pura-grÄma-vrajÄn sÄrthÄn
bhiká¹£Ärthaá¹ praviÅ›amÅ› caret
puṇya-deśa-saric-chaila-
vanÄÅ›rama-vatÄ«á¹ mahÄ«m
pura - cities; grÄma - towns; vrajÄn - and pasturing grounds; sa-arthÄn - those working for bodily maintenance; bhiká¹£Ä-artham - for begging alms; praviÅ›an - entering; caret - he should travel; puṇya - pure; deÅ›a - places; sarit - with rivers; Å›aila - mountains; vana - and forests; ÄÅ›rama-vatÄ«m - possessing such residential places; mahÄ«m - the earth.
The sage should travel in sanctified places, by flowing rivers and within the solitude of mountains and forests. He should enter the cities, towns and pasturing grounds and approach ordinary working men only to beg his bare sustenance.
According to ÅšrÄ«la ÅšrÄ«dhara SvÄmÄ«, the word pura refers to cities and towns with shopping centers, markets and other commercial enterprises, whereas grÄma refers to smaller towns, lacking such facilities. The vÄnaprastha or sannyÄsÄ« trying to become free from material attachment should avoid those who are working day and night for sense gratification, approaching them only to engage them in necessary acts of charity. Those who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world are understood to be liberated souls, and therefore they constantly approach the materialistic living entities to engage them in the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. However, even such preachers should strictly avoid contact with the materialistic world when not actually necessary for advancing the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The injunction is that one should not deal unnecessarily with the materialistic world.
