Category:Avaisnava
Theme Analysis
In the science of bhakti-yoga, maintaining the purity of one's consciousness is paramount. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that to protect this purity, one must clearly understand the distinction between a Vaiṣṇava (a devotee of the Lord) and an avaiṣṇava (a non-devotee). According to the Bhagavad-gītā, an avaiṣṇava is anyone who refuses to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, categorized as duṣkṛtī (miscreant) or mūḍha (fool). Because their ultimate goal is material enjoyment or impersonal merging, avaiṣṇavas lack genuine spiritual compassion and are fundamentally opposed to the supremacy of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that even a highly qualified brāhmaṇa, if he is an avaiṣṇava, is disqualified from becoming a spiritual master.
The core behavior of a true devotee, as instructed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is asat-saṅga-tyāga—the complete renunciation of the association of avaiṣṇavas. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that closely mixing with those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious spoils one's spiritual life and drags the mind back into the bodily concept of existence.
This principle of avoidance strictly extends to the processes of hearing and eating. Quoting Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī's Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Śrīla Prabhupāda issues a severe warning against hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā (topics of Kṛṣṇa) from an avaiṣṇava or a Māyāvādī, regardless of their mundane scholarly credentials or professional eloquence. Hearing from such unauthorized sources is highly dangerous and injects spiritual poison into the ear of the listener, preventing them from ever understanding Kṛṣṇa as He is. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda sets a strict standard regarding prasādam: a Vaiṣṇava must not accept food cooked by an avaiṣṇava. Even if the cook is a clean vegetarian, they lack the devotional qualification to offer the food to Lord Viṣṇu, meaning the food can never be accepted as authentic mahā-prasādam.
- The Definition of an Avaisnava: An avaiṣṇava is anyone who is not a surrendered devotee of Kṛṣṇa, including materialists, atheists, and impersonalists, all of whom lack true spiritual standing and compassion.
- The Principle of Avoidance: The fundamental characteristic of a Vaiṣṇava is the strict avoidance of asat-saṅga, or the association of non-devotees, to protect one's spiritual advancement.
- The Poison of Unauthorized Hearing: Hearing about Kṛṣṇa from a mundane scholar, professional reciter, or Māyāvādī acts as poison and completely destroys one's ability to understand the Supreme Lord.
- The Purity of Prasadam: Food cooked by an avaiṣṇava cannot be offered to Lord Viṣṇu and therefore must be rejected by devotees as ordinary, unpurified food.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Avaiṣṇava - The Danger of Non-Devotee Association.
Pages in category "Avaisnava"
The following 27 pages are in this category, out of 27 total.
1
A
- An avaisnava may be a vegetarian and a very clean cook, but because he cannot offer Visnu the food he cooks, it cannot be accepted as maha-prasadam. It is better that a Vaisnava abandon such food as untouchable
- An avaisnava never becomes a good man, however severely he is punished
- Avaisnava sees another person is suffering; he doesn't care: "Let him suffer." We have come to that state. I heard from one of my disciples that here, in New York, if somebody is killed on the road, nobody will care. Is it a fact?
- Avaisnava, who is not a Vaisnava, Mayavadi . . . Mayavadi philosophy is very dangerous. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has personally said, mayavadi haya krsne aparadhi. They're offenders to Krsna
I
- If an avaisnava offers food in the name of maha-prasadam, it should not be accepted. Such food cannot be prasadam because an avaisnava cannot offer anything to the Lord
- In Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.15), the distinction between Vaisnava and avaisnava is enunciated: Anyone who is not surrendered to Krsna is a most sinful person - duskrti, a rascal - mudha, and the lowest of men - naradhama
- In other words, those who are after material enjoyment and those who are against the supremacy of the Lord are called avaisnava, and their company should be strictly avoided
O
- One should always seek the association of Vaisnavas and not spoil one's life by mixing with avaisnavas
- Ordinary food cooked by an avaisnava should not be accepted by a Vaisnava. Even if an avaisnava cooks food without fault, he cannot offer it to Lord Visnu, and it cannot be accepted as maha-prasadam
S
- Sanatana Gosvami has, in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa, has very strongly recommended that "Don't hear anything from, about Krsna, from the Mayavadis or the avaisnavas."
- Sometimes preachers in the Krsna consciousness movement have to accept food in a home where the householder is an avaisnava; however, if this food is offered to the Deity, it can be taken
- Srila Sanatana Gosvami has advised us to hear about Krsna from a Vaisnava. He has explicitly forbidden us to hear from an avaisnava
T
- The Mayavadis' only business is - because they're avaisnava, not Vaisnava - only business is to kill Krsna. Sanatana Gosvami has, in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa, has very strongly recommended that "Don't hear anything about Krsna, from the Mayavadis"
- The word apavitra anna refers to food that is unacceptable for a Vaisnava. In other words, a Vaisnava cannot accept any food offered by an avaisnava in the name of maha-prasadam. This should be a principle for all Vaisnavas
- The word asat (from Narottama dasa Thakura's song - sat-sanga chadi' kainu asate vilasa) refers to an avaisnava, one who is not a devotee of Krsna, and sat refers to a Vaisnava, Krsna's devotee
- The word asat refers to an avaisnava, that is, one who is not a Vaisnava. Asat-sanga-tyaga, - ei vaisnava-acara (CC Madhya 22.87). A Vaisnava must be very strict in this respect and should not at all cooperate with an avaisnava
- There is a very famous Bhagavata reader in Bombay. He is a pakka avaisnava. But he is going on, and he is infusing poison - means those who are hearing him, they will never be able to understand what is Krsna. They will never be able. It is so poisonous