Pure In Any Circumstance

Mahamsa das: (regarding some young Indian ladies about to take initiation from Srila Prabhupada)

I don't know what is the position of the ladies being initiated. They are young girls. They may get married to someone outside the society.

(Srila Prabhupada): Still they can chant and observe the rules and regulations.

(Mahamsa das): Even if her husband does not follow?

(Srila Prabhupada): That does not matter. It is individual. My sister, when she married, everyone at her father-in-law's house were all eating fish. She was a young girl, ten, eleven years old. She was given this foodstuff with fish and everything and she started to cry. Her mother-in-law asked, "Why are you crying?"

"No, we do not touch all these things."

Her mother-in-law immediately arranged special cooking for her. So her husband and other family members were taking fish, but she never touched it. She does not know what fish is.

If one wants to keep oneself pure, he or she can keep pure in any circumstances.

- Room conversation, 22 August 1976 Hyderabad.

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