Question : If the name of the Lord is identical to Him, then is it not important that the name be pronounced correctly? For instance Krishna is pronounced in many ways, depending on the accent and the nationality of the person. Will all of these chanting be equally effective or is it important that one finds out the correct enunciation of the name and then chant in that manner?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Srila Prabhupada personally addressed a similar dilemma in one funny instance. Sometimes Prabhupada’s disciples would address him as `goru’ instead of `guru’. Srila Prabhupada amusedly remarked about this mistake: “Goru means a cow; but even though you, my disciples, are calling me `goru’ I do not consider it as an offense, because you do not know Sanskrit but you are all so sincere and dedicated and have such love for me.”
Then he went on to explain how Krishna is famous as `bhava-grahi-Janardana’, one who accepts only the mood of love and devotion of His devotees. When His devotee offers something, even if full of faults, Krishna ignores all the shortcomings and accepts the essence of their devotion and becomes fully satisfied. On the other hand, He does not care much for an elaborate, perfectly arranged offering (or for that matter perfectly enunciated mantras) by a non-devotee, who simply tries to make a show of religiousness for his or her own personal satisfaction.
This is not to say that one need not take care to properly chant the Holy Names. Krishna does look only for one’s sincerity of purpose and devotion. But the sign of sincerity is that one must surely make the endeavor to properly enunciate the Holy Name, and must avoid chanting neglectfully or improperly. But if because of accent and other such unavoidable reasons, one’s enunciation differs slightly, it is overlooked.
One of our twelve principle authorites, or mahajanas, Yamaraja, confirms this understanding directly in SB 6.3.24 “Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses.”
