Vaisnava Amrta chapter 8 Avoding Vaisnava Aparadha

[Paramananda das]

 

Srila Narahari Thakura has warned us:

ohe bhai vaisnavete sabadhana habe
pranapana kari’ aparadha ksamaibe

O my brothers, please be very careful in dealing with the Vaisnavas. Beg their forgiveness for any offense with your heart and soul.

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)
(c) having a deformed body (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)

vaisnavera dosa-drste habe sabadhana
nirantara karibe vaisnavera guna-gana

Be careful not to see a Vaisnava’s faults, and always sing their glories.

purva purva bhagavata-gana ei kaya
vaisnavera kriya-mudra vijne na bujhaya

All of the previous great devotees have said, “No one can understand the behavior of a Vaisnava.”

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu priya-bhakta-dvare
anyere dilena siksa ei ta’ prakare

Although Srila Rupa Goswami is a highly elevated devotee very dear to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord used him to teach all of us of the dangers of Vaisnava aparadha.

bhakta--padma dhari’ mastaka-upara
bhakti-rasa-sayare dubaha nirantara

Hold the devotees’ lotus feet to your head and always dive in the nectar of pure devotional service

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has stated : 

A Vaisnava may be criticized on four counts:
1. His caste by birth
2. Previous sins or faults in this life
3. An unpremeditated accidental act of sin
4. Present traces of previous sinful activity
Though all these conditions may be present in a Vaisnava, they are insubstantial grounds for criticism of a Vaisnava. One who so blasphemes a Vaisnava will be punished by Yamaraja. Because the Vaisnava is spreading the glories of the Lord's name, the Lord does not tolerate such criticism of a Vaisnava. Giving up dharma, yoga, sacrifice and jnana for the name of Krishna, the Vaisnava is the topmost person. Criticism is a serious offense. Furthermore he does not criticize the scriptures or the demigods, but simply takes shelter of the name."
- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Harinama Cintamani: Chapter 4 - Blasphemy of Vaisnavas

The Laughter of Srila Rupa Goswami

From Srila Narahari Chakravarti’s Sri Bhakti-ratnakara, fifth wave

bhakta-sthane sabadhana habe sarva-mate
yena kona akausala nahe tan’ra cite

Always be careful in your dealings with devotees and never create any ill feelings in their hearts.

akausala ha-ile saba haya antaraya
prasanga paiya kichu kahiye ethaya

Creating ill feelings with the devotees will create impediments on one’s path. I will relate a story to reveal this truth.

One day in Vrindavan Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada sat rapt in meditation, feeling great bliss in his heart. While he was sitting in his samadhi he observed a wonderful pastime. The gopis were decorating Srimati Radharani while Krishna stood behind Her watching. Krishna revealed His presence to the sakhis, bringing an increasing festival of joy to their hearts, but Radharani was unaware that He was there. In many wonderful ways the gopis braided and decorated Radha’s hair. Then they placed a mirror before Her. As She gazed at the beauty of Her own face, Radharani also saw Sri Krishna’s moonlike face in the mirror. Radha became very shy and quickly covered Herself with Her cloth. The gopis happily laughed at this, and Srila Rupa Goswami also joined in their laughter.

Just at that moment a vaisnava arrived who was very eager to see Rupa Goswami. Seeing Rupa laughing, the vaisnava did not say anything, but feeling very sorrowful in his heart he went to see Srila Sanatan Goswami. [According to the tradition in Vrindavan, this vaisnava was a famous devotee named Krishnadas. It is said that Krishnadas was lame and unable to walk and that when Rupa Goswami laughed, Krishnadas thought that he was laughing at his disability.]

The vaisnava told Sanatan, “I went to see Sri Rupa, but when he saw me he suddenly burst into laughter. My heart filled with sorrow! I don’t know why he acted in that way. I didn’t say anything, but came to ask you about it.” Sri Sanatan then explained the true reason for Rupa Goswami’s laughter. Hearing this, the vaisnava became repentant at heart. Lamenting greatly, the vaisnava said, “Why did I approach him at that moment? Not understanding his heart, I have offended him.” The vaisnava became very agitated. Sanatan Goswami pacified him and made him peaceful again.

Meanwhile, when the vaisnava had felt offended, Srila Rupa Goswami suddenly lost his vision of the Lord’s pastimes. He became very disturbed and looked everywhere. Considering the situation carefully, he concluded that someone must have come to see him while he was absorbed in seeing Krishna’s pastimes. “I did not honor the person that came, and thereby I committed an offense.” Thinking in this way, Rupa also went to Sanatan Goswami’s place.

When he saw Prabhupada Srila Rupa Goswami coming, that vaisnava approached him. Falling on the ground, he offered his respects. With great humility he told Rupa, “O great soul, I have committed an offense to you. Please forgive me. Previously when I went to see you I did not understand that you were rapt in meditation.” Standing before Srila Rupa Goswami, the vaisnava prayed, “Please be kind and forgive me for my offense. If you are merciful to me, only then can my heart become peaceful.”

When he heard these words, Srila Rupa Goswami became very agitated at heart. Falling to the ground, he offered respectful obeisances to that vaisnava. Folding his hands, he said, “I have no power to say how great was the offense that I committed to you. Please kindly forgive me.”

Both devotees were very humble and both were filled with bhakti-rasa. Forgiving each other, they both became peaceful. The two of them then went to Srila Sanatan Goswami. For a long time they all plunged into relishing nectarean topics of Lord Krishna. When everyone heard about this incident they all became filled with wonder.

Concluding this story, Srila Narahari Chakravarti cautions everyone:

ohe bhai vaisnavete sabadhana habe
pranapana kari’ aparadha ksamaibe

O my brothers, please be very careful in dealing with the vaisnavas. Beg their forgiveness for any offense with your heart and soul.

vaisnavera dosa-drste habe sabadhana
nirantara karibe vaisnavera guna-gana

Be careful not to see a vaisnava’s faults, and always sing their glories.

purva purva bhagavata-gana ei kaya
vaisnavera kriya-mudra vijne na bujhaya

All of the previous great devotees have said, “No one can understand the behavior of a vaisnava.”

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu priya-bhakta-dvare
anyere dilena siksa ei ta’ prakare

Although Srila Rupa Goswami is a highly elevated devotee very dear to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord used him to teach all of us of the dangers of vaisnava aparadha.

bhakta-.-padma dhari’ mastaka-upara
bhakti-rasa-sayare dubaha nirantara

Hold the devotees’ lotus feet to your head and always dive in the nectar of pure devotional service.

Devotees should be eager to hear about the glories of Srimati Radharani , Srila Prabhodananda Sarasvati Thakura has given a sweet books Radha Rasasuddhanidhi. In stead of hearing of other devotees mistakes (Apa -Radha) we should relish to hear
the glories of Sri Radha.
"I meditate on the dust of Shri Radha's feet, dust that becomes a kamadhenu cow to give the nectar of rasa as the devotees celebrate a festival of spiritual love. Placing this dust on their heads, the beautiful gopis attain something even peacock-feather-crowned Krishna yearns to attain."

(I) THE RESULTS OF VAISHNAVA-APARADHA FOR DISCIPLE AND GURU

sulapani sama yadi vaishnavere ninde tathapiha nasa paya -- kahe shastra vrinde

"Even if some one of the level of the supremely powerful devotee and gunavatara Lord Shiva blasphemes a devotee, he will soon be destroyed. This is the verdict of all the scriptures." (CB Madhya 22.56)

iha na maniya ye sujana-ninda kare
janme janme se papistha daive dose mare

"Sinful people who ignore the above fact and critcize devotees suffer the heaviest of all punishment of providence birth and birth."(57)

anyera ki daya gaura-simhera janani
tanhare o vaisnavaparadha kari gani

"What to speak of others, even the supreme mother of the Supreme Lord Himself Gaura Simha was not exempt from being considered an offender of a Vaishnava." (58)

prabhu bale -- upadesa kahite se pari
vaisnavaparadha ami khandaite nari

Lord Gauranga Himself replied -- " I can give instructions how to eliminate the aparadha (like in the case of Durvasa and Ambarish), but I Myself even though being the Supreme Lord am unable to destroy an offense against a Vaishnava." (32)

ALL GURUS AND DISCIPLES PLEASE READ THESE VERSES CAREFULLY!

vaisnavera ninda karibeka yara gana
tara raksa-smarthya nahika kona jana

"A Vaishnava or a Guru is unable to protect any of his followers who engage in blasphemy of the Vaishnavas." (128)

Gaudiya Bhashya by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada:

[...]Those who after attaining the position of spiritual master either personally engage in blasphemy of Vaishnavas or support their followers' blasphemy of Vaishnavas certainly become degraded.

vaisnava-nindaka gana yahara asraya
apanei edaite tahara samsaya

"The deliverance of even a Guru or person whose followers engage in critcism of Vaishnavas is greatly doubtful."(129)

bada adhikari haya apane edaite
ksudra haile -- gana saha adhahpate yaya

"In such a case only if the Guru is greatly advanced and qualified in bhakti, maybe he can protect himself. But if he is weak in bhakti, then he is certainly sure to go to the darkest hellish regions and fall down from the platform of bhakti if his followers engage in vaisnava-ninda and he can't or does not stop them or reject them."(130)

 
sraddha-hine peye nama aparadhe mare
sange sange guruke abhakta shighra kare

"If a faithless unqualified person gets initiated into the chanting of Krishna's Name, then surely he or she will engage in nama-aparadha and be destroyed. Along with his or her own degradation, the disciple will also convert the Guru also into a non-devotee because the Guru gave the Name is the first place and thus is the cause for the offenses of the disciple."

sradhhahina jane artha lobhe nama diya
narakete jaya nama-aparadha majiya

"Therefore if the Guru gives initiation into the Krishna Mantra due to a desire for money or following, he will commit this namaparadha against Krishna's Name and will thus go to hell."

pramade yadyapi nama upadesha haya
sradhhahine tabe guru paya maha-bhaya

"Therefore a Guru should become very fearful when he comes to know that by mistake he has given Krishna-Mantra-Diksha to a faithless unqualified person with ulterior motives."

vaisnava samaje taha kari vigyapana
sei dusta sisya tyaga kare mahajana

"The Guru should announce in an assembly of devotees and in this way reject the sinful disciple who is engaging in Vaishnava aparadha or Nama aparadha."

taha na karile guru aparadha krame
bhakti-hina duracara haya maya bhrame

"If the Guru does not reject the envious disciple in this way, the Guru becomes implicated in this aparadha and quickly becomes devoid of bhakti and engages in abominable activities due to the bewilderment of the illusory energy or Maya."

iha na kariya jei dena nama dhana
sei aparadhe tara narekete patana

"Therefore if a Guru gives Krishna-Mantra-Diksha without creating strong faith in the disciple for Krishna-Nama, then the Guru falls down to hell due to his offense against Krishna-Nama."

nama peye sisya kare nama aparadha
tahate gurura haya bhakti rasa badha

"After receing Krishna-Nama-Diksha, if the disciple engages in Vaishnava aparadha or the ten nama-aparadha, then the Guru's advancement in bhakti rasa is checked or obstructed."

sei nama aparadhe dunhe sisya guru
narkete maje sei aparadha uru

"And due to this most powerful aparadha by the disciple and by the Guru too who does not stop, correct or reject his blasephemous or offensive disciple, both of them, Guru and disciple fall down into the hellish planets in their next life."
 

(II) THE ONLY THREE WAYS TO REMOVE VAISHNAVA-APARADHA

(1) TO GENUINELY BEG FORGIVENESS FROM THE VAISHNAVA OFFENDED:

ye vaisnava-sthane aparadha haya yara
puna se ksamile a paradha ghuce tara

If one offends a Vaisnava, the only way to get free from the offense is to go back that Vaisnava and beg his forgiveness. (Cb. Madhya 22.32)

kanta phute yei mukhe, sei mukhe yaya
paye kanta phutile ki kandhe bahiraya

Just as it takes a thorn to remove a thorn, the offense committed by the mouth [against a Vaisnava] must be cured with the mouth [by begging forgiveness]. (CB Antya 4.380)

(2) BY CHANTING THE NAME OF LORD NITYANANDA CONSTANTLY:

nityananda-prasade se ninda yaya ksaya
nityananda-prasade se visnu-bhakti haya

Only by the causeless mercy of of the name, form and pastimes of Lord Nityananda, one's offenses against Vaishnavas are destroyed and one attains devotional service of Lord Krishna.(136)

(3) BY READING THE ORIGINAL BENGALI VERSES OF CHAITANYA-BHAGAVATA, MADHYA-KHANDA CHP 22 DAILY OR REGULARLY:

e bada adbhuta katha suna savadhane
vaishnava aparadha ghuce ihara sravane

Listen carefully to this wonderful pastime of how Shri Shachimata got delivered from her offense against Shrila Advaita Acharya in this Chp 22. By hearing or reading this narration one will be become from the Vaishnava aparadha committed. (12)
 

ninda nahi nityananda sevakera mukhe
aharnisha caitanyera yasa gaya sukhe

The devotees who have received the great fortune to serve Lord Nityananda Balarama never engage in criticism or blasphemy of other Vaishnavas. Day and night their only activity is to blissfuly sing the name of Lord Gauranga.(137)

nityananda-bhakta saba dike savadhana
nityananda-bhrtyera caitanya dhana-prana

Thus the devotees of Lord Nityananda and always extremely cautious from all directions to totally avoid criticism of other Vaishnavas. Actually they have no time to criticze others because they are busy in chanting the glories of the names and pastimes of Lord Gauranga, who is their life and wealth.