2.120
ksudra-jiva saba markata-vairagya kariya
indriya carana bule ’prakrti’ sambhasiya"
SYNONYMS
ksudra-jiva—poor living entities; saba—all; markata vairagya—a renounced life like that of a monkey; kariya—accepting; indriya carana—satisfying the senses; bule—wander here and there; prakrti sambhasiya—talking intimately with women “There are many persons with little in their possession who accept the renounced order of life like monkeys.
They go here and there engaging in sense gratification and speaking intimately with women.”
PURPORT
One should strictly follow the regulative principles, namely no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling, and in this way one should make progress in spiritual life.
If an unfit person sentimentally accepts vairagya or takes sannyasa but at the same time remains attached to women, he is in a very dangerous position.
His renunciation is called markata-vairagya, or renunciation like that of a monkey.
The monkey lives in the forest, eats fruit and does not even cover itself with a cloth.
In this way it resembles a saint, but the monkey always thinks of female monkeys and sometimes keeps dozens of them for sexual intercourse.
This is called markata-vairagya.
Therefore one who is unfit should not accept the renounced order of life.
One who accepts the order of sannyasa but again becomes agitated by sensual disturbances and talks privately with women is called dharma-dhvaji or dharma-kalanka, which means that he brings condemnation upon the religious order.
Therefore one should be extremely careful in this connection.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains the word markata to mean “restless.” A restless person cannot be steady; therefore he simply wanders about, gratifying his senses.
Just to get praise from others, to get cheap adoration from his followers or people in general, such a person sometimes accepts the dress of a sannyasi or babaji in the renounced order, but he cannot give up desires for sense gratification, especially for the association of women.
Such a person cannot make advancement in spiritual life.
There are eight different kinds of sensual enjoyment with women, including talking about them and thinking about them.
Thus for a sannyasi, a person in the renounced order, talking intimately with women is a great offense.
Sri Ramananda Raya and Srila Narottama dasa Thakura actually achieved the most elevated stage of the renounced order, but those who imitate them, accepting them as ordinary human beings, fall under the influence of the material energy, for that is a great misunderstanding.