Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: The Grihastha Crisis

  1. #1
    Join Date
    December 2009
    Location
    Delhi
    Posts
    184
    Rep Power
    47

    The Grihastha Crisis

    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    All glories to Guru Maharaja.

    If one partner is a devotee and the other one is not (yet), it is not
    a problem if devotee partner knows what is her duty towards Krsna in
    this situation. In my answer that follows we are assuming that the
    husband is a normal karmi man and not a homicidal maniac (murderer) or
    in some other way having serious clinical mental problems.

    All women have just one duty or dharma in this world--- to serve her
    husband. It is called stri-dharma (SB 7.11.25-29). For the wife vivaha
    is her second birth (dvi-ja) her initiation into Vedic culture. And
    moving into husband's house is not just moving into the house, it means
    she goes to live in the asrama. Who's asrama? The ashrama of her
    husband. If husband is qualified it is grhasta ashrama. If not it is
    grhamedi life. But it does not matter if husband is qualified or not
    according to our standard or expectations. He is still our guru,
    representative of Krsna. Who sent us this husband? Krsna sent him. The
    wife can still make spiritual progress even if husband is not a devotee.

    So what is it that Krsna wants from me, you, and other jiva's in this
    female body? As devotees we want to please Krsna. Krsna says that for
    brahmacari, guru is His representative, for child, Mother is
    representative of Krsna, and for wife, her husband is representative of
    Krsna. As a brahmacari lights the fire for sacrifice in the asrama of
    his guru, so does the wife when she lights fire in the kitchen to cook
    for her husband. That is her sacrifice. And Krsna accepts it equally.
    (This is explained in Manu
    Samhita.)

    The point is that wife makes spiritual progress if she performs her
    prescribed duty which is - serving her husband (SB 7.11.25-29). She
    performs her duty and results of that service she offers to Krsna for
    His pleasure.

    "Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not
    working.
    One cannot even maintain one's physical body without work. Work done as
    a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work causes bondage
    in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your
    prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always
    remain free from bondage." BG 3.8-9

    She may not love to serve husband who is not a devotee, but she serves
    him as her duty to please Krsna (BG 5.29). Wife should not be rude,
    criticize or fight with husband as this would be even greater sin than
    any fault he may possess. His faults should be dealt with by his
    superiors or equals not by his subordinate (wife). Although he may not
    be qualified she should be respectful, in the same way as she is
    respectful to her guru. Guru may criticize, but disciple will not be
    rude and disrespectful. So why should the wife be angry and rude with
    her husband? Hiranyakasipu abused his own son Prahlad, but Prahlad was
    never disrespectful to him. He always approached his father with folded
    palms saying: "O greatest of all demons."
    Prahlad was never rude. Although his father literally wanted to kill his
    own son Prahlad was always respectful. Nrsimhadeva corrected his father.

    For wife service to husband is her sacrifice (BG 3.14-15); it's not
    that she should sacrifice a goat in the temple.she should sacrifice her
    false ego, mind, body in the service of her husband. And she makes
    spiritual advancement. Like we have a murti of Krsna in some material
    form-He may be carved and made with very delicate and attractive
    features, or He may be painted or carved not really perfect, but still
    Krsna is present in those Deity murtis and we offer our service to Him.
    Even imperfectly carved murti is still Krsna's manifestation in this
    world. So is the husband for wife; perfect, imperfect, good, bad,
    devotee, or non-devotee.

    If husband wants her to serve him meat, alcohol, sex, etc, she should
    serve him. She will not get any reaction for doing that (BG 18.47),
    because she is doing her dharma (stri dharma); she is following her
    husband's instructions, which means she is following her duty. So she
    will not get any reaction, but her husband will get reaction if he
    demands something that is not according to dharma. Though wife gets no
    karma it may affect her consciousness, for example she would get no
    karma for cooking meat but she may feel disgusted.

    The point is that everyone should follow their dharma or prescribed
    duty.
    Krsna arranged this world in such a way so that everyone is able to make
    spiritual advancement by following his or her prescribed duty (BG
    18.46).
    For women it is simple. Just follow what your husband says. So however
    we turn, if wife is able to adjust and follow her husband she makes
    advancement. If she disobeys her husband, she degrades herself, slowly
    and surely. Krsna always sends for us a husband who is best for us to
    practice for our relationship with Krsna. Remember we can not get into
    the spiritual world until we develop the service attitude. So now we
    have opportunity to practice serving Krsna by serving His representative
    that He sent to us and whom we got by our own karma. If we are dealing
    on platform of justice and morality and think "if my husband is not good
    then I will not serve him,"
    then we are not going to like Krsna. How will we tolerate that Krsna
    said He is going to be with me but is instead with another gopi? Is
    that justice?
    No it is not.

    "I know no one but Krsna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He
    handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being
    present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything,
    for He is always my worshipful Lord, unconditionally."

    So there is so much we have to practice. (Of course as I said at
    beginning we are assuming that we are dealing with normal men not
    perverts or criminals. Nor should men take advantage of this because by
    so doing they would reap serious bad karma.)

    If husband is not a devotee, we have to do our duties, cooking (what
    he wants), cleaning, taking care of all family members etc. Speaking
    sweetly and be respectful. Have faith in Krsna that by serving nicely
    your husband He will be happy with you and if He wants He will change
    heart of the husband. And even if he doesn't want to become devotee, if
    he is pleased with service of his wife, he will not be able to make
    obstacles in her devotional life. He will have respect for such a wife.
    And Krsna will be pleased.[/FONT]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif'][/FONT]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Hari Bol.[/FONT]

  2. #2

    Re: The Grihastha Crisis

    ~deleted~
    Last edited by smaranam; 11 April 2010 at 06:17 PM.
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  3. #3
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: The Grihastha Crisis

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~


    namasté Krsna Das

    Can you assist me in my compreshension?
    • What part of the post is your words and what part is from svāmī prabhupāda ( other others)?
    • What is the crisis?
    • Do you have an opinion on the matter?
    praṇām

    यतसà¥à¤¤à¥à¤µà¤‚ शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṠśivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  4. #4
    Join Date
    December 2009
    Location
    Delhi
    Posts
    184
    Rep Power
    47

    Re: The Grihastha Crisis

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post
    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~

    namasté Krsna Das

    Can you assist me in my compreshension?
    • What part of the post is your words and what part is from svāmī prabhupāda ( other others)?
    • What is the crisis?
    • Do you have an opinion on the matter?
    praṇām
    Jai Radhe !

    • This is a lecture from Radhanath Maharaj from ISKCON Juhu temple. There is nothing I hve added in this.
    • Crisis is when in Grihasthashrama, husband is non devotee and wife is a devotee.
    • I dont have personal opinion on this matter. I just wanted to share this lecture.
    Hare Krsna.

  5. Re: The Grihastha Crisis

    [quote=Krsna Das;41731][FONT='Times New Roman','serif']Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.[/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']All glories to Guru Maharaja.[/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif'][/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']If one partner is a devotee and the other one is not (yet), it is not[/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']a problem if devotee partner knows what is her duty towards Krsna in[/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']this situation. In my answer that follows we are assuming that the[/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']husband is a normal karmi man and not a homicidal maniac (murderer) or[/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']in some other way having serious clinical mental problems.[/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif'][/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']All women have just one duty or dharma in this world--- to serve her[/font]
    [FONT='Times New Roman','serif']husband. It is called stri-dharma (SB 7.11.25-29).

    Krsna das, much to be said, too little time. Its difficult when wife is not devotee. Concurrently in Iskcon we've seen abuse in the name of these shastras, not the shastra to blame, no, but the misuse of them. Based on that point, read this:

    http://womeninkrsnaconsciousness.blo...-business.html

    Would like to comment more, but its hard to see. I only see "FONT TIMES NEW ROMAN" over and over.

    Will be back another day.

  6. #6

    Re: The Grihastha Crisis

    Dandavats prabhus & matajis,

    One point to make. Dharma is good, but if one fully surrenders to Krsna (Bg 18.66) then all other duties are automatically complete. Of course I am not saying it is a simple matter. But if one is fully surrendered to serving Krsna, then he/she has no more duties to perform.

    Hare Krsna!

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •