IF YOUR AIM IS LOVE OF GODHEAD BEWARE OF VAISNAVA APARADHA

July 27, 2003

Vaisnava aparadha

yo hi bhagavatam lokam upahasam nrpottama

koroti yasya nasyanti artha dharma yasah sutah

hanti nindati vai dvesti vaisnavan na abhinandati

krudhyate yati no harsam darsane patanani sat

(Hari Bhakti Vilasa 10.310,312, from Skanda Purana, conversation between Markandeya Rsi and King Bhagiratha)

Oh King, anybody who makes fun out of the devotee of the Supreme Personality to Godhead, his religiosity, wealth, fame and family members all reach ruination or are destroyed. Any person who kicks a Vaisnava, criticizes him, angers him, envies him, who is not pleased to see him or disrespects him, Mother Nature becomes very angry with him and is not happy with him. They are sent to the hellish planets. These six things are meant for his degradation. (Therefore one should avoid these six demonic activities).

pujito bhagavan visnur janmantara satair api

prasidati na visvatma vaisnave ca apamanite

(Hari Bhakti Vilasa 10.315, from Dvaraka Mahatmya, conversation between Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja)

Any person who has criticized a Vaisnava, such sinners, even if they worship Lord Sri Visnu, the source of the whole world for hundreds of births, with such insulters of Vaisnavas, Lord Hari does not remain happy.

Skanda Purana lists six kinds of Vaisnava aparadhas (offenses):

hanti nindati vai dvesthi

vaisnavan na abhinandati

krudhyate yati no harsam

darsane patanani sat

(1) Killing or physically harming a devotee

(2) Criticizing or blaspheming a devotee for

(a) having a body born in a low family (listed in Upadesamrta)

(b) having a body with a bad complexion (listed in Upadesamrta)

(d) having a diseased or infirm body (listed in Upadesamrta)

(e) having traces of sins or imperfectness listed in previous sinful life(s)

(listed in Harinama Cintamani)

(f) having an accidental or momentary falldown

(listed in Harinama Cintamani)

(3) Being envious towards a devotee

(4) Not offering obeisances to a devotee

(5) Become angry towards a devotee

(6) Not becoming happy on seeing a devotee

Caitanya Bhagavata by Vrindavan Das Thakur on Vaisnava Aparadha

"Any person who sides with a Vaisnava against another Vaisnava and criticizes him is destined to be destroyed." (Madhya 3.160)

"If Vaisnavas are offended even by an assembly of renunciates, sannyasis, such an assembly is more irreligious than a group of drunkards. For the drunkards there is still a chance of salvation, but for those who are critical of Vaisnavas there is no hope of liberation." (M 3.41-43)

"Lord Caitanya absorbed the sin of Jagai and Madhai into His own body. He then said, "Begin kirtana, then this black shroud of sin will lift from My body and enter the bodies of those who criticize the devotees of the Lord." (M 3.302-303)

"One never advances in spiritual life by finding faults in other Vaisnavas, in fact only sinful reactions are increased, so give up all your faultfindings." (M 3.313)

"The Vaisnava devotees of the Lord are eternally pure and realized souls. Sometimes there are differences of opinion amongst them which might appear like an argument, but in fact, it is an amazing relationship between devotees. Foolish rascals who do not understand this exchange, praise one Vaisnava and denounce the other. Such a mentality will lead to destruction of faith and knowledge." (M 5)

"To criticize and find faults in pure devotees of the Lord is the most grievous offense against the holy name. O holy name! How can you bear the criticism against your pure devotees through whom your glories have been propagated? (You can never tolerate criticism against those who have dedicated their lives in propagating the holy name of the Lord.) Such offenders are annihilated." (M 13.393)

"Therefore the conclusion is that having devotion is the foremost of all rules, regulations, and rituals. Rules and regulations are meant to be subservient and secondary to devotional service; those who are dissatisfied with this arrangement fall down from the path of self-realization." (M 16.143-144)

"Those devotees who are narrow-minded and bigoted start fighting over petty matters, this is a serious deviation from the path of spiritual realization, and so a really knowledgeable devotee will refrain from taking sides in such disputes." (M 17.109-110)

"The offense or criticizing the Lord or His devotees even once steals a man's proper intelligence." (M 19)

"Lord Gaurasundara has advented specifically to deliver all the fallen souls with the exception of those who find fault in Vaisnava devotees of the Lord." (M 19)

"The Vedas clearly describe that if one hears criticism of a Vaisnava devotee of the Lord then he loses all of his accumulated piety and is cast into abominable conditions of life birth after birth." (M 20)

"Everything, from the highest to the lowest living entity, is a manifestation of Lord Krsna's energy, hence Krsna cannot tolerate violence or offenses perpetrated against anyone. And if anyone offenselessly chants Krsna's name then Krsna will certainly very soon liberate him from material bondage. A person may be well versed in all the four Vedas, but if he still maintains an offensive attitude towards the Vaisnavas, then he is eternally doomed to the worst kind of hell." (M 20)

"Whosoever makes any differences between Me, My pure devotees, and Srimad-Bhagavatam are forever lost." (M 21)

"The spiritual master cannot even protect his own disciples against the wrath of the Lord if his disciple commits Vaisnava aparadha. In fact the guru of such a disciple is hardpressed to protect himself from the effects of the aparadha. If the guru is in a very elevated stage of devotion, then he can protect himself alone, but if he is not so elevated, then he along with disciple sinks down into hell." (M 22)

"The true followers of Lord Nityananda are free from fault-finding, they engage their full time in blissfully glorifying Lord Caitanya. They are always careful to avoid the pitfalls in devotional service." (M 22)

"Some persons, trying to compare Vaisnavas, calling one a bigger Vaisnava than the other, commit a grave blunder for which they will soon suffer." (M 22)

"At times one may see a certain elevated devotee quarreling with other devotees; this is all transcendental and happening by the desire of Lord Krsna. No one should side with any party, because they are all most elevated Vaisnavas, to do so would certainly result in Vaisnava aparadha." (M 23)

"One can become a true Vaisnava by serving Lord Krsna and by not finding faults in others." (M 23)

"One who worships Krsna's lotus feet seeing all Vaisnavas to be dear to the Lord will indeed cross over this ocean of material nescience." (M 24)

"If one does not pay heed to Lord Caitanya's warning and teachings on Vaisnava aparadha, then he will remain completely ignorant about the offenses and thus suffer terrible consequences." (M 22)

Sadhu Ninda: Beware of the mundane man in the dress of a Vaisnava!

Kurma Rupa dasa

In his discourse on sadhu-ninda, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that if one wants to progress in devotional service, he must avoid offenses to Vaisnavas. He writes, "To blaspheme a devotee of the Lord is the first offense against the holy name, and it completely disrupts one's spiritual life." Further along he says, "Anyone who criticizes a pure Vaisnava goes directly to hell and suffers untold pains birth after birth. The doors of bhakti are closed to such an offender."

No less grave is King Rahugana's statement to Jada Bharata, "My dear sir, I am not at all afraid of the thunderbolt of King Indra, nor am I afraid of the serpentine, piercing trident of Lord Siva. I do not care about the punishment of Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, nor am I afraid of fire, scorching sun, moon, wind, nor the weapons of Kuvera. Yet I am afraid of offending a brahmana. I am very much afraid of this." (SB 5.10.17)

When we ponder these and other similar statements it is no wonder we stammer before questioning the behavior of, correcting, chastising, or looking critically or even objectively at anyone wearing tilak. Wanting to play it safe, we conclude it is better to assume everyone in Vaisnava dress worthy of worship rather than risk committing the mad elephant offense. The purpose of this essay is to examine this demeanor and determine if it is in fact secure.

In order to avoid sadhu-ninda, the Thakura explains, we must consider two vital factors. First, we must precisely understand what a sadhu is and to this aim he cites Sri Krsna's instructions to Uddhava regarding the twenty-six qualities of a devotee: "The devotee is merciful, tolerant, equal to all, and performs penance without injuring the body. He is truthful, pure-hearted, compassionate, his intelligence is free from lust, and he is master of the senses. He makes no claims of ownership, is gentle, clean, peaceful, regulated in eating, and apathetic to materialism. He is patient, steady, and takes Lord Krsna as his only shelter. The devotee is free from illusion, is grave, has conquered over hunger, thirst, lamentation, envy, old age and death; he does not expect honor, offers respect to others, is expert; does not cheat and is knowledgeable. (...)" (SB 11.11.29-32)

Bhaktivinoda points out how twenty-five of these qualities are external, and the remaining one - that Krsna is his only shelter - is the internal and most essential. He then establishes that the only real sadhu is a devotee of Krsna. It should be noted that offending one who has taken Krsna as his only shelter results in the previously mentioned devastating results while offenses to Vaisnavas of lesser caliber yield lesser negative reactions.

The second vital factor is that we must diligently avoid that activity which invariably leads to sadhu-ninda or vaisnava aparadha. The Thakura declares this to be asat-sanga - association with those absorbed in temporary or materialistic activity. Asat-sangis are naturally offensive to vaisnavas so their association must be strictly avoided. Indeed, renouncing the association of materialists is a natural symptom of a Vaisnava: asat-sanga-tyaga - ei vaisnava-acara (CC Madhya 22.87)

As Bhaktivinoda cites the symptoms of Vaisnavas he also clearly defines the characteristics of the asat-sangis. In Harinama-cintamani, he divides them in two broad categories: stri-sangis and non devotees. He describes stri-sangis as those who have sexual connection with women other than their wife, and those who are excessively attached to their wife. The non devotees include Mayavadis, dharmadhvajis (pretenders), and atheists.

In Sri Bhaktyaloka he allocates the asat-sangis into seven more specific categories: (1) mayavadis and atheists, (2) sense enjoyers, (3) those fond of sense enjoyers, (4) women, (5) womanizers, (6) the hypocritically devout (dharmadhvaji), and (7) the ill-behaved foolish outcastes.

Having defined in detail the sadhu and affirmed asat-sanga as the single most detrimental activity, Bhaktivinoda has armed the sadhaka with the scientific information required to effectively avoid sadhu-ninda. When we find one with that essential quality, we inquire from and serve him, and when we find one who fits in any of the seven categories, we offer our respects from a distant place. Now this would be an easy task but for one thing: Bhaktivinoda warns that the worst of the asat sangis, the hypocritically devout, "wears the clothes of a devotee to accomplish materialistic ends. He is a person who has no devotion or attachment in the heart but makes a show of it externally." These illuminating words mean the dharmadhvaji has the external appearance of a Vaisnava, but lacks the aforementioned essential internal symptom. Thus it is not a safe stance to accept that all that glitters is gold.

This indeed poses a serious practical problem for the aspiring devotee. What if in our attempt to "play it safe", we contact a dharmadhvaji? Bhaktivinoda even mentions that in Kali-yuga most people fall into this category so it is not an unlikely proposal. Actually, it's safe to assume we will. So when we do, and owing to donning Vaisnava-colored glasses, we engage in the six loving exchanges with him/her, we are sure to be infected. Hitopadesa explains, just as when a cloth is put in a solution of dye it takes on the same color, so a person becomes colored by the company he keeps. Thus Bhaktivinoda warns, "One should give up the association of dharmadhvajis, the hypocritically devout, with special care. Those who accept the external signs of dharma but do not actually follow dharma are hypocrites and fools, or the cheaters and the cheated. Better associate with sense enjoyers, for in this whole world there is no worse association than the dharmadhvaji."

Dharmadhvajis loom amongst both the cheaters and the cheated. If we allow ourselves to be cheated we actually become implicated in cheating others. Yes, the cheater is active and the cheated is passive, but that is of little consolation. The cheated also cheat as they serve as decoys to allure others who feel safe in numbers. The cheated increase the following of the cheaters and hence their influence.

Now, please do not accuse me of proposing there are no Vaisnavas anywhere. I know there are. I want to encourage avoiding extremes. At the one end we have the idea that everyone is a Vaisnava and at the other, that no one is. Both extremes are undesirable and unsafe. We applaud something in between - something that can be called healthy skepticism. Let this inspire us to play it safe by honing our discrimination to the optimum and applying it relentlessly. Yes, risk is involved, but much less than in the popular unsound proposal.

IF YOUR AIM IS LOVE OF GODHEAD BEWARE OF VAISNAVA APARADHA.