SB 3.1.19 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

गां पर्यटन्मेध्यविविक्तवृत्ति: सदाप्लुतोऽध:शयनोऽवधूत: । अलक्षित: स्वैरवधूतवेषो व्रतानि चेरे हरितोषणानि ॥ १९ ॥

Verse text

gāṁ paryaṭan medhya-vivikta-vṛttiḥ sadāpluto ’dhaḥ śayano ’vadhūtaḥ alakṣitaḥ svair avadhūta-veṣo vratāni cere hari-toṣaṇāni

Synonyms

gām — earth ; paryaṭan — traversing ; medhya — pure ; vivikta — vṛttiḥ — independent occupation for living ; sadā — always ; āplutaḥ — sanctified ; adhaḥ — on the earth ; śayanaḥ — lying ; avadhūtaḥ — without dressing (of the hair, etc.) ; alakṣitaḥ — without being seen ; svaiḥ — by his relatives ; avadhūta — veṣaḥ — dressed like a mendicant ; vratāni — vows ; cere — performed ; hari — toṣaṇāni — that pleased the Lord .

Translation

While so traversing the earth, he simply performed duties to please the Supreme Lord Hari. His occupation was pure and independent. He was constantly sanctified by taking his bath in holy places, although he was in the dress of a mendicant and had no hair dressing nor a bed on which to lie. Thus he was always unseen by his various relatives.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Wandering over the earth, maintaining himself solely according to his pure vow, bathing constantly for purity, sleeping on the earth, not caring for his body, wearing clothing of a renunciate, and remaining unrecognized by his relatives, he performed austerities for the satisfaction of the Lord. Traveling over the earth (gām), he maintained himself by pure (medhya) unmixed (vivikta) means (this mean begging). He bathed in every holy place (sadāplutaḥ) and thus purified himself. If he touched something impure after bathing then again he took bath. He always purified himself in order to remember the mantras concerning the Lord (which required a pure body). But he did not decorate his body (avadhūtaḥ). He wore bark clothing (avadhūta-vesaḥ) and was unrecognized by his relatives.

Purport

The first and foremost duty of a pilgrim is to satisfy the Supreme Lord Hari. While traveling as a pilgrim, one should not be worried about pleasing society. There is no need to depend on social formalities or occupation or dress. One should remain always absorbed in the function of pleasing the Lord. Thus sanctified by thought and action, one is able to realize the Supreme Lord by the process of a pilgrim’s journey.