Text 6] Activities of Kapila 1423
sinful activities, then what is to be said of those persons who see Him
face to face’?

Another consideration here is that persons who are purified by the
process of chanting and hearing become immediately eligible to perform
Vedic sacrifices. Generally, only a person who is born in a family of
brahmanas, who has been reformed by the ten kinds of purificatory
processes, and who is learned in Vedic literature is allowed to perform
the Vedic sacrifices. But here the word sadyah, “immediately,” is used,
and Sridhara Svami also remarks that one can immediately become
eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices. A person born in a family of the low
caste which is accustomed to eat dogs is so positioned due to his
past sinful activities, but by chanting or hearing once in pureness or in an
offenseless manner, he is immediately relieved of the sinful reaction. Not
only is he relieved of the sinful reaction, but immediately he achieves the
result of all purificatory processes. Taking birth in the family of a
brahmana is certainly due to pious activities in one’s past life. But still a
child who is born in a family of a brahmana depends for his further
reformation upon initiation into acceptance of a sacred thread and many
other reformatory processes. But a person who chants the holy name of
the Lord, even if born in a family of candalas, dog-eaters, does not need
reformation. Simply by chanting Hare Krsna, he immediately becomes
purified and becomes as good as the most learned brahmana.

Sridhara Svami especially remarks in this connection, anena pitjyatvar
laksyate. Some caste brahmanas remark that by chanting Hare Krsna,
purification begins. Of course, that depends on the individual process of
chanting, but this remark of Sridhara Svami’s is completely applicable if
one chants the holy name of the Lord without offense, for he immediately
becomes more than a brahmapa. As Sridhara Svami says, pujyatvam: he
immediately becomes as respectable as a most learned brahmana and can
be allowed to perform Vedic sacrifices. If by simply chanting the holy
name of the Lord one becomes sanctified instantly, then what can be said
of those persons who see the Supreme Lord face to face and who under-
stand the descent of the Lord as Devahiiti understands K apiladeva.

Usually, initiation depends on the bona fide spiritual master, who
directs the disciple. lf he sees that a disciple has become competent and
purified by the process of chanting, then he offers the sacred thread to
the disciple just so that he will be recognized as one hundred percent
equal with a brahmana. This is also confirmed in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa by
Si Sanatana Gosvami: “‘As a base metal like bell metal can be changedinto
gold by a chemical process, similarly any person can be changed into a
brahmana by diksd-vidhana, the initiation process.”
