Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.18.31

nodvijeta janād dhīro

janaḿ codvejayen na tu

ati-vādāḿs titikṣeta

nāvamanyeta kañcana

deham uddiśya paśu-vad

vairaḿ kuryān na kenacit

SYNONYMS

na — never; udvijeta — should be disturbed or frightened; janāt — because of other people; dhīraḥ — a saintly person; janam — other people; ca — also; udvejayet — should-frighten or disturb; na — never; tu — indeed; ati-vādān — insulting or harsh words; titikṣeta — he should tolerate; na — never; avamanyeta — should belittle; kañcana — anyone; deham — the body; uddiśya — for the sake of; paśu-vat — like an animal; vairam — hostility; kuryāt — he should create; na — never; kenacit — with anyone.

TRANSLATION

A saintly person should never let others frighten or disturb him and, similarly, should never frighten or disturb other people. He should tolerate the insults of others and should never himself belittle anyone. He should never create hostility with anyone for the sake of the material body, for he would thus be no better than an animal.

PURPORT

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has stated,

tṛṇād api su-nīcena

taror iva sahiṣṇunā

amāninā māna-dena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. adi 17.31]

"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly."

A Vaiṣṇava should never disturb any other living entity with his body, mind or words. He should always be tolerant and never belittle others. Although a Vaiṣṇava may act powerfully against the demons for Lord Kṛṣṇa's sake — as did Arjuna, Hanumān and many other great devotees — a Vaiṣṇava becomes very meek and humble in regard to his own reputation.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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