We have heard that when we come to devotional service, Krishna takes away our sins. So what does it mean? And secondly even if we are chanting Hare Krishna maha-mantra, aren't we not eradicating our sins?

Hare Krishna Prabhus and Matajis,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

There was a nice question raised: We have heard that when we come to devotional service, Krishna takes away our sins. So what does it mean? And secondly, even if we are chanting Hare Krishna maha-mantra, aren't we eradicating our sins?

The answer to both questions is yes — both are true. When we sincerely take shelter of Krishna and engage in devotional service, He removes the accumulated reactions of our past sinful activities. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (18.66): 'sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja / ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ' — 'Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.'

Regarding the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, the Padma Purana states that the holy name of Krishna is so powerful that it can destroy the accumulated sins of millions of lifetimes. The Srimad Bhagavatam (12.3.51) confirms: 'kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet' — simply by chanting the glories of Krishna, one becomes free from material contamination and goes back to Godhead.

However, there is an important distinction: the chanting removes the reactions of past sins, but one must be careful not to commit sins on the strength of chanting (nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ). This is considered an offense against the holy name.

So the complete answer is: yes, Krishna removes our sins when we come to devotional service, and yes, the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the most powerful means of eradicating sins. But we must chant sincerely, avoid offenses, and not use the holy name as a license to continue sinning.