Chanting without Offense

If one is committing offenses in the matter of chanting the Holy name, then one may chant for many many births, and still one will not attain the desired success of this chanting is Krishna prema!
So although the Holy name is Krishna, it is also mentioned that there are certain ways to access the name. Sometimes if we commit offenses in the matter of chanting the Holy name, we chant for so many births and still not attain Krishna prema, because Krishna withdraws from the name. Generally only a little but He is not fully available.
So chanting in this stage where we are still making offenses in the matter of chanting the names, means that Krishna is not fully manifest, then ‘śuddha-nāma’ the pure name is not manifest….then what is manifest is only ‘nama- abhase’ or the dim reflection of the name!

Srila Haridas Thakura gives a analogy which is described by Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami in The Caitanya Caritamrta….and there it is described that:

‘Early in the morning, the light of the sun begins to appear in the sky, and immediately all the fears of the night; fears for thieves; fears for ghosts…all those fears are immediately eradicated! But yet, the sun globe itself has not yet appeared above the horizon! It is first the light that appears – the ‘abhase’ or the light emanating from the sun, but not the full sun globe! That comes a little later, and of course then gradually the sun fully rises. After sometime the sun comes to full strength.’

So in this way the Holy name is also manifesting and it is said:
‘At first there is the dim light of the Holy name. As the dim light of the Holy name is manifesting, we will not have a direct experience of meeting Krishna face to face! Although we are, but yet because we don’t have the purity at that stage – we cannot yet experience the Lord face to face, while we are chanting. But this ‘nama- abhase’ or this dim reflection of the pure Holy name (as Haridas Thakura says) can do two things:
1) It can destroy all sinful reactions from the heart!
2) It can reward us liberation from birth and death’

So these are only the side benefits of chanting or becoming purified from sinful reactions and attaining liberation from birth and death. These are only side benefits because the essence of all chanting is that one attains love of God – Krishna prema!

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami)