332 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 3

PURPORT

It is a great happiness for a mother if her son does not leave home to search
out Krsna but remains with her. At the same time, if a son does not search
after Krsna but simply remains at home, he is certainly blamed by experienced
saintly persons. Such blame certainly causes great unhappiness for a mother.
If a real mother wants her son to progress spiritually, she had better allow him
to go out searching for Krsna. The mother naturally desires the welfare of the
son. If a mother does not allow her son to search for Krsna, she is called ma,
which indicates maya. By allowing her son to go as a sannydsi and search for
Krsna, Sacimata instructs all mothers of the world. She indicates that all sons
should become real devotees of Krsna and should not stay at home under the
care of an affectionate mother. This is supported by Srimad-Bhagavatam
(5.5.18):

gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat
pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat

daivam na tat sydn na patis ca sa syan
na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum

“No one should become a spiritual master—nor a relative, father, mother,
worshipable Deity or husband—if he cannot help a person escape the immi-
nent path of death.” Every living entity is wandering within the universe, sub-
jected to the law of karma and transmigrating from one body to another and
from one planet to another. Therefore the whole Vedic process is meant to
save the wandering living entities from the clutches of maydé—birth, death,
disease and old age. This means stopping the cycle of birth and death. This
cycle can be stopped only if one worships Krsna. As the Lord says in
Bhagavad-gita (4.9):

janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah

tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so ‘tjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities
does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world,
but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

To stop the cycle of birth and death, one has to understand Krsna as He is.
Simply by knowing Krsna, one can stop the process of rebirth into this mate-
rial world. By acting in Krsna consciousness, one can return to Godhead. The
highest perfection of life is for a father, mother, spiritual master, husband or
