304. Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 5
am now in grhastha life, I am a saintly person. By showing my sons
the path of renunciation, you have done me an abominable
injustice.

PURPORT

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, sannydsira alpa chidra sarva-loke
gaya (Cc. Madhya 12.51). In society one will find many sannyasis,
vanaprasthas, grhasthas and brahmacaris, but if all of them properly
live in accordance with their duties, they are understood to be sddhus.
Prajapati Daksa was certainly a sddhu because he had executed such
great austerities that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu,
had appeared before him. Nevertheless, he had a fault-finding mentality.
He improperly thought Narada Muni to be asddhu, or nonsaintly,
because Narada had foiled his intentions. Desiring to train his sons to
become grhasthas fully equipped with knowledge, Daksa had sent them
to execute austerities by Naradyana-saras. Narada Muni, however, taking
advantage of their highly elevated position in austerity, instructed them
to become Vaisnavas in the renounced order. This is the duty of Narada
Muni and his followers. They must show everyone the path of
renouncing this material world and returning home, back to Godhead.
Prajapati Daksa, however, could not see the exaltedness of the duties
Narada Muni performed in relation to his sons. Unable to appreciate
Narada Muni’s behavior, Daksa accused Narada of being asddhu.

The words bhiksor marga, “the path of the renounced order,” are
very significant in this regard. A sannydsi is called tridandi-bhiksu
because his duty is to beg alms from the homes of grhasthas and to give
the grhasthas spiritual instructions. A sannydsi is allowed to beg from
door to door, but a grhastha cannot do so. Grhasthas may earn their
living according to the four divisions of spiritual life. A brahmana
grhastha may earn his livelihood by becoming a learned scholar and
teaching people in general how to worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. He may also assume the duty of worship himself. Therefore it
is said that only brahmanas may engage in Deity worship, and they may
accept as prasdda whatever people offer the Deity. Although a brahmana
may sometimes accept charity, it is not for his personal maintenance but
for the worship of the Deity. Thus a brahmana does not stock anything
