Hare Krsna-Below we have 4 sequential purports from Srimad Bhagavatam where Srila Prabhupada explains the potency of serving and feeding the Brahmanas and Vaisnavas.
SB 4.21.37 purport… In addition to all these qualifications, when one fully engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, he becomes a Vaiṣṇava. Pṛthu Mahārāja warns his citizens who are actually engaged in the devotional service of the Lord to take care against offenses to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. Offenses at their lotus feet are so destructive that even the descendants of Yadu who were born in the family of Lord Kṛṣṇa were destroyed due to offenses at their feet. The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot tolerate any offense at the lotus feet of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. Sometimes, due to their powerful positions, princes or government servants neglect the position of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, not knowing that because of their offense they will be ruined..
SB 4.21.38 purport-The Supreme Person is described herein as brahmaṇya-deva. Brahmaṇya refers to the brāhmaṇas, the Vaiṣṇavas or the brahminical culture, and deva means “worshipable Lord.” Therefore unless one is on the transcendental platform of being a Vaiṣṇava or on the highest platform of material goodness (as a brāhmaṇa), he cannot appreciate the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the lower stages of ignorance and passion, it is difficult to appreciate or understand the Supreme Lord. Therefore the Lord is described herein as the worshipable Deity for persons in brahminical and Vaiṣṇava culture.namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65)
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the prime protector of brahminical culture and the cow. Without knowing and respecting these, one cannot realize the science of God, and without this knowledge, any welfare activities or humanitarian propaganda cannot be successful. The Lord is puruṣa, or the supreme enjoyer. Not only is He the enjoyer when He appears as a manifested incarnation, but He is the enjoyer since time immemorial, from the very beginning (purātanaḥ), and eternally (nityam). Yac-caraṇābhivandanāt: Pṛthu Mahārāja said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead attained this opulence of eternal fame simply by worshiping the lotus feet of the brāhmaṇas. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the Lord does not need to work to achieve material gain. Since He is perpetually supremely perfect, He does not need to obtain anything, but still it is said that He obtained His opulences by worshiping the lotus feet of the brāhmaṇas. These are His exemplary actions. When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was in Dvārakā, He offered His respects by bowing down at the lotus feet of Nārada. When Sudāmā Vipra came to His house, Lord Kṛṣṇa personally washed his feet and gave him a seat on His personal bed. Although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa offered His respects to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and Kuntī. The Lord’s exemplary behavior is to teach us.We should learn from His personal behavior how to give protection to the cow, how to cultivate brahminical qualities and how to respect the brāhmaṇas and the Vaiṣṇavas. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (3.21), yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ: “If the leading personalities behave in a certain manner, others follow them automatically.” Who can be more of a leading personality than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whose behavior could be more exemplary? It is not that He needed to do all these things to acquire material gain, but all of these acts were performed just to teach us how to behave in this material world.
SB 4.21.39 purport...It is said that the Lord is most pleased when He sees one engage in the service of His devotee. He does not need any service from anyone because He is complete, but it is in our own interest to offer all kinds of services to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These services can be offered to the Supreme Person not directly but through the service of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas.Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā, which means that unless one serves the Vaiṣṇavas and brāhmaṇas, one cannot get liberation from the material clutches.
SB 4.21.40 purport-In Bhagavad-gītā (2.65) it is said: prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate.Unless one is self-satisfied, he cannot be free from the miserable conditions of material existence. Therefore it is essential to render service to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas to achieve the perfection of self-satisfaction. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says: tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vāsa janame janame haya, ei abhilāṣa ..“Birth after birth I desire to serve the lotus feet of the ācāryas and live in a society of devotees.” A spiritual atmosphere can be maintained only by living in a society of devotees and by serving the orders of the ācāryas. The spiritual master is the best brāhmaṇa. At present, in the age of Kali, it is very difficult to render service to the brāhmaṇa-kula, or the brāhmaṇa class. The difficulty, according to the Varāha Purāṇa, is that demons, taking advantage of Kali-yuga, have taken birth in brāhmaṇa families. Rākṣasāḥ kalim āśritya jāyante brahma-yoniṣu (Varāha Purāṇa). In other words, in this age there are many so-called caste brāhmaṇas and caste Gosvāmīs who, taking advantage of the śāstra and of the innocence of people in general, claim to be brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas by hereditary right. One will not derive any benefit by rendering service to such false brāhmaṇa-kulas. One must therefore take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and his associates and should also render service to them, for such activity will greatly help the neophyte in attaining full satisfaction. This has been very clearly explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in his explanation of the verse vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana (Bg. 2.41). By actually following the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga as recommended by Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, one can very quickly come to the transcendental platform of liberation, as explained in this verse (atyanta-śamam).
The particular use of the word anativelam (“without delay”) is very significant because simply by serving brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas one can get liberation. There is no need to undergo severe penances and austerities. The vivid example of this is Nārada Muni himself. In his previous birth, he was simply a maidservant’s son, but he got the opportunity to serve exalted brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, and thus in his next life he not only became liberated, but became famous as the supreme spiritual master of the entire Vaiṣṇava disciplic succession. According to the Vedic system, therefore, it is customarily recommended that after performing a ritualistic ceremony, one should feed the brāhmaṇas.
SB 3.16.9 The Two Doorkeepers of Vaikuntha, Jaya and Vijaya
Vaisnavas to eat is also accepted by the Lord. But here it is said
that He accepts offerings to the mouths of brahmanas and Vaisnavas
with even greater relish. The best example of this is found in the
life of Advaita Prabhu in his dealings with Haridasa Thakura. Even
though Haridasa was born of a Muhammadan family, Advaita Prabhu
offered him the first dish of prasada after the performance of a
sacred fire ceremony. Haridasa Thakura informed him that he was born
of a Muhammadan family and asked why Advaita Prabhu was offering the
first dish to a Muhammadan instead of an elevated brahmana. Out of his
humbleness, Haridasa condemned himself a Muhammadan, but Advaita
Prabhu, being an experienced devotee, accepted him as a real brahmana.
Advaita Prabhu asserted that by offering the first dish to Haridasa
Thakura, he was getting the result of feeding one hundred thousand
brahmanas. The conclusion is that if one can feed a brahmana or
Vaisnava, it is better than performing hundreds of thousands of
sacrifices. In this age, therefore, it is recommended that harer
nama–chanting the holy name of God–and pleasing the Vaisnava are the
only means to elevate oneself to spiritual life.
The only purpose of all living entities– is to give spiritual pleasure
Adi lila 7.116 purport–The basic principle for the existence of the living entities is called cid-vilāsa, or spiritual pleasure. The omnipotent Lord displays His pleasure potency as the living entities. The Lord is described in the Vedānta-sūtra (1.1.12) as ānanda-mayo ‘bhyāsāt. He is by nature the reservoir of all pleasures, and because He wants to enjoy pleasure, there must be energies to give Him pleasure or supply Him the impetus for pleasure. This is the perfect philosophical understanding of the Absolute Truth.
So if we are to give pleasure to God and His parts and parcels, then to not give pleasure to others would be contrary to our natural constitutional position. In other words, to offend others by our words or actions- is an offense.
Madhya 15.106-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Whoever chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa just once is worshipable and is the topmost human being.
PURPORT-Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa once, a person becomes perfect. Such a person is understood to be a Vaiṣṇava.
Scriptural references to results of offending Lord Vishnu and His devotees
Madhya 15.261
PURPORT
The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa cites the following quotation from Skanda Purāṇa concerning the blaspheming of a Vaiṣṇava:
yo hi bhāgavataṁ lokam upahāsaṁ nṛpottama karoti tasya naśyanti artha-dharma-yaśaḥ-sutāḥ
nindāṁ kurvanti ye mūḍhā vaiṣṇavānāṁ mahātmanām patanti pitṛbhiḥ sārdhaṁ mahā-raurava-saṁjñite hanti nindati vai dveṣṭi vaiṣṇavān nābhinandati krudhyate yāti no harṣaṁ darśane patanāni ṣaṭ
In this conversation between Mārkaṇḍeya and Bhagīratha, it is said: “My dear King, if one derides an exalted devotee, he loses the results of his pious activities, his opulence, his reputation and his sons. Vaiṣṇavas are all great souls. Whoever blasphemes them falls down to the hell known as Mahāraurava. He is also accompanied by his forefathers. Whoever kills or blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava and whoever is envious of a Vaiṣṇava or angry with him, or whoever does not offer him obeisances or feel joy upon seeing a Vaiṣṇava, certainly falls into a hellish condition.”
The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (10.314) also gives the following quotation from Dvārakā-māhātmya:
kara-patraiś ca phālyante sutīvrair yama-śāsanaiḥ nindāṁ kurvanti ye pāpā vaiṣṇavānāṁ mahātmanām
In a conversation between Prahlāda Mahārāja and Bali Mahārāja, it is said, “Those sinful people who blaspheme Vaiṣṇavas, who are all great souls, are subjected very severely to the punishment offered by Yamarāja.”
In the Bhakti-sandarbha (313) there is a statement concerning the blaspheming of Lord Viṣṇu.
ye nindanti hṛṣīkeśaṁ tad-bhaktaṁ puṇya-rūpiṇam śata-janmārjitaṁ puṇyaṁ teṣāṁ naśyati niścitam te pacyante mahā-ghore kumbhīpāke bhayānake bhakṣitāḥ kīṭa-saṅghena yāvac candra-divākarau śrī-viṣṇor avamānanād gurutaraṁ śrī-vaiṣṇavollaṅghanam tadīya-dūṣaka-janān na paśyet puruṣādhamān taiḥ sārdhaṁ vañcaka-janaiḥ
saha-vāsaṁ na kārayet “One who criticizes Lord Viṣṇu and His devotees loses all the benefits accrued in a hundred pious births. Such a person rots in the Kumbhīpāka hell and is bitten by worms as long as the sun and moon exist. One should therefore not even see the face of a person who blasphemes Lord Viṣṇu and His devotees. Never try to associate with such persons.”
In his Bhakti-sandarbha (265), Jīva Gosvāmī further quotes from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.74.40):
nindāṁ bhagavataḥ śṛṇvan tat-parasya janasya vā tato nāpaiti yaḥ so ‘pi yāty adhaḥ sukṛtāc cyutaḥ
“If one does not immediately leave upon hearing the Lord or the Lord’s devotee blasphemed, he falls down from devotional service.”
Similarly, Lord Śiva’s wife Satī states in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.4.17):
karṇau pidhāya nirayād yad akalpa īśe dharmāvitary asṛṇibhir nṛbhir asyamāne chindyāt prasahya ruśatīm asatīṁ prabhuś cej jihvām asūn api tato visṛjet sa dharmaḥ
“If one hears an irresponsible person blaspheme the master and controller of religion, he should block his ears and go away if unable to punish him. But if one is able to kill, then one should by force cut out the blasphemer’s tongue and kill the offender, and after that he should give up his own life.”
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BG 12.14--He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me.
PURPORT-A few of a devotee’s qualifications are further being described. No one is put into difficulty, anxiety, fearfulness, or dissatisfaction by such a devotee. Since a devotee is kind to everyone, he does not act in such a way to put others into anxiety
Antya 13.133-He(Raghunatha das) would not listen to blasphemy of a Vaiṣṇava, nor would he listen to talk of a Vaiṣṇava’s misbehavior. He knew only that everyone was engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service; he did not understand anything else.
PURPORT-Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa never did anything harmful to a Vaiṣṇava. In other words, he was never inattentive in the service of the Lord, nor did he ever violate the rules and regulations of a pure Vaiṣṇava. It is the duty of a Vaiṣṇava ācārya to prevent his disciples and followers from violating the principles of Vaiṣṇava behavior. He should always advise them to strictly follow the regulative principles, which will protect them from falling down. Although a Vaiṣṇava preacher may sometimes criticize others, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa avoided this. Even if another Vaiṣṇava was actually at fault, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa would not criticize him; he saw only that everyone was engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service. That is the position of a mahā-bhāgavata.
March 10 1976 mayapur
Prabhupāda: No, you should always remember that either gṛhastha or brahmacārī or sannyāsī, nobody can strictly follow all the rules and regulations of them. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible. So if I find simply fault with you, and if you find fault with me, then it will be factional, and our real business will be hampered. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that hari-nāma, chanting HareKṛṣṇa mantra, should be very rigidly performed, which is common for everyone: gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsī. They should always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.Then everything will be adjusted. Otherwise it is impossible to advance. We shall be complicated with the details only. This is called niyamāgrahaḥ. I think I have explained.
“The King suffers the results of sins done by the state. The kings sin is suffered by his family priest,the guru suffers the sins of his disciples and the husband suffers the sins of his wife.” (Canakya pandit sloka Chapter 6 verse 10)