Text 114] Pastimes with Jagadananda and Raghunatha Bhatta 171

“One should perform only those activities —either worldly or prescribed by Vedic
rules and regulations—which are favorable for the cultivation of Krsna conscious-
ness.”

Concerning the study of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu clearly
advises that one avoid hearing from a non-Vaisnava professional reciter. In this
connection Sanatana Gosvami quotes a verse from the Padma Purana:

avaisnava-mukhodgirnarm
pttam hari-kathamrtam

sravanam naiva kartavyarn
sarpocchistarn yatha payah

“No one should hear or take lessons from a person who is not a Vaisnava. Even if
he speaks about Krsna, such a lesson should not be accepted, for it is like milk
touched by the lips of a serpent.” Nowadays it is fashionable to observe
Bhagavata-saptaha and hear Srimad-Bhagavatam from persons who are anything
but advanced devotees or self-realized souls. There are even many Mayavdadis
who read Srimad-Bhagavatam to throngs of people. Many Mayavadis have
recently begun reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam in Vrndavana, and because they can
present the Bhagavatam with word jugglery, twisting the meaning by grammatical
tricks, materialistic persons who go to Vrndavana as a matter of spiritual fashion
like to hear them. All this is clearly forbidden by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We
should note carefully that since these Maydavadis cannot personally know the
meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, they can never deliver others by reciting it. On
the other hand, an advanced devotee of the Lord is free from material bondage.
He personifies the Srimad-Bhagavatam in life and action. Therefore we advise that
anyone who wants to learn the Srimad-Bhagavatam must approach such a
realized soul.

TEXT 114
yaaa ovata aire teticat i”
Os afer Sd-atenl fel Sta tea W998 1

punarapi eka-bdara dsiha nilacale”
eta bali’ kantha-mala dila tania gale

SYNONYMS
punarapi—again, also; eka-bara—once; dsiha nilacale—come to Jagannatha
Puri; eta bali’—saying this; kantha-mala—neck beads; dila—gave; tarira gale—on
his neck.
