# Cc. Madhya 19.156 ## Text > yadi vaiṣṇava-aparādha uṭhe hātī mātā > upāḍe vā chiṇḍe, tāra śukhi' yāya pātā ## Synonyms *yadi*—if; *vaiṣṇava*-*aparādha*—an offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava; *uṭhe*—arises; *hātī*—an elephant; *mātā*—mad; *upāḍe*—uproots; *vā*—or; *chiṇḍe*—breaks; *tāra*—of the creeper; *śukhi'*—shriveling up; *yāya*—goes; *pātā*—the leaf. ## Translation **"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.** ## Purport One's devotional attitude increases in the association of a Vaiṣṇava. > tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vāsa > janame janame haya, ei abhilāṣa By his personal example, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura stresses that a devotee must always remember to please his predecessor *ācārya.* The Gosvāmīs are represented by one's spiritual master. One cannot be an *ācārya* (spiritual master) without following strictly in the disciplic succession of the *ācāryas.* One who is actually serious in advancing in devotional service should desire only to satisfy the previous *ācāryas. Ei chaya gosāñi yāra, mui tāra dāsa.* One should always think of oneself as a servant of the servant of the *ācāryas,* and thinking this, one should live in the society of Vaiṣṇavas. However, if one thinks that he has become very mature and can live separate from the association of Vaiṣṇavas and thus gives up all the regulative principles due to offending a Vaiṣṇava, one's position becomes very dangerous. Offenses against the holy name are explained in *Ādi-līlā* (Chapter Eight, verse 24). Giving up the regulative principles and living according to one's whims are compared to a mad elephant, which by force uproots the *bhakti-latā* and breaks it to pieces. In this way the *bhakti-latā* shrivels up. Such an offense is especially created when one disobeys the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called *guru-avajñā.* The devotee must therefore be very careful not to commit offenses against the spiritual master. As soon as one is deviated from the spiritual master, the uprooting of the *bhakti-latā* begins, and gradually all the leaves dry up.