70
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 2, Ch. 2]
left behind them immense literatures of transcendental importance. Similarly, all the  ācāryas  who voluntarily accepted the renounced order of life aimed at benefiting the human society and not at living a comfortable or irresponsible life at the cost of others. However, those who cannot give any contribution should not go to the householders for food, for such mendicants asking bread from the householders are an insult to the highest order. Śukadeva Gosvāmī gave this warning especially for those mendicants who adopt this line of profession to solve their economic problems. Such mendicants are in abundance in the age of Kali. When a man becomes a mendicant willfully or by circumstances, he must be of firm faith and conviction that the Supreme Lord is the maintainer of all living beings everywhere in the universe. Why, then, would He neglect the maintenance of a surrendered soul who is cent percent engaged in the service of the Lord? A common master looks to the necessities of his servant, so how much more would the all-powerful, all-opulent Supreme Lord look after the necessities of life for a fully surrendered soul. The general rule is that a mendicant devotee will accept a simple small loincloth without asking anyone to give it in charity. He simply salvages it from the rejected torn cloth thrown in the street. When he is hungry he may go to a magnanimous tree which drops fruits, and when he is thirsty he may drink water from the flowing river. He does not require to live in a comfortable house, but should find out a cave in the hills and may not be afraid of jungle animals, keeping faith in God, who lives in everyone's heart. The Lord may dictate to tigers and other jungle animals not to disturb His devotee. Haridās Thākur, a great devotee of Lord Śrī Caitanya, used to live in such a cave, and by chance a great venomous snake also was a copartner of the cave. Some admirer of Thākur Haridās, who had to visit the Thākur every day, feared the snake and gave a suggestion to the Thākur to leave that place. Because his devotees were afraid of the snake and they were regularly visiting the cave, Thākur Haridās agreed to the proposal on their account. But as soon as this was settled, the snake actually crawled out of its hole in the cave and left the cave for good before everyone present. By the dictation of the Lord, who lives also within the heart of the snake, the snake gave preference to Haridās and decided to leave the place and not disturb him. So this is a tangible example of how the Lord gives protection to a bona fide devotee like Thākur Haridās. According to the regulations of the  sanātana-dharma  institution, one is trained from the beginning to depend fully on the protection of the Lord in all circumstances. The path of renunciation is recommended for acceptance by one who is fully accomplished and fully purified in one's existence. This stage is described