Adultery

Expressions researched:
"adulterer" |"adulterous" |"adultery"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

On the failure of such varṇāśrama-dharma, naturally the women become free to act and mix with men, and thus adultery is indulged in at the risk of unwanted population. Irresponsible men also provoke adultery in society, and thus unwanted children flood the human race at the risk of war and pestilence.

BG 1.40, Purport: Good population in human society is the basic principle for peace, prosperity and spiritual progress in life. The varṇāśrama religion's principles were so designed that the good population would prevail in society for the general spiritual progress of state and community. Such population depends on the chastity and faithfulness of its womanhood. As children are very prone to be misled, women are similarly very prone to degradation. Therefore, both children and women require protection by the elder members of the family. By being engaged in various religious practices, women will not be misled into adultery. According to Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, women are generally not very intelligent and therefore not trustworthy. So the different family traditions of religious activities should always engage them, and thus their chastity and devotion will give birth to a good population eligible for participating in the varṇāśrama system. On the failure of such varṇāśrama-dharma, naturally the women become free to act and mix with men, and thus adultery is indulged in at the risk of unwanted population. Irresponsible men also provoke adultery in society, and thus unwanted children flood the human race at the risk of war and pestilence.

SB Canto 1

Shyness is important for women. Once this control valve is loosened, women can create havoc in society by adultery. Adultery means production of unwanted children, who disturb the world.

SB 1.9.27, Purport: As far as the women class are concerned, they are accepted as a power of inspiration for men. As such, women are more powerful than men. Mighty Julius Caesar was controlled by a Cleopatra. Such powerful women are controlled by shyness. Therefore, shyness is important for women. Once this control valve is loosened, women can create havoc in society by adultery. Adultery means production of unwanted children known as varṇa-saṅkara, who disturb the world. The last item taught by Bhīṣmadeva was the process of pleasing the Lord. We are all eternal servants of the Lord, and when we forget this essential part of our nature we are put into material conditions of life. The simple process of pleasing the Lord (for the householders especially) is to install the Deity of the Lord at home. By concentrating on the Deity, one may progressively go on with the daily routine work. Worshiping the Deity at home, serving the devotee, hearing the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, residing in a holy place and chanting the holy name of the Lord are all inexpensive items by which one can please the Lord. Thus the subject matter was explained by the grandfather to his grandchildren.

SB Canto 3

One cannot practice yoga in a congested city, living a life of extravagancy, including unrestricted sex indulgence and adultery of the tongue.

SB 3.15.45, Purport: In Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended that one meditate upon the form of the Lord. To practice concentration of the mind, one has to sit with the head and the back in a straight line, and one must practice in a secluded place, sanctified by a sacred atmosphere. The yogī should observe the rules and regulations of brahmacarya—to strictly live a life of self-restraint and celibacy. One cannot practice yoga in a congested city, living a life of extravagancy, including unrestricted sex indulgence and adultery of the tongue. Yoga practice necessitates controlling the senses, and the beginning of sense control is to control the tongue. One who can control the tongue can also have control over the other senses. One cannot allow the tongue to take all kinds of forbidden food and drink and at the same time advance in the practice of yoga. It is a very regrettable fact that many unauthorized so-called yogīs come to the Western countries and exploit people's inclination towards yoga practice. Such unauthorized yogīs even dare to say publicly that one can indulge in the habit of drinking and at the same time practice meditation.

A chaste and faithful woman must not practice adultery that is a greatly sinful act.

SB 3.23.3, Purport: The most sinful activity for a wife is to accept another husband or another lover. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has described four kinds of enemies at home. If the father is in debt he is considered to be an enemy; if the mother has selected another husband in the presence of her grown-up children, she is considered to be an enemy; if a wife does not live well with her husband but deals very roughly, then she is an enemy; and if a son is a fool, he is also an enemy. In family life, father, mother, wife and children are assets, but if the wife or mother accepts another husband in the presence of her husband or son, then, according to Vedic civilization, she is considered an enemy. A chaste and faithful woman must not practice adultery—that is a greatly sinful act.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.16.5, Translation: The great sage Jamadagni understood the adultery in the mind of his wife. Therefore he was very angry and told his sons, "My dear sons, kill this sinful woman!" But the sons did not carry out his order.

SB 9.16.6, Translation: Jamadagni then ordered his youngest son, Paraśurāma, to kill his brothers, who had disobeyed this order, and his mother, who had mentally committed adultery. Lord Paraśurāma, knowing the power of his father, who was practiced in meditation and austerity, killed his mother and brothers immediately.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.29.26, Translation: For a woman from a respectable family, petty adulterous affairs are always condemned. They bar her from heaven, ruin her reputation and bring her difficulty and fear.

CC Adi-lila

If all the girls are not married there is a good chance of adultery, and a society in which adultery is allowed cannot be very peaceful or pure.

CC Adi 14.58, Purport: The social structure allowing a man to marry more than one wife can be supported in this way. Generally in every society the female population is greater in number than the male population. Therefore if it is a principle in the society that all girls should be married, unless polygamy is allowed it will not be possible. If all the girls are not married there is a good chance of adultery, and a society in which adultery is allowed cannot be very peaceful or pure. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society we have restricted illicit sex. The practical difficulty is to find a husband for each and every girl. We are therefore in favor of polygamy, provided, of course, that the husband is able to maintain more than one wife.

Philosophy Discussions

The gopīs have come and they are not going back. So even Kṛṣṇa danced with others' wives, actually He's the proprietor. So from that sense, angle of vision, there is no immoral. "From that angle of vision everyone is committing adultery except Kṛṣṇa."

Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell:

Prabhupāda: Because in our India, twelve-years-old boy, they got married. But a girl, twelve years, thirteen years, she is (indistinct) young. But the girls had love for Kṛṣṇa, but they are married—some of them had children—but still, they used to come to Kṛṣṇa due to old friendship. That is a fact. But this kind of friendship is not allowed in the society. Therefore it appears like immorality. And Kṛṣṇa also instructed them, when the gopīs came at midnight. He said that "What you have done?" He (indistinct) immediately. That instruction is there. But still they insisted. Their love for Kṛṣṇa is so intense that He must dance with them. They have come and they are not going back. So Kṛṣṇa is always servant to His devotees. And that another point is that Kṛṣṇa is the real enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. So even He danced with others' wives, actually He's the proprietor. So from that sense, angle of vision, there is no immoral.

Pañca-draviḍa: From that angle of vision everyone is committing adultery except Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (indistinct). Kṛṣṇa... When you think that "This is my wife," that is other thing. But (s)he does not belong to you; everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But under certain ritualistic ceremony, marriage ceremony, Kṛṣṇa gives you, "All right, you take this as your wife." That is, so much we can take. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā [Īśo mantra 1]. But you cannot aspire more than that. That is immoral.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

This loving other's wife or other's husband, is most abominable, adultery. Not allowed by society, not allowed by the state. But tendency is there.

Room Conversation -- April 11, 1969, New York: Prabhupāda: Here, the so-called love is lust. And there, that is the highest. The same thing, obverted, perverted reflection. Just like in the original tree the topmost part has come down to the down. Similarly, in the spiritual world the highest, topmost level of love, parakiya... Parakiya means love not by marriage life, by friendship. That is there. But there is no such inebriety. It is pure. So perverted means the topmost thing has come down to the lowest. Here, this parakiya, loving other's wife or other's husband, is most abominable, adultery. Not allowed by society, not allowed by the state. But tendency is there. Even one is married, he wants to love another's wife. Or if the girl married (s)he wants to love another husband. Why? That is there. But without inebriety. That is the beauty. So everything is there, but here, that thing is reflected, pervertedly. Therefore misunderstood. There is so many other corollaries. You see? But you must know everything, that without being in the Absolute Truth there cannot be relative manifestation. This world is relative manifestation.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Christian religion does not allow illicit sex. No adultery. In the human society—may be Christian, Hindu, Muslim—there is marriage system. That is religious system.

Room Conversation with Alcohol and Drug Hospital People -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Guest (2): The question was which religion, which religious principle?

Paramahaṁsa: Well, he means our marriage under... We accept that marriage, sex life in marriage, is licit, not illicit. So he asked, "Under what religious principles or under which religion?"

Prabhupāda: Any religion. Christian religion does not allow illicit sex. No adultery.

Guest (2): Any religious principles?

Prabhupāda: This is religious principle. In the animal kingdom there is no marriage, but in the human society—may be Christian, may be Hindu, may be Muslim—there is marriage system. That is religious system.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

"What is the reaction for adultery? How does one deal with an adulterer? If someone is an adulterer and he's caught." There is no such direct punishment, but it is prohibited. The woman who is chaste, she is very much glorified.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: What do the Vedic literatures say about adultery?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about adultery, Prabhupāda? She wants to know what the Vedas say should be the... What is the reaction for adultery? How does one deal with an adulterer? If someone is an adulterer and he's caught, what should be the...

Prabhupāda: No, there is no such direct punishment, but it is prohibited. It is prohibited.

Rāmeśvara: There is no direct punishment, but it is prohibited. Part of education and social convention, it is prohibited. Not that the government allows propaganda to be made for illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: The other words, the woman who is chaste, she is very much glorified.

1968 Correspondence

In the ten commandments of the Bible it is clearly stated that, "Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not indulge in adultery" but practically we see the world is full of the killing process reflected with adultery in every state.

Letter to Purusottama -- Los Angeles 3 November, 1968: In the ten commandments of the Bible it is clearly stated that, "Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not indulge in adultery, thou shalt not covet their servant or animals," but practically we see the so-called Christian world is full of the killing process reflected with adultery in every state encroaching upon other's property very organizedly. Similarly we find in India the so-called Hindu are doing all sorts of nonsense. So practically the whole world is without religion. Officially they claim some sectarian identification. Therefore, it is a fact that the religious principles of Krishna Consciousness which we are trying to preach under the direction of Lord Caitanya inducing people to chant HARE KRISHNA is the only panacea for the animalistic human society at the present moment. A man without religion is nothing but an animal and being every man is irreligious, therefore, the whole human society is certainly animalistic.

We do not commit adultery, we do not take the Name of God in vain, in fact we practice that the Name of God is just as good as God.

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 2 December, 1968: I have noted with pleasure that you have spoken before a group of the Catholic Church. You should know that as far as our Krishna Consciousness movement goes, we are better Christians than those who proclaim that they are following the orders of Christ. This is because we are following and generally they are not. Just like the 10 Commandments order that thou should not kill. But these so-called Christians are performing so much killing by meat-eating and wars. So how are they good Christians? You may ask them this in your meetings and try to convince them of their position. Also, we do not commit adultery, we do not take the Name of God in vain, in fact we practice that the Name of God is just as good as God. So according to the 10 Commandments, nobody is Christian, but in our own way we are following the principles of the 10 Commandments strictly. So I think you may explain to them how this Krishna Consciousness movement will help them advance to be better Christians.