SB 3.15.25 – Initiations

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. I would like to thank His Holiness Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami Maharaja for that encouraging, enlivening, and enlightening talk. When Srila Prabhupada would give initiation, he would speak about the ten offenses because the devotees are being initiated into the chanting of the holy names. And to get the proper benefit, one must avoid the ten offenses. Srila Prabhupada discusses them in many places in his books. And I chose one verse in particular in which he discusses them. This is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, Chapter Fifteen, “Description of the Kingdom of God.”

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

TEXT 25

yac ca vrajanty animiṣām ṛṣabhānuvṛttyā
dūre yamā hy upari naḥ spṛhaṇīya-śīlāḥ
bhartur mithaḥ suyaśasaḥ kathanānurāga-
vaiklavya-bāṣpa-kalayā pulakī-kṛtāṅgāḥ

TRANSLATION

Persons whose bodily features change in ecstasy and who breathe heavily and perspire due to hearing the glories of the Lord are promoted to the kingdom of God, even though they do not care for meditation and other austerities. The kingdom of God is above the material universes, and it is desired by Brahmā and other demigods.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

It is clearly stated herein that the kingdom of God is above the material universes. Just as there are many hundreds of thousands of higher planets above this earth, so there are many millions and billions of spiritual planets belonging to the spiritual sky. Brahmājī states herein that the spiritual kingdom is above the kingdom of the demigods. One can enter the kingdom of the Supreme Lord only when one is highly developed in desirable qualities. All good qualities develop in the person of a devotee. It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, verse 12, that anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious is endowed with all the good qualities of the demigods. In the material world the qualities of the demigods are highly appreciated, just as, even in our experience, the qualities of a gentleman are more highly appreciated than the qualities of a man in ignorance or in a lower condition of life. The qualities of the demigods in the higher planets are far superior to the qualities of the inhabitants of this earth.

Brahmājī confirms herewith that only persons who have developed the desirable qualities can enter into the kingdom of God. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the devotee’s desirable qualities are described to be twenty-six in number. They are stated as follows:

COMMENT

So, my dear devotees, as I read this list, you can think about yourselves, to what extent you are manifesting these qualities and how you can work to exhibit them more.

PURPORT (continued)

He is very kind; he does not quarrel with anyone; he accepts Kṛṣṇa consciousness as the highest goal of life; he is equal to everyone; no one can find fault in his character; he is magnanimous, mild and always clean, internally and externally; he does not profess to possess anything in this material world; he is a benefactor to all living entities; he is peaceful and is a soul completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa; he has no material desire to fulfill; he is meek and humble, always steady, and has conquered the sensual activities; he does not eat more than required to maintain body and soul together; he is never mad after material identity; he is respectful to all others and does not demand respect for himself; he is very grave, very compassionate and very friendly; he is poetic; he is expert in all activities; and he is silent in nonsense.

COMMENT

In one talk in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada said, “If you have got time, chant Hare Krishna. Don’t speak nonsense. Don’t waste time, chant Hare Krishna.”

PURPORT (continued)

Similarly, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, Twenty-fifth Chapter, verse 21, the qualifications of a saintly person are mentioned. It is said there that a saintly person eligible to enter into the kingdom of God is very tolerant and very kind to all living entities. He is not partial; he is kind both to human beings and to animals. He is not such a fool that he will kill a goat Nārāyaṇa to feed a human Nārāyaṇa, or daridra-nārāyaṇa. He is very kind to all living entities; therefore he has no enemy. He is very peaceful. These are the qualities of persons who are eligible to enter into the kingdom of God. That such a person gradually becomes liberated and enters the kingdom of God is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto, Fifth Chapter, verse 2. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, Third Chapter, verse 24, also states that if a person does not cry or exhibit bodily changes after chanting the holy name of God without offense, it is to be understood that he is hardhearted and that therefore his heart does not change even after he chants the holy name of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa. These bodily changes can take place due to ecstasy when we offenselessly chant the holy names of God: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

It may be noted that there are ten offenses we should avoid. The first offense is to decry persons who try in their lives to broadcast the glories of the Lord. People must be educated in understanding the glories of the Supreme; therefore the devotees who engage in preaching the glories of the Lord are never to be decried. It is the greatest offense. Furthermore, the holy name of Viṣṇu is the most auspicious name, and His pastimes are also nondifferent from the holy name of the Lord. There are many foolish persons who say that one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or chant the name of Kālī or Durgā or Śiva because they are all the same.

COMMENT

Yes, there was a popular magazine in India called The Illustrated Weekly of India, and the editor for many years was Khushwant Singh, who was a demon. He ran an article called “Hare Krishna versus Shiva Shiva,” which was an account by one Austrian sannyasi, Dr. Aghyananda Bharti, of his debate with our Hridayananda dasa Gosvami. And I could understand, just by the way he titled the article, “Krishna versus Shiva Shiva,” the editor was trying to make us all look foolish, like “Oh, how silly, arguing whether to chant Hare Krishna or Shiva Shiva.” So I wrote to Srila Prabhupada my impression, and Srila Prabhupada said, “Yes, you are right. Bharati is a fool, but Singh is a demon.” So when I read this, yes, there are many foolish persons who say that one can chant Hare Krishna or chant the name of Kali or Durga or Shiva because they are all the same.

PURPORT (continued)

The third offense is to think of the spiritual master who spreads the glories of the Lord as an ordinary human being.

COMMENT

So, the third offense is actually guror-avajñā—to disobey the orders of the spiritual master. And here, Srila Prabhupada gives the psychology of someone who will disobey the orders of the spiritual master, and that is to think of the spiritual master as an ordinary human being.

PURPORT (continued)

The fourth offense is to consider the Vedic literatures, such as the Purāṇas or other transcendentally revealed scriptures, to be ordinary books of knowledge. 

COMMENT

There are different degrees of offense. There is one pastime in which Brighu Muni tested Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. So, the most subtle offense is an offense committed in the mind. When Brighu Muni met Lord Brahma, who was his father, he failed to offer him respects, so that was considered an offense within the mind. When he met Lord Shiva, who was his brother, he said, “Oh, don’t come near me, don’t touch me. You are always associated with ghosts and hobgoblins.” So that was an offense with the words. And then, when he went to Lord Vishnu, Lord Vishnu was reclining, and Brighu Muni actually kicked him, and that was considered an offense committed with the body. But Lord Vishnu was so sublime. He said, “Oh, Brighu Muni, I am sorry I could not receive you properly. I hope that you did not hurt your tender lotus feet on my hard chest.” And so, it was established that Vishu is supreme. But here, I am making the point of different types of offenses: in the mind, with words, or with the body. And so, I would say, to not read Srila Prabhupada’s books is also a subtle offense. It is like an offense committed in the mind. So, we should read Srila Prabhupada’s books.

PURPORT (continued)

The fifth offense is to think that devotees have given artificial importance to the holy name of God. The actual fact is that the Lord is nondifferent from His name. The highest realization of spiritual value is to chant the holy name of God, as prescribed for the age — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

COMMENT

In this one purport, Srila Prabhupada has quoted the entire maha-mantra twice.

PURPORT (continued)

The sixth offense is to give some interpretation on the holy name of God. The seventh offense is to act sinfully on the strength of chanting the holy name of God. It is understood that one can be freed from all sinful reaction simply by chanting the holy name of God, but if one thinks that he is therefore at liberty to commit all kinds of sinful acts, that is a symptom of offense. The eighth offense is to equate the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa with other spiritual activities, such as meditation, austerity, penance or sacrifice. They cannot be equated at any level. 

COMMENT

Sometimes, it is said to consider the chanting of Hare Krishna to be one of the auspicious ritualistic activities mentioned in the Vedas as fruitive activities. There was once a meeting at Bharti Vidya Bhavan in Bombay, convened by Srimati Lilavati Muni, and the theme of the conference was how the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā could solve all problems. Before the conference began, she invited the participants to her library to discuss. So, there was one sadhu there—I don’t remember his name—he had long white hair and a white beard, and he told Srila Prabhupada that he gathered people together and got them to chant Hare Krishna. He told them that by chanting Hare Krishna, they could be cured of all their physical ailments, all their material diseases. So he said to Srila Prabhupada, “I am gathering people together, you are gathering people together, I am getting them to chant Hare Krishna, you are getting them to chant Hare Krishna; we should cooperate.” Srila Prabhupada said, “No, what you are saying is against our principles because the holy name of Krishna is Krishna Himself, and we are meant to serve Him. We are not meant to engage Him in our service.” So that is the point here.

PURPORT (continued)

The ninth offense is to specifically glorify the importance of the holy name before persons who have no interest. The tenth offense is to be attached to the misconception of possessing something, or to accept the body as one’s self, while executing the process of spiritual cultivation.

COMMENT

And sometimes said to maintain material attachments even after understanding so many instructions on the matter.

PURPORT (continued)

The ninth offense is to specifically glorify the importance of the holy name before persons who have no interest. The tenth offense is to be attached to the misconception of possessing something, or to accept the body as one’s self, while executing the process of spiritual cultivation.

When one is free from all ten of these offenses in chanting the holy name of God, he develops the ecstatic bodily features called pulakāśru. Pulaka means “symptoms of happiness,” and aśru means “tears in the eyes.” The symptoms of happiness and tears in the eyes must appear in a person who has chanted the holy name offenselessly. Here in this verse it is stated that those who have actually developed the symptoms of happiness and tears in the eyes by chanting the glories of the Lord are eligible to enter the kingdom of God. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that if one does not develop these symptoms while chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is to be understood that he is still offensive. Caitanya-caritāmṛta suggests a nice remedy in this connection. There it is said in verse 31, Chapter Eight, of Ādi-līlā, that if anyone takes shelter of Lord Caitanya and just chants the holy name of the Lord, Hare Kṛṣṇa, he becomes freed from all offenses.

Cc Ādi-līlā 8.31

But if one only chants, with some slight faith, the holy names of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, very quickly he is cleansed of all offenses. Thus as soon as he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he feels the ecstasy of love for God.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks in this connection that if one takes shelter of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda, follows Their instructions to become more tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass, and in this way chants the holy name of the Lord, very soon he achieves the platform of transcendental loving service to the Lord, and tears appear in his eyes. There are offenses to be considered in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, but there are no such considerations in chanting the names of Gaura-Nityānanda.

COMMENT

So therefore, we always chant in kirtan, and even in japa before we chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, we chant the Pancha-tattva mantra.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

So now, we will call forward the new initiates to take their vows and receive their new names.