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"There are many philosophical speculators "A Vaishnava should always avoid the
[jïänés] belonging to the Mayavada school association of ordinary people. Common
who consider themselves liberated and people are very much materially attached,
call themselves Narayana. But their especially to women. Vaishnavas should
intelligence is not purified unless they also avoid the company of those who are
engage in Krishna's devotional service." not devotees of Lord Krishna."
Therefore those who are attached to
philosophical speculation are counted There are two types of Vaishnavas-
amongst the non-devotees. There is a fruit the householders and the renunciates.
called mukti, (liberation] and that is the Renunciates are forbidden from speaking
supreme goal of their spiritual practices with any woman. By the instruction to
(sädhana]. It is not the purpose of their give up the association with women, they
life to attain the Lord's mercy through His have been forbidden from conversing
service. People who have faith in fruitive with women. As stated by Sri Caitanya
rituals are also not devotees. Therefore Mahaprabhu in the Caitanya-caritämåta
they are also non-devotees. If anyone (Antya 2.120):
performs karma in order to achieve the
mercy of Krishna, then that karma is kñudra-jéva saba markaöa-vairägya kariyä
called bhakti. That karma which yields indriya caräïä bule ’prakåti’ sambhäñiyä
mundane results or mundane knowledge
www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya
Issue no 108, Page — 8 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
"There are many persons with little in serve as Krishna’s lovers, whereas those
their possession who accept the renounced who serve the Lord as servants of the Lord’s
order of life like monkeys. They go here friends attain male bodies. In the eternally
and there engaging in sense gratification pure spiritual body there is no difference
and speaking intimately with women." between male and female. The maleness
Regarding Vaishnavas, the Caitanya- or femaleness of the body simply reflects a
caritämåta (Antya 12.42) says: devotee’s internal mood.
—Amåta Väëé: Nectar of Instructions of Immoratality His Divine
pürvavat prabhu kailä sabära milana Grace Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura Prabhupäda Compiled
stré-saba düra ha-ite kailä prabhura daraçana by Çrépäda Bhakti Mayukha Bhägavat Mahäraja Adapted and
Published by Éçvara däsa. Translated from Bengali by Bhumipati
däsa
"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu received them
all, just as He had in previous years. The
women, however, saw the Lord from a The Clutches Of Maya
distance." Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami
This is the prescription in regard to
householder Vaishnavas. Householders “Forgetting Krishna, the living entity has
should not associate with others' wives been attracted by the external feature from
or prostitutes. They should not indulge in time immemorial. Therefore the illusory
any association other than with their own energy [maya] gives him all kinds of misery
wives according to religious scriptures. in his material existence.
One should give up the self-indulgent In the material condition, the living entity
mentality of being excessively fond is sometimes raised to higher planetary
of one's wife. The instructions of the systems and material prosperity and
scriptures regarding the smärtas is given sometimes drowned in a hellish situation.
in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi 15.27) as His state is exactly like that of a criminal
follows: whom a king punishes by submerging him
na gåhaà gåham ity ähur in water and then raising him again from
gåhiëé gåham ucyate the water. If the conditioned soul becomes
tayä hi sahitaù sarvän Krishna conscious by the mercy of saintly
puruñärthän samaçnute persons who voluntarily preach scriptural
injunctions and help him to become
Krishna conscious, the conditioned soul is
"Merely a house is not a home, for it is a liberated from the clutches of maya, who
wife who gives a home its meaning. If one gives him up.”
lives at home with his wife, together they — Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 20.117-118, 120).
can fulfill all the interests of human life."
— Çré Bhaktyäloka - The Six Faults and Qualities of Bhakti. !! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !!
Translated by Bhumipati Das. ISKCON
Bhagavata Mahavidyalaya
Is The Living Entity The Puruña ? is a branch of
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Founder-Äcärya: His Divine Grace
A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupāda
The living entity is neither male, female, Editor
nor neuter. The designations of male Brajsunder Das
and female relate only to the body. The Copy Editor
living entity is not the body but the soul, Isha Prakash Das
the body’s owner. The soul serves the
Supersoul. The living entity is not matter Sanskrit Editor,
Vrajsevika Devi Dasi
but all-cognisant spirit. Therefore the soul
is qualified to see and speak with the Assistance
Supersoul. Rasa Manjari Devi Dasi
The living entities develop their spiritual Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of
bodies based on their particular moods. His Divine Grace A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupada
Those who worship Krishna in the mellow ©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
of conjugal love develop female bodies to ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective artists.