Category:Wretched
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda uses the term "wretched" to describe the extremely degraded and miserable conditions of material life, especially in the age of Kali-yuga. Individuals trapped in sinful habits, poverty, and gross bodily identification are forced by the stringent laws of nature into wretched suffering. Cruel persons who torment others, as well as those who are proudly absorbed in wealth, are considered fundamentally wretched by the Supreme Lord. In contrast, pure Vaisnavas use this term to express their profound spiritual humility; despite their exalted standing, advanced devotees genuinely feel themselves to be the most wretched and fallen, constantly depending on Śrī Kṛṣṇa's causeless mercy. Ultimately, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Krsna consciousness movement is the sole means to rescue humanity from its wretched material existence, transforming suffering souls and restoring their original spiritual luster.
- The Grip of Material Misery: Life in the material world, particularly in Kali-yuga, is characterized by widespread wretchedness, shortened lifespans, and a profound lack of spiritual culture.
- The Karmic Result of Sin: Those who act cruelly, exploit others, or remain envious of the Supreme Lord are repeatedly pushed by the laws of nature into the most distressful and wretched conditions of hellish life.
- The Humility of the Pure Devotee: A true Vaisnava never becomes proud of their spiritual advancement. In the stage of bhava, a pure devotee genuinely feels themselves to be the most wretched of mankind, relying solely on the mercy of the Lord.
- Rescue Through Transcendental Knowledge: The Krsna consciousness movement is specifically designed to save fallen humanity. By adopting this pure spiritual process, even the most wretched and degraded individuals are completely transformed and elevated.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Overcoming Our Wretched Material Existence.
Pages in category "Wretched"
The following 43 pages are in this category, out of 43 total.
A
- A cruel and wretched person who maintains his existence at the cost of others' lives deserves to be killed for his own well-being, otherwise he will go down by his own actions
- A person who has developed bhava in devotional service. Such a person thinks of himself as the most wretched, and his only satisfaction is in thinking that some day or other Krsna will be kind enough to favor him by engaging him in devotional service
- After Dhruva Maharaja's departure from home, King Uttanapada thought that he was the cause of Dhruva's leaving, and thus he considered himself the most wretched
- Any living being, if he terrifies other living beings, is a most wretched subject, and the king should at once kill such a disturbing element
- At least up to the time of Maharaja Pariksit, no one could imagine the wretched conditions of the cow and the bull
B
- Balarama said to Yamuna, "You wretched river! You didn't care for My order. Now I shall teach you a lesson! You didn't come to Me voluntarily. Now with the help of My plow I shall force you to come. I shall divide you into hundreds of scattered streams"
- By spreading this Krsna consciousness movement, we are seeing practical result. The most wretched, most rotten, they are coming to life, they are understanding the value of life, the aim of life, and they are trying to be elevated more and more
H
- He considered himself the most wretched, and therefore he thought that it was not possible for him to attain such good fortune
- His (one who is very proud of wealth) face & heart dry up at the thought of losing his wealth, & therefore he always looks like a wretched fiend. He is not in any way able to obtain actual happiness, & he does not know what it is to be free from anxiety
I
- If we go to the African slums, they are poverty-stricken, wretched. So this civilization will not endure. If there is no culture, simply by money you cannot maintain a standard of civilization. That is not possible
- If we wish to remain on this wretched planet with our planning commissions and our stopgap political adjustments, we can certainly do that also
- In this age, as Bibhisana indicated, both brahmanas and kings are in a wretched condition. Actually there are no kings or brahmanas in this age, and due to their absence the whole world is in a chaotic condition and is always in distress
- It is certainly the prime duty of the king to subdue first the sufferings of those who suffer. Therefore I must kill this most wretched man because he is violent against other living beings
M
- Maharaja Pariksit, therefore, was astonished to see such a horrible scene. He inquired whether the bull was not a demigod assuming such a wretched condition to indicate the future of the cow and the bull
- Make some arrangement so that you can avoid hired cooks unless it is absolutely necessary. The hired cook, they are most wretched people
T
- The brahmana boy considered Maharaja Pariksit to be kulangara, or the wretched of the dynasty, but factually the brahmana boy himself was so because only from him did the brahmana caste become powerless, like the snake whose poisoned teeth are broken
- The brahmana's son cursed the King thus: On the seventh day from today a snake-bird will bite the most wretched one of that dynasty (Maharaja Pariksit) because of his having broken the laws of etiquette by insulting my father
- The child thus remains just like a bird in a cage, without freedom of movement. At that time, if the child is fortunate, he can remember all the troubles of his past one hundred births, and he grieves wretchedly
- The dust of Your lotus feet is not attainable even by Lord Brahma, yet Your lotus feet have touched my wretched body
- The Krsna consciousness movement does not consist of wretched, unfortunate men. No. It consists of the most fortunate
- The six Gosvamis came from greatly rich and aristocratic families, but when they adopted the life of mendicants at Vrndavana, superficially they appeared to be in wretched conditions of life, but factually they were the richest of all in spiritual value
- The so-called daridra-narayana, a misconception of the Supreme Lord by unauthorized persons, is never to be found in the sastras as the object of charity. Nor can a wretched poor man receive much munificent charity in the way of horses and elephants etc
- The Supreme Lord repeatedly puts these most abominable, wretched sinners into the most distressful conditions, constantly punishing them with His stringent laws of nature
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead punishes them (envious persons) by keeping them in darkness, birth after birth, and pushing them lower and lower into wretched conditions of hellish life
- The wretched descendants of the higher three classes, are unfit by intelligence to understand transcendental subject matter concerning the spiritual name, fame, attributes, forms, etc., of the Supreme Absolute Truth
- Their (the citizens' and men of government's) duration of life is shortened, and almost everyone is wretched and bereft of bodily strength and spiritual power
- There is another meaning to the word nirgrantha. The word can also mean "foolish hunter," or wretched poor man
- These Bowery Street men, they are lying on the footpath. They are satisfied. Condemned condition, but they are satisfied. We should not be satisfied in that way. That is very wretched condition
- They (the younger generation in Western countries) are so distressed that they become hippies, and the laws of nature force them to accept a wretched life. Thus they go about unclean and without shelter or food, and they are forced to sleep in the street
- Thus He spread kirtana even among the untouchables. He wove a wreath of the holy name and prema, with which He garlanded the entire material world
W
- We are all in wretched condition under the grip of material nature, always suffering threefold miseries. So we should be conscious. Unless we are conscious about this fact, then our human life is spoiled
- We have practical experience of this with our students in the ISKCON. Before becoming students, they were dirty looking, although they had naturally beautiful personal features; but due to having no information of KC they appeared very dirty and wretched
- With regard to the offenses you are hearing it is not ghosts as you say, but they are creations of your mind. The mind is indeed wretched as you say