Çréla Prabhupäda writes in a letter to Trai (Sridhama Mayapur, 01 March, 1972):
One's actions are not pure until the body is pure. So in this way, by stressing all kinds of cleanliness habits, eventually one can be purified completely, and thus qualify himself to meet god face to face.
There are two kinds of cleanliness: External Cleanliness and Internal Cleanliness.
One should always be careful to keep his body clean by bathing, brushing teeth, shaving, changing clothes, etc. As far as internal cleanliness is concerned, one should always remember the holy names of God and chant Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare / Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare. The demons neither like nor follow all these rules for external and internal cleanliness. [BG 16.7 Purport]
In a room conversation, Çréla Prabhupäda insisted the importance of cleanliness as follows:
Just like if your room is dirty, there..., there is possibility... Therefore I ask you, keep cleansed, your bathing, your clothes, your room. Otherwise you'll suffer hepatitis or jaundice, this, that. You'll suffer, because you are not clean. If you clear, you remain cleansed, then there will be no disease. If you remain cleansed, you eat properly-don't eat more, don't eat less—there will be no disease, no doctor. That's a fact. … Keep everything cleansed-utensils, plates, teeth, hands, feet. Use sufficient water. ... Dirty things should be removed, and cleansed inside and outside. Inside cleansed: simply Kåñëa consciousness, always thinking of Kåñëa. That is inside clean. And outside, that is also required. You cannot neglect, because outside unclean means inside also you'll see unclean. If you keep both sides clean, then you will be healthy inside and outside. [Room Conversation, December 11, 1971, New Delhi]
The following three sections deal with various aspects of cleanliness:
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