Category:Becoming a Father
Theme Analysis
In Vedic civilization, the role of a parent is not merely a biological function; it is a profound spiritual duty. Śrīla Prabhupāda heavily emphasizes the injunction from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (pitā na sa syāt) which states that one should not become a father or a mother unless they are fully competent to protect their children from the cycle of birth and death (saṁsāra). If parents simply beget children without educating them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their reproduction is no better than that of cats and dogs. Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda defines true "spiritual family planning" and "Vedic contraception" as the strict avoidance of parenthood if one cannot guarantee the spiritual liberation of one's dependents.
This heavy responsibility is not limited to parents. Śrīla Prabhupāda extends the principle to all authority figures: one should not become a spiritual master (guru), a teacher, a husband, or a king unless they can save their subordinates from the imminent danger of death. The first birth is provided by the biological mother and father, but it is the spiritual master and the Vedas who become the "second father and mother," guiding the soul toward eternal life.
On the highest transcendental platform, the concept of becoming a father takes on an entirely different, incredibly sublime meaning. While Māyāvādīs and impersonalists struggle with the ambition to merge and "become one with God," pure devotees in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement have the opportunity to surpass this entirely. Through unalloyed devotion, a living entity can establish a parental relationship with the Supreme Lord. Nanda Mahārāja and Mother Yaśodā perfectly exemplify this exalted state, becoming the father and mother of Kṛṣṇa to control the Supreme Controller with pure love. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that while one should not artificially attempt to become the father of God—as this can become polluted with impersonalist philosophy—the Lord naturally takes immense pleasure in becoming the subordinate son of His pure devotees.
- The Duty of a Parent: According to Vedic injunctions, one must not become a father or mother unless they can actively save their children from the cycle of repeated birth and death.
- Spiritual Family Planning: True contraception in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means abstaining from parenthood if one is not spiritually qualified to elevate their dependents.
- Universal Responsibility: The principle of saving dependents from death applies equally to gurus, husbands, teachers, and kings.
- The Transcendental Father: Surpassing the impersonalist desire to become God, pure devotees like Nanda Mahārāja achieve the ultimate perfection of becoming the father of God, controlling Kṛṣṇa through pure parental love.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Becoming a Father - The Spiritual Responsibility of Parenthood.
Pages in category "Becoming a Father"
The following 55 pages are in this category, out of 55 total.
A
- A child or a boy wants to know who is his father. So what is the evidence? That evidence is sruti, hearing, from the mother. Mother says, "He is your father." So he hears; he does not see how he became his father
- A dog is also becoming a father. The such kind of father-becoming is not recommended in the Vedic civilization. Just become a real father to give the real benefit to the son. Then you become a father. This is called varnasrama-dharma
- A guru should not become a guru, a father should not become a father, a mother should not become a mother, nobody should become relatives, kinsmen, if one cannot save his son, his disciple, his friend from the imminent danger of birth and death
- A man should not desire to become a father and the woman should not desire to become a mother unless both of them have taken the vow that - I shall beget a child and stop his cycle of birth and death
- According to Bhagavata, the spiritual family planning is that one should not become a father or one should not become a mother, unless he is able to maintain their children to the extent of liberation
- According to our Bhagavata philosophy, if one is not able to beget nice children, then he should not become father, mother. That is real contraceptive
- According to Rsabhadeva, one should not become a father or mother unless one is confident that he can beget children whom he can deliver from the clutches of birth & death
- According to Rsabhadeva, one should not become a father or mother unless one is confident that he can beget children whom he can deliver from the clutches of birth and death
- As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 5.5.18), pita na sa syat: one should not become a father unless one is able to protect his child from mrtyu, the path of birth and death. But where is there education about this
- As the Bhagavatam says, one should not attempt to become a father, or mother, or teacher unless he is able to save his children from death, from the grip of material nature
B
- Before Krsna's appearance, Drona and Dhara appear in order to become His father and mother. It is they who appear as Nanda Maharaja and his wife, Yasoda
- Bhagavata says that one should not become a father, a mother, one should not become a teacher, one should not become a king unless they are able to elevate their dependents to this spiritual knowledge, which can save him from repeated birth and death
- Bhagavata says that, "If you cannot develop the spiritual life of your dependent, then don't become a spiritual master, don't become a teacher, don't become a father, don't become a husband." These things are restricted
F
- Factually the Lord is the father of all living entities, but out of transcendental affection and love between the Lord and His devotees, the Lord takes more pleasure in becoming the son of a devotee than in becoming one's father
- Factually, no one can become the father or mother of Krsna; but a devotee's possession of such transcendental feelings is called love of Krsna in parental relationship
- From Devarata came a son named Brhadratha and from Brhadratha a son named Mahavirya, who became the father of Sudhrti. The son of Sudhrti was known as Dhrstaketu, and from Dhrstaketu came Haryasva. From Haryasva came a son named Maru
I
- If a person is unable to save his child from the clutches of birth and death, he should not become a father. This is real contraceptive method. Not that have sex like cats and dogs and when the child is there kill it and abortion
- In contrast to Sutapa and Prsnigarbha, they (Drona and Dhara) did not undergo severe penances and austerities to become the father and mother of Krsna. This is the difference between nitya-siddha and sadhana-siddha
- In order to give a particular type of human form to a person who has already suffered hellish life, the soul is transferred to the semen of a man who is just suitable to become his father
- In our scripture it is said that one should not become a father or a mother unless one is able to give protection to one's children from the imminent danger of death
- In the attitude of the denizens of Vrndavana, such as Nanda Maharaj and Mother Yasoda, is to be found the ideal transcendental concept of becoming the father and mother of Krsna, the original Personality of Godhead
- In the material world many living entities come into contact with one another and, increasing their attachment to a particular type of body, become related as father, husband, mother, wife, etc
- It does not know anyone but me, as I have become its father, mother, brother and relatives. This deer is thinking in this way, and it has full faith in me. It does not know anyone but me
- It does not matter whether one is a man or woman. Anyone who, with great respect, hears this narration of Maharaja Prthu will become the father of many children if he is without children and will become the richest of men if he is without money
- It is not possible for a sadhana-siddha living being to become the father or mother of Krsna, for Krsna's father and mother are already designated
N
- No one should become a spiritual master - nor a relative, father, mother, worshipable Deity or husband - if he cannot help a person escape the imminent path of death - SB 5.5.18
- Not only does a devotee become one in quality with the Supreme Lord, but he sometimes becomes the father, mother or master of the Lord
O
- On receiving the benediction from the Lord to become His father and mother, Prsni and Sutapa retired from the activities of austerity and lived as husband and wife in order to beget a child who was the Supreme Lord Himself
- One should not become a guru, a relative, the father, the mother, the husband - In this way there is a list. Why? - If he does not know how to guide his disciple or subordinate to stop the cycle of birth and death
- One should not become father or mother if he cannot do so. In this way, no friend, no relatives, no father, no..., if one cannot teach his other party how to save from the clutches of death
- One should not become father, one should not become mother, if the parents cannot give protection to the children from the danger of birth, death, old age and disease
- One should not become guru, one should not become kinsmen, one should not become father, one should not become mother - na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum - if one cannot give lesson to the children how to avoid death. This is the duty of the guardians
- One should not become mother, one should not become father, if he cannot release his children from the clutches of death
- One should not strive to become a mother or father if one cannot save one's dependent son from the impending danger of death
- One who can become the father of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly a great devotee
- One who cannot deliver his dependent from the path of birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a relative, a father or mother, or a worshipable demigod, nor should such a person become a husband
- One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod
- One who cannot get free from the clutches of death is dependent, and he should not become a spiritual master, nor a husband, nor a kinsman, nor a father, nor a mother, etc
- Only a devotee can understand that to become one with God is not a sublime idea. In Vrndavana the devotees want to become the father or mother of God - to control God with love. This fact the Mayavadis, or Advaitavadis, cannot understand
- Only pure devotees can understand these things - to become the father or mother of God - to control God with love
T
- The attempt to directly become the father of Krsna is not recommended. Such a development can become polluted with Mayavada (impersonal) philosophy
- The Bhagavata says: "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, unless they are able to protect the children from the imminent danger of death." What is that? The cycle of birth and death
- The devotees, therefore, following their constitutional instincts, achieve the desired goal of becoming servitors, friends, fathers, mothers or conjugal lovers of the Lord
- The first mother and father bring about his (A child) birth into the world; then the spiritual master and the Vedas become his second father and mother
- The Krsna consciousness movement is so nice. You can make direct friendship with Krsna. You can become direct servant of Krsna. Or, in higher stages, you can become father, mother of Krsna. Or you can become lover of Krsna
- The son of Dvimidha was Yavinara, whose son was Krtiman. The son of Krtiman was well known as Satyadhrti. From Satyadhrti came a son named Drdhanemi, who became the father of Suparsva
- The Srimad-Bhagavatam instructs that no body should become father or mother if they cannot take this responsibility, namely, stopping the repeated birth and death cycle of their children
- The Vedic injunction is: one should not become a father, one should not become a mother, unless they can help the child from the imminent danger of death. So who can save? Unless one is Krsna conscious, nobody can escape the cycle of birth and death
- This is Vedic contraception, that if you are competent to give instruction to your children how to avoid the cycle of birth, death, old age and disease, then you become father. Otherwise don’t become father, don’t become mother
W
- We can become a direct servant of Krsna, or in the highest stages we can become Krsna's father, mother or lover. Krsna is prepared to establish a loving relationship with all living entities
- When Krsna was a child, He playfully took the shoes of His father, Nanda Maharaja, and put them on His head. People may try very hard to become one with God, but actually we can surpass that - we can become father of God