Bankruptcy

“Actually we can see that lust, anger and passion make a man crazy, even though he be as great as Daksa. The very name Daksa suggests that he was expert in all material activities, but still, because of his aversion towards such a saintly personality as Siva, he was attacked by these three enemies - anger, lust and passion. Lord Chaitanya, therefore, advised that one be very careful not to offend Vaisnavas. He compared offenses toward a Vaisnava to a mad elephant. As a mad elephant can do anything horrible, so when a person offends a Vaisnava he can perform any abominable action.” (SB 4.2.19)

We can lose spiritual wealth in a variety of ways. On a philosophical level, doubts can sap our determination, and in more severe cases a deviation from the path. On a practical level, inattention can stunt our growth and trigger struggles with enthusiasm and inspiration. On a relational level, we must be very careful how we interact with the holy name (nama), the holy places (dhama), our roles of responsibility (seva) and other devotees (sadhus). In each of these categories, there is the potential of causing offence, which is considered an acute threat to our spiritual life. Within the categories of offence, those committed towards another devotee (Vaisnava aparadha) are deemed the most serious.

Daksa made the great mistake of offending Siva. When one is favoured by the saintly devotees, then they skip towards perfection, but when those saintly souls are displeased, one will slip into degradation. The Srimad-Bhagavatam reminds us that “When a person mistreats great souls, his life span, opulence, reputation, religion, possessions and good fortune are all destroyed.” (SB 10.4.46)