# The Three Stages of Chanting There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord: the offensive stage, the clearing stage (nāmābhāsa), and the offenseless or pure stage. In the second stage, one automatically attains emancipation. In the offenseless stage, one actually enters the kingdom of God and awakens dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. --- ## The Three Stages Explained **From offensive chanting through reflection to the offenseless stage:** ![[sb/2/2/30#purport|There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord. The first stage is the offensive chanting of the holy name, and the second is the reflective stage of chanting the holy name. The third stage is the offenseless chanting of the holy name of the Lord. In the second stage only, the stage of reflection, between the offensive and offenseless stages, one automatically attains the stage of emancipation. And in the offenseless stage, one actually enters into the kingdom of God, although physically he may apparently be within the material world]] —SB [[sb/2/2/30|2.2.30]] Purport --- **The three stages and liberation:** There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord—the offensive stage, the stage of lessening offenses, and the pure stage. **When a neophyte takes to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he generally commits many offenses.** There are ten basic offenses, and if the devotee avoids these, he can glimpse the next stage, which is situated between offensive chanting and pure chanting. **When one attains the pure stage, he is immediately liberated.** This is called *bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam*. As soon as one is liberated from the blazing fire of material existence, he can relish the taste of transcendental life. —*The Nectar of Instruction* Text 7 --- **In the third stage, dormant love for Kṛṣṇa awakens:** ![[sb/5/24/20#purport|There are three stages in chanting the holy name of the Lord. In the first stage, one commits ten kinds of offenses while chanting. In the next stage, nāmābhāsa, the offenses have almost stopped, and one is coming to the platform of pure chanting. In the third stage, when one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without offenses, his dormant love for Kṛṣṇa immediately awakens. This is the perfection]] —SB [[sb/5/24/20|5.24.20]] Purport --- ## The Nāmābhāsa Stage **The nāmābhāsa stage elevates one to offenseless chanting:** Sometimes demoniac nonbelievers, not understanding the potency of the holy name, make fun of the Vaiṣṇavas when the Vaiṣṇavas chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This joking is also beneficial for such persons. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, Second Chapter, verse 14, indicates that the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, even in joking, in the course of ordinary discussion, in indicating something extraneous, or in negligence, is called nāmābhāsa, which is chanting that is almost on the transcendental stage. **This nāmābhāsa stage is better than nāmāparādha. Nāmābhāsa awakens the supreme remembrance of Lord Viṣṇu.** When one remembers Lord Viṣṇu, he becomes free from material enjoyment. Thus he gradually comes forward toward the transcendental service of the Lord and becomes eligible to chant the holy name of the Lord in the transcendental position. —*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/17/197|17.197-202]] --- **[← Back to Śrī Nāmāmṛta](wiki/compile/sri-namamrita)**