स गोदोहनमात्रं हि गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम् । अवेक्षते महाभागस्तीर्थीकुर्वंस्तदाश्रमम् ॥ ८ ॥

sa go-dohana-mÄtraá¹ hi
gá¹›heá¹£u gá¹›ha-medhinÄm
aveká¹£ate mahÄ-bhÄgas
tÄ«rthÄ«-kurvaá¹s tad ÄÅ›ramam

 saḥ - he (Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«); go-dohana-mÄtram - only for the time of milking the cow; hi - certainly; gá¹›heá¹£u - in the house; gá¹›ha-medhinÄm - of the householders; aveká¹£ate - waits; mahÄ-bhÄgaḥ - the most fortunate; tÄ«rthÄ« - pilgrimage; kurvan - transforming; tat ÄÅ›ramam - the residence.


Text

He [Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«] was accustomed to stay at the door of a householder only long enough for a cow to be milked. And he did this just to sanctify the residence.

Purport

Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« met Emperor ParÄ«ká¹£it and explained the text of ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam. He was not accustomed to stay at any householder’s residence for more than half an hour (at the time of milking the cow), and he would just take alms from the fortunate householder. That was to sanctify the residence by his auspicious presence. Therefore Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« is an ideal preacher established in the transcendental position. From his activities, those who are in the renounced order of life and dedicated to the mission of preaching the message of Godhead should learn that they have no business with householders save and except to enlighten them in transcendental knowledge. Such asking for alms from the householder should be for the purpose of sanctifying his home. One who is in the renounced order of life should not be allured by the glamor of the householder’s worldly possessions and thus become subservient to worldly men. For one who is in the renounced order of life, this is much more dangerous than drinking poison and committing suicide.