Category:Submissive
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda identifies submissiveness as a cornerstone of spiritual advancement and harmonious relationships. In the context of knowledge acquisition, he repeatedly emphasizes "submissive aural reception" as the only valid method to understand the Absolute Truth. The "ascending process" of mental speculation is rejected in favor of the "descending process," where a disciple listens meekly to a bona fide authority. This submissive attitude allows the transcendental message to penetrate the heart, slackening material attachments and revealing the mystery of God.
Beyond the student-teacher relationship, Śrīla Prabhupāda applies the principle of submission to social and domestic spheres. He notes that in Vedic culture, a wife's submissiveness to her husband is not slavery but a tactic to conquer his heart and ensure family stability—a quality often missing in modern society. Ultimately, submissiveness is what distinguishes a devotee from a demon; while the demon is puffed up with false prestige, the devotee is meek, recognizing their insignificant position before the Supreme Lord.
- The Method of Hearing: Spiritual knowledge must be received through submissive aural reception, not by challenge or speculation.
- Disciple's Qualification: A bona fide disciple must be obedient and submissive to the spiritual master to receive perfect knowledge.
- Domestic Harmony: A wife's submissiveness is described as a powerful quality that maintains peace and attracts the husband's affection.
- Devotee vs. Demon: The defining difference is that a devotee is humble and submissive, whereas a demon is proud and independent.
- The Power of Submission: Even the Supreme Lord becomes submissive to the love of His pure devotees.
- Explore a synthesized essence of this category in the following Vanipedia article: Humility and Submission.
Subcategories
This category has the following 21 subcategories, out of 21 total.
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D
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K
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O
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Pages in category "Submissive"
The following 137 pages are in this category, out of 137 total.
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A
- A person is called dhira-lalita if he is naturally very funny, always in full youthfulness, expert in joking, and free from all anxieties. Such a dhira-lalita personality is generally found to be domesticated and very submissive to his lover
- A student should practice completely controlling his senses. He should be submissive and should have an attitude of firm friendship for the spiritual master. With a great vow, the brahmacari should live at the guru-kula, only for the benefit of the guru
- A submissive disciple is able to live transcendentally and continue to the end of life
- A wife is always supposed to be submissive to her husband. Submission, mild behavior and subservience are qualities in a wife which make a husband very thoughtful of her
- According to the Vedic law there is no such thing as divorce laws, and a woman must be trained to be submissive to the will of her husband
- After perceiving the moonshine, Maharaja Bharata continued speaking like a crazy person. He said: The deer's son was so submissive and dear to me that due to its separation I am feeling separation from my own son
- After reaching Patada, he met a landholder and submissively requested him to get him across that hilly tract of land
- All power is obtained from the Lord; therefore each particular power must be utilized to execute the will of the Lord and not otherwise. The Lord can be known by one who has adopted such a submissive service attitude
- Another difficulty is that in modern civilization everyone is independent spirited. The girls are no longer very much humble and submissive to their husbands. So you must be prepared to tolerate such whims of your future wife
- As Guru Maharaja Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati used to say - Don't try to see God. Is God to come and stand before us like a servant just because we want to see Him? That is not the submissive way. We have to oblige Him by our love and service
- Ascending process is not recommended in the Vedic process of knowledge. Vedic way of receiving knowledge - by aural reception, by submissive aural reception from the spiritual master to the student. This is the way
- At that time Govinda appeared on the scene, offered his respectful obeisances and spoke submissively
B
- Because he (a disciple) is not submissive, it is useless waste of time. Guru should not speak to anyone
- Before departing from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Ramananda Raya fell to the ground and caught hold of the Lord's lotus feet. He then spoke submissively as follows
- Before making guru, the system is, for one year the prospective disciple should hear from the person and then decide. And similarly, the guru also see a person who is actually submissive or not. That is Vaisnava injunction, Hari-bhakti-vilasa
- Brahma said, "The best process for understanding You is to submissively give up the speculative process and try to hear about You, either from Yourself as You have given statements in the BG and many similar Vedic scriptures, or from a realized devotee"
- Brahmacari guru-kule vasan danto guror hitau (SB 7.12.1). A brahmacari should live at gurukula, very submissively. Danto means submissive, and only for the benefit of guru. No personal benefit. In this way brahmacari should take lesson from the guru
- By associating with pure devotees and by hearing them submissively, attachment for material enjoyment becomes slackened, and attraction for hearing about the transcendental activities of the Lord becomes prominent
- By my mental speculation, by rascal interpretation, by showing one's scholarship, you cannot understand Bhagavad-gita. That is not possible. Submissive
- By submissively hearing this transcendental literature, one can attain the full pleasure of his heart's desire. But one must be very careful to hear the message from the right source
D
- Devahuti has submissively accepted her son as her guru. She wants to understand Krsna perfectly, by the grace of Kapiladeva
- Do not keep a guru as a pet dog. No. You must be submissive. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya (BG 4.34). This is wanted
- Don't think yourself, that you are very man of knowledge. Because our knowledge is very limited, so we should not be puffed up with false thinking that I am very learned man. No. Just become a little gentle and submissive
E
- Even a criminal in the prison house, if he becomes submissive that "Henceforward I shall be law-abiding. I then shall obey the government laws very obediently," then sometimes he is released prematurely on account of giving a declaration
- Even if you do not know any practical work, simply you give your reception, aural reception, submissive aural reception, and understand that what is the nature of God, you'll be free from this material bondage
- Everything is full of sense and logic, and the exchange of views between the master and disciple is possible only when the reception is submissive and real
F
- First class of men will not want to take to spiritual knowledge. But the person who is inquisitive and is not satisfied with this material life, he can hear this knowledge submissively and derive great benefit from it
- First of all you answer me, that if you are a student, how you can know who is perfect teacher? (laughter) So you do not know what is your position. If you are a student, then you should go to the teacher submissively, not that strong attitude
- For beginning you have simply to give submissive aural reception. That is the first beginning
G
- God is known to be unconquerable, but one who submissively hears the words of a self-realized soul conquers the unconquerable
- Great personalities of power and opulence never become proud, and the example is given that a tree which is full of fruits and flowers does not stand erect in pride but instead bends downwards to show submissiveness
H
- He offered obeisances to Sacimata in the name of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and informed her of all the Lord's submissive prayers to her
- He was very submissive and meek, and immediately after his birth he bowed down and inquired, "Sirs, what shall I do?" The great sages replied, "Please sit down (nisida)." Thus Nisada, the father of the Naisada race, was born
- Here is Lord Caitanya's order. Whether we do understand or not understand, if we simply submissively give aural reception to these messages of Krsna, then gradually we shall understand the whole philosophy and science of KC. This is the summary
- His (Lord Siva's) wife so powerful that she creates, maintains and annihilates the universe, but she remains as very obedient, submissive wife of Lord Siva. You have seen the picture of Lord Siva and Parvati sitting always underneath a bael tree
- His (Lord Siva) wife so powerful that she creates, maintains and annihilates the universe, but she remains as very obedient, submissive wife of Lord Siva
I
- If he wants to know all these, there is bonafide source for understanding these problems, providing he agrees to give a submissive aural reception to the respective authorities as much as he believes in the authoritative statements of Sir Isaac Newton
- If one submissively hears and chants about the all-auspicious Maharaja Bharata, one's life span and material opulences certainly increase. One can become very famous and easily attain promotion to the heavenly planets, or attain liberation
- If there is little doubt, he can submissively make question. Just like Arjuna made question to Krsna
- If we approach a perfect person and submissively hear from him, then the knowledge is perfect. So Krsna is accepted as the supreme authority, as Arjuna quoted Ahus tvam rsayah sarve - All the rsis, great saintly persons, they have accepted You
- If we are submissive, if we are engaged in His service, then, by His divine grace, He reveals Himself. Everything understanding of Lord, that is revelation. By our experimental knowledge, we cannot understand what is God
- If we submissively give aural reception to these messages, as it is described in the Caitanya-caritamrta by Lord Caitanya, that will help us - Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya-caritamrta
- If you find a nondevotee eager to listen submissively you can show your mercy to elevate him to Krishna Conciousness, but a nondevotee who is already poisoned by the serpent of the demon class swami or yogi is very difficult to be dealt with
- If you keep one spiritual master as show bottle, then your selection is not right; it is wrong. You must select a spiritual master where you can bow down your head, "Yes," submissive
- In Bhagavad-gita Arjuna is hearing about God from the lips of Sri Krsna Himself. In this way Arjuna set the criterion for understanding the Supreme by submissive hearing
- In relation to the Supreme Lord, all beings are to be respected. Therefore a devotee refers to others as "prabhu," meaning "My dear sir, my dear lord." Submissiveness is a qualification for a devotee of the Lord
- In the modern day, the wife is never submissive, and therefore home life is broken even by slight incidents. Either the wife or the husband may take advantage of the divorce laws
- In this age it is impossible to practice sacrifice, speculation or yoga. There is no way open to us but the way of hearing submissively from authoritative sources. This is the way the mahatmas received the most confidential knowledge
- It (hearing submissively) is the way Arjuna received it from Krsna, and it is the way we must receive it from the disciplic succession stemming from Arjuna
- It does not matter to what category of this world the audience belongs. If one meekly and submissively hears about the activities of the Lord from a realized soul, he will be able to conquer the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- It is essential, therefore, that a disciple be very much obedient and submissive to the bona fide spiritual master
- It is imperative, that one sincerely seek the association of pure devotees and hear them patiently and submissively from any position of life
- It is not that one should simply speculate academically. One should submissively hear from Bhagavad-gita that these living entities are always subordinate to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. BG 1972 purports
J
- Just as a lion is very ferocious to other animals but very kind and submissive to his cubs, so Lord Nrsimha appeared ferocious to Hiranyakasipu and very kind to His devotee Prahlada
- Just be submissive. Don't be puffed up artificially. You are being slapped always by the laws of material nature. Don't think that you are independent
K
- Karne pravesila means simply one has to receive the message of Lord Caitanya. Karne means in the ear. To give the message a submissive aural reception. Then immediately one's heart becomes freed from all material contamination
- Knowledge explained by the previous acarya like Sukadeva Gosvami and followed by the next like Suta Gosvami is always powerful transcendental knowledge, and it is therefore penetrating and useful to all submissive students
O
- One can become a dhira only by submissively hearing from a bona fide spiritual master. Arjuna, for example, became a dhira by submissively hearing from Lord Krsna, the Personality of Godhead Himself
- One must be a submissive student of the six Gosvamis, from Srila Rupa Gosvami to Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. Not following their instructions but imagining how to worship Gaurasundara and Radha-Krsna is a great offense
- One must be very meek and submissive and try to live peacefully by lending the ear to the speeches of the transcendentally self-realized soul who speaks on the message of Bhagavata-dharma
- One must learn the transcendental subject by submissive aural reception from the right sources. Therefore these sages addressed the speaker Suta Gosvami with great respect
- One of the most important instructions by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu regarding regular Vaisnava behavior is that a Vaisnava should be tolerant like a tree and submissive like grass
- One should be submissive, san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam, and try to hear the message of the Lord from san-mukharitam, sadhu, devotees, san-mukha . . . not professional
- One should come to understand, submissively, that he is a very insignificant segment of the universe. Abandoning the endeavor to understand the Supreme by limited knowledge or mental speculation
- One should submissively receive the transcendental messages from spiritually advanced sources and chant the very same messages for one's own benefit as well as the benefit of one's audience
- One who is submissive and ready to give aural reception of the transcendental message, to him only the transcendence becomes revealed
- One who wants to understand the mystery of revealed scriptures must approach a bona fide spiritual master, hear from him very submissively and render service to him. Then the import of the scriptures will be revealed
- Only one who has properly grasped the transcendental knowledge from the right source by submissive hearing can properly explain the subject
- Only the most fortunate will relish the mad words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, which were mixed with jubilation, envy, agitation, submissiveness and grief, all produced by ecstatic loving emotions
- Our general principle is to perform sankirtana, not to talk philosophy. When one is interested, then he can talk philosophy. Otherwise this talk should be amongst inner circles, with the students and the teacher, those who are submissive
S
- Sanatana Gosvami was actually following the disciplic principles. He wanted to please Lord Caitanya submissively. To please the spiritual master means to approach him submissively, not in a challenging mood
- Sanda and Amarka systematically and unceasingly taught Prahlada Maharaja, who was very submissive and humble, about mundane religion, economic development and sense gratification
- Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya then caught hold of the Lord's lotus feet and submissively begged, "Please accept lunch for at least ten days"
- She (Devahuti) could have been very proud of her parentage, but that is forbidden. The wife should not be proud of her parental position. She must always be submissive to the husband and must give up all vanity
- She is situated at the topmost level of ecstatic love. (20) She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula. (21) She is the most famous of submissive devotees. (22) She is very affectionate to elderly people
- Simply hearing submissively will free one's heart from all the faults of ignorance, and thus one will achieve deep love for Krsna. This is the path of peace
- So in the devotional service the first step is hearing, hearing submissively from the authoritative source and just to assimilate it and grasp it with our body, mind and intelligence
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in propagating the bhagavata-dharma or activities of the devotees, has recommended that people submissively hear the message of the Personality of Godhead. The essence of this message is Bhagavad-gita. BG 1972 purports
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in propagating the bhagavata-dharma, or activities of the devotees, has recommended that people submissively hear the message of the Personality of Godhead. The essence of this message is Bhagavad-gita
- Sri Narada Muni personally experienced that the most feasible and practical way to open the path of salvation or get relief from all miseries of life is to hear submissively the transcendental activities of the Lord from the right and bona fide sources
- Srimad-Bhagavatam is not only a superior literature but is the ripened fruit of all Vedic literatures. In other words, it is the cream of all Vedic knowledge. Considering all this, patient and submissive hearing is definitely essential
- Srimad-Bhagavatam trains the conditioned soul to this stage of perfection by submissive hearing from the pure devotee
- Submissive hearing is so powerful that simply by hearing from authoritative sources we can become completely perfect. In becoming submissive, we become aware of our own imperfections
- Submissively offering prayers to the devotees with folded hands and offering obeisances to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the King went outside
T
- That is the position of Krsna consciousness. They are not heartless. They are very submissive.
- The development of submissiveness is the cause of proportionate spiritual realization, by which one can ultimately meet the Supreme Lord in person, as a man meets another man face to face
- The devotees do not waste time in such vain searching after knowledge of the Supreme, but they submissively hear the glories of the Lord from bona fide devotees
- The devotees who come to visit and offer respects to the Deity very submissively take three drops of caranamrtam and feel themselves happy in transcendental bliss
- The enquirer should be very submissive, and the answer-giver also should always remember the lotus feet, so the right answer can be given. This is the way of spiritual enquiry and spiritual answer. This is called sva-gosthi
- The first necessity is that you surrender. So here you have seen, Pariksit Maharaja, although the emperor of the world, he is taking lesson from Sukadeva Gosvami. Sukadeva Gosvami is seated on the throne, and he is seated on the ground, submissive
- The King therefore called for Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and Ramananda Raya, and he spoke the following submissive words to them
- The Lord can reveal Himself only to a person who is submissive and who engages in His transcendental loving service
- The love is there within you. It is not artificial, neither an imposition by some person or... No. It is already there. If you kindly become submissively hearing this, by hearing only, and if you practice, it will be very nice and quickly we shall develop
- The lowest amongst human beings can be delivered by this submissive hearing process only, but unfortunately they even deny giving an aural reception to these messages, and what to speak of surrendering to the will of the Supreme Lord? BG 1972 purports
- The method by which the transcendental message is received is the method of submissive hearing. A challenging attitude cannot help one receive or realize the transcendental message
- The one who is questioning, he should be submissive, not in a challenging mood; and one who is answering, he should remember the lotus feet of the Lord so that right answer can come from Him
- The other day one professor came to see me from Khabudvipa(?). He was very submissive, but still, he would argue like this, that "Whatever Krsna is making me to do, I am doing." So I told him, "Krsna is asking you to surrender. Why don't you surrender?"
- The process is that we cannot understand God or we cannot see God unless He reveals. So this revelation will come if we submissively hear. We may not understand, but simply by hearing, we can achieve that stage of life
- The proper method for receiving this transcendental message is to hear it submissively. A challenging attitude cannot help one realize this transcendental message
- The secret is that one must submissively listen to those who know perfectly the science of God, and one must begin the mode of service regulated by the preceptor
- The student submissively prays to the spiritual master, "Train me in such a way that I will be able to give up all other processes of self-realization and simply engage in Krsna consciousness, devotional service"
- The subject matter is so presented through the lips of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami that any sincere listener that hears submissively can at once relish transcendental tastes which are distinct from the perverted tastes of the material world
- The Supreme Lord, who is greater than the greatest, becomes submissive to even a very insignificant devotee because of his devotional service
- They are simply busy seeing to their own remuneration in dollars and cents. How, then, can they lead the mass of people to the right path of self-realization? Thus one must hear submissively from a dhira in order to attain actual education
- This glorification of the Lord is not a product of research, but the result of hearing submissively from the authority of the spiritual master
- This information (of the antimaterial universe) is received by aural reception by a submissive disciple of the Personality of Godhead
- This is the process: if one works for Krsna twenty-four hours a day, Krsna cannot forget him. By becoming submissive, he can attract the attention of God
- This method of submissively receiving transcendental confidential knowledge is not merely based on mental speculation
- Those who are desirous of achieving complete perfection in life must submissively hear all topics that are connected with the transcendental activities and qualities of the Personality of Godhead, who acts wonderfully
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- Under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, one becomes gradually purified. Therefore, one must be in the chain of disciplic succession and learn the spiritual art of submissive hearing
- Unless one reads the Bhagavad-gita in a submissive spirit, it is very difficult to understand Bhagavad-gita because it is a great mystery. BG 1972 Introduction
- Unless one receives this Bhagavad-gita in a submissive spirit and aural reception, it is very difficult to understand Bhagavad-gita because it is a great mystery
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- We can march along the path of progressive knowledge only by the help of such preceptors, from whom we gather experience by submissive hearing
- We cannot learn this transcendental subject matter by challenge. If we are submissive, if we are engaged in His service, then, by His divine grace, He reveals Himself
- We should at least theoretically accept Sri Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and with that submissive spirit we can understand the Bhagavad-gita. BG 1972 Introduction
- We should understand that we are very insignificant in comparison to the creation of the whole cosmic situation and God. So we should be very submissive. We should understand our position. Artificially, we should not be puffed up, the frog philosophy
- Westerners contend that this (woman being trained to be submissive to her husband) is a slave mentality for the wife, but factually it is not; it is the tactic by which a woman can conquer the heart of her husband, however irritable or cruel he may be
- What is the difference between a demon and devotee? A demon is puffed up. That's all. Falsely. That is demon. And a devotee is submissive, meek and mild. This is the difference
- When a bona fide student approaches a bona fide spiritual master, he submissively prays to the spiritual master, "My dear lord, kindly accept me as your student"
- When submissive Vidura, the resting place of the legs of Lord Krsna, had thus spoken to Maitreya, Maitreya began speaking, his hair standing on end due to the transcendental pleasure of discussing topics concerning Lord Krsna
- When the reception is submissive and real