Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.17.15
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesProtect Devotion by Avoiding Offenses
“O impudent one, my dear son, now take birth in a low, sinful family of demons so that you will not commit such an offense again toward exalted, saintly persons in this world.”
What the purport teaches
- An offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava is compared to a mad elephant destroying a garden. Such an offense can halt one’s entire spiritual career.
- A pure Vaiṣṇava should carefully perform his own duty without criticizing others. This is the safest way to avoid offending a Vaiṣṇava.
- Surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, includes surrendering to His devotees. One cannot properly serve Kṛṣṇa without serving His devotee.
Try this today
Do one small, practical service for a devotee today without finding fault.
Ask yourself
How can I give more attention to serving devotees than to criticizing them?
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.