Text 239] The Lord’s Attempt to Go to Vrndavana 279
“The bare necessities of life must be accepted, but one should not superfluously
increase his necessities. Nor should they be unnecessarily decreased. One should
simply accept what is necessary to help one advance spiritually.”

In his Durgama-sarigamani, Sri Jiva Gosvami comments that the word sva-nir-
vahah actually means sva-sva-bhakti-nirvahah. The experienced devotee will ac-
cept only those material things that wi!l help him render service to the Lord. In
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.256), markata-vairagya, or phalgu-vairagya, is ex-
plained as follows:

prapaficikataya buddhyd
hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
vairagyam phalgu kathyate
“Whatever is favorable for the rendering of service to the Lord should be ac-
cepted and should not be rejected as a material thing.” Yukta-vairagya, or befit-
ting renunciation, is thus explained:
anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayufjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate
“Things should be accepted for the Lord’s service and not for one’s personal sense
gratification. If one accepts something without attachment and accepts it be-
cause it is related to Krsna, one’s renunciation is called yukta-vairagya.” Since
Krsna is the Absolute Truth, whatever is accepted for His service is also the Ab-
solute Truth.

The word markata-vairagya is used by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to indicate so-
called Vaisnavas who dress themselves in loincloths trying to imitate Srila Rupa
Gosvami. Such people carry a beadbag and chant, but at heart they are always
thinking about getting women and money. Unknown to others, these markata-
vairagis maintain women but externally present themselves as renunciants. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very much opposed to these markata-vairagis, or
pseudo-Vaisnavas.

TEXT 239
VA FS] Fa, WY CM FIL |
Borie Fes cStatA sacra Beta uw” Qos i
antare nistha kara, bahye loka-vyavahara
acirat krsna tomaya karibe uddhdara
