“After great deliberation Maharishis suggested intense atonement for serious sins and lighter atonement procedures for simple sins. Through penance, charity, japam and other atonements, sins can be destroyed”.

There is a misconception that atonement implies giving money to a priest so that a ritual can be conducted on one’s behalf. Greater the sin, greater is the money offered to the priest with a request to perform an appropriate ritual and complete the atonement process. Here the person fails to understand that the money offered to the priest has simply gone down the drain. Relief from sin is not achieved. **It is imperative that along with the atonement procedure, mind should be cleansed! This alone is the real atonement! **

Suppose a person has been asked to conduct Bhagavatam chanting at home. He focuses on the food and other arrangements. While the priests chant Bhāgawatam, he will be busy attending the guests. No doubt all arrangements would have been remarkably well taken care of, but he would not have listened to the chanting with concentration. They will thereafter proclaim to the world, “ Bhagavatam was chanted 7 times in our house. We offered good money to the priest and took care of his needs. The guests extolled the food arrangements. All the guests were given clothes on the last day. The function went off really well. Everyone left happily.”

Is this the meaning of chanting Bhagavatam or Ramayana at home? Do you think you have obtained the full benefit? There are people who say, “We organized Hanuman Chalisa chanting. I gathered 1 lakh people for this purpose. I offered food to everyone who had come. It was a wonderful experience”. Ask him “Who is Hanuman?” He will reply, “That Lord with a tail. He has a monkey face”.

Is this the purpose of chanting Hanuman Chalisa? Have you bothered to find out who really is Hanuman? What is His real energy? Where does He truly live? What are His habits? What is the inner significance contained in Hanuman Chalisa? Have you bothered to find out any of this?

Else people boast, “Do you know, I saw a 200 feet Hanuman. Now I am trying to build a 80 feet Hanuman.” It is nothing but competition. There should be some basis for such decisions and construction. There should be some logic. Is it right to play games with God? What are you gaining? It is enough to consume one drop of nectar. You cannot drink nectar in a coffee mug. That one drop has the essence. Likewise even if the idol is small, its energy should be profuse. Quality is important not the quantity. The Hanuman in Bangalore ashram is so tiny, yet His glory is infinite. Same is the case with Hanuman who is situated in Kochi ashrama.

“Knowingly or unknowingly if a person chants the Lord’s name, it destroys all his sins. Such is the significance in His name”.

Bhagavatam rewards the person who has chanted His name even jokingly or tauntingly. This is the difference between the sacred text and humans. We, ordinary humans, get unduly angry with the person who has mocked at our God and we seek revenge. Bhagavatam rewards persons who chant His name.

“We agree that he is the worst sinner. We also agree that he called out his son. But then it was a whole-hearted call at the time of death. Therefore we are taking him to Vaikunṭha” But yes, to pay for his sins he will be sent to you. After completion of punishment he comes back to Vaikunṭha. As he uttered the Lord’s name at the time of death he is freed from the cycle of rebirths. He is eligible for liberation.

When Ajamila still had good tendencies left, he had named his son Narayana. Later on, he became the worst sinner. He would not have named the son Narayana, if he was completely wicked at the time of the son’s birth, isn’t it? Suffering for his sins is a must. He had to pay for his sins and then would be taken to Vaikuntha.

Madhusudanaya namah