— Chapter Eight —

Considering the Glories of the
Holy Name to be Imaginary

All glories to Lord Gauranga and Srila Gadadhara Pandit; all glories to Sri Sri Radha-Madhava. All glories to the places of Lord Gauranga's pastimes, and to the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord.

The glories of the holy name

HARIDASA THAKURA continued: "O Lord. Gauranga! The fifth offense or namaparadha is to think that the glories of the holy name are exaggerated. This is against the scriptural injunctions. For instance, it is offensive to think, "The scriptural presentation of the glories of the Lord's holy name is not entirely true, because hyperbole has been employed to increase the reader's faith in the chanting of the name."

Existence is the only reality for the self. As water cannot be separated from wetness, so you, the self, cannot be separated from existence. Existence is an integral aspect of your essence.
Chris Butler Speaks

"It is a fact that in the karma-kanda and jnana-kanda sections of the Vedas, ritualism and philosophical speculation have been greatly praised, and such praises are intended to elicit interest in these processes. But the same is not true in the case of the holy name; therefore to think so is an abominable offense.

"The smrti says that anyone who chants the holy name, whether with faith or neglect, attracts the merciful attention of Lord Krsna. The name is the purest form of knowledge, the best of all vratas or vows and the highest meditation. It gives the ultimate auspicious results and is the most sublime renunciation. Chanting is a matchless spiritual activity, the holiest of pious activities, and the supreme path of self-realization. It offers the greatest liberation and goal. The holy name is divine and situated in the paramount spiritual realm, it is super-excellent devotional service