Vaiṣṇava - Pranam prabhu. Can you tell whether it is necessary to bath before chanting dīkṣā mantras?
Advaitadās - Yes. Bathe and put on tilaka.
Vaiṣṇava - What if someone is not able to bath due to flu or cold?
Advaitadās - Then skip the japa.
Vaiṣṇava - You mean skipping chanting dīkṣā mantras?
Advaitadās - Yes.
Vaiṣṇava - For that day.
Advaitadās - For as long as you are sick.
Vaiṣṇava - Will there not be a problem if dīkṣā mantras are not chanted?
Advaitadās - No. aśauca (being unclean in the temple) is one sevā aparādha. Doing mantra while unclean is more harmful.
Vaiṣṇava - I heard that the mantras need to be chanted at least 10 times everyday to keep the mantra active.
Advaitadās - hahaha. The holy name can expire or so? The holy name is called pūrṇa śuddho nitya mukto. nitya mukta means eternally liberated, inexhaustible.
Vaiṣṇava - For holy name I have not heard so.
Advaitadās - It need not be recharged like a smart phone. What is dīkṣā mantra other than holy name?
Vaiṣṇava - Because it has some words before and after and gāyatris are having a special format.
Advaitadās - So?
Vaiṣṇava - That's why I had doubt.
Advaitadās - Show me evidence from śāstra that a mantra can expire. What if you are in coma for 2 weeks?
Vaiṣṇava - I have no idea. I heard it from someone. That if the mantras are not chanted minimum ten times the mantras will be deactivated. Again you have to take dīkṣā. That's why the Gurus tell to chant minimum 10 times.
Advaitadās - Deactivated harināma is atheism. pūrṇa śuddho nitya mukto abhinnatvan nāma nāmino (Padma Purana quoted in Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 17.133)
Vaiṣṇava - No no I heard this only for dīkṣā mantras.
Advaitadās - The mantra is God himself. God expires or so? mantra, nāma, whatever. Look here - "kāma gāyatrī mantra rūpa HOY KṚṢṆERA SWARŪPA “The kāma gāyatrī mantra is the very form of Kṛṣṇa” - you know that verse? Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 21.125
Vaiṣṇava - Ok. I got it. Very grateful to you clear my doubt.
Advaitadās - There is no pramāna (evidence) for this idea, deactivated. It's not a pack of milk.
Vaiṣṇava - Ok. But then can aparādha of chanting dīkṣā mantras be overcome by chanting the holy name?
Advaitadās - What aparādha?
Vaiṣṇava - Because mantras were chanted in unclean state? It will be sevā aparādha as you said.
Advaitadās - That's why, don't do mantra in an unclean state. If each time you get sick you need to get re-initiated, what if your Guru passed away or he is living on the other side of the planet?
Once you are initiated you are initiated. The mantra is never lost then.