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American Vaisnavas of the Krsna consciousness movement.
Sometimes people flatly tell the American devotees that their
sannyasa or title of gosvdmi is not bona fide. However, ac-
cording to the statements of Srila Rapa Gosvami in this
verse, an American gosvémi and a gosvami in a family of
dcaryas are nondifferent.

On the other hand, a devotee who has attained the title of
gosvami but is not born of a bradhmana father or of a
gosvdmi in the family of Nityananda or Advaita Prabhu
should not be artificially puffed up by thinking that he has
become a gosvami. He should always remember that as soon
as he becomes materially puffed up, he immediately falls
down. This Krsna consciousness movement is a transcenden-

_ tal science, and there is no room for jealousy. This move-
ment is meant for the paramahamsas who are completely
free from all jealousy (paramam nirmatsarandm). One
should not be jealous, whether he is born in a family of
gosvamis or has the title of gosvami awarded to him. As soon
as anyone becomes envious, he falls from the platform of
paramaharisa.

If we consider the bodily defects of a Vaisnava, we should
understand that we are committing an offense at the lotus
feet of the Vaisnava. An offense at the lotus feet of a
Vaisnava is very serious. Indeed, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
has described this offense as hati-mata, the mad elephant
offense. A mad elephant can create a disaster, especially
when it enters into a nicely trimmed garden. One should
therefore be very careful not to commit any offense against a
Vaisnava. Every devotee should be ready to take instructions
from a superior Vaisnava, and a superior Vaisnava must be
