Text 25] Narada’s Instructions on Srimad-Bhagavatam 257
and thus achieve the ultimate goal, back to Godhead. As such, Vedanta-
vadi, or the followers of the Vedanta, indicates the pure devotees of the
Personality of Godhead. Such Veddnta-vadi or the bhakti-vedantas are
impartial in distributing the transcendental knowledge of devotional service.
To them no one is enemy or friend; no one is educated or uneducated.
No one is especially favorable, and no one is unfavorable. The bhakti-
vedantas see the people in general are wasting time in false sensuous
things. Their business is to get the ignorant mass of people to reestablish
the lost relationship with the Personality of Godhead. By such endeavor,
even the most forgotten soul is roused up to the sense of spiritual life, and
thus being initiated by the bhakti-vedantas, the people in general gradually
progress on the path of transcendental realization. So the Vedanta-vadis
initiated the boy even before he became self-controlled and was detached
from childish sporting, cic. But before the initiation, he (the boy) became
more and more advanced in discipline, which is very essential for one who
wishes to make progress in the line. In the system of varndsrama-dharma,
which is the beginning of actual human life, small boys after five years of
age are sent to become brahmacari at the guru’s asrama where these
things are systematically taught to boys, be they king’s sons or sons of
ordinary citizens. The training was compulsory not only to create good
citizens of the state, but also to prepare the boy’s future life for spiritual
realization. The irresponsible life of sense enjoyment was unknown to the
children of the followers of the varnasrama system. The boy was even
injected with spiritual acumen before being placed by the father in the
womb of the mother. Both the father and the mother were responsible for
the boy’s success in being liberated from the material bondage. That is the
process of successful family planning. It is to beget children for complete
perfection. Without being self-controlled, without being disciplinary and
without being fully obedient, no one can become successful in following
the instructions of the spiritual master, and without doing so, no one is
able to go back to Godhead.
TEXT 25
THM AA TcTAHTleay: |
wy sare | fragtaa-
REN ATCT: TST HREM
