Character destroys through illicit attachment; spiritual reality requires shelter at Krishna's feet, not impersonal emptiness.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.22–25 — December 13, 1970, Indore 701213SB-INDORE [65:32 Minutes] SB-06.01.22–25_701213SB-INDORE Haṁsadūta: [introducing recording] The following lecture was recorded the morning of the 13th December, 1970. Prabhupāda: So Gītā Bhavan is also imitating? Haṁsadūta: They're also getting up earlier. Prabhupāda: Earlier? Haṁsadūta: I don't know. [laughs] Prabhupāda: So this is very important point, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says. This is authority, that naṣṭa-sadācāro dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ [SB 6.1.21]. As soon as there will be contamination of illicit sex life, he will be bereft of all good character.
This basic principle. And the whole world is now encouraged in that way. So how we can expect good character from the modern man? There is no possibility, if we accept this statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, naṣṭa-sadācāro dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. So Ajāmila, being contaminated by that illicit sex life with a prostitute, he lost all his brahminical qualifications, and gradually he was in need of money.
Just like the other day I gave you the instance of a big high-court judge, because he was also of that type. I know his private character. He was most debauched, and therefore he wanted money, ten thousand rupees per month. And in spite of his position as a high-court judge and getting four thousand, five thousand salary, he could not check from his falldown. So this is natural.
If you indulge in illicit sex life and naturally other things, intoxication, gambling, then there will be no limit of expenditure. And to meet all those expenditure one has to adopt cheating or stealing. These processes has to be. Woman: [Hindi] Prabhupāda: But... [Hindi conversation] So by any means money wanted.
So he adopted all disrespectful professions—cheating, gambling and stealing, any way to live. bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś cauryair garhitāṁ vṛttim āsthitaḥ bibhrat kuṭumbam aśucir yātayām āsa dehinaḥ [SB 6.1.22] The only attraction is family, kuṭumba. So for the sake of maintaining family, he was committing all kinds of sinful activity. So there was one Ajāmila at that time, but you will find many Ajāmilas like that at the present moment, because it is the age of Kali. There was one Rāvaṇa. In the dress of a sannyāsī he kidnapped Lord Rāmacandra's wife.
And nowadays you will find many Rāvaṇas like that. You see? The so-called sannyāsīs, their business is to... This tendency is always there, but according to the age, sometimes it is very prominent and sometimes not so prominent. But this material world is so contaminated.
In the days of Rāmacandra... People are hankering after the kingdom of Rāma, even there was Rāvaṇa in the days of Rāmacandra. And what to speak of all these nonsense debauchees? Rāmacandra was so strict, and God Himself was ruling, and still, there was Rāvaṇa.