सोऽसाधुवादस्तत्कीर्तिं हन्ति त्वचमिवामयः ॥५॥
yan-nÄmÄni ca gá¹›hṇÄti
loko bhá¹›tye ká¹›tÄgasi
so 'sÄdhu-vÄdas tat-kÄ«rtiá¹
hanti tvacam ivÄmayaḥ
yat - of whom; nÄmÄni - the names; ca - and; gá¹›hṇÄti - take; lokaḥ - people in general; bhá¹›tye - when a servant; ká¹›ta-Ägasi - has committed something wrong; saḥ - that; asÄdhu-vÄdaḥ - blame; tat - of that person; kÄ«rtim - the reputation; hanti - destroys; tvacam - the skin; iva - as; Ämayaḥ - leprosy.
A wrong act committed by a servant leads people in general to blame his master, just as a spot of white leprosy on any part of the body pollutes all of the skin.
A Vaiṣṇava, therefore, should be fully qualified. As stated in the BhÄgavatam, anyone who has become a Vaiṣṇava has developed all the good qualities of the demigods. There are twenty-six qualifications mentioned in the Caitanya-caritÄmá¹›ta. A devotee should always see that his Vaiṣṇava qualities increase with the advancement of his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A devotee should be blameless because any offense by the devotee is a scar on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The devotee’s duty is to be always conscious in his dealings with others, especially with another devotee of the Lord.
