2002-018_What_It_Means_To_Be_Forgiving_SB-01_18_49_Mumbai_-_24-

01-02_IDesireTree

Sloka

Purport by his divine grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad

The sloka is that devotees of the lord are so fore bearing that even though they are
defamed cheated, cursed disturbed, neglected or even killed they are never inclined to
avenge themselves.

Rishi Shamik also knew that the Lord does not forgive a person who has committed an offence at the
feet of the devotee. The Lord can only give direction to take shelter of the devotee. He thought
within himself that if Maharaj Parikshit would counter curse the boy he might be saved, but he knew
also that a pure devotee is callous about worldly advantages or reverses. As such the devotees are
never inclined to counter act personal defamation, curses, negligence etc. As far as such things are
concerned -in personal affairs the devotees do not care for them, but in the case of there being
performed against the Lord and his devotees then the devotees take very strong action. It was a
personal affair and therefore Shamik Rishi knew that the king would not take counter action, thus
there was no alternative then to place an appeal to the Lord for the immature boy. It is not that only
the Brahmins are powerful enough to award curses or blessings upon the subordinates, the
devotees of the Lord even though he may not be a Brahmin is more powerful than a Brahmin. But a
powerful devotee never misuses the power for personal benefit. Whatever power the devotee may
have is always utilised in service toward the Lord and his devotees only.

This morning we are reading from first Canto Chapter 18 entitled Parikshit cursed by a Brahmin boy,
text number-48.

The Supreme Lord can fulfil many purposes through a single incident. In this chapter we find how the
Lord is fulfilling things that appear to be completely contradictory to each other but how the Lord
could bring opposites together for the highest good. In this Brahmin cursing Maharaj Parikshit the
Lord is facilitating the beginning of Kaliyuga; the age of irreligion, of quarrel, and hypocrisy. At the
same time he is arranging the incidence that would lead to the speaking of Srimad Bhagavatam.
Kaliyuga is the age of darkness; Krishna suryasam mayahoya andhakar (0:05:09.1 – 12.0) Krishna is
like the sun, he illuminates all direction with knowledge and spiritual prosperity, and Maya is like
darkness. Kali means the age of darkness; it means the age of godlessness. When time when people
are most inclined to forget, what is the purpose of life, who is god and what is my relationship with
god? At the same time Srimad Bhagavatam is the incarnation in literary form of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Simultaneously by the cursing of Parikshit the darkness of godlessness is
about to advent and the most brilliant, illustrious, Srimad Bhagavatam which is the literary
incarnation of Godhead is about to advent. In this we can understand that it is often times the
obstacles, the reversals, the miseries that come upon us where we can find the highest realization of
the absolute truth.
What was the curse on Maharaj Parikshit became the greatest benediction of his life,
because he was a devotee, because he turned to god. And what kind of devotee was
Maharaj Parikshit is being described in this particular verse. Shamik Rishi was a great sage;
therefore he understood very clearly what his son did and what the consequences will be?
He could also understand very clearly who the great Vaishnav is. Shamik Rishi was sitting in
meditation, Parikshit Maharaj – under the power of Yogmaya- while he was out in jungle, on
an excursion he felt hungry and thirsty. Therefore he was victimised by the pressures, by the
pushings of the body, so he went to Shamik Rishi’s ashram. Here he is, the emperor of the
world is coming to a Rishi’s ashram, but Shamik Rishi was in his state of Samadhi so he did
not even acknowledge the presence of the king. He was all alone; there was no one to
welcome the king. The king became angry; this is what happens when you become too much
victimised senses ( sloka 0:08:28.3)Vicious cycle is described in Bhagavad Gita; when one
contemplates the objects of the senses one become attached to them. From such
attachment comes lust, when lust is unfulfilled one becomes angry, from anger one become
bewildered in memory, when memory is bewildered intelligence is lost, when intelligence is
lost one falls down , one engages in abominable activity; so Parikshit Maharaj was a victim
of the modes of material nature. By the arrangement of the Lord, he was so hungry, he was
so thirsty even though he was a saintly king- a Raj Rishi, he forgot all about controlling his
senses, he forgot all about offering all respects to great Brahmins and sages and he became
little angry, but he was just a little angry. He didn’t do much, with the end of is bow he
picked up a dead snake that happen to be laying there by the arrangement of the Lord and
he put around Shamik Rishi’s neck like a garland.” Great rishis should be given garland, here
is your garland”, he had that sarcastic mentality for a moment and then he went away and
as he went away immediately he regretted, “What did I do! What a crazy, stupid thing I did!
Now Shamik Rishi’s son named Shringi heard what happened. He became so angry he had
no proper discrimination, he cursed Maharaj Parikshit, the King of the world, to die within
seven days by being bitten by a snake bird(? 0:10:46.1) Shamik Rishi came out of his
meditation, he saw the snake on him. He understood what happened, he took it off; didn’t
mean anything to him. Then his son told him what he had done. Shamik Rishi could see what
this could bring about in the future. He was very, very broken hearted and disturbed. Here
Maharaj Parikshit actually did not commit much of an offence because a real offence is when
it is done out of envy. When a person tries to destroy another due to envy and pride that’s a
serious offence, but Maharaj Parikshit was not envious, he was not proud, he was just
hungry and thirsty and somehow or other because of that some anger came into his mind.
So he was an innocent soul, if he was an envious, proud person who put that snake on
Shamik Rishi that would have been a major offence; but because he was simply a victim of
hunger and thirst and reacting toward that with no malice in his heart therefore it wasn’t
really an offence at all. But Shringi being foolish he could not discriminate. He was like a
fanatic; he just saw that my father is been offended and I must get revenge on this person.
He had no discrimination, therefore he was the one who really committed the great offence
and Maharaj Parikshit-Shamik Rishi is thinking- he is such a great king what’s going to
happen now. He is going to die, without such a good ruler the whole world is going to be
plunged into darkness. Kaliyuga is going to come in and take control as the king of the world.
Such a horrible thing and it is due to the offence of my son and he is thinking herein that if
Maharaj Parikshit counter curses my son, that counter curse will be the reaction that will
free him of his sin. But he understands that Maharaj Parikshit is a vaishnav, he will never try
to get revenge no matter what anyone does to him. This is Vaishnav; Prabhupad is
illustrating this in the purport as well that this is the quality of a true devotee. He though he
is defamed, cheated, cursed, disturbed, neglected or even killed he will never even be
inclined toward avenge themselves. In various cases- in Srila Prabhupad books he describes
this is a vaishnav – a person who has no envy; a person who is not proud; a person is always
taking in terms of the good of another and not concerned with what happens to himself as
far as the justices and injustices of the world. (Sloka 0:14:30.4-0:14:35.0) the devotees thinks
that whatever bad is coming upon me I deserve worst therefore with folded palms I offer my
obeisance to the Lord. The devotee is forgiving; forgiving to any injustice e that comes upon
him. Nityanand prabhu was smashed in the head by Madhai and he had every intent to
murder him, and when he saw that he was still living he picked up another pot to smash him
again. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came angry as fire to punish these wicked people.
Nityanand Prabhu was weeping tears of compassion; he prayed, “My lord please forgive
them. I am not unhappy, I am not in any pain and besides that Jagai stopped Madhai from
hitting me again”, so he was seeing the good in them. And because of Nityanand prabhu
forgiveness he changed their hearts and they became great vaishnavas.

Srimad Bhagavatam ninth Canto, Parshuram saw that his father Jamadhagni’s Kamadhenu
cow was stolen by this very powerful king Kartavyarjuna. He was a devotee of Dattatreya,
incarnation of the Lord, and by his worship of Dattatreya he gained one thousand arms! Very
powerful, and he had all the eight mystic cities. One day he was with some beautiful women
near his city of Mahismatha and there was the Narmada River. So he was trying to show off
to his ladies or whatever, so he stopped the current of the Narmada River with his hands.
What happens when the river can’t flow? it starts flowing backwards and Ravana happened
to be travelling around with his ten heads and he was camped out at a certain palace
upstream and the whole place got flooded because was river was backing up. So he became
very angry, “Who dares do this to me”! He chastised Kartavyarjuna and he being so powerful
with his hands he just picked up Ravana and captured him like someone captures an
insignificant monkey and put him under arrest. Ravana was totally humiliated; he was
helpless. Kartavyarjuna was so powerful and just to further humiliate Ravana, Kartavyarjuna
like a little monkey just threw him away and said “you are free, why should I bother with
you? Go away”, very powerful man! So he was travelling he came to the ashram of
Jamadhagni’s. Jamadhagni wanted to greet Kartavyarjuna who came with thousands of
sons- he had ten thousand sons. This was in the previous Yuga when men can do like this.
Ten thousand sons and many soldiers! so this great sage was so humble and so respectful.
He wanted to serve them but he is living as a Brahmin, what does he have? He had a
Kamadhenu cow. That cow could produce so much milk; it actually produced a whole feast
for Kartavyarjuna and his soldiers and sons. So Kartavyarjuna instead of being grateful he
became envious. He said to Jamadhagni,”I am the king, I want that cow. I don’t have
anything that compares to this cow, give me cow.”Jamadhagni said, “I am a Brahmin, I need
this cow to perform my yagnas. She gives me nice ghee so I like this cow and she likes me so
you cannot have the cow”. So he sent his people to steal the cow, and the cow was crying
for help!!!! and Parshuram who is a very austere Brahmin decided, ‘ forget this Brahmin,
this unjust’ , so he put on... he had black deer skin, and his matted hair and he picked up a
chopper, parash and also some bows and arrows , a shield and he attacked. Kartavyarjuna,
just as he entered the city he saw this effulgent personality attacking with weapons. So he
sent all his armies, they were all destroyed. Parshuram was fighting so hard with axe. It is
said he fought with the speed of the mind and after some hours he got tired and slowed
down to the speed of the wind, and when no one was left Kartavyarjuna himself came out
with his thousand arms to challenge and he picked five hundred bows and five hundred
arrows, and went to shoot them. Parshuram shot some arrows and they broke every one of
those five hundred bows to pieces. Then he took his axe and cut off all the thousand arms
and Kartavyarjuna was just standing there like a massive mountain with no arms and he
chopped off his head. And the Kamadhenu cow and the calf were very happy to be released
and brought back home. Parshuram told Jamadhagni what happened, he said “very bad, you
are a Brahmin. The first and the most important quality of a Brahmin is forgiveness”. The
glory of the brahminical caste is forgiveness. Srila Prabhupad explains in this purport that
different people in different position or statuses of life they are beautified by a certain
quality. He said a woman is beautiful if she is chaste, that’s what beautifies the quality of a
woman. A grihastha is beautiful by his charity; A Kshatriya is made beautiful by his chivalry,
his heroism to protect the innocent; a Vaishya by protecting the cows, by growing grains and
by giving in charity to others; a shudra by obedience, loyalty and faithfulness. Prabhupad
says, and a Brahmin by his forgiveness. Here Srila Prabhupad explains what it means to
forgive, that it doesn’t matter what injustice is inflicted upon oneself- if one actually is a
Brahmin, one is actually a vaishnav- he will forgive, and he will never seek revenge. If
someone offends the Supreme personality of Godhead or another vaishnav then a devotee
should take action; but offences against oneself should be forgiven.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on many occasion display this same quality in the role of a devotee.
Ramchandra Puri and he was spreading all over Puri that Lord Chaitanya was bogus, can you
imagine. He said that he was a sense enjoyer, he is, not a real Sannyasi, he overeats; he eats
the wrong things, at the wrong times. I have so much evidence and he was presenting
evidence look there are ants on the floor, he is pretending to be austere but actually he is
secretly eating sweet meats. He was concocting all lies, and blaspheming Shri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu, and the devotees were so upset but Lord Chaitanya no, no. Whenever
Ramchandra Puri would come Lord Chaitanya would offer obeisances to him and he told
devotees that he is like my father. He is helping me in my Krishna consciousness, so he
offered him all respect. He forgave him, so the quality of a great soul and Shamik Rishi
understood that this is the quality of Maharaj Parikshit. My son is in trouble because he
offended such a great vaishnav. If he offended someone less then that person would counter
curse him and get avenge, and then my son would get some atonement for his offence
because he would get the reaction instantly. But, this is very dangerous because Parikshit
Maharaj will never avenge an offender to him. He is a humble devotee, therefore Shamik
Rishi is praying, praying to the Supreme Personality of Godhead to please help deliver his
son form this great offence. Shringi was a Brahmin and because he was a Brahmin, at that
time –this was before the dawn of the Kaliyuga- he had (0:25:43.1) powers which include the
power to curse, but he had no proper discrimination. He was actually envious and angry for
no good reason. If had proper discrimination he would have thought that actually this
person may have offended my father but he didn’t do it with wrong intent. He was
overcome by thirst and people are crazy when they are overcome by hunger and thirst. So
really he should be forgiving, he should have seen like that, but he was fanatical. He didn’t
see the truth behind it. He just saw- he has made an offence, he must die. This is a great
danger with religious fanaticism. Prabhupad explains philosophy and religion must be
together, religion without philosophy, without the proper intellectual capacity to
discriminate that is what philosophy gives you. It can either become sentimentalism or
fanaticism. So this boy was a fanatic and he simply reacted and what is that fanaticism born
of? False ego. He is thinking,’I am Brahmin; I am great, my father he is great. He is offended,
must be avenged’. So his cursing was actually an extent of his false ego, of his own immature
recklessness, and actually this is religious history. Even a good religion with a good
philosophy when it is in the hands of immature people; those immature people become
fanatical and then they don’t have proper discrimination and then they ultimately commit
offences to others and as a result of those offences everyone suffers. This is Shringi. But
Shamik Rishi, he is lamenting piteously; in the core of his heart for the actions of his son, and
Shamik Rishi completely forgives Maharaj Parikshit for whatever he has done. Meanwhile,
when the news came to Maharaj Parikshit that he was cursed to die in seven days, he wasn’t
like Shringi; he didn’t all of a sudden start counter cursing and saying ‘it’s not fair, I was
thirsty. I wasn’t really envious; this is not a proper curse for me, such a vaishnav. The worst
possible injustice for no good reason at all came upon him and with folded arms and a heart
full of gratitude he thanked Krishna. ‘Thank you, this is what I deserved! I will not seek
revenge, I will seek Krishna. He went to the bank of the Ganges, taking wholehearted shelter
of the supreme personality of godhead by hearing from Srimad Bhagavatam, this is a great
soul. When any type of infliction, confrontation comes upon a devotee, the devotee takes
shelter of the Lord with grateful heart and according to Lord Brahma, in tenth Canto of
Bhagavatam only a person who is willing and able to do that is actually a candidate for real
liberation. In his particular verse Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said when Bhagavatam says
‘Muktipada’ that means liberation. In Srimad Bhagavatam is referring to pure unalloyed
devotional service, it is the essence; the highest perfection of liberation. So through this
beautiful story there is so much essential wisdom to be learnt. We have to learn from Shringi
what not to be and we have to learn from Maharaj Parikshit what we should be striving to
be and Shamik Rishi, he is right in between the two and he is explaining everything perfectly
for our understanding.

This is the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, this is Kaliyuga. There is no possibility of any real
type of unity or any type of congenial relationship surviving unless there is the quality of
forgiveness; because, just by the nature of the age- willingly or unwillingly -people make
bigger or little offences towards each other. Sometimes the offences seems serious but
sometimes people are victims of circumstances and they act not because they are really so
envious but they act because they are either fearful or they are under certain types of social
pressures or their mind becomes out of control. In Kaliyuga the circumstances of the
environment are permeated with the influence or quarrel and hypocrisy. Every atomic
particle in Kaliyuga is so charged with the influence of quarrel and hypocrisy. How could
there be unity? How could there be love? How could there be trust when there is quarrel
and hypocrisy! Therefore devotees must very understanding , they must be very forgiving;
and if the devotees are forgiving to one another, even though as devotees who committed
terrible aparadh against Srila Prabhupad directly but he forgave them. AS soon they came
back- after they learned their lesson by being crushed by Maya- they came back to Srila
Prabhupad and immediately he embraced them with tears in his eyes. One instance a person
really offended Prabhupad very badly. When that person came back Prabhupad was
weeping and embraced him and said ‘ every day I was praying to Krishna to send you back’.
That is vaishnav , so if want to have a satsanga of devotees survive the influences of Kali we
have to learn to forgive, learn our lessons and move to the future, we can’t just live in the
past. Jagai and Madhai what offences they committed! They were murderers, thieves, they
killed Brahmins, they ate meat , they slaughter the animals with their own hands, they were
drunkards, they burned people’s houses, daily, they would rape woman, they would beat old
people; they were really offensive, but when they took the proper means of chanting the
holy name and they understood their fault, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told the devotees it is a
great offence for any of you to think of Jagai and Madhai as sinners because now they are
devotees and just the prove it every one Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said,’ I am now going
to take all the previous sins of all e previous lives of Jagai and Madhai in my own body so you
know for sure they are clean”. Then his body became black, Gaur sunder became
shyamsunder. His beautiful golden complexion became black with the sins of Jagai and
Madhai. The devotees were amazed to see this transformation. The lord said how do I
appear to you in this form? And Advaita prabhu said you just like Krishna of Vrindavan. And
then the lord said, “now everybody have kirtan, harinam kirtan will drive away all the sins in
my body”, and he said, where would those sins go? All the sins of Jagai and Madhai would go
into the heart of whoever offends vaishnavas. Hare Krishna and then they had kirtan and
Mahaprabhu was dancing and Jagai and Madhai were dancing, everyone was dancing, they
became one family and Mahaprabhu body gradually restored its beautiful golden
complexion again. So we have to learn to see in a progressive way how the path of Bhakti is
meant to replace the negative with the positive. Prabhupad said united we stand divided we
fall. He said, ‘if you want to show your love for me you cooperate together in helping in my
mission to my GuruMaharaj. He gave the example of sticks, one stick can easily be broken
but if the sticks are tied together nothing can breaks it, he said unity is our strength.
Yesterday I heard a tape of Srila Prabhupad lecture. He was talking about one famous yogi
who was teaching silent meditation. Prabhupad said silent meditation you can’t do in a big
city. According Gita; according to Patanjali; according to all the yogic scriptures if want to do
silent meditation you have to go to a secluded place and be all alone. He said what is this
group meditation? This is not in any shastra. He said the only facility in the shastra for group
meditation is Bhakti, Sankirtan, means together you glorify god. The Astanga yoga system
means you go off alone to a secluded place. Prabhupad was explaining Bhakti means unity,
and he explains unity is our strength, but how to sustain unity. Prabhupad said the oil that
will keep the wheels of the Krishna consciousness movement is love and trust. Love and
trust in Kaliyuga! Very difficult because we all make various types of offences against each
other, mistakes, clashing of egos, therefore devotees have to be very forgiving. Devotees
have to be very much willing to put aside their own agendas for the sake of the common
cause, for the mission Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupad. Otherwise there will
simply be fighting, there will simply be divisions. That was one of the most significant
warnings’ of Srila Prabhupad, that he would continuously remind us. We should not divide
we should remain united. International society for Krishna Consciousness, he wanted united
on the basis of purity. If we are really taking the shelter of holy names, if we are really
developing the higher taste of the hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, if we are really absorbed in
the process of devotional service they will rise above the ego. We take shelter of Krishna
when difficulties come, we will not fight amongst one another, we will not try to avenge one
another, we will not try to outdo one another in an egoistic way. Actually the meaning of
dasdasanudas is if you are really humble then won’t think anyone could possibly offend you.
You would think I deserve worst. Madhai became so humble. Madhai after been delivered
by Lord Nityanand prabhu and Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu after he was forgiven, he
became forgiving; this is the nature of vaishnav. To come to Krishna consciousness how
many sins have we been forgiven for! One time they asked Prabhupad, “How could we best
serve you”. He said “What I have done for you, you do it for others”. He forgave us, Krishna
forgave us so how we should be forgiving, so Madhai was in that attitude. Lord Nityanand
Prabhu was approached by Madhai and he was weeping and crying and he said, “I
committed so many aparadh to so many people, I don’t know what to do. I want to follow
everyone ‘s lotus feet and beg forgiveness and serve them my for the rest of my lives, but I
offended people on such (0:41:54.5) I don’t even know who I offended ? He said who build a
bathing ghat with your own hands and you keep it clean and offer your obeisance and
apologies to every single person who comes to that bathing ghat. You be their menial
servant. He said, ”but what about you, I smashed you on head, make you bleed. You are the
supreme personality of godhead; even the greatest demons of the shastra never did that to
you”. Nityanand prabhu said,”you are just like a little child. If a little baby kicks the mother,
she doesn’t mind, that’s how I take your offense. It’s not an offense, you are forgiven”. So
Madhai went and built that ghat and for every single person would come , with tears in his
eyes he would beg for forgiveness and everyone forgave him because of his humility, but
some people -who were so angry because he killed their mothers, killed their children- they
picked up a rock and threw it right at this head. Madhai didn’t say, “Now I am a Vaishnav,
you can’t do that to me. The Lord personally embraced me, his body turned black, i am free
of sins. You can’t do that to me, this is vaishnav aparadh”. He didn’t do like that, you know
what he would do, he would pick up the stones with tears of love in his eyes, give it back to
the person and said,’ please throw it again I deserve worst’. That was the mentality that was
the transformation that is vaishnav. And we must if want to actually have a united powerful
society, we have to understand this is a very important significant aspect of being
dasdasanudas – servant of the servant of the servant.

(sloka 0:44:04.2 – 0:44:10.0) Humble like straw on the street, tolerant like a tree, eager to
offer all respect to others and expect none in return. In this way individually and collectively
we can actually glorify Krishna when we chant his holy name and we can have a great, great
impact on the whole planet. Prabhupad said if our devotees were actually really united with
faith, they could change the whole world and make it Krishna conscious but we become so
cut off, hung up and contaminated by all little different reasons to fight, to quarrel, for what?
What is the use? Nothing is gained ultimately. The mission of the lord is compromised, but if
are humble, if we are forgiving then Krishna will empower us as he empowered Maharaj
Parikshit.

So any questions or comments. Devakinandan prabhu

Question / Answers

Q1. The question is not clearly heard...inaudible

Ans. My understanding is he did not know that Parikshit Maharaj came. He was absorbed,
therefore he was not aware of any of the external circumstances. He was deeply absorbed
within, but when he came out the Samadhi and his son told him what had been done, he
took off his. Then because of his spiritual position he understood exactly what would be the
consequences of this! And would understand also that it was very, very minor insignificant
offence of Parikshit Maharaj. He could understand the king was not envious, he was simply
victimised by the modes of nature, temporarily therefore he should not be held at fault for
what he had done. He certainly would have got up and greeted him but was totally unaware,
but when he was made aware he could understand everything very, very clearly.

Q2 the question inaudible

Just as Lord Chaitanya, he took actions against Jagai and Madhai. Actually in that instance its
very beautiful how Vrindavandas Thakur explains , Madhai hit Lord Nityanand prabhu, he
was weeping , saying please just take the name and Madhai was so angry he was about to
hit him again, but Jagai’s heart changed by seeing Nityanand prabhu forgiveness ,humility,
and his love and compassion , so Jagai told Madhai this man is a great saint, you can’t do
this. So he stopped him from hitting him again and at that moment Lord Chaitanya appeared
and he was about to kill both of them with his Sudarshan chakra, and lord Nityanand
prayed,’ I am not unhappy, please forgive them’. Jagai saved my life. He was glorifying them,
so Lord Chaitanya immediately became blissful and embraced Jagai, showed him his four
armed form of Narayan and said,’ I would give you the benediction of unalloyed love of Lord
Krishna’. Meanwhile Madhai saw what was going on, his heart changed and he prayed to
Lord Chaitanya please give me love of Krishna too. ‘Please forgive me too’, and lord
Chaitanya turned to him with great anger and said, ‘No! You offended Nityanand prabhu’>
then Madhai said,’ but you have delivered so many terrible demons in the past, why won’t
you delivery me? So many demons have inflicted pain on you and attacked you and fought
with you. He said, yes I had delivered them because they did it to me but Nityanand
prabhu’s body is more dear to me then my own. You make an offence to me I can forgive
you, but if you make an offense to me I cannot forgive you. Only he could forgive. If you fall
at his feet and he forgives you then you can be forgiven’. So Srila Prabhupad would explain,
he was also in this mood, offences against himself he was forgiving, but he saw if some was
seriously offending the mission of GuruMaharaj or if someone was offending the faith of his
disciples then he would sometimes take strong action. But he didn’t took actions to avenge
anyone, we never saw that in Prabhupad. He never avenged anyone, even if anyone; there
were instances where some people they actually really tried to disturb his movement, he
never avenged them . He just protected his devotees from them, he never tried to inflict any
harm on them, he never tried to discredit them unnecessarily. He just tried to protect his
devotees; there was never a revengeful spirit. So to maintain the standards of our society
sometimes and like that we have to fight, but it should not be in a revengeful spirit. If we
even have to fight it should before the sake of Krishna, for the sake of guru and for the sake
of mission, but for ourselves; if anything comes upon us personally ; and what is explained
here if we defamed , cheated, cursed, disturbed, neglected, or killed we should be tolerant,
we should be forgiving.

That answers your question actually.

Srila Prabhupad ki Jai.