Hari-nāma Cintāmaṇi – Chapter 10

aśraddadhāne vimukhe ‘py aśṛṇvati
yaś copadeśaḥ śiva-nāmāparādhaḥ

Instructing those who lack śraddhā, those who are averse, or those who do not have interest to hear, are offences to the auspicious Name.*

*Editors Note: The Sanskrit word śraddhā is generally translated as ‘faith’ or ‘belief’ in English. The etymology of ‘faith’ is the Latin word fidere (‘to trust’). The definition of śraddhā however is, śrat dadhāti iti śraddhāḥ (that which leads one to truth is Śraddhā).

(1)
gaura-gadādhara jaya jāhnavā-jīvana
jaya jaya sītādvaita jaya bhakta-gaṇa

Glories to Gaura-Gadādhara and the Life of Jāhnavā (Nityānanda). Glories to Sītā and Advaita, and the devotees.

(2)
kara-yuḍi hari-dāsa balena vacana
āra nāma aparādha karaha śravaṇa

Folding his hands, Hari Dāsa said, “Kindly hear about another offence.

Nāme dṛḍha viśvāsake śraddhā bali, tāhā haile-i nāme adhikāra haya (Resolute Trust and Śraddhā in the Name Makes One Qualified)

(3)
yāhāra hṛdaye śraddhā nā haila udaya
nāma nāhi śune bahir-mukha durāśaya

“Those who are averse (to the Holy Name), in whose hearts no śraddhā arises, cannot hear the Name.

(4)
nāhi janme se janāra nāme adhikāra
śraddhā-mātra adhikāra ei tattva-sāra

“A qualification for the Name does not appear in such a person. Śraddhā is the only qualification for hearing this essential truth.

(5)
sajjāti sat-kula jñāna bala vidyā dhana
nāme adhikāra dite nā haya kāraṇa

“High birth, pious family, knowledge, strength, learning and wealth do not give one the eligibility for the Name.

(6)
nāmera māhātmya yei sudṛḍha viśvāsa
śāstra-mate śraddhā sei sarvatra prakāśa

“One must have resolute trust in the glories of the Holy Name. That is the opinion of the śāstra which is explained everywhere. (1)

(1) Kṛṣṇa-nāma is the greatest treasure for the jīva. Someone who takes shelter of kṛṣṇa-nāma performs all auspicious activities, and in this way has trust and śraddhā (in the Name). Those who do not have this kind of śraddhā are not qualified to receive hari-nāma.

Śraddhā-hīna-janake nāma dile nāmāparādhī haya (One Becomes an Offender to the Name by Giving the Name to a Person who Lacks Śraddhā)

(7)
śraddhā nāhi janme yāra hari-nāma tāre
sādhu-jana nāhi dena vaiṣṇava ācāre

“A sādhu will never give hari-nāma to a person in whom śraddhā has not appeared. That is the conduct of a Vaiṣṇava.

(8)
śraddhā-hīna jana yadi hari-nāma pāya
avajñā karibe mātra sarva-śāstre gāya

“If a person without śraddhā is given hari–nāma, he will only show disrespect to it. All the śāstra declare this.

(9)
śūkarake dile ratna se cūrṇa karibe
vānarake dile vastra chiṅḍiyā phelibe

“If one gives a jewel to a pig, he will tread on it. If one gives garments to a monkey, he will tear them up and throw them away.

(10)
śraddhā-hīna peye nāma aparādhe mare
saṅge saṅge guruke abhakta śīghra kare

“That person who has no śraddhā will perish due to his offenses to Nāma, and the guru (who gave him the Name) will immediately become a non-devotee.

Śraddhā-hīna nāma pāite prārthanā karile tāhāke kirūpe vyavahāra karā ucita? (If Someone without Śraddhā Prays for the Name, What is the Proper Conduct?)

(11)
śraddhā virahita jana śaṭhatā kariyā
hari-nāma māge vaiṣṇavera kāche giyā

“A deceptive person with no śraddhā may approach a Vaiṣṇava and request hari–nāma from him.

(12)
tāhāra vañcanā vākya bujhi sādhu jana
hari-nāma nāhi dena tāre kadācana

“Understanding his deceitful words, a sādhu will never give him hari-nāma at any time.

(13)
sādhu bale ohe bhāi śāṭhya parihara
pratiṣṭhāśā dūre rākhi nāme śraddhā kara

“The sādhu will say, ‘O brother, give up your deception! Throw your desire for prestige far away and cultivate śraddhā in the Name. (2)

(2) “The Name is the remover of all pāpa, so if I engage in pāpa, I have nothing to fear. I shall always chant japa of hari-nāma, everyone will call me a Vaiṣṇava and offer their daṇḍavat-praṇāma to me, and I can get a lot of work out of people. My reputation that was ruined due to my pāpa will again be recovered if I take up hari–nāma. The result of hari–nāma will be that I can be extremely happy in this world!” – this sort of intention in taking the Name is deceptive.

(14)
nāme śraddhā haile nāma anāyāse pābe
nāmera prabhāve e saṁsāre tare yābe

“He who has śraddhā in the Name can attain the Name without effort. By the power of the Name such a person goes beyond this world of birth and death.

(15)
yata dina nāhi tava nāme śraddhā bhāi
nāma laite tomāra ta adhikāra nāi

” ‘O brother, as long as you have no śraddhā in the Holy Name, you are not qualified to accept it.

(16)
śrī-nāma-māhātmya sādhu śāstra mukhe śuna
pratiṣṭhāśā chāḍi dainya karaha grahaṇa

” ‘Give up the desire for fame. Accept a humble demeanour and hear the glories of Śrī Nāma from the mouths of the sādhu and the śāstra.

(17)
nāme śraddhā hale tabe guru mahājana
nāma arpibena bhāi nāma mahā-dhana

” ‘When you have śraddhā in the Name, at that time a guru-mahājana will give the Name to you, O brother, the Name is a great treasure.’

(18)
śraddhā-hīna jane artha lobhe nāma diyā
narakete yāya nāmāparādha majiyā

“If, out of greed for wealth, someone gives the Name to a person who lacks śraddhā, they enter a hellish existence due to that nāmāparādha. (3)

(3) Someone may come with deceptive intentions in order to take the Name, thus they have no śraddhā, and the one who gives hari–nāma out of greed for wealth or desiring fame to someone who has no qualification, commits nāmāparādha. However, at first he may have thought the disciple had śraddhā and so he gave him the Name, but later he understood that the disciple was deceptive and has no śraddhā. Then the guru must follow the following remedy.

Ei aparādhera pratikāra (The Remedy for this Offence)

(19)
pramāde yadyapi nāma upadeśa haya
śraddhā-hīne tabe guru pāya mahā-bhaya

“If one foolishly gives instructions on the Name to a person with no śraddhā, he should be extremely fearful.

(20)
vaiṣṇava samāje tāhā kari vijñāpana
sei duṣṭa śiṣya-tyāga kare mahājana

“In an assembly of Vaiṣṇavas, that mahājana should announce that he rejects his corrupt disciple.

(21)
tāhā nā karile guru aparādha krame
bhakti-hīna durācāra haya māyā-bhrame

“If he does not do this, then the guru, by the influence of this offence, will become bereft of bhakti, and bewildered by māyā, he will engage in wicked activities.”

(22)
ataeva prabhu yāre ādeśa karile
nāma-pracārite tāre ei ājñā dile

“Thus, O Lord, you gave the instruction to propagate the Name along with this order.”

E viṣaye prabhura ājñā (The Lord’s Instruction on this Point)

(23)
śraddhāvān jane kara nāma upadeśa
nāma-mahimāya pūrṇa kara sarva-deśa

The Lord said, “You should instruct those with śraddhā about the Name. Spread the glories of the Holy Name to every place.

(24)
ucca saṅkīrtane kara śraddhāra pracāra
śraddhā labhi jīva kare sad-guru vicāra

“Perform saṅkīrtana loudly! Preach with śraddhā! When the jīvas attain some śraddhā, they will inquire from a genuine guru.

(25)
sad-guru nikaṭe kare śrī nāma grahaṇa
anāyāse pāya tabe kṛṣṇa-prema-dhana

“They will accept Śrī–nāma from a genuine guru, then they will easily attain the wealth of kṛṣṇa-prema.

(26)
cora veśyā śaṭha ādi pāpāsakta jane
chāḍāiyā pāpa mati dibe śraddhā dhane

“Make those people attached to pāpa such as thieves, prostitutes and charlatans give up even the thought of engaging in pāpa. Give them the wealth of śraddhā.

(27)
suśraddha haile dibe nāma upadeśa
ei rūpe nāma diyā tāra sarva-deśa

“When they attain real śraddhā, then teach them about the Name. In this way distribute the Holy Name everywhere.

Ei rūpa aparādhera phala (The Result of this Offence)

(28)
ihā nā kariyā yini dena nāma dhana
sei aparādhe tāṅra narake patana

“If one does not follow this way of distributing the treasure of the Holy Name, then one will fall into a hellish condition due to this offence.

(29)
nāma peye śiṣya kare nāma aparādha
tāhāte gurura haya bhakti-rasa bādha

“Giving the Name to such a disciple is a nāmāparādha. Due to this, the guru’s access to bhakti-rasa is blocked.

(30)
ei nāma aparādhe duṅhe śiṣya guru
narakete yāya ei aparādha uru

“Due to this nāmāparādha, the guru and disciple enter into a hellish situation. This is a great offence.”

Agre śraddhā-diyā nāma upadeśa dibe (Initially, One Should give Faith, Then One Can Give Instructions on the Name)

(31)
jagā mādhā prati tumi mahā-kṛpā kari
nāme śraddhā diyā nāma dile gaura-hari

“O Gaura-hari, You were extremely merciful to Jagāi and Mādhāi. You gave them śraddhā in the Name and then You granted them the Name itself. (4)

(4) The ancestors of the two brothers Jagadānanda and Mādhavānanda were the respected brāhmaṇa Rāya Dynasty of Śrīrāmapura. At that time, they lived in Navadvīpa-maṇḍala. Seeing these great debauchees, everyone called them Jagāi and Mādhāi.

(32)
adbhuta caritra tava sarva jaga-gaṇa
śraddhāya karuka anukaraṇa caraṇa

“Your activities are astounding. Everyone in this world should follow in Your footsteps with śraddhā.

(33)
bhakta pāda bhaktite vinoda yāhāra
hari-nāma-cintāmaṇi alaṅkāra tāra

Those who take pleasure in bhakti to the feet of the devotees are adorned with this Hari-nāma Cintāmaṇī.

iti śrī-hari-nāma-cintāmaṇau śraddhā-hīna jane nāmāparādha vicārau nāma
daśama paricchedaḥ

Thus ends the Tenth Chapter of Śrī Hari-nāma Cintāmaṇi
entitled ‘A Deliberation Upon the Offence to the Name Concerning Those Who Lack Śraddhā.’