Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7 Chapter 15 Verses 38-39

Canto 7: The Science of God | Chapter 15: Instructions for Civilized Human Beings

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.15.38-39

gṛhasthasya kriyā-tyāgo

vrata-tyāgo vaṭorapi

tapasvino grāma-sevā

bhikṣor indriya-lolatā

āśramāpasadā hy ete

khalv āśrama-viḍambanāḥ

deva-māyā-vimūḍhāḿs tān

upekṣetānukampayā

SYNONYMS

gṛhasthasya — for a person situated in householder life; kriyā-tyāgaḥ — to give up the duty of a householder; vrata-tyāgaḥ — to give up vows and austerity; vaṭoḥ — for a brahmacārī; api — also; tapasvinaḥ — for a vānaprastha, one who has adopted a life of austerities; grāma-sevā — to live in a village and serve the people therein; bhikṣoḥ — for a sannyāsī who lived by begging alms; indriya-lolatā — addicted to sense enjoyment; āśrama — of the spiritual orders of life; apasadāḥ — the most abominable; hi — indeed; ete — all these; khalu — indeed; āśrama-viḍambanāḥ — imitating and therefore cheating the different spiritual orders; deva-māyā-vimūḍhān — who are bewildered by the external energy of the Supreme Lord; tān — them; upekṣeta — one should reject and not accept as genuine; anukampayā — or by compassion (teach them real life).

TRANSLATION

It is abominable for a person living in the gṛhastha-āśrama to give up the regulative principles, for a brahmacārī not to follow the brahmacārī vows while living under the care of the guru, for a vānaprastha to live in the village and engage in so-called social activities, or for a sannyāsī to be addicted to sense gratification. One who acts in this way is to be considered the lowest renegade. Such a pretender is bewildered by the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should either reject him from any position, or taking compassion upon him, teach him, if possible, to resume his original position.

PURPORT

We have repeatedly stressed that human culture does not begin unless one takes to the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma. Although gṛhastha life is a concession for the enjoyment of sex, one cannot enjoy sex without following the rules and regulations of householder life. Furthermore, as already instructed, a brahmacārī must live under the care of the guru: brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam [SB 7.12.1]. If a brahmacārī does not live under the care of the guru, if a vānaprastha engages in ordinary activities, or if a sannyāsī is greedy and eats meat, eggs and all kinds of nonsense for the satisfaction of his tongue, he is a cheater and should immediately be rejected as unimportant. Such persons should be shown compassion, and if one has sufficient strength one should teach them to stop them from following the wrong path in life. Otherwise one should reject them and pay them no attention.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness