Chapter 1
Sannyäsé Öhäkura
and remaining fixed in purity, he chants the gäyatré mantra and the japa of the holy name.” 8 In the Padma Puräëa it is said: ekaväsä dvidväsätha çikhé yajïopavétavän kamaëòalu-karo vidväàs-tridaëòo yäti tat-param “Wearing one or two pieces of cloth, maintaining the tuft of hair, and continuing to wear the sacred thread, with a water pot in his hand, a learned sannyäsé, who is the best of men, attains the Supreme Lord.” 9
The Four Types of Sannyāsa In a lecture on Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Çréla Gour Govinda Swami spoke on the sannyäsa-äçrama: “...There are four types of sannyäsé: kuöécakaù, bahvodaù, haàsa and niñkriya. The kuöécakaù-sannyäsé lives next to the family without attachment. He leaves his family but stays close by. He may build a cottage and live there. He receives some maintenance from his family but he has no attachment. The bahvodaù-sannyäsé gives up all material activities and engages fully in transcendental activities.* The haàsa-sannyäsé is jïäna-prada, fully engaged in transcendental knowledge. The niñkriya-sannyäsé is one who stops all kinds of activities. The niñkriya-sannyäsé is a paramahaàsa...” 11
* Author’s note: He does not stay near his village but moves away and goes to beg in other villages.
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