Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 3.105
Protect Vows That Support Devotional Service
“Rāmacandra Khān said to the prostitutes, “There is a mendicant named Haridāsa Ṭhākura. All of you devise a way to deviate him from his vows of austerity.””
What the purport teaches
- Devotional service is the path of vairāgya-vidyā, or renunciation and knowledge. Haridāsa Ṭhākura followed this path strictly.
- Rāmacandra Khān instructed the prostitutes to find a way to break Haridāsa Ṭhākura’s vows. His plan specifically targeted the vow of celibacy.
- The purport explains renunciation as giving up sensual pleasure, especially sexual pleasure. It also notes that the prostitutes who received Lord Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā were devotees of Kṛṣṇa.
Try this today
Identify one distraction from a devotional commitment and avoid it today.
Ask yourself
What boundary would help you remain faithful to a devotional commitment?
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.