TRANSLATION
"If a devotee once utters the holy name of the Lord, or if it penetrates his mind or enters his ear, which is the channel of aural reception, that holy name will certainly deliver him from material bondage, whether vibrated properly or improperly, with correct or incorrect grammar, and properly joined or vibrated in separate parts. O brāhmaṇa, the potency of the holy name is therefore certainly great. However, if one uses the vibration of the holy name for the benefit of the material body, for material wealth and followers, or under the influence of greed or atheism-in other words, if one utters the name with offenses-such chanting will not produce the desired result very soon. Therefore one should diligently avoid offenses in chanting the holy name of the Lord.' "
PURPORT
This verse from the Padma Purāṇa is included in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (11.527) by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Therein Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī gives the following explanation:
vāci gataṁ prasaṅgād vāṅ-madhye pravṛttam api, smaraṇa-patha-gataṁ kathañcin manaḥ-spṛṣṭam api, śrotra-mūlaṁ gataṁ kiñcit śrutam api; śuddha-varṇaṁ vā aśuddha-varṇam api vā; 'vyavahitaṁ' śabdāntareṇa yad-vyavadhānaṁ vakṣyamāṇa-nārāyaṇa-śabdasya kiñcid uccāraṇānantaraṁ prasaṅgād āpatitaṁ śabdāntaraṁ tena rahitaṁ sat.
This means that if one somehow or other hears, utters or remembers the holy name, or if it catches his mind while coming near his ears, that holy name, even if vibrated in separate words, will act. An example of such separation is given as follows:
yadvā, yadyapi 'halaṁ riktam' ity ādy-uktau hakāra-rikārayor vṛttyā harīti-nāmāsty eva, tathā 'rāja-mahiṣī' ity atra rāma-nāmāpi, evam anyad apy ūhyam, tathāpi tat-tan-nāma-madhye vyavadhāyakam akṣarāntaram astīty etādṛśa-vyavadhāna-rahitam ity arthaḥ; yadvā, vyavahitaṁ ca tad-rahitaṁ cāpi vā; tatra 'vyavahitaṁ'--nāmnaḥ kiñcid uccāraṇānantaraṁ kathañcid āpatitaṁ śabdāntaraṁ samādhāya paścān nāmāvaśiṣṭākṣara-grahaṇam ity evaṁ rūpaṁ, madhye śabdāntareṇāntaritam ity arthaḥ, 'rahitaṁ' paścād avaśiṣṭākṣara-grahaṇa-varjitaṁ, kenacid aṁśena hīnam ity arthaḥ, tathāpi tārayaty eva.
Suppose one is using the two words "halaṁ riktam." Now the syllable ha in the word "halam" and the syllable ri in "riktam" are separately pronounced, but nevertheless it will act because one somehow or other utters the word "hari." Similarly, in the word "rāja-mahiṣī," the syllables rā and ma appear in two separate words, but because they somehow or other appear together, the holy name rāma will act, provided there are no offenses.
sarvebhyaḥ pāpebhyo 'parādhebhyaś ca saṁsārād apy uddhārayaty eveti satyam eva; kintu nāma-sevanasya mukhyaṁ yat phalaṁ, tan na sadyaḥ sampadyate. tathā deha-bharaṇādy-artham api nāma-sevanena mukhyaṁ phalam āśu na sidhyatīty āha--tac ced iti.
The holy name has so much spiritual potency that it can deliver one from all sinful reactions and material entanglements, but utterance of the holy name will not be very soon fruitful if done to facilitate sinning.
tan nāma ced yadi dehādi-madhye nikṣiptaṁ--deha-bharaṇādy-artham eva vinyastam, tadāpi phala-janakaṁ na bhavati kim? api tu bhavaty eva, kintu atra iha loke śīghraṁ na bhavati, kintu vilambenaiva bhavatīty arthaḥ.
The holy name is so powerful that it must act, but when one utters the holy name with offenses, its action will be delayed, not immediate, although in favorable circumstances the holy names of the Lord act very quickly.