Text 23] The Glories of Devotional Service 1027
—renounced; sva-jana—family relationships; ba@ndhavah—friendly ac-
quaintances.
TRANSLATION

Such a sadhu engages in staunch devotional service to the Lord without
deviation. For the sake of the Lord he renounces all other connections,
such as family relationships and friendly acquaintances within the world.

PURPORT

A person in the renounced order of life, a sannydsi, is also called a
sddhu because he renounces everything—his home, his comfort, his friends,
his relatives and his duties to friends and to family. He renounces every-
thing for the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A sannyasi is
generally in the renounced order of life, but his renunciation will be
successful only when his energy is employed in the service of the Lord
with great austerity. It is said here, therefore, bhaktim kurvanti ye drdham.
A person who seriously engages in the service of the Lord and is in the
renounced order of life is a sddhu. A sddhu is one who has given up all
responsibility to society, family and worldly humanitarianism simply for
the sake of the service of the Lord. As soon as he takes his birth in the
world, a person has so many responsibilities and obligations—to the public,
to the demigods, to the great sages, to the general living beings, to his
parents, to the family forefathers, and to many others. When he gives up
all such obligations for the sake of the service of the Supreme Lord, he is
not punished for such renunciation of obligation. But if for sense gratifica-
tion a person renounces all such obligations, he is punished by the law of
nature.

TEXT 23
AAAAT: HT Fe: -Talea Kyat F |
ater fafrarenn AaTRTTT: RN
mad-asrayah kathaé mrstah
Srnvanti kathayanti ca
tapanti vividhds tapa
naitan mad-gata-cetasah

mat-asrayah—about Me; kathah—stories; mrstah— delightful; sravanti—

they hear; kathayanti-they chant; ca—and; tapanti—inflict suffering;
