Category:Blind Well
Theme Analysis
The metaphor of the "blind well" (andha-kūpa) is a stark warning used by Śrīla Prabhupāda to describe the dangers of materialistic family life. Drawing primarily from the teachings of Prahlāda Mahārāja, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a blind well is often covered by grass or overgrown vegetation, making it invisible to the unsuspecting walker. Similarly, family life appears attractive on the surface, but without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is a deadly trap. Once a person falls into this hidden pit of material attachment, they are bound by the ropes of affection and desire, making escape nearly impossible. The result is spiritual death (ātma-pātam). Śrīla Prabhupāda urges that the only way to avoid this fate is to accept the rope of mercy—the instructions of the Lord and the spiritual master—or to give up such entanglement entirely and take shelter of Lord Hari.
- The Hidden Trap: A blind well is dangerous because it is disguised. In the same way, the illusion of happiness in family life covers the reality of suffering and bondage. Śrīla Prabhupāda gives the example of a blind well covered with grass in a field; one steps on it and immediately falls.
- The Cry for Help: A person fallen in a blind well may cry for help, but if they are alone in a field, no one hears them. Even if a rope is thrown down, the conditioned soul is often too attached to grab it.
- Prahlāda’s Verdict: Prahlāda Mahārāja explicitly calls material home life a blind well (hitvātma-pātam gṛham andha-kūpam) and advises leaving it to take shelter of the Supreme Lord in the forest (vanam).
- Other Contexts: The term is also used descriptively in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, such as comparing the deep eye sockets of the witch Pūtanā to blind wells.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: The Blind Well of Material Existence - A Trap for the Soul.
Pages in category "Blind Well"
The following 27 pages are in this category, out of 27 total.
A
- A man has fallen in the blind well, and he's crying, "Save me! Save me!" and when somebody comes and gives him a rope - "You catch it. I shall lift you" - but he'll not touch it, then who can save him
- According to Prahlada Maharaja, the material home is compared to a blind well. If a man falls down into a blind well, it is very difficult to get out of it and begin life again
- Alone in a field, if one falls into a blind well and no one is there to save him, he may cry for years, and no one will see or hear where the crying is coming from. Death is sure
- Andha-kupa means blind well. I do not know whether you have got experience. In India there are several old wells on the paddy fields, and they are covered with grass. Nobody can understand that there is a well underneath this, underneath this grass
- Andha-kupam means blind well. I saw one blind well in Ascot when I was at John Lennon's house. There was a blind pit, and it was covered with grass, and somebody fell
H
- Her (Putana's) breasts appeared like small hills, and her hair was a vast reddish bush. Her eye sockets appeared like blind wells, and her two thighs appeared like two banks of a river. Her two hands appeared like two strongly constructed bridges
- Here it is said, grhe niraya-vartmani baddha-trsnan. And why they are staying in that blind well? Baddha-trsnan: conditioned by material desires
I
- If a man falls down into a blind well
- If one has fallen in the blind well - "Please get me up! Get me up!" - so I give him a rope: "Yes, catch it. I'll get you . . ." "No, no, I shall not catch." Without catching, there is no . . . so if you want to learn, come here. Stay. We shall teach you
- If we want to become anxiety-less, then we have to take shelter of Hari and go to the forest. Prahlada Maharaja recommended, vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta. Hitva atma-patam grham andha-kupam. Grha is compared as andha-kupa, blind well
- In the forest there are many blind wells, and if one falls down in one there is no chance of being rescued. In a state of sleep, one remains perpetually bitten by some animals, especially snakes
O
- One is rotting in this family life, which is just like a blind well, andha-kupa, atma-patam. Just like a man falls in the blind well. He has no other alternative than to die, crying, crying. That's all
- One should not remain always engaged in the responsibilities of family life because family life without Krsna consciousness is just like a blind well
P
- Prahlada Maharaja has advised that one give up this blind well of home life as soon as possible and go to the forest to take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Prahlada Maharaja has hinted: hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta (SB 7.5.5). Family life is considered a blind well (andha-kupam) into which a person falls and dies without help
- Prahlada recommended to his father that accepting vanaprastha life would be better than going deeper and deeper into grham andha-kupam, the blind well of life as a grhastha
T
- The sockets of her (Putana's) eyes appeared like deep blind wells, her fearful thighs resembled the banks of a river, her arms, legs and feet seemed like big bridges, and her abdomen appeared like a dried-up lake - SB 10.6.15-17
- The woman, created by the Lord, is the representation of maya, and one who associates with such maya by accepting services must certainly know that this is the way of death, just like a blind well covered with grass
- This material world is just like that blind well. If somebody falls down in it, it is very difficult to get out of it. Therefore it is atma-ghatam. Atma-ghatam means killing the soul
- Those who are forgetful of their eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord are in the blind well of family life; their position is very ominous
W
- When one is thus attracted again by the rogues of visaya - eating, sleeping and mating - the horses and chariot driver are thrown into the blinding dark well of material existence, and one is again put into a dangerous and extremely fearful situation
- When Prahlada was asked by his atheistic father to describe something very good which he had learned, he replied to his father, "The best course is to give up the blind well of family life and go to the forest to take shelter of the Supreme Lord"
- Without Krsna, without Krsna consciousness, family life is just like a blind well covered with grass. As soon as you go, and fall down. Prahlada Maharaja recommended that one should give up this blind well and go to the open forest