Question: What will happen to the offenses committed after initiation? Will the Lord punish us for the offenses after the end of the life and do we have to suffer the offenses and take birth? Also, because of this will a devotee loses the opportunity to go back home back to Godhead?
Are there any prayers I can pray daily to overcome the offenses and please the Lord apart from chanting 16 rounds? Please clarify.
Answer by Romapada Swami: The process of devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting, can clear reactions to seva-aparadha. However, nama-aparadha must be diligently avoided. Resulting anarthas which arise from nama-aparadha will certainly block our path to Krsna, along with our realization of His presence in our life, which alone is misery – both in this life and the next!
Depending upon the gravity/severity of the offense committed and whether one genuinely feels repentant and has made amends to Krishna and/or His devotee by asking forgiveness for the offense and has been forgiven for the offense committed, not only the reactions may be eliminated but the root tendency to commit the same offense again can be removed. See SB 6.1.15.
In Nectar of Devotion Chapter 5 it is stated: “If someone falls down from the principles of devotional service, he need not take to the prayascitta performances for reformation. He simply has to execute the rules and regulations for discharging devotional service, and this is sufficient for his reinstatement. This is the mystery of the Vaisnava (devotional) cult.”
Read further in Chapter 9 entitled “Further Considerations of Devotional Principles”
As far as external events which may become specific features of reactions to our past deeds, it is not possible to know whether we will get reactions in this life or our next life (or lives) for specific offenses enacted in our present lifetime. As Lord Krsna mentions in BG 4.17, “The intricacies of action are very hard to understand.”
Below are some examples from the scriptures where the reaction to the offense was immediate and an example where the reaction of the offense was experienced in the next birth:
Examples of Same-Life reactions:
1.Gopal Capala contracted leprosy for placing paraphernalia for worshipping Durga devi outside Srinivas Thakur’s home- Reference Cc Adi 17.38
2. Romaharsana killed by Lord Balarama – Reference: SB 10.78
3. Dasarath’s curse from the elderly Brahmana couple whose son Dasaratha had unintentionally killed in his youth
Examples of reaction having full effect in one’s next life:
1. Nalakuvera / Manigriva- Krsna Book- Chapter: Deliverance of Nalakuvera and Manigriva
2. King Nrga became a lizzard.
