THE HOLY NAME 

All Glories to   HDG Srila BhaktiPromode PuriGoswami  Maharaj

All Glories  to HDG  Srila Bhakti Siddhanta  Saraswati  Goswami  Prabhupada

Many people are under the impression that if any one  begin to chant the holy name then it does not matter about  his  apparent external behavior or what is going on in inside in his mind, that person  will be able to attain the fruit of that chanting. However, at this juncture the Chaitnaya Charitramrta Adi 8--gives the verdict that there is  always consideration of offences in the chanting of the holy name .In fact ,one uttered holy name can wipe up all sins even up to giving one devotional ecstasy. Still, one who is chanting for a long time without tears flowing from  his eyes or with the  absence of any devotional symptoms, then know for sure the reason is his grave offences to the holy name. The stage of offences to the name ,the clearing stage and the pure name are all different stages of chanting . Offensive chanting of the name is never equated to the holy name. On the offenses being completely removed then  chanting accidentally without meaning to  can give a positive  result. Many have the habit of confusing the offensive stage  of chanting to the holy name. In comparison chanting the  name  with offences are likened to  the pitch  darkness of night ,the clearing stage to  the reddish hue of the early morning twilight and the pure name is compared to  the brightness of the sunlight. In chanting offensively there can  be increase in material prosperity but until the pure name is chanted, there  is no question of the awakening of devotion or love of God. Simply  pretentiously exhibiting outward symptoms of ecstasy  cannot be considered the attained stage of the love of god . Srila Visvanath Chakrawarthi has commented on the  verse of the  Bhagavatam, (2/3/24)(tadasmasaram hrdayam batedam meaning all the outward display of tears and horripilation exhibited by a novice devotee only gives an indication of the stone like hardness of  his heart  due to his  amassed grave offences and he does not have any actual inclination to serve the Lord. In this respect these novice devotees do not have genuine mood and intelligence to serve the Lord therefore all their tears and ecstatic signs are to be condemned. Srila Rupa Goswami has written: Nisarga picchala-svanate tadabhayasoparepi satta abhasam vinapi  syuh kapyasrupulakadayah meaning the exhibitions of tears and other so called ecstatic symptoms can be acquired by practicing artificially and is not genuine as it is only an indication of the mixture of the gross modes of passion and ignorance. It is not the  actual transcendental mood of  devotional ecstasy but the semblance in the material sense of those entangled with their sense objects. In the actual stage of semblance of the  name, one can attain liberation .Just as before the rising of the sun there first is the sign of the red glow dissipating the darkness similarly the clearing stage or semblance name is before  the advent of the  pure name.As  written in Chaitnya Charitramrta Antya 3rd

In the semblance of the name one can attain liberation as in the case of Ajamila, As in the rising of the sun, the first is the dissipation  of darkness all around and the glimmer of light. In the absence of darkness there is no fear of thieves ,ghouls or witches. Similarly on the sprouting of the name ,all sinful activities become vanquished. The name will lead to the sprouting of devotion and even the clearing stage can  bestow liberation .  The clearing stage is free from offence but there is no  connecting knowledge of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. The linking knowledge on becoming established with the Supreme Lord Krishna  then at the stage of chanting the name without offences would mean the sprouting  of Love of Godhead. This is the stage of the pure name .In the clearing stage by  obtaining liberation one becomes  freed from  material attachments and somewhat able to ascertain  his spiritual identity .Then on the awakening of  knowledge ,he goes  on   to perform pure devotional service to the Lord in the mood of servitude. The mood of  unalloyed service to the Lord marks the stage of the pure name and at this juncture one is able to attain the  fruit of the pure name .At this platform ,one can perceive the transcendental  form of the holy name and simply chanting the holy  name bestows love of Godhead . On the contrary, one who is without the inclination to serve the Lord , there can be  no question of the sprouting of the name. There is only material endeavor and not service to God for those who are in the offensive stage. As the verse  in Bhaktirasamrta Sindhu  atah srikrishnanamadi na bhavet grhyam indrayaih ;sevomnukhe hi jihvadau  svayam eva sphuratyadah ; meaning the name ,form ,qualities and pastimes though all  being ideally one but with taking  different characteristics. The name ,form e.t.c. of Krishna can not be  realized by the material senses as the tongue ,ear ,and eyes .but at the stage of service to the   Supreme then  all these senses become actually  manifest to relish the name and pastimes on the platform of transcendence.  The name is not within the material sphere that is why by chanting of the name ,one can attain the Supreme. It is when one becomes attuned to the Lord's service with the awakening  of the soul ,the external senses become surcharged for that service. That is the reason of the importance of hearing the chanting of the pure name from the pure devotees who are absorbed in the service of the Lord .In contrast , hearing the name from materialistic devotees who appear  to be chanting the  name  but  in truth  not chanting the name at all. The reason is that they are full of material desires  or otherwise interested in liberation, perfections or just simply material enjoyment. By their aversion to the service of Adhoksaja ,they are candidates only for material  enjoyment up to liberation and because they do not  practice or aspire for pure devotion they can never attain love of god. They use inductive reasoning through the ascending process of realization and in that sense may in ignorance  consider teh holy name  name as simply mere syllables or the deity as made from wood or metal or  the holy Salagrama stone as just mere  stone.  Jagananda Prabhu has written in Prema Vivarta  that in the association of non devotees there is no holy  name uttered ,it may sound like the syllables but there is no holy name  existing there. On the other hand ,the person who can chant the pure name is termed a pure devotee or Vaishnava. He should be  greatly respected and one should hear the name from him. In Madhya Lila, 15 Chaitanya Charitamrta , Mahaprabhu describes the identity of a Vaishnava as he who by  a single utterance of the holy name all vanquishes all his sins with  fulfilling all the nine limbs of devotion. The secondary result of this  chanting is the detachment from material attraction. It attracts the mind ultimately resulting in the devotion to the Supreme Lord. Therefore he  whose  mouth is chanting the name of Krishna is a Vaishnava. Those who are chanting the pure name and unalloyed in devotional service are called Vaishnavas. Those who who committing offences in their show of devotional service are not pure Vaishnavas. One should not hear the holy  names from their mouth. Then there is the verse :avaishnavena updistena mantrena   meaning: By receiving the mantra from a non devotee ,one may be forced to go the hellish planets. The Bhagavatam has been  described as being nectarine but that same book should never be heard from  the lips of a non -devotee. Milk is found to be palatable and delicious but if is touched by the mouth of a serpent then there is chance of being killed on tasting that milk. In conclusion, one should  serve the pure Vaishnava  who is always chanting the holy name.