Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.26.24
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyGuard Against Offending Devotees
“O hero’s wife, kindly tell me if someone has offended you. I am prepared to give such a person punishment as long as he does not belong to the brāhmaṇa caste. But for the servant of Muraripu [Kṛṣṇa], I excuse no one within or beyond these three worlds. No one can freely move after offending you, for I am prepared to punish him.”
What the purport teaches
- The purport describes qualified brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas as knowing the consequences of breaking the laws of the state and nature. In the Vedic order described here, the king was not to punish them even for apparent violations.
- Material activities pollute pure intelligence, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Offending a brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava makes that consciousness especially difficult to revive.
- Chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra can remove material sins, but an offense to a Vaiṣṇava requires begging that devotee's pardon. One must seek forgiveness and please the person offended.
Try this today
If you have offended a devotee, offer a sincere apology and ask for forgiveness.
Ask yourself
Is there a devotee whose forgiveness I need to seek for something I have said or done?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.