Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 5 - Chapter 1 - Verse 17

Sanskrit:

नाहं विशङ्के सुरराजवज्रा-न्न त्र्यक्षशूलान्न यमस्य दण्डात् ।नाग्‍न्‍यर्कसोमानिलवित्तपास्त्रा-च्छङ्के भृशं ब्रह्मकुलावमानात् ॥ १७ ॥

ITRANS:

nāhaṁ viśaṅke sura-rāja-vajrānna tryakṣa-śūlān na yamasya daṇḍātnāgny-arka-somānila-vittapāstrācchaṅke bhṛśaṁ brahma-kulāvamānāt

Translation:

My dear sir, I am not at all afraid of the thunderbolt of King Indra, nor am I afraid of the serpentine, piercing trident of Lord Śiva. I do not care about the punishment of Yamarāja, the superintendent of death, nor am I afraid of fire, scorching sun, moon, wind, nor the weapons of Kuvera. Yet I am afraid of offending a brāhmaṇa. I am very much afraid of this.

Purport:

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was instructing Rūpa Gosvāmī at the Daśāśvamedha-ghāṭa in Prayāga, He pointed out very clearly the seriousness of offending a Vaiṣṇava. He compared the vaiṣṇava-aparādha to hātī mātā, a mad elephant. When a mad elephant enters a garden, it spoils all the fruits and flowers. Similarly, if one offends a Vaiṣṇava, he spoils all his spiritual assets. Offending a brāhmaṇa is very dangerous, and this was known to Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa. He therefore frankly admitted his fault. There are many dangerous things — thunderbolts, fire, Yamarāja’s punishment, the punishment of Lord Śiva’s trident, and so forth — but none is considered as serious as offending a brāhmaṇa like Jaḍa Bharata. Therefore Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa immediately descended from his palanquin and fell flat before the lotus feet of the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata just to be excused.