Mar 13, 2020 — CANADA (SUN) —
Srila Prabhupada:..."Saṅkīrtana, you can utilize saṅkīrtana for some material purpose, but that is not allowed. That is nāma-aparādha, because nāma, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa, they are identical. You cannot utilize Kṛṣṇa for your personal, material benefit. That is aparādha. Kṛṣṇa is the Lord. You cannot engage the Lord for your service. Similarly you cannot utilize the holy name of the Lord for some material purpose. That is not allowed." …..
Śrīla Prabhupāda: I have heard in 1900, 1898—I was born in 1896—so I have heard, I have seen also, I remember, in Calcutta there was a very virulent type of plague epidemic in 1898. So Calcutta became devastated. All people practically left Calcutta. Daily hundreds and hundreds of people were dying. I was one year old or one and a half year old. I have seen what was happening, but there was plague epidemic. That I did not know. I, later on, I heard from my parents.
So one bābājī, he organized saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana. When there was no other way, so he organized saṅkīrtana all over Calcutta. And in the, in saṅkīrtana, all people, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi, everyone joined. And they were coming, they were going road to road, street to street, entering in every house. So that Mahātmā Gandhi Road, 151, you have seen. The saṅkīrtana party we received very nicely. There was light, and I was very small, I was also dancing, I can remember. Just like our small children sometimes dances. I remember. I could see only up to the knees of the persons who were joined. So the plague subsided. This is a fact. Everyone who knows history of Calcutta, the plague was subsided by saṅkīrtana movement.
Of course, we do not recommend that saṅkīrtana should be used for some material purpose, that is nāma-aparādha, nāma-aparādha. Shama sa bhakti kriyā (?) pramāṇa. Saṅkīrtana, you can utilize saṅkīrtana for some material purpose, but that is not allowed. That is nāma-aparādha, because nāma, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa, they are identical. You cannot utilize Kṛṣṇa for your personal, material benefit. That is aparādha. Kṛṣṇa is the Lord. You cannot engage the Lord for your service. Similarly you cannot utilize the holy name of the Lord for some material purpose. That is not allowed. So anyway, because ye yathā mām prapadyante [Bg. 4.11].
If you wanted some material benefit by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you'll get it, but that is nāma-aparādha. You won't get the ecstasy of loving God. That is the aim of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra: how you shall elevate yourself to the platform of loving God. That is required. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. Not for utilizing the holy name for some material purpose. But this happened, we have got experience, I have heard, I have seen.
(Lecture on Srimad Bhavatam 1.10.5 - Māyāpura, 20 June 1973)
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust