HOW SHOULD A WOMAN SEE OTHER MEN?

Brahmānanda: In your lecture you quoted Cāṇakya Paṇḍita that a man must see every woman other than his own wife as mother. How should a woman see other men?

Prabhupāda: As son. (laughter)

Brahmānanda: That was my idea.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If I see woman as mother, she must see me as son. That’s all. That is the system. The brahmacārī, the sannyāsī go to beg alms from door to door. “Mother, give me some bhikṣā, alms.” And it is the duty of the gṛhastha to treat brahmacārī and sannyāsī as their son. As they maintain their children with food, shelter, cloth, similarly the brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs, they are dependent on the society. They should be treated as the sons of the society. And they must supply their necessities, bare necessities. A sannyāsī, brahmacārī, does not want more than what they need. They should not collect more than what they need. Bhikṣā nirvāhana. Not collect more and enjoy at others’ cost. No. That is not the business of sannyāsī. They can collect so much as they need. That’s all.

Lecture on BG 4.14 — Vrndavana, August 6, 1974