Text 22] The History of the Life of Ajamila 37
with the chanting of the Lord’s name. All the great authorities of bhakti-
yoga recommend the devotional process beginning with the chanting of
the holy name of Krsna (tan-nama-grahanddibhih).
TEXT 22
Ay ard Ly °
ware: RaaTatafeat — afrefera: |
fraggrarafaaieamaa Bea: NR
bandy-aksaih kaitavais cauryair
garhitarm vrttim asthitah
bibhrat kutumbam aSsucir
yatayam dasa dehinah

bandi-aksaih—by unnecessarily arresting someone; kaitavaih—by
cheating in gambling or throwing dice; cauryaih—by committing theft;
garhitam—condemned; vrttim—professions; asthitah—who has under-
taken (because of association with a prostitute); bibhrat—maintaining;
kutumbam—his dependent wife and children; asucih—being most sin-
ful; yatayam dsa—he gave trouble; dehinah—to other living entities.

TRANSLATION

This fallen brahmana, Ajamila, gave trouble to others by arrest-
ing them, by cheating them in gambling, or by directly plundering
them. This was the way he earned his livelihood and maintained
his wife and children.

PURPORT

This verse indicates how degraded one becomes simply by indulging in
illicit sex with a prostitute. Illicit sex is not possible with a chaste or
aristocratic woman, but only with unchaste sidras. The more society
allows prostitution and illicit sex, the more impetus it gives to cheaters,
thieves, plunderers, drunkards and gamblers. Therefore we first advise
all the disciples in our Krsna consciousness movement to avoid illicit sex,
which is the beginning of all abominable life and which is followed by
meat-eating, gambling and intoxication, one after another. Of course,
