Cheating Sannyāsīs And Yogīs His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Indra took up the saffron-colored dress as a way of cheating others. This saffron dress has been misused by many imposters who present themselves as spiritually elevated persons or incarnations of God. In this way people are cheated. As we have mentioned many times, the conditioned soul has a tendency to cheat; therefore this quality is also visible in a person like King Indra. It is understood that even King Indra is not free from the clutches of material contamination. The saffron dress worn by a sannyāsī announces to the world that he has renounced all worldly affairs and is simply engaged in the spiritual cultivation. A devotee is actually a sannyāsī, or liberated person. In Bhagavad-gītā (6.1) it is said: anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnir na cākriyaḥ One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no work. In other words, one who offers the results of his activities to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually a sannyāsī and yogī. Cheating sannyāsīs and yogīs have existed since the time of Prithu Maharaja’s sacrifice. This cheating was very foolishly introduced by King Indra. In some ages such cheating is very prominent, and in other ages not so prominent. It is the duty of a sannyāsī to be very cautious because, as stated by Lord Chaitanya, sannyāsīra alpa chidra sarva-loke gāya, a little spot in a sannyāsīs character will be magnified by the public (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 12.51).

Therefore, unless one is very sincere and serious, he should not take up the order of sannyāsa. One should not use this order as a means to cheat the public. It is better not to take up sannyāsa in this age of Kali because provocations are very strong in this age. Only a very exalted person advanced in spiritual understanding should attempt to take up sannyāsa. One should not adopt this order as a means of livelihood or for some material purpose.

—Srimad Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) » Canto 4: The Creation of the Fourth Order » Chapter 19. King Prithu’s One Hundred Horse Sacrifices » Verse: 12.