Shloka 14
The Glory of the Divine Name and the Doctrine of Name-Offenses
Nāma-aparādha
श्रीनारद उवाच । के तेऽपराधा विप्रेंद्र नाम्नो भगवतः कृताः । विनिघ्नंति नृणां कृत्यं प्राकृतं ह्यानयंति च
śrīnārada uvāca | ke te'parādhā vipreṃdra nāmno bhagavataḥ kṛtāḥ | vinighnaṃti nṛṇāṃ kṛtyaṃ prākṛtaṃ hyānayaṃti ca
શ્રી નારદે કહ્યું—હે વિપ્રેન્દ્ર! ભગવાનના નામ પ્રત્યે કરાતા તે કયા અપરાધો છે? જે મનુષ્યોના ધર્મકર્તવ્યમાં વિઘ્ન કરે છે અને તેમને પ્રાકૃત, સાંસારિક માર્ગમાં ખેંચી જાય છે.
Śrī Nārada
Concept: Understanding nāmāparādhas is necessary because they obstruct dharma and pull the mind into prākṛta (worldly) tendencies.
Application: Treat spiritual speech as a discipline: ask qualified teachers about pitfalls; cultivate śraddhā, avoid cynical company, and notice when ‘ordinary’ impulses replace devotional intention.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a forest hermitage, Śrī Nārada, veena in hand, leans forward in earnest inquiry toward a seated elder sage. Palm-leaf manuscripts lie open, and the air feels charged—like a lesson about invisible spiritual laws that shape destiny.","primary_figures":["Śrī Nārada","elder brāhmaṇa-sage (listener addressed as viprendra)","attendant disciples"],"setting":"āśrama courtyard with kuśa grass seats, sacrificial fire embers, manuscript stand, flowering trees","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron","forest green","burnished gold","earth brown","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śrī Nārada with veena, jeweled crown and gold-leaf halo, questioning a seated sage amid palm-leaf manuscripts; ornate arch, rich reds and greens, raised gold detailing on manuscripts and veena, traditional South Indian iconography with luminous facial serenity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Nārada in soft saffron robes, veena angled gracefully, speaking to a calm sage under blossoming trees; delicate brushwork, cool morning light, refined expressions, small details like manuscript folios and a tiny fire altar.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Nārada with bold outlines and expressive eyes, veena prominent; the sage seated on a kuśa mat, manuscripts rendered as rhythmic patterns; warm red-yellow-green palette with deep blue background and temple-wall compositional symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional assembly motif—Nārada at center with veena, floral borders and lotus medallions; peacocks perched on trees, manuscript motifs integrated into border patterns; deep blues with gold and vermilion accents, celebratory yet instructive mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["veena drone","morning birds","rustling leaves","soft bell at āśrama","crackling embers"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तेऽपराधाः = ते + अपराधाः; विप्रेंद्र = विप्र + इन्द्र; ह्यानयंति = हि + आनयन्ति।
FAQs
It frames “offenses to the Lord’s Name” (nāma-aparādha) as spiritually harmful because they block dharmic practice and pull a person toward mundane, materialistic life.
“Viprendra” means “best among brāhmaṇas.” In this verse Nārada is addressing a learned brāhmaṇa interlocutor (the specific identity is determined by the surrounding verses of the chapter).
It implies that reverence in speech and attitude toward the Divine Name is essential; negligence or disrespect is not merely a minor fault but a cause of decline from spiritual discipline into ordinary worldly habits.