Sanātana Gosvāmī

satāṁ nindā nāmnaḥ paramam aparādhaṁ vitanute

satāṁ nindā nāmnaḥ paramam aparādhaṁ vitanute |
yataḥ khyātiṁ yātaṁ katham u sahate tad‑vigarhām ||
śivasya śrī‑viṣṇor ya iha guṇa‑nāmādi‑sakalaṁ |
dhiyā bhinnaṁ paśyet sa khalu hari‑nāmāhitakaraḥ ||
guror avajñā śruti‑śāstra‑nindanaṁ
tathārthavādo hari‑nāmni kalpanam |
nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa‑buddhir
na vidyate tasya yamair hi śuddhiḥ ||
dharma‑vrata‑tyāga‑hutādi‑sarva‑
śubha‑kriyā‑sāmyam api pramādaḥ |
aśraddadhāne vimukhe’py aśṛṇvati
yaś copadeśaḥ śiva‑nāmāparādhaḥ ||
śrutvāpi nāma‑māhātmyaṁ yaḥ prīti‑rahito’dhamaḥ |
ahaṁ‑mamādi‑paramo nāmni so’py aparādha‑kṛt ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 4.25.15–18; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.521–524; Bhakti Sandarbha: 265)

[Śrī Sanat-kumāra to Śrī Nārada:] (1) Defamation of the sat causes the greatest offense to the name. Oh! How can the name tolerate condemnation of those on whose account it has attained renown? (2) One here who shall see with the intellect all of Śiva’s qualities, names, and so forth to be distinct from Śrī Viṣṇu is certainly a committer of enmity towards Hari’s name. (3) Disrespect for the guru, and (4) defamation of the Śrutis and śāstras [are offenses to the name]. Also, (5) [assumption of mere] praise (arthavāda) and (6) fabrication in regard to Hari’s name [are offenses to the name]. (7) The purification of one who has the intention of sinning on the basis of the name’s power [to dispel sin, which is an offense to the name] certainly does not occur by means of regulations. (8) [Considering there to be] Equality [of the name] with all [types of] auspicious acts, such as dharma, rites, renunciation, and sacrifice, is also negligence [in regard to the name, i.e., an offense]. (9) Instructing one who is faithless, averse, or undesirous of hearing [about the name] is an offense to Śiva’s name [alt., to the auspicious name of Śrī Viṣṇu]. (10) Even after having heard about the greatness of the name, one who remains devoid love [for the name], vile, and [someone] for whom ‘I’, ‘mine’, and so forth are primary, is also an offender [of the name].”

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etan nirvidyamānānām icchatām akuto-bhayam

etan nirvidyamānānām icchatām akuto-bhayam |
yogināṁ nṛpa nirṇītaṁ harer nāmānukīrtanam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.1.11; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.414; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.230; Bhakti Sandarbha: 115, 198, 265, 275)

“O King, this anukīrtana of Hari’s name, wherein there is no fear from anywhere, is enjoined for the indifferent, the desirous, and the yogīs.”

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jāte nāmāparādhe’pi pramādena kathañcana

jāte nāmāparādhe’pi pramādena kathañcana |
sadā saṅkīrtayan nāma tad-eka-śaraṇo bhavet ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 4.25.22; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.525)

“Even when an offense to the name occurs somehow out of negligence, one should become one whose sole shelter is that [i.e., is the name] and constantly chant the name.”

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nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ |
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.503; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.233; Bhagavat Sandarbha: 47; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.17.133)

“[Translated according to the interpretation of Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda:] The name is a thought-jewel, Kṛṣṇa [himself], an embodiment of consciousness and rasa, complete, pure, and eternally liberated, because of the name and the bearer of the name being non-different.”

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sarvāparādha-kṛd api mucyate hari-saṁśrayaḥ

sarvāparādha-kṛd api mucyate hari-saṁśrayaḥ |
harer apy aparādhān yaḥ kuryād dvipada-pāṁsanaḥ ||
nāmāśrayaḥ kadācit syāt taraty eva sa nāmataḥ |
nāmno’pi sarva-suhṛdo hy aparādhāt pataty adhaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.518–520; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.119-120; Bhakti Sandarbha: 265, 273)

“[Śrī Sanat-kumāra to Śrī Nārada:] Even one who has committed all [types of] offenses (aparādhas) [i.e., sins in general] is delivered [from the consequences of those sins] by taking shelter of Hari, and a reprobate among the two-legged who shall commit offenses (aparādhas) even to Hari verily overcomes [the consequences of those offenses] on account of the name [of Hari] should he at any time take shelter in the name. As a result of offense even to the name [of Hari], the well-wisher of all, [however,] one certainly falls down.”

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tasyā eva praticchāyā-rūpā māyā guṇātmikā

tasyā eva praticchāyā-rūpā māyā guṇātmikā ||
mithyā-prapañca-jananī mithyā-bhrānti-tamomayī |
ato’nirūpyānityādyā jīva-saṁsāra-kāriṇī ||
aṣṭamāvaraṇāsyādhiṣṭhātrī mūrtimatī hi yā |
kāryākāra-vikārasyāprāptyā prakṛtir ucyate ||
yasyās tv atikrameṇaiva muktir bhaktiś ca sidhyati |
utpāditaṁ yayā viśvam aindrajālikavan mṛṣā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.179–182)

“Her [i.e., Bhagavān’s superior potency’s (parā-śakti’s)] semblance is [his inferior (aparā) śakti known as] māyā constituted of the guṇas, who is the mother of the false phenomenal world (prapañca), constituted of the darkness of delusions based on falsity, thus unascertainable, impermanent, primordial, the cause of the jīvas’ saṁsāra, possessed of form as the superintendent of the eight coverings [of the brahmāṇḍa], and called prakṛti on account of [her] non-obtainment of transformations in the form of [the] effects [she produces]; only by crossing beyond whom [i.e., her] mukti, as well as bhakti, is attained, and by whom [i.e., her], like a magician, the universe is falsely produced.”

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aho kila tad evāhaṁ manye bhagavato hareḥ

aho kila tad evāhaṁ manye bhagavato hareḥ |
sugopya-bhagavattāyāḥ sarva-sāra-prakāśanam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.88)

“Aho! I certainly consider that [i.e., the figure, qualities, pastimes, and so forth of Śrī Hari in Goloka] alone the manifestation of the essence of the entirety of the most confidential Bhagavattā of Bhagavān Hari!”

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lokānugāpi sānyonyaṁ priyatātīta-laukikā

lokānugāpi sānyonyaṁ priyatātīta-laukikā |
madhurātyadbhutaiśvarya-laukikatva-vimiśritā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.84)

“Although following the [ways of] the world, that reciprocal fondness [of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣna and the Vraja-vāsīs] is beyond the worldly, sweet (madhurā), exceedingly astonishing, and specially mixed with worldliness and aiśvarya.”

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tādṛg bhagavati premā pāramaiśvarya-dṛṣṭitaḥ

tādṛg bhagavati premā pāramaiśvarya-dṛṣṭitaḥ |
sadā sampadyate naiva bhaya-gaurava-sambhavāt ||
kevalaṁ laukika-prāṇa-suhṛd-buddhyā sa sidhyati |
lokālokottaro yo’sāv atilokottaro’pi yaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.82–83)

“Prema of such nature for Bhagavān certainly cannot be attained by means of constant vision of [his] paramount aiśvarya because of the ensuance of fear and reverence [i.e., because fear, reverence, and other sentiments that obstruct the manifestation of that prema ensue from focus on Śrī Bhagavān’s paramount aiśvarya]. That [i.e., prema which follows the beautiful prema of the residents of Vraja, as described in BB 2.5.81] is attained only by means of the mentality of [Śrī Bhagavān’s being like] the friend of one’s prāṇa as in the world. It [i.e., such prema] is that which is beyond the lokas and non-lokas, and which is beyond even that which is above the lokas [i.e., beyond even Vaikuṇṭha].”

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sa ca tad-vraja-lokānāṁ śrīmat-premānuvartinā

sa ca tad-vraja-lokānāṁ śrīmat-premānuvartinā |
kṛṣṇe śuddhatareṇaiva bhāvenaikena labhyate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.81)

“And that [i.e., Goloka] is attained only through one-pointed, exceedingly pure bhāva for Kṛṣṇa which follows the beautiful prema of those residents of Vraja.”

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