So-called sadhu

Expressions researched:
"so-called religionists, sadhus" |"so-called sadhu" |"so-called sadhus" |"so-called yogis, sadhus"

SB Canto 5

The misguided conditioned soul also approaches so-called sādhus and svāmīs who preach against the principles of the Vedas. He does not receive benefit from them, either in the present or in the future.

SB 5.14.13, Translation:

Sometimes, to mitigate distresses in this forest of the material world, the conditioned soul receives cheap blessings from atheists. He then loses all intelligence in their association. This is exactly like jumping in a shallow river. As a result one simply breaks his head. He is not able to mitigate his sufferings from the heat, and in both ways he suffers. The misguided conditioned soul also approaches so-called sādhus and svāmīs who preach against the principles of the Vedas. He does not receive benefit from them, either in the present or in the future.

SB Canto 7

In the name of religion, the so-called sādhus try to satisfy the senses of the materialists by showing them shortcuts to material opulence.

SB 7.5.18, Purport:

Prahlāda was always joyful in worshiping the Lord, but in accordance with the instructions of Hiraṇyakaśipu, the teachers were interested in teaching him about material things. Materialistic persons think that the path of religion is meant for improving their material conditions. The materialist goes to a temple to worship many varieties of demigods just to receive some benediction to improve his material life. He goes to a sādhu or so-called svāmī to take advantage of an easy method for achieving material opulence. In the name of religion, the so-called sādhus try to satisfy the senses of the materialists by showing them shortcuts to material opulence. Sometimes they give some talisman or blessing. Sometimes they attract materialistic persons by producing gold. Then they declare themselves God, and foolish materialists are attracted to them for economic development. As a result of this process of cheating, others are reluctant to accept a religious process, and instead they advise people in general to work for material advancement.

CC Antya-lila

Even among so-called religionists, sādhus, mendicants, sannyāsīs and brahmacārīs, there are many enemies of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement who always try to find faults in it, not considering that the movement is spreading automatically by the grace of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

CC Antya 3.104, Translation and Purport:

By no means could he find any fault in the character of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Therefore he called for local prostitutes and began a plan to discredit His Holiness.

This is typical of atheistic men, but even among so-called religionists, sādhus, mendicants, sannyāsīs and brahmacārīs, there are many enemies of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement who always try to find faults in it, not considering that the movement is spreading automatically by the grace of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who wanted it spread all over the world, in every town and village. We are trying to fulfill the Lord's desire, and our attempt has become fairly successful, but the enemies of this movement unnecessarily try to find faults in it, exactly like the old rascal Rāmacandra Khān, who opposed Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Why he should allow animal killing? They are also living entities, but for their benefit, the so-called sādhu says, "The animal has no soul."

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

So sādhu is suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Why he should allow animal killing? They are also living entities, but for their benefit, the so-called sādhu says, "The animal has no soul." What is this nonsense? Animal has no soul? Why? What is the difference between animal and man? What are the symptoms of possessing the soul? They are all equal. The man also eats, the animal also eats. The man also sleeps, the animal also sleeps, the man also have sex life, the animals also have sex life. The man also defends, the animals also defends. So where is the deficiency that you say that the animal has no soul? Imperfect knowledge. Or making adjustment for their own benefit.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Don't take advantage of Kṛṣṇa, and "Because I have become so-called sādhu I can do all nonsense and Kṛṣṇa will excuse." No. That is nāma-aparādha.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just surrender to Me." And you do it, and immediately ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. Immediately. But don't commit again. He can excuse immediately. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Not that you take advantage of Him. Don't take advantage of Him, and "Because I have become so-called sādhu I can do all nonsense and Kṛṣṇa will excuse." No. That is nāma-aparādha. If by mistake or by chance you do something wrong, that can be excused. That is natural. Suppose you are servant, you have committed some mistake. The master immediately does not dismiss. He warns you: "Why you have done this thing? Do not do it again." That is natural.

There are so many big, big so-called sādhus, saintly persons, simply busy on mental speculation. They are not perfect.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:

We are interested in that tattva, that ātma-tattva, soul, ideal. So to understand this ātma-tattva one has to become just the opposite number of these materialistic persons. The materialistic persons, they are interested only in sense gratification, materialistic persons. Or mental speculation. They are materialistic. There are so many big, big so-called sādhus, saintly persons, simply busy on mental speculation. They are not perfect. And those who are busy in understanding the bodily concept of life, they are also materialistic. The difficulty is that these, these materialistic persons, in different forms, they are accepted as the leaders. They are accepted as leader, as politician, as sociologist, as philosopher, mental speculator, or so-called incarnation of God, and magician, yogis, so many things. They are leading the whole society at the present moment. Therefore people are in chaotic condition.

The so-called sādhus or so-called vairagis, having illicit sex life very secretly, they are just like monkeys.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

If we indulge in sense gratification, Kṛṣṇa will give us facilities for sense gratification. Just like a monkey. A monkey has very good facility for sex life. A monkey, every monkey has got at least three dozen wives. Perhaps you know it. So he has been given the facility for sense gratification: "All right." But what is his position? He is a monkey. (laughter) Therefore it is called markaṭa-vairāgya. Markaṭa-vairāgya means that a monkey is renounced. He does not dress, naked. And he lives in the forest. And he eats also fruit, vegetarian. But the nature is that he must have at least three dozen wives. You see? So the so-called sādhus or so-called vairagis, having illicit sex life very secretly, they are just like monkeys. So Rūpa Gosvāmī has said markaṭa-vairāgya. Markaṭa-vairāgya.

So markaṭa-vairāgya is not necessary. Real vairāgya.

This is human civilization, not that so many so-called sādhus and... They are now preaching openly the yoga by sex. Yoga by sex. They have invented.

Lecture on SB 6.1.62 -- Vrndavana, August 29, 1975:

The human civilization means to create the population dhīra, not to be disturbed by sex impulse. This is human civilization, not that so many so-called sādhus and... They are now preaching openly the yoga by sex. Yoga by sex. They have invented. Yoga means to find out the Supreme Lord within one's self, within the core of the heart. That is real yoga. Yoga means to connect. To connect with whom? With sex life? No. The sex life connection is there even in the birds, beast, ants, animals, worms—everywhere—because the whole world is going on on sex life. Does it require any yoga system? But people are fallen so down that they have invented because people want it, and these rascals, they exploit. This is going on. So real yoga system means to control the senses, not to increase or indulge.

Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. That is sādhu. Otherwise there is no sādhu. The so-called sādhu, they are not sādhu.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:

We are all sādhus, actually, originally, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, but in contact with māyā, we have become asādhu. Sādhu means who are pure devotees. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. That is sādhu. Otherwise there is no sādhu. The so-called sādhu, they are not sādhu. Sādhu means bhajate mam ananya-bhāk. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ, bhajate mām ananya-bhāk (BG 9.30). So by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, even the lowest of the mankind, narādhamā, he can become a sādhu. "What is evidence how one can become sādhu simply by chanting?" Yes. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harināme uddharilo tāra sākṣi jagāi and mādhāi. Just see how Jagāi-Mādhāi became sādhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu introducing this saṅkīrtana movement, He is making everyone sādhu. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone is becoming sādhu. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. So this avatāra, nāma-rūpe avatāra, there is no difference.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

People mistake Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu because by misfortune they understand Kṛṣṇa Caitanya as a devotee or just like so-called sādhu or yogi, like that. That is mistake. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya means the original living force, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.1 -- Mayapur, March 25, 1975:

So this Caitanya-caritāmṛta means we are talking of the living force, not of the dead matter. We should always remember. So the guru belongs to that living force. And Īśa, Īśa means controller. So everyone, that living force. Gurūn, īśa, īśa-bhaktān, īśa-bhaktān and īśam. So they are all living force. The Lord, His devotee, His representative, everyone, they belong to the spiritual platform, living force. Caitanya-saṁjñakam. Caitanya means living. That personification of all living forces is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. People mistake Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu because by misfortune they understand Kṛṣṇa Caitanya as a devotee or just like so-called sādhu or yogi, like that. That is mistake. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya means the original living force, Kṛṣṇa.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Your gañjā, gañjā-smoker, these so-called sādhus and just like... They have done this. By following these rascals, they are doing it. But they do not know who is sādhu.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: When you say the present education and all... But this education has created those boys, smoking carasa and gañjā and bhāṅga...

Prabhupāda: That is not a university education. That is due to their coming to India.

Dr. Patel: They are...? They come to India and... They don't do it there?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, they come here for spiritual enlightenment, and they meet these rascals, gañjā-eater sādhus. That is the beginning.

Dr. Patel: But they have introduced that in American universities.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I know. This is the beginning. They learned this... They thought that this is spiritualism.

Dr. Patel: I thought they have taught us.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no.

Jayapatākā: No, they imported...

Prabhupāda: Your gañjā, gañjā-smoker, these so-called sādhus and just like... They have done this. By following these rascals, they are doing it. But they do not know who is sādhu...

They are innocent people. They have imitated. Our, these so-called sādhu says that Lord Śiva used to smoke gañjā. That is their... So they have become Lord Śiva.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: So many, so many plants are extremely poisonous. And the poisonous plants are the plants which give the best medicine. As for example, digoxen(?), digitalis, life-saving in heart disease. If you eat a leaf, you will die.

Prabhupāda: Then, just like in your dispensary, you keep everything medicine. But it is to be given to different persons, different medicine. Not that because it is medicine you give to everyone.

Dr. Patel: No, what I mean to say is that this pān or gañjā, they might have used used by some for a good aim. But it has been misused by a majority of men.

Prabhupāda: So they are innocent people. They have imitated. Our, these so-called sādhu says that Lord Śiva used to smoke gañjā. That is their... So they have become Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva drunk the whole poison ocean and he kept it here. So you drink one drop of poison. But these rascals, they compare with Śiva, with Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa danced with girls. Therefore we must have." These Māyāvādīs do that. I know.

One so-called sādhu in Haridvar he has remarked like that, that "Bhaktivedanta Swami is worshiping a rural boy."

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 2, 1974, Bombay:

Bhāgavata: But did the residents of Vṛndāvana see the many expansions or did they only see one Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: They may see one. That is not very difficult to understand. Just like Arjuna saw the virāṭa-rupa of Kṛṣṇa, and others saw Kṛṣṇa as chariot driver. Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious people, their seeing of Kṛṣṇa and ordinary man's seeing of Kṛṣṇa, there is much difference. They think that "What is this? A boy, a village boy, they are worshiping." One so-called sādhu in Haridvar he has remarked like that, that "Bhaktivedanta Swami is worshiping a rural boy."

Indian Man: That was in the Times.

Bhāgavata: A rural God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughing)

In one sense, the Western boys and young generation, they are actually hankering after some spiritual life. So any Indian, so-called sādhu and guru comes, they go there. But they are cheated unfortunately.

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: So in one sense, the Western boys and young generation, they are actually hankering after some spiritual life. So any Indian, so-called sādhu and guru comes, they go there. But they are cheated unfortunately. So you make your society so strong that you be not cheated, and others may not cheat. Then it will be first-class. And if you make another society of cheaters and cheated, there is no profit. Therefore you have to follow the rules and regulations very strictly and become serious. Then you'll be ideal. People are in need of some spiritual energy. Therefore, as soon as some swamis or guru comes, they flock together to get some food. But these rascals are cheating. So you don't do that.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

The so-called yogis, sādhus, swamis, they are making good luck business simply by promising that you'll get this material power.

Room Conversation -- December 14, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Generally they take to religion, religiosity, for material happiness. Artho 'rhati. I am distressed, I have no money, or I am suffering from some disease; you'll find all these. So all of them go to the sādhus only for this purpose. Sir, I am suffering from some disease, so without going to the doctor, and saving so much money, let me pay hundred rupees to the sādhu and he'll give me his blessings. So I will save thousands of rupees, for curing the disease. For this purpose they go to sādhu. Nobody goes to sādhu for going back to home back to godhead. It is only (material) proposition. Otherwise the so-called yogis, sādhus, swamis, they are making good luck business simply by promising that you'll get this material power.

Nobody knows the real interest is to go back to home, back to Godhead. Nobody knows. Ask any so-called sādhu, yogi, swami—they do not know.

Room Conversation -- December 14, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: But they do not know; na te vidu svartha-gati hi viṣṇum; these rascals they do not know what is the actual aim of life. They are, in the groups of ordinary men, they are doing some business opened this transcendental TM shop, that's all. Cheating. Cheating. All of them are are going on, cheating. Nobody knows the real interest is to go back to home, back to Godhead. Nobody knows. Ask any so-called sādhu, yogi, swami—they do not know. They read Bhagavad-gītā but they do not understand. (sic:) Yad jñātv na nivartante tad dhāma parama mama, so what do they understand, these... tyaktv deha punar janma naiti mam eti so'rjuna. They do not believe all these things, therefore they say.. Swami Chinmayananda says that whatever is necessary we shall accept; other ślokas we shall reject. This is his, this rascal's philosophy. As if Kṛṣṇa says something superfluous. They say like that.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

That may be beyond their dream, but I am not so-called sādhu. I am trying to execute the orders of my Guru Mahārāja, predecessor.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: I think they cannot believe that a sādhu could have so much money from selling books.

Prabhupāda: That may be beyond their dream, but I am not so-called sādhu. I am trying to execute the orders of my Guru Mahārāja, predecessor. I am not a so-called sādhu, taking a saffron robe, begging for fulfilling the belly.

Just like this bābājī has been sterilized. Because the government knows, even the so-called sādhus and bābājīs, they are using their sex.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The material world is for suffering. Kali-yuga is more suffering. But it is not fault of the... Just like this bābājī has been sterilized. Because the government knows, even the so-called sādhus and bābājīs, they are using their sex.

Akṣayānanda: Bābājī has been...

Prabhupāda: They are now being, forcibly being taken.

Akṣayānanda: Sterilized.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, I know. I heard about it. Because they are having sex.

Prabhupāda: It is open secret. Because so many women go to hospitals, American hospitals.

Akṣayānanda: Oh, I know.

Prabhupāda: The hospital men, they do not take it serious, "It is natural, a man and woman." But it is strictly forbidden according to spiritual life.

Akṣayānanda: By law the doctor has to perform so many operations in his day of practice, medical practice. One doctor came here, he was our main member. He said, "I have to go back to practice now. I have so many cases, sterilizations to perform in this day. Otherwise I won't get paid. I will not be able to live now. Because I must perform so many..." Large figure. I've forgotten how many. Maybe one dozen in one day. One dozen, fifteen in one day. He must perform by law.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

1971 Correspondence

About the "guru" living next door, as well as other so-called sadhus in Fiji, why be disturbed by them? Simply go on with your preaching work with determination.

Letter to Upendra -- Bombay 21 March, 1971:

I am also glad to hear that the tape recording in Hindi is being appreciated. If you want, I can send you more. Regarding Hindu songs, none have been recorded by me here. About the "guru" living next door, as well as other so-called sadhus in Fiji, why be disturbed by them? Simply go on with your preaching work with determination. Sincere people will be attracted by the purity of your message. And if that man insists on chanting Hare Rama first, what harm is there?