Vaisnava Aparadha

September 6, 2004

hi, im suffering very badly because i thought very ill of the Lord and the Vaisnavas, especially, Swami Prabhupada. For some reason or another, my mind still thinks ill although I dont want to, is there any solution for this?

gHari · September 7, 2004

Read Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

krsna · September 7, 2004

Introduction

The Heart of Krsna

(Vaishnava Aparadha &

The Path of Spiritual Caution)

by

His Divine Grace

Om Visnupad

Srila Bhakti Promod

Puri Goswami Maharaja

__

THE ETYMOLOGICAL development of the word aparadha is radhat arthat aradhanat- apagatah, which means "to be distanced from worship."

Offenses committed at the lotus feet of Vaishnavas, the Devotees, distance one from devotional service to the Supreme Lord. But in a higher sense it means to be removed from the service of Sri Radha. All divine service to Krishna is being conducted under her direction. To offend her servitors is to make one unfit for her divine service. The whole aim of Krishna consciousness is radha-dasyam, the divine service of Sri Radha, and offenses at the lotus feet of Vaishnavas make one unfit for such service.

The Lord is overly protective of his devotees (bhakta-vatsala ). He cannot tolerate any offenses against them. They have bhakti (devotion), and they can awaken it within us. Bhakti is the sole means to attract Krishna, who is a slave of devotion. The same is true of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The Caitanya-Bhagavata states:

A person can attain the shelter of Mahaprabhu only by the grace of a higher Vaishnava. Religious practices and even chanting the Holy Name without devotion is useless.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada writes in his commentary:

Without developing a spirit of service, chanting the Holy Name is vain. Real devotion can only be cultivated when one receives the blessings of an unalloyed devotee.

Bhakti means devotion. Vrndavana dasa Thakur says:

If a person commits an offense at the lotus feet of a Vaishnava, even though he may have received Krishna's mercy, he will never attain divine love, prema. (Chaitanya-bhagavata Madhya-lila 22.8)

Srila Prabhupada writes:

Even if one is a Vaishnava, if he commits offenses to the Holy Name, he becomes unfit to render pure devotion. Although it may appear that he is still being shown favor by the Lord as he continues to make a show of chanting without difficulty, the Lord is actually very displeased with him because of his antagonism toward devotees. Therefore, to give up nama-aparadha we must first give up sadhu-ninda or finding fault with devotees.

Regarding the phrase krsna krpa hoileo ("even though he may receive Krishna's mercy"), Srila Saraswati Thakur comments:

People may think that because an offender appears to continue to chant without difficulty, the Lord must still favor him, but they are wrong. The Lord is not even slightly moved by their sham devotion.

The author of Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Vrndavana dasa Thakur, says that these statements are not his alone; they are the verdict of the Vedas. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur did not tolerate any disrespect towards genuine Vaishnavas. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also emphatically denounced any insults directed at Vaishnava devotees. To understand the seriousness of vaisnava-aparadha, offending devotees, one must grasp the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu is the source of all incarnations in Kali-yuga and the savior of all souls. He is Krishna, the son of Maharaja Nanda, fully enriched with the mood and radiance of Sri Radha. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami offers prayers to all of these manifestations in the preface of Sri Caitanya-caritamarta:

vande gurun isa-bhaktan

isam isavatarakan

tat-prakasams ca tac-chaktih

krsna-caitanya-samjnakam

I offer my obeisances unto all the gurus, the devotees, the Lord's avataras, his expansions, his saktis (energies), and the primeval Lord Himself, Sri Krishna Chaitanya. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.1)

In the same way that Mahaprabhu is Krishna, he expands as Nityananda Prabhu (prakasa ), who is Balarama. Balarama's partial expansion is Sadasiva, Maha-Vishnu Avatara, whose counterpart in Chaitanya-lila is Advaita Acarya. What is left of Sri Radhika after Krishna has plundered her emotions and lustre is Sri Gadadhara Pundit. Sri Gadadhara and Svarupa Damodara are his sakti (energies). Bhakta means Srivasa Thakur who is Sri Narada Muni in Krishna-lila. Isa, Divinity means Mahaprabhu Himself. The complete conception of Divinity must include the predominating moiety and the predominated moeity. The slightest disregard to any one of these is equal to disregrading the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. There are two aspects to the guru principle: the siksa or instructing guru, and the diksa or initiating guru. Both are represented in Srivasa Thakura.

In the beginning of the second chapter of the Antya-lila of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja offers the following invocation:

vande ham sri-guroh

sri yuta-.-kamalam

sri-gurun vaisnavams ca

sri-rupam sagrajatam

saha-gana-raghunathan vitam tam sa jivam

sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam

sri-krsna-caitanya-devam

sri-radha-krsna-padan

saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

(Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 2.1)

I offer my obeisances unto the lotus feet of my Guru and to all the preceptors on the path of devotion. I offer my obeisances unto all the Vaishnavas and to Sri Rupa Goswami and his associates Raghunatha dasa, and Sri Jiva. I offer my obeisances to Advaita Acarya, Nityananda Avadhuta, Gadadhara Pundit, and to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with all his devotees, headed by Srivasa Thakura. I then offer my obeisances to the lotus feet of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna, and all the gopis headed by Lalita and Visakha. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 2. 1)

In the above invocatory prayers (mangala-carana ), the Vaishnavas are venerated. Kaviraja Goswami writes further:

Before beginning the narration of the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, simply by meditating on Sri Guru, the Vaishnavas, and Divinity, I invoke their benediction. Such meditation destroys all detriments on the spiritual path, and helps one to fulfill all their desires.

We must note very carefully that the Vaishnavas have been included within the full conception of Divinity.

These writings describe the Vaishnava's extraordinary qualities, and the spiritual benefit resulting from serving them. There are also several warnings regarding the disastrous effects of vaisnava-aparadha.

The Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 19.156 states:

If a devotee commits vaisnava-aparadha, his offense is like a mad elephant uprooting and trampling his creeper of devotion; afterwards the creeper's leaves dry up and become lifeless.

There are three categories of Vaishnavas: kanistha (neophyte), madhyama (intermediate), and uttama (advanced) described in the Caitanya-caritamrta. Kaviraja Goswami states that to gain shelter of a Vaishnava, it is imperative to first receive the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu:

All of the Vaishnavas who live in Vrndavana are absorbed in singing the all-auspicious name of Sri Krishna. Sri Mahaprabhu and Nityananda are their life and soul. They do not know anything but devotion to Sri Radha and Krishna. My shelter at the Vaishnavas' lotus feet has been granted only by the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prahhupada corroborates this fact:

All of the Vaishnavas living in the holy dhama of Sri Vrndavana are very fortunate souls. They have taken shelter in the Holy Name of Krishna. Sriman Mahaprabhu and Nityananda are their life and soul. They know nothing but the eternal service of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna.

Krishna's mercy descends only through the Vaishnavas.

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura, a nitya-siddha (eternal associate) of the Lord, instructs the devotees to pray to Mahaprabhu. He says that we should seek shelter in the shade of a Vaishnava's lotus feet, shed tears of remorse with total humility, submitting to him the plight of our material existence, which is the result of turning away from Krishna. The Vaishnava is an ocean of compassion and feels the pain of others. When he pleads on our behalf to the Lord, Krishna responds and kindly accepts us as the followers of his favorites. Krishna's mercy descends only through the Vaishnavas.

There is Krishna and karsna. Krishna's mercy is embodied in pure devotees, who are known as karsna. The lotus feet of a Vaisnava guru represents the mercy of the Lord. Krishna is the priceless treasure enthroned in Sri Guru's heart. The Lord can easily give this treasure to those who are surrendered to his devotees. There is no other way to receive Krishna's grace than to serve and take shelter at the lotus feet of a Vaishnava. Sri Kaviraja Goswami discusses the importance of honoring the Vaishnava's remnants, using the example of Sri Kalidasa, the uncle of Raghunatha Dasa Goswami:

Taking the food remnants of Vaishnavas is so potent, it forced Mahaprabhu to give his mercy to Kalidasa. Don't hesitate-eat the Vaishnava's remnants, and you will fulfill your heart's desire.

Food offered to Krishna is called maha-prasadam. After maha-prasadam is taken by a devotee, his remnants are glorified as maha-maha-prasadam. The dust of a pure devotee's feet, the water of his foot bath, and his food remnants are three extremely potent spiritual substances. By honoring these three, one will be filled with ecstatic love for Krishna. All the scriptures declare this again and again. My dear devotees, please hear me: believe in these three and honor them in a mood of service, and you will achieve the purpose of your existence-ecstatic love of Krishna. This is the greatest mercy of Krishna, and Kalidasa is living proof.

In Kalyana-Kalpataru, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur writes:

When will Mahaprabhu shower his mercy upon me so I may have shelter in the shade of the Vaishnava's lotus feet? I will humbly stand before the Vaishnava holding a straw between my teeth, weeping I will tell him of my miserable life, and I shall give up all self-deception. I will admit that my life is one never-ending misery and beg him to put an end to all of this. The kind Vaishnava will beg Sri Krishna with all his might, and Krishna, moved by the Vaishnava's sincerity, will shower his divine grace.

And in Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur writes:

O Vaishnava, you are an ocean of mercy. Please shower your compassion upon me. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify my polluted heart. I am following you, begging-Sri Krishna is yours-you have the power-give him to me!

Narottama dasa Thakura sings a similar song:

I am so sinful; how can I possibly serve the Lord? I have no love for my guru. I have no love for the devotees and I am constantly deluded. I am so absorbed in material life that I have forgotten who I am. The witch Maya is waiting to hang a noose around my neck. I have no power to resist her on my own. I am helpless without your mercy. I know that you never see the faults of anyone, so I'm begging you-please save me." (Prarthana )

Narottama's songs are filled with wonderful glorification of Vaishnavas. They are treasured by all devotees as priceless instructions for increasing one's devotion. From his childhood, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada chose Narottama's songbook as his constant companion on the path of devotion. Vrndavana dasa Thakura considered himself to be the last direct servant of Nityananda Prabhu. He has glorified the Vaishnavas throughout his masterpiece Sri Caitanya-Bhagavata. In his introduction he writes:

I first offer my unlimited obeisances at the feet of Sri Krishna Chaitanya's dearest associates, the devotees. And then I pray to him, who appeared in Nabadwip and was also known as Visvambhara.

Sri Vrndavana dasa offers his humble obeisances unto Mahaprabhu's devotees, and then to Sri Mahaprabhu. He explains:

The Supreme Lord has boldly declared in all the scriptures that 'The worship of my devotees is higher than worshipping me.' By first glorifying the Vaishnavas, I am guaranteed success in writing my book. (This statement was made by Krishna to Uddhava in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.)

The next statement is from the Itihasa-Samuccaya :

If one wants God's mercy, he must first serve his devotees. Only this will satisfy the Lord; of this there is no doubt.

The following verse, from the Pausayana-Sruti, is quoted in Srila Madhvacarya's commentary on the Brahma-Sutra :

Worship the devotees, serve them, hear from them, and they will protect you.

The Mundaka-Upanisad states:

If you want the real treasure of liberation you must serve the Lord's pure devotee.

In his Govinda-Bhasya commentary, Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes Srimad-Bhagavatam :

jnane prayasam-udapasya namanta eva

jivanti sanmukharitam bhavadlya-vartam

sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir

ye prayas'o 'jita jito'py asi tais tri-lokyam

(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.3)

Brahma prayed to Krishna,

My dear Lord, those who have given up abstract thinking and armchair philosophizing, start hearing about you from devotees and begin divine service with their body, mind, and words. Although you are unconquerable and rarely attained, you are conquered by them.

In the Padma Purana, Shiva says to his wife Parvati:

O Goddess, higher than the worship of all the gods and goddesses is the worship of the Supreme Lord Vishnu. But higher still is the worship of everyone and everything that is dear to Him, including Ganga devi, Tulasi devi, the book Bhagavata and the devotee Bhagavata.

Vrndavana dasa cautions us against seeing Vaishnavas externally. Such superficial vision is condemned:

In order to teach us the absurdity of judging devotees externally according to race, color, family, or other considerations, the Supreme Lord arranged for Haridasa Thakura to take birth in the lowest section of society. All the scriptures emphasize that if a pure devotee appears even in the lowest social circumstances, he is still to be worshipped by everyone.

A Vaishnava may appear in any family or section of society, yet he is still the most elevated person by the decree of the scriptures.

God is the protector of all living entities, and he cannot tolerate insults and disrespect shown to his devotees. Extremely mindful of his dear devotee's well-being, he refuses to accept any worship from those who slight them. The Lord loves his devotees so much that he not only accepts food and gifts from them, but sometimes he even steals their offerings! Whereas he is repulsed by offerings from a non-devotees.

In one pastime, Krishna was very eager to eat plain chipped rice cooked by Vidura's wife, and ignored a royal feast set by Duryodhana. Similarly the Lord could not resist eating the few morsels of flat rice offered by Sudama. He told him:

O Brahmin! What wonderful things have you brought for me from your home? Even a small offering from a devotee is a grand feast for me, whereas a non devotee's feast cannot satisfy me in the least. Anything offered to me with love, I accept with love.

Sriman Mahaprabhu quotes from the Itihasa Samuccaya, recorded by Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja:

A person may learn all the Vedas, but if he has no devotion, how can he be my devotee? Whereas if a person born into the lowest section of society has devotion, he is very dear to me. All respect must be given to such an elevated soul. His offerings must be accepted by all, for he is as much worthy of worship as I am.

Mahaprabhu also quotes Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya:

A Brahmin's sins are burnt to ashes by the powerful fire of krsna-bhakti. Whereas if a Vedic scholar is an atheist, he is derided. Anyone devoid of devotion may take birth in a great family or nation, have extensive knowledge of the scriptures, perform austerities, or chant Vedic mantras, but such things are like ornaments on a dead body. Only fools will be impressed.

When Mahaprabhu went to embrace Haridasa Thakura, with all humility Haridasa said to him:

My dear Lord, please do not touch me. I am most fallen, the lowest of men. Mahaprabhu replied: I want to touch you just to purify myself. You are so pure, it is as if at every moment you are bathing in all the sacred rivers, visiting all the holy places of pilgrimage, and performing every sacrifice, austerity, and charity imaginable. You are more exalted than any Brahmin or sannyasi.

The Lord then recited this sloka from the Srimad Bhagavatam:

One who always chants your Holy Name, even though born in the worst circumstances, is a saint. We can understand that he must have performed all austerities and sacrifices, bathed in all the holy rivers, and mastered the Vedas. Therefore he is a true Aryan (one who is pure).

In the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, it is declared:

When a person is admitted into Vishnu's family, he is called a Vaishnava. It has been said that of all people, the Vaishnava is certainly the most exalted.

The Dvaraka-Mahatmya states:

A person who is devoted to Janardana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a saint even if he is born into a low-class family; whereas if a person is born into an aristocratic family of noble lineage and is not a devotee of the Lord, he is of bad blood.

Any association with non-Vaishnavas or with Brahmins who lack devotion is categorically denounced. The Padma Purana states:

The association of meat-eaters is strictly prohibited because their lifestyle goes against scriptural regulations; in the same manner, contact with a non-Vaishnava Brahmin must be avoided. Whereas a Vaishnava-one who is initiated and who is affectionate to the Lord and his devotees--even if born into a low-class family, is capable of purifying all three worlds.

Vrndavana dasa says that intimate association with non-Vaishnavas, regardless of their parentage, is suicidal. According to the Padma Purana, the characteristics of a Vaishnava are as follows:

One who is dedicated to worshipping Vishnu, who has received initiation into a Vishnu-mantra, is classified as a Vaishnava by spiritual preceptors; all others are non-Vaishnavas." (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 1.55)

Those who are simply born into a Brahmin family but are non-Vaishnavas, and who are inimical towards Vishnu and Vaishnavas, are condemned. Vrndavana dasa cries out against these namesake Brahmins, citing the Varaha Purana:

In Kali-yuga, demons will be born in smarta Brahmin families to harass and torture the righteous devotees of the Lord. The demons choose Kali-yuga to be born in, so they can torment those rare persons who adhere to the path enunciated by the Vedas (sruti ). They viciously attempt to disrupt the devotee's service to the Supreme Lord.

These Brahmin impostors view Vaishnavas who have a bad background with contempt. They scoff at their spiritual practices, or when they see them receive honor and respect, they vainly try to expose the Vaishnava's background, and other mundane trivialities. The Brhad Aranyaka Sruti describes them, saying:

One who leaves the world fully understanding the Absolute Truth is honored as a Brahmin, but one who does not has wasted his life.

According to Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja, not only should one not consider the form of God to be mundane, but the same is true of his devotees.As written by Srila Krishna-Dvaipayana Vyasadeva, the author of Srimad-Bhagavatam:

There is no greater blasphemy than to think that the body of Vishnu is material. And Mahaprabhu says: The Vaishnava's body is never mundane; it is supramundane, and supercharged with ecstasy. (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 7.155, Antya-lila 4.191)

The use of the term atmasama does not imply that pure devotees are equal to the Supreme Lord in every respect. The Supreme Lord is the only one who possesses transcendental qualities to an infinite degree. The jiva can only possess these qualities to a finite degree.

Mahaprabhu says: "The finite and the Infinite can never be considered equal, just as a tiny spark is never equal to a fire." The following verse is found in the Bhagavat Sandarbha and also in Sridhara Swami's commentary to the Srimad-Bhagavatam:

The Supreme Lord is the embodiment of etenality, knowledge, and bliss. Two of his multifarious spiritual energies are: hladini-sakti, the pleasure-giving potency, and samvit, perfect knowledge of the self and all other things, while the jivas are cocooned in ignorance, and deeply anchored in suffering.

Only by taking complete shelter of Sri Radhika and her serving group, the hladini sakti, can we realize our innate spiritual identity and service to the holy lotus feet of Sri Guru, Gauranga, and Krishna. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja explains further why a pure Vaishnava's body is aprakrta, or supramundane:

At the time of diksa (initiation), the devotee surrenders to Krishna with body and soul. In reciprocation, Krishna accepts him, elevating him, body and soul, to a status equal to his own. The Lord transforms the Vaishnava's body and makes it a repository of transcendental emotions." (Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 8. 192-193)

He then quotes the Srimad-Bhagavatam:

When people reject materialism and conduct their lives under my direction, they attain immortality. They become eligible to be with me and share spiritual emotions (rasa ) with me in their spiritual identity." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.34)

But what is meant by surrender, Srila Saraswati Prabhupada writes in his Anubhasya commentary:

Although one who has completely renounced the world (akincana ) and one who is completely sheltered in Krishna (saranagatah ) may appear to be the same externally, the devotee who has given up the world has also offered his soul. At the time of initiation, the devotee gives up material conceptions while he begins to understand sambandha-jnana, one's eternal relationship with God and those who are part of the family of God. When the devotee gives up the shelter of maya, he takes shelter of Krishna and is Krishnized. At this stage, the devotee's delusion as enjoyer of material pleasures dissipates, and his real self merges with his new identity as an eternal servant of Krishna. The devotee attains his spiritual body (sac cid ananda svarupa )and his eternal service to Krishna, serving him in his own transcendental form. The pure devotee's ecstatic service is an elevated stage of devotion which is often misinterpreted and misunderstood by those unacquainted with the science of devotion. For this kind of aparadha one is deprived of the shelter of a Vaishnava guru." (Anubhasya, Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya 4.193)

Mahaprabhu taught everyone that a Vaishnava's transcendental body is unlike that of an ordinary person, or even an extraordinary person. The Lord did not view personalities like Haridasa Thakura, who took birth in a low-class family, or Sanatana Goswaml, whose body was diseased, or Vasudeva Vipra, who was suffering from acute leprosy, as social outcasts or disease ridden beggars. Instead he embraced them, proving that a pure devotee's body is never impure. The pure devotee's body is transcendental, infused with spiritual bliss, and best suited to serve Krishna. As the Lord himself says:

mad-bhakta-pujyabhyadhika

sarva-bhutesu man-matih

The worship of my devotees is the real worship of me. In fact it is higher than worshipping my very self. (Bhag. 11.19.21)

My dear devotees, please read and listen carefully to the divine stories and instructions that follow, and pray to the Supreme Lord and his devotees-the Vaishnavas-that we may always worship and adore them, and thereby enter The Heart of Krishna.

krsna · September 7, 2004

The Mad Elephant - a lecture given by

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja:

Mahaprabhu says:

yadi vaisnava-aparadha uthe hati mata

upade va chinde, tara sukhi; yaya pata

If the devotee commits an offense at the feet of a vaisnava while cultivating the creeper of devotional service in the material world, his offense is compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and breaks it. In this way the leaves of the creeper are dried up.

tate mali yatna kari; kare avarana

aparadha-hastira yaiche na haya udgama

The gardener must defend the creeper by fencing it all around so that the powerful elephant of offenses may not enter.

One very, very wicked, very dangerous animal comes. That is a mad elephant. This is vaisnava-aparadha. Vaisnava-aparadha is a mad elephant. This dangerously wicked animal can still come. Even at this stage, if some sadhu or vaisnava commits aparadha at the lotus feet of such a dear vaisnava, then this mad elephant comes, breaks their fences, enters into their garden, and completely devastates everything. This elephant pulls the creeper out from its root and throws it away ; finished. upade va chinde, tara sukhi; yaya pata ; Completely uprooted, the creeper becomes dried up. So one should be most careful that this dangerous and wicked animal should not enter into your garden. Take the utmost care to maintain this bhakti-lata creeper.

Sin and Offense

At this point I want to mention something about papa and aparadha. One should understand that there is a difference between sinful activity and offense. One may be a greatly sinful person who has committed many sinful activities in this life and previous lives, but all of these sinful reactions are like dhuli-lepa, layers of dust. They can be washed off very easily. But aparadhas are like vajra-lepa, very strong layers like a thunderbolt. They cannot be washed off. This is the difference. The reaction to sinful activities can be easily washed off. If you merely chant Hare Krishna and attain the stage of namabhasa, then karmic reactions are washed away. The example is Ajamila. He was a very sinful person. Chitragupta, who records all of the sinful activities of the conditioned souls, had made a very big book for him. When the Yamadutas came to take him, Ajamila uttered the name of Narayan. He was only calling his son, yet he attained the stage of namabhasa and his sins were completely washed off, finished. So, sin is like dhuli-lepa, a layer of dust, which is very easily washed off. But aparadha is a layer like a thunderbolt.

Even the Supreme Lord tells Durvasa Muni, ;I cannot wash it off. No. It is vajra-lepa, a very strong layer; If the Supreme Lord says He cannot wash it off, then who can? Only that vaisnava at whose feet you have committed aparadha can excuse you.

Jiva Goswami says that if a thorn has pierced your body on the heel, do you think that it will come out from the shoulder? It will only come out from where it was pierced ; the same heel. That means you must go and approach that vaisnava at whose lotus feet you committed the offense. Only he or she can excuse you. No other vaisnava can excuse you. Even the Supreme Lord cannot excuse you.

Even Lord Siva

Sulapani, Sivaji, is a very powerful person. He is so powerful that he drank an ocean of poison. He has such potency. However, Vrindavan Das Thakur has said:

sula-pani-sama yadi vaisnavere ninde

tathapiha nasa paya, ; kahe sastra-vrnde

iha na maniya ye sujana-ninda kare

janme janme se papistha daiva-dose mare

Even if a person is as powerful as sula-pani, Sivaji, still if he commits vaisnava-aparadha, if he criticizes a vaisnava, sadhu, who is dear to Krishna, then he falls down from his most elevated position and he perishes.

If someone cannot understand this and still blasphemes such a vaisnava, sadhu, then life after life he;ll go to hell and suffer ; janme, janme.

Mahaprabhu describes what punishment is awaiting such an offender:

prabhu bale, vaisnava nindaye yei jana

kustha-roga kon ;ra sastiye lekhana

apatatah sasti kichu haiyache matra

ara kata ache yama-yatanara patra

caurasi-sahasra yama-yatana pratyakse

punah-punah kari; bhunje vaisnava-nindake

It is written in the scriptures that one who blasphemes the vaisnavas will suffer from leprosy, after which he will be punished by the agents of Yamaraj again and again, in 84,000 births.

This is awaiting the person who does vaisnava-ninda, who blasphemes a vaisnava, sadhu. Not only do they go to hell but also all of their pitr-purusa, their forefathers, will also go to hell. Skanda Purana describes:

nindam kurvanti ye mudha vaisnavanam mahatmanam

patanti pitrbhih sardham maha-raurava-samjnite

hanti nindati vai dvesti vaisnavan nabhinandati

krudhyate yati no harsam darsane patanani .

There are six types of vaisnava aparadha: (1) One who kills a vaisnava. He is a great offender. (2) One who blasphemes a vaisnava. (3) One who upon seeing a vaisnava does not offer obeisances. (4) One who gets angry at a vaisnava, krodha kare. (5) One who upon seeing a vaisnava does not feel delighted. (6) Dvesti, one who thinks ill of a vaisnava in the mind. He does not speak anything but in the mind thinks, ;Oh, who is that?; Skanda Purana says, patanti pitrbhih sardham maha-raurava-samjnite ; Not only does such an offender go to hell but generations of his ancestors do also.

Hearing is an Offense

Srila Jiva Goswami has written, vaisnava ninda sravane ;pi dosa uktah ; If you hear someone criticizing, speaking ill of a vaisnava, then you also commit offense. The Bhagavatam says:

nindam bhagavatah srnvams tat-parasya janasya va

tato napaiti yah so ;pi yaty adhah sukrtac cyutah

Anyone who fails to immediately leave the place where he hears criticism of the Supreme Lord or His faithful devotee will certainly fall down, bereft of his pious credit.

In Bhakti-sandarbha Jiva Goswami has commented on this Bhagavatam verse:

tato ;pagamas casamarthasyaiva; samarthena tu nindaka-jihva chettavya; tatrapy asamarthena sva-prana-parityago ;pi kartavyah

Sastra says that if you hear such criticism then you will commit aparadha. It is better on your part to leave that place, I won;t hear; If you cannot leave, and if you have the power to cut out the tongue of the person who is blaspheming a vaisnava, then he will never say such things again. But if you cannot cut off the tongue of that blasphemer and you cannot leave the place, then it is better to kill yourself. Otherwise you will be an offender.

The example is given in the sixth canto of Bhagavatam of Sati, the wife of Sivaji and the daughter of Daksha Prajapati. vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh . Sivaji is a great vaisnava. His father-in-law, Daksha, criticized him, and thereby committed aparadha. Daksha was performing a sacrifice. He invited all of his daughters and sons-in-law, but he didn't invite Sati. Sati wanted to go there but Sivaji said, Don't go. We are not invited. Sati said, What invitation is required to go to the father's house. So Sati went. But there she heard her father Daksha criticizing Sivaji, vaisnavanam yatha sambhu. What should Sati do? She could not cut off the tongue of her father, and she could not leave the place, so she committed suicide and left her body. Vaisnava-aparadha is so serious, so dangerous. One should not commit it. It cannot be washed away. It is vajra-lepa, like a layer of thunderbolt. Papa, sinful activities, are like a dhuli-lepa, a layer of dust. They are very easily washed off. But this vajra-lepa, the layer like a thunderbolt, cannot be washed off. Only the vaisnava whom you offended can excuse you. Otherwise it cannot be washed off. Even the Supreme Lord says, "I cannot remove it."

The Lord tells Durvasa Muni, Go beg excuse from Ambarish Maharaja. If he will excuse you then you will be free from danger and this sudarsana-cakra will let you go. Otherwise the cakra won't leave you.

Questions

Devotee 2: Devotees sometimes think, 'This devotee is not really a vaisnava, he is only a neophyte, therefore if I think something bad of him it is all right.'

Gour Govinda Swami: Don't hear such a thing.

Devotee 1: It is very difficult to not hear such talk.

Gour Govinda Swami: Do you think it is easy to get Krishna? It is very difficult and it is very easy. You think, 'I will do all nonsense and I will get Krishna.' What is this? Day-dreaming! It is not so easy!

Devotee 2: So anyone could be a vaisnava.

Gour Govinda Swami: The jiva is vaisnava! jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya-dasa ,the svarupa of the jiva is vaisnava. But we have no such vision. We cannot see, because we are such rascals, degraded fellows. We are blind. We have no proper vision. So how can we see the svarupa? We only see the outward, nasty things, the outer body. We have no vision to see. But every jiva is a servant of Krishna , jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya-dasa, That is what Mahaprabhu has said. But we cannot see it. A real sadhu, paramahamsa, pays respect to one and all. amani manada Don't demand respect for yourself, rather, pay respect to one and all. A sadhu doesn't even disrespect an ant. He sees him as a jiva. You should know that before you offer respect to a sadhu, the sadhu has already paid respect to you in his mind. For practical dealings we have this consciousness of superior and inferior. But a sadhu offers respect to one and all. Seeing the jiva soul within, he doesn't disrespect even an ant.

Is Begging Forgiveness Enough?

The fourth canto, second chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam describes how Daksha, the son of Lord Brahma, organized a great sacrificial ceremony, but in the process committed an offense to the topmost vaisnava Lord Siva. Sivaji did not take Daksha's offense seriously and afterwards Daksha cried, begged forgiveness from Siva, and was forgiven. By the blessings of Lord Siva, Daksha was able to complete his sacrifice. However, in spite of achieving the forgiveness, Daksha had to suffer a reaction for his offense. Srimad Bhagavatam (4.30.48) describes:, yasyam mahad-avajnanad ajany ajana-yonijah . As a result of his offense to Lord Siva, Daksha had to take birth again, this time in a ksatriya family, a lower birth. In that next birth Daksha also committed an offense at the lotus feet of Sri Narada Muni. Jiva Goswami comments that this offense to Narada was an additional fruit of Daksha's previous offense to Lord Siva. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes this in his purport to Bhagavatam 4.4.13:

He [Daksha] offended the lotus feet of Lord Siva because he thought that his body, being the father of the body of Sati, was superior to Lord Siva;s. Generally, less intelligent men misidentify in that way, and they act in the bodily concept of life. Thus they are subject to commit more and more offenses at the lotus feet of great souls.

So if Lord Siva forgave Daksha, how is it that Daksha still had to suffer these multiple reactions? Why didn;t Lord Siva;s forgiveness forestall all reactions to the offense?

Earlier in the same purport, Srila Prabhupada gives a hint:

A great soul may forgive offenses, but Krishna does not excuse offenses to the dust of that great soul;s feet...

In his Bhakti-sandarbha (265.57-8), Srila Jiva Goswami says:

.-prabhrtisv aparadhe tu tat-santosanartham eva santata-nama-kirtanadikam samucitam ... uktas ca nama-kaumudyam — mahad-aparadhasya bhoga eva nivartakah tad-anugraho va

In order to be free from offenses unto great souls, one should please that same personality whom one originally offended through constantly engaging in the process of bhakti, beginning with the chanting of the holy names.... Nama-kaumudi confirms this as follows: 'Offenses to great devotees may be relieved either by experiencing the calamities they bring or by attaining the favor (anugraha) of the offended devotee.'

If Daksha had achieved the favor of Lord Siva then there should have been no reaction whatsoever. But Bhagavatam 4.7.16 describes that he only achieved the forgiveness of Lord Siva (ksama), and not his favor (anugraha). Because he retained the concept of being the father-in-law of Lord Siva, he could not see Lord Siva in a superior position as an advanced vaisnava and achieve his favor by bowing down to touch his feet.

One mundane example may serve to illustrate this important distinction. Suppose you lend some money to someone else, then later they come to you, apologize, and say that they are unable to repay you. You may say, ;OK, you are relieved of the debt; But are you satisfied by such behavior? No. Satisfaction can only come through being repaid the debt as originally promised. Similarly, 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 Krishna;s displeasure.

In contrast to the behavior of Daksha, when Durvasa Muni realized that he needed to achieve the favor of Maharaja Ambarish in order to become free of his offense, he bowed down and touched the feet of that great vaisnava, and immediately he was delivered. This he did even though he was a famous sadhu while Maharaja Ambarish was merely a king.

Another example is found in the pastime of Srila Gadadhar Pandit and Pundarik Vidyanidhi as described by Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur (Cb. madhya 7.44-113). Upon seeing the material opulence of Srila Pundarik Vidyanidhi, some doubts came to the mind of Gadadhar Pandit. Later when he realized the exalted position of Vidyanidhi Mahasay, Gadadhar felt great remorse and felt it necessary to take initiation from Pundarik in order to become free from what he considered to be his offense.

September 7, 2004

'Offenses to great devotees may be relieved either by experiencing the calamities they bring or by attaining the favor (anugraha) of the offended devotee.'

Does this mean that if I suffer then I can realize the faults? please pray for me that I suffer and realize the faults, I beg of you.