by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (translated by Swami B.V. Giri and Sanātana Dāsa)   Of all the various offences a jīva can commit, no offence is as severe than offending a Vaiṣṇava. Thus it is crucial to deliberate upon the meaning of vaiṣṇava-nindā according to the śāstras. It is said in Skanda Purāṇa:   nindā kurvanti ye mūḍhā vaiṣṇavānāṁ mahātmanām patanti pitṛbhiḥ sārdhaṁ mahā-raurava-saṁjñite hanti nindati vai dveṣṭi vaiṣṇavān nābhinandati krudhyate yāti no harṣaṁ darśane patanāni ṣaṭ “Those fools that blaspheme those great souls who are devoted to Viṣṇu fall down into the hell known as Mahā-raurava, along with their descendants. There are six types of behaviour that result in such…