Removal of Vaishnava aparadha

[Guest guest]

I will type out (in Harvard-Kyoto convention) what is written in

the 'Madhurya-kadambini' of Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada, ISKCON

edition:

 

"SAdhu-nindA, or criticism of VaiSNavas, is the first of the ten

offenses against the holy name. NindA also implies animosity,

malice, and such. If by chance this offense occurs, the person

should repent, 'Oh, I'm such a low class person, I've made an

offense to a saintly person!' A person burned by fire seeks relief

in fire.*

 

"By this logic, he should nullify his offense by lamenting, falling

at the feet of the VaiSNnava, and satisfying him by offering him

obeisances, praises, and respects. If the VaiSNnava is still

unsatisfied, the person should render favourable services to him

according to his desires for may days. Sometimes the aparAdha is so

grievous that the VaiSNnava's anger does not die. In extreme

remorse, the aparAdhi, thinking himself most unfortunate and bound

for millions of hell for his offense, should give up everything and

take full shelter of nAma-saGkIrtana. In time the divine power of

the nAma-kIrtana will certainly deliver that person from his offense.

 

"One should not justify himself, however, by arguing, 'The Padma

PurANa declares: nAmAparAdha-yuktAnAM eva haranty agham, the holy

ame alone is sufficient to deliver an offender. So I'll take shelter

of this supreme means of purification. What is the need of humbling

myself by offering repeated respects and service to the Vaishnava

I've offended?' This type of mentality makes one guilty of further

aparAdha. Nor should one think that the offense of sAdhu-nindA

discriminates between types of VaiSNnavas. It does not refer only to

one who is fully qualified with the virtues mentioned in zAstra:

 

kRpAlur akRta-drohas

titikSuH sarva-dehinAm

satya-sAro 'navadyAtmA

samaH sarvopakArakaH

 

O Uddhava, a saintly person is merciful and never injures others.

Even if others are aggressive he is tolerant and forgiving toward

all living entities. His strength and meaning in life come from the

truth itself, he is free from all envy and jealousy, and his mind is

equal in material happiness and distress. Thus, he dedicates his

time to work for the welfare of all others. - SB 11.11.29

 

"A person cannot minimize his offense by pointing out some defect in

the devotee. In answer zAstra says: sarvAcAra vivArjitAH zaThadhiyo

vrAtyA jagadvaJcakAH, even a person of bad character devoid of

proper behavior, a cheater, devoid of saMskAras, and full of worldly

desires, if he surrenders to the Lord, he must be considered a

sAdhu. What to speak of a pure VaiSNava!

 

"Sometimes one commits a serious offense to a mahA-bhAgavata, but he

does not become angry because of his exalted nature. Still the

offender should fall at that devotee's feet and seek ways of

pleasing him to purify himself. Though the VaiSNava may forgive

offenses, the dust of his feet does not tolerate offenses and

delivers the fruits of the offense to the guilty person. For it is

said:

 

serSyaM mahApUruSa-pAda-pAMsubhir

nirasta-tejaHsu tad eva zobhanam

 

Those who envy exalted saints are certainly diminished by the dust

of their lotus feet. - SB 4.4.13

 

"One cannot apply conventional rules, however, to the powerful,

spontaneous, most elevated mahA-bhAgavatas, who may sometimes bestow

fathomless mercy even on the most undeserving or offensive. For

instance, though MahArAja RahUgana made JaDa Bharata carry his

palanquin and the King let loose a torrent of harsh words on him,

still JaDa Bharata bestowed his mercy. In a similar way, CedirAja,

the Vasu who flew in the sky, showed mercy to the atheist heretical

daityas who had come to do him violence.+ In the same way, ZrI

NityAnanda showed mercy even to the most sinful MAdhAi, who had

injured the Lord's forehead, causing blood to flow.

 

"One should consider the third aparAdha of guror-avajJa, or

disrespect to guru, in the same way as the first aparAdha."

 

- Third shower, Madhurya-kadambini

 

 

* According to Ayurveda, one treats burns with ointments that cause

heat.

+ In MAhAbhArata there is a story how CedirAja took the side of the

demigods who were arguing with some brahmaRSis. Those brahmaRSis

cursed him to fall from his flying chariot to PAtala-loka where he

continued to perform his bhajana. The story mentioned here is not

found in MahAbhArata , and it is not known where it is from.

 

Madhurya-kadambini is an essential book for the Gaudiya Vaishnava

sadhaka.

 

Haribol, Gaurasundara

[Guest guest]

Now THAT is something to read.

Thank you prabhu.

 

Omer