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His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(founder of the Hare Krsna movement) |
  Prabhupada: No no. You invite them, that "Anyone, you are welcome. Take prasadam." We can announce. Then you can judge how many people are coming daily. You should announce that "Anyone can come and take prasadam at noon." It is the duty of a grhastha to loudly cry, "If anyone is hungry, please come. We have got still food." That is the duty of a grhastha. If one does not come, then the chief of the house, he takes prasada. If somebody says, "I am hungry," so he should offer his own food. "You eat." This is duty of grhastha. Bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanti. Those who are cooking for themselves, they are simply eating sinful things. That's all. Bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat [Bg. 3.13]. So hospitality is one of the duties of the householder. Atithi. Atithi means guest without any information. That is called atithi. Tithi means date. So if I go to your house, I inform you that "Such and such date I am coming there." But atithi, he does not inform you, all of a sudden comes. So you should have to receive him. That is called atithi. Pantha. People are moving... Formerly, if some of the walkers in the street, suppose he has become hungry, so he enters anyone's house. So "I am hungry sir. Give me something to eat." He'll immediately, "Take." Pantha-bhaga. There is a stock of foodstuff which is called pantha-bhaga. If somebody comes all of a sudden, he should take. Room Conversation -- April 22, 1972, Japan  by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Generally people think that simply by executing the occupational duties of a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra or the duty of a brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha or sannyasi one becomes fearless or securely attains liberation, but factually unless all these occupational duties are accompanied by bhakti-yoga, one cannot become fearless. In Bhagavad-gita there are descriptions of karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, bhakti-yoga, dhyana-yoga, etc., but unless one comes to the point of bhakti-yoga, these other yogas cannot help one attain the highest perfection of life. In other words, bhakti-yoga is the only means for liberation. We find this conclusion also in Caitanya-caritamrta in a discussion between Lord Caitanya and Ramananda Raya regarding a human being's liberation from this material world. In that discussion Ramananda Raya referred to the execution of varnasrama-dharma, and Lord Caitanya indicated that the varnasrama-dharma was simply external (eho bahya). Lord Caitanya wanted to impress upon Ramananda Raya that simply by executing the duties of varnasrama-dharma one is not guaranteed liberation. Finally Ramananda Raya referred to the process of bhakti-yoga: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih (SB 10.14.3). Regardless of one's condition of life, if he practices bhakti-yoga, which begins with hearing (sruti-gatam) the transcendental messages of the Lord through the mouths of devotees, he gradually conquers the unconquerable God. God is known to be unconquerable, but one who submissively hears the words of a self-realized soul conquers the unconquerable. The conclusion is that if one is serious about liberation, he not only should execute the occupational duties of varnasrama-dharma but should also engage in bhakti-yoga by beginning hearing from a realized soul. This process will help the devotee conquer the unconquerable Supreme Personality of Godhead and become His associate after giving up the material body. SB 4.24.53 |
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