Shloka 19
The Glory of the Divine Name and the Doctrine of Name-Offenses
Nāma-aparādha
एवं नारद शंकरेण कृपया मह्यं मुनीनां परं । प्रोक्तं नामसुखावहं भगवतो वर्ज्यं सदा यत्नतः । ये ज्ञात्वापि न वर्जयंति सहसा नाम्नोऽपराधान्दश । क्रुद्धा मातरमप्यभोजनपराः खिद्यंति ते बालवत्
evaṃ nārada śaṃkareṇa kṛpayā mahyaṃ munīnāṃ paraṃ | proktaṃ nāmasukhāvahaṃ bhagavato varjyaṃ sadā yatnataḥ | ye jñātvāpi na varjayaṃti sahasā nāmno'parādhāndaśa | kruddhā mātaramapyabhojanaparāḥ khidyaṃti te bālavat
एवं नारद, शंकरेण कृपया मुनीनां परं रहस्यं मह्यं प्रोक्तम्—भगवन्नाम सुखावहं, तथा नाम्नो दशापराधाः सदा यत्नतः वर्जनीयाः। ये ज्ञात्वापि तान् सहसा न वर्जयन्ति, ते बालवद् खिद्यन्ति—क्रुद्धाः सन्तो मातरमपि त्यक्त्वा अभोजनपराः इव।
Narrative voice addressing Nārada (speaker not explicitly named in the given verse); Śaṅkara is cited as the teacher
Concept: The Lord’s Name is sukha-āvaha (bestower of joy), but its full effect requires vigilant avoidance of the ten nāmāparādhas; knowingly persisting in offense leads to self-inflicted suffering like a child refusing nourishment.
Application: Keep a personal ‘aparādha checklist’: avoid disrespect to devotees, guru, śāstra; chant with attention; when you notice a fault, correct quickly rather than rationalize it.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a snowy Himalayan ledge, Śaṅkara sits serene, ash-smeared and moon-crested, yet pointing toward a luminous garland of Viṣṇu-nāmas floating like golden beads in the air. Nārada listens with vīṇā in hand, while below them a small child turns away from a mother’s offered bowl—an allegory rendered as a faint vignette in the clouds.","primary_figures":["Shankara (Śiva)","Narada","a mother and child (allegorical vignette)","Vishnu (as nāma-light)"],"setting":"Kailāsa mountainscape with pine silhouettes, icy rocks, and a subtle celestial aura; cloud-vignette for the child analogy.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["snow white","ash gray","saffron gold","sky blue","rudraksha brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śaṅkara seated on a jeweled tiger-skin dais with gold leaf halo, gesturing to a floating nāma-mālā of Viṣṇu in bright gold script; Nārada with ornate vīṇā and emerald-red garments; in a corner medallion, a mother offers food to a stubborn child; heavy gold embellishment, temple-arch framing, rich reds and greens.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: cool Himalayan palette, delicate faces; Śaṅkara teaching Nārada on a cliff with swirling clouds forming a soft cameo of the mother-child scene; refined brushwork, lyrical pine trees, subtle gold highlights on the nāma-garland.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, flat pigments; Śaṅkara with crescent moon and matted locks, Nārada attentive; a stylized nāma-disc in yellow-gold; the mother-child vignette simplified into iconic forms; temple-wall border motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central nāma-lotus with gold script petals; Śaṅkara and Nārada placed symmetrically as teachers of nāma; border filled with floral creepers and peacocks; a small narrative panel shows the child refusing food, emphasizing ‘don’t reject nourishment’ theme."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft damaru accents","mountain wind hush","vīṇā glissando"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नाम्नोऽपराधान्दश = नाम्नः + अपराधान् + दश; मातरमप्यभोजनपराः = मातरम् + अपि + अभोजनपराः; खिद्यंति = खिद्यन्ति (अनुस्वार/लिप्यन्तर-भेद).
FAQs
It praises the Lord’s Name as happiness-giving and stresses that one must carefully avoid the ten offenses (nāma-aparādhas) against the Name.
It illustrates self-harm through stubbornness: knowingly clinging to offenses is like a child angrily refusing even a mother’s nourishment, resulting in needless suffering.
Spiritual practice requires humility and vigilance—when one learns what is harmful (offenses), one should promptly renounce it rather than persist out of heedlessness or pride.