vaiṣṇavera ṭhāñi sadā habe sāvadhāna
vaiṣṇavera ṭhāñi sadā habe sāvadhāna |
kono-rūpa kāro yena nahe apamāna ||
(Unknown Source)
“Always be cautious with Vaiṣṇavas so that no dishonor occurs of anyone [of them] in any way.”
Sūkti Sudhākara
karapatraiś ca phālyante
karapatraiś ca phālyante sutīvrair yama-śāsanaiḥ |
nindāṁ kurvanti ye pāpā vaiṣṇavānāṁ mahātmanām ||
pūjito bhagavān viṣṇur janmāntara-śatair api |
prasīdati na viśvātmā vaiṣṇave cāpamānite ||
(Dvārakā Māhātmya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 10.314–15)
“Sinners who engage in defamation of great Vaiṣṇavas are cleaved with very sharp saws by the envoys of Yama. Even if Bhagavān Viṣṇu, the Ātmā of the universe, is worshipped for hundreds of lifetimes, he does not become pleased with one who has dishonored a Vaiṣṇava.”
vaiṣṇavā viṣṇuvat pūjyā
vaiṣṇavā viṣṇuvat pūjyā mama mānyā viśeṣataḥ |
teṣāṁ kṛte’pamāne’pi vināśo jāyate dhruvam ||
(Skanda Puṛāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 10.233)
[Yamarāja:] “Vaiṣṇavas are worshippable like Viṣṇu, and they are honorable to me in particular. If they are even dishonored, destruction certainly ensues.”
janma-prabhṛti yat kiñcit
janma-prabhṛti yat kiñcit sukṛtaṁ samupārjitam |
nāśam āyāti tat sarvaṁ pīḍayed yadi vaiṣṇavān ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 10.313)
“If one troubles Vaiṣṇavas, then all the sukṛti one has accumulated since birth is destroyed.”
prāg bhakter udayād doṣāḥ
प्राग्भक्तेरुदयाद्दोषाः क्षयावशिष्ट एव च ।
दैवोत्पन्नश्च भक्तानां नैवालोच्यः कदाचन ॥
सदुद्देश्यमृत यस्तु मृषापवादमेव च ।
दोषानालोचयत्येव स साधुनिन्दकोऽधमः ॥
prāg bhakter udayād doṣāḥ kṣayāvaśiṣṭa eva ca |
daivotpannaś ca bhaktānāṁ naivālocyaḥ kadācana ||
sad-uddeśyam ṛta yas tu mṛṣāpavādam eva ca |
doṣān ālocayaty eva sa sādhu-nindako’dhamaḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“Faults on the part of bhaktas prior the appearance of bhakti [within them], residual faults, and faults arising by chance should never be discussed. One who discusses such faults without a good intention or does so as simply purposeless condemnation is a defamer of sādhus and very lowly.”
yo hi bhāgavataṁ lokam
yo hi bhāgavataṁ lokam upahāsaṁ nṛpottama |
karoti tasya naśyanti artha-dharma-yaśaḥ-sutā ||
nindāṁ kurvanti ye mūḍhā vaiṣṇavānāṁ mahātmanām |
patanti pitṛbhiḥ sārdhaṁ mahā-raurava-saṁjñite ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 10.310–311)
“O best of kings, the wealth, dharma, glory, and children of one who laughs at a person devoted to Bhagavān are destroyed. Fools who engage in defamation of great Vaiṣṇavas fall into the place known as Mahāraurava along with their forefathers.”
nindāṁ bhagavataḥ śṛṇvaṁs
nindāṁ bhagavataḥ śṛṇvaṁs tat-parasya janasya vā |
tato nāpaiti yaḥ so’pi yāty adhaḥ sukṛtāc cyutaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.74.40; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.316; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.121; Bhakti Sandarbha: 265)
“Upon hearing defamation of Bhagavān or persons devoted to him, even one who does not move away from there looses one’s sukṛti and falls down.”
hanti nindati vai dveṣṭi
hanti nindati vai dveṣṭi vaiṣṇavān nābhinandati |
krudhyate yāti no harṣaṁ darśane patanāni ṣaṭ ||
(Skanda Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 10.312, Bhakti Sandarbha: 265)
“Striking, defaming, despising, not respectfully greeting, getting angry with, and not being joyful upon seeing Vaiṣṇavas are six causes of falling [into Naraka].”
āyuḥ śriyaṁ yaśo dharmaṁ
āyuḥ śriyaṁ yaśo dharmaṁ lokān āśiṣa eva ca |
hanti śreyāṁsi sarvāṇi puṁso mahad-atikramaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.4.46; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.15.270 and 2.25.84)
“Disrespecting the great [i.e., great persons] destroys a person’s lifespan, wealth, fame, virtue, destinations [in this life and the next], and desired ends, as well as all one’s auspicious endeavors.”
aparādhaḥ sakṛd bhartrā
aparādhaḥ sakṛd bhartrā soḍhavyaḥ sva-prajā-kṛtaḥ |
kṣantum arhasi śāntātman mūḍhasya tvām ajānataḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.16.51)
“An aparādha committed by one’s own dependent is to be excused once by a maintainer. O you of peaceful nature, you are right to forgive the aparādha of this fool who is ignorant about you.”