Jun 21, 2020 — CANADA (SUN) — "The Necklace of the Gaudiya Bhaktas" in 18 chapters, the instructions of HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, compiled by his diksa disciple, Atulakrsna Datta.
THE SEVENTEENTH JEWEL – NAMA-TATTVA
The Holy Name Principle – Part Six
The Way to Overcome Vaisnava-aparadha
17.85
ye vaisnava-sthane aparadha haya yara
puna se ksamile a paradha ghuce tara
If one offends a Vaisnava, the only way to get free from the offense is to go back that Vaisnava and beg his forgiveness. (Cb. Madhya 22.32)
17.86
kanta phute yei mukhe, sei mukhe yaya
paye kanta phutile ki kandhe bahiraya
Just as it takes a thorn to remove a thorn, the offense committed by the mouth [against a Vaisnava] must be cured with the mouth [by begging forgiveness]. (Cb. Antya 4.380)
The Second Offense to the Holy Name
17.87-88
sivah sakti-yutah sasvat tri-liogo guna-saṃvrtah
vaikarikas taijasas ca tamasas cety ahaṃ tridha
harir hi nirgunah saksat purusah prakrteh parah
sa sarva-drg upadrasta taṃ bhajan nirguno bhavet
Lord Siva is always associated with his sakti. He is invested with the three modes of nature sattva, rajas, and tamas and is the presiding deity of the three kinds of cosmic ego characterized by sattva, rajas, and tamas. Lord Hari, on the other hand, is unaffected by the three modes and hence devoid of the attributes of material nature. He is omniscient and is a witness to everything. A person who worships him becomes free from all material qualities. (Bhag. 10.88.3,5)
The Third Offense to the Holy Name
17.89-80
rajas tamas ca sattvena sattvaṃ copasamena ca
etat sarvaṃ gurau bhaktya puruso hy anjasa jayet
yasya saksad bhagavati jnana-dipa-prade gurau
martyasad-dhih srutaṃ tasya sarvaṃ kunjara-saucavat
One must conquer the modes of passion and ignorance by developing the mode of goodness, and then one must become detached from the mode of goodness by promoting oneself to the platform of suddha-sattva. All this can be automatically done if one engages in the service of the spiritual master with faith and devotion. In this way one can conquer the influence of the modes of nature. The spiritual master should be considered to be directly the Supreme Lord because he gives transcendental knowledge for enlightenment. Consequently, for one who maintains the material conception that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being, everything is frustrated. His enlightenment and His Vedic studies and knowledge are like the bathing of an elephant. (Bhag. 7.15.25,26)
The Fourth Offense to the Holy Name
17.91
sraddhaṃ bhagavate sastre 'nindam anyatra capi 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, Bhagavan. At the same time, one should avoid blaspheming other Vedic scriptures. (Bhag. 11.3.26)
17.92
namah pramana-mulaya kavaye sastra-yonaye
pravrttaya nivrttaya nigamaya namo namah
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. (Bhag. 10.16.44)
The Fifth Offense to the Holy Name
17.93
prayena veda tad idaṃ na mahajano 'yaṃ
devya vimohita-matir bata mayayalam
trayaṃ jadi-krta-matir madhu-puspitayaṃ
vaitanike mahati karmani yujyamanah
[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, Yajnavalkya and Jaimini and other compilers of the religious scriptures cannot understand the transcendental value of performing devotional service or chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. Because their minds are attracted to the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas especially the Yajur Veda, Sṃma Veda, and ng 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 sankirtana movement; instead, they are interested in dharma, artha, kama and moksa. (Bhag. 6.3.25)
Other Processes of Purification are a Waste of Time
17.94
prayascittani cirnani narayana-paraomukham
na nispunanti rajendra sura-kumbham ivapagah
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. (Bhag. 6.1.18)
The Sixth Offense to the Holy Name
17.95-96
taj janma tani karmani tad ayus tan mano vacah
nrnaṃ yena hi visvatma sevyate harir isvarah
kiṃ janmabhis tribhir veha saukra-savitra-yajnikaih
karmabhir va trayi-proktaih puṃso 'pi vibudhayusa
Narada 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 yajrika, takes place when one is given the opportunity to worship Lord Visnu. 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. (Bhag. 4.31.9-10)
Auspicious Activities Other than Chanting the
Holy Name in Full Surrender are Useless
17.97
avismitaṃ taṃ paripurna-kamaṃ svenaiva labhena samaṃ prasantam
vinopasarpaty aparaṃ hi balisah sva-langulenatititarti 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. (Bhag. 6.9.22)
The Seventh Offense to the Holy Name
17.98
manye dhanabhijana-rupa-tapah-srutaujas-
tejah-prabhava-bala-paurusa-buddhi-yogah
naradhanaya hi bhavanti parasya puṃso
bhaktya tutosa bhagavan gaja-yutha-paya
[Prahlada Maharaja prayed to Lord Nnsiahadeva] One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, luster, 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.] (Bhag. 7.9.9)
