If someone without Sraddha asks for the Name, what is the correct course?
Sraddha-hina nama paite prarthana karile tahake kirupe vyavahara kara ucita?
A deceptive person without sraddha might approach a Vaishnava and ask him for Hari-nama.
Understanding his false words, a sadhu will never give him Hari-nama.
The sadhu will say: O brother, abandon your deception! Throw away your desire for prestige and cultivate sraddha in the Name[1].
One who has sraddha in the Name can attain the Name effortlessly. With the power of the Name such a person goes beyond this world of birth and death.
O brother, as long as you do not have sraddha in the Holy Name, you are not qualified to receive it.
Give up the desire for fame. Accept a humble demeanor and hear the glories of Sri Nama from the mouths of sadhus and Sastra.
When you have sraddha in the Name, at that time a Guru Mahajana will give you the Name. Brother, the Name is a great treasure.
If, out of greed for wealth, someone gives the Name to a person who lacks sraddha, due to this namaparadha they enter a hellish existence[2].
The remedy for this offense
Ei aparadhera pratikara
If one foolishly gives instructions about the Name to a person without sraddha, he should worry.
In an assembly of Vaishnavas, that Mahajana should announce that he rejects his corrupt disciple.
If he does not do this, then the Guru, due to the influence of this offense, will be deprived of bhakti and, confused by Maya, will engage in nefarious activities.
Thus, O Lord, you have given the instruction to propagate the Name along with this order.
The Lord’s instructions on this point
E visaye prabhura ajna
The Lord said: You should instruct those with sraddha about the Name[3]. Spread the glories of the Holy Name everywhere.
Do sankirtana out loud! Preach with sraddha! When the Jivas receive a little sraddha, they will ask questions of a real Guru.
They will accept Sri-nama from a bona fide Guru, then they will easily obtain the wealth of Krishna-prema.
Make those sinful people, such as thieves, prostitutes and charlatans, renounce even the thought of engaging in materialistic activities. Give them the wealth of sraddha.
When they attain true sraddha, then teach them the Name. In this way you distribute the Holy Name everywhere.
The result of this offense
Ei rupa aparadhera phala
If one does not follow this way of distributing the treasure of the Holy Name, then one will fall into a hellish condition.
Giving the Name to such a disciple is namaparadha. Because of this, the Guru finds his access to bhakti-rasa blocked.
Due to namaparadha, the Guru and the disciple enter into a hellish situation. This is a great offense.
Initially, faith should be given, then instructions on the Name can be given
Agre sraddha-diya nama upadesa dibe
O Gaura-hari, you have been extremely merciful to Jagai and Madhai. You gave them the sraddha in the Name and then granted them the Name itself[4].
Your activities are astounding. Everyone in this world should follow Your instructions with sraddha.
Those who feel pleasure in bhakti while standing at the feet of devotees are adorned with this Hari-nama Cintamani.
iti sri-hari-nama-cintamanau sraddha-hina jane namaparadha vicarau nama
dasama paricchedaḥ
Thus ends the tenth chapter of Sri Hari-nama Cintamani entitled
“A deliberation on the offense to the Name concerning those who lack Sraddha”.
[1] A cheater shows intense devotional feelings just to gain respect and material benefits.
[2] Some may argue that these instructions of Bhaktivinode Thakura are in conflict with what we find written in the Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi-lila chapter 7: “Krishna’s characteristics are understood as a storehouse of transcendental love. Although that storehouse of love certainly came with Krishna when He was present, it was sealed. But when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu came with His Pañca-tattva associates, They broke the seal and plundered the storehouse to relish transcendental love for Krishna. The more They tasted it, the more Their thirst grew. The same Sri Pañca-tattvas danced again and again and thus made it easier to drink the nectar of love of God. They danced, cried, laughed and sang like crazy, and in this way distributed the love of God. In distributing the love of God, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a suitable candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They set no conditions. Wherever they had the opportunity, the members of the Pañca-tattva distributed the love of God.” There are no contrasts, we are talking about different themes. Giving Harinama means initiation.
[3] Those who have sraddha will receive thorough instructions, while others can chant it in any other way.
[4] The ancestors of the two brothers Jagadananda and Madhavananda were the respected Raya Dynasty brahmanas of Sriramapura. At that time, they lived in Navadvipa-mandala. Seeing these great debauchers, everyone called them Jagai and Madhai.
This is a section of the book “Harinama Cintamani (English)”.
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