Would anyone care to answer this?

[Guest guest]

> does it mean that any one

> getting the assosiation of devotees even by negative

> methods get benifitted. wont the factor of vaishnava

> aparadh then come in .

 

> > "To a person that is lusty, foolish, polluted with

> > many sins and fond of

> > quarreling with devotees, Sri Yamuna, who is filled

> > with many buzzing bees,

> > gives residence in the transcendental abode of

> > Goloka."

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna. I am reluctant to speak up because I know nothing about

devotional service, but by revealing my mind maybe I can receive

relevant guidance. My feeling is that Krishna's devotees wish that

everyone shall become more advanced in devotional service than

themselves. Those who are even more advanced in love of Krishna feel

that everyone actually is more advanced than themselves, and so it is

their very strong wish that no one comes to any harm by their

association. When devotees have such munificence, how can offenses

cause any lasting harm to their associates? How can offenses against

them overpower the wishes of such soft-hearted devotees of Sri Sri Radha

Krishna? It may be that there is some temporary reaction, but it would

only bring about the aparadhi's purification and result in more

awakening of love for Sri Sri Radha Krishna in everyone's hearts. Hare

Krishna.

 

Your fallen servant,

Pandu das

 

 

 

 

 

>

> achintya [achintya] On

Behalf

> Of Bhakti Vikasa Swami

>

> Would anyone care to answer this?

>

> > does it mean that any one

> > getting the assosiation of devotees even by negative

> > methods get benifitted. wont the factor of vaishnava

> > aparadh then come in .

>

> > > "To a person that is lusty, foolish, polluted with

> > > many sins and fond of

> > > quarreling with devotees, Sri Yamuna, who is filled

> > > with many buzzing bees,

> > > gives residence in the transcendental abode of

> > > Goloka."

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

Dandavat pranam to all of you

 

The following article I compiled form my notes and it might give some inside on

the topic of offenses. If I made any mistake I will be happy for your comments.

 

Hare Krishna

ys: Avadhuta Raya das

 

PS: It is not edited. I hope you will understand. My English is not perfect.

 

 

SADHU-NINDA--THE GREATEST OFFENSE

 

The Gaudiya vaisnava dictionary defines aparadha (apa-againts; radha-Radharani)

as activity which is not pleasing to Srimati Radharani and as radha-shunya (the

firs a of aparadha means without or sunya) – “devoid of Radha”. Out of ten

offenses to the holy name, Srila Vyasadeva described the offense to the

devotees to be the parama-aparadha - the greatest offense. In this regard an

important opinion of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati is that ‘if we disregard to

worship Krsna’s devotees, then we will be certainly subjected to manifold

difficulties for our offense at the feet of the servants of God’. What are the

different types of offenses; what are the consequences; and what did the

previous acaryas said about sadhu ninda is the topic of this following

compilation.

 

 

 

Srila Baktivinoda Thakura in his book Bhaktyaloka lists eight types of prajalpa

(praja-talk; alpa-small) small talks: useless talk, arguments, gossip, debates,

faultfinding in others, speaking lies, blaspheming devotees and worldly talks.

As we see one of them is blaspheming the devotees. This is also one of the six

types of offenses to the devotees: 1) to blaspheme a vaisnava. 2) to not offer

obeisances to a vaisnava upon seeing him. 3) to not feel delight upon seeing a

vaisnava.4) to think ill of a vaisnava. 5) to get angry on the vaisnava. 6) to

kill a vaisnava. As a warning it should be mentioned that one have to be very

careful with pride, arrogance and false ego because they are the cause of the

above mentioned offenses to the devotees and useless talks.

 

 

 

THE RESULTS OF SADHU NINDA

 

The offenses have three degrees and are estimated according to which Vaisnava

one made the offense – uttama, madhyam or kanishtha adikari and according to the

heaviness of the offense. It can be also considered who makes the offense, a

karmi or the kanistha, madhyam or uttama bhakta. Let see what happens to a

devotee on the bhava bhakti stage (devotional service in ecstasy) if he commits

a vaisnava-aparadha.

 

When he severely offends a devotee of the highly elevated bhava-bhakti

platform, who is very dear to the Supreme Lord his spiritual asset becomes

spoiled, with other words his bhava will become completely destroyed. This is

explained in the NOI 6p where SP writes: “There are many dangerous things but

none is considered as serious as offending a brahmana like Jada Bharata”. And

also Srila Jiva Gosvami in his Bhakti-sadarbha say: “One who criticizes Lord

Visnu or His devotees loses all the benefits accrued in a hundred pious births.

Such a person rots in the Kumbhipaka hell and is bitten by worms as long as the

sun and the moon exist”.

 

The intermediate offense results in ones developing desire for four types of

mukti although he was on the level of the bhava-bhakti where liberation is

completely disregarded. When somebody makes a small offense one’s madhurya-bhava

lovers to vatsalya bhava or if he was in vatsalya-bhava he slips down to

dasya-bhava etc.

 

Therefore, as Caitanya Bhagavata (Madhya 22.55-57) declares: “Even if one is

as strong as Lord Siva one will nonetheless fall down from his spiritual

position if he tries to insult a Vaisnava. That is the verdict of all Vedic

scriptures.

 

 

 

When a neophyte devotee makes an offense all his previous results of

advancement will remain as mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita 2.40. The reaction for

an intermediate offense is described in the Padma Purana: ”If one commits

offenses out of greed to enhance one’s bodily comforts, wealth or followers,

then such chanting will still give results but they will be delayed…One will

become distanced from devotion”. The reaction for a great offense is the most

severe. The book Hari Bhakti Vilasa say: “One who derides an exalted devotee

loses the results of his pious activities, his opulence, his reputation and his

sons. Vaisnavas are all great souls. Whoever blasphemes them falls down to the

hell known as Mahäraurava, accompanied by his forefathers. (Punishment in the

hell called Mahäraurava is compulsory for a person who maintains his own body by

hurting others. In this hell, ruru animals known as kravyäda torment him and eat

his flesh.) Whoever kills or blasphemes a Vaisnava and whoever

is envious of a Vaisnava or angry with him, or whoever does not offer him

obeisances or feel joy upon seeing him, certainly falls into a hellish

condition.” Further, in his Bhakti-sandarbha (313), Jéva Gosvami quotes

 

“One who criticizes Lord Visnu and His devotees loses all the benefits accrued

in a hundred pious births. Such a person rots in the Kumbhipaka hell where he is

cooked in boiling oil and is bitten by worms as long as the sun and moon exist.

One should therefore not even see the face of a person who blasphemes Lord Visnu

and His devotees. Never try to associate with such persons.”

 

Similarly, Srila Prabhupada said: “Actually, if you insult His devotee, Krsna

will never tolerate. Then you are finished. Just like a big man. If you insult

him, he may think “All right, let him.” But if you insult or do something harm

to his child, he will never tolerate. (Lec. LA. 2.12.1973)

 

And as the holy name and the Supreme Lord are one and the same, the holy name

too does not tolerate and forgive the criticism of the great souls.

Vaisnava-ninda (offending and blaspheming a Vaisnava) is so serious that even

one who hears it will certainly fall down from the path of bhakti. Lord Caitanya

said: “My holy name, which is the kalpa-vrksa tree, destroys anyone who once

blasphemes My servant”. (Cb. Madhya 19.209) Whoever once criticizes My devotee

Murari will be not delivered even by millions of baths in the Ganga and by

chanting of the holy name.” (Cb. Madhya 10.29-30) Even an advanced person like a

sannyasi is getting reactions for offenses. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: “If a

sannyasi blasphemes an innocent person, the sannyasi will fall down. All of his

piety will perish.” An offending vaisnava is stopped from attaining ecstatic

love for Lord Krsna. When one offends a dear devotee of Krsna, Krsna will not

anymore accept his offerings of puja. His tongue will never utter

the holy name of Krsna. Life after life he will be put into hell and suffer

there. He will lose all his education, the results of his austerities, sadhana,

and anything else he acquired. Even to a very powerful person who has attained

Krsna prema everything willl be finished. Lord Caitanya said one who blasphemes

the vaisnavas will suffer from leprosy, after which he will be punished by the

agents of Yamaraja again and again for 84.000 births. And not only he will go to

hell but his ancestors and forefathers as well.

 

 

 

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIN AND OFFENSE

 

The sinful reactions of many lifetimes of the greatly sinful person can be

washed off very easily but the sinful reactions caused by vaisnava-aparadha

cannot be washed off.

 

 

 

HOW TO AVOID OFFENSE

 

One should not be jealous, whether he is born in a family of gosvamis or has the

title of gosvami awarded to him. As soon as anyone becomes envious, he falls

from the platform of paramahamsa… If we consider the bodily defects of a

Vaiñëava, we should understand that we are committing an offense at the lotus

feet of the Vaiñëava…Bodily defects should be also overlooked. A devotee may

sometime perform some abominable activity still because of his engagement in

loving devotional service he should be considered a sadhu. (NOI p6)

 

In his Bhakti-ratnakara Srila Narahari Cakravarti writes:

 

1) “Be careful in your dealings with devotees and never create any ill

feelings in their hearts.

 

2) Creating ill feelings with devotees will create impediments on one’s

path of spiritual life.

 

3) Please be very careful in dealing with the Vaisnavas. Beg their

forgiveness for any offense with your heart and soul.

 

4) Be careful not to see a vaisnava’s faults, and always sing their

glories.

 

5) All of the previous great devotees have said, “No one can understand

the behavior of the vaisnava.

 

6) Hold the devotees lotus feet to your head and always dive in the nectar

of pure devotional service.

 

Actually, any vaisnava on any platform don’t approve blasphemy of the Lord or

His devotees.

 

 

 

CORRECTING

 

We should always remember that we recruit members from people in general. It is

not expected that every one of our members should be immediately to the standard

qualification. The best thing for you is to set the example by your personal

behavior and try to reform the others, not by criticizing but by friendly

behavior.

 

(SP-Letter 14 Oct 1971).

 

 

 

DEALING WITH SUPERIOR VAISNAVA

 

It is also an offense to consider an empowered Vaisnava an object of

disciplinary action…to try to give him advice or to correct him…The advanced

Vaisnva is always situated as the spiritual master, and the neophyte is always

considered his disciple.

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

Those who blaspheme good people are sinners. They will suffer birth after birth.

Even the mother of Lord Caitanya was punished for offending a vaisnava.” Krsna

so much likes his devotees that it is easily understandable why He don’t like

their offenders. Krsna says: “Since I am not able to repay my devotees for their

devotional service I perform atonement by following them to take their dust of

their lotus feet for my purification.” (SB 11.14.16) I am completely under the

control of my devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because my devotees

are completely devoid of material desires, I sit within the cores of their

hearts. What to speak of my devotee, even those who are devotees of my devotee

are very dear to me.” So, if someone commits an offense at the lotus feet of

such a vaisnava what will happen? It causes devastation similar to a mad

elephant’s destroying a beautiful garden while running through it.

 

 

 

COUNTERACTING THE OFFENSES

 

Jiva Goswami in his Bhakti – sandarbha writes: In order to be free from the

offenses to the great souls, one should please that same personality through

constantly engaging in the process of bhakti beginning with the chanting of the

holy name. Nama-kaumidi confirms this in the following way: “Offenses to great

devotees can be relieved either by experiencing the calamities they bring or by

attaining the favor of the devotee.” It should be understood that begging for

and acquiring forgiveness for an offense is not the same as achieving the

blessings and favor of the offended vaisnava. If one actually achieves the favor

of the offended vaisnava then one will be protected from Krsna’s displeasure.

 

This is wonderfully exemplified in the story of Pundarika Vidyanidhi and

Gadadhara Pandita. Upon seeing the material opulence of Srila Pundarika

Vidyanidhi, doubts about his highly elevated position as pure devotee came to

the mind of Gadhadara Pandita. Later when he realized the exalted position of

Vidyanidhi Mahasay, Gadhadara felt great remorse and felt it necessary to take

initiation from Pundarika in order to become free from what he considered to be

his offense. (Cb. Madhya 7.44-113)

 

 

 

THE PROMISS OF LORD CAITANYA

 

I will personally deliver anyone who avoids criticizing others and once chants

‘Krsna!’ I vow that this is the truth.

 

(Caitanya-bhagavata 19.213-4)

 

 

 

Compiler of the essay: Avadhuta Raya das.

 

 

Pandu das <Pandu108.bms wrote:

 

Hare Krishna. I am reluctant to speak up because I know nothing about

devotional service, but by revealing my mind maybe I can receive

relevant guidance. My feeling is that Krishna's devotees wish that

everyone shall become more advanced in devotional service than

themselves. Those who are even more advanced in love of Krishna feel

that everyone actually is more advanced than themselves, and so it is

their very strong wish that no one comes to any harm by their

association. When devotees have such munificence, how can offenses

cause any lasting harm to their associates? How can offenses against

them overpower the wishes of such soft-hearted devotees of Sri Sri Radha

Krishna? It may be that there is some temporary reaction, but it would

only bring about the aparadhi's purification and result in more

awakening of love for Sri Sri Radha Krishna in everyone's hearts. Hare

Krishna.

 

Your fallen servant,

Pandu das

 

 

 

 

 

>

> achintya [achintya] On

Behalf

> Of Bhakti Vikasa Swami

>

> Would anyone care to answer this?

>

> > does it mean that any one

> > getting the assosiation of devotees even by negative

> > methods get benifitted. wont the factor of vaishnava

> > aparadh then come in .

>

> > > "To a person that is lusty, foolish, polluted with

> > > many sins and fond of

> > > quarreling with devotees, Sri Yamuna, who is filled

> > > with many buzzing bees,

> > > gives residence in the transcendental abode of

> > > Goloka."

 

 

 

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