Text 33] Ideal Family Life 177
fail to give importance to the devotees are third class. They are kanistha-
adhikaris in the lower stage of spiritual life. As it is said in Srimad-
Bhagavatam (11.2.47):
arcayam eva haraye
pajam yah sraddhayehate
na tad-bhaktesu cdnyesu
sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah
‘*A person who is very faithfully engaged in the worship of the Deity in
the temple but does not know how to behave toward devotees or people in
general is called a prakrta-bhakta, or kanistha-adhikari.” Therefore, in
the temple there must be the Deity of the Lord, and the Lord should be
worshiped by the devotees. This combination of the devotees and the
Deity creates a first-class transcendental place.

Aside from this, if a grhastha devotee worships the sdlagrama-sila, or
the form of the Deity at home, his home also becomes a very great place.
It was therefore customary for members of the three higher classes—
namely the bradhmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas—to worship the
Salagrama-sild, or a small Deity of Radhd-Krsna or Sita-Rama in each
and every home. This made everything auspicious. But now they have
given up the Deity worship. Men have become modernized and are con-
sequently indulging in all sorts of sinful activities, and therefore they are
extremely unhappy.

According to Vedic civilization, therefore, the holy places of
pilgrimage are considered most sacred, and still there are hundreds and
thousands of holy places like Jagannatha Puri, Vrndavana, Hardwar,
Ramesvara, Prayaga and Mathura. India is the place for worshiping or
for cultivating spiritual life. The Krsna consciousness movement invites
everyone from all over the world, without discrimination as to caste or
creed, to come to its centers and cultivate spiritual life perfectly.

TEXTS 30-33
aif geacathr aavrethirara |
goat Tafa: TANT: Ge: |e
