8
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 1]
uttama-ślokasya —who is praised with excellent verses;  śrīmat-caraṇa-aravinda —of the feet, which are just like the most beautiful fragrant lotus flowers;  makaranda —honey;  rase —in the nectar;  āveśita —absorbed;  cetasaḥ —whose hearts;  bhāgavata —to the devotees;  parama-haṁsa —liberated persons;  dayita —pleasing;  kathām —glorification;  kiñcit —sometimes;  antarāya —by impediments;  vihatām —checked;  svām —own;  śiva-tamām —most exalted;  padavīm —position;  na —do not;  prāyeṇa —almost always;  hinvanti —give up.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī  said: What you have said is correct. The glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is praised in eloquent, transcendental verses by such exalted personalities as Brahmā, are very pleasing to great devotees and liberated persons. One who is attached to the nectarean honey of the Lord's lotus feet, and whose mind is always absorbed in His glories, may sometimes be checked by some impediment, but he still never gives up the exalted position he has acquired.
PURPORT
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī  accepted both of the King's propositions—that a person who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot embrace materialistic life again and that one who has embraced materialistic life cannot take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness at any stage of his existence. Although accepting both these statements,  Śukadeva Gosvāmī  qualified them by saying that a person who has once absorbed his mind in the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead may sometimes be influenced by impediments, but he still does not give up his exalted devotional position.
According to  Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura , there are two kinds of impediments to devotional service. The first is an offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava. This is called  vaiṣṇava-aparādha .  Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu  warned His devotees not to commit  vaiṣṇava-aparādha , which He described as the mad elephant offense. When a mad elephant enters a beautiful garden, it destroys everything, leaving a barren field. Similarly, the power of  vaiṣṇava-aparādha  is so great that even an advanced devotee becomes almost devoid of his spiritual assets if he com-