Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 16.7
Follow Devotion Without Imitating Advanced Devotees
“When he used to throw dice in jest, he would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa while throwing the dice.”
What the purport teaches
- Kālidāsa chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa while throwing dice only in jest. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura warns us not to imitate him.
- Playing dice is gambling, and imitating Kālidāsa by gambling while chanting leads to offenses unto the holy name. One must not commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
- A mahā-bhāgavata never forgets the basic principles, though the activities of a pure devotee may be beyond our understanding. Therefore, we should not imitate Kālidāsa.
Try this today
Before chanting today, pause and resolve not to use the holy name as an excuse for sinful activity.
Ask yourself
Do you ever treat chanting as an excuse to overlook conduct you know is wrong?
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.