SB 2.1.11 – Initiations

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna, my dear devotees. I congratulate you on your solid walk of achievement, getting first initiation and being officially connected to Srila Prabhupada and paramparā. So, at initiations, Srila Prabhupada would speak about the ten offences, because the devotees are being initiated into the chanting of the holy names. To get the full benefit, they must chant without offences. So, I will read one verse and purport in which Srila Prabhupada discusses the ten offences. Reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Two, Chapter One, “First Step in God Realization.”

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

TEXT 11

etan nirvidyamānānām
icchatām akuto-bhayam
yogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁ
harer nāmānukīrtanam

TRANSLATION

O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

In the previous verse, the great necessity for attaining attachment to Mukunda has been accredited. There are different types of persons who desire to attain success in different varieties of pursuits. Generally the persons are materialists who desire to enjoy the fullest extent of material gratification. Next to them are the transcendentalists, who have attained perfect knowledge about the nature of material enjoyment and thus are aloof from such an illusory way of life. More or less, they are satisfied in themselves by self-realization. Above them are the devotees of the Lord, who neither aspire to enjoy the material world nor desire to get out of it. They are after the satisfaction of the Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In other words, the devotees of the Lord do not want anything on their personal account. If the Lord desires, the devotees can accept all sorts of material facilities, and if the Lord does not desire this, the devotees can leave aside all sorts of facilities, even up to the limit of salvation. Nor are they self-satisfied, because they want the satisfaction of the Lord only. In this verse, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends the transcendental chanting of the holy name of the Lord. By offenseless chanting and hearing of the holy name of the Lord, one becomes acquainted with the transcendental form of the Lord, and then with the attributes of the Lord, and then with the transcendental nature of His pastimes, etc. Here it is mentioned that one should constantly chant the holy name of the Lord after hearing it from authorities. This means that hearing from the authorities is the first essential. Hearing of the holy name gradually promotes one to the stage of hearing about His form, His attributes, His pastimes, and so on, and thus the necessity of the chanting of His glories develops successively. This process is recommended not only for the successful execution of devotional service, but also even for those who are materially attached. According to Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, this way of attaining success is an established fact, concluded not only by him but also by all other previous ācāryas. Therefore, there is no need of further evidence. The process is recommended not only for the progressive students in different departments of ideological success, but also for those who are already successful in their achievement as fruitive workers, as philosophers or as devotees of the Lord.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī instructs that chanting of the holy name of the Lord should be loudly done, and it should be performed offenselessly as well, as recommended in the Padma Purāṇa. One can deliver himself from the effects of all sins by surrendering himself unto the Lord. One can deliver himself from all offenses at the feet of the Lord by taking shelter of His holy name. But one cannot protect himself if one commits an offense at the feet of the holy name of the Lord. Such offenses are mentioned in the Padma Purāṇa as being ten in number.

The first offense is to vilify the great devotees who have preached about the glories of the Lord.

COMMENT

That is sādhu-nindā, to blaspheming the devotee of the Lord who dedicated his life for chanting the holy name of the Lord.

PURPORT (continued)

The second offense is to see the holy names of the Lord in terms of worldly distinction. The Lord is the proprietor of all the universes, and therefore He may be known in different places by different names, but that does not in any way qualify the fullness of the Lord. Any nomenclature which is meant for the Supreme Lord is as holy as the others because they are all meant for the Lord. Such holy names are as powerful as the Lord, and there is no bar for anyone in any part of the creation to chant and glorify the Lord by the particular name of the Lord as it is locally understood. They are all auspicious, and one should not distinguish such names of the Lord as material commodities.

COMMENT

So when Srila Prabhupada was in Iran, his disciple Atreya Rishi began to wax eloquent about the day when all the Iranians, Muslims, would chant Hare Krishna. And Srila Prabhupada said, “Why do you want that they should chant only Hare Krishna? They can chant Allah, Allah also. We are not sectarian.”

PURPORT (continued)

The third offense is to neglect the orders of the authorized ācāryas or spiritual masters.

COMMENT

That is guror avajñā, to disobey the order of the Lord.

PURPORT (continued)

The fourth offense is to vilify scriptures or Vedic knowledge.

The fifth offense is to define the holy name of the Lord in terms of one’s mundane calculation. The holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord Himself, and one should understand the holy name of the Lord to be nondifferent from Him.

The sixth offense is to interpret the holy name. The Lord is not imaginary, nor is His holy name. There are persons with a poor fund of knowledge who think the Lord to be an imagination of the worshiper and therefore think His holy name to be imaginary. Such a chanter of the name of the Lord cannot achieve the desired success in the matter of chanting the holy name.

The seventh offense is to commit sins intentionally on the strength of the holy name. In the scriptures it is said that one can be liberated from the effects of all sinful actions simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord. One who takes advantage of this transcendental method and continues to commit sins on the expectation of neutralizing the effects of sins by chanting the holy name of the Lord is the greatest offender at the feet of the holy name. Such an offender cannot purify himself by any recommended method of purification. In other words, one may be a sinful man before chanting the holy name of the Lord, but after taking shelter in the holy name of the Lord and becoming immune, one should strictly restrain oneself from committing sinful acts with a hope that his method of chanting the holy name will give him protection.

The eighth offense is to consider the holy name of the Lord and His chanting method to be equal to some material auspicious activity. There are various kinds of good works for material benefits, but the holy name and His chanting are not mere auspicious holy services. Undoubtedly the holy name is holy service, but He should never be utilized for such purposes. Since the holy name and the Lord are of one and the same identity, one should not try to bring the holy name into the service of mankind. The idea is that the Supreme Lord is the supreme enjoyer. He is no one’s servant or order supplier. Similarly, since the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord, one should not try to utilize the holy name for one’s personal service.

COMMENT

In 1973, there was a gathering at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan in Bombay for a conference, the theme of which was that “All problems could be solved through the Bhagavad-gītā.” Before the conference began, the organizer, Srimati Leelavati Munshi, invited the guest speakers to her library to discuss. There was one sadhu, I don’t recall his name, but he had long white hair and a beard. He told Srila Prabhupada that he was gathering people together, getting them to chant the holy name, and telling them that they could be freed from their material diseases and ailments through the chanting. He said to Srila Prabhupada, “You are gathering people together and telling them to chant, and I am gathering people together and telling them to chant, so we should cooperate.” Srila Prabhupada said, “No, what you are doing is against our principles.” He made the same point that the holy name is Krishna, and we are meant to be servants of the holy name. We are not meant to try to utilize the holy name in our personal material service.

PURPORT (continued)

The ninth offense is to instruct those who are not interested in chanting the holy name of the Lord about the transcendental nature of the holy name. If such instruction is imparted to an unwilling audience, the act is considered to be an offense at the feet of the holy name.

The tenth offense is to become uninterested in the holy name of the Lord even after hearing of the transcendental nature of the holy name. The effect of chanting the holy name of the Lord is perceived by the chanter as liberation from the conception of false egoism. False egoism is exhibited by thinking oneself to be the enjoyer of the world and thinking everything in the world to be meant for the enjoyment of one’s self only. The whole materialistic world is moving under such false egoism of “I” and “mine,” but the factual effect of chanting the holy name is to become free from such misconceptions.

COMMENT

As expressed in The Nectar of Devotion, to not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy name, and to maintain material attachments even after understanding so many instructions in this matter. So, Sanskrit is such a language that it can be divided in different ways. The description of the ten offenses against the holy name from the Padma-Purana has been divided by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in such a way that the ninth offense is to be inattentive while chanting. He says that if one is attentive while chanting, all the other offenses will be destroyed. And if one is inattentive while chanting, all the other offenses will flourish. So it is most important to be attentive while chanting. Now I will call forward the new initiates to take their vows and receive their beads and their new names.

[Initiation ceremony continues]

So what are the four principles that you vow to follow every day for the rest of your life?

Devotee: No meat eating, should not drink alcohol, should not gamble, and should not have illicit sex.

Giriraj Swami: And how many rounds?

Devotee: Sixteen rounds.

Giriraj Swami: Minimum. So, on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and the guru-paramparā, I am pleased to accept you as my duly initiated disciple. And henceforth, your name shall be Giridhari Lila dasi.

So what are the four principles that we vow to follow every day for the rest of your life?

Devotee: No gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and no meat eating. I always get scared when someone asks me something. I have a phobia for exams. The first thing that I did over your exam to Rasasundari Mataji, that time I was so scared I was trembling actually. I couldn’t answer much.

Giriraj Swami: And how many rounds?

Devotee: Sixteen rounds Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Is there anything else you would like to say on this auspicious occasion in this august assembly?

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, I just want to ask your blessing and I don’t want to offend anyone. Please, please, be my spiritual father and please guide me. I am really thankful to Nitya Lila Mataji for guiding me and putting me in here. It is all in the house and teacher was there. I am really grateful, guru Maharaja, that I am your disciple and I want to go ahead in Krishna consciousness.

Giriraj Swami: Wonderful. So, on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and the guru-paramparā, I am pleased to accept you as my duly initiated disciple and henceforth, your name shall be Jagat Tarini Radha dasi. Jagat Tarini Radha means Radha who liberates the people of the world.

So, what are the four regulative principles you vow to follow every day for the rest of your life?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. The four regulative principles are no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, and no intoxication.

Giriraj Swami: And how many rounds?

Devotee: Sixteen rounds minimum.

Giriraj Swami: And is there anything else you would like to say?

Devotee: Yes, guru Maharaja. I have prepared a special offering. Please accept it. It is a very small thing.

Hare Krishna, guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. Maharaja, it has been almost eight years since I was first introduced to you by Prema Manjari Mataji. The very concept of guru Maharaja was new to me, but when I saw you on the screen way back in the devotee’s house, I could immediately connect with you. Your minute observation in spite of being on screen was something which really fascinated me. From then on, there was no looking back. It has always been moving on. Of course, I faced a lot of trials and tribulations in my life. But Maharaja, you were so personally available through your emails that I could immediately write to you and you would guide me. Maharaja is like an anchor to my ship, which was almost drowning post my husband’s demise. Maharaja cleared all my doubts and encouraged me to go on with the flow and do what is in my favor. I am so blessed, Maharaja, to have a spiritual master like you who is constantly striving to preach more and more to spread Krishna consciousness. We all need your mercy, Maharaja. Please keep us in your shelter. Haribol.

Guru Maharaja ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Giriraj Swami: So on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and our guru-paramparā, I am pleased to accept you as my duly initiated disciple. And henceforth, your name is Jayashwari Radhika dasi. Jayashwari Radhika means Radhika, who is the goddess of victory.

So what are the four regulative principles that you vow to follow every day for the rest of your life?

Devotee: [in Hindi language]

Giriraj Swami: And how many rounds?

Devotee: Sixteen mala.

Giriraj Swami: And is there anything else you would like to say? So on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and guru-paramparā. I am pleased to accept you as my duly initiated disciple. And henceforth, your name shall be Seva Priya dasi. Seva Priya means one who love to serve.