Mādhurya Kādambinī – Sri Visvanatha Cakravartipada
Commentaries by Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa’s Mahānta Paṇḍita Śrī Ananta Dās Bābājī Mahārāja
Translation by Advaita das
Third Shower of Nectar, last part
nanvevaṁ – na hyaṅgopakrame dhvaṁso mad dharmasyoddhavāṇvapi’ iti ‘viśeṣato daśārṇo’yam japa mātreṇa siddhida’ ityādi vākya balena tat tad aṅgānām ananuṣṭhāne vaikalyādāv api vā jāte nāmāparādha prasajjeta. maivam. nāmno balād yasyetyatra pāpe buddhiś cikīrṣādi. tad eva hi pāpaṁ yatra sati nindāprāyaścittādi śravaṇam. na ca karma mārga iva bhakti mārge’pi aṅga vaikalyādau kvāpi nindā śravaṇam iti na tatrāparādha śaṅkā.
TRANSLATION: Śāstras say, “O Uddhava! From the very beginning of this religion (even if it is not yet completed) there is not even the slightest loss.” “Simply chanting the ten-syllable mantra gives perfection.” On the strength of these verses someone may ask whether non-performance or improper performance of devotional parts produces nāma-aparādha or not? The answer is no. In the verse, “One who commits sins on the strength of the holy name” the word pāpa-buddhi means the intentional committing of sins. Acts that are condemned by the scriptures and that require atonement are known as sins. In the path of karma, imperfect performance of karma is condemned. But on the devotional path, imperfect performance of any devotional part is neither condemned nor is there the possibility of any offense.
Pīyūṣa Kaṇā-explanation:
It has been explained that aparādha is a powerful obstacle to devotional worship and that committing sins on strength of chanting the holy name is a terrible offense to the chanting of the holy name. Doubts about this are now addressed. In the Bhāgavata (11.29.20) Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Śrī Uddhava, na hyaṅgopakrame dhvaṁso mad dharmasyoddhavāṇvapi “bhakti, or bhāgavata-dharma, has such a wonderful effect that if someone even begins practicing it and is unable to complete it, then also there is not the slightest loss.” On the path of karma, only if a karma is done properly from beginning to end without obstacles can one attain its fruit. Otherwise it becomes useless. bhakti, or bhāgavata-dharma, is not like the path of karma. It never becomes fruitless even though improperly done or left incomplete. bhakti is transcendental, and that cannever be destroyed. For example, a gold piece lying in a heap of garbage for a long time never decomposes, though in due course of time the garbage decomposes. The gold is all that remains. Similarly, in due course of time one will definitely get the fruits of devotion according to one’s performance of devotion after all obstacles are removed, though there may be some delay due to the obstacles of aparādha. Similarly the śāstras say “Chanting this ten-syllable mantra gives perfection.”
Here one may ask, “Is this not a nāma-aparādha on the strength of chanting the mantra?” When there is a lack of completion or an obstacle in devotional practice, that japa of the mantra will still grant perfection. Since here the chanting of the holy name is depended upon for final perfection, isn’t it an offense to the chanting of the holy name to just chant and leave the rest of one’s bhajana incomplete?
The answer is no, this is not a nāmāparādha, because nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhi means intentionally or knowingly committing sins. If someone knowingly commits innumerable sins on the strength of the holy name, then those sins turn into nāma-aparādha. This verse does not refer to such sinful acts, since the chanting of the mantra is done with the desire to attain the Lord. If a devotee falls sick, is dying, or due to some other obstacles is unable to complete or perform his devotional chores, then by the influence of bhakti he attains the fruit. There is no intention of committing sins in this case. Sins are activities that are condemned in the scriptures, and that have specific atonements. The aforementioned activities are neither condemned, nor are there any prescribed atonements.
On the path of karma, if there is even the slightest fault in the ingredients, mantra, time or object (of a sacrifice), then it is all spoiled, and no result is obtained. Sometimes even the opposite result is achieved. Such fault is never seen in the path of bhakti. bhakti is self-manifest, all-pervading, and complete. There is thus no possibility of any evil effect from the improper performance of any devotional part. If somehow someone cannot complete his devotional practices, then by the mercy of Bhakti they are automatically completed on their own. Bhakti definitely gives the fruit of even incomplete performance of devotional parts. There is neither condemnation nor atonements for this to be seen anywhere in the scriptures or in local tradition. One should, therefore, not raise any doubt of nāma-aparādha in this case.
yad uktam (śrīmad bhāgavate) ye vai bhagavata proktā upāyā ātma labdhaye;
añjaḥ puṁsām aviduṣāṁ viddhi bhāgavatān hi tān. yānāsthāya naro rājan na pramādyeta karhicit; dhāvan nimīlya vā netre na skhalen na pated iha. iti.
atra nimīlyeti kartṛ vyāpāra liṅgena vidyamāne eva netre mudrayitvā tatrāpi dhāvan pāda nyāsa sthalam atikramyāpi vrajan na skhaled iti akṣarārtha labdher bhagavad dharmam āśritya tad aṅgāni sarvāṇi jñātvāpi ajña iva kānicid ullaṅghyāpi anutiṣṭhan na pratyavāyī syāt nāpi phalād bhraśyed ityeṣaiva vyākhyā upapadyate. nimīlanaṁ nāmājñānaṁ tasyāpi śruti smṛti viṣayāvityeṣā tu na saṅgacchate mukhyārtha vādhāyogāt. na ca dhāvan nimīlyetyetad eva dvātriṁśad aparādhābhāvam api kroḍīkarotviti vācyam. yān bhagavatā proktānupāyānāśrityetuktatvāt ‘yānaivā pādukair vāpi gamanaṁ bhagavad gṛhe’ ityādayas tu tatra niṣiddhā eva. sevāparādhe tu harer apyaparādhān yaḥ kuryād dvipada pāṁśanaḥ ityādiṣu śruyanta eva nindāḥ. kiṁ ca te nāmāparādhāḥ prācīnā arvācīnā vā yadi samyag anabhijñāta prakārāḥ syuḥ kintu tat phala liṅgenānumīyamānā eva tadā teṣāṁ nāmabhir evāviśrānta prayuktair bhakti niṣṭhāyām utpadyamānāyāṁ krameṇopaśamaḥ. yadi te jñāyanta eva tadā tvasti kvacit kaścid viśeṣaḥ.
TRANSLATION: The Śrīmad-Bhāgavata (11.2.34-35) says, “Even illiterate persons can easily come to know the Supreme Absolute Truth by adopting the process spoken by the Lord. This process is known as bhāgavata-dharma, or the path of devotional service. By accepting this path a person is never bewildered. Even if he closes his eyes and runs, he never stumbles or falls down.” In this verse the word nimīlana refers to the performer of a specific activity. Thus nimīlana means that one closes his eyes. dhāvan means he is moving quickly by placing his feet in an unusual overstepping way. Still he does not stumble or fall. It is understood from this verse that if a person takes shelter of the devotional path, but he knowingly leaps over some secondary devotional parts though practicing the main devotional parts such as śravaṇa, kīrtana, smaraṇa, and so forth, he never fails to get the fruits of bhakti nor is he ever faulted. nimīlana cannot be explained as ignorant of śruti or smṛti, because it cannot contradict the real meaning. dhāvan and nimīlana cannot mean neglecting the thirty-two kinds of sevā-aparādhas, since it is already said, “…by taking the shelter of the process spoken by the Lord.” Sevā-aparādhas are forbidden by the verses, “It is offensive to enter the temple of the Lord riding on a vehicle or wearing shoes.” The śāstras condemn persons who deliberately commit sevā-aparādhas as “…a two legged animal who commits offense at Śrī Hari’s lotus feet.” nāma-aparādhas may have been committed unconsciously long ago or recently, but they are inferred by their effects. By constant chanting of the holy name, niṣṭhā appears in devotion and gradually those aparādhas are nullified. If one commits aparādhas consciously, then he has to adopt specific means for their nullification.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
The author has described the powerful obstacle to bhakti named aparādha, and how bhakti bereft of all its different limbs still bestows its fruits. Now he describes how one swiftly makes progress even while violating the items of bhakti, without fear of falling off the path or committing an offense, quoting evidence from Śrīmad Bhāgavata. In Śrīmad Bhāgavata Śrīpāda Kavi Yogīndra told King Nimi—
ye vai bhagavata proktā upāyā hyātma labdhaye;
añjaḥ puṁsām aviduṣāṁ viddhi bhāgavatān hi tān.
yānāsthāya naro rājan na pramādyeta karhicit;
dhāvan nimīlya vā netre na skhalen na pated iha.
“O Mahārāja! All the means for ignorant people to easily attain perfection have been described by the Lord Himself. This is called bhāgavad dharma. Whoever takes shelter of this bhāgavad dharma will never be bewildered. Even if he runs over this path with his eyes closed he cannot trip or fall.”
Other religions have been enunciated by different munis and ṛṣis, but bhāgavata-dharma is directly spoken by the Lord Himself and is non-different from His own svarūpa. The Lord says to Uddhava in the Bhāgavata (11.14.3):
kālena naṣṭā pralaye vāṇīyaṁ veda-saṁjñītā
mayādau brahmaṇe proktā dharmo yasyāṁ mad-ātmakaḥ
“O Uddhava! The Vedic scriptures describing My devotion, which is non-different from Me, were lost in the course of time. I instructed all those scriptures to Brahmā in the beginning of the creation.” The fruit of bhāgavata-dharma is to attain divine love and the direct service of the Lord. Since this process is spoken directly by the Lord Himself and not others, it is the most reliable and correct. This is one reason the Lord spoke it Himself.
The verse says that bhāgavata-dharma is the process for easily attaining the Lord, even for ignorant persons. This indicates that all persons are qualified for its performance. That it easily gives perfection shows it is a much more natural path for giving perfection in comparison to the difficult paths of jñāna, yoga, and others. Whoever takes shelter of this bhāgavata dharma does not trip or fall, even if he runs over the path with his eyes closed. If someone runs very fast towards his destination, then he leaps over some normal steps. He fixes his eyesight on the destination and, though his eyes are opened, he cannot keep his sight on the path on which he is moving. Similarly, by taking shelter of bhāgavata-dharma, if someone who knows all the parts of devotion practises the main parts, but is eager to reach the goal he oversteps some secondary parts as if ignorant, then for him there is no harm nor is he deprived of the fruit of devotion.
nimīlana (closed eyes) here does not mean one is ignorant about the injunctions of the śrutis and smṛti scriptures. For instance it is said gaṅgāyāṁ ghoṣaḥ, milkmen live in the Gaṅgā. Since it is impossible for milkmen to live in the current of the Gaṅgā, it must surely mean that ‘milkmen live on the bank of the Gaṅgā’. Here nimīlana means that though one has eyes, he closes them. For one who has knowledge of the instructions of sādhu, śāstra, and guru, but due to powerful eagerness (anurāga) to reach the goal or some reasonable cause, if he oversteps some secondary devotional parts, it is not harmful. Therefore this does not mean that one is whimsically violating or slackening the devotional rules.
Someone may say that nimīlana and dhāvan mean that if a sādhaka devotee unknowingly commits any of the thirty-two sevā-aparādhas by quickly running on the devotional path with his eyes closed, then it is not harmful. But this meaning is not acceptable, since in the very beginning it was said, “…by taking the shelter of the process spoken by the Lord.” The Lord can never recommend committing sevā-aparādhas. Therefore yānair vā pādukair vāpi gamanaṁ bhagavad gṛhe, entering the temple of the Lord with shoes on or in a vehicle and other sevāparādhas are strictly forbidden. How can the Lord authorise what is forbidden in the scriptures? In the Purāṇas we can find condemnation of sevāparādhas—harer apyaparādhān yaḥ kuryād dvipada pāṁśanaḥ: “A person who offends Lord Hari is a two-legged animal”.
Perhaps nāma-aparādhas were unconsciously committed, either long ago or recently, but their presence is presumed by their symptoms, such as slackness in devotion or attachment to objects unrelated to Kṛṣṇa. By constantly chanting the holy name, when niṣṭhā appears, then gradually these aparādhas are nullified. Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (11.525-526) says:
jāte nāmāparādhe’pi pramādena kathañcana
sadā saṅkīrtayan nāma tadeka-śaraṇo bhavet
nāmāparādha yuktānāṁ nāmānyeva harantyagham
aviśrānta prayuktāni tānyevārtha-karāṇi ca
“If someone commits nāma-aparādha due to carelessness, then he should constantly chant the holy name, taking sole shelter of it. The holy name destroys the offenses of persons committing nāma-aparādha. Constantly chanting the holy name itself gives all perfection.” The effect of an offense committed unknowingly is not very dangerous. If someone knowingly commits offense, then the effects are grave and accordingly there are special procedures to nullify them.
yathā ‘satāṁ nindeti’ daśasu nāmnaḥ prathamo’parādhaḥ. tatra nindetyanena dveṣa drohādayo’pyupalakṣyante. tataś ca daivāt tasminn aparādhe jāte ‘hanta pāmareṇa mayā sādhuṣu aparāddham iti’ anutapto janaḥ ‘kṛśānau śāmyati taptaḥ kṛśānunau evāyam’ iti nyāyena tat padāgra eva nipatya prasādayāmīti viṣaṇṇa cetasā praṇati stuti sammānādibhis tasyopaśamaḥ kāryaḥ. kadācit kasyacana kair api duṣprasādanīyatve bahu dinam api tan manobhirocinyanuvṛttiḥ kāryā. aparādhasyāti mahattvāt kathañcit tayāpyanirvattyakopatve ‘dhiṅ mām akṣīṇa bhaktāparādhaṁ niraya koṭiṣu patantam iti nirvidya sarvaṁ parityajya samāśrayaṇīyā nāma saṅkīrtana santatis tayā ca mahāśaktim atyāvaśyam eva kāle tataḥ syād evoddhavaḥ. kiṁ me muhur muhur eva pāda patanādibhiḥ svāpakarṣa svīkāreṇa ‘nāmāparādha yuktānāṁ nāmānyeva harantyagham’ ityasyaiva paramopāyaḥ sa eva samāśrayaṇīya iti bhāvanāyāṁ pūrvad eva punar api nāmāparādhaḥ.
TRANSLATION: Sat- or sādhu-nindā, blaspheming Vaiṣṇavas, is the first of the ten nāma-aparādhas. nindā also means hatred, enmity, and such. If someone accidentally commits this offense then he should repent, “Oh! I am so sinful that I have offended the sādhus.” “A person burnt by fire gets relief by fire.” According to this logic, “I should fall at the feet of those sādhus I have offended and satisfy them.” Thus to nullify the offense of sādhu-nindā, one should, with a repentant heart, pay obeisances, glorify, and give respects to the sādhu he has offended. If one is unable to satisfy the sādhu in this way then he should serve him favorably for many days to satisfy him. When the offense is so grave that the anger of the Vaiṣṇava is not calmed in any way, then one should repent, “Shame to me, as the offense committed by me to the devotee is not nullified by any means. Now I will fall down in millions of hells.” He should then constantly take sole shelter of nāma-saṅkīrtana, giving up all other activities. By the divine power of nāma-saṅkīrtana, sometime in the future the person thus repenting will be definitely freed from the offense. If someone thinks, “śāstras say that persons taking the shelter of the holy name can be freed from sins by nāma itself, so why should I humble myself by falling at the feet of the sādhu again and again? I should simply take the shelter of nāma-saṅkīrtana, the best way of nullifying the offense.” This idea will again make one guilty of nāma-aparādha.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
The Padma Purāṇa describes ten types of nāma-aparādhas—
1) satāṁ nindā nāmnaḥ paramam aparādhaṁ vitanute yataḥ khyātiṁ yātaṁ katham u sahate tad-vigarhām
2) śivasya śrī-viṣṇor ya iha guṇa-nāmādi-sakalaṁ dhiyā bhinnaṁ paśyet sa khalu harināmāhita-karaḥ
3) guror avajñā
4) śruti-śāstra-nindanaṁ,
5) tathārtha-vādo hari-nāmni kalpanam
6) nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir na vidyate tasya yamair hi śuddhiḥ
7) dharma-vrata-tyāga-hutādi-sarva-śubha-krīyā-śāmyam api pramādaḥ
8) aśraddhadhāne vimukhe’pyaśṛṇvati yaścopadeśaḥ śiva-nāmāparādaḥ
9) śrute’pi nāma māhātmye yaḥ prīti-rahito naraḥ
10) ahaṁ-mamādi-paramo nāmni so ’py aparādha-kṛt.
(1) Blaspheming sādhus creates a grave offense to the holy name. How can the holy name tolerate blaspheming of devotees who are spreading the glories of the holy name throughout the world? The sādhus who have given up all dharmas and karmas and have solely taken shelter of the holy name are superior among all devotees; so one should not condemn such sādhus even slightly. One should rather associate with them and do nāma-saṅkīrtana. The holy name will then quickly bestow its grace.
(2) The second offense is mentioned in the second half of the first śloka. It has two types of explanations (a) If one considers the name, qualities, and such of Mahādeva and Viṣṇu as different, then it is an offense. In other words, if one considers Śiva as an independent Lord perfected by a specific energy and Viṣṇu as an independent Lord, then the controversy of many independent Lords arises and hampers the exclusive devotion to Śrī Hari. One should, therefore, understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of all lords. Śiva is empowered as a Lord by the energy of Kṛṣṇa, but he has no independent energy. One who chants the holy name with this understanding commits no offense. (b) Considering the all-auspicious name, form, qualities, and activities of Lord Viṣṇu as different from His eternal personality (nitya-siddha-vigraha) is an offense.
‘nāma’ ‘vigraha’ ‘svarūpa’—tina eka-rūpa;
tine ‘bheda’ nahi,—tina ‘cid-ānanda-rūpa’
kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇa-guṇa, kṛṣṇa-līlā-vṛnda;
kṛṣṇera svarūpa-sama—saba cid-ānanda
“The Lord’s name, form, and personality—all three are one and same. There is no difference between them, since all of them are eternal and blissful. Kṛṣṇa’s name, qualities, and pastimes are all the same as Kṛṣṇa’s personality—all are eternal and blissful.” (Cai.-caritāmṛta, Madhya 7.131,135)
(3) The third offense is to disrespect the Guru or to consider him an ordinary human being. The Guru is the embodiment of the compact compassion of Śrī Bhagavān. A disciple should therefore not see any natural or nominal fault in the transcendental form of Śrī Gurudeva He should, instead, constantly meditate on his transcendental qualities. If somehow a disciple considers him as an ordinary being, then it is a grave offense. Not chanting the mantras given by the guru and not practicing devotion according to his instructions is offensive, since it is neglectful.
The author writes in his Sārārtha Darśinī-commentary of the Bhāgavata (6.9-10), “Some know that the Lord is worshipable and He is only attained by devotion. For such devotion the guru is the instructor and, in the past, only the devotees following the instructions of the guru have attained the Lord. Still if they do not feel any necessity of accepting a guru and think that by nāma-saṅkīrtana they can attain the Lord, then also they become guilty of disrespecting the guru. Such persons never attain the Lord. When this offense is nullified, either in this birth or the next, and if they take the shelter of the feet of a bona fide guru, then they can attain the Lord.
(4) Blaspheming śrutis is the fourth offense. śrutis or Vedic literature is apauruṣeya, not made by any human being or, in other words, is manifest by the Lord Himself. Sages of the Vedic age have therefore established the śrutis as the best of all authorities. They consider that all other śāstras also follow them. vedayatīti vedaḥ, “That which reveals itself is known as Veda.” Scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavata follow the Vedas. The purport of the Vedas is very clear in the itihāsa (Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa) and Purāṇas. Criticising all these scriptures is a nāmāparādha.
(5) The fifth offense is to consider the glories of the holy name to be exaggerated or the incomparable glories of the holy name described by śāstras to be mere praise. śāstras have exaggerated the glories of the holy name to encourage ordinary persons to chant the holy name. It is very a great offense to think like this. The author says in the aforementioned Sārartha Darśinī ṭīkā that this type of mentality directly impedes Vaiṣṇava behaviour.
(6) The sixth offense is to give some speculative interpretation of the glories of the holy name. This minimizes the glories of the holy name. This also impedes Vaiṣṇava behaviour. Māyāvādīs think that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Lord, has no name, form, qualities, and so forth. ¬ṣis have merely imagined the names of non-personal Brahman as Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, and so on to get perfection in sādhana. These Māyāvādīs commit offense and their association is thus prohibited even from afar.
(7) To commit sins on the strength of the holy name is the seventh offense. To intentionally commit sins thinking that they can be nullified by chanting the holy name is very offensive. It is certainly true that chanting the holy name destroys all sins. However, it is a grave wickedness to engage oneself in detestable activities on the strength of the holy name since one chants the same holy name to attain divine love, the supreme goal of one’s life. Committing sins on the strength of the holy name defiles the holy name and those sins turn into terrible nāma-aparādhas. Even by practicing yama, niyama, and other processes of atonement, one cannot purify his heart or be freed from this aparādha.
(8) To consider other auspicious activities equal to the chanting of the holy name is the eighth offense. It is offensive to think that practising (caste-)religion, vows, austerities, and sacrifices gives the same fruit as the chanting of the holy name. All these activities are material in nature, while the holy name is transcendental or is the personality of the Lord Himself. The holy name is upeya (the supreme goal) and at the same time upāya (the process to attain perfection). It is thus incomparable. This offense also impedes Vaiṣṇava behaviour.
(9) To instruct the holy name to a faithless person is the ninth offense. It is offensive to instruct the holy name to a person not interested in hearing its glories. The offensive reaction of the person who is preached to will backfire on the preacher.
(10) Not being attached to the holy name in spite of hearing its glories is the tenth offense. In this world the living entities are bound and intoxicated by the false conception of body and bodily objects, “I” and “mine”. Repeatedly hearing the glories of the holy name from the mouth of sādhus may result in a temporary detachment in some. However, they are unable to develop a permanent attachment to the holy name. This is an offense.
The author himself is analyzing all these offenses. Sādhu-nindā is the first of the ten nāma-aparādhas. Some think if sādhus commit forbidden acts, it is not offensive to criticise them, since that is simply stating the actual fact. Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda says in his Śrīmad Bhāgavata-comment, however: nindanaṁ doṣa-kīrtanam: “Whether it’s true or not, narrating the faults of a sādhu is included in blasphemy.” One may say that one must rectify such a sādhu, if he is really guilty. The answer is that only spiritually powerful personalities like the guru or guardians of the devotees can rectify them, not a sādhaka devotee. A sādhaka devotee will only be offensive if he sees fault in another devotee or talks about it to others. It will not rectify the guilt of the guilty. Caitanya-Bhāgavata (Madhya 9) says:
nindāya nāhika kārya, sabe pāpa-lābha;
eteke nā kare nindā mahā-mahābhāga
aninduka hai je sakṛt kṛṣṇa bale;
satya satya kṛṣṇa tāre, uddhāriba hele
“The only thing obtained by blaspheming is sin. Thus one should not blaspheme devotees. Great devotees never blaspheme others. Kṛṣṇa very easily delivers those who chant even once the name of Kṛṣṇa without blaspheming anybody.” Nindā also includes hatred, enmity, and such. Skanda Purāṇa says: hanti nindanti vai dveṣṭi vaiṣṇavānnābhinandati krudhyante yāti no harṣaṁ darśane patatāni ṣaṭ “There are six types of vaiṣṇava-aparādha: to kill a Vaiṣṇava, blaspheme him, hate him, not greet him, be angry with him, and not being glad to see him.” All these are causes of falldown from the devotional path. To hate sādhus, speak ill of them, distrust them, disrespect them, be envious of their activities, have enmity towards them, and so on are all included in vaiṣṇava-aparādha. As it is most grave, it comes first among the ten nāma-aparādhas. This aparādha usually creates a great obstacle in the path of devotion for a sādhaka devotee. Mahāprabhu instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī:
yadi vaiṣṇava-aparādha uṭhe hatī mātā;
upāḍe vā chiṇḍe, tāra śuki’ yāya pātā
tāte māli yatna karī’ kare āvaraṇa;
aparādha-hasti jaiche nā haya udgama
“The mad elephant offense of blaspheming a Vaiṣṇava uproots and breaks the bhakti creeper. The leaves of the creeper thus dry up. The gardener, a sādhaka devotee, should carefully protect the bhakti creeper by fencing it all around so that the mad elephant offense does not enter.” (Cai.-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19/156-157) These verses show the gravity of Vaiṣṇava aparādha. A sādhaka devotee should, therefore, be especially careful to protect himself from this aparādha. If accidentally one commits an offense to a mahat, then he should deeply repent with self reproach. “I am such a sinful person that I have offended a mahat.” Repentance is the actual atonement for an offense. Though one may please a sādhu by asking for forgiveness, he cannot purify his heart unless it is burnt in the fire of repentance. There is a logic that a person burnt by fire can be cured by fire. In other words, burns are cured by producing heat. Similarly, if a person with a repentant heart falls at the feet of a mahat he had offended and pays obeisances, glorifies him, and respects him, then he can nullify his offense. If one is unable to please the offended saint in this way one should openly and secretly engage in many activities that may please him and continue to do so for many days. This will surely please the naturally forgiving and compassionate saint.
If the offense is so grave that the saint is not pleased even after the abovementioned method is followed and if the anger of the saint cannot be soothed in any way, then one should lament as follows: “Alas! Alas! A hundred curses on me! I could not make up for the offense to this saint in any way! Surely I will have to fall in millions of hells for this!” In deep grief one should thus give up all unrelated activities and constantly and fully take shelter of harināma saṅkīrtana. The greatly powerful nāma saṅkīrtana will then surely save the repentant soul. And if that person is overcome with shyness and embarrassment, thinking: “The śāstras say: ‘Persons who offend the holy name can find peace only by again chanting the holy name. What is the use of humiliating myself before that person time and again? Let me just take shelter of the greatest means, nāma saṅkīrtana” then he is again guilty of the grave nāmāparādha called ‘committing sinful activities on strength of chanting the holy name.’
na ca kṛpālur akṛta drohas titikṣuh sarva dehinām ityādi sampūrṇa dharmakā eva santas teṣām eva nindā aparādha iti vācyam.
‘sarvācāra vivarjitāḥ śaṭha dhiyo vrātyā jagad vañcakāḥ iti tat prakaraṇa vartinā vacanena tādṛśa duścaritānām api bhagavantaṁ bhajatāṁ kaimuttika nyāyena sacchabda vācyatvena sūcitatvāt.
TRANSLATION— The śāstras say, “Persons having qualities such as compassion, non-envy, and universal tolerance are described as sādhus since they strictly follow vaiṣṇava-dharma.” From this statement one should not think that only blaspheming such sādhus is an offense. Padma Purāṇa says, “Even a sinful person with all bad qualities who lacks proper behaviour, is wicked, fallen, and deceitful is liberated if he takes the shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda.” In this verse it is needless to say that if such an ill-behaved person is devoted to the Lord, he is also known as a sādhu according to kaimuttika-nyāya.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā Explanation:
It has been said that blasphemy of the saints is the most powerful obstacle to bhajana. The Bhāgavata (11.11.29-31) mentions the characteristics of a sādhu:
kṛpālur akṛtadrohas titikṣuḥ sarva-dehinām;
satyasāro’navadyātmā samaḥ sarvopakārakaḥ
kāmair ahatadhīr dānto mṛduḥ śucir akiñcanaḥ;
anīho mitabhuk śāntaḥ sthiro maccharaṇo muniḥ
apramatto gabhīrātmā dhṛtimāñ jitā-ṣaḍ-guṇaḥ;
amānī mānadaḥ kalyo maitraḥ kāruṇikaḥ kaviḥ
“O Uddhava! He is the best among sādhus who has the following qualities: Merciful, not defiant, tolerant, forgiveness, truthfulness, free from envy, doing welfare to all, free from lust, of controlled senses, mildness, cleanliness, without material possession, indifferent to material activities, eating as much as required, peacefulness, without inebriation, without any agitation, patience, control of the six vices of lust, anger, hunger, thirst and so, humble, respectful, expert in solacing others, friendly, compassionate, and poetic.” One may say— “That’s a real saint! It’s only offensive to blaspheme the sādhus having the above qualities, but not others. Sādhus who get angry on insignificant causes and hardly get pleased with the offender do not have the above quality that is obvious! Thus it is not offensive to blaspheme them.” The author, however, is saying this consideration is fully incorrect. In Padma Purāṇa, Sanat-kumāra says to Nārada while describing nāma-aparādha—
sarvācāra vivarjitāḥ śaṭha dhiyo vrātyā jagad vañcakā
dambhāhaṅkṛti pāna paiśuna parāḥ pāpāntyajā niṣṭhurāḥ
ye cānye dhana dāra putra niratāḥ sarvādhamās te pi hi
śrī govinda padāravinda śaraṇā muktā bhavanti dvija
“O brahmaṇa! Persons lacking proper behaviour, who are fallen, deceitful, full of false ego, absorbed in the bodily conception, drunkards, cruel, irreligious, lowborn, hard-hearted, attached to money, children and wife, and fallen in all respects can also be liberated if they take shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda.” It naturally follows in this verse that these evil-minded persons can also be considered as sādhus if they worship the Lord. The Lord Himself says to Arjuna (Gītā 9/30)—
api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyak vyavasito hi saḥ
“A person solely devoted to Me, though he may behave badly, must be considered a sādhu as his efforts are commendable.” The author in his Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī-commentary of this śloka says, “One who worships no other deity than Kṛṣṇa, performs only bhakti without jñāna, karma, and so on, has no desire in his heart other than the desire to attain Kṛṣṇa, and has no desire to attain sovereignty or any other material enjoyment is known as ananya-bhakta, exclusively devoted. He is a sādhu.” With the appearance of ananya-bhakti, one automatically becomes disinterested in desires other than Kṛṣṇa. If accidentally due to a bad upbringing, durācāra, bad behaviour, or even sudurācāra, very sinful behaviour like violence, theft and adultery, is seen in him, still he must be considered a sādhu. All these bad activities do not contaminate ananya-bhakti. kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvacchāntiṁ nigacchati; kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhakta praṇaśyati (B.G. 9.31) bhakti quickly causes repentance in his heart and makes him saintly, giving him eternal peace. A person faithful in devotion is thus considered a sādhu, though very sinful behaviour may be seen in him. If anger, intolerance, and so on are seen in a person absorbed in devotion, he is undoubtedly a sādhu, and blaspheming him is an offense. A sādhaka can never find welfare unless he gives up such an offensive attitude.
Mahāprabhu has therefore instructed everyone engaged in bhajana to take the shelter of the holy name with extreme humility so that one may not blaspheme and envy anyone.
ye-rupe la-ile nāma prema upajāya;
tāhār lakṣaṇa śuna, svarūpa-rāma-rāya
tṛnād api sunīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā;
amāninā mānadena kīrtanīya sadā hariḥ
uttama hoiyā āpanāke māne tṛṇādhama;
dui-prakāre sahiṣṇutā kare vṛkṣa-sama
vṛkṣa yena kāṭileho kichu nā bolaya;
śukāiā maileho kāre pāni nā māgaya
yei ye māgaye, tāre dey āpana-dhana;
gharma-vṛṣṭi sahe, ānera karaye rakṣaṇa
uttama hañā vaiṣṇava habe nirābhimāna;
jīve sammāna dibe janī’ ‘kṛṣṇa’-adhiṣṭhāna
ei mata hoiyā yei kṛṣṇa-nāma laya;
kṛṣṇera caraṇe tāra prema upajaya
“O Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāmānanda Rāya! Please hear the symptoms of chanting the holy name so that Kṛṣṇa-prema is awakened. One who thinks himself lower than a blade of grass, is more tolerant than a tree, does not desire his own fame, but gives respect to all is qualified to constantly chant the holy name of Śrī Hari. Though exalted, he thinks himself lower than a blade of grass and tolerates in two ways like a tree. A tree when cut down does not resist, nor does it ask anyone for water even if it is drying up. A tree gives whatever possession it has to one who asks for it. It tolerates heat and rain, but still gives shelter to others. A Vaiṣṇava should be prideless though he is exalted and should give respect to all living entities knowing that Kṛṣṇa is residing in all of them. One who chants the holy name in this manner, attains divine prema for the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.” (Cai.-caritāmīta, Antya 20/20-27)
What to speak of a sādhaka devotee, even great powerful personalities cannot escape from vaiṣṇava-aparādha. Caitanya-Bhāgavata says: śūlapāni sama yadi bhakta-nindā kare; bhāgavat-pramāṇe tathāpi śīghra mare. sarva mahā prāyaścitta ye kṛṣṇera nāma; vaiṣṇavāparādhe sei nāme laya prāṇa “Even if someone as strong as Śiva, who carries a trident in his hands, blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava, he is quickly finished. The Bhāgavata is giving evidence for this. Chanting Kṛṣṇa’s name is the supreme atonement, but the same name finishes the life of a person offending a Vaiṣṇava.” Therefore for attaining success in chanting the holy name, one should proceed as follows: nā laibe kāro doṣa, nā karibe kāro roṣa, praṇamaha sabāra caraṇa “One should not see the faults or become angry at others and should offer obeisances to the feet of all.”
kiṁ ca kaścin mahābhāgavatatvāṁ mahāparādhinyapi yadyapi na kupyati tad api tatrāparādhavatā sva śuddhyarthaṁ praṇatyādibhir anuvartanīyaḥ eva saḥ. serṣaṁ mahā puruṣa pāda pāṁśubhir nirasta tejaḥsu tad eva śobhanam iti satāṁ vākyena tac caraṇa reṇunām asahiṣṇutayā tat phala pradatvāvagamāt.
TRANSLATION: Sometimes one commits an offense to a mahā-bhāgavata (exalted devotee), but due to the mahā-bhāgavata’s quality of forgiveness, he does not become angry with the offender. Still for his rectification, the offender should ask for forgiveness by paying obeisances to his lotus feet and serve him for his own pleasure. śāstras say, “The glory of an offender is diminished by the dust of the lotus feet of a mahā-bhāgavata. This is certainly a proper reaction for evil minded persons.” One should thus understand from this verse that, though mahā-bhāgavatas do not generally get angry, the dust of their feet does not forgive an offender and accordingly gives him the reactions to the offense.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
Śrīmad-Bhāgavata (11.2.45) describes the characteristics of a mahā-bhāgavata: sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyed bhagavad-bhāvam ātmanaḥ bhūtāni bhagavatyātmanyeṣa bhāgavatottamaḥ Yogīndra Havi said to Mahārāja Nimī, “O king! One who sees the existence of his worshipable Lord in all living entities, and sees the presence of all living entities in his worshipable Lord is known as bhāgavatottama, or foremost of devotees.” Or, “When a devotee realizing the Lord in his heart feels that all living entities have the same realization and the same level of divine love as he has, he is known as foremost of the devotees.” These mahā-bhāgavatas wander in the world completely absorbed in divine love without consciousness of the outer world and aloof from all worldly activities. If someone blasphemes or even becomes hostile to them, then also they neither get angry nor take offense. One may thus think when such mahā-bhāgavatas do not become angry or take the offense at anyone, then blaspheming them cannot be an offense. The author says that though they do not take the offense, the heart of a person blaspheming them becomes heavily contaminated. Accidentally, if someone blasphemes such a mahā-bhāgavata, then the offender for his own purification should fall down at his feet, glorify him, praise him, ask him for forgiveness, and serve him favorably.
One may ask here that if the mahābhāgavatas are equal to praise and slander and they are unable to get angry and there is no possibility of their being satisfied by glorifying or paying obeisances to them. How can the heart of an offender be purified and an offense be nullified? It can only be done by glorifying, paying obeisances, and sincerely serving him. The author cites an example from Śrīmad-Bhāgavata (4.4.13) that describes the anger of Satī-devī due to the disrespect shown to Śrīman Mahādeva during the sacrifice performed by Dakṣa. This verse explains though mahā-bhāgavatas do not take any offense, the dust of their feet cannot tolerate the offense. One must satisfy the dust of their feet by glorifying them and by paying obeisances at their feet.
nāścaryam etad yad asatsu sarvadā mahad-vinindā kuṇapātma-vādiṣu
serṣyam mahāpuruṣa-pāda-pāṁśubhir nirasta-tejaḥsu tad eva śobhanam
“It is not strange for evil persons who always think the body to be self, to constantly blaspheme the mahats. Though the mahats can tolerate their blasphemy the dust of their feet does not. By the dust of their feet the power of these persons is vanquished. It is thus proper that such evil persons immediately get the effects of such blasphemy.” Through these great words it is learned that although the mahāpuruṣas do not get angry with the behaviour of an evil person one must certainly worship them by praising them and offering obeisances unto them in order to pacify the dust of their feet. Otherwise, no doubt the dust of his feet will definitely give the reactions to his offense.
kiṁ ca duravagama niṣkāraṇake kvacit kṛpādṛṣṭau prabhaviṣṇau svacchanda carite kvacin mahābhāgavata maulau tu na kāpi maryādā paryāpnoti. yathā śivikāṁ bāhayati kaṭūkti viṣa varṣiṇyapi rahūgaṇe śrī jaḍa bharatasya kṛpā. yathā ca pāṣaṇḍa dharmāvalambinī sva hitārtham upaseduṣi daitya samūhe uparicarasya vasoś cedi rājasya. yathā vā mahāpāpini sva lalāṭe rudhira pātinyāpi mādhave prabhu varasya nityānandasyeti. evam eva guror avajñā ityatrāpi jñeyam. śivasya śrī viṣṇor ityatraivaṁ vivecanīyam.
TRANSLATION: Sometimes, due to some unknown reasons or even without any reason, the all-powerful most independent crest jewels of mahā-bhāgavatas bestow their causeless mercy. There is no hard and fast rule for their bestowing mercy on others. For example, mahā-bhāgavata Jaḍa Bharata bestowed mercy on Rahūgaṇa, though he made Jaḍa Bharata carry his palanquin and rebuked him with a poisonous torrent of sarcastic words. Cedirāja Uparicara Vasu bestowed his mercy on the atheistic demons that came to kill him. The most compassionate Nityānanda Prabhu bestowed his mercy on the most sinful Mādhāi who struck his forehead causing streams of blood to ooze from it. Just as it is an offense to blaspheme the saints, so it is to disrespect the Guru. After this we will discuss the difference between Śiva and Śrī Viṣṇu.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
Mahā-bhāgavatas are so absorbed in ecstasy that they simply wander around in the world, free from attachment and hatred, indifferent towards praise or infamy. Hence it is also not possible for them to either bless or curse anybody. Still, as is described here, it is a terrible offense to blaspheme them. This is not a universal rule, however. mahābhāgavatas are completely independent and fully capable of bestowing causeless mercy. Sometimes they shower infinite causeless mercy even on a hostile offender. Their mercy thus makes the offender successful. The author describes this fact by citing three examples.
Once King Rahūgaṇa, the ruler of the states of Sindhu and Sauvīra, was going along the banks of the river Indumatī riding on a palanquin. When the palanquin carriers felt tired, the chief palanquin carrier, seeing Brahmarṣi Bharata to be strong, forced him to carry the palanquin. Gentle Bharata started carrying the palanquin. Stepping irregularly to avoid crushing ants with his feet, he could not keep pace with the other carriers and the palanquin was shaking. Rahūgaṇa chastised the carriers of the palanquin, who then blamed the new carrier Bharata. Hearing this the king, who was full of passion, with sarcastic words rebuked Bharata, who possessed an invisible Brahman effulgence, like a fire covered with ashes. He said in a taunting way to Bharata “Oh how hard! O my troubled brother! You have carried this palanquin all alone for a long time and your body is also weak due to your old age. You have become extremely fatigued.” Though he was being taunted with crooked words, he continued carrying the palanquin as before without replying anything. How can one be agitated by sarcastic taunting when their bodily conceptions are totally washed away?
As the palanquin was still shaking, king Rahugaṇa became angry like fire and very contemptibly said, “Oh! What are you doing? Are you a walking dead man? Disregarding me, you are not carrying out my orders. As Yamarāja punishes all the people, I will also punish you. Then you will become conscious.” Hearing the king’s sarcastic words, Bharata smiled mildly and delivered wonderful instructions related to spiritual truth. After hearing the instructions, the king fearfully got down from the palanquin and fell flat on the ground with his head on the feet of Bharata. He offered prayers asking for forgiveness. He asked about the Absolute Truth and Bharata Mahārāja then gave him full instructions on transcendental knowledge. Finally the king gave up his false bodily misconception and attained the prime goal of his life by hearing the nectarean sermons from the mouth of the most powerful Brahmarṣi Bharata. This is elaborately described in the fifth canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavata.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī quotes the example of Uparicara Vasu from the Viṣṇu Dharmottara in Bhakti-sandarbha (179). yathā uparicara vasor vṛttaṁ viṣṇudharme sa hi deva sāhāyyāyaiva daityān hatvā virajya ca bhagavad anudhyānāya pātālaṁ ca praviṣṭavān. taṁ ca nivṛttam api hantuṁ labdha chidrā daityāḥ samāgatya tat prabhāveṇodyata śastrā evātiṣṭhan tataś ca vyarthodyamāḥ punaḥ śukropadeśena taṁ prati pāṣaṇḍa mārgam upadiśanto’pi jātayā tat kṛpayā bhagavad bhakta vabhūvur iti This story from the Viṣṇu dharmottara shows that the great saints can also bestow their mercy on the great offenders. It is said therein that once Uparicara Vasu helped the demigods in killing the demons. Finally feeling repentance for killing the demons, he became detached from material affairs. He then entered Pātāla-loka desiring to constantly meditate on Śrī Hari without distraction. The demons came to know that their old enemy had refrained from killing and had entered Pātāla-loka without any weapons. Thinking it a good chance to take revenge, they reached Pātāla-loka to kill Uparicara Vasu. When they raised their arms to cut off the head of Uparicara Vasu, by the power of his bhakti, their arms remained frozen in the raised position. Their weapons were thus unable to touch the body of Uparicara Vasu.
Being unsuccessful the demons came to Śukrācārya and, according to his suggestion, returned to Pātāla-loka and began preaching atheism. When Śukrācārya heard the whole incident from the demons, he understood that as long as Uparicara Vasu was meditating on the Lord, nobody could touch even the edge of his hair. If somehow it were possible to create disrespect or negligence to the Lord in his mind, then only it would be possible to kill him. Śukrācārya suggested to loudly preach atheism in all directions of Pātāla-loka loudly saying, “The Lord does not exist. The Vedas are false.” If somehow by preaching atheism full of mundane logic, you can create doubts regarding the Lord and the scriptures in the mind of Uparicara Vasu, then his meditation may slacken. When he gradually becomes spiritually weak, it will be possible to kill him.
Accordingly when the demons started preaching atheism around Uparicara Vasu in Pātāla-loka, his meditation became disturbed. On hearing atheism and seeing the miserable condition of the demons, he became full of compassion. He started thinking, “Alas! How miserable these demons are! Just for killing me, they want to destroy the existence of Śrī Bhagavān, who is the Lord of lords, cause of all causes, and maintainer of all. O most compassionate Lord! Kindly be merciful to them by destroying their miserable condition. Please make them drown in the mellow of bhakti of your lotus feet.” By the piteous prayer of the Lord’s devotee, those demons also became devotees of the Lord.
Finally the author cites the example of the most compassionate Śrī Nitāicānda who bestowed his mercy on Mādhāi though he was totally hostile to Nityānanda Prabhu. The liberation of Jagāi and Mādhāi by Gaura Nityānanda is a very famous pastime known by all and is recounted in Caitanya-Bhagavat. One day Śrīman Mahāprabhu called Nityānanda and Haridāsa Ṭhākura and said:
śuna śuna nityānanda śuna haridāsa;
sarvatra āmāra ājñā karaha pracāra
prati ghare ghare giyā kara ei bhikṣā;
bala kṛṣṇa bhaja kṛṣṇa karo kṛṣṇa śikṣā
“Listen, listen Nityānanda! Listen, Haridāsa! Give my order to all. Go everywhere. Going to every single house, beg them to chant Kṛṣṇa’s name and worship Him. Instruct them in all the truths related to Kṛṣṇa.” Receiving the order of Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda and Haridāsa, the carriers of His order, came out on the main street for preaching the holy name.
ājñā pāi dui jane bule ghare ghare;
balo kṛṣṇa gāo kṛṣṇa bhajaha kṛṣṇere
kṛṣṇa prāṇa kṛṣṇa dhana kṛṣna se jīvana;
heno kṛṣṇa bolo bhāi hoiyā ek mon
ei mata nadīyāy prati ghare ghare;
boliyā beṛān dui jagat īśvare
doṅhāra sannyāsī veśa jān jār ghare;
āthe vyathe āsi bhikṣā nimantraṇa kore
nityānanda haridāsa bole ei bhikṣā;
bolo kṛṣṇa bhajo kṛṣṇa koro kṛṣṇa śikṣā
ei bol boli dui jan coli jāy;
je hoy sujana sei boṛo sukha pāy
“Getting the order of Mahāprabhu, both of them went door to door in Nadia and started preaching. ‘Sing the glories of Kṛṣṇa and worship Him. Kṛṣṇa is the very life and wealth of everybody. Please chant the name of Kṛṣṇa with steady mind.”
In this way they went from house to house in Nadīyā, though they were the Lords of the universe. Dressed as sannyāsīs they went begging from door to door for this alm: ‘Speak of Kṛṣṇa, worship Kṛṣṇa and teach others about Kṛṣṇa.’ They were thus wandering around preaching. The virtuous persons were getting bliss by their preaching. But evil-minded persons started whispering this and that. One day a terrible incident occurred. While both were preaching the glories of the holy name and creating a blissful atmosphere on the streets, they suddenly came across two strange persons. Their appearance was very horrible as they were big dacoits and heavy drunkards. There were no sinful acts they left uncommitted.
brāhmaṇa haiyā madya gomāṁsa bhakṣaṇa;
ḍākā curi paragṛha dāhe anukṣaṇa
“Though they were brāhmaṇas, they used to drink, eat beef, steal and rob, and set fire to others’ houses.” The heart of Śrī Nitāicānda was always fully soaked with streams of nectar of compassion. He was compassion personified. By hearing the extremely miserable condition of Jagāi and Mādhāi, the ocean of compassion within His heart overflowed. He started thinking, “Gaura-avatāra is to deliver the fallen souls, where will my Prabhu get such fallen souls like them? By delivering such most fallen souls, the whole world can realize the power of His mercy.” The embodiment of compassion Nitāi Himself made a vow to liberate them.
ekhan yeman matta āpanā nā jāne;
ei mata hay yadi śrī-kṛṣṇera nāme
mora prabhu bali yadi kānde dui jana;
tabe se sārthaka more yata paryaṭan
ye ye jana e duera chāyā paraśīyā;
vastrera sahita gaṅgā-snāna kare giyā
sei saba jana jabe e doṅhāre dekhi;
gaṅgā-snāna hena māne tabe more lekhi
“My preaching will be successful if by chanting Kṛṣṇa’s name, they can be made mad and forgetful of the whole world in the same way as they are now so maddened that they don’t even recognize themselves. Now people who even touch the shadow of these two take bath in the Gaṅgā with their clothes on. My success will be, when seeing these two, the same people will feel as if they have just bathed in the Gaṅgā.” The beloved readers can easily understand how kind it is if one bestows one’s own great virtues to the greatest sinners. Śrī Nityānanda and Śrī Haridāsa went to these great sinners to preach the holy name for their deliverance. But the gentle people, forbidding them to go, started crying, “O Ṭhākura! They are drunkards and always unconscious from too much drinking. With no discrimination between sādhu and non-sādhu, they beat whoever comes before them. If you want to save your lives, then do not go near them.” For one solely determined to deliver the fallen, fear of life is insignificant. Fearlessly going near them, they said:
bala kṛṣṇa bhaja kṛṣṇa, laha kṛṣṇa-nāma;
kṛṣṇa mātā, kṛṣṇa pitā, kṛṣṇa dhana prāṇa
toma sabā lāgiyā kṛṣṇera avatāra;
hena kṛṣṇa bhajo, saba chāḍa anācāra
“Sing the glories of Kṛṣṇa worship Him and chant His holy name. He is the father, mother, wealth and very life of all living entities. He has appeared to deliver all of you. Worship Him, giving up all activities.” As soon as they heard Kṛṣṇa’s name from the mouth of these two saints, in a drunken stupor they ran towards them shouting, “Catch them! Catch them!” Seeing their angry mood, both Prabhus started fleeing away. Seeing this evil minded persons started laughing at them. Gentle people fearfully said, “How terrible! O Ṭhākura! We forbade you in the very beginning. They are more fallen than animals. What do they understand about the glories of the holy name? Unless you are out of their sight, you cannot escape.”
Jagāi and Mādhāi were tired and drunk. They were so fat that by only running a short distance, they were worn out. While roaring threats, they finally stopped and sat down. Haridāsa and Nityānanda laughed, went to Mahāprabhu and told Him the whole incident.
prabhu bole jāno jāno seī dui beṭā;
khaṇda khaṇda karīmu āile more hethā
nityānanda bole khaṇda khaṇda kara tumi;
se dui thākite kothā na jāibo āmī
kisera vā eta tumi karaha baḍāīy;
āge sei duijane govinda balāī
svabhāvataḥ dharmike balaye kṛṣṇa-nāma;
ei dui vikarma boi nāhi jāne ān
ei dui uddhāroṅ yadi diyā bhakti dāna;
tabe jāni pātaki pāvana hena nāma
āmāre tāriyā yata tomāra mahimā;
tatodhika e duyera uddhārera sīmā
hāsi bale visvaṁbhara haibe uddhāra;
yei kṣaṇe daraśana pāila tomāra
viśeṣa cintaha tumi etaka maṅgala;
acirāte kṛṣṇa-tāra karibo kuśala
“After hearing the whole incident, Mahāprabhu said, ‘Both of you should know that I will cut them both to pieces if they come here.’ Nityānanda said: “So cut them into pieces! But I will not go anywhere, as long as they are around. How can You boastfully order us to preach? I will know Your glory, if You can make them chant the name of Govinda. Religious people naturally chant Kṛṣṇa’s name, but both of them know nothing except committing sins. If you can deliver them by bestowing bhakti, I will then know that your name is Patita-pāvana, the purifier of the most fallen. Your glory in delivering me will reach its extreme, if you deliver them.’ Mahāprabhu replied, ‘They will undoubtedly be delivered as they have received your darśana and you are specifically thinking about their welfare. Very soon Kṛṣṇa will do their good.”
It became clear from Mahāprabhu’s words that the boundless mercy of Nityānanda is the cause of Jagāi and Mādhāi’s liberation. All the Vaiṣṇavas blissfully shouted, “Haribol! Haribol!” There was no doubt anymore for anyone that Jagāi and Mādhāi’s deliverance was imminent.
The time for the liberation of the two demons in the form of brāhmaṇas came near. Though able to liberate them simply by His desire, Nityānanda Prabhu followed the path of great compassion for their salvation. One evening while chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, merciful Nityānanda Prabhu was passing alone, all the while chanting Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, by the path where Jagāi and Mādhāi used to haunt.
ke re ke re bali ḍāke jagāi mādhāi;
nityānanda balena—prabhura bāḍi jāi
kupiā madhāi kahe—kībā nāma tora;
nityānaṇda kahe—avadhūta nāma more
avadhūta nāma śunī mādhai kupiā;
mārila prabhura śire muṭuki tuliā
“When they heard Nitāi chanting, Jagāi and Mādhāi called out, ‘Who are you and where are you going?’ Nityānanda replied, ‘I am going to Mahāprabhu’s house.’ Mādhāi angrily asked, ‘What’s your name?’ Nitāi replied, ‘My name is Avadhūta.’ Hearing this name, Mādhāi angrily struck Nitāi’s forehead with an earthen pot.” The edge of the earthen pot violently thrown by Mādhāi, pierced the forehead of Nitāi-cānd. Streams of blood flowed down his lotus-like face. Then Nitāi’s purpose for coming on this path was fulfilled. The streams of fresh blood completely washed down in a moment the huge heaps of sins Mādhāi accumulated from several previous yugas. Mādhāi was again about to strike Nitāi, but Jagāi forbade him. Nitāicānd was standing with His lotus face smeared with a sweet smile. His lotus eyes shone being full of prema. From His mouth a stream of enchanting nectar speech was flowing. He spoke with a voice full of affection, “Brother Mādhāi! By striking me, you have done well. At least once chant Kṛṣṇa’s name. I’ll be pleased on hearing Kṛṣṇa’s name from your mouth. How blissful you’ll feel.” Hearing the horrible news that Mādhāi had struck Nitāi, Mahāprabhu came rapidly along with His associates. He forgot Himself and, on seeing blood on the head of Nitāi, called the Sudarśana cakra. As the cakra appeared, merciful Nitāi fell down at the lotus feet of Mahāprabhu, requesting Him to protect Jagāi Mādhāi and to bestow divine love on them.
kon janme thāke yadi āmāra sukṛta;
saba diluṅ mādhāire śunha niścita
more yata aparādha kichu dāya nāi;
māyā chāḍa kṛpā kara tomāra mādhāi
“He said, ‘Please listen! If there is any good fortune from my previous life, I am definitely giving it all to Mādhāi. I am not worried at all that he offended Me. Please don’t play tricks. Bestow your mercy to Mādhāi. He is Yours.” By the mercy of Śrī Śrī Nitāicānd, the two great dacoits quickly turned into mahā-bhāgavatas and became forever the witnesses of the infinite mercy of Nitāicānda.
Now the author is explaining the third offense, guror avajñā, disregarding the Guru. As sādhu-nindā is a great obstacle on the devotional path, disregard to the guru or considering him an ordinary man is more dangerous. In Bhakti-sandarbha (237) Jīva Gosvāmī quotes one verse from Vāmana-kalpa that describes the result of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of guru-tattva:
yo mantraḥ sa guruḥ sākṣāt yo guruḥ sa hariḥ svayaṁ
gurur yasya bhavet tuṣṭas tasya tuṣṭo hariḥ svayaṁ
“The mantra is the guru himself, and the guru is Hari himself. It means there is no difference between guru, mantra, and Hari. In whom guru is pleased, Hari is also pleased.” The next verse shows the poisonous result of dissatisfying the guru:
harau ruṣṭe gurustrātā gurau ruṣṭe na kaścana
tasmāt sarva prayatnena gurum eva prasādayet
“If Hari is displeased with someone the guru can still save him, but if the Guru is angry, then nobody can protect him. Therefore by all means one must please the Guru.” By citing these verses, Jīva Gosvāmī establishes that satisfaction of the guru is the cause of satisfaction of Bhagavān, and reversely dissatisfaction of the guru is the cause of destruction of one’s spiritual life. Whenever the Guru is pleased then Hari is also pleased, so here the satisfaction of Hari and the Guru are cause and effect. We can thus understand that Hari cannot be pleased unless the Guru is pleased. When Hari is angry with someone the Guru can protect him, but if the Guru is angry Śrī Hari cannot protect him; hence one must protect oneself from Śrī Guru’s dissatisfaction in all respects. Hence the Gosvāmīs have instructed us here to please Śrī Guru by all means.
When Śrī Gurudeva is disregarded guru-tattva becomes dissatisfied and a sādhaka is bereft of all the fruits of sādhana-bhakti. If accidentally the offense of disregard to the guru occurs, then one should sincerely submit to the lotus feet of the guru and with repentance ask for forgiveness. The most compassionate Gurudeva, who is affectionate to his disciple will definitely forgive his offense and be pleased with him. After this the blessed author will elaborately discuss the second offense to the chanting of the holy name, namely seeing difference between the holy names and attributes etc. of Śrī Śiva and Śrī Viṣṇu. (2)
caitanyaṁ hi dvividhaṁ bhavati svatantram asvantantraṁ ca. tatra prathamaṁ sarva vyāpakam īśvarākhyaṁ dvitīyaṁ deha mātra vyāpi śaktikaṁ jīvākhyam īśitavyam. īśvara caitanyaṁ dvividhaṁ māyā sparśa rahitaṁ līlayā svīkṛta māyā sparśaṁ ca. tatra prathamaṁ nārāyaṇādyabhidham. yad uktam – ‘harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteh para’ iti. dvitīyam śivādyabhidham. yad uktaṁ – ‘śivaḥ śakti yuktaḥ śaśvat triliṅgo guṇa saṁvṛta iti. atra guṇa saṁvṛta liṅgenāpi tasya jīvatvaṁ nāśaṅkanīyam. kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi viśeṣa yogāt sañjāyate na tu tataḥ pṛthag asti hetuḥ; yaḥ śambhūtām api tathā samupaiti kāryād govindam ādi puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. iti brahma saṁhitokteḥ.
TRANSLATION: caitanya, or conscious beings, are of two types: independent and dependent. The first, independent īśvara-caitanya, is the all-pervading Lord. The second is the dependent jīva-caitanya that pervades only the own body and is a particular energy of the Lord controlled by Him. īśvara-caitanya is again of two types: free from the touch of māyā, and accepting the touch of māyā by His own will. īśvara-caitanya free from the touch of māyā is known by such names as Nārāyaṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.88.5) says, “Śrī Hari exists beyond the three modes of material nature and is completely transcendental. Therefore, He himself is the Supreme transcendental personality.” The second īśvara-caitanya accepts the touch of māyā by His own will and is known as Śiva and so on. śāstras say, “Śiva is always associated with māyā and is the predominating deity of vaikārika (sāttvika), taijasa (rājasika) and tāmasa, three types of ego. He is covered by three guṇas, sattva, rajas, and tamas. One should not think Śiva as a jīva, though he is covered by three guṇas. Because Brahma-saṁhitā (5.45) says, “As milk is transformed into yoghurt, yet yoghurt is not different from milk, its cause, I worship the Primeval Lord, Govinda, who similarly accepts the form of Śiva by his own will for the particular purpose of destruction.”
Pīyūsa Kaṇā Explanation:
Now the author is describing the second nāma-aparādha. To consider the name, qualities and so on of Mahādeva and Viṣṇu to be different is the second nāma-aparādha. To consider Śiva and Viṣṇu both as independent Lords empowered with independent energies is also a nāma-aparādha. Since it is very difficult to understand the truth of Śiva, the author is describing it in detail.
Conscious truth (caitanya-tattva) is of two types: independent īśvara-caitanya and dependent jīva-caitanya. The transcendental form of the Lord as a human being, though appearing localized, is all-pervading and supreme by His inconceivable energy. Though the Lord puts Himself under the control of His devotees, still He is most independent. Dependent caitanya pervading only in the body is known as jīva-caitanya. It is controlled by paramātmā, the Supersoul and is minute by nature. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says to Śrī Uddhava: sūkṣmāṇām apyahaṁ jīvaḥ “Among minute objects, I am the jīva.” Muṇḍaka Śruti also says: eṣo’ṇurātmā “Spirit is minute.” Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad says, bālāgra śata bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca bhāgo jīvaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ “If the tip of a hair is divided into a hundred parts, and then again divided into a hundred parts, that ten-thousandth part of hair is the size of the jīva.” Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī thus writes in Paramātmā-sandarbha (33): sūkṣmamatā parākāṣṭḥā-prāpto-jīvaḥ, “The jīva is the ultimate minuteness, there is no object more minute than a jīva.” Being conscious in nature, its consciousness and energy pervade throughout the body. jīva-caitanya is dependent and is under the control of Parameśvara, the supreme spirit.
Vedānta-sutra says: kartā śāstrārtha vattvāt “Jīva is the doer of karmas.”
One may ask if jīva is the doer of karmas, then why does the Lord say in the Gītā (3/27), prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ; ahaṅkāra vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate “The three modes of nature perform all activities, but due to false ego, the bound jīva soul considers himself the doer.” Rāmānujācārya replies, “The purport of this verse is that while performing material activities, the jīva gets inspiration from the three guṇas, sattva, rajaḥ and tamaḥ.” This verse from Vedānta-sutra describes the innate tendency of the jīva as a performer of activities. His position as a doer is not independent, however, as it is dominated by Parameśvara. śrutis say, eṣa hyeva sādhu karma kārayati taṁ yamebhyo unnīniṣate eṣa hyevāsādhu karma kārayati taṁ yam adho ninīṣate “Parameśvara inspires those to do pious activities, whom He desires to elevate to higher planets and He inspires those to commit sinful acts, whom He desires to take to lower hellish plants.” One may ask here, “If īśvara inspires one to do sinful or pious activities, then why is the jīva responsible for them and gets the fruits of such activities? The answer is that though the jīva is doing karma by īśvara’s inspiration, one cannot say that his position as a doer cannot be considered. Parameśvara is the efficient cause and the jīva is the effective cause of the karma. Parameśvara only gives the power to do karma, because the jīva is unable to do it on its own strength. Being assisted by the energy of īśvara, the jīva does karma according to his own desire. īśvara is not responsible for the fruits of karma, rather the jīva is responsible. sva-karma phala bhuk pumān, “The jīva must undergo the effects of his karma.”
Independent īśvara-caitanya is of two types: without the touch of māyā and accepting the touch of māyā by His own will. īśvara-caitanya completely free from the touch of māyā is known by such names as Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa refers to the vilāsa-mūrti of undivided, nondual Absolute Truth (advaya-jñāna-tattva), Śrī Kṛṣṇa and other manifestations of the Lord such as the Lord of Paravyoma, Nārāyaṇa, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha. vilāsa-mūrti means when the primeval form of the Lord, by His inconceivable energy, manifests another form almost similar to His own form, but slightly differing in features. All these forms of the Lord being sac-cid-ānanda are simultaneously localized and all-pervading. Activities related to these two contradictory qualities are seen in these forms. The simultaneous presence of contradictory qualities is not possible in material objects. All the forms of God are eternal and all-pervading in all places, at all times and in all objects. According to the general rule, a material object has a particular form which means it is limited. The natural character (svarūpa) and mūrti figure are nondifferent in Bhagavān. All His forms being transcendental they are, therefore, eternal, self manifested, and beyond the touch of māyā. Beyond the region of māyā lies the causal ocean. Caitanya-caritāmṛta says: kāraṇa-samudra māyā paraśīte nāre, “material energy cannot touch the causal ocean. Beyond the causal ocean exists the region of paravyoma, or Vaikuṇṭha-loka. Being far beyond māyā, nothing material exists there. Infinite transcendental forms eternally exist there enjoying eternal pastimes with their respective associates. The Bhāgavata (10.88.5) says:
harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ
sa sarva-dīg upadraṣṭā tāṁ bhajan nirguṇo bhavet
“Śrī Hari Himself is the supreme transcendental Personality, free from three modes of nature. He is the all-seeing omnipresent witness of everything. Those who worship Him, also become transcendental.” Unless Śrī Hari is transcendental His worshipper can not also become transcendental.
The second īśvara-caitanya has accepted the touch of māyā by this own will and is known by such names as Śiva. By his own will refers to his voluntary desire to do some specific activity related to the material world. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata (10.88.3) describes:
śīvaḥ śakti-yutaḥ śaśvat trī-liṅgo guṇa-saṁvṛtaḥ
vaikārikas taijasaś ca tāmasaś cetyahaṁ tridhā
“Śiva eternally possesses śakti. He is triliṅga, the predominating deity of three kinds of ego sāttvika (vaikārika), rājasika (taijasa) and tamas (tāmasika) and is bound by the three guṇas of nature.” guṇa-saṁvīta, covered by the guṇas, does not mean that he is jīva-tattva. The jīva is attracted by the actions of the three guṇas, but Śiva voluntarily accepts those guṇas. Śrīmad Sanātana Gosvāmī explains this verse in Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī commentary as follows, śrī śivasya śrī bhagavad guṇāvatāratvena tad abhinnatve’pi sadyo bhakta kāma pūraṇāya māyā guṇa svīkāreṇa tad bhaktānāṁ yathākāmaṁ vibhūti prāptiḥ śrī hareś ca parama dayālutayā sva bhaktebhyaḥ kāmibhyo’pi dhanādi doṣa dṛṣṭyā prāyaḥ kāmāpradānam kintu krameṇa kṣīṇa kāmebhyas tebhyo nija māhātmyānurūpaṁ guṇātīta pada pradānam eveti “Śiva being a guṇāvatāra of the Lord, is nondifferent from Him. Śiva has voluntarily accepted the modes of nature to quickly fulfill the desire of sakāma-bhaktas desiring fruits. The devotees of Śiva thus attain prosperity according to their desires. Śrī Hari is very merciful; even if His devotees are sakāma, He generally does not give their desirable objects such as opulence, wealth, and so on, which increase their bondage of māyā. Gradually giving the taste of His sweetness, He diminishes their material desires and makes them successful by bestowing the wealth of prema free from modes of nature.”
Śuka Muni once said to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, “Śrī Mahādeva himself is free from all material desires, but his devotees are wealthy, possessing all kinds of sense enjoyment. Śrī Hari is the master of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, and possesses infinite wealth and opulence, but His devotees generally lack opulences. One (Śiva) is renounced, but his devotees are wealthy, and the other (Viṣṇu) is full of opulences, yet His devotees are renounced. What is the cause of these contradictions? In answering this question, Śukadeva started this chapter citing verse 10.88.3. So Śrīman Mahādeva has voluntarily accepted the modes of illusion and should not be seen as a conditioned soul who obeys these three modes.
In evidence to this the author quotes a śloka from Brahma-saṁhitā (5/45)
kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra viśeṣa yogāt
sañjāyate na tu tataḥ pṛthag asti hetoḥ
yaḥ śambhutām api tathā samupaiti kāryād
govindam ādipuruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
“Milk transforms into yogurt by the action of acids, yet yogurt is neither the same nor different from milk, its cause. I worship the primeval Lord Govinda, who similarly accepts the form of Śiva for a specific purpose.”
Here the example of yogurt is given just to explain the cause and effect, but not the act of transformation. The prime cause, Govinda, is eternal and never undergoes any transformation. Śrī Jīva describes this verse, “Yogurt is not different from milk. Similarly Mahādeva is not an independent īśvara from Govinda. Govinda Himself voluntarily accepts a separate form (Śiva) and accepts the mode of tamoguṇa for a specific purpose. In this verse the word vikāra-viśeṣa means a special element that is a combination of the mode of ignorance of māyā, the nature of minuteness of the marginal potency and the cognizant nature of svarūpa-śakti mixed with a slight degree of hlādinī-śakti (bliss-energy). The specific shadow of the Lord’s own personality endowed with this specific element (vikāra-viśeṣa) is the innate form of triliṅga Mahādeva. He is known as a guṇāvatāra of Hari, not a separate entity or principle. In the above commentary on Brahma Saṁhitā by Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmīpāda the Ṛg Veda is quoted saying: atha nityo deva eko nārāyaṇaḥ brahmā nārāyaṇaḥ śivaś ca nārāyaṇa ityādi “Nārāyaṇa is the only eternal worshipable Lord or He is Supreme transcendence. The material body undergoes the stages of childhood, youth, and so on, but since the Lord is transcendental, no such changes are seen in His innate form. His transcendental form exists forever, past, present, and future.” Mahādeva is non-different from Him, being neither jīva-tattva nor an independent īśvara-tattva. If the exclusive devotees of Hari desire to worship Śiva, they worship Śiva as if Hari resides in Him.
In Bhakti-sandarbha (106), Jīva Gosvāmī quotes an incident from Viṣṇu-dharmottara to explain this point. Once a brāhmaṇa named Viṣvaksena, a devotee of Hari, was roaming freely. One day he was sitting alone in a forest. Meanwhile, the son of the village chief came and asked who he was. The brāhmaṇa told him who he was and the boy said to him, “Today I am suffering from headache, you please worship my worshipable deity Śiva in my place.” Hearing his prayer, the brāhmaṇa replied, “Dear boy! I am an exclusive devotee of Hari. I don’t worship any deity other than Viṣṇu. Please go away.” He was not ready to do Śiva-pūjā. Becoming angry, the boy was about to cut off the brāhmaṇa’s head. The brāhmaṇa was astonished and started thinking, “I don’t want to be killed by this boy. What shall I do?” After considering carefully, he finally agreed to do the pūjā. He started thinking in front of the Śiva-liṅga, “Śiva possesses tamoguṇa and is the cause of the dissolution. He causes tamoguṇa to increase. Nṛsiṁhadeva destroys the demons who are full of mode of ignorance. He appears among those demons to destroy their ignorance, just as the sun destroys dense darkness. This boy is also demonic in nature. I will thus worship Nṛsiṁhadeva as if residing in the Śiva deity to destroy the demonic nature of such a malicious devotee of Śiva.” With such determination, he chanted the mantra, śrī nṛsiṁhāya namaḥ, and was about to give puṣpāñjali to Śiva. Hearing this, the boy very angrily lifted his sword to cut off his head. Suddenly, the Śiva-liṅga cracked open and Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared from it and destroyed the boy along with all his relatives. The Deity of Nṛsiṁhadeva is still existing in South India by the famous name Liṅga-sphoṭa Nṛsiṁhadeva. This gives the evidence of nondifference of Hari and Śiva.
anyatra ca purāṇāgāmādiṣu bahutra īśvaratvena prasiddheśca yat tu ‘sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇā’ ityatra ‘sthityādaye hari viriñci harā’ ityanena tat sādhāraṇyāt brahmaṇyapīśvaratvam avagamyate tad īśvarāveśād eveti jñeyam. ‘bhāsvān yathāśma sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ svīyaṁ kiyat prakaṭayatyapi tadvad atra. brahmā ya eṣa jagad aṇḍa vidhāna kartā’ iti brahma saṁhitokteḥ.
TRANSLATION: Many Purāṇas and other scriptures describe Śiva as īśvara. The Bhāgavata says, however, “The Lord accepts the form of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva for creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe.” From this śloka it is generally understood that Brahmā is also īśvara-tattva. He may be considered as such, in the way that he is empowered by the Lord’s specific energy for creation. The Brahma-saṁhitā says, “As the sun manifests some portion of its own light in the stone sūryakānta-maṇi, similarly being empowered by the Lord’s energy, Brahmā creates this universe.”
Pīyūṣa kaṇā-explanation:
In many places, the Purāṇas and other scriptures describe Śiva as īśvara. However, he should never be considered an independent Lord empowered by his own energy independent of Viṣṇu. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata (1.2.23) says:
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair yuktaḥ paraḥ puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte
sthityādaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ śreyaṁsī tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ
“The same Personality of Godhead accepts the three modes of māyā, sattva, rajas, and tamas and accepts three separate forms of Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Śiva for the maintenance, creation, and destruction of the universe. The ultimate benefit of the human being, however, can only be derived from Viṣṇu, the presiding Deity of sattva-guṇa.”
The One Supreme Brahman has manifest itself as Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara for the sake of creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva are known as guṇāvatāras, incarnations of the material modes. Brahmā and Śiva are tinged with rajoguṇa and tamoguṇa. Unlike Viṣṇu, their transcendental supremacy is lacking. They give dharma (virtue), artha (wealth), and kāma (sense enjoyment). guṇāvatāra Viṣṇu possesses sattva-guṇa, therefore He can give liberation. The author is saying that, though from this verse generally one may consider Brahmā also as an īśvara like Śiva, one should know that he is just empowered by a specific energy of the Lord. The author clarifies this by citing Brahma-saṁhitā (5/49)—
bhāsvān yathāśma sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ svīyaṁ kiyat prakaṭayatyapi tadvad atra.
brahmā ya eṣa jagad aṇḍa vidhāna kartā govindam ādi puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
“As sun manifests some portion of its own light in the stone sūryakānta-maṇi, similarly being empowered by the Lord’s energy, Brahmā creates this universe. I worship the Primeval Lord Govinda.” Here the sādhakas should know that upāsanā bhede jāni īśvara mahimā, I understand the greatness of the Lord because there are so many ways to worship Him.” Devotion to the guṇāvataras is also guṇamayī, tinged with the three modes of māyā. guṇāvatāras can give dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. The Supreme Truth, Lord Hari, is beyond material nature and its modes. His devotion is thus also nirguṇa and by its performance one can be successful in attaining the fifth and supreme goal, the divine love of Godhead. Śrīmat Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda says in Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta:
santvavatārā bahavaḥ puṣkara-nābhasya sarvato bhadrāḥ
kṛṣṇād anyaḥ ko vā latāṣv api premado bhavati
“There are many manifestations of the lotus-naveled Lord, that are auspicious in all respects; but who other than Lord Kṛṣṇa can bestow divine love to the souls surrendered unto Him?”
tathā pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ. tamasas tu rajas tasmāt sattvaṁ yad brahma darśanam. ityatra tamasaḥ sakāśāt rajasaḥ śreṣṭhyo’pi vastuto rajasi dhūma sthānīye śuddha tejaḥ sthānīyasyeśvarasyānupalabdheś ca. sattve saṁjvalanāgnau śuddha tejasaḥ sākṣād iva pārthive dāru sthānīye tamasyapi tasyāntarhitatayopalabdhir astyeva. tat kārya suṣuptau nirbheda jñāna sukhānubhava ivetyādi vicārya tattvam avaseyam
TRANSLATION: Śrīmad-Bhāgavata (1.2.23) says: “Smoke is superior to wood, a transformation of the earth. Fire, the base of sacrifices prescribed in the Vedas, is superior to smoke. Similarly rajoguṇa is superior to tamoguṇa and sattva-guṇa is superior to rajoguṇa. One can realize Brahman by sattva-guṇa.” This verse establishes the superiority of rajoguṇa over tamoguṇa. However, the realization of the Lord, representing pure effulgence, is not possible in rajoguṇa, which is being compared here to smoke. Representing pure effulgence, the Lord can be realized by sattva-guṇa, which is like a burning fire. In tamoguṇa, which is compared to wood, one gets a subtle realization of the Lord. As in the state of suṣupti (sound sleep), an effect of tamoguṇa, one gets the same bliss as if in the realization of nirbheda-jñāna, knowledge of the oneness of jīva and non-personal Brahman. One should ascertain the truth by considering the facts in this way.
Pīyūṣa kaṇa explanation:
In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Suta Muni explains that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead and the cause of all manifestations (avatāras). He is an undivided, nondual, cognizant Absolute Truth. As unlimited streams flow from on imperishable lake, similarly, unlimited manifestations (avatāras) appear from the Primeval Supreme Absolute Truth. Knowers of the Truth say the effulgence of the Lord is Brahman, His partial expansion (specific expansion for specific purpose) is Paramātmā and His vilāsa-mūrti is Nārāyaṇa, the master of Paravyoma or Vaikuṇṭha. In this way the nondual truth and Original Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa performs various pastimes within the mundane globe. Being the cause of all causes He appears as the guṇāvatāras that preside over the modes of goodness, passion and darkness for the sake of creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe. Viṣṇu is the presiding deity of the mode of goodness, maintaining the universe, Brahmā is the presiding deity of mode of passion, creating the universe, and Śiva is the presiding deity of mode of ignorance, destroying the universe. Though Viṣṇu is the presiding deity of sattva-guṇa, he is always free from it and uncovered by it. Śiva is covered by tamoguṇa and Brahmā by rajoguṇa.
By difference in effects, rajoguṇa is superior to tamoguṇa, and sattva-guṇa is superior to rajoguṇa. The Bhāgavata says that smoke is superior to wood, because wood is nonmoving and smoke is moving. Smoke also has some heat. Fire is superior to smoke because it is brighter. Sattva-guṇa is superior because it gives Brahman realization. Śrīmad Bhāgavata (11.25.24) says:
kaivalyaṁ sāttvikaṁ jñānaṁ rajo vaikalpikaṁ ca yat
prākṛtaṁ tāmasaṁ jñānaṁ man-niṣṭhaṁ nirguṇaṁ smṛtam
Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “O Uddhava! Knowledge of non-personal Brahman is sāttvika, that concerned with body is rājasika and that concerned with transient matter is tāmasika. But the knowledge concerned with Me is nirguṇa.” Jīva Gosvāmī comments on this verse in his Krama-sandarbha commentary as follows: kevalasya nirviśeṣasya brahmaṇaḥ śuddha jīvābhedena jñānaṁ kaivalyam—”kaivalya means the knowledge of oneness of non-personal Brahman and the pure spirit soul.”
Seeing the superiority of rajoguṇa over tamoguṇa, and sattva-guṇa over rajo-guṇa, Brahmā should be superior to Śiva, and Viṣṇu should be superior to Brahmā. But everywhere śāstra says Śiva is superior to Brahmā. The author is clearing this doubt by quoting Śrīmad-Bhāgavata (1.2.23). Fire does not exist in smoke, which is compared to rajo guṇa. It exists in a hidden form in wood which is compared to tamo guṇa. The fire hidden in wood can make its appearance by rubbing or honing the wood. Thus the transcendental truth exists in Śiva, the presiding deity of tamo guṇa. The author gives the example of sound sleep, which is an effect of tamoguṇa. In that state, one realizes the bliss one gets from the knowledge of oneness of spirit and non-personal Brahman. One should ascertain the truth of Brahmā and Śiva in this way.
atheśitavyaṁ caitanyaṁ ca svadaśābhedena dvividham avidyayāvṛtam anāvṛtaṁ ca. tatrāvṛtaṁ deva manuṣya tiryagādi. anāvṛtaṁ dvividham īśvareṇaiśvarya śaktyānāviṣṭam āviṣṭaṁ ca. anāviṣṭaṁ sthūlato dvividham jñāna bhakti sādhanavaśāt īśvare līnam alīnaṁca. prathamaṁ śocyaṁ dvitīyaṁ tan mādhuryāsvādyaśocyam. āviṣṭaṁ ca dvividham cid aṁśa bhūta jñānādibhi māyāṁśabhūta sṛṣṭyādibhiśceti. prathamaṁ catuḥ sanādi; dvitīyaṁ brahmādīti.
TRANSLATION: Dependent caitanya or jīva-caitanya is of two types: one is covered by ignorance and the other is uncovered. Covered jīva-caitanya are demigods, human beings, animals, and so on. Uncovered jīva-caitanya is of two types: not empowered by the aiśvarya-śakti and empowered by it. jīva-caitanya not empowered by the aiśvarya-śakti is generally of two types: one merged into īśvara by practicing jñāna, and others not merged in īśvara and practicing bhakti. The first state is miserable, while those in the second relish the sweetness of the Lord, and it is thus not miserable. Empowered jīva-caitanya is of two types: one empowered by spiritual knowledge and the other empowered by the energy related to material creation. To the former belong those such as the four Kumāras, and to the latter belong Brahmā and others.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
To explain the difference between īśvara-koṭi (eminent Lord) Śiva and jīva-koṭi Brahmā, the author is describing the different categories of jīva-caitanya. Caitanya is of two types: independent and dependent. The independent caitanya is the Lord and dependent caitanya is jīva-caitanya, who is controlled by the Lord. It has two divisions: those covered by ignorance and those not covered by ignorance. The former are bound by ignorance, asmitā (thinking ‘I am this body’ and ‘this is the property of my body’), rāga (attachment), dveṣa (repulsion), and abhiniveśa (fear of death due to attachment). They are demigods, human beings, animals, birds, and others. Covered by ignorance, they are going through different species by their karmas from beginningless time, suffering three fold miseries.
The second type of jīva-caitanya are not covered by ignorance. From beginningless time they are completely free from ignorance and the false bodily conception of I and mine. They are also of two types: those empowered by the aiśvarya-śakti of the Lord and those not empowered by it. The unempowered ones are also of two types. The first practise knowledge of non-personal Brahman. By meditating on the oneness of the jīva and non-personal Brahman, they get merged into Him. Some of them merge in saguṇa Brahman that is īśvara. (Here it should be known that although jñānīs consider themselves Brahman, they can never become Brahman even though they merge into Brahman. Since they are not independent caitanya, they still exist separately. They are eternally the separate expansion of the Lord, but not His personal expansion.) Their position is considered miserable, since they are unable to relish Brahman. In brahma-sāyujya enjoyable brahman, enjoyer jīva, and enjoyment —all three become one. Those jñānīs are therefore forever deprived of the bliss of relishing the Lord’s service. Hence, an intelligent person would rather covet hell than integral merging with brahman: ‘naraka vāñchaye tabu sāyujya nā loy (C.C.). īśvara-sāyujya is again more miserable than brahma-sāyujya. brahman is non-differentiated without any variety of śakti. Though varieties of infinite forms, qualities, and pastimes are present in īśvara, the jīvas merged into īśvara are deprived from their relish. Those who reside in the storehouse of honey but are unable to relish the taste of the honey are really unfortunate. Who can be more unfortunate than they? It is thus said: brahma sāyujya hoite īśvara sāyujya dhikkāra (C.C.) “īśvara-sāyujya is more loathsome than brahma-sāyujya.”
The second category of jīva-caitanya not empowered by the Lord’s aiśvarya-śakti do not merge in the Lord. By practicing pure devotion, they attain the Lord and serve Him in moods of servitude, friendship, parenthood, or others. They are blessed by relishing the nectar of the blissful service of the Lord, the embodiment of compact sac-cid-ānanda. They are not miserable, but highly praise-worthy.
The jīva-caitanya empowered by the aiśvarya-śakti of the Lord are again of two types. The first are empowered by the Lord’s eternal energy where the cit potency of spiritual knowledge predominates. Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanātana and Sanat-kumāra, the four sons of Brahmā created by his mind, are examples. They are constantly absorbed in Śrī Hari’s transcendental knowledge with no concern whatsoever with material creation.
The second type of jīva-caitanya are empowered by the Lord’s material energy to create material universes, that are a portion of the Lord’s illusory potency. Brahmā is empowered by the external energy of the Lord, by which he creates material universes. (In his book Śrī Bhāgavatāmṛta Kaṇā the author has counted the four Kumāras amongst līlāvatāras and Brahmā amongst the guṇāvatāras.)
evaṁ ca viṣṇu śivayor abheda prasaktaś caitanyaka rūpyāt. niṣkāmair upāsyatvānupāsyatve tu nirguṇatva saguṇatvābhyām evetyavagantavyam. viṣṇu brahmādyos tu bheda eva caitanya pārthakyād eva. kvacit tu sūryasya tadāviṣṭa sūryakāntamaṇer abheda iva viṣṇu brahmaṇor abhedaś ca purāṇa vacaneṣu dṛṣṭaḥ. kiṁ ca kvacin mahā kalpe śivo’pi brahmeva īśvarāviṣṭo jīva eva bhavet. yad uktam – ‘kvacijjīva viśeṣatvaṁ harasyoktaṁ vidher iveti’. ataeva – ‘yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma rudrādi daivataiḥ. samatvenaiva manyeta sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam (haribhakti vilāsa 1.73) iti vacanam api brahma sāhacaryeṇa saṅgacchate iti.
TRANSLATION: Due to the similarity of caitanya, Viṣṇu and Śiva are non-different. Devotees desiring nothing other than the Lord must discriminate between Viṣṇu and Śiva as worshipable or non-worshipable on the basis of nirguṇa and saguṇa character. Due to the non-similarity of caitanya, Viṣṇu and Brahmā are different. Sometimes Purāṇas describe the nondifference of Viṣṇu and Brahmā. This nondifference may be considered like that of the sun and the sūryakānta-maṇi, the stone empowered by the sunlight. In some mahākalpas, even Śiva, just like Brahmā, may be a jīva who is empowered by the Lord. śāstras say, “Sometimes a jīva is also empowered as Śiva or Brahmā.” śāstra also says, “One who considers Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme among demigods, as equal to Brahmā, Rudra, and other demigods is certainly an atheist.” This śāstric evidence will be considered proper when Śiva and Brahmā are both in the category of eminent jīvas.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
From the previous descriptions it is known that due to oneness of caitanya Viṣṇu and Śiva are considered non-different. The all-pervading conscious Śrī Viṣṇu has voluntarily accepted the tamoguṇa of māyā and has become Śiva. The acceptance of tamoguṇa should be considered in relation to Rudra Śiva, but not to Sadāśiva. The author describes in his book Bhāgavatāmṛta-kaṇa: kiñca sadaśivaḥ svayaṁ rūpāṅgo viśeṣa svarūpo nirguṇaḥ sa śivasyāṁśi, “Sadāśiva is not a guṇāvatāra. He is a specific expansion of the Original Personality of Godhead who is nirguṇa.” Sadāśiva is the origin of Śiva the guṇāvatāra, who resides beyond the causal ocean at Sadāśiva-loka, or the spiritual planet where Sadāśiva resides. guṇāvatāra Śiva resides in Kailāsa-dhāma in this material universe. The author establishes the oneness in caitanya of Viṣṇu and Śiva, but as far as upāsanā is concerned he says: “Desireless devotees must decide what is nirguṇa and what is saguṇa to define who is their worshipable deity.”
Previously it was said that guṇāvatāra Śiva and Brahmā fulfill the desires of persons worshipping them with specific motives. Persons desiring wealth, prosperity, and so on are naturally inclined to worship mundane demigods. Persons not desiring wealth or material objects, but desiring only the Lord and divine love give up the worship of guṇamaya Śiva, Brahmā, and others. They exclusively worship the transcendental Lord Śrī Hari. The Lord thus bestows unalloyed devotion on them and they relish the transcendental mellow of the Lord’s name, form, qualities, and His service. What to speak of material wealth, they do not even except the four kinds of mukti though offered in their hand.
The Bhāgavata (3/29/13) says:
sālokya-sārṣṭi-sārūpya-sāmīpyaikatvam apyuta; dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti vinā mat-sevanaṁ janāḥ
Lord Kapiladeva says to Devahūti, “Devotees exclusively absorbed in My service do not accept sālokya, residence in my realm, sārṣṭi, similar opulence as Mine, sārūpya, form like Mine, sāmīpya, residing with Me, or sāyujya, merging within me, even if I offer all these to them.”
Greedy and lusty worshippers of demigods get insignificant, perishable and ultimately miserable mundane boons of wealth and luxury from their worshipped gods and goddesses. Such motivated worshippers should also remember that just as their gods and goddesses may be easily pleased and bestow boons of wealth and power, similarly with the slightest shortcoming they can also curse the worshipper. Sometimes they bestow a boon without due consideration and become entangled in a mess themselves. For instance, it is seen in Śrīmad Bhāgavata (Canto 10, chapter 88) that Śrīman Mahādeva bestowed a boon upon the demon Vṛka that he could kill anyone simply by placing his hand on the victim’s head. As soon as the demon had received the boon he wanted to try it out on Mahādeva Himself. Seeing this, Mahādeva fearfully fled, being chased all over by the demon. Mahādeva fled all over the earth and then to heaven, where even the demigods were unable to protect Him. Finally Mahādeva arrived at Vaikuṇṭhaloka, which is beyond māyā, where Śrī Nārāyaṇa was found willing to assume the shape of a brāhmaṇa boy who called Vṛkāsura and asked him why he had come so far. The demon explained everything whereupon the disguised Lord Nārāyaṇa said: “The words of that Śiva, who wanders over the crematoria in the company of ghosts, due to the curse of Dakṣa, can never be true! O best of the demons! You can see if My words are true or not by placing your hand on your own head!” Bewitched by Lord Nārāyaṇa’s words the demon placed his hand on his own head and at once fell dead on the ground.
In the same way Brahmā also lacked the proper understanding when he bestowed a rare boon on Hiraṇyakaśipu, so Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva had to descend to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu while at the same time keeping Brahmā’s boon intact. Then He chastised Brahmā for feeding milk to a snake by bestowing such a boon on a demon. This is also narrated in Śrī Bhāgavata.
Due to difference of caitanya, Viṣṇu and Brahmā are different. Viṣṇu is independent caitanya and Brahmā is dependent jīva-caitanya. Some Purāṇas describe Viṣṇu and Brahmā as non-different, but one should understand this like the example of the sun and the sūryakānta-maṇi stone invested with the power of the sun. The sun is always different from the sūryakānta-maṇi. When the sun invests its power in the sūryakānta-maṇi, the heat that appears in it burns cloth and similar objects. As the sun invests its power in the sūryakānta-maṇi, the sun and the sūryakānta-maṇi can be considered nondifferent. Similarly, Viṣṇu invests His energy for the creation of the material universe in Brahmā. Some Purāṇas thus explain the non-difference of Visṇu and Brahmā, but effectively there is no such non-difference.
And although the independent caitanya Śrī Viṣṇu and Śrī Śiva are sometimes described as non-different, during certain mahākalpas, the Lord empowers a jīva-caitanya to function as Śiva. Hence it is seen in the scriptures: kacijjīva viśeṣatvaṁ rahasyoktaṁ vidher iva “Sometimes Śiva is also called a jīva just like Brahmā.” That is why the second nāma-aparādha is that a person who considers the names and qualities of Viṣṇu and Śiva to be different is an offender. Elsewhere it is said, yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma rudrādi daivataiḥ; samatvenaiva manyete sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam “One who considers Brahmā and Śiva and other demigods as equal to Nārāyaṇa is certainly an atheist.” First it is said that to see difference between Viṣṇu and Śiva is an offense and now it is said that to see Śiva as equal to Viṣṇu makes one an atheist. These two statements appear contradictory. The answer is that the consideration of difference is forbidden in relation to Śiva who is an eminent Lord. Consideration of nondifference is forbidden in relation to Śiva where his position is an eminent jīva.
Similarly, Brahmā is generally an eminent jīva, but his position as an eminent Lord is also known from the śāstras. The Bhāgavata (4.24.29) says: sva-dharma-niṣṭhaḥ śata-janmabhiḥ pumān viriñcatām eti “A jīva can attain the position of Brahmā by steadily practicing varnāśrama-dharma without motivation for one hundred births.” A jīva thus qualified appears as Brahmā from the navel-lotus of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu in the beginning of creation. The Lord invests power in him for the creation. Such a Brahmā is known as jīva-koṭi, eminent jīva. In some kalpas, if such a qualified jīva is not available, then the Lord Himself accepts the form of Brahmā and performs the activities related to creation. Such Brahmā is known as īśvara-koṭi, eminent Lord.
evam aparyālocayatāṁ visṇur eveśvaro na śivaḥ śiva eveśvaro na viṣṇur vayam ananyā naiva paśyāmaḥ śivaṁ vayaṁ ca na viṣṇum ityādi vivāda grasta matīnām aparādhe jāte kālena kadācit tattāt paryālocana vijña sādhujana prabodhitatve teṣām eva śivasya bhagavat svarūpād abhinnatvena labdha pratītīnāṁ nāmakīrtanenaivāparādha kṣayaḥ
TRANSLATION: Those who have not discussed these truths say, “Viṣṇu is the only Lord, not Śiva,” “Śiva is the only Lord, not Viṣṇu. We are the sole devotees of Viṣṇu and will not see Śiva.” “We are the sole devotees of Śiva and will not see Viṣṇu.” Their minds thus absorbed in arguments, they commit offense. If in time, such offenders get the association of sādhus expert in discussing all these truths and are enlightened by them, they can also realize the nondifference of Śiva and the Lord. Then by doing nāma-kīrtana, their aparādha is nullified.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
How people who think that Śrī Viṣṇu differs from Śrī Śiva and Śrī Śiva differs from Śrī Viṣṇu in name and attribute are offenders and how they are to be freed from that offense is now clearly described by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda. The main cause of committing offense to the Lord is lack of knowledge of His natural form (svarūpa). To consider that which is not the svarūpa of the Lord to be His svarūpa is inevitably an offense. What is Viṣṇu-tattva, Śiva-tattva, what is the relation between the two? Those who do not understand all these truths have not associated with the sādhus expert in all these truths on Śrī Viṣṇu and Śrī Śiva. Thus they do not get the chance of hearing about all these truths and therefore generally commit this offense.
Those of them who worship Śrī Viṣṇu think: “Śrī Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord, Śiva is not the Supreme Lord. We are exclusive devotees of Viṣṇu — we do not look at Śiva.” Meanwhile the devotees of Śiva think: “Śiva is the Supreme Lord, not Viṣṇu, we are Śiva’s exclusive devotees — we do not look at Viṣṇu.” Those who argue like that are offenders. As we have already discussed, displeasing (dis=apa and pleasing=rādha) one’s worshipable object is an offense (apa-rādha). If the worshipers of Viṣṇu and Śiva argue about the difference between their respective worshipable Lords, then Viṣṇu and Śiva become dissatisfied. Suppose a servant serves one limb of his master and cuts another limb or gives him pain. How can the master be pleased with his servant? Since Mahādeva is a limb of Viṣṇu, considering Him to be different is an offense.
Now the author is describing the way to nullify this offense. The main cause of this offense is lack of knowledge of the truths of Viṣṇu and Śiva. There is thus no possibility of nullifying this offense, unless one attains proper knowledge about Their truths. If somehow such an offender gets the association of a sādhu expert in the knowledge of such truths, he can realize their nondifference. Proper knowledge of the natural form (svarūpa) of the Lord is only possible by the association and mercy of the sādhus. We can see that philosophy also in the Upaniṣads. The Kaṭhopanīśad speaks a lot of jñāna kathā and concludes by saying that the truth about Brahman is hard to understand, since it is beyond the words, mind and senses of a mundane person. Then how can one attain His knowledge? naiva vācā na manasā prāptuṁ śakyo na cakṣuṣā astīti bruvato’nyatra kathaṁ tad upalabhyate- “brahma cannot be ascertained through the mind or the eyes or any of the other senses. How then can it be known?” To this the Śruti (Upaniṣad) replies: “One can know about it from the theistic, faithful mahāpuruṣas, the exalted devotees.” In the Gītā Śrī Kṛṣṇa also tells Śrī Arjuna: upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ, “O Arjuna! Jñānīs who have realized the absolute truth can give you that knowledge.” Though one may be expert in śāstras, or śabda-brahma, unless he gets the association and mercy of mahāpuruṣas having realization of the Absolute Truth, it is not possible for him to realize such truths.
It is not that simply by hearing the truth of Viṣṇu and Śiva from the mouth of mahats and attaining the proper knowledge the offense will be nullified. If one repents for such offenses and constantly takes the sole shelter of the holy name, the offenses can be nullified.
evaṁ ca naitā bhagavad bhaktiṁ spṛśanti bahirmukhyo vigītā iti jñāna karma pratipādikāḥ śrutir yenaiva mukhenānindaṁs tenaiva mukhena tās tadanuṣṭhātṛṁśca janān muhur abhinandya nāmabhir uccaiḥ saṅkīrtaiḥ śruti śāstra nindana rūpāc caturthāparādhān nistareyuḥ. yatas tāḥ śrutayo bhaktimārgeṣvadhikāriṇaḥ svacchanda vartinaḥ parama rāgāndhānām api vartma mātra madhyārohayitum udyatāḥ parama kāruṇikā eveti tat tātparya vijña jana prabodhitā yadi bhāgyavaśād bhaveyus tadaiveti. evam evānyeṣām api ṣaṇṇām aparādhānām udbhava nivṛtti nidānāni avagantavyāni (3)
TRANSLATION: One may think “These śrutis do not mention anything about bhakti, and they are glorified only by worldly-minded persons. They are thus mundane and condemned.” Someone may thus offend the śrutis related to jñāna and karma. If such an offender repeatedly glorifies these śrutis and their practitioners with the same mouth that criticized them and does nāma-saṅkīrtana loudly, then he can be rescued from the fourth nāma-aparādha of blaspheming śruti- and other śāstras. By good fortune if such an offender is enlightened by the sādhus expert in the knowledge of the śrutis, he can become free from the offense. He comes to understand that the most merciful śrutis are trying to inspire persons unrestrained, completely blinded by material enjoyments, and unqualified for practicing bhakti to follow the scriptural injunction. One should thus understand the cause and nullification of the other six nāma-aparādhas.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
Now the author is explaining the fourth name-offense, śruti śāstra nindanaṁ, blaspheming the śrutis and śāstras, the cause of the offense, and its nullification. It is not possible for those who have taken shelter of bhakti to condemn śāstras related to the devotional path, for faith in the scriptures is known as śraddhā. Faith is the first step of devotion, so it is not possible for a person who treads the devotional path to criticise the Śruti scriptures, but there may be devotees who condemn the scriptures related to jñāna, karma, and yoga. Those who have taken shelter of bhakti neglect all material enjoyments and even liberation. Among them, some get annoyed seeing that scriptures relating to karma, jñāna, and yoga do not glorify bhakti or any devotional parts like śravaṇa, kīrtana, and others. They think that, as those scriptures do not describe bhakti at all, they are therefore mundane and can be condemned. In this way they commit the fourth offense of condemning scriptures.
Actually the scriptures related to jñāna and karma attempt to raise the practitioners of such paths to the door of bhakti. Those who have gained faith through the association and the grace of great devotees, are qualified for devotion — śraddhāvān jana hoy bhakti adhikārī (C.C.) Those who are deprived of that fortune may think highly of merging with brahman or liberation. Scriptures related to jñāna engage jñānīs in the cultivation of non-personal knowledge and give them the knowledge of non-variegated bliss of impersonal Brahman. If jñānīs get the association of devotees, then they also become greedy for attaining the unlimited variegated bliss of transcendental nectar related to Śrī Bhagavān. Thus the main purpose of the scriptures related to jñāna is to bring the jñānīs to the devotional path. They make them understand the insignificance of brahmānanda, the bliss of mukti or non-personal brahman realization, and the excellence of bhakti and Bhagavān. Scriptures related to karma are meant for those who act whimsically, being absorbed in sense enjoyment. They are unqualified for bhakti. These scriptures make the karmīs greedy for apparently sweet pleasures on the heavenly planets and engage them in fruitive activities as sacrifice, vows, and so on. The real purpose, however, is to raise the karmīs to the level of bhakti. If the śrutis do not encourage blinded persons engaged in sense enjoyments to attain heavenly pleasure, then they will always remain averse to the practice of dharma. The śrutis mercifully tell of the superiority of karma and engage them on the path of karma. Sometime in the future, karmīs thus engaged in their sacrifices may get a chance to associate with devotees and may understand the miserable effects of karma. Finally they may take shelter of devotion by the sādhu’s mercy. It is therefore offensive to blaspheme the merciful scriptures related to jñāna and karma.
If accidentally a devotee commits this offense and fortunately gets the association of a sādhu expert in knowledge of the essence of śāstras related to karma and jñāna, then by his mercy he can also understand the real glories of śrutis. Then he should praise the śrutis and their practitioners by the same mouth that condemned them. He should also loudly do nāma-saṅkīrtana to nullify this offense.
The author has now described in detail the first four of the ten nāma-aparādhas, namely blaspheming the saints, considering the names of Śrī Viṣṇu and Śrī Śiva to be different, disrespecting the Guru and criticising the Śruti scriptures. For the remaining six he says that one should similarly understand their cause and nullification. We will discuss the rest of the nāma-aparādhas in brief, since aparādhas are the most heavy obstacles on the devotional path.
To think the glories of the holy name are exaggerated is the fifth offense. One may think that the incomparable glories of the holy name in the śāstras are merely praise. śāstras and mahājanas say that no matter how much the holy name is glorified, still that is only a drop from the ocean of glories of the name. The glories of the holy name are unlimited; nobody can glorify it completely. One may however think that these glories of the name are exaggerated just to increase people’s taste for it, but actually the holy name is not so glorious. This kind of feeling is a very grave nāma-aparādha named arthavāda.
The glories of the holy name seen in śāstras and the words of mahājanas are just like a very insignificant glowworm in front of the sun of the holy name. No one is able to describe the glories of the holy name, therefore there is no reason to consider whatever the scriptures say to glorify it to be exaggarated. The only purpose of arthavāda is to instill faith in fruitive workers (karmīs) in their fruitive activities by praising such activities. The holy name is most independent and self-manifested. He does not depend on anything to manifest His glories, so there is no question of any exaggeration in the glorification of the holy name.
Lack of association with sādhus expert in the glories of the holy name can cause this offense. When one hears the glorification of the holy name from their holy mouths and remembers how one used to be grasped and polluted by offense by thinking that glorification to be exaggerated one should constantly meditate on the glories of the holy name. Taking sole shelter of the holy name, one should chant it with repentance. Thus this offense is gradually nullified.
To interpret the holy name in one’s own speculative way is the sixth offense. This includes attempts to diminish the glories of the holy name by misinterpreting the words of śāstras glorifying it. If one thinks deeply it is not difficult to attain faith in the uncommon glories and effects of the holy name. In this world we can realize the wonderful power of jewels, mantras, and different powerful medicines. It is difficult to understand how they are so powerful. If the power of such material objects is difficult to understand, then how will it be possible to understand the power of the holy name, which is transcendental in nature? śāstras thus say, acintya khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet; prakṛtibhyaḥ paraṁ yat tu tad acintyasya lakṣaṇam- “That which is inconceivable is beyond logic and arguments. Whatever is beyond material nature is per definition inconceivable.” To understand transcendental matters, faith is absolutely necessary. Without faith all spiritual practice is fruitless. Faithful devotees generally do not commit this offense. If accidentally or unknowingly someone commits this offense, due to bad company, he can nullify it just like the fifth aparādha.
Committing sin on the strength of the holy name is the seventh offense. By chanting the holy name, all obstacles are destroyed. Those who commit sins on the strength of the holy name commit terrible nāma-aparādha and their obstacles are not destroyed. The holy name is completely transcendental. Faithfully chanting it destroys weakness of heart. Then the tendency to sin does not arise. Rather the previous sins, desires to commit sins, and even their root cause, ignorance, are destroyed. If one accidentally commits sin, due to bad upbringing, then he has not to undergo atonement, but Hari residing within his heart destroys those sins. If someone thinks that, “When hari-nāma can destroy all sins, then there is no harm if I commit sin, as hari-nāma can easily destroy it”, he commits an offense to the holy name. The heart of an ignorant person committing sins can be purified if one atones by repentance. But one committing sins on the strength of the name, cannot purify his heart even by adopting yama, niyama and so on. Such offenses cannot be committed by faithful devotees. Accidentally if due to the lack of association of sādhus attached to the holy name and by the effect of association of non-sādhus, somebody commits this offense, then he should repent, “Alas! What a great offender I am! The holy name can give one divine love and the direct service of the Lord. I am using the same transcendental most powerful holy name for washing my sins. Alas! I cannot be relieved even after going through millions of hells.” By thus repenting and deeply lamenting, one should constantly pray to the Vaiṣṇavas and serve them while constantly chanting the holy name. One can thus nullify the effects of such nāma-aparādhas.
The eighth aparādha is to consider auspicious activities such as dharma, vows, and sacrifices equal to the holy name. There is no difference between the holy name and the holy named, the Lord Himself. Jīva Gosvāmī says, ekam eva saccidānanda rasādi rūpaṁ tattvaṁ dvidhāvirbhūtam “The same transcendental truth, embodiment of rasa, has appeared in two forms, nāma and nāmī. The holy name is the word incarnation (śabdāvatāra) of the Lord Himself. It is thus beyond the material senses and self-manifested. When a fortunate person begins to chant the holy name, the holy name appears on his tongue automatically. The eighth offense is to consider the holy name to be on the level of materially auspicious activities like performing sacrifices, thinking that it yields the same fruits as such sacrifices. Such a gross offense is also known as pramāda or to diminish the glories of the holy name. This offense is committed due to the association of karmīs, jñānīs, and tapasvīs devoid of bhakti and due to lack of association of sādhus expert in the knowledge of the glories of the holy name. One should thus give up bad company and associate with those sādhus steady in chanting the name. One should establish faith in the glories of the name, understanding the insignificance of the fruits of materially auspicious activities. In a state of repentance, one should take shelter of the holy name, constantly doing nāma-kīrtana. This is the only way to nullify this aparādha.
To instruct the holy name to an unfaithful person is the ninth offense. Only a faithful person is qualified for chanting the name. Unfaithful persons disregard it. The sole wealth of the jīva is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s holy name. If that name is preached to an unfaithful person who is similar to a pig eating the stool of material enjoyments, he will not realize the value of this gem. He will negligently give it up. By this offense, he himself will perish and the instructor of the holy name will also become an offender. When a devotee loudly does nāma-saṅkīrtana, then both the faithful and the unfaithful hear that name. This is not what is meant here; here instructing the glories of the holy name to some particular person is being considered. It is not proper to instruct the name to an unfaithful person. If at first the disciple is faithful, but later is deceitful, then Śrī Gurudeva will do whatever he thinks fit for his rectification. If he is unable to rectify the disciple he will give him up. Taking shelter of the holy name, chanting it with repentance can nullify this offense.
If even on hearing the glories of the name repeatedly, one is not attached to it, then this is the tenth offense. On hearing the glories of the holy name, if one is unable to give up the false ego of I and mine, remaining absorbed in sense enjoyment, he disrespects the holy name. Someone may say that attachment to the name cannot be developed just by thinking or by one’s own desire. If on hearing the glories of the name somebody does not become attached to the name, then why should he be considered as an offender? It is true, one cannot be attached to the name just by his own wish, but sādhus mercifully give the qualification to take shelter of the holy name. By their mercy only, attachment to the holy name is possible. Those who have not received the mercy of sādhus cannot become attached to the name even on hearing its glories. Hearing the glories of the name in the association of sādhus and serving them by chanting hari-nāma, one can become attached to the holy name and be freed from this offense.
atha bhaktyutthās te ca mūla śākhāta upaśākhā iva bhaktyaiva dhanādi lābha pūjā pratiṣṭhādyāḥ sva vṛttibhiḥ sādhaka cittam apyuparajya sva vṛddhyā mūla śākhām iva bhaktim api kuṇṭhayituṁ prabhavantīti.
TRANSLATION: Now anarthas arising out of bhakti are being described. They grow along with the main bhakti creeper as weeds. Such weeds appear as wealth, gain, fame, respect, and others received from bhakti and they influence the heart of a devotee. By their nature, they choke the development of the main bhakti creeper.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
anarthas arising out of bhakti are of four types duṣkṛtottha, sukṛtottha, aparādhottha, and bhaktyuttha. Bhaktyuttha-anarthas arise from bhakti or bhajana. People are automatically attracted to devotees who do Śrī Hari-bhajana. While doing bhajana, gain, respect, fame, and other comforts naturally follow devotees. These are heavy obstacles for progress in bhakti and attainment of prema. Devotees desiring to attain prema should carefully protect themselves from all these material desires and should advance on the bhakti path with humility and renunciation. If somehow one’s heart is influenced by these desires for profit adoration and distinction, then even by doing bhajana sādhana, he gets these anarthas only. These desires are thus compared to weeds surrounding the bhakti creeper. Weeds growing along with the main creeper nourish themselves from the juice of the creeper or the sprinkling of water and retard the growth of the main creeper, eventually making it dry. Similarly, bhaktyuttha anarthas like money and fame color the hearts of the sādhakas and chokes the roots of their creepers of devotion. Śrīman Mahāprabhu says to Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī (Cai.Carit. Madhya 19/158-159)-
kintu yadi latāra saṅge uṭhe upaśākhā;
bhukti mukti vāñchā yoto—asaṅkhya tāra lekhā
niṣiddhācāra kuṭināṭī jīva hiṁsana;
lābha pratiṣṭhādi yoto upaśākhā gaṇa
seka jala pāiyā upaśākhā bāṛhi jāy;
stabdha hoiyā mūla śākhā bāṛhite nā pāy
prathamei upaśākhāra koribe chedan;
tabe mūla śākhā bāṛhi jāy vṛndāvana
“Sometimes unlimited unwanted weeds arise along with the bhakti creeper as innumerable desires for material enjoyment, liberation, performance of acts forbidden in śāstras, deceit, duplicity, faultfinding, violence towards other living beings, material gain, respect, fame, and so on. When the weeds are sprinkled along with the creeper they also grow along with the creeper and will suffocate the roots of the creeper, so first these weeds must be rooted out, so that the original stem can grow up to reach Vṛndāvana.”
Śrīman Mahāprabhu teaches here that desires other than for Kṛṣṇa and His devotion, like enjoyment, liberation, forbidden acts, duplicity, violence, profit, being worshipped and distinction are deceitfulness on the part of the jīva, who is an eternal servant of the Lord. If one material desire arises in the heart, it is followed by others contaminating the heart. Finally desires for bhakti disappear from the heart. To fulfill his desires for enjoyment, profit, being worshipped and distinction, a sādhaka does forbidden things like lying, using harsh words, committing violence and theft and so on, while continuing to wear neck beads and tilaka, and performs hearing and chanting and other devotional items like a machine. He superficially shows humility and conceals his forbidden acts so that devotees may not condemn him. His heart finally becomes so influenced with deceitfulness that not even a trace of desire for bhakti remains there. Hence Mahāprabhu gave instructions to cut down these weeds from the very beginning of their appearance. Though one may give up bhukti, mukti, and other weeds, the desire for fame is very difficult to give up. Sanātana Gosvāmī writes in the appendix to Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: sarva tyāge’py aheyāyāḥ sarvānartha bhuvaś ca te; kuryuḥ pratiṣṭhā viṣṭhāyā yatnam asparśena varam “Though one may give up everything, desire for fame, the cause of all anarthas, is difficult to give up. A sādhaka devotee should thus be very careful to not touch the stool of fame.” If desire for fame exists in the heart, its beloved, envy, also follows, since fame and envy are conjugally related. From the semen of the envy-caṇḍāla in the womb of fame appear two twins, jealousy and malice. The frantic dance of these four destroys the heart’s good nature. How can desire for bhakti remain in such a heart? A sādhaka devotee should thus be humble, respect others, and try to give up the desire for fame.
teṣāṁ caturṇām anarthānāṁ nivṛttir api pañca vidhā. ekadeśa vartinī bahu deśa vartinī prāyikī pūrṇā ātyantikī ceti. tatra ‘grāmo dagdhaḥ paṭo bhagna’ iti nyāyenāparādhotthānām anarthānāṁ nivṛttir bhajana kriyānantaram eka deśa vartinī niṣṭhāyām utpannāyāṁ bahula deśa vartinī ratāv utpadyamānāyāṁ prāyiki premni pūrṇā śrī bhagavat pada prāptāvātyantikī
TRANSLATION: Cessation of four kinds of anarthas is of five types — eka-deśa-vārttinī (partial), bahu-deśa-vārttinī (pervasive), prāyikī (almost complete), pūrṇā (complete), and ātyantikī (absolute). According to the logic “the village burned, the cloth is torn”, the cessation of aparādhottha-anartha is eka-deśa-vārttinī after bhajana-kriyā, bahu-deśa-vārttinī at the stage of niṣṭhā, prāyikī at the stage of rati, pūrṇā at the stage of prema, and ātyantikī on attaining the lotus feet of the Lord.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā Explanation:
There are different stages between the attainment of faith and the attainment of prema. Among them there is the stage called ‘cessation of bad habits’. It is not that these four kinds of bad habits flee just like that. The gradual cessation of the four kinds of anarthas comes in five stages. eka-deśa-vārttinī-nivṛtti means cessation of a minor portion of anartha, say fifteen percent, bahu-deśa-vārttinī means cessation of a major portion of anarthas, about seventy-five percent. prāyikī-nivṛtti means cessation of almost all anarthas, ninety-five percent. pūrṇā means complete cessation or cent per cent. ātyantikī-nivṛtti means absolute cessation of anarthas. At the stage of pūrṇā-nivṛtti, there is sometimes a minute possibility of reappearance of anartha, but at the stage of ātyantikī-nivṛtti there is no such chance.
The logic “the village burned, the cloth is torn” means that when a village starts burning, the fire starts at a certain place and gradually burns the whole village. A cloth is torn means that it starts tearing and finally is completely torn. Similarly, cessation of anarthas is first partial and gradually pervasive. Of the four anarthas aparādhottha-anarthas are most heavy. This anartha creates a grave obstacle in progress to the higher stages of bhakti. Its presence greatly delays attaining divine love. As one starts bhajana-kriyā cessation of this anartha is partial, or a minor portion of it is destroyed. At the appearance of niṣṭhā, it is pervasive, a good portion of anarthas is destroyed. When rati appears, the cessation is prāyikī, almost all anarthas are destroyed, leaving an insignificant portion. At prema, it is pūrnā, cessation is complete. On attaining the lotus feet of Bhagavān, cessation is absolute.
One may ask if there is any possibility of reappearance of aparādha at the stage of rati or prema?
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.3.54) says:
bhāvo’py abhāvamāyāti kṛṣṇa presthāparādhatah
abhāsatānca śanakair nyūna-jātiyatām api
“If someone who has attained rati commits an offense to the dearest associates of Kṛṣṇa, then rati gets destroyed if the offense is heavy. When the offense is medium, it turns into a glimpse of bhāva (bhāvābhāsa). A slight offense turns rati gradually into a rati of inferior type, sakhya- or vātsalya-rati turns into dāsya-rati.”
Dvivida monkey was an associate of Rāmacandra, but he offended Lakṣmaṇa and consequently suffered terrible miseries. At the end of dvāpara-yuga, Baladeva killed him. This verse explains the seriousness of mahat-aparādha. Sometimes there is a possibility of offending mahats even at the stage of rati or prema. When a sādhaka who has attained prema gets the full mercy of the Lord with direct association and service, then only cessation of aparādhottha-anartha is absolute.
yas tu tatrāpi citraketau kādācitko mahad aparādhaḥ sa prātītika eva na vāstavaḥ. satyāṁ prema sampattau pārṣadatva vṛtratvayo vaiśiṣṭyābhāva siddhāntāt. jaya vijayos tvaparādha kāraṇaṁ prema vijṛmbhitā svecchaiva. sā ca he prabhuvara devādideva nārāyaṇa anyatrālpabalatvāt asmāsu tu prātikūlyābhāvāt yadi tatra bhavato yuyutsā na sampadyate tadā āvāmeva kenāpi prakāreṇa pratikūlīkṛtya tad yuddha sukham anubhūyatām ityāvayoḥ svataḥ paripūrṇatāyām aṇumātram api nyūnatvam asahamānayoḥ kiṅkarayoḥ prārthanāhaṭhaḥ svabhakta vātsalya guṇam api laghukṛtya niṣpādyatām ityākārā kādācitka prasaṅgabhavā mānasā manasaiva jeyā.
TRANSLATION: The incident of Citraketu committing an offense is only apparently an offense, not actually an offense. This is evident since there is no difference in the wealth of prema existing in him either in his position as an associate of the Lord or after getting the body of the demon Vṛtrāsura. In the case of Jaya and Vijaya, the cause of their so-called offense is the prema that blossomed in them. They prayed to the Lord, “O Prabhu! O Lord of lords, Nārāyaṇa! You desire to fight, but we cannot see anyone strong enough to fight with You. Though we are strong, we are not averse to you. Somehow make us inimical to You and relish the bliss of fighting. We are unable to bear that Your spontaneous perfection may diminish even the slightest. Decreasing Your affection for Your devotees, please fulfill the desire of Your servants.” If somehow based on this incident, the same offensive desire appears in the mind of a sādhaka, then he should overcome the desire by his intelligence.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
After attaining the direct service of the Lord, cessation of aparādhottha-anarthas is absolute. The tendency for committing mahat-aparādha no longer arises. Citraketu had attained the lotus feet of the Lord; one may ask how the tendency of committing offense to Mahādeva arose in Citraketu? The author replies that the offense heard in the case of Citraketu is not real, but apparent. mahat-aparādha either destroys bhakti or reduces it to a glimpse (ābhāsa) only. Though Citraketu was cursed to get a demon body, still bhakti was present in an unaltered state. Factually he did not really commit an offense. There is a logic that a tree can be known by its fruit—phalena phalakāraṇam anumīyate.
Citraketu’s character is described in the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata from the 14th to the 17th chapter. Citraketu was a king in the province of Śūrasena ruling across the horizon. In spite of possessing incomparable wealth, he was always distressed because he had no son. He married ten million wives, but still he did not get any child. Once Maharṣi Angirā chanced to visit his palace and Citraketu expressed his distress and prayed for a son. On the prayer of the king, Angirā made a special sacrifice by offering oblations and gave the remnants of the sacrifice to queen Kṛtadyutī. The muni assured the king that he would get a son who would give him pleasure and distress. After eating the remnants of the sacrifice, Kṛtadyutī became pregnant. Consequently she delivered a beautiful child who started growing like the moonlight. On receiving the son, Citraketu naturally became attached to queen Kṛtadyuti, the mother. Seeing this, the other queens became envious of Kṛtadyutī. To destroy the fortune of Kṛtadyutī, the other queens lost their patience and killed her son by poisoning him. On the sudden death of his son, the king fell into an ocean of distress along with his queen. The queens who killed their son started falsely crying, even louder than queen Kṛtadyutī. Evil-hearted persons are very clever in such deceitful acts. While the palace was filled with sounds of lamentation, Maharṣi Angirā again came along with Nārada Muni. Nārada made the dead son speak and thus gave knowledge of the Truth to the king. The king was finally convinced and he gave up all attachment, becoming qualified for bhakti. By the mercy of the two ṛṣis, he quickly attained perfection in devotion and attained the body of a Gandharva, a celestial musician. He became successful in getting the direct darśana of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa.
Once Śrīman Mahādeva was sitting with Gaurī-devī on his left lap while instructing an assembly of munis. Meanwhile, Citraketu Gandharva came there and remarked, “Aho! Mahādeva is the teacher of religion for the world. He is a great soul! He is giving instructions on the Absolute Truth to the munis with his consort, Pārvatī, on his lap.” Hearing his words, Mahādeva smiled slightly and remained quiet. The munis also remained quiet on seeing the silence of Mahādeva. Being unable to bear Citraketu’s disregard for Mahādeva, however, Pārvatī lost her patience and angrily cursed Citraketu to become a demon. The exalted devotee Citraketu submissively accepted the curse of Devī with pleasure, glorifying and pleasing Mahādeva and Gaurī as he left. Śiva was unhappy with Devī’s curse to Citraketu. He openly praised Citraketu’s devotion and patience as an exalted devotee. It is evident from this incident that the behaviour of Citraketu is only apparently offensive.
As a result of Devī’s curse he was born as the demon named Vṛtrāsura. Still an uninterrupted flow of pure devotion existed in his heart like a stream of the celestial Gaṅgā. Once Indra, on the instruction of the Lord, made a thunderbolt from the chest bones of Dadhīci Muni and came in front of Vṛtrāsura to kill him. The words that Citraketu spoke to Indra and the way he glorified the Lord gives a glimpse of the unalloyed prema existing in Citraketu’s heart. One can easily understand this from Citraketu’s prayers in the following verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata (6.11.24-27):
ahaṁ hare tava pādaika mūlā dāsānudāso bhavitāsmi bhūyah
manaḥ smaretāsu-pater-guṇāṁs te gṛṇītā vāk karma karetu kāyaḥ
na nākapṛṣṭhaṁ na ca pārameṣṭhyaṁ na sārvabhaumaṁ na rasādhipatyam
na yoga siddhir apunar-bhavaṁ vā samañjasa tvā virahayya kāṅkṣe
ajāta-pakṣā iva mātaraṁ khagāh stanyaṁ yathā vatsatarāh kṣudhārtāḥ
priyaṁ priyeva vyuṣitaṁ visaṇṇā mano’ravindākṣa didṛkṣate tvām
mamottamaśloka-janeṣu sakhyaṁ saṁsāra cakre bhramataḥ sva-karmabhiḥ
tvan-māyayātmātmaja-dāra-geheṣvāsakta-cittasya na nātha bhūyāt
“O Hari! I am the servant of the servants of Your lotus feet and will remain so in future. O beloved! May my mind remember You, my words glorify You, and my body be engaged in Your service. O ocean of all good fortune! Other than You, I do not desire heavenly planets, Brahmā’s position, supreme rule over the earthly or lower planets, perfection in mystic yoga, liberation, and so on. O lotus-eyed Lord! As baby birds without developed wings look for their mother to feed them, hungry calves await the milk of their mother, a distressed wife whose husband is afar desires to see his return, similarly my mind also desires Your darśana. O Prabhu! I am wandering with in the cycle of birth and death due to my past activities. Please let me establish friendship with Your devotees so that I may not be again attached to body, children, wife and house anymore due to Your māyā.” Quoting these four verses in Prīti-sandarbha (72), Jīva Gosvāmī concludes that tad etacchuddha premodgāramayatvenaiva śrīmad vṛtravadho’sau vilakṣaṇatvācchrī bhāgavallakṣaṇeṣu purāṇāntareṣu gaṇyate vṛtrāsura vadhopetaṁ tad bhāgavatam iṣyate iti – when divine love swelled up in Vṛtrāsura’s heart, these prayers came spontaneously from his mouth. The killing of Vṛtrāsura is thus a special incident in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Other Purāṇas cited this as one of the specific characteristics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. Matsya Purāṇa says that the book describing the killing of Vṛtrāsura is known as Śrīmad-Bhāgavata.
Similarly the third canto, chapter fifteen of the Bhāgavata describes how the four Kumāras headed by Sanaka Muni cursed Jaya and Vijaya, the residents of Vaikuṇṭha. With Jaya and Vijaya, though their behaviour towards the four Kumāras also appears like a mahad-aparādha, its real cause is their specific desire arising out of prema.
Jaya and Vijaya were Vaikuṇṭha’s gatekeepers. They used to think, “Everyone gives pleasure to the master of Vaikuṇṭha by serving Him, but nobody desires to make Him relish yuddha-rasa, the mellow of fighting. Being an unlimited ocean of energies, there is nobody equal to Him who can fight with Him. Though we possess enough strength, we are not inimical to Him. Thus He cannot relish yuddha-rasa with us. Without being inimical there is no way of His relishing yuddha-rasa.” Hence they prayed to Nārāyaṇa, “O Prabhu Nārāyaṇa! Our sole desire is to make You relish yuddha-rasa. We cannot tolerate even the slightest lack in Your self-perfection. All the devotees serve You in a favourable mood; no one thinks of making You relish the flavours of combat. Thus we pray that You mercifully give us an inimical mood, relish yuddha-rasa, and make us successful in this act.” Being the wish-yielding tree of His devotees, Lord Nārāyaṇa decided to fulfill this desire of Jaya and Vijaya. By His inspiration the four Kumāras went to Vaikuṇṭha, Jaya and Vijaya obstructed the four Kumāra-munis from entering Vaikuṇṭha-loka and thus were cursed. Accepting the bodies of demons, they became successful in making Nārāyaṇa relish yuddha-rasa.
If somehow the tendency of Citraketu or Jaya-Vijaya arises in the heart of a devotee, then he should overcome this offensive mentality by his own intelligence. In the other words, the activities of associates beyond this material nature are never to be imitated by a sādhaka devotee.
tathā duṣkṛtotthānāṁ bhajana kriyānantaram eva prāyikī niṣṭhāyāṁ jātāyāṁ pūrṇā āsaktāvatyantikī. tathā bhaktyutthānāṁ bhajana kriyānantaram eka deśa vartinī niṣṭhāyāṁ pūrṇā rucāvātyantikīti anubhavinā bahudṛśvanā samyag vivicyānumantavyam.
TRANSLATION: Cessation of duṣkṛtottha-anarthas is almost complete after bhajana-kriyā, is complete at the appearance of niṣṭhā, and is absolute at the appearance of āsakti. Cessation of bhaktyuttha-anarthas is partial in bhajana-kriyā, complete at the stage of niṣṭhā, and absolute at the stage of ruci. Realized mahājanas have ascertained this principle by thoroughly deliberating all facts.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
There are five stages of anartha nivṛtti under discussion, and after discussion about the cessation of the worst of all anarthas, those that arise from offenses, we now come to the cessation of the anarthas caused by sinful habits. This means that anarthas like attachment to sense gratification, repulsion, and fear of death are almost completely (prāyikī) eradicated after bhajana kriyā. When niṣṭhā awakens these are fully eradicated (pūrṇā). At the stage of āsakti, the absolute cessation of duṣkṛtottha-anartha means there is no possibility of the reappearance of this anartha at this stage. The author has not separately mentioned the cessation of anarthas arising out of pious activities. Being engrossed in the five types of ignorance is very miserable and these are anarthas arising from sinful habits, while being engrossed in sensual enjoyment is an anartha arising from pious habits. At the stage of attachment to Hari, there is no possibility of absorption in sense enjoyment and material distress. The gradual cessation of sukṛtottha-anartha should also be considered similar to cessation of duṣkṛtottha-anarthas.
Now the gradual cessation of anarthas arising from devotion, such as desires for profit, adoration and distinction are discussed. In the stage of bhajana kriyā this is only slightly overcome, for it is actually arising from bhajana kriyā itself. When niṣṭhā arises the cessation is pūrṇā (almost full) and when taste arises it is fully destroyed. In other words, after attaining taste in devotion, the desire for material gain, respect, and fame automatically gets destroyed. Broad-minded and realised saints have declared accordingly after due consideration.
The meaning of this is that after one starts devotion (bhajana-kriyā) and attains steadyness in it, then gradually all kinds of anarthas are destroyed. When bhajana slackens the anarthas become stronger and ultimately swallow the desire to do bhajana. Thus the gradual cessation of anarthas through bhajana kriyā has been described. Without engagement in bhajana it is not possible to wipe out anarthas, therefore a sādhaka devotee should make efforts so that he may do devotion perfectly.
nanu aṁhaḥ saṁharad akhilaṁ sakṛd udayād eveti yannāma sakṛcchravaṇāt pukkaśo’pi vimucyate saṁsārāt ityādi pramāṇa śatād ajāmilādyupākhyāneṣvekasyaiva nāmābhāsasyāvidyā paryanta sarvānartha nivṛtti pūrvaka bhagavat prāpakatvānubhavād bhagavad bhaktānāṁ duritādi nivṛttāvuktaḥ kramo na saṅgacchate. satyam. nāmnā etāvatyeva śakti nātra sandehaḥ. parantu sāparādhiṣvaprasannena tena yat sva śaktiḥ samyak na prakāśyate tad eva duṣṭatādīnāṁ jīvātur ityavagantavyam. kintu yamadūtānāṁ tadākramaṇe na śaktiḥ. ‘na te yamaṁ pāśabhṛtaś ca tad bhaṭān svapne’pi paśyantītyādeḥ’ ‘na vidyate tasya yamair hi śuddhir ityatra yamair yogāṅgair iti vyākhyeyam.
TRANSLATION: śāstras say, “If the sun of the holy name arises even once, it destroys heaps of sins as the rising sun destroys oceans of darkness.” “A caṇḍāla can obtain liberation from material bondage by even once hearing Your name.” From this śāstric evidence and the incident of Ajāmila, someone may say that even the glimpse (abhāsa) of the name destroys all anarthas along with ignorance and one attains the Lord directly. With the Lord’s devotee, therefore, the gradual cessation of anarthas explained previously does not apply. It is true that the holy name undoubtedly possesses such power. However, if the holy name being displeased with offenders, does not manifest its power, this suggests the existence of anarthas and sins. But the yamadūtas, the messengers of Yamarāja, are powerless to attack even such offenders, for the śāstras say, “Such offenders do not see Yama’s noose-bearing servants even in dream.” In the scriptural statement ‘(an offender to the holy name) cannot be saved even by yamas’, yama refers to that item of mystic yoga, but not to Yamarāja.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation—
Here the author harmonises the five stages of cessation of anarthas with the glories of the holy name, using different scriptural quotations. In Śrī Padyāvalī grantha it is said—
aṁhaḥ saṁharad akhilaṁ sakṛd udayād eva sakala lokasya
taraṇir iva timira jaladhiṁ jayati jagan maṅgalaṁ harer nāma
“As the rising sun destroys the ocean of darkness of the entire world, similarly, on the appearance of hari-nāma, all sins are destroyed. All glories to Śrī hari-nāma, who fosters all auspiciousness.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavata (6.16.44) describes Citraketu speaking the glories of Anantadeva:
na hi bhagavann aghaṭitam idaṁ tvad darśanān nṛṇām akhila pāpa kṣayaḥ
yan nāmāsakṛcchravaṇāt pukkaśo’pi vimucyate saṁsārāt
“O Lord! What to speak of Your darśana, even by hearing your name just once, the most degraded caṇḍāla gets liberation from all sins.” In this way there are hundreds of authoritative scriptural statements plus the story of Ajāmila in Śrīmad Bhāgavata, affirming that even a glimpse of the holy name destroys sins along with ignorance, the root cause of all sinful desires. Gradually all anarthas are destroyed and one attains the lotus feet of the Lord. After Ajāmila merely uttered the name of Nārāyaṇa, calling his son instead of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the servants of Viṣṇu came, untied the knots made by the Yamadūtas, and he achieved Vaikuṇṭha. One may then ask how can the gradual cessation of anarthas (eka deśa vartinī, bahu deśa vartinī, prāyikī. pūrṇā etc.) applies to faithful devotees who are chanting the holy name, having been initiated by a bona fide guru according to the scriptural rites. The author replies that the glorifications of the holy name found in the śāstras are all true. śāstras are only able to limitedly glorify the infinite power of the holy name. One should thus not doubt those śāstric words. If one does so, it will make one guilty of the offense of either considering the glories of the holy name exaggerated or interpreting the meaning of the holy name in a deviant way. These two grave offenses heavily obstruct a devotee’s devotion and impede Vaiṣṇava behaviour. The author explains in his Sārārtha Darśinī-commentary of the Bhāgavata (6.2.9-10) niraparādhānāntu bhagavat prāptau nāsti vilambas teṣāṁ hi bhagavannāma grahaṇaṁ vaikuṇṭhārohaṇaṁ ceti dve eva bhūmike-yathā ajāmilādinām that there is no delay for attaining Vaikuṇṭha for the offenseless devotees. Offenseless persons do not have to go through the stages of śraddhā, sādhu-saṅga, bhajana-kriyā, and others. They only have to go through two steps: the first is chanting the holy name and the second is ascending to Vaikuṇṭha. The example is Ajāmila. He committed many sins, but he was not an offender. Ajāmila was illicitly addicted to a low-born maidservant and his sons, but he never offended any sādhu. In his offenseless heart there was no obstruction for the holy name to manifest itself. On the other hand, however, it did not manifest his power on the offenders due to his displeasure with them. Where the holy name does not manifest its power, one should not doubt its glories. The failure to manifest its power shows the presence of sins and offences in a sādhaka devotee.
Though the holy name is displeased with an offender and does not manifest his power, the messengers of Yama still have no right to attack him. Bhāgavata (6.1.19) says:
sakṛn manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor niveśitaṁ tad-guṇa-rāgi yair iha
na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān svapne ’pi paśyanti hi cīrṇa-niṣkṛtāḥ
“Persons who have even once absorbed their mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and have a slight attachment to His qualities (although not having full realization of Kṛṣṇa : Śrīdhara Svāmī and Jīva Gosvāmī) have automatically done the real process of atonement of all sins. Thus even in dreams, they do not see Yamarāja and his messengers carrying ropes to catch sinful persons.” What to speak of seeing Yama and his servants in dreams, they never even undergo punishment in hell. In his Sārārtha Darśinī commentary on the Bhāgavata (6.2.9-10) the author writes: kiṁ ca sāparādhānāṁ madhye yadi kecid bhajanābhyāsābhāvād akṣīṇa prācīna pāpāḥ kriyamāṇa pāpa nāmāparādhāś ca syus tad api tair deha-tyāgānantaraṁ narakeṣu na gantavyam ‘sva puruṣam abhivīkṣya pāśa hastaṁ vadati yamaḥ kila tasya karṇamūle. parihara madhusūdana prapannān prabhur aham anya nṛṇāṁ na vaiṣṇavānām iti, that if due to the lack of devotional practices, evil saṁskāras still exist in an offender causing him to further commit sins, then those sins turn into nāma-aparādha. Still, such persons do not have to go to hellish planets after death. Yamarāja personally instructed his rope-carrying messengers, “Give up the persons surrendered to the lotus feet of Lord Madhusūdana. We have the right to punish only ordinary human beings, but not the Vaiṣṇavas.”
The author is saying that the verse, nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir na vidyate tasya yamair hi śuddhiḥ says that committing sins on the strength of the holy name is offensive and even Yama cannot purify such offenders. This verse seems to say that the offenders have to undergo the punishments of Yama. Why then does Bhāgavata (6.1.19) say that the offenders do not have to undergo such punishments? The author replies that the word yama in the verse, nāmno balād yasya, means an item of mystic yoga, but not Yamarāja. In other words, even by following mystic yoga-items like yama or niyama as a process of atonement, the offender cannot be purified. Offense to the holy name is destroyed only when the name itself becomes pleased with the offender. This statement does not apply to Yama Mahārāja.
yathā samarthena paramāḍhyenāpi svāminā kṛtāparādhaḥ svajano yadi na pālyate kintu tatrodāsyate tadaiva duḥkha dāridrya mālinya śokādayah krameṇa labdhāvasarā bhavanti na tvanyadīyā janāḥ ke’pi kadāpīti jñeyam. tathāca punaḥ sva svāmino manobhirocinyām anuvṛttau satyāṁ śanais tat prasādād duḥkha dāridryādayaḥ śanair apayānti. tathā bhagavad bhakta śāstra guru prabhṛtibhir amāyayā muhuḥ sevitaiḥ śanair eva tasya nāmnaḥ prasāde duritādīnām api śanair eva nāśaḥ iti nāsti vivādaḥ. na ca mama ko’pi nāsti nāmāparādha iti vaktavyaṁ phalenaiva phalakāraṇasyāparādhasya prācīnasyāvācīnasya vā anumānāt. phalaṁ ca bahu nāma kīrtane’pi prema liṅgānudaya iti. yad uktam (bhāg. 2.3.24)
tad aśma sāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedaṁ yad gṛhyamāṇair harināma dheyaiḥ
na vikriyetātha yadā vikāro netre jalaṁ gātra-ruheṣu harṣaḥ
TRANSLATION: If a wealthy master capable of punishment and grace does not take proper care of a servant who offends him, but rather neglects that servant, then his servant has to suffer distress, poverty, and sadness. No one ever takes care of a person unrelated to him. If an offensive servant again serves his master according to the master’s liking, then by his master’s mercy distress and poverty gradually go away. Similarly, by sincerely serving the devotee, śāstra, and guru, by their mercy anarthas or sins are gradually destroyed. There should thus be no conflict about this statement. If someone says, “I am offenseless. I have never committed any offense.” Then the answer is, “A tree can be known by its fruits.” If by repeated chanting, the symptoms of prema do not appear, then one should presume the existence of offenses committed recently or long before. śāstras say, “Even by repeated chanting, if tears of prema do not flow from the eyes, the hairs of the body do not stand erect, and the heart does not melt, then certainly one’s heart is made of iron.”
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
We have already mentioned that when satisfaction or rādha is removed (apa) then this is called aparādha. When the holy name is dissatisfied with an offender, he does not get the result of chanting. The author is describing this point by citing an example of a most wealthy person who ignores his offensive servants. He is capable of giving punishment and grace and constantly takes care of those who have taken his shelter. But if one of his own people offends him, he becomes displeased. He then ignores the offender and does not maintain him anymore. Then the offender has to go through distress, poverty, and other miseries. Seeing his miserable condition, one should not think that the master is not capable of maintaining his servant. Though perfectly capable, the wealthy master does not want to take care of his servant due to dissatisfaction. Still the servant is maintainable by his master, because he is related to him. A master does not maintain anybody except his servant. If the servant thus committing offense understands his offense and tries to please his master by serving him favourably once again, then automatically the merciful master becomes satisfied with him and his miseries are destroyed.
Similarly, the all-powerful harināma always maintains the devotees who have taken shelter of bhakti and bestows divine love on them. This does not mean that the holy name has no power to bestow divine love to offenders. If someone commits offense to the holy name, then the holy name becomes displeased with the offender. The holy name does not maintain the offender and the offender does not get the fruits of devotion. It is not that harināma is not able to bestow the fruits of bhajana. Though the offender does not get the fruits of devotion, still the offender is worthy to be maintained by nāma only. The holy name never maintains or graces nondevotees. If a devotee committing offense comes to know his errors and constantly serves bhakti, śāstras and guru that he may have offended, with a sincere heart, then nāma gradually becomes pleased with him. When the holy name is satisfied all anarthas and miseries are destroyed and a devotee becomes successful in getting divine prema. It is not possible to differ in opinion on this. As Viśvanātha Cakravartī describes in the commentary of Bhāgavata (6/2/9-10), sādhu saṅga vaśāt sarva nāmāparādha kṣayetu bhakti devī samyak prasādena nāmaphala prāptir eva nirvivāda- “On the strength of association with the saints all nāmāparādhas are destroyed and the full mercy of Bhakti devī is attained. As a result of the chanting of the holy name prema is attained, no one disagrees with that.”
If someone thinks, ‘Since I am offenseless, why am I not getting the fruits of the holy name?’ Then the answer is that a tree is known by its fruits. Except aparādha, there is no other obstacle so powerful that it can obstruct receiving the fruits of prema in spite of constant chanting. When one does not experience the fruit of prema there is no doubt about the existence of aparādha. Though one may have not intentionally committed any offense, there must be some unknown aparādha committed in the past by which the nāma has become displeased with the sādhaka devotee. Here ‘a lack of experience of the fruits of chanting the holy name’ means that the signs of prema or the eight sāttvika ecstatic symptoms do not arise, despite doing a lot of nāma kīrtana. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says (2/3/24):
tad aśmasāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedaṁ yad gṛhyamāṇair harināma dheyaiḥ
na vikriyetātha yadā vikāro netre jalaṁ gātraruheṣu harṣaḥ
“If even by chanting the holy name many times, tears do not come in the eyes, hairs do not stand on end, the heart remains unchanged, and the symptoms of ecstatic emotion do not appear, then one’s heart is as hard as iron.” The author describes this verse in the Sarārtha-darśinī commentary: “Even though one may repeatedly chant the holy name, devotional transformations may not take place within the heart, which means that the heart is then as hard as iron. In other words, when devotional transformations like tears and goosebumps do not appear and the heart does not melt despite repeated chanting, it must be a symptom of nāmāparādha. However, the mere presence of tears and goosebumps is not necessarily a sign of a molten heart. In the Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu it is written that persons who are naturally slimy (sentimental) can practise producing tears and goosebumps. Such persons do not even have sattvābhāsa, a glimpse of ecstatic emotions, though the outer symptoms may be there. On the other hand, the gravest mahats do not generally reveal the symptoms of ecstasy like tears and goosebumps, though their hearts melt by chanting the holy name. Therefore this verse should be explained as follows: When ecstatic symptoms such as tears, hair standing erect, trembling, and others are seen externally, but the heart does not melt due to the lack of internal transformation, then such a heart is hard like iron. When the heart melts due to bhakti, tears appear in the eyes, bodily hairs stand erect, and other ecstatic symptoms appear, then that is known as the state of sattvika-vikāra, or ecstatic symptoms. The special symptoms of the transformation of the heart are: forgiveness, constant engagement in bhakti, detachment, absence of pride, hope, eagerness, constant taste in chanting the holy name, attachment to describing the qualities of the Lord, and affection for residence in sacred places like Śrī Vṛndāvana. Offenseless devotees will realize the effect of nāma as soon as they chant it. They are absorbed in relishing the holy name and as a result of their change of heart the external symptoms like tears and goosebumps become visible. Those who are offensive and envious may chant the holy name many times but their hearts will not melt because the holy name is not pleased with them. Even if ecstatic symptoms like tears and goosebumps are externally visible with them they are condemned in this verse as having hard hearts. By the association of sādhus and by the effect of constant chanting, offenders can also gradually get rid of the hardness of the heart and their hearts start melting.
tathāhi nāmāparādha prasaṅga eva (bh.r.si:) ke te’parādhā viprendra nāmno bhagavataḥ kṛtāḥ. vinighnanti nṛṇāṁ kṛtyaṁ prākṛtaṁ hyānayanti hi. iti.
tadīya guṇa nāmādīni sadyaḥ prema pradānyapi śrutāni kīrtitāni ca tat tīrthādikaṁ sadyaḥ siddhidam api cirāt sevitaṁ tanniveditāni ghṛta dugdha tāmbūlādīni sadyaḥ sarvendriya taraṅga nivartakāni muhur āsvādya upayuktānyeva svataḥ parama cinmayānyapetāni yasmāt prākṛtānīva bhavanti te’parādhāḥ ke bhagavannāmna iti sotkampa savismayaḥ praśnaḥ. nanvevaṁ sati nāmāparādhato janasya bhagavad vaimukhyasyaivaucityāt tad uktaṁ gurupādāśraya bhajana kriyādikam api na sambhavet. satyam. pravartamāne mahājvara iva odanāder arocakatvād evānupādānām iva nāmāparādhasya gāḍhatve sati tatra puṁsi śravaṇa kīrtanādi bhajana kriyāyā avakāśa eva na syād ityatra kaḥ sandehaḥ. kintu jvarasya mṛdutve cirantanatve odanāder api kiñcid rocakatvam iva. bahudinato bhogenāparādhasya ksīṇavegatve mṛdutve ca bhagavad bhaktau kincin mātra ruciḥ syād iti puṁsaḥ prasajjati bhaktyadhikāraḥ tataś ca yathā pauṣṭikānyapi dugdhaudanādīni jīrṇa jvaravantaṁ pumāṁsaṁ na puṣyanti kincit puṣṇanti ca kintu glānikārśena nivartayituṁ śaknuvanti kālenauṣadha pathyayoḥ sevitayoḥ śaknuvanti ca. tathaiva tādṛśasya bhaktyadhikāriṇaḥ śravaṇa kīrtanādīni kālenaiva krameṇaiva sakalaṁ prakāśayantīti sādhūktamādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhusango’tha bhajana kriyā tato’narthanivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhetyādi.
TRANSLATION: In relation to nāma-aparādha it is said, “O best of the brāhmaṇas! What are those aparādhas to the holy name that destroy the good fortune of the offender and give him a misconception of considering transcendental objects material?” The meaning of this question is that repeated chanting and hearing of the qualities and names of the Lord should give prema very quickly. Serving the holy dhāma for a long time should give perfection. Repeatedly relishing the ghī, milk, betel, and other preparations offered to the Lord should retard the waves of sense enjoyment. What are the grave offenses that diminish the respective fruits and make all these spiritual items appear material? This astonishing and unnerving question is being raised. Does it mean an offender becomes averse to the Lord and bhajana-kriyā, such as taking shelter at the feet of guru and so on, is impossible for him? It is, indeed, true. In a heavy fever, one cannot accept food. Similarly, by the presence of heavy nāma-aparādhas, a person loses taste for hearing, chanting, and other devotional practices. But as the fever becomes lower and its effects lessen, one again gets some taste for food. Similarly, after going through the effects of nāma-aparādha for a long time, their effects reduce and one again gets some taste for devotion. Nourishing food such as milk and grains do not nourish the person completely, though his fever has reduced. They nourish him slowly and gradually. They are unable to relieve him from the weakness and fatigue due to fever. In time, however, if medicines and a proper diet are taken properly, then the fever completely goes away. So too, in a devotee doing devotion, taste for hearing, chanting, and other devotional practices gradually arises. Then faith, sādhu-saṅga, bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivṛtti, niṣṭhā, and so on, all these stages that were described follow in sequence.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
Previously it was mentioned that there are only two steps for offenseless persons to attain the Lord—chanting the holy name and ascending to Vaikuṇṭha. However, offenseless persons are very rare in this world. Generally everyone is embodied as a result of past offense. Offenses therefore exist in almost everyone, committed either previously or recently. Therefore it is proper to mention the nine steps general people must tread to attain prema, from śraddhā upwards. The blessed author will now make it clear with examples. He quoted one verse from the scriptures that describe nāmāparādhas-
ke te’parādhā viprendra nāmno bhagavataḥ kṛtāḥ.
vinighnanti nṛṇāṁ kṛtyaṁ prākṛtaṁ hyānayanti hi
“O king of brāhmaṇas! When one offends the holy name of the Lord this destroys all the virtues of a human being and causes one to see spiritual things in a mundane light. What are these offenses?” The author then personally explains these verses. In the śāstras it is said, “One quickly attains prema by hearing and chanting the name, qualities, etc., of the Lord.” In the beginning of the Bhāgavata (1.1.2) it is said: sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūbhis tat-kṣaṇāt, “Hari quickly gets captured in the heart of a pious person desirous of hearing the Bhāgavata.” No one can capture the Lord in his heart without prema. Therefore simply by desiring to hear Śrīmad Bhāgavata, which is filled with the descriptions of Śrī Hari’s attributes and holy names, one can see the promise of arising prema. Similarly the Purāṇas describe the power of Vṛndāvana Dhāma to give divine love. Padma Purāṇa says: aho madhupurī dhanyā vaikuṇṭhācca garīyasī; dinam ekaṁ nivāsena harau bhaktih prajāyate “O! Mathūrā is very fortunate, more so even than Vaikuṇṭha. Residing there for one day gives the devotion of the Lord.” Similarly the glories of prasāda offered to the Deities are also very wonderful. Uddhava says to Kṛṣṇa: tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha-vāso’laṅkāra-carcitāh ucchiṣṭa-bhojino dāsās tava māyāṁ jayema hi “Being decorated with the garlands, scent, and other ornaments offered to You, and by taking Your remnants, we, Your servants, can easily overcome Your māyā.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavata 11.6.46)
Although hearing and chanting the holy names, attributes etc of the Lord, residing in the holy dhāma for a long time and constantly honouring the Lord’s prasāda are most capable of bestowing prema, if offenses are committed the anarthas only increase, let alone that one attains prema. As a result one misunderstands these transcendental objects to be material. These offenses are such big obstacles to bhajana that one shivers of fright and asks in astonishment: “What are these offenses?” In other words each sādhaka should know these offenses very well and proceed on the path of bhajana while carefully avoiding them.
Are the effects of such offenses so terrifying that one wonders if the offender will not become an enemy of the Lord, and cease to take shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Guru and engage in bhajana? This is a natural question, the author thinks. Just as one is unable to eat rice when one has fever, similarly the offender has no opportunity to engage in the process of hearing and chanting under the shelter of Śrī Guru’s lotus feet. But when the fever diminishes one gets a little appetite for rice again, similarly after one has suffered the results of offenses for a long time its effects become less intense and some taste for bhajana reemerges and one can engage in bhajana under the shelter of Śrī Guru.
When the fever goes down one cannot immediately start with eating heavy food, but one must start with some light food. Similarly when the force of aparādha slows down one cannot yet fully experience the holy names and attributes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa at once, only slightly so. Just as a disease ceases by constantly taking a medicine that stops the fever and the body becomes strong accordingly, similarly the powerful medicine for destroying aparādha is the sincere service of the holy name, guru, and Vaiṣṇava. Constantly and sincerely serving them gradually destroys anarthas and thus nourishes one’s devotion and one can relish the astonishing mellows of bhajana. Although the glories and holy names of the Lord are able to bestow prema at once, due to the existence of aparādha the different stages of śraddhā, sādhu-saṅga, bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivṛtti and niṣṭhā are duly explained.
kaiścit tu nāmakīrtanādivatāṁ bhaktānāṁ prema liṅgādarśanena pāpa pravṛttyā ca na kevalam aparādhaḥ kalpyate vyavahārika bahu duḥkha darśanena cāpi prārabdha nāśābhāvaśca. niraparādhatvena nirdhāritasyājāmilasyāpi sva putra nāmakaraṇa prati dina bahudhātannāmāhvāna samayeṣvapi premābhāva dāsī saṅgādi pāpa pravṛtti darśanāt prārabdhābhāve’pi yudhiṣṭhirāder vyavahārika bahu duḥkha darśanācca. tasmāt phalannapi vṛkṣaḥ prāyaśaḥ kāla eva phalati itivat niraparādheṣu prasīdad api nāma sva prasādaṁ kāla eva prakāśayet. pūrvābhyasāt kriyamāṇā pāpa rāśir api utkhāta daṁṣṭroraga daṁśa ivākincit karā eva. roga śokādi duḥkham api na prārabdha phalam. yasyāham anugṛhnāmi hariṣye taddhanaṁ śanaiḥ; tato’dhanaṁ tyajantyasya svajanā duḥkha duḥkhitam. iti. nirdhanatva mahārogo mad anugraha lakṣaṇam’ ityādi vacanāt. sva bhakta hitakāriṇā tadīya dainyotkaṇṭhādi vardhana catureṇa bhagavataiva duḥkhasya dīyamānatvāt karma phalatvābhāvena na prārabdhatvam ityāhuḥ (5)
TRANSLATION: By observing the absence of symptoms of prema in devotees chanting the holy name and the presence of a tendency to sin, some presume the existence of nāma-aparādha. Moreover, seeing the material distresses in such devotees, they suppose that there is a lack of destruction of prārabdha (reactions to activities that have not yet fructified) in the devotee. Ajāmila was offenseless and he did not manifest any symptom of prema, though he was daily calling the name of his son named Nārāyaṇa many times. Not only that, he was also inclined to an illicit relation with the maidservant. Various miseries were seen in Yudhiṣṭhira and others despite the absence of prārabdha. The conclusion is, therefore, that generally a fruit tree bears fruit only in the proper season. Thus, though the name is pleased with an offenseless person, He bestows His mercy only in due course of time. Sins committed by them due to their previous habits are as insignificant as the bite of a snake without poisonous fangs. Disease or other distress seen in them is not a result of prārabdha. The Lord himself has said, “To whom I bestow My mercy, I gradually take away all his wealth. His relatives and family reject him, seeing him penniless and suffering from distresses one after another.” In another place the Lord has said, “The great disease of poverty is a symptom of My mercy.” By His own will, the clever Lord, who gives all auspiciousness to His devotees, gives distress to His devotees to increase their humility and eagerness. Therefore, because reactions to fruitive activities are absent in them, the distress seen in the devotees is not the result of their prārabdha.
Thus ends the Third Shower of Nectar of Mādhurya Kādambinī by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda entitled Cessation of All Unfavourable Elements.
Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation:
Previously it has been explained that absence of symptoms of prema even after repeating nāma-kīrtana is the evidence for the existence of aparādha. The author says this is not a universal rule. Sometimes, absence of symptoms of prema and tendency to sins can be seen in an offenseless person. For example, it is seen everywhere that the chanting of Śrī Ajāmila was offenseless. Otherwise, the fruits of nāmābhāsa through the calling of his son’s name, such as the appearance of the messengers of Viṣṇu and attainment of Vaikuṇṭha-loka, would have been impossible. Though he used to utter the name Nārāyaṇa evey day, referring to his son, no symptoms of prema were seen in him. Moreover, he was addicted to an illicit connection with a maidservant. Still he was offenseless, he was simply habitually involved with the maidservant; this is not a symptom of aparādha. This is proven by the fact that simply by pronouncing the name of his son ‘Nārāyaṇa’ at the time of death the Viṣṇudūtas appeared. Fruit trees give fruit only in the proper season. Similarly, though the holy name is always pleased with offenseless persons, it gives its fruits in the proper time. It is thus understood that the sins the offenseless Ajāmila habitually committed were insignificant like the bites of snakes with poisonless teeth.
Again we see devotees going through disease, distress and poverty, and they may commit sins even though they have no prārabdha. But were the sufferings Yudhiṣṭhira and other Pāṇḍavas underwent, like their exile in the forest and their tendency for playing dice, really the result of their prārabdha? They were the Lord’s associates, so naturally they have no prārabdha. Even sādhana-bhakti destroys prārabdha, as was described previously. The Mahājanas say that even liberated souls who experience brahma through jñāna practice, cannot get free from fruitive reactions without first suffering the results—
yad brahma sākṣāt kṛta niṣṭhayāpi vīnāśamāyāti vinā na bhogaiḥ
apaiti nāma sphuraṇena tatte prārabdha karmeti virauti vedaḥ
(Śrī Rūpa Goswāmī’s Nāmāṣṭakam — 4)
With devotees, however, they easily destroy prārabdha by practicing any of the devotional parts like nāma kīrtana. Kṛṣṇa says to Uddhava: bhaktiḥ punāti manniṣṭhā śva-pākān api sambhavāt, “Devotion fixed on Me can purify even a dog-eater caṇḍāla from the defect of caste.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavata 11.14.21) The defect of caste is due to prārabdha. Here, destruction of the defect of caste means destruction of its cause, prārabdha— kāraṇa nāśe kārya nāśa. This nyāya says: “When the cause is destroyed the symptoms will be destroyed as well.” The symptom is a low birth and the cause is prārabdha. Thus, when prārabdha is destroyed, caste is also destroyed. The Purāṇas explain the destruction of mental and physical distress due to prārabdha by nāma-kīrtana—ādhayo vyādhayo yasya smaraṇān nāma kīrtanāt; tadaiva vilayaṁ yānti tam anantaṁ namāmyaham. “I pray to Lord Anantadeva, whose remembrance and the chanting of whose name at once destroy all mental and physical distress.” Though a devotee has no prārabdha, the Lord mercifully gives sorrow, sickness, distress, and pains to increase the devotee’s humility and eagerness. The Bhāgavata describes how Śrī Kunti-devī prayed for such troubles. It is easily understood that the treasure of prema is hidden within these calamities.
The Lord has said Himself “I remove the wealth of whomever I bestow My grace upon; then, when he has lost his wealth, his relatives abandon him, considering him miserable. In this way such an orphaned person can take shelter of Me in all respects.” The Lord also said: “The great disease of poverty is a symptom of My grace.” Thus for the welfare of the devotee, the Lord gives distress and pain according to His wish. Due to the lack of prārabdha in the devotee, however, prārabdha is never the cause of this distress.
Thus ends the Pīyūṣa kaṇa-commentary on the third shower of nectar of Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda’s Mādhurya Kādambinī.
Amrita-Tarangini 