Haṁsadūta: Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Haṁsadūta: If someone is engaged in devotional service and he commits an offense at the feet of a pure devotee, whatever he has done up until that time is not lost? Or he, in his next life he gets...?
Prabhupāda: No, if he thinks that he has committed offense, he should ask pardon, excuse, that's all.
Haṁsadūta: What if he just goes on and he never asks pardon? Is he finished in...?
Prabhupāda: Then that he should. That he should. That he should.
Haṁsadūta: He should ask.
Prabhupāda: Yes. "Please excuse me. I have done..."
Haṁsadūta: But suppose he doesn't ask and he just...
Prabhupāda: That is obstinacy. Why should he not? If he thinks that he has committed offense, why should he not ask excuse?
Haṁsadūta: Well, he may not think so. He may just find himself falling down.
Prabhupāda: Then fallen down, what can be done? To save from this fallen down she should ask or he should ask, "Please excuse me. I have done..." That's all. Finish it. And a devotee is always prepared to excuse. Why should he not ask? Yes. One should be very cautious, and if it happens so, then he should ask to be excused. That's all.