KRISHNA STORY#2

Sadhu story: Srila Rupa Goswamis unknowing offence

One day in Vrindavan Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada sat rapt in meditation, feeling great bliss in his heart.

While he was sitting in his samadhi and observing a wonderful pastime of the gopis.

The gopis were decorating Srimati Radharani while Krishna stood behind Her watching.

Krishna revealed His presence to the sakhis, bringing an increasing festival of joy to their hearts, but Radharani was unaware that He was there.

In many wonderful ways the gopis braided and decorated Radha’s hair. Then they placed a mirror before Her.

As She gazed at the beauty of Her own face, Radharani also saw Sri Krishna’s moonlike face in the mirror.

Radha became very shy and quickly covered Herself with Her cloth. The gopis happily laughed at this, and Srila Rupa Goswami also joined in their laughter.

Just at that moment a vaisnava arrived who was very eager to see Rupa Goswami.

Seeing Rupa laughing, the vaisnava did not say anything, but feeling very sorrowful in his heart he went to see Srila Sanatan Goswami. [According to the tradition in Vrindavan, this vaisnava was a famous devotee named Krishnadas. It is said that Krishnadas was lame and unable to walk and that when Rupa Goswami laughed, Krishnadas thought that he was laughing at his disability.]

Feeling sorrowful, he went to Sri Sanatan Goswami and told him that he was unable to understand why Sri Rupa Goswami behaved in that manner.

The vaisnava told Sanatan, “I went to see Sri Rupa, but when he saw me he suddenly burst into laughter. My heart filled with sorrow! I don’t know why he acted in that way. I didn’t say anything, but came to ask you about it.”

Sri Sanatan then explained the true reason for Rupa Goswami’s laughter.

Hearing this, the vaisnava became repentant at heart. Lamenting greatly, the vaisnava said, “Why did I approach him at that moment? Not understanding his heart, I have offended him.”

The vaisnava became very agitated. Sanatan Goswami pacified him and made him peaceful again.

Meanwhile, when the Vaishnava had felt offended, Srila Rupa Goswami suddenly lost his vision of the Lord's pastimes.

He became very disturbed and looked everywhere.

Considering the situation carefully, he concluded that someone must have come to see him while he was absorbed in seeing Krishna's pastimes.

"I did not honor the person that came, and thereby I committed an offence." Thinking in this way, Rupa also went to Sanatan Goswami's place.

There both Sri Rupa and Vaishnava offered obeisances to each other and asked for forgivance.

Forgiving each other, they both became peaceful. The two of them then went to Srila Sanatan Goswami.

For a long time they all plunged into relishing nectarean topics of Lord Krishna. When everyone heard about this incident they all became filled with wonder.

Moral of the story:

There is a great lesson for us in this wonderful pastime.

We tend to think that we should not offend only a pure devotee and we start analyzing and questioning who is a pure devotee and we justify our offences.

We should think that, "Anyone other than you is a pure devotee."

This makes us realize how much careful and conscious we should be in our dealings with other living entities so that we may not hurt them.

This also gives answer to the question as to why we are unable to have any taste for devotional service even after so many years.

In his purport to SB 4.9.23, Srila Prabhupada writes, 'An offence at the lotus feet of a Vaishnava is the greatest offence in this world. Because of having insulted Dhruva Maharaja, Suruci would become mad upon the death of her son and would enter a forest fire, and thus her life would be ended.

From this we should take the lesson that we should never try to insult a Vaishnava.

Not only should we not insult a Vaishnava, but we should not insult anyone unnecessarily.

When Suruci insulted Dhruva Maharaja, he was just a child. She of course did not know that Dhruva was a great recognized Vaishnava, and so her offence was committed unknowingly.

When one serves a Vaishnava unknowingly, one still gets the good result, and if one unknowingly insults a Vaishnava, one suffers the bad result.

A Vaishnava is especially favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Pleasing him or displeasing him directly affects the pleasure and displeasure of the Supreme Lord."

This is a very grave reminder to wake us up from our complacent behaviour and I seek forgiveness from all whom I have offended knowingly and unknowingly.

In his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam verse 9.4.68, Srila Prabhupada writes, "The Lord says, 'saadhavo hrdayam mahyam' - The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart."

The Lord's feelings are like those of a father, who feels pain when his child is in pain.

Therefore, offences at the lotus feet of a devotee are serious.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu has very strongly recommended that one not commit any offence at the lotus feet of a devotee.

Such offences are compared to a mad elephant because when a mad elephant enters a garden it causes devastation.

Therefore one should be extremely careful not to commit offences at the lotus feet of a pure devotee." It is stated in Sri Bhakti ratnakara, fifth wave

bhakta-sthane sabadhana habe sarva-mate
yena kona akausala nahe tan’ra cite
akausala ha-ile saba haya antaraya
prasanga paiya kichu kahiye ethaya

"Always be careful in your dealings with devotees and never create any ill feelings in their hearts. Creating ill feelings with the devotees will create impediments on one's path."