Text 37] Instructions by Maharaja Prthu 863

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, while instructing Srila Rapa Gosvami, has compared
the devotional service of the Lord with a creeper. A creeper has a feeble
stem and requires the support of another tree to grow, and while growing,
it requires sufficient protection so that it may not be lost. While describing
the system of protection for the creeper of devotional service, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu has especially stressed protection from offenses unto the
lotus feet of Vaisnavas. This is called vaisnavaparadha. Aparadha means
offense. If one commits vaisnavaparadha, all of his progress in devotional
service will be checked. Even though one is very much advanced in
devotional service, if he commits offenses at the feet of a Vaisnava, his
advancement is all spoiled. In the sastras it is found that a very great
yogi, Durvasa Muni, committed vaisnavaparadha, and thus for one full
year had to travel all over the universe, even to Vaikunthaloka, to defend
himself from the offense. At last, even when he approached the Supreme
Personality of Godhead in Vaikuntha, he was refused protection. Therefore
one should be very careful about committing offenses at the feet of a
Vaisnava. The most grievous type of vaisnavaparadha is called gurv-
aparadha, which refers to offenses at the lotus feet of the spiritual master.

In the chanting of the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
this gurv-aparadha is considered the most grievous offense. Guror avajiia
Sruti-sastra-nindanam (Padma Purana). Among the ten offenses committed
against the chanting of the holy name, the first offenses are disobedience
of the spiritual master and blasphemy of the Vedic literature.

The simple definition of ‘“Vaignava” is given by Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu: a person who immediately reminds one of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is a Vaisnava. In this verse, both Vaisnavas
and brahmanas are mentioned. A Vaisnava is a learned brahmana and is
therefore designated as brahmana-vaisnava, brahmana-pandita or as a
Vaisnava and brahmana. In other words, a Vaisnava is supposed to be a
brahmana already, but a brahmana may not be a pure Vaisnava. When a
person understands his pure identity, brahma janati, he immediately
becomes a brahmana. In the brahmana stage, one’s understanding of the
Absolute Truth is mainly based on the impersonal view. When a brahmana,
however, rises to the platform of personal understanding of the Supreme
Godhead, he becomes a Vaisnava. A Vaisnava is transcendental even to a
brahmana. In the material conception, the position of a brahmana is the
highest in human society, but a Vaisnava is transcendental even to a
brahmana. Both the brahmana and Vaisnava are spiritually advanced. A
brahmana’s qualifications are mentioned in Bhagavad-gita as truthfulness,
mental equanimity, control of the senses, the power of tolerance, sim-
