Text 223] The Glories of Haridasa Thakura 323

“There are many different kinds of devotees, but even a Vaisnava coming from a
family of mlecchas or yavanas is understood to be a learned scholar, complete in
knowledge, if he knows the Vaisnava philosophy. He should therefore be given
charity, for such a Vaisnava is as worshipable as the Supreme Personality of God-
head.”
na me ‘bhaktas catur-vedi
mad-bhaktah sva-pacah priyah
tasmai deyam tato grahyam
sa ca puijyo yatha hy aham

Lord Krsna says, “Even if a nondevotee comes from a brahmana family and is ex-
pert in studying the Vedas, he is not very dear to Me, whereas even if a sincere
devotee comes from a low family of meat-eaters, he is very dear to Me. Such a
sincere pure devotee should be given charity, for he is as worshipable as 1.”

TEXT 223

wate-frata aif scan fran)
CWLAVA’-HNS CHICA SSCA GAIA PAV HN

jagat-nistara lagi’ karena cintana
avaisnava-jagat kemane ha-ibe mocana?

SYNONYMS

jagat-nistara—the deliverance of the people of the whole world; /égi’—for;
karena cintana—was always thinking; avaisnava—full of nondevotees; jagat—the
whole world; kemane—how; ha-ibe mocana—will be delivered.

TRANSLATION

Advaita Acarya was always absorbed in thoughts of how to deliver the fallen
souls of the entire world. “The entire world is full of nondevotees,” He
thought. ‘‘How will they be delivered?”

PURPORT

Srila Advaita Acarya sets the standard for acaryas in the Vaisnava sampradaya.
An dcarya must always be eager to deliver the fallen souls. A person who
establishes a temple or matha to take advantage of people’s sentiments by using
for his livelihood what people contribute for the worship of the Deity cannot be
called a gosvami or acarya. One who knows the conclusion of the sastras, follows
in the footsteps of his predecessors and endeavors to preach the bhakti cult all
over the world is to be considered an acarya. The role of an acarya is not to earn
his livelihood through the income of the temple. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
