370
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 10]
fixed in your determination, but I have committed an offense. Because of this, even though I may be as strong as Lord Śiva, I shall be vanquished without delay due to my offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava.
PURPORT
Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was very intelligent and conscious of the inauspicious effects arising from insulting a Vaiṣṇava. He was therefore very anxious to be excused by Jaḍa Bharata. Following in the footsteps of Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa, everyone should be very cautious not to commit an offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Thākura in the  Caitanya-bhāgavata  ( Madhya  13) says:
śūlapāṇi-sama yadi bhakta-nindā kare bhāgavata pramāṇa — tathāpi śīghra mare
hena vaiṣṇavere ninde sarvajña ha-i se janera adhaḥ-pāta sarva-śāstre ka-i
“Even if one is as strong as Lord Śiva, who carries a trident in his hand, one will nonetheless fall down from his spiritual position if he tries to insult a Vaiṣṇava. That is the verdict of all Vedic scriptures.” He also says this in  Caitanya-bhāgavata  ( Madhya  22).
vaiṣṇavera nindā karibeka yāra gaṇa tāra rakṣā sāmarthya nāhika kona jana
śūlapāṇi-sama yadi vaiṣṇavere ninde tathāpiha nāśa yāya — kahe śāstra-vṛnde
ihā nā māniyā ye sujana nindā kare janme janme se pāpiṣtha daiva-doṣe mare
“One who blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava cannot be protected by anyone. Even if a person is as strong as Lord Śiva, if he blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava, he is sure to be destroyed. This is the verdict of all  śāstras . If one does not care for