Category:Wife of a Brahmana
Theme Analysis
Throughout Vedic literature, the position of the wife of a brāhmaṇa is highly exalted, both culturally and spiritually. According to Vedic civilization, the brāhmaṇī is deeply respected as one of the seven mothers of human society. Beyond her cultural standing, Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently highlights the wives of the brāhmaṇas (the yajña-patnīs) in Vṛndāvana as the ultimate examples of spontaneous, unalloyed devotion. While their learned husbands were rigidly attached to fruitive sacrifices and refused to offer food to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, these chaste wives completely bypassed social and domestic conventions, risking everything to surrender at the Lord's lotus feet. Similarly, the faithful wife of Sudāmā Vipra demonstrates how a chaste woman can perfectly guide her husband toward spiritual perfection and material relief by humbly encouraging his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Respected as a Mother: Within the varṇāśrama system, the wife of a brāhmaṇa is considered one of the seven mothers of human society, and she is to be honored and protected accordingly.
- The Supreme Devotion of the Yajña-patnīs: The wives of the ritualistic brāhmaṇas of Vṛndāvana achieved the highest perfection of bhakti by immediately offering an opulent feast to Lord Kṛṣṇa, ignoring the strict prohibitions of their husbands.
- Abandoning All for the Absolute: True spiritual advancement sometimes requires discarding worldly attachments; these great devotees left their homes, relatives, and societal standing solely to satisfy the Supreme Lord.
- The Chaste Guide (Sudāmā's Wife): The faithful wife of the impoverished brāhmaṇa Sudāmā gently and expertly induced her husband to visit his eternal friend, Kṛṣṇa, resulting in their ultimate spiritual and material elevation.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Wife of a Brāhmaṇa - The Embodiment of Pure Devotion.
Pages in category "Wife of a Brahmana"
The following 134 pages are in this category, out of 134 total.
A
- A person's achieving perfection in devotional service simply by the causeless mercy of the Lord is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in connection with the brahmanas and their wives who were engaged in performing yajna, or sacrifice
- According to our sastra there are seven mothers. Adau mata, real mother, from whose body I have taken my birth. Adau mata, she is mother. Guru-patni, the wife of teacher, she is also mother. The wife of a brahmana, she is also mother
- According to scriptures also, there are seven mothers: (1) the real mother, (2) the wife of the spiritual master, (3) the wife of a brahmana, (4) the wife of the king, (5) the cow, (6) the nurse, and (7) the earth. All of them are mothers
- According to the varnasrama system, the brahmanas are always honored first. Thus at the festival, the brahmanas and their wives were first offered the remnants of food, and then the others - ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras
- According to Vedic civilization, cow is one of the seven mothers. There are seven mothers: the real mother; atma-mata guroh patni, the wife of spiritual master; then queen, raja-patni. Atma-mata guroh patni brahmani, the wife of a brahmana
- According to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers. Adau-mata, real mother, and guru-patni, the wife of guru or teacher, she is also mother, because teacher is father. Brahmani, the wife of a brahmana, she is mother
- According to Vedic understanding there are seven kinds of mother: adau mata, real mother. Guru patni, the wife of guru, the spiritual master. Brahmani, the wife of a brahmana
- After hearing Nilambara Cakravarti's prediction, Sacimata and Jagannatha Misra observed the name-giving festival in great joy, inviting all the brahmanas and their wives
- After I cursed Kaca, the son of the learned scholar Brhaspati, he cursed me by saying that I would not have a brahmana for a husband. Therefore, O mighty-armed one, there is no possibility of my becoming the wife of a brahmana
- After offering them (the wives of the brahmanas) all respectful obeisances, the boys said, "Dear mothers, please accept our humble obeisances and hear our statement. May we inform you that Lord Krsna and Balarama are nearby"
- After the departure of the brahmanas' wives, Sri Govinda and His cowherd boyfriends enjoyed the food they had offered
- After the return of their wives from Krsna, the brahmanas engaged in the performance of sacrifices began to regret their sinful activities in refusing food to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- All (beautiful men and women) were singing auspicious songs. The wife of the brahmana (Sudama) was very glad on hearing the tidings of her husband’s arrival, and with great haste she came out of the palace
- All the people gathered there sat down to honor the prasadam, and by and by they took food. All the brahmanas and their wives were fed first
- All these wives (of the brahmanas) were very much devoted to Lord Krsna in spontaneous love, and as soon as they heard the request of the cowherd boys and understood that Krsna wanted some food, they immediately left the place of sacrifice
- Any brahmana or brahmana's wife who drinks liquor is taken by the agents of Yamaraja to the hell known as Ayahpana. This hell also awaits any ksatriya, vaisya, or person under a vow who in illusion drinks soma-rasa
- Anyone who becomes attracted to Krsna can be relieved from the bondage of birth and death, which can be compared to the locked-up homes that were neglected by the wives of the brahmanas
- Arjuna continued, "If the brahmanas feel unwanted separation from their wives and children, and the ksatriya kings do not take care of them, then such ksatriyas are to be considered no more than stage players"
- Arjuna, who apparently had not left Dvaraka because he had to fulfill his promise to the brahmana, was called at night when the brahmana’s wife was to give birth to the child
- As far as neglecting the presence of others is concerned, the wives of the brahmanas who were performing sacrifices at Vrndavana left home as soon as they heard that Krsna was nearby. They left their homes without caring for their learned husbands
- As Rukmini proceeded toward the temple, she was silent and grave. Her mother and her girlfriends were by her side, and the wife of a brahmana was in the center; surrounding her were royal bodyguards
- As the Supersoul living in everyone's heart, Lord Krsna could understand their (the wives of the brahmanas) minds; they had come to Him despite all the protests of their relatives, fathers, husbands & brothers, & despite the duties of household affairs
- At that time, all the persons assembled in the sacrificial arena - the priests, the chief of the sacrificial performance, and the brahmanas and their wives - wondered where the darkness was coming from
B
- Because of her (the wife of a brahmana) strong determination to serve her husband, the three deities - namely Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara - were very happy, and they gave her the benediction that her husband would be cured and brought back to life
- Because this brahmana (who was seized by King Kalmasapada) was actually qualified and was also engaged in brahminical activities (brahma-karma (BG 18.42)), killing him would be a greatly sinful act, and the brahmana's wife requested that he not be killed
- Being advanced by thinking of Krsna constantly, they (the wives of the brahmanas) were performing the greatest form of mystic meditation. All the wives then became very busily engaged in filling up different pots with nice food
- Being condemned by the curse of Vasistha, King Saudasa devoured the brahmana, exactly as a tiger eats its prey. Even though the brahmana's wife spoke so pitiably, Saudasa was unmoved by her lamentation
- Being so ordered by the Lord (Krsna), all the cowherd boys went to the brahmanas and asked them for food, but they were denied. After this, the cowherd boys begged food from the wives of the brahmanas
D
- Dressing themselves as the wives of brahmanas, all the celestial ladies, including the wives of Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Lord Nrsimha-deva, King Indra and Vasistha Rsi, along with Rambha, a dancing girl of heaven, came there with varieties of gifts
- Due to the performance of the sacrifice, the various foods were all very palatable. After collecting a feast, they (the wives of the brahmanas) prepared to go to Krsna, their most beloved object, exactly in the way rivers flow to the sea
F
H
- He (a brahmana who was suffering from leprosy) desired to enjoy the company of a prostitute, and therefore his wife went to her and became her maidservant, just to draw her attention for his service
- He (Kardama Muni) delivered Santi to Atharva. Because of Santi, sacrificial ceremonies are well performed. Thus he got the foremost brahmanas married, and he maintained them along with their wives
- He (Krsna) therefore began to speak to them (the wives of the brahmanas), smiling very magnificently
- He (Krsna) was also painted with the minerals found in Vrndavana, and He looked exactly like a dancing actor on a theatrical stage. They (the wives of the brahmanas) saw Him resting one hand on the shoulder of His friend
- Here, in this verse (SB 9.9.32), the feelings inherent in this (vedic) culture are expressed by the wife of the brahmana. A woman without a husband is like a dead body
I
- I then said, 'Please hear. You are a learned brahmana. Your wife, friends and relatives will never agree to this proposal'
- If a foolish member of the twice-born classes (brahmana, ksatriya and vaisya) forces his wife to drink his semen out of a lusty desire to keep her under control, he is put after death into the hell known as Lalabhaksa
- If her husband abandons KC & she gives up her connection with him, she follows in the footsteps of the dvija-patnis, the wives of the brahmanas who were engaged in performing sacrifices. The wife is not to be condemned for cutting off such a relationship
- If someone says, 'Place this charity in the hand of the husband of the wife of the brahmana,' when we hear these contradictory words we immediately understand that the brahmana's wife has another husband
- Immediately upon hearing this, the wives of the brahmanas became anxious for Krsna and Balarama. These reactions were spontaneous
- In the dress of brahmanas’ wives, celestial ladies like the wives of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva also came to see the newborn child
- In the first part of the Gopala-campu the following subject matters are discussed: (21) the performance of the rituals in Katyayani-vrata and the worship of the goddess Durga; (22) the begging of food from the wives of the brahmanas performing sacrifices
- In the sastra it is also said that there are seven mothers. Real mother and guru-patni, the wife of spiritual master or teacher, brahmani, the wife of a brahmana. And raja-patnika, the queen, she is also mother, Dhenu, cow
- In the varnasrama-dharma system, certain classes, such as the brahmanas and sannyasis, do not need encouragement from the opposite sex. Ksatriyas and grhasthas, however, actually need the encouragement of their wives in order to execute their duties
- It is said that Suklambara Brahmacari was one of the wives of the yajnic brahmanas during the time of Lord Krsna’s pastimes in Vrndavana
- It is very difficult for one to surrender fully unto the Personality of Godhead without being purified by devotional service. The example of the learned brahmanas and their wives is vivid
K
L
- Lord Krsna begged food from the wives of the yajnic brahmanas, and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed a similar pastime by begging rice from Suklambara Brahmacari
- Lord Krsna then asked all the boys to go again, but this time to the wives of those brahmanas engaged in sacrifices. He also informed them that these wives were great devotees
N
O
- Once some of the gopis went to the place where the brahmanas were performing sacrifices and said, "My dear wives of the brahmanas, you must know that not even a slight smell of distress can touch Krsna"
- Once upon a time in Dvaraka, a brahmana’s wife gave birth to a child. Unfortunately, however, just after being born and touching the ground, the child immediately died. The brahmana father took the child and went directly to the palace of the King
- One day when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had finished His dancing, a woman, the wife of a brahmana, came there and caught hold of His lotus feet
S
- She (the brahmana's wife) trembled due to her weak health, and although she did not like to dictate to her husband, she spoke as follows
- She (the chaste wife of a brahmana) stopped the movement of the sun, brought her dead husband back to life and satisfied the three principal demigods (Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara)
- She (the wife of the brahmana) said, "He (Krsna) will not hesitate to award you some material benefit for the bare necessities of life"
- She (the wife of the brahmana) said, "I know that Lord Krsna is the ideal personality of Vedic culture. He is always in favor of brahminical culture and is very kind to the qualified brahmanas"
- She (the wife of the brahmana) said, "Lord Krsna is now the King of the Bhoja, Vrsni and Andhaka dynasties, and I have heard that He never leaves His capital city, Dvaraka. He is living there without outside engagements"
- She (the wife of the brahmana) said, "My dear lord, I know that Lord Krsna, the husband of the goddess of fortune, is your personal friend. You are also a devotee of Lord Krsna, and He is always ready to help His devotee"
- She (the wife of the brahmana) said, "You are a householder; therefore without money you are in distress. But as soon as He (Krsna) understands your position, He will certainly give you sufficient riches so that you can live very comfortably"
- She (the wife of the brahmana) said, "You are saintly, learned & fully in control of your senses. Under the circumstances, Krsna is your only shelter. Please, therefore, go to Him. I am sure that He will immediately understand your impoverished position"
- She (the wife of the brahmana) said, "You are the most fortunate person because you have as your friend the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Krsna is the only shelter for personalities like you because you are fully surrendered unto Him"
- Srila Rupa Gosvami says, "The wives of the yajnic brahmanas were all young girls, and they were attracted to Krsna in the same way as the gopis of Vrndavana"
- Sukadeva Gosvami and the wives of the brahmanas who were performing yajna are vivid examples of devotees who achieved the perfectional stage of devotional service by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Sukadeva Gosvami informs King Pariksit: "My dear King, the wives of the brahmanas were usually very much attached to the glorification of Krsna, and they were always anxious to get an opportunity to see Him"
- Sukadeva Gosvami said, "When they (wife of brahmanas) heard that Krsna was nearby, they became very anxious to see Him and immediately left their homes." This is an instance of emotional activity caused by the presence of someone who is very dear
T
- That oneness was exhibited by the wives of the brahmanas in their love for Krsna
- The Aditya Purana, Markandeya Purana and Padma Purana tell about a brahmana who was suffering from leprosy but had a very chaste and faithful wife
- The boys said, "All of us are very hungry; therefore, we have come to you (the wives of the brahmanas) for some food. Please give us something to eat for Krsna, Balarama and ourselves"
- The brahmana (Sudama) accepted his newly acquired opulence, but he did so in a spirit of renunciation, remaining unattached to sense gratification, & thus he lived very peacefully with his wife
- The brahmana (Sudama) was surprised to see his wife so beautiful, and in great affection and without saying a word he entered the palace with her
- The brahmana desired to enjoy the company of a prostitute, and therefore his wife went to her and became her maidservant, just to draw her attention for his service
- The brahmana's wife delivered a male child, and as usual the child began to cry. But suddenly, within a few minutes, both the child and Arjuna’s arrows disappeared into the sky
- The brahmana's younger wife, after entrusting her twin children - the boy and girl - to the elder wife, departed for Patiloka, voluntarily dying with her husband
- The brahmana, therefore, did not exert himself for more material happiness; instead, he used his time for advancement of Krsna consciousness. Externally he appeared very poor because he had no rich clothes and could not provide rich clothes for his wife
- The brahmanas continued, "They (our wives) have surpassed all of us in firm faith and devotion unto Krsna"
- The brahmanas said, "They (the wives of the brahmanas) gave up their family connections, which are just like a dark well for the continuation of material miseries"
- The brahmanas said, "They (the wives of the brahmanas) have so devotedly dedicated their lives to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, that they could easily do what is ordinarily so difficult"
- The brahmanas said, "We are very proud because we have such exalted wives who have developed pure transcendental service of the Lord without being shackled by our rigid opposition"
- The brahmanas' wives saw Krsna with a blackish complexion, wearing a garment that glittered like gold. He wore a nice garland of forest flowers and a peacock feather on His head
- The brahmana’s (Sudama) wife appeared so beautiful that it seemed as if the goddess of fortune herself had come to receive him
- The cowherd boys went on saying, "Please arrange for something that will mitigate our hunger" Requested in this way by Their friends, Lord Krsna and Balarama arranged to show compassion to certain wives of brahmanas who were performing sacrifices
- The eldest son became very angry. "Oh, how have you selected that pauper as husband for my sister? This cannot be." The old man's wife also came to him & said, "If you marry our daughter to that boy, I shall commit suicide." The old man was thus perplexed
- The Lord then appeared as the Kapila incarnation, being the son of the prajapati brahmana Kardama and his wife, Devahuti, along with nine other women (sisters)
- The poor woman, the brahmana's wife, said to the King: O hero, you are not actually a man-eater; rather, you are among the descendants of Maharaja Iksvaku. Indeed, you are a great fighter, the husband of Madayanti
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead replied, "My dear wives of the brahmanas, rest assured that your husbands will not neglect you on your return, nor will your brothers, sons or fathers refuse to accept you"
- The trees on the bank of the Yamuna, along with all the cows, bulls & calves, were full of pleasure because of Krsna's appearance there. The brahmana inhabitants of Vrndavana immediately came with their wives to congratulate Krsna and His family members
- The wife (of the brahmana) immediately collected four palmfuls of chipped rice from her neighborhood friends and tied it in a small cloth, like a handkerchief, and gave it to her husband to present to Krsna
- The wife of a brahmana is considered one of the seven mothers (namely one's own mother, the wife of the spiritual master or teacher, the wife of a brahmana, the wife of a king, the cow, the nurse, and the earth)
- 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
- The wife of a brahmana suffering from leprosy manifested herself as the topmost of all chaste women by serving a prostitute to satisfy her husband
- The wife of the brahmana again & again requested, in great humility and submission, that he go to Lord Krsna. The brahmana thought that there was no need to ask any material benefit from Sri Krsna, but he was induced by the repeated requests of his wife
- The wife of the brahmana cursed King Saudasa, known as Mitrasaha. Then, being inclined to go with her husband, she set fire to her husband's bones, fell into the fire herself, and went with him to the same destination
- The wife of the brahmana did not regard her husband as a superficial brahmana who was called a brahmana merely because he was born of a brahmana family - here in SB 9.9.29
- The wives of the brahmanas replied, "Dear Lord, this sort of instruction does not befit You. Your eternal promise is that You will always protect Your devotees, and now You must fulfill this promise"
- The wives of the brahmanas said, "And what shall we do if we return home? Our husbands, brothers, fathers, sons, mothers and friends will no longer accept us at home because we have already left them all"
- The wives of the brahmanas said, "Anyone who comes and surrenders unto You never goes back to the conditioned life of material existence. We expect that You will now fulfill Your promise"
- The wives of the brahmanas said, "Therefore we have no shelter to return to. Please, therefore, do not ask us to return home, but arrange for our stay under Your lotus feet so that we can eternally live under Your protection"
- The wives of the brahmanas said, "We have surrendered unto Your lotus feet, which are covered by tulasi leaves, so we have no desire to give up the shelter of Your lotus feet and return to the company of our so-called relatives, friends and society"
- The wives of the brahmanas who were performing sacrifices gave up their relatives just to satisfy Krsna. This is an example of a wife rejecting a husband who cannot deliver her from the impending dangers of birth and death
- The wives of the brahmanas, because they were inspired by pure devotional service, did not care for any kind of opposition. They immediately went to Krsna
- The yajna-patnis were the wives of ordinary brahmanas engaged in fruitive activities. Although the brahmanas were learned and advanced in Vedic knowledge, they could not get the mercy of Krsna-Balarama, but their wives got complete perfection in bhakti
- There are seven kinds of mothers, according to Vedic injunction: the real mother, the wife of a teacher or spiritual master, the wife of a king, the wife of a brahmana, the cow, the nurse and mother earth
- There are seven kinds of mothers. These mothers are the original mother, the wife of the teacher or spiritual master, the wife of a brahmana, the king's wife, the cow, the nurse and the earth
- There are seven mothers according to Vedic civilization: Real mother, from whose womb we have come to this world, real mother, adau-mata. Then guru patni, wife of the teacher or spiritual master, guru patni. Brahmani, the wife of a brahmana
- They (the brahmanas) began to condemn themselves after seeing the faith and devotion of their wives
- They (the brahmanas) regretted very much that, although their wives were elevated to the platform of pure devotional service, they themselves could not understand even a little bit of how to love & offer transcendental loving service to the Supreme Soul
- They (the wives of the brahmanas) came just to see Him, who was their life and soul. They were exactly following Krsna's instruction in the Bhagavad-gita: one should surrender to Him, giving up all varieties of occupational and religious duties
- They (the wives of the brahmanas) did not have to be convinced of the importance of Krsna and Balarama; immediately upon hearing Their names, they became very eager to see Them
- They (the wives of the brahmanas) were just like great sages who, by their advancement of knowledge, merge into the existence of the Supreme
- They (the wives of the brahmanas) were very much chastised for this by their husbands, and they were ready to give up their lives
- This dhira-lalita trait in the personality of Krsna is described by Yajna-patni, the wife of one of the brahmanas who were performing sacrifices in Vrndavana
- This fallen brahmana, Ajamila, gave trouble to others by arresting them, by cheating them in gambling or by directly plundering them. This was the way he earned his livelihood and maintained his wife and children
- Those (brahmanas) who were not married were given wives, maidservants, grain, silver, utensils, garments, jewels, household furniture, chariots, etc. This charity was nicely performed as a sacrifice according to the Vedic rituals
- Thousands of wives of respectable brahmanas were present, all dressed very nicely with suitable ornaments. They presented Rukmini with flower garlands, sandalwood pulp & a variety of colorful garments to assist her in worshiping Siva & goddess Durga
W
- When he (the brahmana) had decided to go to Krsna, he asked his wife if she had anything in the home that he could offer to Krsna, because he must take some presentation for his friend
- When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a newborn baby, He was visited by the neighboring ladies, most of whom were the wives of respectable brahmanas
- When Sudama went there, the brahmanas refused to offer anything, but the wives of the brahmanas, upon hearing that Sri Krsna wanted some foodstuff, immediately took many palatable dishes and went to offer them to Sri Krsna
- When the brahmana's wife was to give birth to another child, the brahmana began to chant, "My dear Arjuna, please come now and save my child"
- When the chaste wife of the brahmana saw that her husband, who was about to discharge semen, had been eaten by the man-eater, she was overwhelmed with grief and lamentation. Thus she angrily cursed the King
- When the prostitute agreed to associate with him (a brahmana who was suffering from leprosy), the wife brought her the leprotic husband
- When the wives of the brahmanas were favored by Lord Krsna and immediately attained the ecstasy of love of Godhead, their husbands began to say
- When they (the brahmanas) were old invalids, they used to approach with their wives the assembly of the kings, and simply by praising the glorious deeds performed by the kings they would be provided with all necessities of life
- While going to the maternity home to attend to the delivery case of the brahmana's wife, Arjuna remembered Lord Siva, and not his friend Krsna
- With their very eyes the wives of the brahmanas saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, of whom they had heard so much, who was so dear to them, and in whom their minds were always absorbed
- Within that forest they (the wives of the brahmanas) saw Krsna and Balarama engaged in tending the cows along with Their very affectionate boyfriends
- Within themselves they (the wives of the brahmanas) began to embrace Krsna to their hearts' content, and the distress of separation was mitigated immediately