What to do if Kanthi mala or Japa mala are damaged?
A devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“When should we change our Kanti? Can we wear even though the beats in is very few?”
REPLY:
In general, it is good to use the same Japa mala throughout the life (or) till it becomes not usable at all.
While taking initiation (diksha) our spiritual master gives a Japa Mala that was chanted by him once. That means, he has done many sadhanas and he imparts that spiritual power and Krishna Himself in the mala and then give it to us.
(KANTHI MALA (TULASI MALA) – PROCEDURE & RULES TO WEAR THEM! READ HERE!)
That means, Mala can retain the spiritual vibrations when used.
I can give you another example.
Till Tulasi plant lives on roadsides or some common places, the plant will not die if any animal eats its leaves.
But, when we use the same tulasi plant in our Puja or when we keep a Tulasi stand around our home and offer tulasi manthras to that tulasi plant in our daily puja, that plant will die (i) if any animal eats the leaves, (ii) if a woman touches it when she is on monthly periods or (iii) when we touch without bathing.
Why this difference?
Until the plant was on roadsides, it was a plant. When we start to worship the tulasi plant with Manthras, tulasi plant becomes her original devine devatha form. So, she will not tolerate impurities and becomes sensitive to impurities.
(Is Wearing Krishna Pendant/Ring & Chanting with Tulasi mala Compulsory? READ HERE!)
Similarly, because of the long period of chanting with the same Japa mala, that mala would have attained spiritual power through the vibrations of the manthras chanted by us.
So, we should not change the Japa Mala as we like whenever we want.
We should protect the Japa Mala very carefully as it will also protect the spiritual power stored in it.
While chanting using the japa mala, we should hold the japa mala inside the Japa Bag softly.
We should not hold that tightly because it may lose its grip and tightness fast and it may get damaged.
WHAT TO DO IF KANTHI MALA or JAPA MALA IS DAMAGED or CUT?
If Kanthi mala or Japa mala are damaged, you should repair the Japa mala using the same beads but new thread/ nylon string. Let the beads be the same.
This is possible for everyone.
(WEAPONS TO BEAT MAYA – TILAKA, TULASI BEADS AND PRASADAM! READ HERE!)
If you are an uninitiated devotee, you may follow the above method. If the mala is more damaged, you can use new mala.
If you are an initiated devotee, you should definitely preserve the same Japa Mala. If damaged,, repair it using the new string. But, do not make the Japa mala useless.
However, in both the cases, try your best to repair.
If the mala itself is missed, it is your carelessness that you should not have allowed. However, if you are an initiated devotee who lost the mala, and if your guru is alive, you can write to him with request for forgiveness and if he gives, get a new mala chanted by him. If the guru is not alive, you may get new mala from an ISKCON temple and then get back keeping that mala before the deities of Krishna/ Caitanya for a few minutes.
In the case of Kanthi mala, try your best to follow the same repairing method though a few beads are missing. If the Kanthi mala is mutilated too much, purchase a new Kanthi mala from the ISKCON temple and then wear it.
Hope you are now clear what to do if Kanthi mala or Japa mala are damaged.
(What if my company objects Vaishnava Symbols like Tilak, Sikha and Kanthi mala (Tualsi mala)? READ HERE!)