Unnecessary  Conversation

All Glories to HDG Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj

All Glories  to  HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada

Of the faults that are destructive to devotional service ,the first two have already been discussed as overeating  (atyahara) and  unnecessary endeavor(prayas).The third in the verse is prajalapa or unnecessary conversation. The Bhagavatam describes the Vaishnava devotee as being endowed with twenty four saintly qualities and one of them is mouni or silence  meaning; he has control over his speech and does not misuse it to confuse people with his   false ideology. Speech is the first sense  of the five work orientated senses  which is  speech, hands, legs ,rectum and genital. In not being able to conquer that sense,  one is forced to  accept that he has become the  servant of his senses. That being the case, the illusory energy will become predominant and will subject one to be sent forcefully to the lower hellish destinations as Andhatamisra ,completely devoid of  the mercy to practice devotional service for a long time. So any endeavor to useless prattle might spoil our opportunities to serve the great Vaishnava devotees  in this life. Srila Rupa Goswami has given the first place  to the fault of speech. We must understand that if this force is not subdued that will mean we can never  achieve steadiness (nistha) in the path of devotional service. Unnecessary  speech is included as the inability to control one's speech. The saint is  generally silent in disposition. Some artificially maintain that quality of gravity in imitation but later unable to keep control over his speech becomes rejected and will have to endure great suffering as a result. As to others those who never had that quality of control over speech will eventually  fail to recognize the kind contribution of the Lord to humanity in general that is they will end up not understanding the utility of any article ,simply rejecting it for the service of the Lord in the mood of false renunciation. Hence those who  reject articles that can be used  in the service of the Lord are never actually  considered saintly. It is important to understand the actual meaning of the word mauni at this point as in the context of the Bhagavatam. One who does not indulge in unnecessary talk can best be defined as mauni, At the same time he is still  considered silent (mauni)in speech. The devotees who speak in the service of the Lord are still maintaining  perfectly their vow of silence. It is not the instruction of the Bhagavatam to give up chanting the glories of the Lord in the name of   silence (mauni). The hearing and chanting of the Lord's glories is the basis of devotional practice  and the evidence of this is the instruction of Prahlad Maharaj as stated in the seventh canto of the Bhagavatam. The Gaudiya Goswamis have given paramount importance to this type of  hearing and chanting but we now have to hear what type of chanting they were referring to. It can never  be the the symptom of a saintly person that he refrains or desists from chanting the Lord's glories which  definitely characterizes hardheartedness or the lack of mercy in any person. Misuse of speech will reduce to chaos in society and calumny directed to saintly devotes will never  be under the label of mauni .On  the other hand ,those who engage in the favorable cultivation of devotional service as engaging in chanting and preaching  in the association of other saintly people will never be considered as breaking this oath of silence. Prajalpa is understood as useless or unnecessary talk . In this context, speech that is without any relation to the Lord and His service can be  deemed to be unnecessary (prajalpa )and renunciation of all such speech  is the  point here. The renunciation of such speech is easily available in  the association of the saintly people. By bad association, fame , adoration ,wealth and attachment to women instead will enter our consciousness and find a hold in our heart.  Therefore  tainted with that profuse contamination, the tendency to hear harikatha will not take place which will mean one becoming completely bereft of devotional inclinations. The instruction of the Bhagavatam is to always remain fixed in the association of the pure devotees for the saintly devotees by their  cutting speech will  instantly be able to free us from bad attachment and hence pave the way  for our real welfare. tato dusangam utsrjya satsusajjeta buddhiman sangaevasya chindanti mano vyashanouktabhih

In the  association of the devotees ,there is no influence of material association. They are  themselves always busy, intoxicated in the discussion of the Lord 's glories. The Bhagavatam declares that one should  associate with genuine devotees in  discussing  about the Bhagavatam. In that way, our ears and heart will become filled with joy and sense objects will gradually cease in its dominance and finally first  all such  material attraction will wane. Hearing  and meditating constantly such pastimes of the Lord will free us from material attraction leading to  strong faith then  gradually to attraction and finally devotion to God will manifest. In this way when all such unnecessary talk is curtailed , our path to the supreme goal becomes established with ease ; 

satam prasangam mama virya  samvidah bhavanti hrt karna rasayah katha tadjossanad aspavaga vartmani sraddha bhaktir rati anukramasyati

In the way by good association, our speech facilities become controlled . On the contrary, the association of  wicked people gives rise to totally the opposite effect. With such bad association not only our silence vow is destroyed but all our existing good qualities slowly dwindle away. The sense  gratification referred here is in connection with illegal association with woman. Those averse  to the Lord at the same time intent to enjoy the senses are simply bent on sense gratification . Association with such gross materialists  means indulging in  their main goal which   centers around enjoyment of the senses. In fact, one who has the  ego that he is a man successively is culpable of  committing association with woman even as in the case of  one's mother ,daughter, sister and wife. In  prattling about woman with one who is attached to women can sometimes drive  one  out of  his steady mind .That is the reason that the Bhagavatam has warned us at every step to become very careful in associating with people who are attached to women.

satyam saucham daya maunam buddir hrih sriyasah ksamah amo damah bhagas ceti yadsangad yati sakshayam tesu santesu mudhesu yosit krda mrgesu cha sangam na kuryad icchacyasu khadita atmasvasadhusu

All such people who associate with women or  their associates   are foolish and become bereft of peace with their  position to be considered in bad light .Association with non devotees means one develops not only an aversion to the  Supreme Lord  but  antagonism to the devotees of the Lord which will  then propel us to reside in the lowest hells. Material talk centers  mainly around women . However, other than  talks about the Supreme Lord, all the  rest  can be  considered unnecessary talk or gramy katha. One who wants to be steady in devotional service have to reject and forgo all such unrelated talks completely. One of the confidential associates of Mahaprabhu, Jagananda Pandit  in his book Prem Vivarta has coined this verse: gramy varta  na kahibe an sune kane or an aspirant  should never hear or speak  about anything mundane and ordinary. There are those common place individuals  who are unable to practice devotion in an unattached, steady  way. They are then allowed some degree of flexibility in their mingling with non devotees for the works they engage in  as they have to necessarily communicate with  non devotees. But one has to be careful to engage in such dealings  only as much as it is necessary in relation with the principle of favorable cultivation of devotional service. Nevertheless, to wastefully dwell in long tirades with non devotees is not necessary as it may become reduced to simply dwelling in unnecessary talk which is the subject of our discussion and will consequently lead to loss of devotion. Those steadfast in devotional practice should meet likeminded devotees with the one guiding rule which is to speak and hear about the Supreme Lord with also regarding service to the Lord. They should be careful not to indulge in village gossip ,wasteful comedy sketches and other types of unnecessary prattle. In short, engaging  in constant hearing and chanting of the Lord's glories is the best remedy for preventing unnecessary talk or prajalpa. Many a time, even with a guarded stance, some  type of such talk unnoticed way may creep in by  the way of  false statements or in the guise of  the  hosted upliftment meeting between devotees (istagosthi )The remedy is that immediately some vigilant devotee should pick it up as unwanted  and warn other devotees of the consequences of furthering such discussions. At that point ,all the assembly member should give up talking further on that issue. That is why in all such meetings between devotees, there should be  some senior devotees present. Such senior devotees will never give allowance to any sort of prajalpa. In the presence of such devotees ,prajalpa(unnecessary talk) will never be able to take an  upper hand. The scriptures declare that one should  only take the  association of likeminded ,elevated devotees of good character . There are times  too, when the preacher understands that his audience are simple ordinary folk so in order to convince them at their level ,he may give some   mediocre example or story that would inspire them and help them to remain  in the proper conduct as ascertained in the scriptures. But  some others  hearing this even before he has completed and convinced his audience may  be quick to attempt to criticize  the speaker or the writer,  that  all such talk is unnecessary ,then such  low fault finders run the risk of committing offences to the Vaishnavas with the result that they become barred from devotional service