Text 29] The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes 49

PURPORT

According to the injunction of Yajfiavalkya, an authority on religious
principles, @Suddheh sampratiksyo hi mahdpataka-disitah. One is con-
sidered contaminated by the reactions of great sinful activities when one
has not been purified according to the methods of the dasa-vidha-
samskdra. In Bhagavad-gita, however, the Lord says, na mam duskrtino
midhah prapadyante narddhamah: “Those miscreants who do not sur-
render unto Me are the lowest of mankind.” The word narddhama
means “nondevotee.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also said, yei bhaje sei
bada, abhakta—hina, chara. Anyone who is a devotee is sinless. One
who is not a devotee, however, is the most fallen and condemned. It is
recommended, therefore, that a chaste wife not associate with a fallen
husband. A fallen husband is one who is addicted to the four principles
of sinful activity —namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxi-
cation. Specifically, if one is not a soul surrendered to the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, he is understood to be contaminated. Thus a chaste
woman is advised not to agree to serve such a husband. It is not that a
chaste woman should be like a slave while her husband is narédhama,
the lowest of men. Although the duties of a woman are different from
those of a man, a chaste woman is not meant to serve a fallen husband. If
her husband is fallen, it is recommended that she give up his association.
Giving up the association of her husband does not mean, however, that a
woman should marry again and thus indulge in prostitution. If a chaste
woman unfortunately marries a husband who is fallen, she should live
separately from him. Similarly, a husband can separate himself from a
woman who is not chaste according to the description of the sdstra. The
conclusion is that a husband should be a pure Vaisnava and that a woman
should be a chaste wife with all the symptoms described in this regard.
Then both of them will be happy and make spiritual progress in Krsna

consciousness.

TEXT 29
a ofa eonta aaq tte ar |
ealnaT Stat Te ata AEA Re
ya patim hari-bhavena
bhajet srir iva tat-para
