Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupa
ByHis Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā nāviviktāsano bhavetbalavān indriya-grāmo vidvāmsam api karsati
One should not remain in a secluded place with a woman, even one’s mother, sister, or daughter.
Nonetheless, although one is strictly prohibited from staying with a woman in a secluded place, Nārada Muni gave shelter to Prahlāda Mahārāja’s young mother, who rendered service to him with great devotion and faith.
Does this mean that Nārada Muni transgressed the Vedic injunctions? Certainly he did not. Such injunctions are intended for mundane creatures, but Nārada Muni is transcendental to mundane categories. Nārada Muni is a great saint and is transcendentally situated. Therefore, although he was a young man, he could give shelter to a young woman and accept her service.
Haridāsa Thākura also spoke with a young woman, a prostitute, in the dead of night, but the woman could not deviate his mind. Instead, she became aVaishnavī, a pure devotee, by the benediction of Haridāsa Thākura.
Ordinary persons, however, should not imitate such highly elevated devotees. Ordinary persons must strictly observe the rules and regulations by staying aloof from the association of women. No one should imitate Nārada Muni or Haridāsa Thākura.
It is said, vaishnavera kriyā-mudrā vijne nā bujhaya. Even if a man is very advanced in learning, he cannot understand the behavior of a Vaishnava. Anyone can take shelter of a pure Vaishnava, without fear.
Therefore in the previous verse it has been distinctly said, devarsher antike sākuto-bhayā: Kayādhu, the mother of Prahlāda Mahārāja, stayed under the protection of Nārada Muni without fear from any direction. Similarly, Nārada Muni, in his transcendental position, stayed with the young woman without fear of deviation. Nārada Muni, Haridāsa Thākura and similarācāryas especially empowered to broadcast the glories of the Lord cannot be brought down to the material platform. Therefore one is strictly forbidden to think that the ācārya is an ordinary human being (gurushu nara-matih).
[Bhaktivedanta Purport to the Srimad Bhagavatam 7.7.14]
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