Category:God Is Lord Rsabhadeva
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category establishes the divine identity and mission of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, an exalted incarnation (līlā-avatāra) of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who appeared as the son of King Nābhi and Merudevī. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva descended specifically to teach human society the absolute necessity of performing austerity (tapasya) to achieve eternal, spiritual happiness. Before renouncing the world, He acted as an ideal king, providing a perfect, self-sufficient government where the citizens desired nothing. He begot one hundred highly qualified sons, the eldest being the great Mahārāja Bharata, to whom He delivered His immortal instructions on the purpose of human life. After establishing Bharata on the throne, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva adopted the severe life of an avadhūta (a fully renounced mystic). To avoid the disturbances of the materialistic public, He behaved like a madman, wandering naked, appearing dirty, and even acting like a python. Yet, because His body was completely spiritual, His stool and urine were wonderfully aromatic, scenting the countryside for miles. Ultimately, He demonstrated the supreme platform of detachment by allowing His apparently material body to be consumed in a forest fire, proving that the soul is eternally untouched by material destruction.
- The Līlā-avatāra: Lord Ṛṣabhadeva is a direct incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, completely transcendental to material nature. He appeared in the glorious dynasty of King Priyavrata.
- The Ideal King and Householder: Before His renunciation, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva demonstrated perfect householder life and ideal governance. Under His rule, the citizens were so fully satisfied that they had no material demands.
- Instructing His Sons: Lord Ṛṣabhadeva delivered profound instructions to His one hundred sons, headed by Bharata Mahārāja, emphasizing that human life is meant for severe austerity (tapasya), not for the sense gratification enjoyed by dogs and hogs.
- The Spiritual Body: Although He appeared dirty and neglected, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva's body was entirely spiritual (sac-cid-ānanda). This was proven by the fact that His bodily waste was immensely fragrant.
- The Life of an Avadhūta: To avoid the disturbances of materialistic people who could not understand His exalted state, the Lord adopted the behavior of a madman, a deaf-mute, and even a python, remaining completely aloof in spiritual bliss.
- The Supreme Mystic: While ordinary yogīs are allured by superficial mystic perfections (like aṇimā and laghimā), Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, being the master of all mystic power, rejected them all, remaining fixed in pure spiritual existence.
- The Final Lesson of Detachment: To teach the ultimate disregard for the temporary material body, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva allowed His apparent physical form to be consumed by a forest fire, remaining completely unaffected within.
- The Path of Liberation: By strictly following the instructions of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva and hearing about His transcendental pastimes, anyone can conquer the illusory energy (māyā) and return home, back to Godhead.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God Is Lord Ṛṣabhadeva - The Supreme Teacher of Austerity.
Pages in category "God Is Lord Rsabhadeva"
The following 106 pages are in this category, out of 106 total.
A
- A forest fire can burn the external bodies of animals, but Lord Rsabhadeva was not burned, although He apparently seemed so
- About His (Lord Rsabhadeva's) head was an abundance of curly, matted brown hair. His hair was disheveled because His body was dirty and not taken care of. He appeared as if He were haunted by a ghost
- According to the instructions given by Rsabhadeva to His sons, we should not create a so-called comfortable situation, but must prepare to undergo austerity. This is how a human being should actually live to fulfill life's ultimate goal
- Actually the instructions given to Lord Rsabhadeva's sons were not exactly meant for His sons because they were already educated and highly advanced in knowledge. Rather, these instructions were meant for sannyasis who intend to become advanced devotees
- All the time, Lord Rsabhadeva has been stressing devotional service, and now He is concluding by saying that all the senses should be engaged in the Lord's service
- Although Lord Rsabhadeva was maltreated by the bad elements of the world. He was not at all affected. Therefore it is stated here (SB 5.5.30). sva-mahima-avasthanena: "He was situated in His own glory." He was never saddened due to being insulted
- Although Lord Rsabhadeva's body was very much neglected, His transcendental features were so attractive that even married women were attracted to Him. His beauty & dirtiness combined to make His beautiful body appear as though it were haunted by a ghost
- Although Rsabhadeva recommended His eldest son, Bharata, as emperor of the earth, he still had to follow the instructions of the brahmanas in order to govern the world perfectly
- Although Rsabhadeva was endowed with all opulences, He was not at all attached to material enjoyment. He was self-controlled and therefore liked by everyone. Due to His superexcellent qualities, everyone wanted Him to rule the earth
- Although still at home, Lord Rsabhadeva lived like a madman, naked and with disheveled hair. Then the Lord took the sacrificial fire within Himself, and He left Brahmavarta to tour the whole world
- As far as Rsabhadeva is concerned, he did not at all possess a material body; and therefore He was tolerant of all the trouble offered to Him by the bad elements in society
- As far as the saktyavesa-avataras are concerned, they include Kapila and Rsabha, Ananta, Brahma (sometimes the Lord Himself becomes Brahma), Catuhsana (the incarnation of knowledge), Narada (the incarnation of devotional service)
- As King Rsabha advised His sons, tapasya, or voluntary acceptance of penance for realization of the Transcendence, is the only duty of the human being; it was so done by the Lord Himself in an exemplary manner to teach us
B
- Being an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Rsabhadeva was fully independent because His form was spiritual, eternal and full of transcendental bliss
- Being an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Rsabhadeva had nothing to do with material affairs
- Being completely transcendental to the material conception, Lord Rsabhadeva states that His heart is composed of dharma. Dharma is explained in Bhagavad-gita (BG 18.66): sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja
- Being the SPG, Lord Rsabhadeva possessed a transcendental, spiritual body. Since the general public could not appreciate His behavior and mystic yoga practice, they began to disturb Him. To cheat them, He behaved like crows, cows and deer
- Being the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Lord Rsabhadeva is complete in Himself. We living entities, as parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, should follow the instructions of Lord Rsabhadeva and become self-sufficient
- Being the Supreme, the Lord is called Rsabha, the best. In terms of the Vedic language, nityo nityanam. We are also spiritual. but we are subordinate
- Bharata Maharaja, Rsabhadeva's eldest son, was specifically very exalted. For this reason the other sons were advised to serve him for his pleasure. That was to be their duty
- By His personal behavior and instructions, Lord Rsabhadeva enlightened the conditioned soul and showed him how to become self-sufficient in his spiritual identity
D
- Due to Lord Rsabhadeva's presence, all the animals in the forest were also liberated from material encagement
- During the reign of Maharaja Rsabhadeva, people were so well equipped that they did not want to ask for anything. They were immensely supplied with all necessities for life
- During the time of Lord Rsabhadeva, the King of Konka and Venka acted like a paramahamsa and imitated Lord Rsabhadeva. He introduced a system of religion and took advantage of the fallen condition of the people in this age of Kali
E
- Especially glorious is the dynasty of Priyavrata, in which the Supreme Lord Rsabhadeva incarnated. Similarly, the family of Uttanapada Maharaja, the father of Maharaja Dhruva, is also glorious due to King Prthu's taking birth in it
- Every human being must advance his spiritual life and at the end return home, back to Godhead. Maharaja Rsabhadeva strictly followed all these principles
- Everyone was happy during the reign of Maharaja Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
H
- He (King Rsabhadeva) is not dependent on King Indra for water. He can supply water Himself
- He (Lord Rsabhadeva) was equal to everyone. He did not favor one person and neglect another
- He (Rsabhadeva) could tolerate people's throwing stool and dust upon Him and beating Him. His body was transcendental and consequently did not at all suffer pain. He was always situated in His spiritual bliss
- He (Rsabhadeva) understood that the body is simply meant for such an end. He was situated on the spiritual platform, and, being in His spiritual glory, He did not care for all these material insults
- His (Lord Rsabha's) body was well structured, and He displayed all the transcendental qualities. He showed great influence, and He could control His mind and senses. Consequently He was named Rsabha, which indicates that He was the supreme living being
- His (Lord Rsabhadeva's) gentle smile always made His face beautiful, so much so that He even attracted the hearts of married women. It was as though they had been pierced by arrows of Cupid
- His (Lord Rsabhadeva's) head was an abundance of curly, matted brown hair. His hair was disheveled because His body was dirty and not taken care of. He appeared as if He were haunted by a ghost
- His (Lord Rsabhadeva's) mouth was beautifully decorated with His natural smile, and He appeared all the more lovely with His reddish eyes spread wide like the petals of a newly grown lotus flower covered with dew in the early morning
I
- If one actually follows Rsabhadeva, he will certainly be delivered from the clutches of maya and return home, back to Godhead
- If one strictly follows the instructions of Rsabhadeva, he will certainly be liberated. Lord Rsabhadeva incarnated specifically to deliver these fallen souls
- If people strictly followed the principles of Bhagavad-gita, they would elect a person who is the Lord's devotee. Then automatically there would be good government. Rsabhadeva therefore recommended Bharata Maharaja as the emperor of this planet
- In his book Laghu-bhagavatamrta, Srila Rupa Gosvami has enumerated the following twenty-five lila-avataras: Catuh-sana, Narada, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayasirsa (Hayagriva), Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Rsabha
- In this age of Kali, people are overwhelmed by the modes of passion and ignorance. Lord Rsabhadeva incarnated Himself to deliver them from the clutches of maya
- In this verse (SB 5.5.1) Lord Rsabhadeva tells His sons about the importance of human life. The word deha-bhak refers to anyone who accepts a material body, but the living entity who is awarded the human form must act differently from animals
- It is very instructive chapter, if you continue to understand this instruction of Rsabhadeva. Now we have only read one verse. The next verse is that mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh - SB 5.5.2
K
- King Arhat did not care for the fact that although Lord Rsabhadeva acted like a madman, His stool and urine were nonetheless aromatic, so much so that they nicely scented the countryside for miles around
- King Rsabha propagated this mission, and at the last stage He became completely aloof from the material bodily needs, which is a rare stage not to be imitated by foolish men, but to be worshiped by all
- King Rsabhadeva is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, and therefore He was the original Bhagavan. Consequently He is described herein (SB 5.4.3) as yogesvara, which indicates that He has the most powerful spiritual potency
L
- Lord Ramacandra appeared in the Iksvaku, or Raghu, dynasty. Similarly, Lord Rsabhadeva appeared in the dynasty of King Priyavrata. All these dynasties are very famous, and of them the dynasty of Priyavrata is most famous
- Lord Rsabhadeva entered householder life and lived according to the principles of Vedic knowledge - sruti and smrti
- Lord Rsabhadeva instructed His one hundred sons, of whom the eldest, Bharata, was a very advanced devotee and a follower of Vaisnavas. In order to rule the whole world, the Lord enthroned His eldest son on the royal seat
- Lord Rsabhadeva is the Supersoul of all living entities within the forest, and His soul is never burned by fire
- Lord Rsabhadeva performed all kinds of sacrifices one hundred times according to the instructions of the Vedic literatures. Thus He satisfied Lord Visnu in every respect
- Lord Rsabhadeva refused to manifest mystic yogic perfections, and Maharaja Pariksit asked why He did not accept them, since, for a devotee, they are not at all disturbing
- Lord Rsabhadeva was the head of all kings and emperors within this universe, but assuming the dress and language of an avadhuta, He acted as if dull and materially bound
- Lord Rsabhadeva was transcendentally blissful. His stool and urine were so completely different from material stool and urine that they were aromatic
- Lord Rsabhadeva's body is completely spiritual; therefore for a materialistic person, it is very difficult to understand
- Lord Rsabhadeva's heart is hrdayam yatra dharmah. The characteristic dharma is also explained in Bhagavad-gita: surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
M
- Maharaja Pariksit might have been thinking that the Kuru dynasty was not as fortunate as the others because the Supreme Lord did not appear in that family, neither as Krsna, Lord Ramacandra, Lord Rsabhadeva or Maharaja Prthu
- Maharaja Rsabha, the son of King Nabhi and Merudevi, was an incarnation of the Lord, and He instructed His sons to follow the path of perfection by tapasya, which sanctifies one's existence and enables one to attain the stage of spiritual happiness
- May the SPG in His incarnation as Dhanvantari relieve me from undesirable eatables and protect me from physical illness. May Lord Rsabhadeva, who conquered His inner and outer senses, protect me from fear produced by the duality of heat and cold
- My (Rsabhadeva) heart is also spiritual, and I always think of the welfare of My devotees. Therefore within My heart can be found the process of devotional service, which is meant for the devotees
O
- Once while touring the world, Lord Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Lord, reached a place known as Brahmavarta. There was a great conference of learned brahmanas at that place, and all the King's sons attentively heard the instructions of the brahmanas there
- One should either chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra or read Srimad-Bhagavatam and thereby try to understand the characteristics and instructions of the Supreme Lord, who appeared as Lord Rsabhadeva, Lord Kapila and Lord Krsna
- One should never neglect austerities and penances; one should always perform them. Lord Rsabhadeva personally showed us how to do this
- Ordinarily, the spiritual master, husband, father, mother or superior relative accepts worship from an inferior relative, but here (in SB 5.5.18) Rsabhadeva forbids this
- Out of His causeless mercy, Lord Rsabhadeva taught the self's real identity and the goal of life. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who appeared as Lord Rsabhadeva
R
- Rsabhadeva clearly states that human life is not meant for this kind of existence, which is enjoyed even by dogs and hogs
- Rsabhadeva gave His one hundred sons instructions whereby they could become free from the clutches of maya
- Rsabhadeva is advising His other sons - that bharatam bhajadhvam - You just be obedient to Bharata. Don't try to rule independently, because if you follow the principles of Bharata Maharaja, that will satisfy the citizens, not ruling over independently
- Rsabhadeva suggested that His eldest son was superior, and He advised the others to serve him. All the brothers of Bharata Maharaja were advised by Rsabhadeva to adhere to Bharata's service
- Rsabhadeva tells His sons how they can be freed from the false identification arising from false ego and material conditional life
- Rsabhadeva took a wife named Jayanti and begot one hundred sons who were as powerful and qualified as He Himself. His wife Jayanti had been offered to Him by Indra, the King of heaven
- Rsabhadeva was an ideal king, and He took His education in the gurukula, although He was already educated because the Supreme Lord is omniscient
- Rsabhadeva was the direct incarnation of the SPG, the cause of all causes. His son, Bharata Maharaja, who was now acting as the brahmana Jada Bharata, had received his body from the cause of all causes. Therefore he is addressed as karana-vigrahaya
- Rsabhadeva's heart was always uncontaminated and spiritual. Consequently all the sons born from the heart of Rsabhadeva were spiritually inclined
- Rsabhadeva, a partial incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will take birth from his father, Ayusman, and his mother, Ambudhara. He will enable the Indra named Adbhuta to enjoy the opulence of the three worlds
- Rsabhadeva, He became just like a madman, a deaf and dumb, a rascal, a fool, a ghost. But He is not madman. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Rsabhadeva, the master of all mystic power, understood King Indra's purpose and smiled a little. Then, by His own prowess, through yogamaya (His internal potency), He profusely poured water upon His own place, which was known as Ajanabha
S
- Sannyasis must abide by Lord Rsabhadeva's instructions while on the path of devotional service. Lord Rsabhadeva retired from family life and lived like a naked madman even while still with His family
- Since Lord Siva is the son of Lord Brahma, Brahma is considered superior, but Brahma is also subordinate to Me (Rsabhadeva), the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because I am inclined to the brahmanas, the brahmanas are best of all
- So-called yogis are therefore allured by the superficial material perfections of anima, laghima, prapti and so forth. Consequently ordinary yogis cannot compare to Lord Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
T
- The eighth incarnation was King Rsabha, son of King Nabhi and his wife Merudevi. In this incarnation the Lord showed the path of perfection, which is followed by those who have fully controlled their senses and who are honored by all orders of life
- The explanation was given by Lord Rsabha to His sons that this material world is an atmosphere of attraction between male and female. That attraction takes the shape of a knot in the heart, and by material affection it becomes still more tight
- The family of Rsabhadeva should not be compared to an ordinary materialistic family
- The instructions of Lord Rsabhadeva to His sons are very valuable if one wants to live peacefully within this world, which is full of miseries
- The irises of His (Lord Rsabhadeva's) eyes were so pleasing that they removed all the troubles of everyone who saw Him. His forehead, ears, neck, nose and all His other features were very beautiful
- The Lord appeared as the son of Sudevi, the wife of King Nabhi, and was known as Rsabhadeva. He performed materialistic yoga to equibalance the mind
- The Manus who are prominent within this universe are as follows: Vamana as Vaivasvata Manu (the present age is under the Vaivasvata Manu), Sarvabhauma as Savarni Manu, Rsabha as Daksasavarni Manu, Visvaksena as Brahma-savarni Manu
- The other eighty-one sons (of Lord Rsabhadeva) became highly qualified brahmanas. These are some practical examples of how one can become fit for a certain type of activity by qualification, not by birth
- The Supreme Lord, Rsabhadeva, understood that His kingdom was His field of activities. He therefore showed Himself as an example and taught the duties of a householder by first accepting brahmacarya under the direction of spiritual masters
- The teachings of Lord Rsabhadeva are for the people of all yugas-Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga & especially Kali-yuga. These instructions are so powerful that even in this age of Kali one can attain perfection simply by explaining the instructions
- The yoga system for control of the mind and senses must be strictly followed. Lord Rsabhadeva showed how severe types of tapasya could be performed, and He set an example for all others
- There are many spiritual masters, but Rsabhadeva advises that one should not become a spiritual master if he is unable to save his disciple from the path of birth and death
- They (people) were immensely supplied with all necessities for life due to King Rsabhadeva's good government. Consequently everyone felt full satisfaction and did not want anything. This is the perfection of government
- This is the summary of this chapter (SB 5.6.19), in which the activities of Lord Rsabhadeva are described
- This narration of Lord Rsabhadeva's pastimes is the reservoir of all auspicious things. Whoever attentively hears or speaks of them, following in the footsteps of the acaryas, will certainly attain unalloyed devotional service at the lotus feet of the SPG
W
- We are hankering after perpetual happiness, continued happiness. So Rsabhadeva advised, "My dear boys, you take to austerity." Tapo divyam yena suddhyet sattvam. - After you are purified, then brahma-saukhyam anantam, then you get unlimited happiness
- We can easily understand the material body, but we cannot understand the spiritual body. Therefore Rsabhadeva says: idam sariram mama durvibhavyam
- We can take it for granted that in the spiritual world, stool and urine are also pleasantly scented. Indeed, the entire atmosphere became very pleasant due to Lord Rsabhadeva's stool and urine
- We find the word bhagavan used twice in this verse (SB 5.4.3). Both King Indra and Rsabhadeva, the incarnation of the Supreme Lord, are described as bhagavan. Sometimes Narada and Lord Brahma are also addressed as bhagavan
- When Lord Rsabhadeva saw that the general populace was very antagonistic to His execution of mystic yoga, He accepted the behavior of a python in order to counteract their opposition
- When Maharaja Nabhi saw that his son Rsabhadeva was popular with the general populace and the governmental servants, he chose to install Him on the imperial throne
- When Rsabhadeva saw that He was simply being disturbed by traveling throughout the world, He decided to lie down in one place like a python. Thus He ate, drank, & He passed stool & urine and smeared His body with them so that people would not disturb Him
- When the body becomes old, a perfect yogi can find a young, able body. Giving up his old body, the yogi can enter into the young body and act as he pleases. Being a plenary expansion of Lord Vasudeva, Lord Rsabhadeva possessed all these mystic yoga powers
- While He (Rsabhadeva) was wandering about, a wild forest fire began. This fire was caused by the friction of bamboos, which were being blown by the wind. In that fire, the entire forest near Kutakacala and the body of Lord Rsabhadeva were burnt to ashes