There was a vyādha. In the Padma Purāṇa this story is there. He was habituated to kill animals. Vyādha, you know, hunter. So he was killing so many animals half-dead. So Nārada Muni was passing through that forest, he was very much aggrieved, "Who is this rascal, killing these animals half, and they are flapping out of painful condition? Let me see this rascal." So he searched out this vyādha, hunter. The vyādha was very busy in his hunting. So he thought . . . because, after all, Nārada Muni is a Vaiṣṇava, after seeing him personally his heart was immediately little clarified. So he offered respect, "Sir, you have come here for some tiger skin or deerskin. I shall give you, but don't disturb in my business. Please let me do my business."
So Nārada Muni said: "All right, you do your business, but one thing I request—why you are not killing these animals all at a time? Why you are killing half? It is great sin." Then it stuck to his brain, "Sin? Oh. What is this sin?" Then he described the effects of sin. Then he said: "I have been taught by my father to do this business. So if I do not do this business, how shall I live?" So Nārada Muni said: "If I guarantee your living, would you give it up this business, this profession?" "Why not? If I get my living means, then I can give up." So it was agreed that he will give up his business of hunting. And Nārada Muni said that, "I will give you all necessities of your life. Come on."
So it is a long story. I am making shortcut. So Nārada Muni asked him that, "You sit down on this bank of Ganges, and here is the tulasī plant. You worship it, and I will send your food. Don't be worried." So next morning it was declared in the village, "That heinous hunter has become a Vaiṣṇava." So people, generally, they are inquisitive. They came to see. It is the custom when you go to see a saintly person, you take some fruits or flowers or some rice or some āṭā. So huge stack of rice and āṭā and fruits and flowers also. They were surprised, "Why Nārada Muni is sending so much? We are simply husband and wife." In this way they become Vaiṣṇava. And after some time Nārada Muni, with his friend Parvata Muni, he wanted to see his devotee.
So he asked Parvata Muni that, "My dear friend, will you come with me? I shall show my devotee who was formerly a hunter." So Parvata Muni knew that, "You can play wonderful. So let me see this devotee." So when Nārada Muni was coming, this devotee was going to receive the spiritual master. This is the custom, to receive the spiritual master from distant place with all honor by bowing down. But he was jumping. He was jumping. So when he came near, the Parvata Muni first of all asked him, "My dear son, you are great devotee, but while coming here why you are jumping?" He said that, "On the ground there are so many ants, sir. So I do not want to kill these ants."
This is the effect of devotional service. The same man who was taking pleasure by killing one animal half-dead, he is not prepared to kill even an ant. This is called bhakti. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). If one becomes a devotee of the Lord, akiñcana-bhakti, then sarvair guṇaiḥ, all good qualities will come out automatically. Because every living entity is part and parcel of God. God is all-good. Therefore every living entity potentially, constitutionally, he is also good. As God is good, we are also good. But due to our material association, we have become bad. So if we revive our old position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically we shall become all-good. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, therefore, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). If you want to see the . . . to stop this blazing fire of material existence, then you have to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. And the practical effect you can see, what is already done, how they have become. Our limit . . . there are limitation; we cannot accept anyone and everyone as disciple, unless he agrees tacitly to give up some preliminary principles. Just like illicit sex life. Anyone who comes to me to become my disciple, the first condition is no illicit sex life, no intoxication, up to drinking or smoking or even drinking tea and coffee and chewing pān. These are also intoxicants. So one cannot take all these things. No intoxication. No illicit sex. Unless you have got connection with woman by marriage tie, there cannot be any sex life. These are the pillars of sinful life. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidha. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūtaḥ yatra pāpaś catur-vidha (SB 1.17.38). If you actually want to make progress in spiritual life, you must accept at least these four principles. This is tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena, śauca . . . satya-śaucābhyām (SB 6.1.13). These are the tests, the prescription.
So to become purified, one must be purified of this material existence. Then he can understand what is God. Then he can serve God. With these material senses it is not possible to serve God. That is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These indriyas, the present indriyas, contaminated by material existence . . . you cannot understand by simply hearing about God. Therefore you have to purify yourself. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). This is the definition given by Nārada Muni, how one can become a devotee, how one can be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. This is the formula. What is that? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, first condition: one has to give up all designation. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am this," "I am that," these are all designation of the body. But we are not this body. So if we can give up this bodily designation, that is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. Then one has to become purified on the standard of devotional service.
Unless one is engaged in devotional service, there is no question of purification. Then you'll fall down. These are the statements in the śāstras. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). You can elevate yourself to the Brahman effulgence, brahma-jñāna, āruhya kṛcchreṇa, with tapasya, with severe austerities. But if you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, if you do not take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll again fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32).
So a devotee, if you become a devotee, you'll never fall down. Kṛṣṇa will give you protection. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). He will give you protection. Otherwise you are helpless. You can fall down at any moment. But if you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa . . . so there are so many facilities for perfection of life. Simply by accepting Kṛṣṇa, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. If you do not do that, then you are a mūḍha, rascal. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajā . . . (BG 9.11). "How much powerful is Kṛṣṇa; what He can do for me," without knowing this, we do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore it is necessity to assemble like this to understand Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there all over the world just to help the people to understand real God, Kṛṣṇa. This is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because people are suffering; they are all mūḍhas. They do not understand Kṛṣṇa or they deride Kṛṣṇa.