Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 17.128
Threats put religious practice under pressure
“The next time I see someone performing such saṅkīrtana, I shall certainly chastise him by not only confiscating all his property but also converting him into a Muslim.”
What the purport teaches
- The Kazi threatened anyone who continued saṅkīrtana with confiscation of all property and forced conversion to Islam.
- The purport explains that sprinkling water on a Hindu’s body was then considered sufficient to make that person a Muslim. This was the process Chand Kazi threatened to use.
- The purport describes Hindu society at that time as so rigid that a person considered converted had no chance of returning. Such social customs made the threat especially severe.
Try this today
Take a moment today to reflect on the pressure of threatened loss of property and exclusion from one’s religious community.
Ask yourself
How does this threat deepen my understanding of the devotees’ difficulty?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.