The case of the offender losing the mercy of the Name is similar to a subordinate who is offensive to his wealthy master. He is denied proper care and is treated indifferently by the master. As a result of the withdrawal of mercy, that person suffers poverty and distresses of all sorts. At the same time however, people not under the jurisdiction of wealthy master do not suffer such hardships. But if the offender servant serves his master in a pleasing manner, the master gradually shows mercy, and that person's suffering is step by step eliminated. In the same way, the offending devotee will at first suffer some miseries, but if he performs sincere service to the spiritual master, devotees and to the scriptures, the Name will again gradually manifest mercy and gradually eliminate his evil tendencies. Thus the arguments against the gradual elimination of anarthas holds no ground.
One should not say, "I have committed no offenses." One can infer the existence of either recent or long-standing offenses by their effect. The effect of offenses is that a person will not manifest symptoms of prema by performance of nama-kirtana.
tad asma-saram hrdayam batedam
yad grhyamanair hari-nama-dheyaih
na vikriyetatha yada vikaro
netre jalam gatra-ruhesu harsah
One's heart is as hard as stone if, one chanting the Holy Name there is not change in the heart, tears in the eyes or standing of hairs on the limbs. (SB 2.3.24)
ke te'paradha viprendra namno bhagavatah krtah
vinighnanti nrnam krtyam prakrtam hy anayanti hi
O brahmana! What are the offenses to the name which destroy men's pious actions and lead them to material world? (Padma purana, Brahma-khanda)
In other words, repeatedly hearing and chanting the Lord's name and qualities should quickly give prema. Serving for a long time the sacred tirthas bestow perfection. Tasting repeatedly the ghee, milk and betel prasadam offered to the Lord destroys all desires for sense enjoyment. By what offenses do all these spiritually potent activities become material? The question is asked with astonishment and trembling.
If this is so, one may then argue that if these offenses are so serious, then a person who commits a nama-aparadha becomes hostile to the Lord and thus cannot even take shelter of guru and perform devotional activities. This is true. Just as, during a serious fever, losing all taste for food, it becomes impossible to eat, a person who commits a serious offense loses all possibility of hearing, chanting and performing devotional activities. There is no doubt about this. However, if the fever lessens after a long time, some taste for food develops. After experiencing the effects of aparadha from many days, the effects lessen and the person develops a little taste for bhakti to the Lord. That person then becomes qualified for bhakti.
Even then, nourishing foods like milk and rice cannot give their full power of nourishment to the person suffering from the lessened fever. They bestow some benfit, but cannot relieve him of his wasted condition. By an invalid's diet and medicine, however, with time, these foods can have full nourishing effect. In the same way, after a long period of suffering the effects of aparadha, the devotee becomes qualified for bhakti. Repeated doses of hearing and chanting the Lord's name and performance of other devotional processes, gradually, with time, reveal everything up to prema.
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