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The Ten Offenses in Chanting Hare Krsna

While chanting the Hare Krsna mahamantra, one must remember that Lord Krsna and His name are non-different. With this, it is important to guard against any possible offenses or transgressions against the Holy Name. The word for offense is aparādha. The literal translation is “above the head of Radha.” She is the head of all devotees. Therefore, if one commits offenses towards devotees, it is like she is being struck from above. Therefore, to please Krsna, one must protect oneself and others from committing offenses.

The section of the Padma Purana, known as the Brahma Kanda, Chapter 25 Verses 15 through 18 describes ten offenses. These verses are filtered out to specifically show the offenses in these verses.

(1)

satam ninda namnah paramam aparadham vitanute

yatah khyatim yatam katham u sahate tad-vigarham

2)

sivasya sri-visnor ya iha guna-namadi-sakalam

dhiya bhinnam pasyet sa khalu hari-namahita-karah

(3)

guror avajna

(4)

sruti-sastra-nindanam

(5)

artha-vadah

(6)

hari-namni kalpanam

(7)

namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhir

na vidyate tasya yamair hi suddhih

(8)

dharma-vrata-tyaga-hutadi-sarva-

subha-kriya-samyam api pramadah

(9)

asraddadhane vimukhe ’py asrnvati

yas copadesah siva-namaparadhah

(10)

srute ’pi nama-mahatmye

yah priti-rahito narah

aham-mamadi-paramo

namni so ’py aparadha-krt

api pramadah

TRANSLATION

1) To blaspheme devotees who have dedicated their lives to chanting the holy name of the Lord. The holy name, who is identical with Krsna, will never tolerate such blasphemous activities.

2) To consider the names of Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be on an equal level with the holy name of Lord Visnu.

3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master or to consider him an ordinary person.

4) To blaspheme the Vedic literatures or literatures in pursuance of the Vedic version.

5) To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.

6) To consider the glories of the holy name of the Lord as imagination.

7) To think that the Hare Krsna mantra can counteract all sinful reactions and one may therefore go on with his sinful activities and at the same time chant the Hare Krsna mantra to neutralize them is the greatest offense at the lotus feet of Hari-nama.

8) To consider the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra to be one of the auspicious ritualistic mantras mentioned in the Vedas as fruitive activity.

9) It is an offense to preach the glories of the holy name of the Lord to the faithless.

10) If one has heard the glories of the transcendental holy name of the Lord but nevertheless continues in a materialistic concept of life, thinking “I am this body and everything belonging to this body is mine [aham mameti],” and does not show respect and love for the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, that is an offense.

- It is also an offense to be inattentive while chanting.

Here is a poem written in relation to the ten offenses.

“Hare Krsna Mahamantra Of All Mantras Best”

UPDATED: April 1, 2009