Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Madhya-lila
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter 24

Madhya24.241

TEXT 241

narada kahe,--"yadi jive mara’ tumi bana

ardha-mara kara kene, na lao parana?"

SYNONYMS

narada kahe—Narada Muni said; yadi—if; jive—in the animals; mara’-pierce; tumi—you; bana—your arrows; ardha-mara kara—you half-kill; kene—why; na lao parana—don’t you take their lives completely.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni then inquired, ’Why did you not kill the animals completely? Why did you half-kill them by piercing their bodies with arrows?’

Madhya24.242

TEXT 242

vyadha kahe,--"suna, gosani, ’mrgari’ mora nama

pitara siksate ami kari aiche kama

SYNONYMS

vyadha kahe—the hunter replied; suna—please hear; gosani—O great saintly person; mrga-ari—the enemy of the animals; mora nama—my name; pitara siksate—by the teaching of my father; ami—I; kari—do; aiche kama—such acts.

TRANSLATION

"The hunter replied, ’My dear saintly person, my name is Mrgari, enemy of animals. My father taught me to kill them in that way.

Madhya24.243

TEXT 243

ardha-mara jiva yadi dhad-phada kare

tabe ta’ ananda mora badaye antare"

SYNONYMS

ardha-mara jiva—half-killed living beings; yadi—if; dhad-phada kare—twist and turn because of suffering; tabe—then; ta’-certainly; ananda—pleasure; mora—my; badaye antare—increases within.

TRANSLATION

" ’When I see half-killed animals suffer, I feel great pleasure.’

Madhya24.244

TEXT 244

narada kahe,--’eka-vastu magi tomara sthane’

vyadha kahe,--"mrgadi laha, yei tomara mane

SYNONYMS

narada kahe—Narada Muni said; eka-vastu magi—I wish to beg one thing; tomara sthane—from you; vyadha kahe—the hunter replied; mrga-adi laha—take some of the hunted animals; yei tomara mane—whatever you like.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni then told the hunter, ’I have one thing to beg of you.’ The hunter replied, ’You may take whatever animals or anything else you would like.

Madhya24.245

TEXT 245

mrga-chala caha yadi, aisa mora ghare

yei caha taha diba mrga-vyaghrambare"

SYNONYMS

mrga-chala—deerskin; caha yadi—if you want; aisa mora ghare—come to my place; yei caha—whatever you want; taha—that; diba—I shall give; mrga-vyaghra-ambare—whether a deerskin or a tiger skin.

TRANSLATION

" ’I have many skins if you would like them. I shall give you either a deerskin or a tiger skin.’

Madhya24.246

TEXT 246

narada kahe,--"iha ami kichu nahi cahi

ara eka-dana ami magi toma-thani

SYNONYMS

narada kahe—Narada Muni said; iha—this; ami kichu nahi cahi—I don’t want any; ara—another; eka-dana—one charity; ami—I; magi—beg; toma-thani—from you.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni said, ’I do not want any of the skins. I am only asking one thing from you in charity.

Madhya24.247

TEXT 247

kali haite tumi yei mrgadi mariba

prathamei mariba, ardha-mara na kariba"

SYNONYMS

kali haite—from tomorrow; tumi—you; yei—whatever; mrga-adi—animals; mariba—you will kill; prathamei mariba—kill them in the beginning; ardha-mara—half-killing; na kariba—do not do.

TRANSLATION

" ’I beg you that from this day on you will kill animals completely and not leave them half-dead.’

Madhya24.248

TEXT 248

vyadha kahe,--"kiba dana magila amare

ardha marile kiba haya, taha kaha more"

SYNONYMS

vyadha kahe—the hunter replied; kiba dana—what kind of charity; magila amare—have you begged from me; ardha marile—in half-killing; kiba—what; haya—there is; taha—that; kaha more—kindly explain to me.

TRANSLATION

"The hunter replied, ’My dear sir, what are you asking of me? What is wrong with the animals’ lying there half-killed? Will you please explain this to me?’

Madhya24.249

TEXT 249

narada kahe,--"ardha marile jiva paya vyatha

jive duhkha ditecha, tomara ha-ibe aiche avastha

SYNONYMS

narada kahe—Narada Muni replied; ardha marile—by half-killing the animals; jiva paya vyatha—the living beings suffer too much pain; jive duhkha ditecha—you are giving troubles to the living beings; tomara—your; ha-ibe—there will be; aiche avastha—the same suffering in retaliation.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni replied, ’If you leave the animals half-dead, you are purposefully giving them pain. Therefore you will have to suffer in retaliation.’

PURPORT

This is an authoritative statement given by the greatest authority, Narada Muni. If one gives another living entity unnecessary pain, one will certainly be punished by the laws of nature by a similar pain. Although the hunter Mrgari was uncivilized, he still had to suffer the results of his sinful activities. However, if a civilized man kills animals regularly in a slaughterhouse to maintain his so-called civilization, using scientific methods and machines to kill animals, one cannot even estimate the suffering awaiting him. So-called civilized people consider themselves very advanced in education, but they do not know about the stringent laws of nature. According to nature’s law, it is a life for a life. We can hardly imagine the sufferings of one who maintains a slaughterhouse. He endures suffering not only in this life, but in his next life also. It is said that a hunter, murderer or killer is advised not to live and not to die. If he lives, he accumulates even more sins, which bring about more suffering in a future life. He is advised not to die because his dying means that he immediately begins to endure more suffering. Therefore he is advised not to live and not to die.

As followers of the Vedic principles, we accept the statements of Narada Muni in this regard. It is our duty to see that no one suffers due to sinful activities. Foolish rascals are described in Bhagavad-gita as mayayapahrta-jnanah, which indicates that although they are superficially educated, maya has taken their real knowledge away. Such people are presently leading human society. In Srimad-Bhagavatam they are also described as andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. These rascals are themselves blind, and yet they are leading others who are blind. When people follow such leaders, they suffer unlimited pains in the future. Despite so-called advancement, all this is happening. Who is safe? Who is happy? Who is without anxiety?

Madhya24.250

TEXT 250

vyadha tumi, jiva mara--’alpa’ aparadha tomara

kadarthana diya mara’--e papa ’apara’

SYNONYMS

vyadha tumi—you are a hunter; jiva mara—your occupation is to kill animals; alpa—slight; aparadha—offense; tomara—your; kadarthana diya—unnecessarily giving them pain; mara’-when you kill; e papa apara—this sinful activity is unlimited.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni continued, ’My dear hunter, your business is killing animals. That is a slight offense on your part, but when you consciously give them unnecessary pain by leaving them half-dead, you incur very great sins.’

PURPORT

This is another good instruction to animal killers. There are always animal killers and animal eaters in human society because less civilized people are accustomed to eating meat. In Vedic civilization, meat-eaters are advised to kill an animal for the goddess Kali or a similar demigod. This is in order not to give the animal unnecessary pain, as slaughterhouses do. In the balidana sacrifice to a demigod, it is recommended to cut the throat of an animal with one slice. This should be done on a dark-moon night, and the painful noises expressed by the animal at the time of being slaughtered are not to be heard by anyone. There are also many other restrictions. Slaughter is only allowed once a month, and the killer of the animal has to suffer similar pains in his next life. At the present moment, so-called civilized men do not sacrifice animals to a deity in a religious or ritualistic way. They openly kill animals daily by the thousands for no purpose other than the satisfaction of the tongue. Because of this the entire world is suffering in so many ways. Politicians are unnecessarily declaring war, and, according to the stringent laws of material nature, massacres are taking place between nations.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Bg. 3.27) The laws of prakrti (nature) are very stringent. No one should think that he has the freedom to kill animals and not suffer the consequences. One cannot be safe by doing this. Narada Muni herein says that animal killing is offensive, especially when animals are given unnecessary pain. Meat-eaters and animal killers are advised not to purchase meat from the slaughterhouse. They can worship Kali once a month, kill some unimportant animal and eat it. Even by following this method, one is still an offender.

Madhya24.251

TEXT 251

kadarthiya tumi yata marila jivere

tara taiche toma maribe janma-janmantare"

SYNONYMS

kadarthiya—giving unnecessary pangs; tumi—you; yata—all; marila—killed; jivere—the living entities; tara—all of them; taiche—similarly; toma—you; maribe—will kill; janma-janma-antare—life after life.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni continued, ’All the animals that you have killed and given unnecessary pain will kill you one after the other in your next life and in life after life.’

PURPORT

This is another authoritative statement made by the great sage Narada. Those who kill animals and give them unnecessary pain-as people do in slaughterhouses-will be killed in a similar way in the next life and in many lives to come. One can never be excused from such an offense. If one kills many thousands of animals in a professional way so that other people can purchase the meat to eat, one must be ready to be killed in a similar way in his next life and in life after life. There are many rascals who violate their own religious principles. According to Judeo-Christian scriptures, it is clearly said, “Thou shalt not kill.” Nonetheless, giving all kinds of excuses, even the heads of religions indulge in killing animals while trying to pass as saintly persons. This mockery and hypocrisy in human society bring about unlimited calamities; therefore occasionally there are great wars. Masses of such people go out onto battlefields and kill themselves. Presently they have discovered the atomic bomb, which is simply awaiting wholesale destruction. If people want to be saved from the killing business life after life, they must take to Krsna consciousness and cease sinful activity. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness recommends that everyone abandon meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling. When one gives up these sinful activities, he can understand Krsna and take to this Krsna consciousness movement. We therefore request everyone to abandon sinful activity and chant the Hare Krsna mantra. In this way people can save themselves from repeated birth and death.

Madhya24.252

TEXT 252

narada-sange vyadhera mana parasanna ha-ila

tanra vakya suni’ mane bhaya upajila

SYNONYMS

narada-sange—in the association of the great sage Narada Muni; vyadhera—of the hunter; mana—the mind; parasanna ha-ila—became cleansed and satisfied; tanra—his; vakya—words; suni’-hearing; mane—in the mind; bhaya upajila—some fear arose.

TRANSLATION

"In this way, through the association of the great sage Narada Muni, the hunter was a little convinced of his sinful activity. He therefore became somewhat afraid due to his offenses.

PURPORT

This is the effect of associating with a pure devotee. Our preachers who are preaching Krsna consciousness all over the world should follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni and become purified by following the four principles and chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. This will make them fit to become Vaisnavas. Then, when they speak to sinful people about the teachings of this Krsna consciousness movement, people will be affected and take the instructions. We receive instructions in devotional service through the disciplic succession. Narada Muni is our original guru because he is the spiritual master of Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva is the spiritual master of our disciplic succession; therefore we should follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni and become pure Vaisnavas. A pure Vaisnava is one who has no ulterior motive. He has totally dedicated himself to the service of the Lord. He does not have material desires, and he is not interested in so-called learning and philanthropic work. The so-called learned scholars and philanthropists are actually karmis and jnanis, and some are actually misers engaged in sinful activity. All are condemned because they are not devotees of Lord Krsna.

This is a chance to become purified by associating with this Krsna consciousness movement and strictly following the rules and regulations. By chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become free from all contamination, especially contamination brought about by the killing of animals. Lord Krsna Himself requested:

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Bg. 18.66)

We should take this instruction from Krsna and follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni in the disciplic succession. If we simply surrender unto Krsna’s lotus feet and take this Krsna consciousness movement seriously, we can be freed from the karma incurred by sin. If we are intelligent enough, we shall engage in the loving service of the Lord. Then our lives will be successful, and we shall not have to suffer like the hunter life after life. By killing animals, not only will we be bereft of the human form but we will have to take an animal form and somehow or other be killed by the same type of animal we have killed. This is the law of nature. The Sanskrit word mamsa means “meat.” It is said: mam sah khadati iti mamsah. That is, “I am now eating the flesh of an animal who will some day in the future be eating my flesh.”

Madhya24.253

TEXT 253

vyadha kahe,--"balya haite ei amara karma

kemane tarimu muni pamara adhama?

SYNONYMS

vyadha kahe—the hunter said; balya haite—from the very beginning of my childhood; ei amara karma—I have been taught this business (half-killing animals); kemane—how; tarimu—shall become free from these sinful activities; muni—I; pamara adhama—sinful and misled.

TRANSLATION

"The hunter then admitted that he was convinced of his sinful activity, and he said, ’I have been taught this business from my very childhood. Now I am wondering how I can become freed from these unlimited volumes of sinful activity.’

This kind of admission is very beneficial as long as one does not again commit sin. Cheating and hypocrisy are not tolerated by higher authorities. If one understands what sin is, he should give it up with sincerity and regret and surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His agent, the pure devotee. In this way, one can be freed from the reactions of sin and make progress in devotional service. However, if one continues committing sins after making some atonement, he will not be saved. In the sastras, such atonement is compared to an elephant’s bathing. An elephant takes a very good bath and cleanses its body very nicely, but as soon as it comes out of the water, it picks up some dust on the shore and throws it all over its body. Atonement may be carried out very nicely, but it will not help a person if he continues committing sins. Therefore the hunter first admitted his sinful activity before the saintly person Narada and then asked how he could be saved.

Madhya24.254

TEXT 254

ei papa yaya mora, kemana upaye?

nistara karaha more, padon tomara paye"

SYNONYMS

ei—this; papa yaya mora—sinful reaction of my life can be washed off; kemana upaye—by what means; nistara karaha more—kindly deliver me; padon—I fall down; tomara paye—at your lotus feet.

TRANSLATION

"The hunter continued, ’My dear sir, please tell me how I can be relieved from the reactions of my sinful life. Now I fully surrender unto you and fall down at your lotus feet. Please deliver me from sinful reactions.’

PURPORT

By the grace of Narada Muni, the hunter came to his good senses and immediately surrendered unto the saint’s lotus feet. This is the process. By associating with a saintly person, one is able to understand the reactions of his sinful life. When one voluntarily surrenders to a saintly person who is a representative of Krsna and follows his instructions, one can become freed from sinful reaction. Krsna demands the surrender of a sinful man, and Krsna’s representative gives the same instructions. The representative of Krsna never tells his disciple, “Surrender unto me.” Rather he says, “Surrender unto Krsna.” If the disciple accepts this principle and surrenders himself through the representative of Krsna, his life is saved.

Madhya24.255

TEXT 255

narada kahe,--’yadi dhara amara vacana

tabe se karite pari tomara mocana’

SYNONYMS

narada kahe—Narada Muni replied; yadi dhara—if you accept; amara vacana—my instruction; tabe—then; se—this; karite pari—I can do; tomara—your; mocana—liberation.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni assured the hunter, ’If you listen to my instructions, I shall find the way you can be liberated.’

PURPORT

Gaurangera bhakta-gane jane jane sakti dhare. The purport of this song is that the devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are very powerful, and each and every one of them can deliver the whole world. What, then, to speak of Narada Muni? If one follows the instructions of Narada Muni, one can be delivered from any amount of sinful reactions. This is the process. One must follow the instructions of a spiritual master; then one will certainly be delivered from all sinful reaction. This is the secret of success. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau. If one has unflinching faith in Krsna and the spiritual master, the result is tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah: all the conclusions of revealed scriptures will be open to such a person. A pure devotee of Krsna can make the same demands that Narada Muni is making. He says, “If you follow my instructions, I shall take responsibility for your liberation.” A pure devotee like Narada can give assurance to any sinful man because by the grace of the Lord such a devotee is empowered to deliver any sinful person if that person follows the principles set forth.

Madhya24.256

TEXT 256

vyadha kahe,--’yei kaha, sei ta’ kariba’

narada kahe,--’dhanuka bhanga, tabe se kahiba’

SYNONYMS

vyadha kahe—the hunter replied; yei kaha—whatever you say; sei ta’ kariba—that I shall do; narada kahe—Narada Muni replied; dhanuka bhanga—break your bow; tabe—then; se kahiba—I shall speak to you.

TRANSLATION

"The hunter then said, ’My dear sir, whatever you say I shall do.’ Narada immediately ordered him, ’First of all, break your bow. Then I shall tell you what is to be done.’

PURPORT

This is the process of initiation. The disciple must admit that he will no longer commit sinful activity-namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. He promises to execute the order of the spiritual master. Then the spiritual master takes care of him and elevates him to spiritual emancipation.

Madhya24.257

TEXT 257

vyadha kahe,--’dhanuka bhangile vartiba kemane?’

narada kahe,--’ami anna diba prati-dine’

SYNONYMS

vyadha kahe—the hunter replied; dhanuka bhangile—if I break my bow; vartiba kemane—what will be the source of my maintenance; narada kahe—Narada Muni replied; ami—I; anna—food; diba—shall supply; prati-dine—every day.

TRANSLATION

"The hunter replied, ’If I break my bow, how shall I maintain myself?’ Narada Muni replied, ’Do not worry. I shall supply all your food every day.’

PURPORT

The source of our income is not actually the source of our maintenance. Every living being-from the great Brahma down to an insignificant ant-is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. The one Supreme Being, Krsna, maintains everyone. Our so-called source of income is our own choice only. If I wish to be a hunter, it will appear that hunting is the source of my income. If I become a brahmana and completely depend on Krsna, I do not conduct a business, but nonetheless my maintenance is supplied by Krsna. The hunter was disturbed about breaking his bow because he was worried about his income. Narada Muni assured the hunter because he knew that the hunter was not being maintained by the bow but by Krsna. Being the agent of Krsna, Narada Muni knew very well that the hunter would not suffer by breaking the bow. There was no doubt that Krsna would supply him food.

Madhya24.258

TEXT 258

dhanuka bhangi’ vyadha tanra carane padila

tare uthana narada upadesa kaila

SYNONYMS

dhanuka bhangi’-breaking the bow; vyadha—the hunter; tanra—his (Narada Muni’s); carane—at the lotus feet; padila—surrendered; tare—him; uthana—raising; narada—the great saint Narada Muni; upadesa kaila—gave instruction.

TRANSLATION

"Being thus assured by the great sage Narada Muni, the hunter broke his bow, immediately fell down at the saint’s lotus feet and fully surrendered. After this, Narada Muni raised him with his hand and gave him instructions for spiritual advancement.

PURPORT

This is the process of initiation. The disciple must surrender to the spiritual master, the representative of Krsna. The spiritual master, being in the disciplic succession stemming from Narada Muni, is in the same category with Narada Muni. A person can be relieved from his sinful activity if he surrenders to the lotus feet of a person who actually represents Narada Muni. Narada Muni gave instructions to the hunter after the hunter surrendered.

Madhya24.259

TEXT 259

"ghare giya brahmane deha’ yata ache dhana

eka eka vastra pari’ bahira hao dui-jana

SYNONYMS

ghare giya—returning home; brahmane—to the brahmanas, the most intelligent men in spiritual understanding; deha’-give; yata—whatever; ache—you have; dhana—riches; eka eka—each of you; vastra pari’-just one cloth; bahira hao—leave home; dui-jana—both of you.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni then advised the hunter, ’Return home and distribute whatever riches you have to the pure brahmanas who know the Absolute Truth. After distributing all your riches to the brahmanas, both you and your wife should leave home, taking only one cloth to wear.’

PURPORT

This is the process of renunciation at the stage of vanaprastha. After enjoying householder life for some time, the husband and wife must leave home and distribute their riches to brahmanas and Vaisnavas. One can keep his wife as an assistant in the vanaprastha stage. The idea is that the wife will assist the husband in spiritual advancement. Therefore Narada Muni advised the hunter to adopt the vanaprastha stage and leave home. It is not that a grhastha should live at home until he dies. Vanaprastha is preliminary to sannyasa. In the Krsna consciousness movement there are many young couples engaged in the Lord’s service. Eventually they are supposed to take vanaprastha, and after the vanaprastha stage the husband may take sannyasa in order to preach. The wife may then remain alone and serve the Deity or engage in other activities within the Krsna consciousness movement.

Madhya24.260

TEXT 260

nadi-tire eka-khani kutira kariya

tara age eka-pindi tulasi ropiya

SYNONYMS

nadi-tire—on the bank of the river; eka-khani—just one; kutira—a cottage; kariya—constructing; tara age—just in front of the cottage; eka-pindi—one raised platform; tulasi—a tulasi plant; ropiya—growing.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni continued, ’Leave your home and go to the river. There you should construct a small cottage, and in front of the cottage you should grow a tulasi plant on a raised platform.

Madhya24.261

TEXT 261

tulasi-parikrama kara, tulasi-sevana

nirantara krsna-nama kariha kirtana

SYNONYMS

tulasi-parikrama kara—circumambulate the tulasi plant; tulasi-sevana—just supply water to the root of tulasi-devi; nirantara—continuously; krsna-nama—the holy name of Krsna; kariha—just perform; kirtana—chanting.

TRANSLATION

" ’After planting the tulasi tree before your house, you should daily circumambulate that tulasi plant, serve her by giving her water and other things, and continuously chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.’

PURPORT

This is the beginning of spiritual life. After leaving householder life, one may go to a holy place, such as the bank of the Ganges or Yamuna, and erect a small cottage. A small cottage can be constructed without any expenditure. Four logs serving as pillars can be secured by any man from the forest. The roof can be covered with leaves, and one can cleanse the inside. Thus one can live very peacefully. In any condition, any man can live in a small cottage, plant a tulasi tree, water it in the morning, offer it prayers, and continuously chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Thus one can make vigorous spiritual advancement. This is not at all difficult. One simply has to follow the instructions of the spiritual master strictly. Then everything will be successful in due course of time. As far as eating is concerned, there is no problem. If Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, supplies everyone with eatables, why should He not supply His devotee? Sometimes a devotee will not even bother to construct a cottage. He will simply go to live in a mountain cave. One may live in a cave, in a cottage beside a river, in a palace or in a big city like New York or London. In any case, a devotee can follow the instructions of his spiritual master and engage in devotional service by watering the tulasi plant and chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. Taking the advice of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and our spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, one can go to any part of the world and instruct people to become devotees of the Lord by following the regulative principles, worshiping the tulasi plant and continuously chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

Madhya24.262

TEXT 262

ami tomaya bahu anna pathaimu dine

sei anna labe, yata khao dui-jane"

SYNONYMS

ami—I; tomaya—for you; bahu—much; anna—food; pathaimu—shall send; dine—every day; sei—that; anna—food; labe—you shall take; yata—whatever; khao—you can eat; dui-jane—both of you.

TRANSLATION

"Narada Muni continued, ’I shall send sufficient food to you both every day. You can take as much food as you want.’

PURPORT

When a person takes to Krsna consciousness, there is no need to care for material necessities. Krsna says that He personally carries all the necessities to His devotees.

ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham

“Those who worship Me with love and devotion, meditating on My transcendental form-to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.” (Bg. 9.22) Why should one be anxious about the necessities of life? The principle should be that one should not want more than what is absolutely necessary. Narada Muni advises the hunter to accept only what is absolutely necessary for him and his wife. The devotee should always be alert to consume only those things that he absolutely requires and not create unnecessary needs.

Madhya24.263

TEXT 263

tabe sei mrgadi tine narada sustha kaila

sustha hana mrgadi tine dhana palaila

SYNONYMS

tabe—thereafter; sei—those; mrga-adi—animals, beginning with the deer; tine—three; narada—the sage Narada; sustha kaila—brought to their senses; sustha hana—coming to consciousness; mrga-adi—the pierced animals; tine—three; dhana palaila—very swiftly fled away from that place.

TRANSLATION

"The three animals that were half-killed were then brought to their consciousness by the sage Narada. Indeed, the animals got up and swiftly fled.

Madhya24.264

TEXT 264

dekhiya vyadhera mane haila camatkara

ghare gela vyadha, guruke kari’ namaskara

SYNONYMS

dekhiya—seeing; vyadhera—of the hunter; mane—in the mind; haila—there was; camatkara—wonder; ghare—home; gela—went; vyadha—the hunter; guruke—to the spiritual master; kari’ namaskara—offering obeisances.

TRANSLATION

"When the hunter saw the half-killed animals flee, he was certainly struck with wonder. He then offered his respectful obeisances to the sage Narada and returned home.

Madhya24.265

TEXT 265

yatha-sthane narada gela, vyadha ghare aila

naradera upadese sakala karila

SYNONYMS

yatha-sthane—to the proper destination; narada—sage Narada; gela—went; vyadha—the hunter; ghare aila—came back to his house; naradera upadese—under the instruction of the sage Narada; sakala karila—he executed everything.

TRANSLATION

"After all this, Narada Muni went to his destination. After the hunter returned home, he exactly followed the instructions of his spiritual master, Narada.

PURPORT

For spiritual advancement one must have a bona fide spiritual master and follow his instructions in order to be assured of advancement.

Madhya24.266

TEXT 266

grame dhvani haila,--vyadha ’vaisnava’ ha-ila

gramera loka saba anna anite lagila

SYNONYMS

grame—in the village; dhvani haila—there was news; vyadha—the hunter; vaisnava ha-ila—has become a Vaisnava, a lover and servitor of Lord Visnu; gramera loka—the villagers; saba—all kinds of; anna—food; anite lagila—began to bring.

TRANSLATION

"The news that the hunter had become a Vaisnava spread all over the village. Indeed, all the villagers brought alms and presented them to the Vaisnava who was formerly a hunter.

PURPORT

It is the duty of the public to present a gift to a saintly person, Vaisnava or brahmana when going to see him. Every Vaisnava is dependent on Krsna, and Krsna is ready to supply all of life’s necessities, provided a Vaisnava follows the principles set forth by the spiritual master. There are certainly many householders in our Krsna consciousness movement. They join the movement and live in the society’s centers, but if they take advantage of this opportunity and do not work but live at the expense of the movement, eating prasada and simply sleeping, they place themselves in a very dangerous position. It is therefore advised that grhasthas should not live in the temple. They must live outside the temple and maintain themselves. Of course, if the grhasthas are fully engaged in the Lord’s service according to the directions of the authorities, there is no harm in their living in a temple. In any case, a temple should not be a place to eat and sleep. A temple manager should be very careful about these things.

Madhya24.267

TEXT 267

eka-dina anna ane dasa-bisa jane

dine tata laya, yata khaya dui jane

SYNONYMS

eka-dina—in one day; anna—food; ane—brought; dasa-bisa jane—enough for ten to twenty men; dine—in a day; tata laya—would accept only as much; yata—as; khaya dui jane—the two of them required to eat.

TRANSLATION

"In one day enough food was brought for ten or twenty people, but the hunter and his wife would accept only as much as they could eat.

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