Text 24] Prahlada, the Saintly Son of Hiranyakasipu 253
the holy name of Krsna, one is liberated and returns home, back to
Godhead. Therefore, even if one is able to perform other processes of
devotional service, one must adopt the chanting of the holy name as the
principal method of advancing in spiritual life. Yajiaih sankirtana-
prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah: those who are very sharp in their intelli-
gence should adopt this process of chanting the holy names of the Lord.
One should not, however, manufacture different types of chanting. One
should adhere seriously to the chanting of the holy name as recom-
mended in the scriptures: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare
Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

While chanting the holy name of the Lord, one should be careful to
avoid ten offenses. From Sanat-kuméara it is understood that even if a
person is a severe offender in many ways, he is freed from offensive life
if he takes shelter of the Lord’s holy name. Indeed, even if a human
being is no better than a two-legged animal, he will be liberated if he
takes shelter of the holy name of the Lord. One should therefore be very
careful not to commit offenses at the lotus feet of the Lord’s holy name.
The offenses are described as follows: (a) to blaspheme a devotee, es-
pecially a devotee engaged in broadcasting the glories of the holy name,
(b) to consider the name of Lord Siva or any other demigod to be equally
as powerful as the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (no
one is equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nor is anyone
superior to Him), (c) to disobey the instructions of the spiritual master,
(d) to blaspheme the Vedic literatures and literatures compiled in pur-
suance of the Vedic literatures, (e) to comment that the glories of the
holy name of the Lord are exaggerated, (/) to interpret the holy name in
a deviant way, (g) to commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting
the holy name, (h) to compare the chanting of the holy name to pious ac-
tivities, (i) to instruct the glories of the holy name to a person who has
no understanding of the chanting of the holy name, ()) not to awaken in
transcendental attachment for the chanting of the holy name, even after
hearing all these scriptural injunctions.

There is no way to atone for any of these offenses. It is therefore
recommended that an offender at the feet of the holy name continue to
chant the holy name twenty-four hours a day. Constant chanting of the
holy name will make one free of offenses, and then he will gradually be
elevated to the transcendental platform on which he can chant the pure
