Aindra's book, part 2

Reminder: This is a review of the e-copy of Aindra Dās' book. If anyone notices that the final printed copy does not contain some or any of the upcoming quotes, or reversely, that there may be important things left out in the e-copy, please let me know.

On pages 62-63 Aindra writes,

"Having become “fixed-up” and satisfied on the brahminical platform of goodness (sthitam sattve prasidati), one becomes freed from the major lot of gross material distractions. At this point one may gradually focus and absorb one’s mind and heart (from smarana, dharana, dhyana, anusmriti, to samadhi) in the remembrance of one’s given vraja-svarupa while cultivating the mental service of Radha-Krishna’s eightfold daily pastimes (asta-kaliya-lila-manasa-seva)."

Brahminhood and the mode of goodness, however, have nothing to do with aṣṭakāla līlā adhikāra, though surely purity is required for the practise of līlā smaraṇam. It is surely nice he speaks about a given svarūpa here.

More on page 63:

"After the attainment of svarupa-siddhi, a siddha-bhakta anxiously cries to be reinstated in his or her original constitutional relationship (vastu-siddhi) with the Lord."

How can one cry for perfection when one is already perfect (siddha bhakta), and then even for 'reinstatement' as if we have been in the spiritual world before? And where does the word vastu siddhi appear in the ācāryas' books?

Page 72 - "Do not bother yourself to become too much infatuated with Krishna. Rather, act in such a way that Lord Krishna may become ever more infatuated with you."

I have heard this siddhānta in many Iskcon lectures but somehow have never found it in śāstra. I cannot see any difference between one and the other. How can one not get infatuated with Kṛṣṇa unless one is a walking refrigerator? And why would one act in a way to infatuate Kṛṣṇa unless one is already infatuated with Him and thus eager to experience His presence?

Also on page 72:
"Just as there are left-wing (vama) and right-wing (daksina) yutheshvari-gopis and sakhis with many varieties of devotional dispositions, so also there are many varieties of left- and right-wing manjaris. Rati Manjari is daksina-mridvi by nature, right wing and very soft and sweet. As evidenced in Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami’s Vilapa-kusumanjali, Rati Manjari, from her right-wing vantage point, stands as perhaps the greatest exemplar of the mood of belonging to her yutheshvari, Shri Radhika. “I am Yours! I am Yours! I cannot live without You! O queen, please understand this and bring me to Your lotus feet.”

This is not in any śāstra either – it would mean that so-called 'left wing mañjarīs' would say "Rādhe! You are mine You are mine" (which is the madīyatā bhava of vāma nāyikās)? The madīyatā- (‘you are mine!’) and tadīyatā- (‘I am yours’) parties are the sakhīs, who have a certain attitude towards Kṛṣṇa,  not the mañjarīs, who have the bhāvollāsa rati (preference for the devotee over the Lord) towards Smt. Rādhārāṇī.

Aindra:
"The famous Shri Ananga Manjari is also vama-madhya in temperament."

Aindra gives no source reference to this. About Anaṅga Mañjarī: In Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā [1.96-97] Śrī Rūpa Goswāmī lists Anaṅga Mañjarī among the vara-sakhis; they are like the aṣṭa-sakhī [etad aṣṭaka kalpabhiḥ], they are nāyikās and are 12 years old. Rūpa Goswāmī only lists mañjarīs at the end of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā, not including Anaṅga Mañjarī. This would indicate that the mañjarīs have another, non-sambhoga, relationship with Kṛṣṇa than the, also 12-year old, vara sakhīs. The vara-sakhī class could indicate that [some] mañjarīs, or 12-year olds, do have vilāsa with Kṛṣṇa and that mañjarīs need not always be fully celibate, and some verses in Govinda Līlāmṛta and Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta seem to support that too, but the mañjarī-tattva of the majority of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, that ‘mañjarī’ means 'bud' and is therefore not enjoyable by the bee, and the mañjarīs do not enjoy with Kṛṣṇa,  period, is far more relishable, and that is also clearly expressed in Vilāpa Kusumāñjali’s verse 16, which is pivotal to that rasa siddhānta and indeed to the entire Vilāpa Kusumāñjali.

On p.73, Aindra says:

"He (Krishna) often finds Himself futilely begging at the feet of Radha’s relentless left-wing manjari maidservants who derisively keep Him at bay, playfully enhancing the effectiveness of the vipralambha-rasa...."

Here Aindra promotes his own brand of mañjarī bhāva-shaped sakhī-bhāva. mañjarīs do not reject Kṛṣṇa out of vāmya but out of loyalty to Rādhā alone. A study of Mañjarī Swarūpa Nirūpaṇa could have helped him perhaps.

p. 78-9: "Greed-induced multi-aspected absorption in ananda-maya-vraja-bhakti-bhajana, both internal and external, could never in its real light be discerned by a deepest intellect to be a selfish or self-centered affair. It should never be confounded with the egoistical approach of the Himalayan forest-dwelling liberationist referred to by Prahlada in his prayers to Lord Nrisimhadeva, as recounted in Shrimad-Bhagavatam. If it were, it could hardly be accepted as vraja-bhakti, because by definition, at its very core, the exclusively selfless, self-giving service attitude...."

I am glad that Aindra independently had the same realization as I had on this issue. The Bhāgavata verse 7.9.44 does not condemn rāgānuga bhajanānandīs at all, nor does it even mention them, though the verse is sometimes used to condemn rāgānuga devotees as selfish. It speaks simply of yogīs and jñānīs meditating in solitude.

Aindra continues on p.79:
"Lalasamayi, the intense desire for being reinstated in one’s eternal, constitutional, perfect spiritual body (siddha-deha) as an eternal resident of Vraja, should in no way be presupposed by anyone to be any sort of gross or subtle material or spiritual sense gratification."

This too I applaud (though ‘reinstated’ and ‘constitutional siddha deha’ are again beyond the parameters of Vaiṣṇava theology).

On pages 80-81 Aindra reconciles the bhajanānandī and goṣṭhyānandī (a division which was never made by the Goswāmīs anyway) by saying :

"The incomparable, unswerving life of concentrated bhajana fortitude exemplified by the Gosvamis and their followers in and of itself stands ever monumental in the hearts of the anuragi Vaishnavas and perennially serves as a pre-eminent paragon for the world at large,......"

He repeats this reconciliation on page 85 too, where he calls denouncement of either bhajanānandī or goṣṭhyānandī 

'perverse, lopsided religio-institutional bias, immature subjective superstition."

This is surely to be applauded.

On p.84 Aindra pleads further for the bhajanānandīs in a charming way, saying that

"all the trees, creepers, insects, lizards, rodents, birds, and other creatures within or around our shuddha-nama bhajananandi’s bhajana-kutira – how many souls would be residing within his very body?"

, and:

"Any sound vibration produced anywhere on this planet is believed to encircle the Earth seven times before dissolution. This makes it possible for his chanting to purify the ethereal atmosphere of the whole world. The result would be all the more powerful if he would be living in Vrindavana, where the purificatory benefits mount a thousand fold. No man is an island."

p.86: "Some less-than-philosophically-astute individuals attempt to purposefully popularize as institutional dogma a fallacious understanding that by externally serving Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana movement in vaidhi bhakti alone one will automatically pop up somehow or other in vraja-lila after the end of the present life – an unverifiable post-dated check."

Bravo again. I would give the following example - if you go out on book distribution and just stand on the street like a tree, how many books will you sell? You have to go and approach people, do something, then you will get the result. Similarly, just lazily and passively thinking "Oh, siddha deha will be revealed if I just submissively do my service" will not do the job. That has been proven also in the growing history of western Vaiṣṇavism,.

To be continued.............

Aindra's book, part 1

Much has been made of the charismatic Iskcon-kīrtanīya Aindra Dās (Edwin Striker, 1953-2010), who passed away suddenly due to an accident last summer, and his long-awaited book, 'The Heart of Transcendental Book distribution'. I downloaded a copy of the book from the internet, I do not know if the hard copy has the same page numbering, this is a review of the pdf. The language is pompous and the overall mood is rather overbearing - over-sophisticated language in extremely long sentences makes the book quasi- elite and unreadable. There is also a poignant lack of scriptural quotations, which makes the book seem really Aindra's own mental product rather than a genuine representation of eternal Vaiṣṇava siddhanta.

He clearly still believed in envy-vāda, as he writes on page 5:

"It would be inappropriate to acquaint people who have yet to be divested of their long-standing envy of the Lord with Radha-Krishna’s most intimate lilas without first philosophically establishing them in the principles of prema-dharma."

He strikes a more realistic note on page 10-

"My dear Shri Shri Radhe-Shyama! What is the use of having innumerable hands, each distributing transcendental literatures by the billions and trillions, if as an outcome of it all, not even one soul becomes Your fully self-realized, pure, unalloyed kevala-madhurya-premika devotee? What a perfidy if, by broadcasting countless volumes and volumes of transcendental scriptures, not even one thoughtful book distributor could fortunately gain the essential penetrating insight to deeply discover the esoteric truths behind the black (Krishna) letters on all those white (Radha) pages!"

The conclusion of all this is optimistic and positive, though-

"My dearmost beloved Lordships Shri Shri Radhe-Shyama! If, however, as a result of all such laborious efforts even just one fortunate soul could somehow or other by Your unbounded special causeless mercy finally, even if after billions and trillions of lifetimes of devotional struggle, attain that most cherished goal of life, then by all means, please let there be thousands and millions of “brihat-mridanga” printing presses, each producing millions and billions of transcendental literatures describing Your unlimited names, forms, qualities, and madhurya-lilas in the sweetest of all sweetest lands, Shri Vrindavana-dhama."
This a nice one on page 13-

"Let thousands and millions of externally oriented prakrita-bhaktas fill the atmosphere with endless streams of prajalpa, faultfinding, backbiting, and fratricidal bickering, on top of all the petty institutional and interinstitutional wrangling and war – what do we care for it?"

On the same page Aindra starts with some pretty sordid politics, speaking about rubber-stamped Gurus, their pompous pedestals and their proximity to female disciples. Yawn.....even he..... One wonders how much taste a 'rasik bhakta' must have before he can give up such petty sordid gossip. Some of the language about his bureaucratic Godbrothers is so strong one wonders whether this is boldness or outright Vaiṣṇava aparādha? He goes on page after page saying he does not care about rubber-stamped bureaucrats, gṛhamedhīs and show-bottle bhajanānandīs, making one wonder that if he really does not care, why does he waste so much time writing that he does not care instead of relishing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa aṣṭakāl līlā and harināma. Life is short, as he has experienced himself. Ironically, he stresses the need to focus, focus and refocus [on page 19] - the question, after all these pages, is, focus on what?

Finally, on page 21, Aindra gets more positive-

"We should understand that the sight of others’ misdemeanors and various other calamities are shown to us by Krishna for the purpose of dynamically educing our own pure devotional qualities, to enhance our devotional adhikara."

And on page 23 he gets even charming, telling a story of how a boy attracts a girl's attention first through nasty pranks and later through love-letters etc, making the point that Kṛṣṇa just wants our attention and this may start in a negative way, but has a positive purpose.

Like Jagadānanda, Aindra also has his own ideas about kaniṣṭha-, madhyama- and uttama-adhikārī, which may or may not have been the intention of Śukadeva and Vyāsa.

On page 29 Aindra expresses an interesting strī-tattva:

"He (the elevated Vaishnava) will therefore allow the sight of the illusory womanly form within this world, which faintly resembles the radiance of spiritual muliebrity (not found in my dictionary), to prompt within himself an internal recollection of the supreme root of all minor expanded varieties of femininity. This original feature of all transcendental womanhood is none other than Shri Radha, who mothers not the material existence of repeated birth and death but rather spiritual birth into eternal loving devotion. A subordinate king’s attitude toward the emperor’s envoy conspicuously reflects his general attitude toward the emperor. As a well-wishing emissary coming on behalf of the emperor’s government to examine the condition of a subordinate is to be properly honored, so similarly any expanded form of femininity should be honored as a representative of Radha.........Externally maintaining a respectful distance from Radha’s messenger (duti) so as not to commit offense, while humbly considering himself to be unqualified to directly associate with her as long as he remains in the sadhaka-deha, he will simply pray from within that she mercifully inform her Svamini (Radha) about his pure devotional intents."

This is actually sahajīyaism, as sahajīyas try to compare mundane gender with spiritual gender. In other words, gopīs are gopīs and mundane women are mundane women.

Aindra hits out at the eggheads, on page 33:

"Furthermore, one may unfortunately entertain an immodest impression of one’s “superiority” over others who are less materially qualified, thus gobbling up heaps and piles of temporary hog-stool-like false prestige on the basis of accumulated collegial upadhis. One must sagaciously avoid the snobbish, over-intelligent, grossly idiotic notion that such slaughterhouse academia is in any way a prerequisite for high-grade devotional eligibility, competency, or potential, or to any degree indicative of such. When has such a conceited, specious idea ever been taught by an acarya or upheld by shastra? How highly educated was Valmiki? Were Hanuman, Sugriva, Jambavan, or Jatayu college graduates? How doctorately decorated were Mrigari, the hunter; Dhruva; Prahlada; or even their guru, Narada, in his previous life as the son of a maidservant? How sophisticated or cultured was the prostitute who, by the grace of Haridasa Thakura, converted to Vaisnavism and chanted no less than three lakhs of hari-nama daily? What about Haridasa Thakura himself? How literate was the celebrated South Indian brahmana whom Lord Gauranga embraced, eulogizing him as having truly understood the essence of the Gita? How boastfully bookish was Srila Gaura Kishora Dasa Babaji Maharaja? How many pointed examples are required to illustrate the principle? Besides, we should simply ask – Is the world over not teeming with college graduates and professionals who profess avowed atheism or agnosticism?"

(Bravo, Aindra!)

On page 39 Aindra calls bhāvollāsa rati "the immaculate, spontaneous selfless loving service moods", but that has nothing to do with bhāvollāsa, which simply means a greater love for a devotee than for the Lord. One wonders if Aindra really splashes around fancy words to pose as an advanced devotee, and if he has always perfectly understood siddhānta really.

I do appreciate, and support, his staunch opposition to organized religion, but at the same time he was himself also comfortably living off a corrupt bureaucratic institution.

At least Aindra, unlike most of his fellows, understood (on page 48) that one must first understand siddhānta before one starts preaching, though I wonder how much benefit people will have from the verbal constructions he himself produces in this book.

He tackles another troublesome misconception on page 54:

"We must acknowledge that although solitary bhajana and sankirtana appear to be divergently constituted, the objective of both ways of worship is one – to please Krishna. It is nowhere indicated that progress in Krishna consciousness demands a unidimensional, one-sided approach to the Lord’s loving service."

In page 56 Aindra pleads for the introduction of siddha praṇālī as a supportive tool of one's sādhana (a very good concept), saying:

"It is insufficient simply to know by negation that “I am not ‘this’ [illusory material] body.” At a certain point, a seriously inquisitive individual must inevitably ask, “If I am not ‘this’ body, then what body am I?”

Aindra argues that even the dāsānudāsa concept is a false upādhi (designation). I do not fully agree with this, as Rūpa Goswāmī has clearly said that sādhana is simultaneously done with the external and internal body and both are considered spiritual. Anyway, after rejecting traditional Gauḍīya practises like Siddha Praṇālī as cheap, monkey-ish etc. he says:

"Although the absolute dependency upon siddha-pranali-diksa as such for the evolvement of raganuga-sadhana is denied in the Sarasvata doctrine, timely instruction (shiksa) concerning the internally conceived siddha-deha is nevertheless essential."

After quoting (śāstrik quotes are rare in this book) the necessity of harināma, Aindra writes:

"Shastric evidence such as this, however, in no way poses to preclude the sadhaka’s need to be esoterically instructed."

Acknowledging that you cannot just get svarūpa siddhi by just blindly chanting hare kṛṣṇa.

To be continued. Blog originally composed December 2010

Toooooo late!!!

Prabhu Sītānāth's annual utsava [festival of advent] has started on 6th february and today, on the Vasant Pañcamī [8th february] only the printed invitation has arrived here. Anyway, there is still time to attend the 24-hour harināma saṅkīrtan in the ashram tomorrow [9th febr] and the nagar saṅkīrtan on Sītānāth's advent day [10th febr], along with the abhiṣekha of Madangopāl Jiu, Janma līlā Kīrtan and Prasād of course.

Nityānanda Vaṁśa Vistāra

This is a brief review of Śrī Nityānanda Vaṁśa Vistāra, said to be by Vṛndāvan Dās Ṭhākura.

I found this booklet in one of the many makeshift book-stands at Rādhākuṇḍa last Kārtik. This book is sometimes used to establish the legitimacy of the Nityānanda Vaṁśa (family lineage), but actually it only describes the pastimes of the first generation after Lord Nityānanda, particularly His son Vīracandra. I am not sure if this booklet is actually written by Vṛndāvan Dās Ṭhākura because -

1] A later Gaura-theology like rādhā-bhāva dyuti is there (Mahāprabhu being Kṛṣṇa accepting the feelings and glow of Rādhā), something Vṛndāvan Dās Ṭhākura never said in Caitanya Bhāgavat.
2] Vṛndāvan Dās Ṭhākura is an aiśvarya bhakta who always compared Caitanya Mahāprabhu with Lord Nārāyan. Such attitude is not there at all in Nityānanda Vaṁśa Vistāra, it is all much more rasik and madhura.
3] One also wonders if Vṛndāvan Dās Ṭhākura,  who is the earliest biographer of Mahāprabhu with his Caitanya Bhāgavat, was still around when Nityānanda's grandsons were born. It is estimated that Vṛndāvan Dās Ṭhākura passed away in 1589.
4] In his Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Abhidhāna Haridās Dās cautiously calls it vṛndāvan dās ṭhākura āropita - 'ascribed to Vṛndāvan Dās Ṭhākura'.

The booklet itself is quite charming, being largely filled with elaborate and ecstatic accounts of festivals Vīracandra Prabhu held. Vīracandra Prabhu is considered by the author to be a reincarnation of Mahāprabhu and his pastimes, like travelling to Vṛndāvan via Jharikanda, are also similar. Sādhu Bābā would typically say of such reincarnations 'What is the use of the copy when one already has the original?'

The books contains some verses ascribed to the Purāṇas or Upapurāṇas which establish Nityānanda Prabhu as a joint incarnation of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and this obviously contradicts standard Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theology, which says He is Balarāma. Even if this is explained away as Nityānanda Prabhu being non-different from Mahāprabhu its very unlikely that such things are described in the Purāṇas, and it is anyway a wrong Gaura-tattva because Gaur is Kṛṣṇa, not Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

One should surely not throw away the baby with the bathing water though - the book contains very tasty and ecstatic devotional narrations for sure. The book has 3 parts, Ādi-, Madhya-, and Antya-līlā, and 10 chapters, which contains the following:

Chapter 1 describes how Mahāprabhu ordered Nityānanda to marry, how Nityānanda went to Bengal to do saṅkīrtan, and how He came to Ambikā to meet Sūryadās Paṇḍit and marry his daughters Vasudhā and Jāhnavā. Chapter two describes how Vīracandra appeared in the womb of Vasudhā, how Abhirāma Ṭhākur came and tested Vīracandra [by offering obeisances he had killed Nityānanda's preceding offspring], and how Adwaita Ācārya came from Śāntipura to respect the child. Chapter three describes how Maheśa nivāsī Sudhāmoy went to do tapasyā in Purī with his wife and received a daughter, Nārāyaṇī, from the ocean, how Nityānanda merged into the deity of Śyāmasundara in Khardah and then re-emerged, how He finally merged within the deity of Bankim Deva in Ekacakra, how a festival was held in His memory, how Advaita Ācārya held an abhiṣekh for Vīracandra, how Jāhnavā-devī showed a 6-armed form and gave dīkṣā to Vīracandra, how Vīracandra went to Purī and met Sārvabhauma and others there, how he married Nārāyaṇī devī there, how he returned to Khardah and curbed the power of the Nāḍās by creating Nārīs, and how his dynasty emerged. (I could not find out what or who are the Nāḍās, I presume they are shaven-headed ascetics.)

The Madhya līlā starts with chapter four, in which Vīracandra's second marriage took place, Jāhnavā Devī went to Vṛndāvan and Gopījana Ballabh Prabhu showed his prowess on a chariot and created an abode of vines. Chapter Five describes how Jāhnavā Devī went to Ekacakra and stayed at Kuṇḍalī Talā, had darśana of Bankim Deva and gave dīkṣā to Viracandra's eldest son Gopījanaballabh. It also describes her journey to Vṛndāvan via Gayā, Kāśī and Prayāga, and how she merged with the Gopīnāth deity. Chapter six explains the tattva of Nityānanda and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, chapter seven describes how Vīracandra travelled to East Bengal and gave Harinām to the Muslims with the aid of the Nāḍās and how he showed an 8-armed form to the local Nawab, thus bestowing his mercy on him. Chapter eight describes how Vīracandra wandered up north, how he went to Maldah, and how he established a Śrīpāṭa there on the pretext of bestowing mercy on Durllabh Chatri.

The Antya Lila starts with chapter nine, where Vīracandra wandered through the Rāḍha-deśa and had darśana of Kuṇḍalī-talā and Bankim Deva, how he instructed Gati Govinda on Kṛṣṇa, met Śrīnivāsācārya and bestowed his mercy on King Bīrhambīr. Finally chapter ten describes how Vīracandra went to Kāśī via Jhārikanda and then went to Vṛndāvana via Prayāga, instructing Jīva Goswāmī there on bhakti-tattva. At the end there are very rasik descriptions of Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa and pastimes that Kṛṣṇa performed there with Anaṅga Mañjarī, which is really light-years away from the formal Nārāyan-Mahāprabhu Vṛndāvan Dās Ṭhākura eulogized in his Caitanya Bhāgavat.

Blog originally drafted in December 2010.

Sadhu Baba's Ashram 2011

Entering the beautiful and sylvan Pracheen Mayapur, the abode of Sadhu Baba.

Newly built Nat Mandir in front of Madangopal's Sri Mandir, to protect the kirtaniyas from the elements.

Gopeshwar Mahadeva, Sadhu Baba's Shiva Mandir under the Bael tree, freshly painted.

Newly erected Mandir to commemorate where Sadhu Baba enlightened us with His sermons, under the Bael Tree, a tree sacred to Shiva worshipers.

Back side of Sadhu Baba's Ashram

Sadhu Baba ashram's humble goshalla

Sadhu Baba's Samadhi Mandir


Tapo Broto Mohanta, senior Disciple of Sadhu Baba.
Many thanks to Indurekha Dasi for making the trip and making the high resolution photos.

Going west, Rādhā's elephant, playful beasts of prey and Krishna Bhava Tadatmya

Bhakta: "Is it not said that the further west one goes the more degraded things get?"

Advaitadas: "No that is nonsense. The writers of shastra either did not know of regions outside of India or they did not care. You must be referring to Adi Lila 10.89 of Caitanya Caritamrita: paścimer lok sab mūḍha anācāra ['western people are all fools who are impure'] which refers to residents of Western India. Look at the context of this statement: - anupama ballabha śrī rūpa sanātana; ei tin śākhā vṛkṣera paścime gaman (verse 10.84) mātṛ icchāy dui śākhā bahut bāḍhilo. bāḍhiya paścim deśa sob ācchādilo (verse 86)  āsi sindhu nadī tīra āro himāloy; vṛndāvan mathurādi joto tīrtha hoy (verse 87) - "Anupam and Ballabh, and Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana, these three branches, went to the west. By the (Gaur-) gardener's wish these branches grew, so that they covered all of the west. The Caitanya-tree reached the bank of the Sindhu-river (the far-west, now in Pakistan) and the Himalaya, as well as all the holy places in Vṛndāvan and Mathurā."

It is clear that 'the west' here means western India, not Europe or America. Not that I consider the western hemisphere culturally superior to the east....."

Bhakta: "I heard that Rādhā has a pet elephant."

Advaitadas : "I have not seen this in any śāstra. The Vrajabasis do not even ride horses. Horses and elephants are used in Dwarka and Mathurā but not in Vraj. In fact Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa walk all over Braja day and night, very long distances, in order to meet each other. That is the mādhurya of nara-līlā [human pastimes]."

Bhakta: "I was reading in the Garga Samhita that in Vraja the fawns play with the tiger cubs, the does play with the eagles and the snakes play with the mongoose. There is no enmity, no hunger and no envy. Is this true?"

Advaitadas: "Yes this is true. Though I doubt the validity of Garga Samhita we should not throw the baby away with the bathing water. It is confirmed in Srimad Bhagavat 10.13.60, which is quoted in the story of Mahāprabhu making the wild animals dance and embrace each other in the Jharikhanda forest - "Vṛndāvana is the transcendental abode of the Lord, where there is no hunger anger or thirst. Though naturally inimical, both human beings and fierce animals live together in transcendental friendship."

There can be no hatred and no bloodshed in the spiritual world. Yet, to preserve a human atmosphere, there may be fear of tigers or lions. For example, in Padyāvalī a verse is quoted which says that Kṛṣṇa roars like a lion from within the kuñja, where He enjoys with Rādhā, to scare away unauthorized cowherdboys who come too close. Like domestic dogs that bark but are not allowed to bite."

Bhakta: "We know about bhāva tādātmya of the kiṅkarīs, in which their feelings become one with Rādhikā's feelings. Is such a thing also possible with Kṛṣṇa?"

Advaitadas: "Not without becoming a complete advaita-vādī or sahajiya - Rādhā is aśraya tattva [the enjoyed, the servant] and Kṛṣṇa is biṣaya tattva [the enjoyer, the served]. bhāva tādātmya with Kṛṣṇa would mean one would assume the position of enjoyer or biṣoya tattva, whereas our theology says 'jīvera svarūpa hoy kṛṣṇer nitya dās' - the innate position of the soul is to be the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa."

Bhakta: "But then at least the cowherd boys should have some bhāva-tādātmya with Kṛṣṇa?"

Advaitadas: "Why? Because they are the same gender as Kṛṣṇa? No - whether boy or girl, everyone tries to please Kṛṣṇa only as the āśray tattva. Though it is true that the gopas share Kṛṣṇa's love for sporting, frolicking and fighting, they do so with the intention to please Kṛṣṇa with their service while Kṛṣṇa's spirit is one of enjoyment." ekala īśvara kṛṣṇa - āro sobāi bhṛtya - There is only one Lord and that is Kṛṣṇa. Everyone else is His servant."

My You-tube channel

25 videos uploaded to my Youtube channel - including my Govardhan Parikrama of November 2010, Kunja Bhanga lila kirtans recorded at Radhakund in Kartik 2010, Sudevi's Goshalla in 2007, and some of my favorite other youtube clips. I hope to upload more kirtans there later.

Kāmadeva trivia

Kāmadeva

Kāmadeva's (Cupid's) bow is made of sugarcane - that is why brahmacārīs are not allowed to eat too many sweets. This is the cause of sugar according to the Purāṇas.

Kāmadeva's bow-string is made of honeybees. Kāmadeva's consort Rati carries a disc and a lotus in her hands, and her arms are compared with the stalks of that lotus.

Goddess Vasanta [spring] also accompanies Kāmadeva, but unlike Rati, whose very essence is desire, Vasanta emerges from a sigh of frustration.

In Hindu traditions for the marriage ceremony itself, the bride's feet are often painted with pictures of Śuka, the parrot vahana [vehicle] of Kāmadeva.

Kāmadeva's companions are a cuckoo, a parrot, humming bees, the season of spring, and the gentle breeze. All of these are symbols of the spring season, when his festival is celebrated as Holi, Holikā or Vasanta.

Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda comments on Śrīmad Bhāgavat 10.55.2 that Kāmadeva is actually Pradyumna but when he was conceived in the womb of Rukmiṇī, the mundane Cupid entered into him as Droṇa entered into Nanda Mahārāja and Dharā into mother Yaśodā.

Blog originally composed in summer 2010

Quotes from Gopāl Campūḥ

These are some interesting things I read in Śrī Jīva Goswāmī's Gopāla Campūḥ:

Gopāla Campūḥ 20.2 (the story of Varuṇa's agents abducting Nanda Mahārāja)–

eṣa nivāsa-viśeṣaś ca tasya jala-stambha-vidyālambhitāra-bhavān svata eva bhāsvān bhāsvat-kanyā-hrada-stha-vivarasyādhaḥ-pradeśe sadeśa eva rasā-vivara-deśe niveśam āsīdati 

"Varuṇa has a certain mystic power [vidyā] with which he manages to block water [jala-stambha] out of his abode, which is a hole underground under the Yamunā."

Hence pictures that depict Kṛṣṇa visiting Varuṇa under water are not correct.

Gopāla Campūḥ 20.29:

cacāla ca sa tābhyāṁ saha yāvad-vivarābhyāsam | āgamya ca tad-abhyāsaṁ tad-vartma-bhāga-sthita-nīraṁ vibhāgam āgamayya 

"Varuṇa accompanied Kṛṣṇa and Nanda Mahārāja till the gate of the cave in which he dwelled and there made a cleavage in the water so that they could easily return to the surface of the Yamunā."

A piece of adhyātmika vāda in Gopāla Campūḥ 21.20 -

dāma-sudāma-vasudāma-kiṅkiṇi-saṁjñās tasya prajñāhaṅkāra-citta-manasāṁ bahiḥ-prakāśatayā 

"Dāma, Sudāma, Vasudāma, and Kiṅkiṇī - these boys are external manifestations of Kṛṣṇa's wisdom, ego, consciousness and mind."

Gopāla Campūḥ 33.104 -

atha mathurām eva rāmeṇa saha sahacara-yadu-kumāra-vṛtaḥ pratigatya patyabhāvavataḥ puruṣā mleccatas tān mleccha-yodhān nidhanam eva rodhayamānas tad-amāna-dhanāni nija-rājadhānīti dvārakāṁ hārayann api mleccha-paricchadatayā manasi nācchatāṁ maṁsyase 

"After killing them, Kṛṣṇa will take the unlimited booty of mlecchas like Kālayavan to Dwārkā but will not consider it pure since it was used by the mlecchas."

This proves that money from mlecchas is untouchable. It is not that Hindus can enjoy the money and women of mlecchas (western devotees) and not accept their devotional service, as often happens in Indian Sadhu communities. Either one is totally untouchable or totally acceptable.

Gopāla Campūḥ 33.253 -


tad idaṁ guptam api kṛtam ādi-varāha-nāmā bhagavān api sva-purāṇe sākṣitayā lakṣayatīti sarvathātra nānyathā mantavyam | yathā—

dyūta-krīḍā bhagavatā kṛtā gopa-janaiḥ saha |
paṇāvahāra-rūpeṇa jitā gopyo dhanāni ca |
gopair ānīya tatraiva kṛṣṇāya viniveditāḥ || iti |


“Though this subject is concealed, Varāha in his Purana reveals this. You should not consider this false at all. In the Varaha Purana it is said that Kṛṣṇa won the gopīs, along with wealth, in a dice game from the gopas. Brought by the cowherds they were offered to Kṛṣṇa.”

I am curious what the rest of the Varāha Purāṇa-text would say about this.

Girrirāj and the following darkness

11 December 2010 - Girirāja parikramā on foot, the first one in 6 years time. I thought I was too old to do it but I managed to complete it. I was crippled only two years ago and even 8 months ago I was still undergoing therapy, and yet now I walk 23 km. [14 miles] in one stretch! It is clearly Girrāj's mercy. Despite all property development around Girrāj the parikramā on foot is still a magical experience. The inner path is still vintage, pristine Girirāj, with so much śānti. It was non-different from the many beautiful parikramās I performed in 1985 and 1987. I must confess I took some artificial aid to complete the parikramā - 1 loperamide in the beginning to secure the stomach (to prevent having to do big toilet on the way), and halfway, at Pucchari Ka Lota, a cup of tea to give me strength for the second half.

This was also the end of my 2010 Radhakund-trip, which was my best trip to India for at least 7 years, in very sharp contrast with the previous trip in 2008, which was one of the worst ones.

Now back in Holland - it is said in śāstra that after seeing light, the following darkness is all the more deep. How true it is. Though the weather was fine when I returned, the emptiness of missing Braja is almost too much to bear this time.

My special thanks for this trip go to HH Mahānidhi Swami, Jāhnavā Didi, HG Ananda Hari Das, HG Bhaktipāda Das, Madhavānand [Delhi-walla], Indurekhā Didi and Jayadevī.

Viśvanātha's nāma-tattva, part 2

Among the ten offenses, the very strong effects of interpreting the name, thinking its glories are exaggeration and equating it to pious acts—are obstacles to being a Vaiṣṇava. Among the other offenses two are very strong—offending the devotees and committing sin on the strength of chanting. Those two are particularly described in a frightening way.

yataḥ khyātiṁ yātam katham u sahate tad vigarham

How can the name tolerate criticism of those who spread the name? (Padma Purāṇa)

nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir na vidyate tasya yamair hi śuddhiḥ

For a person who commits sin on the strength of chanting there is no purification by the servants of Yama. (Padma Purāṇa)

There is no other means of destroying the effects of these two offenses than to continually chant the name while suffering appropriately for the offense. The effects of the other offenses will be destroyed simply by continual chanting (without the suffering).

Some people make the following proposition:

"Those offenders of the name who are without karma and jñāna, and who practice bhakti with hearing and chanting but have not taken initiation because they have not surrendered to the feet of a guru are still called Vaiṣṇavas. The word vaiṣṇava is defined as 'the person who takes Viṣṇu as his object of worship' according to Pāniṇī's sūtras 4.2.24 and 4.3.95. Thus Vaiṣṇavas are those who have made Viṣṇu the object of worship by accepting initiation but also those who make Viṣṇu the object of worship simply by worship, since there is no other word to describe the two types of people. So the latter type of persons also should not fall to hell."

This however is not correct because one cannot attain the Lord easily without Guru.

nṛ-deham ādyam su-labham su-durlabham

plavaṁ su-kalpaṁ guru-karṇa-dhāram

mayānukūlena nabhasvateritam

pumān bhavābdhiṁ na taret sa ātma-hā

"Having attained the human body, rarely attained, but attained easily sometimes by good fortune, which is like a well-constructed boat, with the Guru as the captain, pushed by the favorable wind of serving me, a person who does not cross the ocean of material existence is a killer of himself." (SB 11.20.17)

Therefore it should be explained that there is no other way of attaining the Lord than by becoming a devotee who has surrendered to the feet of a Guru, who will be attained in another birth by the power of worship. "But it is seen that Ajāmila, without surrendering to guru easily attained the Lord." This can be explained as follows. Those who, like cows or asses, make their senses pursue sense objects cannot know the Lord, bhakti or Guru even in their dreams. But as in the case of Ajāmila, they can be delivered even without Guru by chanting the name in namābhāsa without offense. Though it has been definitely ascertained that the Lord should be worshiped, that worship is the means of attaining him, that the Guru is the person who teaches about worship, and that those who are devotees attain the Lord, it is also said:

no dīkṣāṁ na ca sat-kriyāṁ na ca puraścaryāṁ manāg īkṣate

mantro'yaṁ rasanā-spṛg eva phalati śrī-kṛṣṇanāmātmakaḥ || [padyā. 29]

"Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities or the puraścarya regulative principles generally observed before initiation. The holy name does not wait for any of these activities. It is self-sufficient."  (Padyāvalī)

As well, we have the example of Ajāmila. But one who thinks, "What is the benefit of taking the trouble to accept Guru'- I will attain the Lord just by chanting the name," will not attain the Lord, because of the offense of offending Guru (third offense). However, in this life or another life, if he surrenders to the feet of Guru after destroying his offense, he will then attain the Lord. Some people say that persons who worship devatās should be treated like the karmīs with sin and offense. Others say that Bhakti-devi places them in an even lower category because they do not have general surrender. Thus it is said:

ye’py anya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ |

te’pi mām eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam ||

Those who are devoted to other gods and with faith worship them-they also worship me, but by the wrong method, O son of Kunti. (Bhagavad Gītā 9.23)

But for those who are simply offenders there is no deliverance at all. It is said:

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān saṁsāreṣu narādhamān |

kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu ||

I cast those hateful, cruel, and lowest of humans, constantly doing evil, into repeated birth and death in the wombs of demons. (Bhagavad Gītā 16.19)

But some persons also say that these offenders' offenses are destroyed by mental absorption (in hatred) on the Lord since it is said

kāmād dveṣād bhayāt snehād yathā bhaktyeśvare manaḥ |

āveśya tad-aghaṁ hitvā bahavas tad-gatiṁ gatāḥ ||

Just as by vaidhi-bhakti one can attain one's spiritual goals, many persons have attained suitable forms, after absorbing their minds in the Lord out of lust, hatred, fear and family relationships filled with affection, and after giving up absorption in enmity of the Lord (in the case of hatred and fear). SB 7.1.30
This idea is represented in verses such as the following:

nāmāparadha-yuktānāṁ nāmāny eva haranty agham

aviśrānti-prayuktani tāny evārtha-karāṇi ca

Even if in the beginning one chants the holy name with offenses, one will become free from such offenses by chanting again and again. (Padma Purāṇa)

Others say that "absorption" means repeated meditation in order to be effective. Others say that there is no absolute rule when Kṛṣṇa appears in the world. Thus some persons without being absorbed in the Lord, but simply by being killed by the Lord—such as Narākasura, Bāṇāsura and the troops of the Kauravas and others simply by the influence of seeing the Lord attained the Lord. This was previously mentioned in the Bhāgavatam.

6.2.13 - From the moment he named his son Nārāyan, Ajāmila performed all atonements. This was also done without any offence to the name, either previously or currently.

6.2.14 — Chanting the name of the Lord, while indicating someone else, while joking, to fill up space while chanting verses, or chanting with neglect destroys unlimited sins and desires.” That desires are uprooted by nāmābhāsa is the exclusive opinion of Viśvanātha here. "Saṅketya means referring to someone like a son. parihāsyam iti prītigarbham eva na tu nindā-garbham "Parihāsya means calling jokingly but with affection, not with criticism. yathā bho vikhyāta kīrte kṛṣṇa nāma dṛṣṭvā tava kīrtir yato māṁ noddhartum aśakyas tvam iti. "Oh famous one! Your fame is like that of Kṛṣṇa, since you can save me." stobhaṁ kathā gītālāpādi pūraṇārthaṁ kṛtam. Stobha means to chant the name in order to provide proper meter during a discourse or a song. helanam atra helayā girir uddhṛta itivad yatna-rāhityam evocyate, yathā āhāra-vihāra-nidrādāv apy avahelayā eva yāvanti kṛṣṇa-nāmāny ayaṁ gṛhṇāti, na tāvanty anyaḥ prayatnenāpi gṛhītaṁ śaknuvantīti, na tu nindāvajñādikam, tathā sati nindāṁ bhagavataḥ śṛṇvan ity āder bhagavato nindake kiṁ vā viṣṇuneti tad-avamantari veṇādāv api doṣāvahatvaṁ "Hela means chanting with disregard, without attention, or as in 'Kṛṣṇa lifted Govardhana, casually [helayā]. Others cannot utter the name with effort as much as these persons who utter the name of Kṛṣṇa without effort, while eating, playing or sleeping. This chanting is also without criticism or disrespect.The Bhāgavat says [10.74.40] 'Anyone who does not leave the place where he hears criticism of the Lord or His votary will fall down."Thus critcism or disrespect like that of Vena, by saying 'What is the use of Viṣṇu?' is filled with fault [and thus does not have effect]."This shows that the attitude of 'as long as they say Kṛṣṇa,  even in a hostile manner - any publicity is good publicity' does not mean that the hostile chanter is benefited in any way, perhaps only that some name and publicity is given to Kṛṣṇa in non-Vedic countries. tasmād aśeṣāgha-haraṁ vāsanā-paryanta-sarva-pāpa-nāśakam - "aśeṣāghara-hara  means not only all sins but also desires are destroyed by chanting."

6.2.15  saṅketyādibhyo'nyasya pañcamasya vaivaśya prabhedam āha - patitaḥ prāsādādibhyaḥ skhalito mārgena bhagno bhagna gātraḥ sandaṣṭaḥ sarpādibhiḥ. tapto jvarādina. āhato daṇḍādina. There are five circumstances mentioned here in which one is not chanting deliberately. Falling from a building, falling from the road, breaking one’s bones, being bitten by snakes, being burned, punished, etc.

6.2.49 Ajāmila even attained the spiritual world. kim utā śraddhayā gṛhṇan – ‘What to speak of chanting with faith’? ṭīkā: "Ajāmila chanted without faith, but because he was dying - what to speak of chanting with faith? He chanting while dying, what to speak of chanting while living? He chanted to indicate his son, what to speak of chanting to indicate the Lord? He was very sinful, what to speak of when a sinless person chants?"

The fact that there is a clear distinction made between nāmābhāsa and deliberate chanting (‘with faith’) in this verse with the words 'kim utā śraddhayā ghṛṇan' proves once more that nāmābhāsa can never be a sādhana. To use the terms 'clearing stage' for nāmābhāsa clearly indicates a sādhana, an ongoing process, whereas it is in all cases described to be accidental chanting. An accident is not a stage. No ācārya speaks of nāmābhāsa as a stage of sādhana whatsoever.

6.5.11 Viśvanātha's commentary: anādi ādi-śūnyaṁ nijasya jīvātmano -bandhanaṁ - The word anādi in relationship to the jīva's bondage is without beginning." Here Viśvanātha firmly slams the door in the face of the fall-vādīs who try to squeeze an alternative meaning out of the word anādi.

6.16.57 Vaṁśīdhara speaks of vismṛtam, forgetting, as anādyajñāna, beginningless ignorance. Some who try to defend fall-vāda, do not mention this but jump to other conclusions, even using this ṭīkā of Vaṁśīdhara along with the usual material logic.

Viśvanātha's nāma-tattva, part 1

Arriving at the Sixth Canto, we start with the important story of Ajāmila and his nāmābhāsa.

Here is the first part of the purports of Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda on the story -

6.1.19   nātra bhakti-bhūmāpy apekṣaṇīya ity āha—sakṛd api, kiṁ punar asakṛt ? mano’pi, kiṁ punaḥ śrotrādi | tac ca mano guṇa-rāgi viṣayāsaktam, kiṁ punar guṇa-rāga-rahitam ? svapne’pi, kiṁ punaḥ sākṣāt tāvan-mātra-dhyānenaiva ? cīrṇaṁ niṣkṛtaṁ prāyaścittaṁ yais te | atra sakṛd ity ādi padaiḥ kasyacic chuddha-bhaktasya daivāt pāpānāṁ paunaḥpunye’py utkhāta-daṁṣṭoraga-daṁśānām iva teṣām akiñcitkaratvāt kuñjara-śaucavad ākṣepa-viṣayībhāvo’nucita eva—api cet sudurācāro bhajate māṁ [gītā 9.30] ity ādi vacanebhyaḥ

 “This purification does not even depend on the solid basis of bhakti. Even once remembering the Lord is sufficient, what to speak of many times. Even thinking by using the mind is sufficient, what to speak of hearing or uttering the name of the Lord. A mind which is materially attracted, sad guṇa rāgī, is sufficient, what to speak of a mind devoid of material attractions. Thinking even in dreams is sufficient, what to speak of meditation. Such persons have performed all atonements. From this statement the following should also be understood. Sometimes a pure devotee, by Fate, is seen to commit sin again and again, but that is insignificant like the bites of a snake whose poison-fangs were removed, he should not be reviled as taking an elephant’s bath, and it is improper to brand him/her a viṣayī, as it is said in the Bhagavad Gītā that api cet sudurācāro – “Even if a devotee is behaving very badly he is to be considered a sādhu.”

6.1.28-29 - trīn iti ajāmilena kṛtānām anantyānām api pāpānāṁ kāyika-vācika-mānasatvena traividhyāt traya eva yāmyā āgatāḥ, nārāyaṇa-nāmnaś caturakṣaratvāc catvāro viṣṇu-pārṣadā āgatā iti jñeyam | plāvitena plutatvaṁ nītena 

 ‘Three Yamadūtas came because the sins are performed with mind body and words. Four Viṣṇudūtas came because the name of Nārāyaṇa had four syllables."

6.2.8 - he nārāyaṇa, āya, sva-mātur aṅkāt mamāṅkam āgacchety apabhraṁśa-bhāṣayāpi jagāda, tadaivāgha-niṣkṛtaṁ kṛtam abhūd ity arthaḥ | caturakṣaram iti nārāyaṇa-nāmna eka-dvy-akṣareṇāpi sarva-pātaka-nāśo bhaved iti bhāvaḥ  

“Even chanting an abbreviated version of the name with just one or two syllables, as "Nārāyaṇa! Come from the lap of mummy to the lap of daddy!", destroys all sins.”

6.2.9-10 — "The chanting of the holy name of Lord Viṣṇu is the best process of atonement for a thief, for a drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for one who kills a brāhmaṇa, for one who indulges in sex with the wife of his guru or another superior, for one who kills women, the king, his father, or cows, and for all other sinful men. simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Viṣṇu, such sinful persons attract the attention of the Supreme Lord."

Viśvanātha’s long ṭīkā -

The name of the Lord may destroy sins, but how can nāmābhāsa be the atonement for thousands of grave sins which cannot be destroyed by thousands of twelve year vows?" stenaḥ means a gold thief. Chanting is the best atonement (suniṣkṛtam), since it destroys the root of sin. A twelve year vow of atonement, though it destroys the effects of sin, cannot destroy the root of sin. That is not the only result, because from chanting the name of the Lord, the Lord's mind dwells on that person who chants (tad-viṣayā-matiḥ). The Lord thinks, "This person belongs to me. 1 will always protect him." This is Śrīdhara Svāmī's meaning of the phrase.

The servants of Viṣṇu said, "Hearing his name being chanted, and remembering Ajāmila, the Lord ordered us to bring Ajāmila, who was chanting his name." Then how much more the Lord will remember a person who chants the Lord's name with a service attitude! This is the implication. To show this to the servants of Yama, the servants of Viṣṇu said that Ajāmila's chanting at the time of death had destroyed all his sins, but actually, from the first time that Ajāmila called his son Nārāyaṇa—out of all the times he called, all his sins had been destroyed. The rest of the chanting after that produced bhakti. The past tense of yad vyājahāra (he chanted) in verse 7 also indicates that from the first time he chanted the name, all sins had been destroyed. The word vivaśaḥ in that verse means "spontaneously, out of affection for his child."

"But after chanting repeatedly, he committed repeated sins such as going to the prostitute and drinking wine. In order to destroy those sins he had to chant at the end of his life, since there was again appearance of sin." This cannot be said, because it will be said later vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam aśeṣāgha-haram: chanting the Lord's name destroys unlimited sins. (SB 6.2.16) The following verses also show that chanting releases one from the bondage of saṁsāra.

vartamānaṁ tu yat pāpaṁ yad bhūtaṁ yad bhaviṣyati 

tat sarvaṁ nirdahaty āśu govindānala-kīrtanāt 

"All sins in the present, past and future are quickly destroyed by chanting the name of Govinda, which is like fire." - Haribhakti-vilāsa 11.339

yan-nāma sakṛc chravaṇāt pukkaśo’pi vimucyate saṁsārāt 

By hearing one of your names once, even the outcaste is delivered from the material world. SB 6.16.44

naivam-vidhah puruṣa-kāra urukramasya

puṁsāṁ tad-aṅghri-rajasājita-ṣaḍ-guṇānām

citraṁ vidūra-vigataḥ sakṛd ādadīta

yan-nāmadheyam adhunā sajahāti bandham

Such power is not surprising from persons who have conquered the six senses by the dust from the lotus feet of the Lord, since even an outcaste becomes immediately free of bondage of karma by chanting the Lord's name even once. SB 5.1.35

Because there is no mention of a particular time span for the effect of nāmābhāsa to occur, it should be understood that by the first chanting there is destruction of all sins, all desires and as well, ignorance, which is the root cause, because only then sin will not reappear in the future.

"Why then did sin not leave Ajāmila after chanting the first time? How could he continue to be attached to the woman and commit sin lor so long, if all his sins had been destroyed?"

Like the karmas of the jīvanmukta which remain for some time simply as impressions, Ajāmila's sins which lasted till his death were like the bites of a toothless snake and did not generate results. Moreover the Lord himself will cause continuance of sin in order that other philosophies (karma-kāṇḍa etc.) will not be completely uprooted (since no one will have any faith at all in those processes). If one were to explain the scriptural statements concerning the powers of the name to be exaggerated praise of the Lord's name, then one would be committing offense. tathārtha-vādo hari-nāmni kalpanam: it is an offense to interpret the name or think its powers are exaggeration. (Padma Purāṇa)

nāmāśrayah kadācit syāt taraty eva sa nāmalah

nāmno hi satva suhrdo hy aparādhāt pataty adhah

One who takes shelter of the name at any time crosses material life by the name. One falls to hell from offense to the name of the Lord, who is the friend of all beings. Padma Purāṇa

artha-vādaṁ harer nāmni sambhāvayati yo naraḥ 

sa pāpiṣṭho manuṣyāṇāṁ niraye patanti sphuṭam 

"Those most sinful of men who interpret the name of the Lord fall to hell."
Kātyāyana Samhitā, Padma Purāṇa

yan-nāma-kīrtana-phalaṁ vividhaṁ niśamya

na śraddadhāti manute yad utārtha-vādam |

yo mānuṣas tam iha duḥkha-caye kṣipāmi

saṁsāra-ghora-vividhārti-nipīḍitāṅgam ||

"That person who, even after hearing about the wonderful results of chanting the Lord's name, refuses to develop sincere faith in the name, and on the contrary, interprets the name, is hurled by me into the deep gloom of material nescience alter being dragged through excruciating suffering." Padma Purāṇa

śruti-smṛti-purāṇeṣu nāma-māhātmya-vāciṣu

ye’rtha-vāda iti brūyur na teṣāṁ niraya-kṣayaḥ 

Persons who interpret the Śrutis, Smṛtis, and Purāṇas, which wonderfully glorify the Lord's name, stay in hell forever. (Jaimini Samhitā)

Thus from scriptures like Padma Purāṇa and Kātyāyana-samhitā there are thousands of statements showing fall-down from interpreting the name. Parīkṣit has just said:

kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt kvacic carati tat punaḥ

prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ manye kuñjara-śaucavat

After withdrawing from sin one commits the sin again. I think atonement is useless, like an elephant bathing. SB 6.1.10

He has condemned atonements because of seeing that the tendency for sin remains, but he does not criticize bhakti, though seeing sinful tendencies in some of the devotees.

yathā nāmabhāsa-balenājāmilo durācāro’pi vaikuṇṭhaṁ prāpitas tathaiva smārtādayaḥ sadācārāḥ śāstrajñā api bahuśo nāma-grāhiṇo’py artha-vāda-kalpanādi-nāmāparādha-balena ghora-saṁsāram eva prāpyanta  "Simply by chanting Lord Viṣṇu's name offenselessly the great sinner Ajāmila attained Vaikuṇṭha, but even the greatest scholarly smārta brahmaṇa or the greatest puritan will remain in this hellish  material world if he commits offenses like artha-vāda hari nāmna kalpanam (speculating another meaning out of the holy name). But one should not worry that everyone will immediately become liberated on seeing such power in the name. Though sin is completely uprooted just by chanting the name even once, in most cases the name shows its fruits to the world after some time, just as fruit trees bear fruit after some time only, not immediately. And in some cases the name does not show its effects at all, in order that the material scriptures (such as karma-kāṇḍa) are not completely destroyed (by loss of faith in them). Then, after doing this, the name lakes the person who has chanted without offense to the Lord's abode. This conclusion should be understood. I accept that because of offense to the name, those who interpret the Name as an exaggeration go to hell. However, if chanting the name destroys all sins, all karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs and bhaktas should not go to hell for illicit sex or violence if they chant. And if the name does not destroy all sin, all these people, and even the bhakta, should go to hell to suffer the results of their sin, even if they chant."

Though a merchant protects a person under his shelter according to the degree that the person surrenders to him, if the person offends him, the merchant becomes displeased with him and does not give protection to that surrendered person. But one should not think that the merchant is incapable of protecting him. And according to the degree that the offense diminishes, the merchant begins to show mercy to that person. When the offense is completely gone, the merchant shows all mercy. The name is similar. Those who take shelter of Bhakti-devi, representing the name, as a secondary practice, in order to bring out results of karma and jñāna, are called karmīs or jñānīs, even though bhakti is present in a minor position. This is according to the rule that things are named according to the predominant factor.' They are thus not called Vaiṣṇavas. By their natures they are offenders to the name in one aspect, for it is said dharma-vrata-tyāgāhutādi-sarva-śubha kriyā sāmyam api pramādaḥ: the eighth offense is to consider the name equivalent to dharma, vratas, sacrifices and other karma-kāṇḍa rites.

If considering the name to be equal to karma and dharma is an offense, then the offense is much more if one considers the name secondary to karma and dharma, being a mere limb of karma or dharma. Though recognizing that they have offended her, out of compassion, Bhakti-devi thinks, "Karma-yoga and these other processes should not be fruitless" since they have accepted a small portion of her shelter. Thus, though she has become only a limb of karma, she gives the results of karma, jñāna and other processes without obstruction. Similarly, when bhakti is a limb of atonement, she destroys the sins in those persons practicing atonement. It is not otherwise. And those who do not perform atonement go to hell to experience the results of their sins. However, Vaiṣṇavas do not need to perform atonement. Furthermore, if those persons commit other offenses, such as interpreting the name or committing offense to the devotee, and then perform dharma and other process, Bhaktidevi gives them no results for their efforts, even though she is still a limb of dharma and other processes.

ke te'paradhā viprendra nāmno bhagavataḥ kṛtāḥ

vinighnanti nṛṇāṁ kṛtyaṁ prākṛtaṁ hy ānayanti ca

O brāhmaṇa! Offenses to the name destroy men's pious actions and lead them to material world.
Padma Purāṇa, Brāhma-khaṇḍa

If those persons become free from offense and dedicate themselves to chanting or other bhakti processes, they will get results for their karma and jñāna in proportion to the destruction of offenses. However, with complete destruction of offense by association with devotees, attainment of the results of chanting is certain, by the direct mercy of Bhakti-devi.

"From the words of the servants of Yama it is understood that Ajāmila was previously involved in karma. (He was not a devotee, but performed bhakti secondarily, and therefore all his sins should not have been removed by chanting.)" That is true, and by sinful acts like drinking, his status as a brāhmaṇa was destroyed, what to speak of his pious acts of karma. It will be explained "Ajāmila was a brāhmaṇa who because of bad association had given up all brahminical culture and religious principles. Becoming most fallen, he stole, drank and performed other abominable acts. He even kept a prostitute." (SB 6.2.45) When his pious karmas were destroyed, his secondary bhakti was also destroyed. Then pure bhakti appeared when he called out the name of his son Nārāyaṇa."

"But if there is a scriptural rule that one should perform bhakti as a limb of karma or jñāna, how can that be offensive?" One should not recognize as authoritative scripture those statements which permit secondary bhakti out of mercy for persons of crooked mentality, who have no faith in bhakti but faith in karma and jñāna, and do not believe statements like "All processes accomplish their results by bhakti alone; by a particle of bhakti the greatest sins are destroyed."

In attaining Svarga through animal sacrifices by following rules, the fault of violence is not destroyed. Similarly though the offender attains the results of karma and jñāna by secondary bhakti according to rules, his offense is not destroyed.

Those offenders who accept a Vaiṣṇava guru by Vaiṣṇava initiation, take shelter of Bhakti-devi purely or as the primary process (but mixed), and then worship the Lord by chanting, are called Vaiṣṇavas. According to the degree of bhakti, they attain destruction of offenses, and according to the degree of Bhakti-devi's mercy, they attain the principal result of bhakti (prema). The Lord himself says:

yathā yathātmā parimṛjyate’sau
mat-puṇya-gāthā-śravaṇābhidhānaiḥ |
tathā tathā paśyati vastu sūkṣmaṁ
cakṣur yathaivāñjana-samprayuktam 

"To the degree that the ātma becomes purified by hearing and chanting my glories, a person is able to perceive my real form and qualities, and experience their sweetness, just as the eye when smeared with special ointment is able to see finer objects." SB 11.14.26

bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir

anyatra caiṣa trika eka-kālaḥ

prapadyamānasya yathāśnataḥ syus

tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣud-apayo'nughāsam

Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, in the same way that pleasure, fullness of the stomach and relief from hunger are experienced simultaneously, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating.
SB 11.2.42

śṛṇvatāṁ svakathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya śravaṇa kīrtanaḥ |

hṛdyantaḥ stho hyabhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām 

"Kṛṣṇa, who purifies a person by the processes of hearing and chanting and who is the benefactor of the devotees who hear about him, enters the hearts of the devotees and destroys their sins." SB 1.2.17

By these statements it is understood that those persons who committed offense gradually ascend through the fourteen stages of bhakti. In those cases, faith and other steps are prescribed. And in this chapter also it is said guṇānuvādaḥ khalu sattva-bhāvanaḥ: chanting the Lord's glories is the process for purification. (SB 6.2.12) When all their offenses are gradually destroyed and they attain the Lord, they are liberated from this world.

niraparādhānāṁ tu bhagavat-prāptau nāsti vilambas teṣāṁ hi bhagavan-nāma-grahaṇaṁ vaikuṇṭhārohaṇaṁ ceti dve eva bhūmike, yathā ajāmilādīnām 

"For the offenseless there is no delay in attaining the Lord. For them there are just two stages – chanting and ascending to Vaikuṇṭha, like Ajāmila and others."
This comment shows clearly there are only two stages of chanting - pure chanting and offensive chanting - without a third stage, a 'clearing stage of nāmābhāsa'.

na vāsudeva-bhaktānām aśubhaṁ vidyate kvacit 

janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-bhayaṁ vāpy upajāyate 

"The devotees of Vāsudeva have no misfortune at all. They surpass birth, death, old age and disease." Mahābhārata 13.135.131

sva-dharma-niṣṭhaḥ śata-janmabhiḥ pumān

viriñcatām eti tataḥ paraṁ hi mām |

avyākṛtaṁ bhāgavato’tha vaiṣṇavaṁ

padaṁ yathāhaṁ vibudhāḥ kalātyaye 

"A person fixed in dharma attains the post of Brahma after a hundred births and by more pious acts a person attains me. But the devotee attains the abode of Vaikuṇṭha after leaving his body, just as I reside there in another form. The devatās qualify to go there after destroying their subtle bodies." SB 4.24.29

However, some devotees without offense, who desire to attain a special prema, are delayed in attaining the Lord. For instance Jaḍa Bharata took three lives to attain the Lord.

Among those devotees having offense, if some, because of not worshiping the Lord properly, do not destroy previous sins, and continue to sin and to be offenders, they do not go to hell after leaving the body. Yama says:

sva-puruṣam api vīkṣya pāśa-hastaṁ 

vadati yamaḥ kila tasya karṇa-mūle |

parihara bhagavat-kathāsu mattān 

prabhur aham anya-nṛṇāṁ na vaiṣṇavānām 

Bhāgavata Māhātmya 6.99

Yamarāja, seeing his follower with noose in his hands, says in his ear: "Do not take devotees who are mad after Kṛṣṇa-kathā. I am the master of other men, but not the Vaiṣṇavas."

te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā

ye sādhavaḥ samadṛśo bhagavat-prapannāḥ

tān nopasīdata harer gadayābhiguptān

naiṣāṁ vayaṁ na ca vayaḥ prabhavāma daṇḍe

Do not approach those who have surrendered to the Lord, who see everything equally, who have proper conduct and who are praised with pure narrations by the devatās and Siddhas, since they are protected by the club of the Lord. We, including Brahma and even time, do not have power to punish them. SB 6.3.27

The servants of Yama say:

prāhāsmān yamunā-bhrātā sādaraṁ hi punaḥ punaḥ |
bhavadbhir vaiṣṇavās tyājyā viṣṇuṁ ced bhajate naraḥ 

Yamarāja repeatedly has told us with care, "You must leave the Vaiṣṇavas"  (Padma Purāṇa)

Moreover the Lord himself says:

na hy aṅgopakrame dhvaṁso
mad-dharmasyoddhavāṇv api
mayā vyavasitaḥ samyaṅ
nirguṇatvād anāśiṣaḥ

O Uddhava! Because I have personally established it, this process of niṣkāma-bhakti is beyond the guṇas. Even by starting but not completing the process, there is no destruction of results. SB 11.29.20

Thus, since even the sprout of bhakti is imperishable, unaffected by sin and always productive, a person will definitely take birth only in order that bhakti bears leaves and fruit in the future, and not because of temporary sin and piety. na karma-bandhanaṁ janma vaiṣṇavānāṁ ca vidyate: the worshipers of Viṣṇu do not take birth due to karma. Thus after the destruction of sin and destruction of offenses by chanting the name, which is caused by impressions of previous bhakti, persons attain the Lord by the mercy of Bhakti-devi.

na vai jano jātu kathañcanāvrajen

mukunda-sevy anyavad aṅga saṁsṛtim

smaran mukundāṅghry-upagūhanaṁ punar

vihātum icchen na rasa-graho janaḥ

Oh! The person who serves Mukunda will never under any condition return to the material world, unlike practitioners of other processes. Remembering the embrace of the Lord's lotus feet, eager for that taste he has experienced, he will not desire to give up those feet again. SB 1.5.19

In the above verse anyavat means "like those practicing karma." The devotee will not attain the world of piety and sin (caused by karma), but will accept the world of happiness and distress given by the Lord.

tvad avagamī na vetti bhavad-uttha-śubhāśubhayor

guṇa-viguṇānvayāṁs tarhi deha-bhṛtāṁ ca giraḥ

anu-yugam anv-ahaṁ sa-guṇa gīta-paramparayā

śravaṇa-bhṛto yatas tvam apavarga-gatir manu-jaiḥ

When a person realizes you, he no longer cares about his good and bad fortune arising from past pious and sinful acts, since it is you alone who control this good and bad fortune. Such a realized devotee also disregards what ordinary living beings say about him. Every day he fills his ears with your glories, which are recited in each age by the unbroken succession of Manu's descendants, and thus you become his ultimate salvation. SB 10.87.40

Those who have not destroyed offenses to the name will continue to experience the undestroyed effects of sin. When, by increase of bhakti by practicing it, the offenses to the Name are destroyed, the root of sin will be destroyed and the person will immediately attain the Lord. But then, in order to increase the bhakti, those devotees may even take one, two or three life times to attain the Lord. The "material happiness" seen in those devotees arises from the practice of bhakti (it is not karma). It is said:

dharmasya by apavargyasya nārtho'rthāyopakalpate

nārthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ

The material results are not suitable as the goal for the person dedicated to higher spiritual goals. The desire of the person dedicated to the higher path is not for attainment of material assets. SB 1.2.9

The "suffering" seen in those devotees is given by the Lord, who is skillful at increasing the devotion of his devotee, and who is like a doctor who makes a person fast and gives bitter medicine tor increasing the patient's appetite.

yasyāham anugṛhṇami hariṣye tad-dhanam śanaiḥ

tato 'dhanaṁ tyajanty asya svajanā duḥkha-duḥkhitam

If 1 especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another. SB 10.88.8

To be continued......