The offense of thinking in terms of ‘I’ and ‘mine’

Aham-mama-bhavaparadha

He who is so fallen that, even after hearing the glories of the Name, is still devoid of love for the Name and maintains the idea of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, commits an offence.

Glories to Gadai-Gauranga and the Life of Jahnava. Glory to Sita and Advaita and the devotees of Gaura.

With his voice muffled by prema, Hari Dasa Mahasaya presented the final namaparadha at the feet of the Lord.

O Lord, please hear the worst offense of all. Nama-prema will never appear as long as this defect is present.

The need to surrender to the Name

Nama saranapattira prayojaniyata

By rejecting the nine offenses, a true devotee surrenders to the Holy Name.

All Sastra describe the six types of surrender. It is not possible for me to explain them in detail now.

 

The various types of surrender

Saranapattira prakara

I will offer this summary at your feet: Make a vow to accept what is favorable and reject what is unfavorable[1].

One must be assured that Krishna protects and maintains His devotees, who consider themselves insignificant and surrender completely.

If one cannot keep himself alive, he cannot engage in bhajana and should therefore accept minimal material things.

One must continue one’s life by developing an interest in those things which are conducive to bhakti.

When something is unfavorable for bhakti, one has no taste for it and rejects it totally.

Think: Apart from Krishna, no one else is my protector. I know Krishna is my only maintainer.

I am insignificant and poor. I’m the most useless person of all. No one is as fallen or unhappy like me.

I am an eternal servant in the family of Krishna; I only strive to act according to the desire of Krishna.

I’m the doer. I am the benefactor. I maintain myself and my family. This body and this house are mine. These are my children; this is my wife. I am a brahmana. I am a sudra. I’m a father. I’m a husband. I am a king. I am a subject. I am the refuge of my children.

I will reject all these ideas and think only of Krishna. He is the origin of every action, and His desire is what matters.

I will do whatever Krishna desires. I won’t think about what I want.

By Krishna’s wish I have been placed in samsara, and by Krishna’s wish I will be liberated from this material world.

Whether in distress or happiness, I am a servant of Krishna. It is to fulfill Krishna’s desire that I show compassion to the Jivas.

My experiences and the experience of my karmic reactions depend on the desire of Krishna. My renunciation also depends on Krishna’s desire.

 

[1] Jaiva Dharma, Ch. 6, pp. 121-22, states: anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyasya varjanam raksisyatiti visvaso goptrtve varanam tatha atma-niksepa-karpanye sad-vidha saranagatih – The six divisions of surrender are acceptance of that which is conducive to devotional service, rejection of that which is unfavorable, the belief that Krishna will give us protection, acceptance of the Lord as one’s guardian or master, complete self-surrender and humility.

 

This is a section of the book “Harinama Cintamani (English)”.

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