THE MANTRA FOR OBTAINING FORGIVENESS

FOR ONE’S OFFENSES

mantra-hinam kriya hinam, bhakti-hinam janardana

yat pujitam maya deva, paripurnam tad astu me

“O my Lord, O Janardana, whatever little puja or worship that has been performed by me, although
it is without devotion, without proper mantras, and without the proper performance, please let that
become complete.

yad-dattam bhakti-matrena, patram puspam phalam jalam

aveditam nivedyan tu, tad grhananukampaya

“Whatever has been offered with devotion, the leaf, the flower, the water, the fruit, the foodstuff,
which has offered please out of your causeless mercy, accept it.”
vidhi-hinam mantra-hinam, yat kincid upapaditam
kriya-mantra-vihinam va, tat sarvam ksantum arhasi

“Whatever has happened without the proper chanting of the mantra, without following the proper
procedure, kindly forgive all that.”

ajnanad athava jnanad, asubham yan maya krtam

ksantum arhasi tat sarvam, dasyenaiva grhana mam

sthitih seva gatir yatra, smrtis cinta stutir vacah

bhuyat sarvatmana visno, madiyam tvayi cestitam

“Whatever inauspicious things I have out of ignorance or unknowingly, please forgive that, and
accept me as your insignificant servant. Let my normal condition be service, let my movement be
holy pilgrimage, let my thought be remembrance of you, let my word be glorifications of you, O
Visnu, let my activities, with my whole mind and body and soul, be engaged in you.

aparadha-sahasrani, kriyante ‘har-nisam maya

daso ‘ham iti mam matva, ksamasva madhusudana

“Thousands of offenses are performed by me day and night, but thinking of me as your servant,
kindly forgive those, O Madhusudana.”

pratijna tava govinda, na me bhaktah pranasyati

iti samsmrtya samsmrtya, pranan samdharayamy aham

“ O Govinda, your promise is that your devotee will never perish. By remembering this over and
over again, I am able to retain my life-airs.”

If one commits any of the above offenses (the offenses in Deity Worship), one must read at least
one chapter of Bhagavad-gita. This is confirmed in the Skanda-Purana, Avanti-khanda. Similarly,
there is another injunctions stating that one who reads the thousands names of Visnu can be released
from all offenses. In the same Skanda-Purana, Reva-khanda, it is said that one who recites prayers
to Tulasi or sow a tulasi seed is also freed from all offenses. Similarly one who worship the
salagrama-sila can also be relieved of offenses. In Brahmanda Purana it is said tha tone who
worship Lord Visnu, whose four hand bear a couchshell, disc, lotus flower and club, can be relieved
from the above offenses. In the Adi-Varaha Purana it is said that a worship who committed offenses
may fast for one day at the holy place know as Saukarava and bathe in the Ganges.