Category:Austerities for Krsna
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme goal of life and the source of all knowledge, and therefore all severe austerities are ultimately performed to know Him. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa directly instructs that the results of all activities—including eating, charity, and penances—should be offered as an act of devotion unto Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that while mystic yogīs and jñānīs may undergo laborious austerities for many years to enter the Lord's effulgence, they often fail to capture Him. In contrast, a devotee like mother Yasoda can capture Kṛṣṇa simply through love and affection. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a great austerity on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. A preacher may undergo bodily injuries or even face death to spread the Lord's message, making them very dear to Kṛṣṇa. The attainment of the Lord's personal association, whether as a husband like the queens of Dvaraka or as a son like Devaki, is the result of millions of births of tapasya. Ultimately, one who understands that Kṛṣṇa is the beneficiary of all austerities becomes peaceful and desireless, realizing that rendering loving service is the highest form of religion and the greatest of all mystic perfections.
- Offering Results to Kṛṣṇa: All austerities, sacrifices, and charitable acts should be performed as an intentional offering to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The Goal of Knowledge: The primary purpose of performing severe austerities is to know Kṛṣṇa, who is supreme knowledge and the ultimate goal of life.
- Preaching as High Austerity: Spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness is considered a great austerity on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, and those who undertake this risk are extremely dear to Him.
- Love Overcomes Penance: While yogīs cannot reach Kṛṣṇa through years of penance, devotees capture Him easily through unalloyed love and affection.
- The Price of Divine Association: Obtaining Kṛṣṇa's personal association or the dust of His lotus feet is the fruit of millions of years of celestial austerity and constant contemplation.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Preaching - A Great Austerity for Kṛṣṇa.
Pages in category "Austerities for Krsna"
The following 29 pages are in this category, out of 29 total.
A
- After Kaliya was punished by Krsna, one of Kaliya's wives told Krsna, Dear Lord, we cannot understand how this fallen serpent got the opportunity of being kicked by Your lotus feet when even the goddess of fortune underwent austerities just to see You
- Although Prthu Maharaja executed his austerities long before the appearance of Lord Krsna on this planet, his purpose was still to please Krsna
- As the Lord advises in the Bhagavad-gita, "Whatever you do, do it for Me; whatever you eat, first offer it to Me; whatever charity you want to give, first give it to Me; and whatever austerities and penances you want to perform, perform them for Me"
I
- If it were not possible in this lifetime to gain Krsna's favor by these activities, she (Rukmini) was prepared to die from such austerities and to undergo similar difficulties lifetime after lifetime
- In that effulgence (of Krsna) there are millions of universes, but yogis and jnanis cannot enter that effulgence even after many, many years of austerities, whereas bhaktas can capture Krsna simply by love and affection
- Indra said, "Your (Krsna's) abode is accessible only for one who undergoes severe austerities and penances and becomes completely freed from the onslaught of material qualities like passion and ignorance"
O
- O sinless mother Devaki, after the expiry of twelve thousand celestial years, in which you constantly contemplated Me (Krsna) within the core of your heart with great faith, devotion and austerity, I was very much satisfied with you - SB 10.3.37-38
- O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me. BG 9.27 - 1972
- One who renders loving service to Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, with devotion and austerity, is the greatest of all mystics. Men who undertake austerities motivated by a desire for material results cannot be called yogis or mystics
- One who simply understands that throughout the entire universe Krsna is the supreme enjoyer and beneficiary of all kinds of sacrifices, penances and austerities, immediately becomes desireless (niskama) and therefore peaceful
S
- Sages said, "Dear Lord (Krsna), the Vedic knowledge is the representation of Your pure heart. Austerities, study of the Vedas, and meditative trances lead to different realizations of Your Self in Your manifested and nonmanifested aspects"
- Sometimes he (a preacher in Krsna Conciousness) has to suffer bodily injuries, and sometimes he has to meet death also. All this is taken as a great austerity on behalf of Krsna. Krsna therefore has said that such a preacher is very, very dear to Him
T
- The austerity and meditation of Laksmi are mentioned in SB 10.16.36, where the wives of the serpent Kaliya, in their prayers to Krsna, said that the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, also wanted His association as a gopi and desired the dust of His lotus feet
- The gopis assembled there spoke among themselves, "What sort of austerities and penances we must have undergone in our previous lives! We must have worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead, offered different kinds of sacrifices and made charities"
- The Nagapatnis said, "Even the goddess of fortune underwent severe austerities just to have the blessing of the dust of Your (Krsna's lotus feet, so how is it that Kaliya is so easily getting this dust on his head?"
- The women who became the wives of the Lord are certainly not ordinary women, because to get the Lord as one's husband is the result of many, many millions of births' tapasya (austerity)
- This is all nonsense (to claim that God meditates, and by His meditation He becomes God). God is God, & He was always God and will always be God. Even as an infant on the lap of His mother Krsna is God. No meditation was required, no austerity or penance
- This is the example shown here (in SB 10.9.10) by mother Yasoda - that the yogis and jnanis cannot enter that effulgence of Krsna even after many, many years of austerities, whereas bhaktas can capture Krsna simply by love and affection
W
- We should be careful to understand that to get Krsna as one's son, one must undergo such great austerities - twelve thousand years on the celestial planets
- When asked by Krsna why she engaged in meditation with austerity, Laksmi-devi answered, “I want to be one of Your associates like the gopis in Vrndavana.” Hearing this, Lord Sri Krsna replied that it was quite impossible
Y
- Yogis cannot capture Krsna by severe penances and austerities, but mother Yasoda, despite all obstacles, was finally able to catch Krsna without difficulty. This is the difference between a yogi and a bhakta
- Yogis, mystics, want to catch Krsna as Paramatma, and with great austerities and penances they try to approach Him, yet they cannot. Here (in SB 10.9.9) we see, however, that Krsna is going to be caught by Yasoda and is running away in fear