"ghare giyÄ brÄhmaṇe deha' yata Äche dhana
eka eka vastra pari' bÄhira hao dui-jana
ghare giyÄ - returning home; brÄhmaṇe - to the brÄhmaṇas, the most intelligent men in spiritual understanding; deha' - give; yata - whatever; Äche - you have; dhana - riches; eka eka - each of you; vastra pari' - just one cloth; bÄhira hao - leave home; dui-jana - both of you.
“NÄrada Muni then advised the hunter, ‘Return home and distribute whatever riches you have to the pure brÄhmaṇas who know the Absolute Truth. After you have distributed all your riches to the brÄhmaṇas, you and your wife should leave home, each of you taking only one cloth to wear.’
This is the process of renunciation at the stage of vÄnaprastha. After enjoying householder life for some time, the husband and wife must leave home and distribute their riches to brÄhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. One can keep his wife as an assistant in the vÄnaprastha stage. The idea is that the wife will assist the husband in spiritual advancement. Therefore NÄrada Muni advised the hunter to adopt the vÄnaprastha stage and leave home. It is not that a gá¹›hastha should live at home until he dies. VÄnaprastha is preliminary to sannyÄsa. In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there are many young couples engaged in the Lord’s service. Eventually they are supposed to take vÄnaprastha, and after the vÄnaprastha stage the husband may take sannyÄsa in order to preach. The wife may then remain alone and serve the Deity or engage in other activities within the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
