Chapter - 9 Deity Worship 111 111

Chapter - 10

Ten Offenses to the Holy Name

1.1.1. To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for
propagating the holy name of the Lord.
Çréla Jéva Gosvämé Prabhu has quoted many passages from authentic
scriptures and has ably supported the statements in the matter of
offenses at the feet of the holy name. Quoting from the Märkaëòeya
Puräëa, Çré Gosväméjé says that one should neither blaspheme the
devotee of the Lord nor indulge in hearing others who are engaged in
belittling a devotee of the Lord.
(Purport, Çrémad-Bhägavatam 2.1.11)
1.1.2. To consider the names of the demigods like Lord Çiva or Lord
Brahmä to be equal to, or independent of, the name of Lord Viñëu.
As far as distinguishing the Lord’s holy name from the names of the
demigods, the revealed scriptures disclose (Bhagavad-gétä 10.41) that
all extraordinarily powerful beings are but parts and parcels of the
supreme energetic, Lord Kåñëa. Except for the Lord Himself, everyone
is subordinate; no one is independent of the Lord. Since no one is more
powerful than or equal to the energy of the Supreme Lord, no one’s
name can be as powerful as that of the Lord. By chanting the Lord’s
holy name, one can derive all the stipulated energy synchronized from
all sources. Therefore, one should not equalize the supreme holy name
of the Lord with any other name. Brahmä, Çiva or any other powerful

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god can never be equal to the Supreme Lord Viñëu.
(Purport, Çrémad-Bhägavatam 2.1.12)
1.1.3. To disobey the orders of the spiritual master.
The most grievous type of vaiñëava-aparädha is called guru-
aparädha, which refers to offenses at the lotus feet of the spiritual
master. In the chanting of the holy name of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, this guru-aparädha is considered the most grievous
offense.
(Purport, Çrémad-Bhägavatam 4.21.37)
A disciple who lacks faith in his spiritual master or who acts
independently from him cannot attain success in chanting Hare
Kåñëa:
It appears from the talks of Lord Caitanya that a person who
cannot keep his faith in the words of the spiritual master and who
acts independently cannot attain the desired success in chanting
Hare Kåñëa.
(Teachings of Lord Caitanya)
1.1.4. To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the
Vedic version.
Worshipers of impersonalists are guilty of the offense of blaspheming
the Vedic literature. çruti-çästra-nindana (blaspheming the Vedic
literature), Jéva Gosvämé states in his Bhakti-sandarbha, worshipers
of impersonalists are also päñaëòis.
(Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä 18.115)
Mäyävädés offend the holy name by differentiating it from the Lord
Himself. For this offense of nämäparädha they gradually glide down
from their exalted position of brahma-jïäna.
(Purport, Çrémad-Bhägavatam, 10.2.32)
1.1.5. To consider the glories of chanting Hare Kåñëa to be imagination
and to give some interpretation of the holy name of the Lord.
Once the Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu explained the glories of the
holy name to the devotees, but some ordinary students who heard
Him fashioned their own interpretation. When a student interpreted
the glories of the holy name as a prayer of exaggeration, Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu, greatly unhappy, immediately warned everyone not
to see the student’s face henceforward.
When Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu explained the glories of the
transcendental potency of the Lord’s holy name, the Hare Kåñëa
mahä-mantra, one unfortunate student said that such glorification
of the holy name was an exaggeration in the çästras to induce
people to take to it. In this way the student interpreted the glories
of the holy name. This is called artha-väda, and it is one of the ten
Chapter - 10 Ten Offenses to the Holy Name 113 113
offenses at the lotus feet of the holy name of the Lord. The holy
name is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore one who distinguishes between the Lord and His name is
called a päñaëòé, or nonbeliever, an atheistic demon. Glorification of
the holy name is glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
One should never attempt to distinguish between the Lord and His
name or interpret the glories of the holy name as mere
exaggerations.
(Purport, Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä 17.72-73)
1.1.6. To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name of the
Lord.
The chanting of the holy name is so auspicious that it can free
everyone from the reactions of sinful activities. One should not
conclude that one may continue to sin with the intention of chanting
Hare Kåñëa to neutralize the reactions. Rather, one should be very
careful to be free from all sins and never think of counteracting
sinful activities by chanting the Hare Kåñëa mantra, for this is another
offense. If by chance a devotee accidentally performs some sinful
activity, the Lord will excuse him, but one should not intentionally
perform sinful acts.
(Purport, Çrémad-Bhägavatam 6.3.31)
[Mahäräja Parékñit] compared atonement to an elephant’s bathing.
The elephant may take a very nice bath in the river, but as soon as
it comes onto the bank, it throws dirt all over its body. What, then,
is the value of its bathing? Similarly, many spiritual practitioners
chant the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra and at the same time commit
many forbidden things, thinking that their chanting will counteract
their offenses.
(The Nectar of Instruction Text 1)
1.1.7. To consider the chanting of Hare Kåñëa one of the auspicious
ritualistic activities offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities (karma-
käëòa).
One who says that ten million açvamedha sacrifices are equal to
the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kåñëa is undoubtedly an
atheist. He is sure to be punished by Yamaräja.
In the list of the ten kinds of offenses in chanting the holy name of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hare Kåñëa, the eighth
offense is dharma-vrata-tyäga-hutädi-sarva-çubha-kriyä-sämyam
api pramädaù. One should never consider the chanting of the holy
name of Godhead equal to pious activities like giving charity to
brähmaëas or saintly persons, opening charitable educational
institutions, distributing free foodstuffs and so on. The results of
pious activities do not equal the results of chanting the holy name
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of Kåñëa.
The Vedic scriptures say:
go-koöi-dänaà grahaëe khagasya
prayäga-gaìgodaka-kalpa-väsaù
yajïäyutaà meru-survarëa-dänaà
govinda-kérter na samaà çatäàçaiù
“Even if one distributes ten million cows in charity during an eclipse
of the sun, lives at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamunä for
millions of years, or gives a mountain of gold in sacrifice to the
brähmaëas, he does not earn one hundredth part of the merit
derived from chanting Hare Kåñëa.”
In other words, one who accepts the chanting of Hare Kåñëa to be
some kind of pious activity is completely misled. Of course, it is
pious; but the real fact is that Kåñëa and His name, being
transcendental, are far above all mundane pious activity. Pious
activity is on the material platform, but chanting of the holy name
of Kåñëa is completely on the spiritual plane. Therefore, although
päñaëòés do not understand this, pious activity can never compare
to the chanting of the holy name.
(Purport, Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä 3.79)
1.1.8. To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name.
Anyone can take part in chanting the holy name of the Lord, but in
the beginning one should not be instructed about the transcendental
glories of the Lord. Those who are too sinful cannot appreciate the
transcendental glories of the Lord, and therefore it is better not to
instruct them in this matter.
1.1.9. To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and
to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so
many instructions on this matter.
[Éçvara Puré to Lord Caitanya]: “Religiosity, economic development,
sense gratification and liberation are known as the four goals of life,
but before love of Godhead, the fifth and highest goal, these appear
as insignificant as straw in the street.”
While chanting the holy name of the Lord, one should not desire the
material advancements represented by economic development,
religiosity, sense gratification and ultimately liberation from the
material world. As stated by Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the highest
perfection in life is to develop one’s love for Kåñëa (premä pumartho
mahän çré-caitanya-mahäprabhor matam idam). When we
compare love of Godhead with religiosity, economic development,
sense gratification and liberation, we can understand that these
achievements may be desirable objectives for bubhukñus, or those
Chapter - 10 Ten Offenses to the Holy Name 115 115
who desire to enjoy this material world, and mumukñus, or those
who desire liberation from it, but they are very insignificant in the
eyes of a pure devotee who has developed bhäva, the preliminary
stage of love of Godhead.
(Purport, Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä 7.84)
Anyone serious about becoming a devotee of the Hare Kåñëa
movement should be careful to avoid these ten offenses.
(Chapter 4, The Guru Disciple Relationship,
Handbook for Kåñëa Consciousness)
2. Why one Should Strenuously Try to Avoid these 10 offenses
2.1. The holy name eradicates sins, but if one offends the holy name, he will
not be delivered.
In the Padma Puräna it is stated that even a person whose life is completely
sinful will be completely protected by the Lord if he simply surrenders unto
Him. So it is accepted that one who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality
of Godhead becomes freed from all sinful reactions. And even when a
person becomes an offender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Himself, he can still be delivered simply by taking shelter of the holy names
of the Lord: Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma,
Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare. In other words, the chanting of Hare
Kåñëa is beneficial for eradicating all sins; but if one becomes an offender to
the holy names of the Lord, then he has no chance of being delivered.
(The Nectar of Devotion)
2.2. Without chanting offenselessly, one cannot properly advance in Kåñëa
consciousness.
One should know for certain that without chanting the holy name of the
Lord offenselessly, one cannot be a proper candidate for advancement in
Kåñëa consciousness.
(Verse 5, The Nectar of Instruction)
2.3. If one commits offenses against the holy name, he will not achieve
attachment for chanting.
[Lord Caitanya to Svarüpa Dämodara and Rämänanda Räya]: “My dear
Lord, although You bestow such mercy upon the fallen conditioned souls by
liberally teaching Your holy names, I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses
while chanting the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for
chanting.”
(Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Antya-lélä 20.16)
2.4. If one chants the holy name offensively, one does not achieve love for
the Supreme Lord.
If one chants the exalted holy name of the Lord again and again and yet his
love for the Supreme Lord does not develop and tears do not appear in his
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eyes, it is evident that because of his offenses in chanting, the seed of the
holy name of Kåñëa does not sprout.
(Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Ädi-lélä 8.29-30)
3. Stages of Chanting
3.1. Nämäparädha (practicing stage)
There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord. In the first
stage, one commits ten kinds of offenses while chanting.
3.2. Nämäbhäsa (clearing stage)
The next stage, nämäbhäsa, the offenses have almost stopped, and one is
coming to the platform of pure chanting.
In the beginning we cannot chant pure form of the name, because we are
accustomed. But still, by chanting process, then it becomes nämäbhäsa,
almost pure. Äbhäsa means just like before sunrise, you find the darkness is
off, but it is not sunlight. It is different from sunlight, but still, there is the
dawn, you can see everything distinctly. Similarly, first there is offensive
name and, if you avoid, the ten kinds of offenses, then gradually it becomes
nämäbhäsa. And Çréla Haridäsa Öhäkura has said, Namäcärya, that by
nämäbhäsa, one becomes liberated.
(Lecture, The Nectar of Devotion, 30th October, 1972, Våndävana)
It is considered unlimited times better than karma or jïäna because a person
with such nämäbhäsa will eventually get faith, and that seed of faith will then
develop into attraction and taste for Kåñëa, which will lead to the stage of
çuddha-näma and then prema.
(Chapter 3, Nämäbhäsa, Hari-näma-cintämaëi)
3.3. Shudha-nama (pure chanting)
In the third stage, when one chants the Hare Kåñëa mantra without offenses,
his dormant love for Kåñëa immediately awakens. This is the perfection.
As long as anyäbhiläña remains within the heart, çuddha-näma does not
manifest. The sädhaka lacks çuddha-näma as long as he craves for the
external rewards gained from the practice of karma, jïäna, and añöäìga-
yoga. The heart must be cleansed of these detrimental, non-devotional
motives and devotional qualities favourable to the achievement of çuddha-
näma must be cultivated. Then çuddha-näma is revealed, which may be
defined as harinäma free from nämäbhäsa and nämäparädha.
(Part Thirteen, Elucidation of Nämäbhäsa, Clearing Offences against
Harinäma)
4. Practical Insights into How to Avoid the Offenses
4.1. Blaspheming Devotees(First Offense)
4.1.1. Sädhu-nindä: To blaspheme devotees who have dedicated their lives
to propagating the holy name of the Lord. The devotees who surrender
their lives to the Lord and who fully engage in preaching must be
Chapter - 10 Ten Offenses to the Holy Name 117 117
spotless in their character. Still, Bhagavad-gétä says that if someone
fully engages in preaching Kåñëa consciousness and chanting the holy
name, he should be regarded as saintly even if by chance he commits
some abominable activity. We should not magnify the faults of a
devotee. The moon is shining, spreading its sweet, cool light, and
although the moon also has some black spots, the moonlight shines so
brightly that we should not consider them. In the same way, even if a
preacher accidentally commits a serious mistake, that should be
excused. Kåñëa says, kñipraà bhavati dharmätmä: very quickly he will
be purified. Temporarily there may be some spot on his character, but
very soon it will be washed away by the potency of chanting the holy
name. Then he will be pure, like the clear sky. If there was a cloud over
a patch of sky a few moments ago but now the sky is clear, what is the
difference between that sky and the sky that was never covered?
There is no difference; both are pure.
If we speak ill of devotees, people will lose faith in their words.
Such a loss of confidence merely hinders the spiritual progress of
humanity. Bees look for honey, whereas flies look for open sores.
Some people are like flies. If they see the slightest fault, they magnify
it out of proportion. But we should not be like flies; we should be like
buzzing bees and see all the good qualities of a devotee. If there are
any bad qualities, they will soon be washed away. We should never
speak ill or gossip about devotees who have surrendered their lives to
the holy name.
(Chanting Hare Kåñëa in Purity)
4.1.2. Speech in the form of blaspheming sädhus is the source of great
inauspiciousness. If one wants to attain devotion to Lord Hari, then
he should make a vow like this: “In this life I will never blaspheme
sädhus.” Devotees are sädhus. By blaspheming them, all one’s virtues
are destroyed. By blaspheming the supremely pure Lord Mahädeva,
Prajäpati Dakña, the best of ascetics, met with severe inauspiciousness.
4.1.3. To blaspheme devotees who have dedicated their lives to chanting the
holy name of the Lord. The holy name, who is identical with Kåñëa,
will never tolerate such blasphemous activities.
(Ten offenses to the Holy Name, Brahma Khaëòa
25.15-18, Padma Puräëa)
4.1.4. The first offence is to criticize and blaspheme the devotees.
Blaspheming in this context means to be envious of, and antagonistic
towards, the saintly devotee. If one even accidentally commits this
offence against a Vaiñëava he must bitterly repent of his low behavior.
Just as poison is counteracted by poison, similarly, the offender, having
set aflame his spiritual life with blasphemy, must be purified in the fire
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of contrition. The offender must go and fall at the feet of the devotee
he reviled and beg forgiveness until he is again able to please that
Vaiñëava.
(Blaspheming a Saintly Person is Deadly)
4.2. Attentive Chanting (9th Offense)
4.2.1. When Hare Kåñëa mantra is vibrating on your tongue and you are
hearing attentively, then your consciousness becomes clear or Kåñëa
consciousness and there is no question of mäya or hazy
consciousness.
(Letter to Maitreya, Mahasakti, Arijit , Mitravinda , Nandita Gokula )
4.2.2. Without attentive hearing our japa will become mechanical and
tasteless. So we must chant our japa with utmost attention.
4.2.3. Concentrate on hearing the sound of the holy names. As you chant,
pronounce the names clearly and distinctly, addressing Kåñëa in a
prayerful mood. When your mind wanders, bring it back to the sound
of the lord’s names. Chanting is a prayer to Kåñëa that means “o
energy of the lord [hare], o all-attractive lord [Kåñëa], o supreme
enjoyer [Räma], please engage me in your service.” The more
attentively and sincerely you chant these names of god, the more
spiritual progress you will make.
(Chapter 8, Chanting the Hare Kåñëa mantra, The Quest for
Enlightment)
4.2.4. Chanting is a prayer to Kåñëa that means “O energy of the lord [hare],
o all-attractive lord [Kåñëa], o supreme enjoyer [Räma], please engage
me in your service.” The more attentively and sincerely you chant
these names of god, the more spiritual progress you will make.
Since god is all-powerful and all-merciful, he has kindly made it very
easy for us to chant his names, and he has also invested all his powers
in them. Therefore the names of god and god himself are identical.
This means that when we chant the holy names of Kåñëa and Räma
we are directly associating with god and being purified. Therefore we
should always try to chant with devotion and reverence. The Vedic
literature states that lord Kåñëa is personally dancing on your tongue
when you chant his holy name.
(Chanting the Hare Kåñëa mantra)
4.2.5. Therefore this is the only method. That you chant loudly and hear.
Hare Kåñëa. If your mind is in other things it will be forced to
concentrate on the sound vibration “Kåñëa.” You haven’t got to
withdraw your mind from other; automatically it will be withdrawn
because the sound is there. (sound of car going by) just like the
motor car sound is going on. Automatically your attention is diverted
Chapter - 10 Ten Offenses to the Holy Name 119 119
there. Similarly if we chant Hare Kåñëa, so automatically my mind
will be fixed up. Otherwise I’m accustomed to fix up my mind in so
many things. So yoga practice means to withdraw the mind and again
fix up in Kåñëa. So this vibration of chanting automatically helps us in
that yoga practice. Go on.
(Lecture, Bhagavad-gétä 6.25-29, 18th February, 1969, Los Angeles)
4.2.6. Our mahä-mantra is so nice that as we chant this loudly, the power
becomes loud.
(Lecture, Çrémad-Bhägavatam 7.6.3-4, 8th March, 1967, San Francisco)
4.3. Attachment to material things
4.3.1. Madhudviña: Then finally number ten: “Attachment to material
things while engaged in the practice of chanting.”
Prabhupäda: Yes. The whole process is that we are going to transfer
our love from matter to God. So we should try to minimize. It will be
automatically. Bhaktiù pareçänubhavo viraktir anyatra syät [Çrémad-
Bhägavatam 11.2.42]. If you actually develop love of Godhead, then
naturally you forget to love all these material nonsense. That is
sequence. But you should try also. You should... This will happen. Just
like if we eat, then gradually you minimize your hankering after eating.
When you are full, then you say, “I don’t want any more. Yes, I am...”
Similarly with the progress of Kåñëa consciousness you forget the so-
called material nonsense enjoyment. And when you are in perfect
stage, oh, you don’t care for anything of this material nonsense. This
is the test. You cannot say “I am progressing in meditation by my
material attachment to all sense gratification” is the same. That is no
progress. Progress means that you will minimize your material
attachment for sense gratification. This is progress.
(Lecture & Initiation, 20th October, 1968, Seattle)