TEXT 25
dvav imav anusocanti
balav asad-avagrahau
yal loka-sastropanatam
na rati na tad icchati
SYNONYMS
dvautwo kinds; imauthese; anusocantithey lament; balauignorant; asatthe foolish; avagrahautaking the path of; yatthat which; lokaby custom; sastraby scriptures; upanatampresented; nanever; ratifollows; naneither; tatthat; icchatidesires.
TRANSLATION
One who does not give charity according to the customs or injunctions of the scriptures and one who does not accept charity in that way are considered to be in the mode of ignorance. Such persons follow the path of the foolish. Surely they must lament at the end.
PURPORT
It is herein stated that one should strictly follow the scriptures if one actually wants an auspicious life. The same is explained in Bhagavad-gita (16.23):
He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination. One who does not strictly follow the terms of the Vedic injunctions never attains success in life or happiness. And what to speak of going home, back to Godhead.
One sastric injunction holds that a householder, a ksatriya or an administrative head should not refuse to accept a woman if she voluntarily requests to become a wife. Since Kalakanya, the daughter of Time, was deputed by Narada Muni to offer herself to Yavana-raja, the King of the Yavanas could not refuse her. All transactions must be performed in light of the sastric injunctions. The sastric injunctions are confirmed by great sages like Narada Muni. As stated by Narottama dasa Thakura: sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya, cittete kariya aikya. One should follow the principles of saintly persons, scriptures and the spiritual master. In this way one is sure to attain success in life. Kalakanya, the daughter of Time, presented herself before the King of the Yavanas precisely in terms of sadhu, sastra and guru. Thus there was no reason for not accepting her.

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