By Śrīla Shyam Das Baba Date ……. 08.08.2024
aguru candana nāi, mṛttika-tilaka bhāi,
harer badale dharo mala
eirupe asa-pas, sukhadir kubilas,
kharbi charo samsarer jvālā
What use of using those costly items like rajasik Sandalwood and aguru cent. On the basis of yukta vairagya śuddhabhajan is established. Only the natural gift like ordinary earth clay can be used to decorate the forehead with tilaka for the satisfaction of the Lord. What use of very costly necklace which can invite Kali. Only the tulasī mālā can decorate your neck to purify you to avoid your arrest by Yama. In this way in your dedicated life, you can avoid your attachment for material things to satisfy your renunciation in true sense.
The detailed Commentary
Gauḍīya Goṣṭhīpati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Gosvāmī Prabhupāda said that—
‘kanaka-kāminī, pratiṣṭhā-bāghinī,’
chāḍiyāche jare, sei to’ vaiṣṇava
sei ‘‘anāsakta, ’ sei ‘śuddha-bhakta,’
saṁsār tathā pāy parābhava
If kanaka-kāminī, pratiṣṭhā-bāghinīis completely gone in a person they may be known as a trueVaiṣṇava—they are detached; they are pure devotees and material māyā (saṃsāra) cannot touch them.
He is Vaiṣṇava whom kanaka– kāminī, pratiṣṭhā-bāghinī already left. On the basis of yukta vairāgya śuddha bhajan life can be established.
What use of using those costly items like rajasik Sandelwood and aguru cent. Only the natural gift like ordinary earth clay can be used to decorate the forehead with tilaka for the satisfaction of the Lord. What use of very costly necklace which can invite Kali. Only the tulasī mālā can decorate your neck to purify you to avoid your arrest by Yama. In this way in your dedicated life you can avoid your attachment for material things to satisfy your renunciation in true sense.
We know from the following Gauḍīya kīrtana by Śrīla Saccidananda Bhaktivinod Ṭhākura that—
sadā āśā kari bhṛńga-rūpa dhari
caraṇa kamale sthāna
anāyāse pāi kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāi
āra nā bhajiba āna
Just like honeybees, I always hope for a residence unto His (Kṛṣṇa’s) lotus flower like feet to get the nectar there. And what I can arrange very easily to maintain my life, that I can accept without any anya-bhilāṣa, because I always like to sing the glories of Kṛṣṇa, adoring no one else.
From Prema Vivarta the book written by Śrīla Jagadānanda Paṇḍita – The great eternal Gaura pārṣada we can see the following verse —
viśuddha vairāgī kare nāma-saṅkīrtana
māgiyā khaiya kare jīvana-yāpana
Pure renunciates always chanting the Holy Name of Bhagavan and living on alarm to support his bhajan life (by begging and eating).
vairāgī hañā yebā kare parāpekṣā
kārya-siddhi nahe, kṛṣṇa karena upekṣā
Those who become renunciates but depend on others can never become successful, and Kṛṣṇa ignores them.
From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2nd canto we can see those following advices –
satyāṁ kṣitau kiṁ kaśipoḥ prayāsair
bāhau svasiddhe hy upabarhaṇaiḥ kim
saty añjalau kiṁ purudhānna-pātryā
dig-valkalādau sati kiṁ dukūlaiḥ (ŚB 2.2.4)
When there is the natural arrangement for sleeping on ground then what need of any bed to take rest relaxed way? When one can use his own arms, then what need of any pillow? When one can use the palms of his own hands, then what need of any pot for eating and drinking? When there is enough arrangement done by the nature itself (or the skins of trees to protect our body), then what need of any cloth?
cīrāṇi kiṁ pathi na santi diśanti bhikṣāṁ
naivāṅghripāḥ para-bhṛtaḥ sarito ’py aśuṣyan
ruddhā guhāḥ kim ajito ’vati nopasannān
kasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndhān (ŚB 2.2.5)
Are there no torn clothes lying on the common road? Do the trees, which exist for maintaining others, no longer give alms in charity? Do the rivers, being dried up, no longer supply water to the thirsty? Are the caves of the mountains now closed? Or above all, does the Almighty Lord not protect the fully surrendered souls? Why then do the learned sages go to flatter those who are intoxicated by hard-earned wealth?
From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11th Canto Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa giving the following example to Uddhavaji Mahārāj about how to lead sannyāsa life.
kenacid bhikṣuṇā gītaṁ
paribhūtena durjanaiḥ
smaratā dhṛti-yuktena
vipākaṁ nija-karmaṇām (ŚB 11.23.5)
Once a certain sannyāsi was insulted in many ways by impious men. However, with determination he remembered that he was suffering the fruit of his own previous karma. (Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaking to Uddhavaji) will narrate to you his story and that which he spoke.
kasmāt saṅkliśyate vidvān
vyarthayārthehayāsakṛt
kasyacin māyayā nūnaṁ
loko ’yaṁ su-vimohitaḥ (ŚB 11.23.26)
Why must an intelligent man suffer by his constant vain efforts to get wealth? Indeed, this whole world is most bewildered by someone’s illusory potency.
kiṁ dhanair dhana-dair vā kiṁ
kāmair vā kāma-dair uta
mṛtyunā grasyamānasya
karmabhir vota janma-daiḥ (ŚB 11.23.27)
For one who is in the grips of death, what is the use of wealth or those who offer it, sense gratification or those who offer it, or, for that matter, any type of fruitive activity, which simply causes one to again take birth in the material world?
nūnaṁ me bhagavāṁs tuṣṭaḥ
sarva-deva-mayo hariḥ
yena nīto daśām etāṁ
nirvedaś cātmanaḥ plavaḥ (ŚB 11.23.28)
The Supreme Personality of Godhead surely satisfied with me today—who is the Supreme Authority of this whole creation, I mean the cause of all causes, that is why today I am taken into this kind of painful situation (fallen into this kind of painful situation), and that must be the reason for why today I develop complete detachment of any worldly things.
etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām
adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair maharṣibhiḥ
ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ
tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva (ŚB 11.23.57)
I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the Lotus Feet of Kṛṣṇa. This was approved by the previous ācāryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Śrīman Mahāprabhu Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Deva Himself after taking sannyāsa has given us a glowing idealism so that those who are going to take sannyāsa vrataor those who already have taken sannyāsa vrata —
śukla-vastre masi-bindu yaiche nā lukāya
sannyāsīra alpa chidra sarva-loke gāya (Cc Madhya 12.51)
“As soon as the general public finds a little fault in the behaviour of a sannyāsī, they advertise it like wildfire. A black spot of ink cannot be hidden on a white cloth. It is always very prominent.”
prabhu kahe, — pūrṇa yaiche dugdhera kalasa
surā-bindu-pāte keha nā kare paraśa (Cc Madhya 12.53)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu than said, “There may be enough milk in a big pot, but a drop of liquor can make the milk useless, it becomes untouchable.
Śrīman Mahāprabhu already declared that the only objective of taking sannyāsa vrata is to serve Mukunda Deva Kṛṣṇa from heart. From Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta we can find the following śloka –
prabhu kahe — sādhu ei bhikṣura vacana
mukunda sevana-vrata kaila nirdhāraṇa (Cc Madhya 3.7)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved the purport of this verse on account of the determination of the mendicant devotee to engage in the service of Lord Mukunda. He gave His approval of this verse, indicating that the declaration of the sannyāsī from Avani Nagar is very good.
Śrīla Saccidananda Bhaktivinod Ṭhākura has written in one of his articles named –
“Vairāgī Vaiṣṇava digger caritra nirmal hawa chai”
“All the characters and behaviours of those sādhus in renounced order should be very pure.”
In this article Śrīla Ṭhākura has given a detailed explanation about how to lead renounced life with full purity.
Gaura Hari Hari Bol