Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.13.9
Mukti· LiberationSpreading Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Comes Before Dress
“A peaceful, equipoised person who is factually advanced in spiritual consciousness does not need to accept the symbols of a sannyāsī, such as the tridaṇḍa and kamaṇḍalu. According to necessity, he may sometimes accept those symbols and sometimes reject them.”
What the purport teaches
- A peaceful, equipoised person who is truly advanced may accept or reject the outward symbols of sannyāsa according to necessity.
- The paramahaṁsa stage involves realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, beyond an impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth.
- For Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs, preaching is the first duty. Whether wearing the symbols of sannyāsa or ordinary dress, their concern is to attract people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Try this today
Share one teaching about Kṛṣṇa consciousness from today’s reading with someone who is interested.
Ask yourself
Do I place more value on spiritual appearance or on helping others become interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.