Text 29] Hiranyakasipu Terrorizes the Universe 193
TRANSLATION

When Hiranyakasipu teases the great devotee Prahlada, his own
son, who is peaceful and sober and who has no enemy, I shall kill
Hiranyakasipu immediately, despite the benedictions of Brahma.

PURPORT
Of all sinful activities, an offense to a pure devotee, or Vaisnava, is the
most severe. An offense at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava is so disastrous
that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has compared it to a mad elephant that en-
ters a garden and causes great havoc by uprooting many plants and trees.
If one is an offender at the lotus feet of a brahmana or Vaisnava, his
offenses uproot all his auspicious activities. One should therefore very
carefully guard against committing vaisnava-aparadha, or offenses at
the lotus feet of a Vaisnava. Here the Lord clearly says that although
Hiranyakasipu had received benedictions from Lord Brahma, these
benedictions would be null and void as soon as he committed an offense
at the lotus feet of Prahlada Maharaja, his own son. A Vaisnava like
Prahlada Maharaja is described herein as nirvaira, having no enemies.
Elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.21) it is said, ajata-satravah
Santah sadhavah sddhu-bhisanah: a devotee has no enemies, he is
peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are
sublime. A devotee does not create enmity with anyone, but if someone
becomes his enemy, that person will be vanquished by the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, despite whatever benedictions he may have received
from other sources. Hiranyakasipu was certainly enjoying the fruitful
results of his austerities, but here the Lord says that as soon as he com-
mitted an offense at the lotus feet of Prahlada Maharaja he would be
ruined. One’s longevity, opulence, beauty, education and whatever else
one may possess as a result of pious activities cannot protect one if one
commits an offense at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava. Despite whatever one
possesses, if one offends the lotus feet of a Vaisnava he will be

vanquished.
TEXT 29
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