TEXT 259
"ghare giya brahmane deha' yata ache dhana
eka eka vastra pari' bahira hao dui-jana
SYNONYMS
ghare giyareturning home; brahmaneto the brahmanas, the most intelligent men in spiritual understanding; deha'-give; yatawhatever; acheyou have; dhanariches; eka ekaeach of you; vastra pari'-just one cloth; bahira haoleave home; dui-janaboth of you.
TRANSLATION
"Narada Muni then advised the hunter, 'Return home and distribute whatever riches you have to the pure brahmanas who know the Absolute Truth. After distributing all your riches to the brahmanas, both you and your wife should leave home, taking only one cloth to wear.'
PURPORT
This is the process of renunciation at the stage of vanaprastha. After enjoying householder life for some time, the husband and wife must leave home and distribute their riches to brahmanas and Vaisnavas. One can keep his wife as an assistant in the vanaprastha stage. The idea is that the wife will assist the husband in spiritual advancement. Therefore Narada Muni advised the hunter to adopt the vanaprastha stage and leave home. It is not that a grhastha should live at home until he dies. Vanaprastha is preliminary to sannyasa. In the Krsna consciousness movement there are many young couples engaged in the Lord's service. Eventually they are supposed to take vanaprastha, and after the vanaprastha stage the husband may take sannyasa in order to preach. The wife may then remain alone and serve the Deity or engage in other activities within the Krsna consciousness movement.

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