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
Śrī Nārada disse: Ó melhor dos brāhmaṇas, quais são essas ofensas cometidas contra o Nome do Senhor? Elas impedem os deveres religiosos dos homens e, de fato, os arrastam para modos mundanos e comuns.
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.