Devanagari
साङ्केत्यं पारिहास्यं वा स्तोभं हेलनमेव वा ।
वैकुण्ठनामग्रहणमशेषाघहरं विदु: ॥ १४ ॥
Verse text
sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā
stobhaṁ helanam eva vā
vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam
aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ
Synonyms
sāṅketyam
—
as an assignation
;
pārihāsyam
—
jokingly
;
vā
—
or
;
stobham
—
as musical entertainment
;
helanam
—
neglectfully
;
eva
—
certainly
;
vā
—
or
;
vaikuṇṭha
—
of the Lord
;
nāma
—
grahaṇam — chanting the holy name
;
aśeṣa
—
unlimited
;
agha
—
haram — neutralizing the effect of sinful life
;
viduḥ
—
advanced transcendentalists know .
Translation
One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Chanting the name of the Lord while indicating someone else or while joking in a friendly manner, or chanting the Lord’s name in order to fill up space while chanting verses or chanting with neglect destroys unlimited sins and desires.
What type of chanting destroys all sins? This is expressed by showing how even lesser degrees of quality in chanting still have effect. Saṅketyam means chanting while referring to some one like a son. The suffix ya added to saṇketa has the meaning “relating to convention.” All the terms mentioned should be understood to be in the instrumental case: by calling the name of a son, joking, etc. Pārihāsyam means calling jokingly, but with affection, not with criticism. “O famous one! Your fame is like that of Kṛṣṇa, since you can save me!” Stobham means to chant the name in order to provide proper meter during a discourse or song. Helanam means that the name of the Lord is uttered with disregard, without attention. Hela is used similarly in a phrase like “Kṛṣṇa lifted Govardhana casually (helayā).” Others cannot utter the name so much as those who utter the name of Kṛṣṇa casually while eating, playing or sleeping. This chanting is also without criticism or disrespect.
nindāṁ bhagavataḥ śṛṇvaṁs tat-parasya janasya vā
tato nāpaiti yaḥ so 'pi yāty adhaḥ sukṛtāc cyutaḥ
Anyone who fails to immediately leave the place where he hears criticism of the Supreme Lord or His faithful devotee will certainly fall down, bereft of his pious credit. SB 10.74.40
Thus criticism and disrespect such as Veṇa saying “What is the use of Viṣṇu?” is filled with fault (and thus does not have effect). Aśeṣāgha-haraṁ means that not only all sins but also all desires are destroyed by chanting.