3.142
prasiddha vaisnavi haila parama-mahanti
bada bada vaisnava tanra darsanete yanti
SYNONYMS
prasiddha—celebrated; vaisnavi—devotee of the Lord; haila—became; parama-mahanti—very advanced; bada bada vaisnava—many recognized, highly situated devotees; tanra—her; darsanete—to see; yanti—used to go.
Thus the prostitute became a celebrated devotee.
She became very advanced in spiritual life, and many stalwart Vaisnavas would come to see her.
PURPORT
Stalwart, highly advanced Vaisnava devotees are not interested in seeing prostitutes, but when a prostitute or any other fallen soul becomes a Vaisnava, stalwart Vaisnavas are interested in seeing them.
Anyone can be turned into a Vaisnava if he or she follows the Vaisnava principles.
A devotee who follows these principles is no longer on the material platform.
Therefore, it is one’s strict adherence to the principles that should be considered, not the country of one’s birth.
Many devotees join our Krsna consciousness movement from Europe and America, but one should not therefore consider them European Vaisnavas or American Vaisnavas.
A Vaisnava is a Vaisnava and should therefore be given all the respect due a Vaisnava.