Text 15] Mother Parvati Curses Citraketu 179

atah papiyasim yonim
Gsurim yahi durmate

yatheha bhityo mahatam
na karta putra kilbisam

ff atah—therefore; papiyasim—most sinful; yonim—to the species of
life; Gsurim—demoniac; yahi—go; durmate—O impudent one; yatha—
so that; iha—in this world; bhityah—again; mahatam—to great per-
sonalities; na—not; karta—will commit; putra—my dear son;
kilbisam—any offense.

TRANSLATION

O impudent one, my dear son, now take birth in a low, sinful
family of demons so that you will not commit such an offense again
toward exalted, saintly persons in this world.

PURPORT

One should be very careful not to commit offenses at the lotus feet of
Vaisnavas, of whom Lord Siva is the best. While instructing Srila Ripa
Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu described an offense at the lotus feet
of a Vaisnava as hati mata, a mad elephant. When a mad elephant enters
a nice garden, it spoils the entire garden. Similarly, if one becomes like a
mad elephant and commits offenses at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava, his
entire spiritual career is halted. One should therefore be very careful not
to commit offenses at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava.

Mother Parvati was justified in punishing Citraketu, for Citraketu im-
pudently criticized the supreme father, Mahadeva, who is the father of
the living entities conditioned within this material world. The goddess
Durga is called mother, and Lord Siva is called father. A pure Vaisnava
should be very careful to engage in his specific duty without criticizing
others. This is the safest position. Otherwise, if one tends to criticize
others, he may commit the great offense of criticizing a Vaisnava.

Because Citraketu was undoubtedly a Vaisnava, he might have been
surprised that Parvati had cursed him. Therefore the goddess Parvati ad-
dressed him as putra, or son. Everyone is the son of mother Durga, but
she is not an ordinary mother. As soon as there is a small discrepancy in a
demon’s behavior, mother Durga immediately punishes the demon so
