Offenses to be Avoided 71

worshiping the Deity. Similarly, there are many other prohibitions,
such as one should not cross or step over the flowers offered to the
Deities, nor should one take a vow in the name of God. These are all
different kinds of offenses in the matter of executing devotional ser-
vice, and one should be careful to avoid them.

In the Padma Purana it is stated that even a person whose life is
completely sinful will be completely protected by the Lord if he sim-
ply surrenders unto Him. So it is accepted that one who surrenders
unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes freed from all
sinful reactions. And even when a person becomes an offender unto
the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, he can still be delivered
simply by taking shelter of the holy names of the Lord: Hare Krsna,
Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama
Rama, Hare Hare. In other words, the chanting of Hare Krsna is
beneficial for eradicating all sins; but if one becomes an offender to
the holy names of the Lord, then he has no chance of being delivered.

The offenses against the chanting of the holy name are as follows:
1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for
propagating the holy name of the Lord. 2) To consider the names of
demigods like Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be equal to, or indepen-
dent of, the name of Lord Visnu. (Sometimes the atheistic class of
men take it that any demigod is as good as the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Visnu. But one who is a devotee knows that no demi-
god, however great he may be, is independently as good as the Su-
preme Personality of Godhead. Therefore if someone thinks that he
can chant Kali, Kali? or Durga, Durga! and it is the same as Hare
Krsna, that is the greatest offense.) 3) To disobey the orders of the
spiritual master. 4) To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature
in pursuance of the Vedic version. 5) To consider the glories of
chanting Hare Krsna as imagination. 6) To give some interpretation
on the holy name of the Lord. 7) To commit sinful activities on the
strength of the holy name of the Lord. (Because by chanting the
holy name of the Lord one can be freed from all kinds of sinful re-
actions, it should not be taken that one may continue to act sinfully
and after that chant Hare Krsna to neutralize his sins. Such a danger-
ous mentality is very offensive and should be avoided. 8) To consider
