Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 19.156
Offenses Can Uproot the Devotional Creeper
“If the devotee commits an offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava 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.
What the purport teaches
- One’s devotional attitude increases in the association of a Vaiṣṇava.
- An offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava is compared to a mad elephant. It uproots and breaks the creeper of devotional service.
- The leaves of the damaged creeper dry up. A devotee cultivating devotional service must therefore take offenses seriously.
Try this today
Before speaking to or about a Vaiṣṇava today, pause and choose respectful words.
Ask yourself
Do my words and actions toward Vaiṣṇavas support or endanger my devotional life?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.