Category:Becoming a Servant of the Senses
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda defines the materialistic condition as a state of servitude to the dictations of the body. He introduces the critical distinction between a go-dasa (servant of the senses) and a gosvami (master of the senses). The analysis shows that without higher engagement in spiritual life, the living entity is helpless against the demands of lust, anger, and greed. True mastery is not achieved by artificial negation but by transferring one's service from the senses to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.
- The Universal Condition: Śrīla Prabhupāda observes that everyone in the material world, regardless of their status, is being dictated to by their eyes, tongue, and other senses, making them servants of their own bodies.
- The Meaning of Gosvami: A spiritual teacher must be a master of the senses; keeping the title of "svami" while remaining a servant of the senses is described here as a form of hypocrisy or cheating.
- The Role of the Tongue: The analysis highlights that sense control begins with the tongue; if one cannot control the tongue's demands, they cannot control the other senses.
- The Method of Control: One cannot become a master independently; Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that by serving Kṛṣṇa, the senses are purified and naturally controlled, transforming the servant of the senses into a spiritual hero.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: From Becoming a Servant of the Senses to Becoming a Master.
Pages in category "Becoming a Servant of the Senses"
The following 31 pages are in this category, out of 31 total.
A
- Actually the whole world is serving the senses, servant of the senses. Godasa. But if we engage the senses in the service of Krsna, then we shall no longer remain the servant of the senses. We shall be the master of the senses
- Adanta means unbridled, uncontrolled. Go means indriya or senses. Materialistic persons, they cannot control their senses. They are servant of the senses, godasa. Go means indriya, and dasa means servant
- At that time (when the living being realizes he is the servant of the senses) he begs for the service of the Lord and thus becomes happy without being illusioned by so-called material happiness
- At the present moment, in the materialistic concept of life, everyone is servant of the senses. Everyone acts by the dictation of the senses; therefore they can be called, in other words, as godasa, servant of the senses
B
- Because we have forgotten our real master, real master, the Supreme Lord, by illusory energy we have been put to be servant of the senses. Instead of becoming servant of the Supreme, we have become the servant of the senses
- Being illusioned by the conditions of the external energy, one falsely thinks himself to be the served, but actually he is not served; he is servant of the senses like lust, desire, anger, avarice, pride, madness and intolerance
- By becoming a servant of the senses, one becomes a great material hero, and by becoming master of the senses, he becomes a gosvami, or spiritual hero
E
- Everyone becomes a servant of the senses just beginning from the tongue. They cannot control the tongue. They eat anything and everything. Therefore they cannot control others senses also
- Everyone is servant of the senses. Everyone is acting being dictated by the senses: "Oh, it is very nice. Let me see." The eyes dictate what we see
- Everyone wants sense gratification, to be servant of the senses. If the senses want "Do this," he will do it. And our Movement is that we shall not hear the dictation of the senses, we shall do what Krsna says. That is just opposite
I
- If I am following the dictation of my senses, then I am not the master of the senses; I am the servant of the senses
- If I am servant of the senses, how I can become gosvami, how I can become svami? That is false, hypocrisy
- If you are servant of the senses, then you are go-dasa. Dasa means servant, and go means senses
- If you don't become servant of God, then you become servant of your senses. That is your position. So those who are intelligent, so they will understand that If I have to remain a servant, why I shall remain servant of the senses? Why not of Krsna?
- In the this material conception of life everyone has become the servant of the senses. And in the spiritual conception of life he'll no longer be the servant of the senses, but he'll be the master of the senses. That is the difference
- In this material world, everyone has become a servant of the senses
- Instead of becoming servant of the senses, you have to become master of the senses. That is called gosvami. If you remain servant of the senses, then you are go-dasa
O
- One who controls the mind (and therefore the senses as well) is called gosvami, or svami, and one who is controlled by the mind is called godasa, or the servant of the senses. BG 1972 purports
- One who controls the mind, therefore the senses as well, is called gosvami or svami. One who is controlled by the mind is called go-dasa, or the servant of the senses
- One who does not have control over the senses and mind is called a godasa, or a servant of the senses, and cannot become a spiritual master
- Only the impure conditioned living being cannot derive any pleasure from the senses, but being illusioned by false pleasures of the senses, he becomes servant of the senses. Therefore, we need His (God's) protection for our own interest
T
- That is the significance of svami and gosvami. It is not the dress. One who has controlling power, one who is not dictated by the senses, one who is not servant of the senses
- The whole world is in chaos. They are not eager to serve Visnu. They are simply eager to serve their senses. Go-dasa, servant of the senses
- They do not want to worship anyone. They want to worship their senses, that's all. Sense gratification. What is dictated by the senses, they agree, that's all. Servant of the senses
- This has to be purified: not to become the servant of the senses, but to become servant of the master of the senses. Then you also become master of the senses. That purificatory process is called devotional service, bhakti
W
- When one is in his proper senses by attainment of spiritual knowledge, he realizes that he is not the master of the material world, but is only a servant of the senses
- Why not becoming the servant of the Supreme instead of serving on the servant of the senses? You cannot become master. Actually, you become master of the senses when you are actually servant of Krsna; otherwise it is not possible