Nāma-tattva: conclusion

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswati Ṭhakura

শ্রী গৌड़िয-কন্ঠহার

Gaudiya Kanṭhahāra:

The Jeweled Necklace of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas

17th Jewel

NĀMA-TATTVA

The Ontology of  the Holy Name

Being a compendium of quotations from revealed scriptures

concerning the truths about the cult of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu

Compiled under the authority and direction of

His Divine Grace

Bhaktisiddhānta Sāraswāti Goswāmī

Prabhupada

Translated and edited, with original Sanskrit and Bengali and Roman transliteration by

B. V. Mahāyogi, Michael Dolan

Offences to the holy name, continued...

The Fourth Offense to the Holy Name: To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the Vedic Version

१७.९१

श्रद्धां भागवते शास्त्रे ऽनिन्दाम् अन्यत्र चापि हि

17.91

śraddhāṁ bhāgavate śāstre 'nindām anyatra cāpi hi

One should have firm faith that he will achieve all success in life by following

those scriptures that describe the glories of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, Bhagavān. At the same time, one should avoid blaspheming other

Vedic scriptures. 

(Bhāg. 11.3.26)

१७.९२

नमः प्रमाण-मूलाय कवये शास्त्र-योनये प्रवृत्ताय निवृत्ताय निगमाय नमो नमः

17.92

namaḥ pramāṇa-mūlāya kavaye śāstra-yonaye pravṛttāya nivṛttāya nigamāya namo namaḥ

We offer our obeisances again and again to You, who are the basis of all authoritative evidence, who are the author and ultimate source of the revealed scriptures, and who have manifested Yourself in those Vedic literature's

encouraging sense gratification as well as in those encouraging renunciation of the material world. 

(Bhāg. 10.16.44) 

The Fifth Offense to the Holy Name: 

To consider the glories of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa as an exaggeration.

१७.९३

प्रायेण वेद तद् इदं न महाजनो ऽयं देव्या 

विमोहित-मतिर् बत माययालम् त्रयां जडी-कृत-मतिर् 

मधु-पुष्पितायां वैतानिके महति कर्मणि युज्यमानः

17.93

prāyeṇa veda tad idaṁ na mahājano 'yaṁ devyā 

vimohita-matir bata māyayālam trayāṁ jaḍī-kṛta-matir 

madhu-puṣpitāyāṁ vaitānike mahati karmaṇi yujyamānaḥ

[If chanting the holy name is sufficient for liberation, then why haven't the

Vedic sages stressed this in their teachings?] Because they are bewildered by the

illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yajñavalkya and Jaimini and other compilers of the religious scriptures cannot understand the transcendental value of performing devotional service or chanting the Hare

Kṛṣṇa mantra. 

Because their minds are attracted to the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas especially the Yajur Veda, Sṁma Veda, and Ṛg Veda their intelligence became dull. Thus they are busy collecting the ingredients for

ritualistic ceremonies that yield only temporary benefits, such as elevation to Svargaloka for material happiness. They are not attracted to the saṅkīrtana movement; instead, they are interested in dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa.

(Bhāg. 6.3.25)

Other Processes of Purification are a Waste of Time

१७.९४

प्रायश्चित्तानि चीर्णानि नारायण-पराङ्मुखम्

न निष्पुनन्ति राजेन्द्र सुरा-कुम्भम् इवापगाः

17.94

prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham

na niṣpunanti rājendra surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ 

My dear King, as a pot containing liquor cannot be purified even if washed in the waters of many rivers, non-devotees cannot be purified by processes of atonement even if they perform them very well. 

(Bhāg. 6.1.18)

The Sixth Offense to the Holy Name: 

To concoct interpretations of the holy name of the Lord.

१७.९५-९६

तज् जन्म तानि कर्माणि तद् आयुस् तन् मनो वचः 

नृणां येन हि विश्वात्मा सेव्यते हरिर् ईश्वरः

किं जन्मभिस् त्रिभिर् वेह शौक्र-सावित्र- याज्ञिकैः

कर्मभिर् वा त्रयी-प्रोक्तैः पुंसो ऽपि विबुधायुषा

17.95-96

taj janma tāni karmāṇi tad āyus tan mano vacaḥ 

nṛṇāṁ yena hi viśvātmā sevyate harir īśvaraḥ

kiṁ janmabhis tribhir veha śaukra-sāvitra- yājñikaiḥ

karmabhir vā trayī-proktaiḥ puṁso 'pi vibudhāyuṣā

Nārada said, "When a living entity is born to engage in the devotional service of

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme controller, this birth,

all his fruitive activities, his life-span, his mind and his words are all factually perfect. 

A civilized human being has three kinds

of births. The first birth is by a pure father and mother, and this birth is called birth by semen. The next birth

takes place when one is initiated by the spiritual master and this birth is called

savitra.

The third birth, called yajnika, takes place when one is given the

opportunity to worship Lord Viṣṇu. Despite the opportunities of attaining such

births, even if one gets the life-span of a demigod, if one does not actually

engage in the service of the Lord, everything is useless.

Similarly, one's activities

may be mundane or spiritual, but they are useless if they are not meant for

satisfying the Lord. (Bhāg. 4.31.9-10) 

Auspicious Activities Other than Chanting the Holy Name in Full Surrender are Useless

१७.९७

अविस्मितं तं परिपूर्ण-कामं स्वेनैव लाभेन समं प्रशान्तम्

विनोपसर्पत्य् अपरं हि बालिशः श्व- लाङ्गुलेनातितितर्ति सिन्धुम्

17.97

avismitaṁ taṁ paripūrṇa-kāmaṁ svenaiva lābhena samaṁ praśāntam

vinopasarpaty aparaṁ hi bāliśaḥ śva- lāṅgulenātititarti sindhum

Free from all material conceptions of existence and never wonderstruck by

anything, the Lord is always jubilant and fully satisfied by His own spiritual

perfection's. He has no material designations, and therefore He is steady and

unattached. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is the only shelter of

everyone. Anyone desiring to be protected by others is certainly a great fool who

desires to cross the sea by holding a dog's tail. 

(Bhāg. 6.9.22)

The Seventh Offense to the Holy Name: To commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy name of the Lord.

१७.९८

मन्ये धनाभिजन-रूप-तपः-श्रुतौजस्- तेजः-प्रभाव-बल-पौरुष-बुद्धि-योगाः नाराधनाय हि भवन्ति परस्य पुंसो भक्त्या तुतोष भगवान् गज-यूथ-पाय

17.98

manye dhanābhijana-rūpa-tapaḥ-śrutaujas- tejaḥ-prabhāva-bala-pauruṣa-buddhi-yogāḥ nārādhanāya hi bhavanti parasya puṁso bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya 

[Prahlāda Mahārāja prayed to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva] One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, buster, influence, physical strength, diligence, intelligence, and mystic power, but I

think that even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one can satisfy the Lord simply by devotional service. 

Gajendra did this , and thus the Lord was satisfied with him. [In other

words, the real qualification to worship the Lord is faith.] 

(Bhāg. 7.9.9)

The Eight Offense to the Holy Name: 

To consider the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa to be on the same level as the  ritualistic and karmic activities mentioned in the Vedas.

१७.९९

क्वचिन् निवर्तते ऽभद्रात् क्वचिच् चरति तत् पुनः प्रायश्चित्तम् अथो ऽपार्थं मन्ये कुञ्जर- शौचवत्

17.99

kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt kvacic carati tat punaḥ prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ manye kuñjara- śaucavat

Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimised by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant

cleanses itself by taking a full bath, but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land. 

(Bhāg. 6.1.10) 

The Ninth Offense to the Holy Name: To instruct the faithless in the glories of the holy name.

१७.१००

तस्मात् सर्वात्मना राजन् हरिः सर्वत्र सर्वदा श्रोतव्यः कीर्तितव्यश् च स्मर्तव्यो भगवान् नृणाम्

17.100

tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan hariḥ sarvatra sarvadā śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyo bhagavān nṛṇām

O King, it is therefore essential that every human being hear about, glorify, and remember the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, always and everywhere, with all one's attention, committing heart, mind and soul in dedication to the holy name. (Bhāg. 2.2.36) 

The Tenth Offense to the Holy Name: To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and thus maintain material attachments.  

१७.१०१

यस्यात्म-बुद्धिः कुणपे त्रि-धातुके स्व-धीः कलत्रादिषु भौम इज्य-धीः यत्-तीर्थ-बुद्धिः सलिले न कर्हिचिज् जनेष्व् अभिज्ञेषु स एव गो-खरः

17.101

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

One who believes this body, which is composed of mucus, bile, and air, is the self, who thinks of his wife and children as his bodily expansions, and who considers the land of his birth worshipable, who visits the holy places simply to

go swimming, without seeking shelter of the holy saints who live there, is no better than a cow or an ass. 

(Bhāg. 10.84.13)

১৭.১০২

ঽকৃষ্ণ-নামঽ করে অপরাধের ৱিচার কৃষ্ণ বলিলে অপরাধীর না হয ৱিকার

17.102

'kṛṣṇa-nāma' kare aparādhera vicāra kṛṣṇa balile aparādhīra nā haya vikāra

There are offenses to be consider while chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Therefore, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, one does not become ecstatic. 

(Cc. Ādi 8.24)

১৭.১০৩

তার মধ্যে সর্ৱ-শ্রেষ্ঠ নাম-সঙ্কীর্তন নিরপরাধে নাম লৈলে পায প্রেম-ধন

17.103

tāra madhye sarva-śreṣṭha nāma-saṅkīrtana niraparādhe nāma laile pāya prema-dhana

Of the nine processes of devotional service, the most important is to always

chant the holy name of the Lord. If one does so, avoiding the ten kinds of

offenses, one very easily obtains the most valuable love of Godhead. 

(Cc. Antya 4.71)

১৭.১০৪

বহু জন্ম করে যদি শ্রৱণ, কীর্তন তবু তঽ না পায কৃষ্ণ-পদে প্রেম-ধন

17.104

bahu janma kare yadi śravaṇa, kīrtana tabu ta' nā pāya kṛṣṇa-pade prema-dhana 

If one is infested with the ten offenses in the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahāmantra, despite his endeavor to chant the holy name for many births, he will not get the love of Godhead which is the ultimate goal of this chanting. 

(Cc. Ādi 8.16)

১৭.১০৫

ঽেকঽ কৃষ্ণ-নামে করে সর্ৱ-পাপ নাশ প্রেমের কারণ 

ভক্তি করেন প্রকাশ অনাযাসে ভৱ-ক্ষয, 

কৃষ্ণের সেৱন এক কৃষ্ণ-নামের ফলে পাই এত দন

17.105

'eka' kṛṣṇa-nāme kare sarva-pāpa nāśa premera kāraṇa 

bhakti karena prakāśa anāyāse bhava-kṣaya, 

kṛṣṇera sevana eka kṛṣṇa-nāmera phale pāi eta dana

Simply by chanting one name of Kṛṣṇa [purely] all one's sins are destroyed.

Thus bhakti, which is the cause of kṛṣṇa-prema, is manifest. 

(Cc. Ādi 8.26,28)

১৭.১০৬

হেন কৃষ্ণ-নাম যদি লয বহু-বার

তবু যদি প্রেম নহে, নহে অশ্রুধার তবে জানি, 

অপরাধ তাহাতে প্রচুর কৃষ্ণ-নাম-বীজ তাহে না করে অকুর

17.106

hena kṛṣṇa-nāma yadi laya bahu-bāra

tabu yadi prema nahe, nahe aśrudhāra tabe jāni, 

aparādha tāhāte pracura kṛṣṇa-nāma-bīja tāhe nā kare akura

If one chants the exalted holy name of the Lord again and again and yet his love

for the Supreme Lord does not develop and tears do not appear in his eyes, it is

evident that because of his offenses in chanting, the seed of the holy name of

Kṛṣṇa does not sprout. 

(Cc. Ādi 8.29.30) 

The Real Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa Can Never Awaken in Māyāvadis

১৭.১০৭

অতএৱ তার মুখে না আইসে কৃষ্ণ-নাম

ঽকৃষ্ণ-নামঽ, ঽকৃষ্ণ-স্ৱরূপঽ-দুইত ঽসমানঽ

ঽনাম; ঽৱিগ্রহঽ, ঽস্ৱরূপঽ-তিন এক-রূপ তিনে ঽভেদঽ নাহি,-তিন ঽচিদ্-আনন্দ-রূপঽ

দেহ-দেহীর, নাম-নামীর কৃষ্ণে নাহি ঽভেদঽ জীৱের ধর্ম-নাম-দেহ-স্ৱরূপে 

ঽৱিভেদঽ অতএৱ কৃষ্ণের ঽনামঽ, ঽদেহঽ, ঽৱিলাসঽ প্রাকৃতেন্দ্রিয-গ্রাহ্য নহে, হয স্ৱ-প্রকাশ

17.107

ataeva tāra mukhe nā āise kṛṣṇa-nāma

'kṛṣṇa-nāma', 'kṛṣṇa-svarūpa'-duita 'samāna'

'nāma; 'vigraha', 'svarūpa'-tina eka-rūpa tine 'bheda' nāhi,-tina 'cid-ānanda-rūpa'

deha-dehīra, nāma-nāmīra kṛṣṇe nāhi 'bheda' jīvera dharma-nāma-deha-svarūpe 

'vibheda' ataeva kṛṣṇera 'nāma', 'deha', 'vilāsa' prākṛtendriya-grāhya nahe, haya sva-prakāśa 

[Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Māyāvādī impersonalists are great offenders

unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; therefore they simply utter the words Brahman, ātmā, and

Caitanya.] The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is not manifest in their mouths because the

are offenders to Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferenct from His name. 

The Lord's holy

name, His form, and His personality are all one and the same. There is no

difference between them. Since all of them are absolute, they are

transcendentally blissful. There s no difference between Kṛṣṇa's body and

Himself or between His name and Himself. As far as the conditioned soul is

concerned, everything is different. One's name is different from the body, from

one's original form and so on. 

(Cc. Madhya 17.130-132,134)

Through Chanting the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa and Dancing One Gains Life.

१७.१०८-१०९

गीत-नृत्यानि कुर्वीत द्विज-देवादि तुष्टये

न जीवनाय युञ्जीत विप्रः पापभिया क्वचित् क्वचित् कदाचिद् अपि जीवनाय निजवृत्त्यर्थं न युञ्जीत

न कुर्यात्॒ तत्र हेतुः पापाद्भिया, तथा सति पापं स्यादित्यर्थः

17.108-109

gīta-nṛtyāni kurvīta dvija-devādi tuṣṭaye

na jīvanāya yuñjīta vipraḥ pāpabhiyā kvacit kvacit kadācid api jīvanāya nijavṛttyarthaṁ na yuñjīta

na kuryāt: tatra hetuḥ pāpādbhiyā, tathā sati pāpaṁ syādityarthaḥ

A twice born, dvija, should sing and dance for the satisfaction of the Lord. But he should do not do so for his livelihood fearing sinful reaction. Commentary: Kvacit never; jīvanāya for his own maintenance; he should never

do so. The reason stated in pṁpabhiya. The meaning is if he does so he will be implicated in sins. 

(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 8.265 and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī's commentary)

१७.११०

धन-शिष्यादिभिर्-द्वारैर् यां भक्तिर् उपपाद्यते

विदूरत्वाद् उत्तमताहान्य तस्याश् च नाङ्गता

17.110

dhana-śiṣyādibhir-dvārair yāṁ bhaktir upapādyate

vidūratvād uttamatāhānya tasyāś ca nāṅgatā

If one relies on one's disciples or wealth to attain bhakti, his devotional practice

will certainly become slackened. One cannot claim that one is engaged in

devotional service simply on the basis of engaging one's money or disciples in

bhakti. 

To rely on money and disciples to perform devotional service in one's

place is not considered to be a branch of pure devotion. 

(Bhakti-rasāmṛtasindhu, Pūrva-Vibhāga 2.259)

One who Eagerly Dedicates Mind, Body, and Soul in Kṛṣṇa-bhakti Experiences the Topmost Mercy and Auspiciousness-

१७.१११

एतावज् जन्म-साफल्यं देहिनाम् इह देहिषु प्राणैर् अर्थैर् धिया वाचा श्रेय-आचरणं सदा

17.111

etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ dehinām iha dehiṣu prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā 

[The Lord said] That a person should sacrifice his life, wealth, intellect, and

speech for doing what is beneficial to others, is the farthest limit of the

usefulness of embodied beings for their fellow creatures. 

(Bhāg. 10.22.35)

१७.११२

प्राणिनाम् उपकाराय यथैवेह परत्र च

कर्मणा मनसा वाचा तद् एव मतिमान् वदेत्

17.112

prāṇinām upakārāya yathaiveha paratra ca

karmaṇā manasā vācā tad eva matimān vadet 

Through one's work, mind, and words one should act in such a way that it will

bring benefit to all living beings such is the behavior of the intelligent. 

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 3.12.45)

The Qualification for Being Jagad-guru

১৭.১১৩

আপনে আচরে কেহ, না করে প্রচার প্রচার, করেন কেহ, না করেন আচার

ঽাচারঽ, ঽপ্রচারঽ,-নামের করহ ঽদুইঽ কার্য তুমি-সর্ৱ-গুরু, তুমি জগতের আর্য

17.113

āpane ācare keha, nā kare pracāra pracāra, karena keha, nā karena ācāra

'ācāra', 'pracāra',-nāmera karaha 'dui' kārya tumi-sarva-guru, tumi jagatera ārya

Some practice, but do not preach; some preach but do not practice you both

practice the chanting of the holy name and preach it as well. Because you

practice what you preach, you are the jagad-guru, the guru of the entire

universe, for you are the most advanced devotee in the world. 

(Cc. Antya 4.102-103)

Gaurasundara's Followers Preach the Holy Name. By Doing so, They Attain the Eternal Association of the Lord, who is the Father of the Saṅkīrtana Movement.

১৭.১১৪

যারে দেখ, তারে কহ ঽকৃষ্ণঽ উপদেশ 

আমার আজ্ঞায গুরু হঞা তারঽ এই দেশ 

কভু না ৱাধিবে তোমার ৱিষয-তরঙ্গ 

পুনরপি এই ঠাঞি পাবে মোর সঙ্গ

17.114

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa' upadeśa 

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa 

kabhu nā vādhibe tomāra viṣaya-taraṅga 

punarapi ei ṭhāñi pābe mora saṅga

Instruct whoever you meet in the science of Kṛṣṇa. Teach them the instructions of Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā, and the teachings about Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way, on my order, become a guru and liberate everyone in the land. If you follow this instruction, the waves of materialism within this world will not affect you. Indeed, if you follow my order, you will soon attain my association. 

(Cc. Madhya 7.128-129)

Those who Have Taken Birth in the Land of India Should Show Mercy to Others by Eagerly
Preaching the Glories of the Holy Name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa

১৭.১১৫

ভারত ভূমিতে হৈল মনুঞ্য জন্ম যান্\ঽর জন্ম স্মৃথক করি কর পর-উপকার

17.115

bhārata bhūmite haila manuñya janma yā'ra janma sṁrthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India should make his live successful and work for the benefit of all other people by preaching nāma-saṅkīrtana, the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. 

(Cc. Ādi 9.41)

Thus ends the Seventeenth Jewel of Gauḍīya- Kaṇṭhahāra, entitled Nāmatattva.