Category:Moral Instructions
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that moral instructions (nīti-śāstra) are essential for civilized human life, yet they remain secondary to the supreme spiritual instruction of surrender to Kṛṣṇa. While authorities like Cāṇakya Paṇḍita provide practical wisdom on how to navigate the material world—such as treating diseases and debts completely, viewing other women as mothers, and avoiding the company of the materialistic—these principles are often classified as sub-religious (upadharma) if they do not have God at the center. Ultimately, the Bhagavad-gītā provides the highest word in morality, where surrender to the Supreme Lord transcends even standard ethical codes.
- Practical Wisdom from Cāṇakya: Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's instructions are frequently cited by Śrīla Prabhupāda as the standard for social and political conduct, emphasizing that time is priceless and that one should be cautious with politicians and women.
- Morality and Religion: Simple moral instructions without God are merely sub-religious. True morality culminates in the instructions of Bhagavad-gītā, specifically the call to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa.
- The Vision of a Sage: A morally educated person views every woman (except his own wife) as his mother and treats all living entities as equals (ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu).
- Limitations of Moral Codes: Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that laws and moral instructions cannot change a person's deep-rooted habits unless there is a change of heart through spiritual practice.
- Kṛṣṇa's Expert Counsel: Even when Kṛṣṇa appears to act "immorally"—such as inciting Arjuna to fight or telling the gopīs to return home—His words remain the supreme instruction in morality because He is the source of all religious principles.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Social and Spiritual Application of Moral Instructions.
Pages in category "Moral Instructions"
The following 39 pages are in this category, out of 39 total.
A
- A beggar should not ask charity from a person who is in difficulty. Similarly, one who is able to give charity should not deny a beggar. These are the moral instructions of the sastra
- A demon never cares for any good instruction. He is just like a determined thief: one can give him moral instruction, but it will not be effective
- According to moral instructions, grhe narim vivarjayet: when one goes on a tour, one should not bring his wife
- According to moral instructions, one should not neglect to extinguish fire completely, treat diseases completely, and clear debts completely. Otherwise they will increase and later be difficult to stop
- According to the moral instructions of Canakya Pandita, "What is the use of a son who is neither a learned man nor a devotee of the Lord?" If a son is not a devotee of the Supreme Lord, he is just like blind eyes - a source of trouble
- According to the moral instructions of Canakya Pandita, atmavat sarva-bhutesu: one should observe all living entities to be on the same level as oneself
- According to the moral instructions of the great politician Canakya Pandita: even a moment of one's lifetime could not be returned in exchange for millions of dollars
- After hearing these moral instructions from Akrura, Dhrtarastra replied, "My dear Akrura, you are very charitable in giving me good instructions, but unfortunately I cannot accept them"
- All other (religious) processes may be purifying and may lead to this process (surrender unto Krsna), but the last instruction of the Gita is the last word in all morality and religion: surrender unto Krsna. BG 1972 purports
- Arjuna, Krsna and numberless friends, admirers, relatives and sages had gathered on the scene as Maharaja Yudhisthira took moral and religious instructions from the dying Bhisma
C
- Canakya Pandita has stated in his moral instructions that one has to abandon the association of materialistic people and associate with spiritually advanced people
- Canakya Pandita, the great moral instructor, says, matr-vat para-daresu. Thus not only a person in the renounced order or one engaged in devotional service but everyone should avoid mingling with women. One should consider another's wife his mother
- Canakya Pandita, the great politician and moral instructor, said, visvaso naiva kartavyah strisu raja-kulesu ca: "Never put your faith in a woman or a politician"
I
- In religious principles there must be God in the center; otherwise simple moral instructions are merely subreligious principles, generally known as upadharma, or nearness to religious principles
- In the Canakya-sloka, the moral instructions of Canakya Pandita, it is said that if a husband and wife are always satisfied with one another, then the goddess of fortune automatically comes
- In this way Balarama reconciled the situation by His moral and ethical instructions to Rukmini and Krsna
S
- Some may protest that Krsna incited Arjuna to fight, which is immoral, but the reality of the situation is clearly stated: Bhagavad-gita is the supreme instruction in morality. BG 1972 purports
- Sometimes spiritual master is considered as mother. There are seven mothers. So real mother, adau mata... Guru-patni, the spiritual master's wife, she is also mother. Actually every woman is mother. That is moral instruction
T
- The following moral instruction by the great politician Canakya Pandita is very meaningful
- The following moral instruction by the great politician Canakya Pandita is very meaningful: One should always act piously, thinking that this life is temporary, and not be attached to temporary happiness and distress
- The following moral instruction by the great politician Canakya Pandita is very meaningful: One should give up the company of devils, demons and nondevotees and should always associate with devotees and saintly persons
- The instructions of Bhagavad-gita constitute the supreme process of religion and of morality
- The instructions of Bhagavad-gita constitute the supreme process of religion and of morality. BG 1972 purports
- The last instruction of the Gita is the last word in all morality and religion: surrender unto Krsna. This is the verdict of the Eighteenth Chapter
- The movements of His (Krsna's) eyes and the mode of His speech proved that He was very, very expert in giving moral instruction. Sometimes, Maharaj Yudhisthira is also accepted by learned scholars as dhira-prasanta
- The supreme instruction of morality is stated in the Ninth Chapter (of Bhagavad-gita), in the thirty-fourth verse: manmana bhava mad-bhaktah. BG 1972 purports
- The wife of a brahmana is mother. Actually every woman is mother. That is moral instruction. Matrvat para-daresu. Anyone, any woman who is not your wife . . . except your wife, everyone, every woman is to be considered as mother. This is education
- To increase their ecstatic love, Krsna gave them moral instructions to return home. The gopis did not care for these instructions. They wanted to be kissed by Krsna, for they had come there with lusty desires to dance with Him
W
- We should not waste our this valuable life whimsically. Even an ordinary moral instruction by Canakya Pandita, he says, your one moment of your life cannot be returned back even if you are prepared to pay millions of dollars
- When a man is infatuated with the false prestige of opulence, he does not care for any moral instruction but indulges in wine, women and animal-killing. In such circumstances, a poverty-stricken man is often better situated
- When all the gopis came out of their homes to meet Krsna in the Vrndavana forest, Krsna refused to accept them and asked them to go home, giving them some moral instruction
- When one does not agree to the religious principle or to the moral principle or any instruction, he is adamant, then there must be fight