It is forbidden to offend the sadhus. It is offensive to see a Vaisnava according to material conceptions. The Upadesamrta says (6):
drstaih svabhava-janitair vapusas ca dosair
na prakrtatvam iha bhakta-janasya pasyet
gangambhasam na khalu budbuda-phena-pankair
brahma-dravatvam apagacchati nira-dharmaih
A pure devotee, being situated in his or her original Krishna conscious position, does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be viewed from a material point of view. Indeed, one must ignore the fact that a devotee may be born with an ugly complexion, or may come from a poor family, with a deformed, sick or infirm body. According to an ordinary view, such imperfections appear prominently on the body of a pure devotee but, despite these apparent defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be defiled. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes fill with bubbles, foam and slime during the rainy season. The waters of the Ganges are not polluted. Those who have advanced in transcendental knowledge bathe in the Ganges regardless of the conditions of the water.
Devotees located on the transcendental plane do not commit sinful activities. Even if some sin may remain within them, it will soon vanish.
The Manah-siksa (7) enjoins one to abandon one’s harmful mentality in the form of desire for fame and dishonest criticism:
pratisthasa dhrsta svapacaramani me hrdi natet
katham sadhu-prema sprsati sucir-etan-nanu manah
sada tvam sevasva prabhu-dayita-samanta-matulam
yatha tam niskasya tvaritam iha tam vesayati sah
O mind, a shameless low-born prostitute visibly dances in my heart in the form of desire for fame. How, then, can pure love for Krishna ever find a place in my heart? Serve the devotees of Krishna, who are His dear peerless commanders, so that they can drive out this harlot and crown pure love in my heart.
The Manah-siksa adds:
areh cetah prodyat kapata kutinati-bhara-khara-
ksaran-mutre snatva dahasi katham atmanam api mam
sada tvam gandharva giridhara-pada-prema-vilasat
sudhambhodhau snatva svam api nitarat manca sukhaya
Oh mind, why do you burn us both by bathing in glaring flaws such as deception and criticism? They arise from duality and are like the sticky urine of a donkey. Rather, you should bathe in the ocean of nectar of prema-bhakti that springs from the lotus feet of Sri Sri Gandharvika Giridhari, which gives both of us infinite pleasure.
It is essential to strive to eliminate duality and the desire for fame. Only then can a strong attachment to chanting the holy name develop.
This is a section of the book “Bhajana Rahasya”, by Bhaktivinode Thakura.
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