Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.21.8
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyDevotion and Saintly Association Sanctify Places
“Among places, those bereft of the spotted antelope, those devoid of devotion to the brāhmaṇas, those possessing spotted antelopes but bereft of respectable men, provinces like Kīkaṭa and places where cleanliness and purificatory rites are neglected, where meat-eaters are prominent or where the earth is barren, are all considered to be contaminated lands.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord describes places as pure or impure according to their suitability for religious life. Cleanliness, purificatory ceremonies and the presence of respectable saintly persons are important.
- Even expertise in ritualistic sacrifices does not make a place pure if its inhabitants oppose devotional service to the Lord.
- Any place where saintly persons gather is considered holy, even within a generally impure province. One may also dwell wherever the Deity of Viṣṇu is duly installed and worshiped.
Try this today
Clean one small area where you carry out your devotional activities.
Ask yourself
How does my present environment support cleanliness and devotional service?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.