drinking alcohol and reciting slokas/mantras

[Guest guest]

Dear Sirs,

 

I have seen some people performing pujas or reciting slokas/mantras aloud after consuming alcohol. Is this acceptable? What are the consequences of such acts? I always believe that in an inebrieted condition, one should not resort to pujas or reciting slokas/mantras/stotras, etc.

 

Could someone enlighten me on this subject.

 

Thanks.

 

K S Prakasj

[Guest guest]

The Hare Krsna mantra is transcendental to all religious rules and regulations and one may begin chanting immediately in any condition without need of prior purificatory rites or conditions.

 

It is to be understood that in time the desire to drink will fall off as the effects of the holy names takes hold.

 

This does not mean one can have a beer before stepping up to the altar to perform arotik. These things should be obvious to us through common sense.

 

Here is something that Srila Prabhupada said that relates and is now in one of his compilied books The Teachings of Queen Kunti 5

 

"It is not difficult to remember Krsëa. Here Kuntidevi describes Krsna with reference to lotus flowers. Similarly, when Krsna describes Himself in Bhagavad-gétä, He says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: [bg. 7.8] "I am the taste of liquids." So one can remember Krsna by tasting water. Even if one is drinking liquor, if he thinks, "The taste of this drink is Krsna," he will one day turn out to be a great saintly person. So I can request even drunkards to become Krsna conscious, what to speak of others, because Krsna says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: "I am the taste of liquids." Generally in this context "liquid" is taken to mean water. But liquor is also liquid; it is only sugar and molasses or some other combination fermented and distilled. Of course, it is bad because it creates intoxication. Although in one sense nothing is bad, liquor is bad because it creates bad effects. In America there are many drunkards. There is no scarcity of them. But I may request even the drunkards, "When drinking wine, kindly remember that the taste of this drink is Krsna. Just begin in this way, and one day you will become a saintly, Krsna conscious person."