sarva-bhuta-samatvena

 nirvairenaprasangatah

brahmacaryena maunena

 sva-dharmena baliyasa

 

Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

 

In executing devotional service, one has to see every living entity equally, without enmity towards anyone yet without intimate connections with anyone. One has to observe celibacy, be grave and execute his eternal activities, offering the results to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

 

A devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who seriously engages in devotional service is equal to all living entities. There are various species of living entities, but a devotee does not see the outward covering; he sees the inner soul inhabiting the body. Because each and every soul is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he does not see any difference. That is the vision of a learned devotee. As explained in Bhagavad-gita, a devotee or a learned sage does not see any difference between a learned brahmana, a dog, an elephant or a cow because he knows that the body is the outer covering only and that the soul is actually part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. A devotee has no enmity towards any living entity, but that does not mean that he mixes with everyone. That is prohibited. Aprasangatah means “not to be in intimate touch with everyone.” A devotee is concerned with his execution of devotional service, and he should therefore mix with devotees only, in order to advance his objective. He has no business mixing with others, for although he does not see anyone as his enemy, his dealings are only with persons who engage in devotional service.

 

A devotee should observe the vow of celibacy. Celibacy does not necessitate that one be absolutely free from sex life; satisfaction with one’s wife is permitted also under the vow of celibacy. The best policy is to avoid sex life altogether. That is preferable. Otherwise, a devotee can get married under religious principles and live peacefully with a wife.

 

A devotee should not speak needlessly. A serious devotee has no time to speak of nonsense. He is always busy in Krsna consciousness. Whenever he speaks, he speaks about Krsna. Mauna means “silence.” Silence does not mean that one should not speak at all, but that he should not speak of nonsense. He should be very enthusiastic in speaking about Krsna. Another important item described here is sva-dharmena, or being exclusively occupied in one’s eternal occupation, which is to act as the eternal servitor of the Lord, or to act in Krsna consciousness. The next word, baliyasa, means “offering the results of all activities to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” A devotee does not act on his personal account for sense gratification. Whatever he earns, whatever he eats and whatever he does, he offers for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.