994
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 24]
TEXT 42
व्रतं स आस्थितो मौनमात्मैकशरणो मुनिः । निःसङ्गो व्यचरत्क्षोणीमनग्निरनिकेतनः ॥४२॥
vratam sa āsthito maunam ātmaika-śaraṇo muniḥ niḥsaṅgo vyacarat kṣoṇīm anagnir aniketanaḥ
vratam—vow; saḥ—he (Kardama); āsthitaḥ—accepted; maunam—silence; ātma—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; eka—exclusively; śaraṇaḥ—being sheltered; muniḥ—the sage; niḥsaṅgaḥ—without association; vyacarat—he traveled; kṣoṇīm—the earth; anagniḥ—without fire; aniketanaḥ—without shelter.
TRANSLATION
The sage Kardama Muni accepted silence as a vow in order to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and take shelter of Him exclusively. Without association, he traveled over the surface of the globe as a sannyāsī, devoid of any relationship with fire or shelter.
PURPORT
Here the words  anagnir aniketanaḥ  are very significant. A  sannyāsī  should be completely detached from fire and any residential quarters. A  grhastha  has a relationship with fire, either for offering sacrifices or for cooking, but a  sannyāsī  is freed from these two responsibilities. He does not have to cook or offer fire for sacrifice because he is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore he has already accomplished all ritualistic performances of religion.  Aniketanaḥ  means without lodging. He should not have his own house, but should depend completely on the Supreme Lord for his food and lodging. He should travel.
Mauna  means silence. Unless one becomes silent, he cannot think completely about the pastimes and activities of the Lord. It is not that because one is a fool and cannot speak nicely he therefore takes the vow of  mauna . Rather, one becomes silent so that people will not disturb him. It is said by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita that a rascal appears very intelligent as long as he does not speak. But speaking is the test. The so-called silence of a silent impersonalist  svāmī  indicates that he has nothing to say; he simply wants to beg.