# Vaiṣṇava Aparādha *On the danger of offending devotees* --- ### Mad Elephant > Therefore, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His teaching to Sri Rūpa Goswāmī, He has especially, *vaiṣṇava-aparādha hātī mātā.*. You are doing everything. He has compared *vaiṣṇava*-*aparādha* as mad elephant. He has very nicely metaphorically explained this. Just like you have a nice garden, very good garden, you are watering, you are giving protection, giving manure, everything. But if in that garden a mad elephant enters, then it will destroy everything; all your labor will go to hell immediately. It will destroy everything. — [[spoken/1972/720305sb.cal|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.8, Calcutta, March 5, 1972]] --- ### Little Offense Magnified > But we should not create such position, dangerous. It is already dangerous. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also very cautious about spiritual life. *Sannyāsīra alpa chidra bāhu kori mane.* Others may violate the laws, and so many sinful activities they are doing, but nobody takes very serious care. But when a religious group or a *sannyāsī* commits little offense, it is magnified a thousand times. Therefore we should be very careful not to make anything which may be magnified to the eyes of the public. Because we are preaching. We are preaching, and there is always demonic party who want to put us in difficulty. That is natural. Even Hiraṇyakaśipu, being the father of Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was also putting him into difficulty. — [[spoken/1975/750308ar.lon|Arrival Address, London, March 8, 1975]] --- ### Remain Sincere > But if we remain sincere and go on chanting, these dangers will be over. Don't be afraid. Don't stop your regular regulative principles and regular activities, program. Go on with it. Depend on Kṛṣṇa, and gradually everything will be all right. — [[spoken/1975/750308ar.lon|Arrival Address, London, March 8, 1975]] --- ### Dangers Come and Go > So there is always, if you stay in a very good boat, still, because the platform is water you cannot think that the boat is always very smooth and without any trouble. So material world is always full of troubles. So if we keep ourself in our standing., in our standard, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa regularly, then the dangers will be over. Dangers, they are not also permanent. They come and go like the seasonal changes. Sometimes it is very hot; sometimes it is very cold. So Kṛṣṇa has advised that *āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata.*. So don't be diverted from the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra,* and don't be afraid of because there is some danger and danger. Take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra,* and dangers will be over. — [[spoken/1975/750308ar.lon|Arrival Address, London, March 8, 1975]] --- ### Kṛṣṇa Upholds the Devotee's Promise > Therefore he said that *tad-bhṛtya-ṛṣi-vākyam ṛtaṁ vidhātum. Ṛṣi-vākya.* Even the devotee or the servant of Kṛṣṇa says something, even it is wrong, Kṛṣṇa upholds this. *Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati*. So even it is wrongly done, still, Kṛṣṇa fulfills because He thinks that "My servant has promised; it must be fulfilled." Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja, in the previous verse he has said, *tava bhṛtya-pārśva.* So to serve the servant of Kṛṣṇa is better than to serve directly Kṛṣṇa, because if the servant of Kṛṣṇa promises something, if the servant of Kṛṣṇa says, "I'll take you to Kṛṣṇaloka," you must go there. Even Kṛṣṇa cannot do that. He can; I mean to say that He does not say very easily. But if a servant. *Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ.* Therefore our philosophy is to please the servant of God, *tad-bhṛtya, bhṛtyasya bhṛtya.* Then it is very nice. The success is. — [[spoken/1976/760307sb.may|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.29, Māyāpur, March 7, 1976]] --- *5 verified verbatim quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on vaiṣṇava aparādha*