. Thus the process of Deity worship is
automatically accomplished by the devotee surrendered to the holy
name. But the devotee attracted to Deity worship will have to
acquire attraction for hearing and chanting in order to attain
complete perfection in Krsna consciousness.
Who is eligible to chant the holy name?
Three kinds of jivas are captivated by external material
phenomena: the gross materialists, the karmis and the jnanis. They
are therefore extroverts all, chasing after false hopes for
happiness in the realm of fleeting appearances. The gross
materialist endeavors for sensual delights. The karmi aspires for
ephemeral heavenly bliss in the hereafter. The jnani is wholly
concerned with how to mitigate his existential suffering. After
surpassing these stages, the jiva becomes truly introspective,
seeking entrance into the realm of the internal spiritual energy.
The introspective jivas are divided into three categories:
kanistha, madhyama, and uttama (neophyte, intermediate, and
advanced).
The neophyte devotee rejects demigod worship and worships
only Krsna, but with certain material motivations due to lack of
sambandhajnana. Simple and naive, he is not offensive; he is
just selfpreoccupied. Therefore, although such neophytes are
not considered to be pure Vaisnavas, they are certainly to be
accepted as Vaisnava-praya or resembling Vaisnavas.
The intermediate or madhyama devotee is pure and is very
firmly situated in faith. The uttama or advanced devotee is
completely indifferent to material things and is fully surrendered
to Krsna. The pure name avails Himself to those who have exclusive
faith in Krsna. z Stepbystep advancement in hearing, chanting, and
remembering The order of discipline (sadhanakrama) for realizing
the identity of the holy name with the Lord is as follows. The
devotee must in the beginning discard the ten offenses and simply
absorb himself in the holy name by chanting constantly. He should
distinctly pronounce the holy name and meditate upon the
transcendental sound vibration. When his chanting is steady, clear
and blissful, he will be able to meditate upon the Syamasundara
form of the Lord. With chanting beads in hand, he should thus seek
out the transcendental form of the holy name, which will appear
when his vision is pure.
Another method he may employ to see this form is to sit in
front of the Deities, drink the beautiful sight of the Lord with
his eyes and meditate upon the holy name. After reaching the
stage where the holy name and the form of the Lord become one, he
must then absorb the transcendental qualities of Lord Krsna into
his meditation. Thus the holy name and the qualities of Krsna
merge to become one through constant chanting.
Next, he goes on to practice the remembrance of particular
pastimes of the Lord. This remembrance, called mantradhyana mayi
upasana, facilitates further absorbtion into the holy name. This
lila-smarana or pastime meditation also gradually become one with
the holy name, form, and qualities.
At this point, the first rays of namarasa, or the
transcendental mellow of the holy name, dawn on the horizon of
perception. Chanting the name in great delight, the devotee sees
Krsna surrounded by cowherd boys and girls under a desire tree at
the Yoga Pitha. Progressively, the devotee's practice of
lila-smarana intensifies to the point where he begins to meditate
on the most confidential pastimes of the Lord known as the
asta-kaliya- lila, or the eightfold pastimes of RadhaKrsna. When
he reaches maturity in this meditation, rasa rises in full glory.
The svarasiki process of worship
Asta-kaliya-lila smarana is also known as svarasiki worship.
In this stage of bhajana, one is awarded the opportunity to
accordingly serve Krsna in the times and places of his pastimes.
Now the devotee realizes the full grace of his spiritual master,
who, in his eternal spiritual form (siddha-svarupa), guides the
disciple to a sakhi (confidential gopi) who in turn introduces him
into the pastimes of the Lord. Of all the gopis, Srimati
Radharani, the daughter of King Vrisabhanu, is the most excellent.
She embodys the highest spiritual sentiment, mahabhava. Serving
Krsna under Her leadership is the supreme spiritual experience.
The five main rasas or spiritual mellows are: santa
(neutrality), dasya (servitorship), sakhya (friendship), vatsalya
(parenthood), and sringara or madhurya (conjugal). Of these,
sringara or conjugal is the highest. Devotees eligible to enter
the conjugal rasa are the recipients of the special mercy of Sri
Krsna Caitanya.
In the conjugal rasa, Lord Krsna has many yutheswaris or
female group leaders; but everyone prefers Srimati Radharani. She
is the direct manifestation of Lord Krsna's svarupa-sakti or
spiritual potency, and all the other vraja-gopis are Her
expansions. She is the Absolute embodiment of all the rasas. It is
therefore the goal of devotional service to enroll in Her yutha or
group. Service to Lord Krsna in Vraja is impossible without first
taking shelter of the vrajagopis. One should furthermore aspire to
enter Srimati Radharani's camp and serve directly under
Lalitadevi.
When the material coverings are removed,
the spiritual goal is acheived
As the devotee becomes disciplined in rasa, the gap between
sadhana (practice) and bhajanasiddhi (perfection of worship)
closes. Soon, the servitor's spiritual form begins to take shape.
By the mercy of the yutheswari, he becomes easily overpowered by
attraction to Lord Krsna. This strong spiritual attraction
eradicates the gross and subtle material concepts of form that
captured him when he turned away from Krsna. Thus the jiva gains
entrance into Vraja in his original spiritual form.
Up to this point, the jiva's progress in spiritual life can
be framed in words. Beyond it, there are even higher stages of
Krsna consciousness that are indescribable. These will be
revealed by the grace of Krsna. The cultivation of the conjugal
loving relationship with the Lord is the highest mode of service;
by this, everincreasing Krsnaprema will be experienced. By
adopting the bhaumavrajarasa, or the vrajarasa revealed on
this material plane in Vrindavandhama, one becomes eligible to
enter such conjugal love.
Sri Ramananda Raya said, 'Therefore one should accept the mood
of the gopis in their service. In such a transcendental mood, one
should always think of the pastimes of Sri Radha and Krsna. After
thinking of Sri Sri RadhaKrsna and Their pastimes for a long time
and after getting completely free from material contamination, one
is transferred to the spiritual world. There the devotees attain
an opportunity to serve Sri Radha and Krsna as one of the gopis.
Unless one follows in the footsteps of the gopis he can not attain
the service of the lotus feet of Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja.
If one is overcome by knowledge of the Lord's opulence, he can not
attain the Lord's lotus feet even though he is engaged in
devotional service." (Sri Caitanya caritamrita, Madhya 8.228230)
The devotee who is inclined to cultivate the conjugal rasa
must accept the form of a gopi under the guidance of a superior
vrajagopi. One can become a gopi when eleven transcendental
sentiments adorn the heart. They are: 1) sambandha (relationship),
2) vayasa (age), 3) nama (name), 4) rupa (form), 5) yutha-pravesa
(entrance into a group), 6) vesa (attire), 7) ajna (instructions),
8) vasasthana (place of residence), 9) seva (service), 10)
parakastha (excellence), 11) palyadasi-bhava (the mood of a kept
maidservant).
Five stages of consciousness
are ascended in bhavasadhana
The cultivation of these eleven gopi sentiments develops
through five stages. They are: 1) sravana-dasa (the stage of
hearing), 2) varana-dasa (the stage of acceptance), 3) smarana- z
dasa (the stage of remembering), 4) apana-dasa (stage of
application), and 5) sampati-dasa (stage of inheritance). Srila
Ramananda Raya says, 'One who is attracted by the ecstatic love of
the gopis does not care about the regulative principles of Vedic
life or popular opinion. Rather, he completely surrenders unto
Krsna and renders service unto Him.' 'In this liberated stage the
devotee is attracted by one of the five humors (rasas) in the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. As he continues to
serve the Lord in that mood, he attains a spiritual body to serve
Krsna in Goloka Vrindavan.' (Sri Caitanyacaritamrita, Madhya
8.220, 8.222) So saying, Srila Ramananda Raya instructs us to
first attain the form and mood of a vraja- gopi in order to obtain
service in the conjugal relationship.
When a sadhaka devotee, having heard about Lord Krsna's
pastimes, is attracted to the conjugal mellow, he should take
further instruction on rasa from a realized, saintly spiritual
master. This is called the stage of hearing or sravana-dasa. When
the sadhaka devotee anxiously and eagerly accepts the conjugal
mellow, varana-dasa commences. Then, by pure remembrance of the
sentiments of rasa, he desires to practice them: thus he reaches
the third stage, smarana-dasa. When he is able to perfectly invoke
these sentiments of rasa, he attains apana- dasa or prapti-dasa.
Finally, when he can separate himself from all his temporary
material designations and is steadily fixed in that original
spiritual identity for which he yearns, he has reached
sampati-dasa: the inheritance of his spiritual identity.
Bhajan from the stage of sravanadasa to smaranadasa.
If, after having tested the disciple, the spiritual master
determines that he is eligible to perform bhajan and serve in the
sringara rasa, he then confidentially informs the disciple about
his eternal spiritual form as a manjari in Srimati Radharani's
camp, under the supervision of Sri Lalitadevi. The spiritual
master teaches the disciple how to develop the eleven sentiments
of the gopis, how to meditate on the asta-kaliya-lila, and how to
properly be established in both.
So that he may fully understand them, the sadhaka is shown
his siddhadeha or spiritual identity, viz. his spiritual name,
form, qualities, service and so on. The spiritual master also
discloses who the parents of the sadhaka's manjariidentity are, at
which house she was born, who her husband is, and so on. At this
point, the disciple must spurn all Vedic religious pursuits and
simply be a fully surrendered maidservant of Srimati Radharani,
the camp leader; thereafter, the guru will reveal in detail the
disciple's eternal service to Srimati Radharani in the
asta-kaliya-lila. The sadhika (now a female sadhaki) embraces
these revelations in varanadasa. He enters into smaranadasa when
he actually remembers them for himself. In this way, the sadhaka
prepares himself for spiritual birth as a gopi in Vraja.
A digression on the subject of ruci
But in the beginning the spiritual master and disciple must
together sort out the disciple's natural inclination (ruci) for
rasa. If the disciple finds his natural taste coincides with the
identity indicated by the spiritual master, he should so inform
his guru and embrace that identity as his life and soul. But if
the disciple does not have a natural taste for the selected z
identity, he must frankly reveal this to his spiritual master, who
will give him another identity. If the disciple has a taste for
the new identity, he should accept it. His inherent nature will
then manifest itself. Ruci or taste is the natural devotional
propensity born out of bhaktisukriti, or previous devotional
service. It may therefore be long standing or only recently
developed. But in either case ruci is natural to the soul. When
this inclination is determined by the spiritual master, it must be
confirmed by the disciple. If the inclination is not fixed, the
spiritual master's instructions on rasa will not take effect.
Those who are not attracted to the sringararasa, preferring
dasya, sakhya or vatsalya, must likewise receive instructions
from the spiritual master on these relationships in order to get
the fruit of their devotion, or else return to a life of anarthas.
The great devotee Syamananda at first was not aware of his
own siddharuci or permanent devotional propensity; he was made
to embrace the sakhyarasa or the mood of friendship. Later, by
the grace of Srila Jiva Goswami, he attained his real position.
If an inappropriate ruci is falsely attached to the sadhaka,
it is compared to the gopiidentity's acceptance of a husband. But
by the grace of his spiritual master, the sadhaka at last attains
Krsna's service in the parakiyarasa or paramour relationship. Rasa
comes to a full bloom only in the parakiya mood. The summit of
Lord Caitanya's teachings is that the parakiya attitude is the
permanent feature of the pastimes of the Lord, both in their
appearance [when Krsna descends to Vrajabhumi] and their
disappearance [into the invisible Vraja of the transcendental
world].
The conjugal rasa is completely transcendental Sringararasa
is totally devoid of even an iota of materialism. The
transcendental jiva, in order to enjoy and exchange pure rasa,
becomes a transcendental gopi and renders devotional service to
the transcendental personalities of Sri Radha and Sri Krsna in the
transcendental realm of Vrindavana. There is not the slightest
tinge of the mundane man-woman relationship in Vrndavana. Only the
purest essence of conjugal love is manifested in the perfected
identity of the soul. And realization of this is available only
from a pure devotee spiritual master. Other than by his grace,
this inconceivable truth can never be understood. It is beyond the
realm of speculation and pedantic scrutiny. Its realization is
extremely rare.
The transition from smaranadasa to apanadasa is crucial
Perfection eludes the disciple if he does not elevate
himself from the stage of smarana-dasa to apana-dasa. The
confidential process of apanadasa is most exalted, devoid of the
false posturing of karma, jnana or yoga. Externally, the devotee
engages himself fully in the chanting the holy name, leading a
renounced and simple life. Internally, he keeps the splendorous
Editor's note: refer to C.c. Adi 4.50, purport, for further
elaboration on this topic. z flames of rasa burning with pure
intensity all the time. Those sadhakas who are prone to a pompous
external display of devotion or who fail to steady and properly
direct their internal spiritual aspirations are unable to elevate
themselves from the platform of smarana to apana-dasa. Thus the
sadhaka may linger, unaccomplished, through many lifetimes of
devotional practice. This path of worship or bhajana is the
simplest, but if the purity of the bhajana is in any way
disfigured by a tinge of the contaminated desires for recognition,
distinction or preference, then the sadhaka is thrown off the path
of vraja-sadhana or bhajana in the mood of Vraja. One must
approach the spiritual master with simple humility and learn this
pure process properly.
By always remembering that he is pure spirit soul, part and
parcel of the Absolute Whole, that he has a transcendental
original form that is allperfect, that He has forgotten his
perfect spiritual state and come under the clutches of maya, that
he is offensive to Lord Krsna, being inebriated with the false
designations of his gross body, but by the mercy of his spiritual
master he can regain knowledge of his real self the method for
the reawakening of the disciple's original identity can be
quickly accomplished.
- Two methods of sadhana:
! vaidhi and raganuga
There are two methods of sadhanabhakti: one is vaidhi
(rules and regulations) and the other is raganuga (spontaneous).
In the beginning, these two methods appear to be contradictory,
but upon comprehension of their real purpose, the differences
between them are dissolved. The vaidhi method of sadhana arises
from respect for the regulations of scripture. Raganugasadhana
is born out of an intense attraction for the activities of the
residents of Vraja. The first is the usual method, whereas the
second is extremely rare and confidential.
To the stage of apanadasa via vaidhisadhana The vaidhibhakta
crosschecks all his activities of service to Krsna with scriptural
injunction. Thus his beginning faith (sraddha) for the process of
devotional service leads him step by step to nistha (firm faith),
then to ruci (taste or attraction), then asakti (attachment). When
he reaches the first stage of spontaneity and slight bhava, he
discards his dependence upon scriptural directives as an
impediment to his progress. After this, he is elevated to the
stage of apana-dasa, where the difference between devotees
following vaidhi and raganuga disappear.
To the stage of sampatidasa via raganugasadhana
[continued from the section subtitled
"Bhajana from the stage of sravanadasa to smaranadasa"]
In the smaranadasa stage of raganugasadhana, the eleven
sentiments of the gopis are first remembered by the sadhaka;
these sentiments must adorn his emotions before he can remember
the astakaliyalila.
There are five levels of remembrance in smaranadasa.
Initially, his remembrance will not be steady; this level is
called smarana. Sometimes he remembers the sentiments, his
position and his service, and at other times he forgets. But by
steady practice of smarana, gradually he reaches permanency ofremembrance, or dharana. As one meditates on every aspect of the
subject of remembrance, part by part, minutely, dharana develops
into fixed meditation - this is dhyana. When dhyana becomes
continual, is is called anusmriti. Following anusmriti is the
fifth level of remembrance, samadhi, when the devotee has no
interest in anything other than perfect absorption in the pastimes
of Lord Krsna.
From the samadhi level of smarana-dasa, the crucial ascension
to apana-dasa or the stage of application takes place. For one who
is not adept, elevation through the five stages of smarana-dasa to
apana-dasa may require many yugas of effort; for a dexterous
sadhaka, reaching apana-dasa is accomplished quickly.
In the apana-dasa stage, identification with the
psychophysical body is reduced to insignificance. His spiritual
identity (svarupa) becomes more and more predominant.
Intermittently, it manifests and he experiences sublime ecstasy in
rendering devotional service to Sri Sri RadhaKrsna in Vraja. These
experiences develop until he spends long periods of time in Vraja
interacting with the residents in his vraja-svarupa, seeing the
dhama and the transcendental pastimes within.
The devotee's constant namabhajana inevitably brings about
a face to face meeting with Lord Syamasundera. By the Lord's
merciful will, all trace of the devotee's subtle body of mind,
intelligence and false ego are extinguished with the demise of
the gross body of five elements. Thus he enters the sampati dasa stage.
This is when the devotee's pure spiritual form fully
manifests, free of material coverings. In the mood of pure bhava,
he takes up his eternal service to Sri Sri RadhaKrsna in the
transcedental dhama. He thus becomes a sadhana-siddha or a
perfected soul now reinstated in his svarupa through practice of
sadhana and bhajana. He now serves the Lord in the company of the
nityasiddhas, the eternal associates of the Lord who were never
conditioned.
' Summary
The holy name is the greatest and yet the easiest obtainable
spiritual treasure. This treasure is obtained by the jiva who
chants with faith and devotion, not caring for karma, jnana and
yoga. That jiva quickly and easily ascends to the highest
perfection by following the method of namabhajana described
above.
This method is the best of methods, better even than other
methods of bhakti. The basic requirement for successful
accomplishment of namabhajana is that the sadhaka must totally
shun bad association and engage in the practice of devotional
service in the company of saintly devotees of the Lord. Pure love
of Krsna is the expression of unalloyed devotional service. Only a
pure devotee's heart has the inclination and capability of
receiving prema; the non-devotee's heart denies it. Prema refuses
to enter the heart of one who does not keep the company z of pure
devotees. The jiva's decision to accept either good or bad
association has a powerful and lasting influence on his destiny.
There are three essential traits that must be cultivated to
obtain success in chanting the holy name of the Lord: saintly
association, isolation from the disturbances of mundane life, and
determined, confident enthusiasm.
After saying this, Srila Haridasa Thakura declared himself to
be very low and materially engrossed, bereft of good association
and always engaged in selfdeception. Although Srila Haridasa is
himself a nityasiddha associate of the Lord, he expressed himself
in this humble way. Humility is the ornament of prema.
The Lord's special favor upon Srila Haridasa Thakur
Srila Haridasa continued, "O Lord, kindly shower upon me Your
causeless mercy (ahaitukikripa). I pray that You grant me entry
into the realm of bhakti-rasa." Saying this, Srila Haridasa fell
unconscious in loving ecstasy, fully selfsurrendered at the Lord's
lotus feet.
Ahaitukikripa means 'causeless mercy'. By saying this,
Srila Haridasa implied that he was spiritually unaccomplished and
therefore had no hope for the kind of mercy Lord Krsna bestows
upon His pure devotees. In his mood of utter helplessness he
simply prayed for Lord Caitanya's unconditional grace.
Srila Haridasa Thakur is famous for nama-bhajana and his
teachings on the glories of the holy name, yet he is also the
recipient of Lord Caitanya's special mercy. He is such an
authority on the philosophy of namarasa that once, when Lord
Caitanya was relishing the topics of RadhaKrsna lila with Sri
Ramananda Raya and Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya in the courtyard of
Srila Haridasa Thakur's bhajana-kutir, Srila Haridasa repeatedly
expounded at length on the glories of nama-rasa to the rapt
attention of the other exalted persons present.
Lord Caitanya was moved by divine loving emotions upon
hearing Srila Haridasa's Thakura's plea for mercy. Lifting Srila
Haridasa up in His embrace, the Lord then spoke in confidence to
him. "O Haridasa! Listen attentively to what I have to say.
The truth about the holy name will be hidden by mischievious
rascals who will create a dark shroud of ignorance over the
entire world. At that time, these excellent and unrivalled
instructions of yours about chanting in the association of
saintly persons shall be understood only by a remaining handful
of devotees."
What did Lord Caitanya mean by 'mischievous rascals'? The
prime candidates for this appellation are the various upstart
sects like the sahajiyas, aulas, baulas and so on, who propagate
bogus mundane doctrines disguised as Mahaprabhu's own teachings;
they indeed conceal from the world the pure philosophy of Krsna
consciousness expounded by the Lord Himself in His Siksastaka.
The Lord continued, "The true path of the holy name will be
followed by saintly souls who are totally detached from material
life. They will chant the holy name with bhava and will therefore
be known be known as rasikabhaktas. Their bhava will be z that of
separation; by their chanting they will relish the pastimes of
RadhaKrsna and the eight principal gopis.
"The jiva is blessed with pure bhakti only on the strength of
his sukriti, or piety and faith. Not everyone is entitled to have
such devotion, but in order to instill such devotion in the hearts
of the faithful, I have descended to propagate the chanting of the
holy name as the religion for this age. The chanting of Hare Krsna
Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama
Hare Hare is factually the jiva's inherent and eternal religion.
"My dear Haridasa, in the accomplishment of this mission I
depend upon your help, and thus I am hearing from you the glories
of the holy name."
The Harinama Cintamani, this touchstone of the Lord's holy
name, is an unfathomable mine of divine nectar. Whoever tastes
it is truly fortunate and is blessed by Krsna; he is a great soul
and always blissfully serves Lord Krsna in spontaneous loving
devotion. I am a fallen soul; I clasp his feet and humbly pray
that the remnants of this nectar should be distributed profusely,
thus spreading divine bliss to everyone.
THUS ENDS SRI HARINAMA CINTAMANI
[Source: Institute of Philosophy of Russian Academy of Sciences ]