Avoiding the Offences to the Holy Name

For our chanting to be really effective it must be free from offenses. The Padma Purāṇa list’s ten offences to the Holy Name. A devotee should learn what these offences are and must carefully try to avoid them in his or her life.

The ten offences against the Holy Name are:

1. To insult or criticise the saints (the Vaishnavas, who are the agents of the Supreme Lord Krishna).

2. To think the demigods (including Lord Siva and Lord Brahma) are equal to or greater than Lord Vishnu or Krishna; and to think that the Lord is different from His Name, Form, Qualities and Pastimes.

3. To think the Guru is an ordinary human being. (He is the agent through whom Krishna comes to give Himself to us to save us.)

4. To blaspheme or criticise the Scriptures that describe the glories of the Holy Name and Krishna and His devotees.

5. To think that the glories of the Holy Name of Lord Krishna are simply exaggeration.

6. To consider the Holy Name of Krishna to be imaginary or mundane.

7. To sin and chant. (To think, “I can commit sinful activities because the Holy Name of the Lord will purify me”, is spiritually suicidal.)

8. To think chanting the Holy Name is equivalent to pious material activities, such as going on pilgrimage, doing humanitarian work, meditation, yoga or other ordinary religious acts.

9. To preach the glories of the Holy Name to those who have no faith, or to give the Holy Name to those who are not sincere.

10. To resist the transformation of consciousness that results from chanting the Holy Name and remain addicted to material things.

Namabhasa (Reflection of the Holy Name)

To allow the pure Holy Name to manifest we must also avoid the four kinds of Nāmābhāsa or semblance of the Holy Name. Although Nāmābhāsa is not offensive chanting, and, if connected with previous sukṛti can bring one to the platform of mukti or liberation, it still does not give entrance to the plane of divine service where the Śuddha-Nāma (Pure Name) manifests.

The four kinds of Nāmābhāsa are:

1. Sanketyam: Indirect chanting - calling the name of another which happens to be the Name of the Lord. For example, if your friend’s name is ‘Kṛṣṇadāsa,’ when you call his name, Nāmāb- hāsa may be effected.

2. Parihsayam: Joke chanting - this may mean taking the Name in mocking imitation of the devotees or when referring to the devotees insultingly, e.g., “Hey, you Hare Kṛṣṇas should stop wasting your time and get a proper job!”

3. Stobham: Code name chanting - using the Name as a mnemonic or pedagogical device, such as to indicate grammatical rules, learn beats on the mṛdaṅga, etc.

4. Helanam: Neglectful chanting - such as saying, “Hari bol” or “Hare Kṛṣṇa” as a form of greeting instead of “Hello” or “Good- bye”, or chanting “Hare Krsna,” to cast off indolence when waking.

Taking Care of the Japa-Mālā

The japa-mālā should be regarded as one’s Deity and given the same respect. One should always keep the japa-mālā in a clean white cotton bead bag. Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj said that the japa- mālā has no varṇa or āśrama and so should wear only a white dress not saffron (even if one is a brahmachārī or sannyāsī) or coloured to match our dress, and certainly not with anything printed on the bead bag, or any pocket for keeping money and other things in.

One’s hands should always be clean before touching the japa- mālā, and when not being used the japa-mālā should be kept in a clean and respectable place.

Unless travelling, the japa-mālā should not be taken everywhere around one’s neck. One should not take Prasādam wearing one’s bead bag, and the japa-mālā should not be taken into a toilet or other unclean place unless absolutely unavoidable (i.e. if travelling alone). If one has their bead bag with them, this should be placed or hung in a respectable place before offering obeisance. The japa- mālā should not touch the feet, shoes, or anything else that is considered unclean.

Service Life