The Four Kinds of Nāmābhāsa
१७.६१
साङ्केत्यं पारिहास्यं वा स्तोभं हेलनम् एव वा
वैकुण्ठ-नाम-ग्रहणम् अशेषाघ-हरं विदुः
17.61
sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā stobhaṁ helanam eva vā
vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ
One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly, to indicate something else, (as in using the holy name to count drumbeats on a mṛdaṇga, or to pace
oneself while running), jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all scholars of the scriptures.
(Bhāg. 6.2.14)
The Results of Nāmābhāsa
१७.६२
तं निर्व्याजं भज गुण-निधिं पावनं पावनानां
श्रद्धा-शुध्यन्-मतिर्-इतिराम्-उत्तम-श्लोक- मौलिम्
उद्यन् अनन्तः-करण-कुहरे हन्त यन्-नाम- भानोराभासोऽपि क्षपयति महापातक-ध्वान्तधाराम्
17.62
taṁ nirvyājaṁ bhaja guṇa-nidhiṁ pāvanaṁ pāvanānāṁ
śraddhā-śudhyan-matir-itirām-uttama-śloka- maulim
udyan anantaḥ-karaṇa-kuhare hanta yan-nāma- bhānorābhāso'pi kṣapayati mahāpātaka-dhvāntadhārām
[Vidura said to Drthrastra] My dear brother, O ocean of good qualities, just fix your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and worship Him with great faith. He is worshiped with poetic hymns by great saints and scriptural authorities. Kṛṣṇa is
the supreme savior amongst all other saviors. In the same way that even a slight glimpse of the sun's rays dissipates the darkness of night, even a dim dawning of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, will immediately dissipate all the darkness of ignorance and free one from even the blackest contamination of sinful activity.
(Bhaktirasāmṛta-sindhu, Dakṣina Vibhāga, 1.103)
१७.६३
यद् आभासोऽ प्युद्यन् कवलित-भवध्वान्त- विभवो
दृशं तत् त्वान्धानाम् अपि दिशति भक्ति- प्रणयिनीम्
जनस्-तस्योदात्तं जगति भगवन्-नाम-तरणे कृती ते निर्वक्तुं क इह महिमानं प्रभवति
17.63
yad ābhāso' pyudyan kavalita-bhavadhvānta- vibhavo
dṛśaṁ tat tvāndhānām api diśati bhakti- praṇayinīm
janas-tasyodāttaṁ jagati bhagavan-nāma-taraṇe kṛtī te nirvaktuṁ ka iha mahimānaṁ prabhavati
O divine sun of the holy name, even a slight reflection of You can dispel the darkest ignorance from the minds of those who are sunk in worldliness and grant the spiritual vision upon those who are spiritually blind. Who, then, can
find the end of Your infinite glories? Who is there expert enough to completely sing the limits of Your greatness? [Just as the twilight before the sunrise dispels darkness and all kinds of fears and troubles, so the dim reflection or the
dawning of the holy name (nāmābhāsa) removes all sorts of evils or anārthas arising from forgetfulness of the true nature of the self and the Supreme Lord.
(Kṛṣṇa-nāmāṣṭakam, Rūpa Gosvāmī 3)
১৭.৬৪
হরিদাস কহেন,-"যৈছে সূর্যের উদয উদয না হৈতে আরম্ভে তমের হয ক্ষয চৌর-প্রেত-রাক্ষসাদির ভয হয নাশ উদয হৈলে ধর্ম-কর্ম-আদি পরকাশ ঐছে নামোদযারম্ভে পাপ-আদির ক্শয উদয কৈলে কৃষ্ণ-পদে হয প্রেমোদয
17.64
haridāsa kahena,-"yaiche sūryera udaya udaya nā haite ārambhe tamera haya kṣaya caura-preta-rākṣasādira bhaya haya nāśa udaya haile dharma-karma-ādi parakāśa aiche nāmodayārambhe pāpa-ādira kśaya udaya kaile kṛṣṇa-pade haya premodaya
Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, "As the sun begins to rise, even before being visible it dissipates the darkness of night. With the first glimpse of sunlight, fear of thieves, ghosts, and demons immediately disappears, and when the sun is
actually visible everything is manifest, and everyone begins performing his religious activities and regulative duties. Similarly, the faint dawning of the holy name (nāmābhāsa) dissipates the reactions of sinful life immediately. And when
one chants the holy name purely, the complete dawning of the pure holy name takes place, and one awakens to devotional service in kṛṣṇa-prema at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
(Cc. Antya 3.183-86)
The Results of the Pure Holy Name andNāmābhāsa
१७.६५
नामैकं यस्य चिह्नं स्मरण-पथगतं श्रोत्र-मूलं गतं वा शुद्धं वाशुद्ध-वर्णं व्यवहितरहितं तारयत्य् एव सत्यम् तच् चेद् देह-द्रविनजनि-तालोभ-पाखण्ड- मध्ये निक्षिप्तं स्यान् न फल-जनकं शीघ्रम् एवात्र विप्र
17.65
nāmaikaṁ yasya cihnaṁ smaraṇa-pathagataṁ śrotra-mūlaṁ gataṁ vā śuddhaṁ vāśuddha-varṇaṁ vyavahitarahitaṁ tārayaty eva satyam tac ced deha-dravinajani-tālobha-pākhaṇḍa- madhye nikṣiptaṁ syān na phala-janakaṁ śīghram evātra vipra
[The Sanat-Kumara told Nārada] If a person only once hears, chants or remembers the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, he will certainly be delivered from the ocean of birth and death and attain liberation whether the holy name is pronounced properly or improperly, with correct or incorrect grammar, and whether it is properly joined or only vibrated in part. O brāhmaṇa, such are the glories of the holy name. If one chants the syllables of the holy name for personal benefit,
however, for material wealth and followers, or out of greed, or in the association of atheists, such offensive chanting will not soon produce the supreme goal of life [kṛṣṇa-prema].
(Padma Purāṇa, Brahma- khaṇḍa, 25.24)
The Results of Nāmābhāsa and Nāmāparādha
१७.६६
यथा नामा-भासबलेनाजामिलो दुराचारोऽपि वैकुण्ठं प्रापितस्-तथैव स्मार्तादायाः सदाचाराः शास्त्रज्ञा अपि बहुशो नाम ग्राहिणोऽप्यर्थवादकल्पनादि- नामापराध-बलेन घोर-संसारम् एव प्राप्यन्ते
17.66
yathā nāmā-bhāsabalenājāmilo durācāro'pi vaikuṇṭhaṁ prāpitas-tathaiva smārtādāyāḥ sadācārāḥ śāstrajñā api bahuśo nāma grāhiṇo'pyarthavādakalpanādi- nāmāparādha-balena ghora-saṁsāram eva prāpyante
Note: In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.2.9-11, the Viṣṇudutas say: "The chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa is the best process of atonement for a thief of gold or other valuables, for a drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for
one who kills a brāhmaṇa or for one who indulges in sex with the wife of his guru or another superior.
It is also the best method of atonement for one who murders women, the king or his father, for one who slaughters cows, and for all other sinful men. Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, such sinful persons may attract the
attention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, 'Because this man has chanted My holy name, My duty is to give him protection.' By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari.
Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord's names, which reminds one of the Lord's fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes, and
paraphernalia."] Commenting of this section of Śrīmad
Bhāgavatam , Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks as follows on the different results attained by nāmābhāsa or offenseless chanting as opposed to nāmāpradha, or offensive chanting.]
Although Ajāmila was great sinner, by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in nāmābhāsa that is, offenselessly the ultimately attained Vaikuṛṭha. But all the good deeds of the smārtas, their knowledge of the śāstra, and even their
chanting of the holy name many times will not bring them to the same end, because they chant the holy name offensively. They may continue chanting in that way for many millions of year, but because of nāmāparādha, offenses to the
holy name, the holy name does not appear in their impure hearts, and they do not attain the goal. Rather, they simply suffer again and again repeated birth and death in the ghastly material world.
(Bhāg. 6.2.9-10, Sārārtha-darśinī commentary)
The Proper Mentality for Chanting WithoutOffense.
१७.६७
तद् अश्म-सारं हृदयं बतेदं यद् गृह्यमाणैर् हरि-नाम-धेयैः
न विक्रियेताथ यदा विकारो
नेत्रे जलं गात्र-रुहेषु हर्षः
17.67
tad aśma-sāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedaṁ yad gṛhyamāṇair hari-nāma-dheyaiḥ na vikriyetātha yadā vikāro
netre jalaṁ gātra-ruheṣu harṣaḥ
Certainly that heart is steel-framed which, in spite of one's chanting the holy name with concentration, does not melt when ecstasy takes place, tears do not fill the eyes and the hairs do not stand on end.
(Bhāg. 2.3.24)
१७.६८
अश्रुपुलकावेव चित्-तद्रवलिङ्गमित्यपि न शक्यते वक्तुम्॑
यद् उक्तं श्रीमद् रूप गोस्वामि चरणैः॒ "निसर्गपिच्छिल स्वास्ते तद् अभ्यासपरो पि च सत्त्वाभासं विनापि स्युः क्वाप्यश्रु- पुलकादयः"
...ततश् च बहिर् अशु-पुलकयोः सतोरपि यद्ध दयः न विक्रियेय, तद्
अश्मसारिमिति वाक्यार्थः ततश्च हृदय-विक्रिया लक्ष्मणान्य-साधारणानि क्षातिनामग्रहणासक्त्य् आदीन्येव ज्ञेयानि... कनिष्ठाधिकारिणां समत्
सराणास्तु सापराध-वित्तत्वान्-नाम-ग्रहण- बाहुल्येऽपि तन्-माधुर्यानुभवाभावे
चित्तं नैव विक्रियेत, तद् व्यञ्जकाः क्षात्यादयो
ऽपि न भवन्ति,
तेषाम् एव अशुप्-पुलकादिमत्त्वे ऽप्यश्म-सार- हृदयतया निन्दैषा. किञ्च,
तेषाम् अपि साहु-सङ्गेनानर्थ-विवृत्ति- निष्ठारुच्यादिभुमिकारूढानां कालेन चिच्चद्रवे सति चित्तस्याश्म- सारत्वमपगच्छत्येव. येशास्तु चित्तद्रवे ऽपि सति
चित्तस्याश्मसारतातिष्ठदेव, ते तु दुश्चिकित्स्या एव ज्ञेयाः
17.68
aśrupulakāveva cit-tadravaliṅgamityapi na śakyate vaktum;
yad uktaṁ śrīmad rūpa gosvāmi caraṇaiḥ: "nisargapicchila svāste tad abhyāsaparo pi ca sattvābhāsaṁ vināpi syuḥ kvāpyaśru- pulakādayaḥ"
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.3.89)
...tataś ca bahir aśu-pulakayoḥ satorapi yaddha dayaḥ na vikriyeya, tad
aśmasārimiti vākyārthaḥ tataśca hṛdaya-vikriyā lakṣmaṇānya-sādhāraṇāni kṣātināmagrahaṇāsakty ādīnyeva jñeyāni... kaniṣṭhādhikāriṇāṁ samat
sarāṇāstu sāparādha-vittatvān-nāma-grahaṇa- bāhulye'pi tan-mādhuryānubhavābhāve
cittaṁ naiva vikriyeta, tad vyañjakāḥ kṣātyādayo
'pi na bhavanti,
teṣām eva aśup-pulakādimattve 'pyaśma-sāra- hṛdayatayā nindaiṣā. kiñca,
teṣām api sāhu-saṅgenānartha-vivṛtti- niṣṭhārucyādibhumikārūḍhānāṁ kālena ciccadrave sati cittasyāśma- sāratvamapagacchatyeva. yeśāstu cittadrave 'pi sati
cittasyāśmasāratātiṣṭhadeva, te tu duścikitsyā eva jñeyāḥ
[This is from Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's commentary on Bhāg. 2.3.24 quoted as 17.67]
In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Rūpa Gosvāmī analyzes the appearance of the symptoms of divine ecstasy in non-devotees. He refers to these symptoms as sattvābhāsa, or a dim reflection of ecstasy. Sometimes it is seen that staunch
logicians, without any trace of devotional service and without actually understanding the transcendental glories of the
Lord, sit down to hear the glories of the Lord, they appear to be melting and shedding tears. In this connection there is a statement by a devotee who is addressing the Lord as
follows:
"My dear Mukunda, I cannot properly express the glories of Your pastimes. Even when non-devotees hear of Your glorious pastimes they become affected and shed tears and start to tremble." Rūpa Gosvāmī comments on this by
saying.] "Such non-devotees are not actually melted; they are hard-hearted. But the influence of the glories of the Lord is so great that even the non-devotees sometimes shed tears.
Sometimes it is found that a non-devotee who has practically no taste for Kṛṣṇa and who follows no rules or regulations can, by practice, make a show of devotional symptoms, even crying in an assembly of devotees. This shedding of
tears is not actually an ecstatic loving expression. However, it is done simply by practice and is only a dim reflection of true ecstatic symptoms. For example impersonalists may sometimes show symptoms of ecstasy while chanting the
holy name Kṛṣṇa, but this is not accepted as actual ecstasy, but only a dim reflection (Sattvābhāsa).
Note:Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has very critically discussed all these displays of ecstasy in connection with some unscrupulous neophyte's imitating the above symptoms for cheap appreciation. Not only Viśvanātha Cakravartī but also Rūpa Gosvāmī has treated them very critically. Sometimes all the above eight symptoms of ecstasy are imitated by the mundane devotees, but the pseudo symptoms are at once detected when one see the pseudodevotee addicted to so many forbidden things. Even though decorated with the signs of a devotee, a person addicted to smoking, drinking or illegitimate sex
with women cannot have all the above mentioned ecstatic symptoms. But it is seen that sometimes these symptoms are willingly imitated, and for this reason Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī accuses the imitators of being stone-hearted. They are sometimes even affected by the reflection of such transcendental symptoms, yet if they still do not give up the forbidden habits, then they are hopeless cases for transcendental realisation.
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu met Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya of Kavaur on the bank of the Godāvarī, the Lord developed all these symptoms, but because of the presence of some non-devotee brāhmaṇas who were attendants of the Rāya, the Lord suppressed these symptoms.
So sometimes they are not visible even in the body of the first-class devotee for certain circumstantial reasons. In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.3.11) Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī explains that real, steady bhāva is definitely displayed in the matter of
cessation of material desires, utilisation, eagerness for glorifying the Lord constantly, attraction for living in
the land of the Lord, complete detachment from
material happiness, and pridelessness. One who has developed all these transcendental qualities is really possessed by the bhāva stage, as distinguished from the stone-hearted imitator or mundane devotee.
The whole process can be summarized as follows: The advanced devotee who chants the holy name of the Lord in a perfectly offenseless manner and is friendly to everyone can actually relish the transcendental taste of glorifying the
Lord. And the result of such realization is reflected in the cessation of all material desires, etc., as mentioned above.
The neophytes, due to their being in the lower stage of devotional service, are invariable envious, so much so that they invent their own ways and means of devotional regulations without following the ācāryas. As such, even if they make a show of constantly chanting the holy name of the Lord, because they commit offenses to the holy name, they cannot relish the transcendental taste of the holy
name.
Therefore, the show of tears in the eyes, trembling, perspiration or unconsciousness, etc., is condemned. They can, however, get in touch with a pure devotee of the Lord and rectify their bad habits; otherwise they shall continue to be stone hearted and unfit for any treatment. A complete progressive march on the return home, back to Godhead, will depend on the instructions of the revealed scriptures directed by a realized devotee.
(Bhāg. 2.3.24, Sārārthadarśinī commentary)
