CC Madhya 24.280
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 280
- eta anna nā pāṭhāo, kichu kārya nāi
- sabe dui-janāra yogya bhakṣya-mātra cāi"
SYNONYMS
eta anna — so much food; nā pāṭhāo — you do not need to send; kichu kārya nāi — there is no such need; sabe — only; dui-janāra — for two persons; yogya — requisite; bhakṣya-mātra — eatables; cāi — we want.
TRANSLATION
"The former hunter said, 'Please do not send so much grain. Only send what is sufficient for two people, no more.'
PURPORT
The former hunter only wanted enough for two people to eat, no more. It is not necessary for a Vaiṣṇava to keep a stock of food for the next day. He should receive only sufficient grain to last one day. The next day, he must again depend on the Lord’s mercy. This is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When His personal servant Govinda sometimes kept a stock of harītakī (myrobalan), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chastised him, saying, “Why did you keep a stock for the next day?” Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and others were begging daily from door to door for their sustenance, and they never attempted to stock their āśrama with food for the next day. We should not materially calculate, thinking, “It is better to stock food for a week. Why give the Lord trouble by having Him bring food daily?” One should be convinced that the Lord will provide daily. There is no need to stock food for the next day.