CHAPTER NINE
Further Consideration of Devotional Principles
BLASPHEMY
One should not tolerate blasphemy of the Lord or His devotees. In this connection, in the Tenth Canto, seventy-fourth chapter, verse 40 of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śukadeva Gosvāmī tells Parīkṣit Mahārāja,
“My dear King, if a person, after hearing blasphemous propaganda against the Lord and His devotees, does not go away from that place, he becomes bereft of the effect of all pious activities.”
In one of Lord Caitanya’s Śikṣāṣṭaka verses it is stated,
“The devotee should be more tolerant than the tree and more submissive than the grass. He should offer all honor to others but may not accept any honor for himself.”
In spite of Lord Caitanya’s being so humble and meek as a devotee, when He was informed about injuries inflicted on the body of Śrī Nityānanda, He immediately ran to the spot and wanted to kill the offenders, Jagāi and Mādhāi. This behavior of Lord Caitanya’s is very significant. It shows that a Vaiṣṇava may be very tolerant and meek, foregoing everything for his personal honor, but when it is a question of the honor of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee, he will not tolerate any insult.
There are three ways of dealing with such insults.
If someone is heard blaspheming by words, one should be so expert that he can defeat the opposing party by argument.
If he is unable to defeat the opposing party, then the next step is that he should not just stand there meekly but should give up his life.
The third process is followed if he is unable to execute the above-mentioned two processes, and this is that he must leave the place and go away. If a devotee does not follow any of the above-mentioned three processes, he falls down from his position of devotion.
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