TEXT 123
ayacita-vrtti puri--virakta, udasa
ayacita paile kha'na, nahe upavasa
SYNONYMS
ayacita-vrttiaccustomed to avoid begging; puriMadhavendra Puri; viraktaunattached; udasaindifferent; ayacitawithout begging; paileif getting; kha'nahe eats; naheif not; upavasafasting.
TRANSLATION
Madhavendra Puri avoided begging. He was completely unattached and indifferent to material things. If, without his begging, someone offered him some food, he would eat; otherwise he would fast.
PURPORT
This is the paramahamsa stage, the highest stage for a sannyasi. A sannyasi can beg from door to door just to collect food, but a paramahamsa who has taken ayacita-vrtti, or ajagara-vrtti, does not ask anyone for food. If someone offers him food voluntarily, he eats. Ayacita-vrtti means being accustomed to refrain from begging, and ajagara-vrtti indicates one who is compared to a python, the big snake that makes no effort to acquire food but rather allows food to come automatically within its mouth. In other words, a paramahamsa simply engages exclusively in the service of the Lord without caring even for eating or sleeping. It was stated about the six Gosvamis: nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. In the paramahamsa stage one conquers the desire for sleep, food and sense gratification. One remains a humble, meek mendicant engaged in the service of the Lord day and night. Madhavendra Puri had attained this paramahamsa stage.

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