Chapter Nine

Nama-bale Papa-buddhih

To Commit Sinful Activities on the Strength of the Holy Name of the Lord

nämno balad yasya hi papa-buddhir

na vidyate tasya yamair hi suddhih

"To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name of the Lord.**

1.Glory to Lord Caitanya, to Lord Gadadhara, and to Lord Nityananda, the life of Jähnava-devi! Glory
to Advaita, the husband of Sita! Glory to all the devotees of the Lord'.

2. Harndāsa said, "The holy name is made of pure goodness. A fortunate soul will take shelter of the
holy name.

3. "Very soon his anarthas flee far away His weakness of heart will not stay.

4. "Firmly attached to the holy name, his heart will not remain attached to sins. His previous sins will
burn away. His heart will become very pure.

5. "Sin is divided into 1 papa (sin), 2 papa-bija (the seed of sin) or papa- vasana (the desire for sin),
and 3. avidyā (ignorance), which is the root of sin These three bring suffering to the conditioned
souls. (1).

6 "Merciful to the other souls, the fortunate souls always acts for their welfare

7. "He cannot bear that the conditioned souls are suffering. He acts to help the souls victimized and
troubled by other souls (2).

8. "The thirst in his heart for material sense pleasures becomes very weak. The yearnings of the
senses do not stay in his heart.

9. "He becomes disinterested in struggling to get money and women. Satisfied by whatever comes
with pious and moral deeds, he maintains his life.

10. "He accepts activities favorable for devotional service. He does not accept activities unfavorable
for devotional service.

11. "He thinks, Krsna is my only protector He thinks, "Krsna is the protector of my life

12 "In his heart he does not keep thoughts of I' and mine'. (3) He always humbly chants the holy
name.

13. "How can sinful thoughts or deeds stay in person who in this way takes shelter of the holy name?

Previous Sins (Purva-papa) and the Scent of Sin (Papa-gandha) Quickly Flee Far away.

14. "His previous propensity to sin gradually becomes less and less. Quickly he becomes pure. He
becomes wise

15. "In the time between sinful and sinless life there is a time of some days where the scent of sin
lingers (4)

16. As one properly chants the holy name the scent of sin quickly perishes
17-18. "Lord Krsna promised Arjuna: My devotee will never perish. When there is danger, I will
protect him. In this way. O Lord, by Your mercy all sins flee from Your devotee

19 "They who follow the path of jnana struggle to control the senses. But because they do not take
shelter of You, O Lord, they quickly fall down.

20. "The great souls who take shelter of You never meet any obstacle. That is the scriptures
conclusion

A Devotee Who Accidentally Sins Need Not Perform Prayaścıtta (Atonement)

21. "A devotee who accidentally sins need not perform prayascitta (atonement) (5)

22. "That momentary sin does not count Swimining in the nectar of the holy name, that devotee
does not meet misfortune

Committing Sin on the Strength of Chanting the Holy Name

23-24 "However, if a he deliberately commits sin on the strength of the holy name, a
mischiefmonger who takes shelter of trying to cheat the holy name attains, because of his offense to
the holy name, grief, fear, and death

Accidental and Deliberate Actions Are Different

25 Accidental and deliberate actions are completely different. This truth is revealed in the heart of
the devotional scriptures (bhakti-sastra). (6)

The Sins of a Person Who Takes Shelter of the Holy Name Flee Far Away A Person Whose Heart Rests
in Sin Commits an Offense to the Holy Name

26 "A human being in the material world who commits a sin should repent (anutapa) and perform
atonement (prayascitts)

27 "However, if a person commits sin on the strength of chanting he is not eligible to perform
atonement. His future is very inauspicious

28 "Even after many punishments of Yamaraja he is not delivered from his ofilence

29 Even of he thinks of committing a cin in that way he will be punished Whe can meature hic
punishment if he acts)

A Cheater Who Trusts the Holy Name and then Sins Is Renounced Like the Monkeys (Markata-
vairagya)

30. "In the scriptures it is heard that the holy name removes more sins than a great sinner can
commit in many millions of births.

31. "The five kinds of sin, including even the greatest sins, flee from nämabhäsa

chanting of the holy name. This the scriptures say again and again

32. "A cheater who has faith in these truths may try to cheat the holy name

33. "Renouncing troublesome grhastha life, he may accept the garments of sannyası. Lusting after
women and money, he may travel from place to place.
34. "O Lord, You have called such a person a markata-vairagi (monkey- sannyası). Pretending to be a
sannyasi, he likes to spend time chatting with women (7)

Persons Who Do Not Sincerely Take Shelter of the Holy Name Cannot Avoid This Offense

35. "A person who pretends to be a sannyası but in truth lives like a grhastha is not fit to be spoken
to He pushes the whole world into danger

36. "A person may live as a grhastha, or he may go to the forest and live as a sannyası. Either way he
is not at fault. He should live a sinless life, chant the holy name, and be happy (8)

T By Associating with Cheaters, a Person Whose Chanting Is Namabhasa Will Commit This Offense

37 "If they associate with bad people, persons whose chanting is namabhasa will inevitably commit
this offense

38. "When pure chanting of the holy name (suddha-nama) rises in the heart, the devotee will not
commit this offense

The Ten Offenses Do Not Touch Anyone Who Purely Takes Shelter of the Holy Name

39 "The ten offenses do not in any way or at any time touch anyone who purely takes shelter of the
holy name.

40. The holy name protects anyone who takes shelter of the holy name. Such persons never commit
offenses

41. During the days when pure chanting of the holy name does not yet artsen one may still fear an
attack from the oflentes

42 "These love of one's chanting is namabhasa one should flee from the idea of committing in on the
strength of chanting the holy name

Far How Many Days Must One Suuggle To Avoid the Offenses?

43. "Drawing strength from asocision with devotees who purely chant the holy name, one should
take great care to avoid the offenses. (9)

44 "When the pure chanting of the holy name appears in one's mouth, the heart becomes
passiontely attached to Lord Krsna. That heart will never leave Lord Kasna, even for a single moment

45. "During the the offences days when one does not yet chant in this way one should fear

46 "Especially one should throw far away the offense of committing sin on the strength of chanting,
Day and night one's mouth should say, Han Han

47. "By the spiritual master's mercy one will eventually attain true knowledge of one's relationship
with Lord Krsna, true devotional pervice, and true chanting of Lord Krsna's holy name

The Remedy For This Offense

48 "If our foolishly commits zin on the strength of chanting one should purify himself by staying in
the anciation of pure. Vaisnavas

49 "Sundul desires are highwaymen that lay in wast (10) Pure Vaiznavas are guards that protect
travellers on the highway
50 "By chanting the holy name, ome loudly calls for the guards. The guards come, and the
highwaymen flee

51 "Chant the holy name with love. O my brothers. Do not fear. Hear this. The Supreme Lond
Himself has said, I will be your protector

52. A person who, even though he is worthless like a pile of ashes, has taken a vow to serve the
Vaunavas fext, ungs this Hari-nama-cintamani

Chapter Nine Footnotes by Stila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

(1) From avadya comes papa bija er papa-vasana, and from papa-vasana coines papa. These three
bring suffering to the souls imprisoned by mays

(2) "Troubled by other souls" means "souls whose sufferings are created by other souls"

(3) "1" and "mine" means to be attached to thinking "1" and "mine" in relation to the external body
made of dull and inert material elements

(4) In this way one becomes attracted to the holy name. The previous condition of life is followed by
the later condition of life. The condition of life in between these two conditions of life is called the
"time between" or the intervening time. In that intervening time the heart is not inclined to commit
new sins. By continued

practice of chanting the holy name, the seent of sin is gradually destroyed (5) Il a devotee
accidentally commits some sin he need not undergo any stonement

(6) Sinful acts are of two kinds, accidental and deliberate. When with a steady mind one carefully
thinks, I will do this one sin", that is deliberate sin The two kinds of sin are very different.

(7) In relation to Chota Haridasa, Lord Caitanya eniticized such persons, calling them "markats-varagi
(monkey-sannyası) This is described in Sn Caitanya caritamata. A sannyass who talks with women is a
markata-vairag

(B) A devotee who takes shelter of the holy name may live as a grhastha at home, ot he may live as a
sannyasa in the forest. There is no difference. And why not? If one's grhastha life is favorable for
chanting the holy name, then the sammyksa-kórama may wait. But if his grhastha life is not
favorable for chanting the holy name, a Vaisnava should leave home and renounce grhastha lide

(9) "Strength from asociation with devotees" means "strength from ameciation with pure Vaisn

(10) "Highwaymen" means "thieves who rob travellers on highways".