Real son

Expressions researched:
"real son" |"real sons"

SB Canto 5

Bharata Mahārāja, after having obtained the body of a deer, lamented: Now I have fallen far from my devotional practices.

SB 5.8.29, Translation: In the body of a deer, Bharata Mahārāja began to lament: What misfortune! I have fallen from the path of the self-realized. I gave up my real sons, wife and home to advance in spiritual life, and I took shelter in a solitary holy place in the forest. I became self-controlled and self-realized, and I engaged constantly in devotional service, hearing, thinking, chanting, worshiping and remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. I was successful in my attempt, so much so that my mind was always absorbed in devotional service. However, due to my personal foolishness, my mind again became attached—this time to a deer. Now I have obtained the body of a deer and have fallen far from my devotional practices.

SB Canto 9

Both a son and urine come from the same genitals. If a son is an obedient devotee of the Lord he is called putra, or a real son; otherwise, if he is not learned and is not a devotee, a son is nothing better than urine.

SB 9.18.44, Purport: Pūru, Yayāti's last son, immediately accepted his father's proposal, for although he was the youngest, he was very qualified. Pūru thought, "I should have accepted my father's proposal before he asked, but I did not. Therefore I am not a first-class son. I am second class. But I do not wish to become the lowest type of son, who is compared to his father's stool." One Indian poet has spoken of putra and mūtra. putra means "son," and mūtra means "urine." Both a son and urine come from the same genitals. If a son is an obedient devotee of the Lord he is called putra, or a real son; otherwise, if he is not learned and is not a devotee, a son is nothing better than urine.

CC Adi-lila

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura notes that since these three disciples of Vīrabhadra Gosāñi belonged to different gotras, or dynasties, and also had different surnames and lived in different places, it is not possible to accept them as real sons of Vīrabhadra Gosāñi.

CC Adi 11.8, Purport: Vīrabhadra Gosāñi had three disciples who are celebrated as his sons—Gopījana-vallabha, Rāmakṛṣṇa and Rāmacandra. The youngest, Rāmacandra, belonged to the Śāṇḍilya dynasty and had the surname Vaṭavyāla. He established his family at Khaḍadaha, and its members are known as the gosvāmīs of Khaḍadaha. The eldest disciple, Gopījana-vallabha, was a resident of a village known as Latā, near the Mānakara railway station in the district of Burdwan. The second, Rāmakṛṣṇa, lived near Māladaha, in a village named Gayeśapura.” Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura notes that since these three disciples belonged to different gotras, or dynasties, and also had different surnames and lived in different places, it is not possible to accept them as real sons of Vīrabhadra Gosāñi.

Nectar of Devotion

Jaṭilā, the mother of Abhimanyu, once believed that Kṛṣṇa in the dress of Abhimanyu was her own son and thus became very angry at her real son who was coming home. She began to drive away her real son, who was crying, "Mother! Mother! What are you doing?"

Nectar of Devotion 45: Smiling in which the teeth are slightly visible is called hasita smiling. One day Abhimanyu, the so-called husband of Rādhārāṇī, was returning home, and at that time he could not see that Kṛṣṇa was there in his house. Kṛṣṇa immediately changed His dress to look exactly like Abhimanyu and approached Abhimanyu's mother, Jaṭilā, addressing her thus: "My dear mother, I am your real son Abhimanyu, but just see—Kṛṣṇa, dressed up like me, is coming before you!" Jaṭilā, the mother of Abhimanyu, immediately believed that Kṛṣṇa was her own son and thus became very angry at her real son who was coming home. She began to drive away her real son, who was crying, "Mother! Mother! What are you doing?" Seeing this incident, all the girl friends of Rādhārāṇī, who were present there, began to smile, and a portion of their teeth was visible. This is an instance of hasita smiling.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Although Kṛṣṇa was the real son of Vasudeva and Devakī, because of Kaṁsa’s atrocious activities Vasudeva could not enjoy the birth ceremony of his son.

Krsna Book 5: Although Kṛṣṇa was the real son of Vasudeva and Devakī, because of Kaṁsa’s atrocious activities Vasudeva could not enjoy the birth ceremony of his son. But Nanda Mahārāja, the foster father, celebrated the birth ceremony of Kṛṣṇa very joyfully. The next day, it was declared that a male child had been born to Yaśodā. According to Vedic custom, Nanda Mahārāja called for learned astrologers and brāhmaṇas to perform the birth ceremony.

It is surprising that Vasudeva and Devakī did not enjoy the transcendental bliss of Kṛṣṇa’s childhood pastimes, although Kṛṣṇa was their real son.

Krsna Book 8: Certainly mother Yaśodā had executed many, many pious activities, as a result of which she got the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as her son who sucked milk from her breast. Similarly, Nanda Mahārāja also must have performed many great sacrifices and pious activities for Lord Kṛṣṇa to become his son and address him as “father.” But it is surprising that Vasudeva and Devakī did not enjoy the transcendental bliss of Kṛṣṇa’s childhood pastimes, although Kṛṣṇa was their real son. The childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are glorified even today by many sages and saintly persons, but Vasudeva and Devakī could not enjoy such childhood pastimes personally. The reason for this was explained by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as follows.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Original knowledge is that God is the Supreme Father, I am His eternal son, or eternal servant, as you... Son is always servant because son, real son is obedient and servant is also obedient.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972: What is that original knowledge? Original knowledge is that God is the Supreme Father, I am His eternal son, or eternal servant, as you... Son is always servant because son, real son is obedient and servant is also obedient. And as we have got distinction here, servant and son, in the absolute world there is no such distinction. A son is as good as the servant and servant is as good as the son. That is absolute world. Don't think "Why shall I become a servant?" No, whatever you like, you can become, but in relationship with God, everything is one. There is no such distinction. So janayaty āś..., this is jñāna, this is knowledge. That God is great, I am very insignificant small, my business is to serve. This is jñāna, this is knowledge. This is knowledge.

Everyone is son of God, but one who is acting as real son of God, he is praised, "He is my only son."

Lecture on SB 2.9.7 -- Tokyo, April 24, 1972: Everyone is son of God, but one who is acting as real son of God, he is praised, "He is my only son." This idea, not that God is limited to produce only one son. Why? God has unlimited sons. He is unlimited. If an ordinary man can beget hundreds of sons, just like Dhṛtarāṣṭra... There are many instances..., Ṛṣabhadeva. So why God should be restricted to beget only one son?

One should have real friendship, real fatherhood, real lover, real beloved, real son.

Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974: Tamasi means ignorance. In ignorance, if you accept somebody as son or wife or friend, that is darkness. It is not actual fact. It is ignorance. Tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Go to the light." Have real friendship, real fatherhood, real lover, real beloved, real son. So if... And another point is that a devotee, real devotee, he doesn't want to be the son of God. He wants to be the father of God. Why? The father means he will simply give to the son. And son means he will simply take. So just like in the Christian philosophy it is said, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is one philosophy. That's a fact. God is giving. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. God is feeding everyone. That's a fact. But a devotee does not want to take anything from God. He does not worship God for his daily bread. One who asks daily bread from God, they are pious, but they are not devotees.

He is the only one son means one who can sacrifice his life for God, he is real son. And one who is simply taking from father, "Oh, God, give us our daily bread," and He is supplying and eating and enjoying sense enjoyement, he is not real son. The real son is he who sacrifices his life for glorifying his father.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970: in the Bible, Lord Jesus Christ is described as the son of God. Now, so far I have heard, that it is claimed that he is the only one son of God. Now according to Bhagavad-gītā, every living entity is son of God. Now how to adjust? If the Bible says that Lord Jesus Christ is the only one son, then how these so many innumerable sons can be adjusted? There is adjustment. There is very nice adjustment. One should know it. He is the only one son means one who can sacrifice his life for God, he is real son. And one who is simply taking from father, "Oh, God, give us our daily bread," and He is supplying and eating and enjoying sense enjoyement, he is not real son. The real son is he who sacrifices his life for glorifying his father. Similarly, anyone who will sacrifice his life... Of course, it is not required that everyone shall be crucified like Lord Jesus Christ, but he should sacrifice his energy for the Supreme Lord. And that person who has devoted his energy for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, he is called Kṛṣṇa conscious person.

General Lectures

Have you seen the real father who is within the body of the father? Have you seen the real son which is in the body of the son? No. Then your whole conception of education, your whole conception of living condition and problems—in the false world.

Lecture Engagement -- Montreal, June 15, 1968: You have seen your father, you have seen your mother or you have seen your son. But have you seen the real father who is within the body of the father? Have you seen the real son which is in the body of the son? No. Then your whole conception of education, your whole conception of living condition and problems—in the false world. Therefore this movement is required at the present moment in the world. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This will cleanse the status of your mental condition. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. And as soon as you understand yourself, then the whole problem—social, political, economical—everything will be solved.

If we do not see the real father within the body, or we do not see the real son within the body. If we see the outward dress only. Then this is ignorance.

La Trobe University Lecture -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974: Asmin means this, this body. You have got your body; I have got my body. So within this body, there is the proprietor of the body. Asmin dehe. Dehinaḥ asmin. Dehe means the proprietor of the body. I do not see you; I see your body, you see my body. But within the body the proprietor is lying, or he is situated. That we do not see. But we can understand. Suppose my beloved father is dead or somebody is dead. I cry, "My father is gone." So where is your father gone? He is lying there, unconscious. He may come to consciousness. But we say, "No, he is gone." Dead means gone. So factually I never saw my father who has gone. I saw the body of my father, and that is lying on the bed. Why I am crying, "My father is gone"? Therefore this is called ignorance. We do not see the real father within the body, or we do not see the real son within the body. We see the outward dress only. This is ignorance.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So therefore these sons' body and Jesus's body cannot be equal. So adopted son has got material body, not the real son.

Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Now, then, then, another thing is: you accept Jesus Christ the only son of God, is it not? So when you pray in the church, you address God, "Oh Father." Then why "only son"?

French Woman: We say that the son is...

Prabhupāda: Then everyone is son.

French Woman: Yes, we say that this is the same God, yes.

Prabhupāda: If I address God, "My father," then I am his son. So why there should be "only son"? (French)

French Woman: Yes, we say that we are adopted sons. (laughter) (French)

Jyotirmayī: They say that they are sons, that all living beings are sons, but by adoption.

Yogeśvara: Adopted son. Yes.

Prabhupāda: So therefore these sons' body and Jesus's body cannot be equal. So adopted son has got material body, not the real son.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Cyavana Muni's wife said, "My dear father, don't be angry. He's your real son-in-law. He has become now young by treatment." Then he was very pleased and embraced his daughter, that "You are so nice." This is Vedic civilization.

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, Cyavana became young and the aśvinī-kumāras also became...

Hari-śauri: Oh, they all went in.

Prabhupāda: They dipped down in a certain lake. In this way, he became a very beautiful young man. Then for soma-yajña, his father-in-law, the daughter's father came. He came. So he was surprised, "How is that? My daughter is with another young man?" He became angry. "My dear daughter, what is this? You are defaming your husband's family and my family." He began to chastise like that. And just see. Because he sees that "I got my daughter married with old Cyavana. How is that, with a young man?" Just see. Condemned like anything. And she was laughing. She knew that "I have not changed my husband. A change of body." Then she said, "My dear father, don't be angry. He's your real son-in-law. He has become now young by treatment." Then he was very pleased and embraced his daughter, that "You are so nice." This is Vedic civilization. Even one has got old, going to die husband, she cannot change. This is the chastity.

1968 Correspondence

You have accepted me as father, so I have also accepted you as my dear and real son. Relationship of father & son on spiritual platform is real and eternal.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 22 January, 1968: You have accepted me as father, so I have also accepted you as my dear and real son. Relationship of father & son on spiritual platform is real and eternal, on the material platform such relationship is ephemeral and temporary. Although I cannot give you anything as father, still I can pray to Krishna for your more & more advancement in K.C. Your sincerity & service mood will always help you in advancing your genuine cause.