Category:Wise Men
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly defines the qualifications and consciousness of truly wise men (jñānīs). A wise man is not determined by his biological age, but by the spiritual knowledge he receives from a bona fide guru and the śāstras. He perfectly understands the distinction between the temporary material body and the eternal spirit soul. Because he knows that Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) is the Supreme Spirit and the cause of all causes, he does not waste time seeking material wealth or relief from worldly distress. Instead, his ultimate wisdom culminates in unalloyed surrender to the Supreme Lord, desiring nothing in return but pure devotional service.
- Distinguishing Matter and Spirit: A truly wise man thoroughly understands that the body is simply a temporary lump of matter, while his actual identity is the eternal spirit soul intimately connected to the Supreme Lord.
- Surrendering to the Supreme Lord: After many lifetimes of philosophical research and material endeavors, the wise man finally reaches the ultimate conclusion that Vāsudeva is everything and surrenders unto Him.
- Pure Reciprocation of Love: Because a wise man approaches Kṛṣṇa without any selfish desires for material relief or financial gain, a deeply intimate and loving reciprocation awakens between the Lord and His pure devotee.
- Freedom from Material Illusion: Recognizing that all material sense gratification has a beginning and an end, the wise man frees himself from lust, abandons unnecessary economic development, and lives a simple life dedicated to self-realization.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Why Kṛṣṇa is Very Dear to Wise Men.
Pages in category "Wise Men"
The following 59 pages are in this category, out of 59 total.
A
- A wise man who becomes attached to Krsna does not want any return from Him, either in the form of relieving distress or in gaining money
- A wise man who seeks Krsna knows perfectly well that he is spirit soul, or Brahman, and that Krsna is the supreme spirit soul, or Para-brahman
- A wise man, however, learns from the sastras and guru that we living entities are all eternal but are put into troublesome conditions because of associating with different modes under the laws of material nature
- Although such a wise man is very dear to Krsna, the others are also accepted as very magnanimous because even though they are distressed or in need of money, they have come to Krsna for satisfaction
- An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them
- An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them. BG 5.22 - 1972
B
- Because he (a wise man) realizes that he is spirit and that Krsna is the supreme spirit, he knows that his intimate relationship should be with Krsna, not with this body
- Bhagavad-gita confirms that purified intelligence arises in the person of a very wise man. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate
- Both cause and effect are nothing but energies of the Lord. Therefore, O my Lord, just as a wise man, by considering cause and effect, can see how fire pervades wood, those engaged in devotional service understand how You are both the cause and effect
H
- He (a wise man) concludes that in the human form of life he should not endeavor for unnecessary necessities, but should live a very simple life, just maintaining body and soul together
- He (who is conversant with the science of Krsna knows perfectly that he is not the body) is not concerned with the modes of goodness, passion or ignorance, but with Krsna. One who understands this is a jnani, a wise man, and he is very much dear to Krsna
- He (wise man) knows that whatever he sees is but an emanation of Krsna. In the material world, sex life is the most prominent factor. Sexual attraction is found in all species of life, and one may ask where it comes from
- His (a wise man's) attitude is - I have an eternal connection with Krsna, the Supreme Lord. Now let me establish that relationship firmly so that Krsna will take me back to His kingdom
I
- If one places himself in artificial light, it may flicker and go out. Krsna is just like sunlight. Where He is present there is no question of darkness and ignorance. The wise men, the mahatmas, understand this
- In Bhagavad-gita Krsna says that after many births, when one comes to the platform of real knowledge, he "surrenders unto Me." Why is this? Vasudevah sarvam iti. The wise man realizes that - Vasudeva (Krsna) is everything
- In this verse (BG 10.8) the word budha is used, which indicates a wise man or one who is learned. What is his symptom? He knows that Krsna is the fountainhead of everything, of all emanations
- It is our imagination that God is such and such and such and such. That is all imagination. The real wise man knows that God is transcendental
- It is said in Bhagavad-gita that after many, many lives of philosophical research the wise man ultimately comes to the point of knowing that Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is everything, and therefore he surrenders unto Him
O
- One who understands before death that the body is simply a lump of matter is called a wise man. He sees the soul through the eyes of knowledge. Those who are on the gross platform, who are like animals, can see neither the soul nor Bhagavan
- Out of many millions of such wise men, one may actually become liberated (mukta), and out of many millions of such liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord Krsna is very difficult to find
- Out of millions of karma-nisthas there may be one who is wise. Those who try to avoid fruitive activity and who become silent in order to merge into the spiritual existence of the Absolute Truth are generally known as jnanis, wise men
S
- Suppose a very rich man is attractive, a very intelligent man is attractive, a beautiful man is attractive, a famous man is attractive, a wise man is attractive, a renounced man is also attractive. These are attractive features
- Surrender to Krsna is the point; that is the aim of life, and the bhaktas, the intelligent men of the world, take to this stage immediately. Therefore Krsna says that they are wise men
- Svayambhuva Manu continued: O wise man, I heard that you were prepared to marry. Please accept her hand, which is being offered to you by me, since you have not taken a vow of perpetual celibacy
T
- The Gita says that a wise man is not bewildered by this, for he knows what is what. Why then should he bother himself attaining material wealth
- The jnani, the wise man, knows that material things are flickering
- The karmis, the gross fruitive workers, do not understand the distinction between the body and the soul. Out of many millions of karmis, there may be one jnani, one wise man who can understand
- The mind is constantly occupied with some kind of thought, and the subject matter of such thought cannot be outside the eight elements of Krsna's energy. One who knows this philosophical aspect of all thoughts is actually a wise man
- The real subject matter for a wise man to contemplate is the salvation of the soul. Therefore Sri Krsna first explained the distinction between the body and the soul
- The sages are called wise men, and there are different types of wise men for different branches of knowledge. Unless, therefore, the king or the head of the state is the wisest man, he cannot control all types of wise men in the state
- The spirit soul, being subordinate and finite, should always dovetail himself with the infinite and supreme soul, Krsna. That is the relationship of the wise man with Krsna
- The spiritually advanced have taken to devotional service. Such wise men hardly bother with Vedic study. Instead, they engage themselves in practical devotional service
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in everyone's heart as Paramatma. A wise man who can understand Him is eligible to attain the perfect peace, not others. BG 1972 purports
- The wise man becomes by knowledge, not by age. Even an old man, if he has no knowledge, what is...? He is not wise man. Wise means one who has attained knowledge. He may be young, he may be old. It doesn't matter
- The wise man can understand that ultimately Vasudeva, Krsna, is the cause of Brahman, and Paramatma, the Supersoul. Thus Vasudeva is sarva-karana-karanam (BS 5.1), the cause of all causes
- The wise man is always very eager to glorify the Lord by chanting and hearing (nama-gane sada rucih), and he is always eager to describe the transcendental qualities of the Lord - asaktis tad-gunakhyane
- The wise man is he who can discriminate between matter and spirit, between God's superior and inferior natures. Such knowledge is Krsna Himself. BG 1972 purports
- The wise man is he who has thoroughly understood that he is spirit soul and not simply a body
- The wise man realizes this and does not pray for relief from material miseries. Rather, he prays to glorify God and inform others how great He is. He doesn't pray for his personal interest, for bread, dress or shelter
- The wise man understands that this tendency (of sexual attraction) is in Krsna and that it is revealed in His relationships with the damsels of Vraja
- The wise man, the jnani, actually understands the science of God
- The wise men, the great sages and pure devotees, are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-gita. BG 1972 Introduction
- The word pandita means "a wise man." Who is actually a wise man? The wise man is described in Bhagavad-gita - BG 7.19
- There is science, and there is also loving reciprocation. Krsna is very dear to the wise man, and the wise man is very dear to Krsna. Krsna will return our love a thousand-fold
- These atheists are not wise men: they are simply ordinary mortals who are offenders against the Lord
- To think of becoming a fool is the real qualification for a bona fide disciple. As soon as one thinks that he has become the wiser man than the spiritual master one is surely doomed. We should remain everlastingly a fool before the spiritual master
W
- What is your relationship with God, what is your duty, what is your ultimate goal of life - these things are all very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gita. But unfortunately, so-called scholars and so-called wise men misinterpret the whole thing
- What wise man would not welcome her (Devahuti), the very ornament of womanhood, the beloved daughter of Svayambhuva Manu and sister of Uttanapada?
- When the wise man actually becomes wise after many births and whimsical attempts at self-realization, he surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Such a mahatma, or learned person, knows that Krsna, Vasudeva, is everything
- Wisdom does not depend on age, but on knowledge received from a superior source. One cannot become a wise man simply by advancement of age. No. That is not possible
- Without being elevated to the position of a jnani, or wise man, no one can stick to the principle of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead