Question: Is it okay for the unmarried girls to get initiation, like before marriage, because sometimes, they end up marrying non-devotees, or their parents force them to marry a non-devotee or there is not Krishna conscious environment at their home, so they are not able to practice nicely so is it okay if they get initiation before marriage?

Jayapataka Swami:  Generally, we allow ladies to get initiated before marriage, but when they are married, they have to follow the basic principles, being a vegetarian and such things. So that’s why hopefully the parents will be sensitive to the girl’s situation and if the lady thinks she can follow the principles she can take initiation and for some woman, when their parents said that they wanted to arrange their marriage to an old friend of parents and they usually have a private meeting before the marriage, that time the girl said I don’t take onion, garlic, I don’t take meat, I don’t cook meat and usually the husband either accepts or he rejects. So, the point is that what’s your limit? What do you want to do? Sometimes, they think that oh I can change my husband, it’s not always possible to change him, but you have to see if he’s basically favorable, he follows the basic principles, then maybe possible.
28-MAY-2020 SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, INDIA