Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.13.9

na yater āśramah prāyo

dharma-hetur mahātmanah

śāntasya sama-cittasya

bibhriyād uta vā tyajet

SYNONYMS

na — not; yateh — of the sannyāsī; āśramah — the symbolic dress (with danda and kamandalu); prāyah — almost always; dharma-hetuh — the cause of advancement in spiritual life; mahā-ātmanah — who is factually exalted and advanced; śāntasya — who is peaceful; sama-cittasya — who has attained the stage of being equipoised; bibhriyāt — one may accept (such symbolic signs); uta — indeed; vā — or; tyajet — one may give up.

TRANSLATION

A peaceful, equipoised person who is factually advanced in spiritual consciousness does not need to accept the symbols of a sannyāsī, such as the tridanda and kamandalu. According to necessity, he may sometimes accept those symbols and sometimes reject them.

PURPORT

There are four stages of the renounced order of life — kutīcaka, bahūdaka, parivrājakācārya and paramahamsa. Herein, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam considers the paramahamsas among the sannyāsīs. The Māyāvādī impersonalist sannyāsīs cannot attain the paramahamsa stage. This is because of their impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. The Absolute Truth is perceived in three stages, of which bhagavān, or realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is meant for the paramahamsas. Indeed, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself is meant for the paramahamsas (paramo nirmatsarānām satām). Unless one is in the paramahamsa stage, he is not eligible to understand the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. For paramahamsas, or sannyāsīs in the Vaishnava order, preaching is the first duty. To preach, such sannyāsīs may accept the symbols of sannyāsa, such as the danda and kamandalu, or sometimes they may not. Generally the Vaishnava sannyāsīs, being paramahamsas, are automatically called bābājīs, and they do not carry a kamandalu or danda. Such a sannyāsī is free to accept or reject the marks of sannyāsa. His only thought is "Where is there an opportunity to spread Krishna consciousness?" Sometimes the Krishna consciousness movement sends its representative sannyāsīs to foreign countries where the danda and kamandalu are not very much appreciated. We send our preachers in ordinary dress to introduce our books and philosophy. Our only concern is to attract people to Krishna consciousness. We may do this in the dress of sannyāsīs or in the regular dress of gentlemen. Our only concern is to spread interest in Krishna consciousness.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness