Awe and veneration

Expressions researched:
"awe and veneration"

SB Preface and Introduction

SB Introduction:

When the Lord was on the lap of His mother, He would at once stop crying as soon as the ladies surrounding Him chanted the holy names and clapped their hands. This peculiar incident was observed by the neighbors with awe and veneration. Sometimes the young girls took pleasure in making the Lord cry and then stopping Him by chanting the holy name. So from His very childhood the Lord began to preach the importance of the holy name. In His early age Lord Śrī Caitanya was known as Nimāi. This name was given by His beloved mother because the Lord took His birth beneath a nimba tree in the courtyard of His paternal house.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.4.19, Translation:

He is the Supersoul and the Supreme Lord of all self-realized souls. He is the personification of the Vedas, religious scriptures and austerities. He is worshiped by Lord Brahmā and Śiva and all those who are transcendental to all pretensions. Being so revered with awe and veneration, may that Supreme Absolute be pleased with me.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.7.23, Translation:

In the presence of the glaring effulgence of the bodily luster of Nārāyaṇa, everyone else's luster faded away, and everyone stopped speaking. Fearful with awe and veneration, all present touched their hands to their heads and prepared to offer their prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Adhokṣaja.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 3.16, Translation:

"Knowing My opulences, the whole world looks upon Me with awe and veneration. But devotion made feeble by such reverence does not attract Me."

CC Adi 3.17, Translation:

"By performing such regulated devotional service in awe and veneration, one may go to Vaikuṇṭha and attain the four kinds of liberation."

CC Adi 4.26, Purport:

Regulative principles in devotional service are meant for those who have not invoked their natural love of Godhead. When natural love arises, all regulative methods are surpassed, and pure love is exhibited between the Lord and the devotee. Although on such a platform of love the devotee sometimes appears to predominate over the Lord or transgress regulative principles, such dealings are far more advanced than ordinary dealings through regulative principles with awe and veneration. A devotee who is actually free from all designations due to complete attachment in love for the Supreme exhibits spontaneous love for Godhead, which is always superior to the devotion of regulative principles.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 10.140, Translation:

"In conclusion, dealings in affection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead bring happiness many millions of times greater than dealings with Him in awe and veneration. Simply by hearing the holy name of the Lord, the devotee is merged in transcendental bliss."

CC Madhya 19.154, Purport:

Goloka Vṛndāvana is the highest planet in the spiritual world. In order to go to the spiritual world after penetrating the covering of the material universe, one must penetrate Brahma-loka, the spiritual effulgence. Then one can come to the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. There are also other planets in the spiritual world, called Vaikuṇṭha planets, and on these planets Lord Nārāyaṇa is worshiped with awe and veneration. On these planets śānta-rasa is prevalent, and some of the devotees are also connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in dāsya-rasa, the mellow of servitorship. As far as the mellow of fraternity is concerned, in Vaikuṇṭha this rasa is represented by gaurava-sakhya, friendship in awe and veneration. The other fraternity rasa, exhibited as viśrambha (friendship in equality), is found in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. Above that is service to the Lord in vātsalya-rasa (parental love), and above all is the relationship with the Lord in the mādhurya-rasa (conjugal love). These five rasas are fully exhibited in the spiritual world in one's relationship with the Lord. Therefore in the spiritual world the bhakti creeper finds its resting place at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

CC Madhya 19.220, Translation:

"On the dāsya-rasa platform, knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed with awe and veneration. By rendering service unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, the devotee in dāsya-rasa gives constant happiness to the Lord."

CC Madhya 19.222, Translation:

"The qualities of śānta-rasa and the service of dāsya-rasa are both present on the platform of sakhya-rasa. On the platform of fraternity, the qualities of dāsya-rasa are mixed with the confidence of fraternity instead of awe and veneration."

CC Madhya 19.224, Translation:

"Awe and veneration are absent on the platform of fraternity, since this rasa is predominated by confidential service. Therefore sakhya-rasa is characterized by the qualities of three rasas."

CC Madhya 19.228, Purport:

In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives us a short summary of this complicated description of the different rasas. He states that by becoming firmly fixed in the Lord's service, one is devoid of all material desires. These are the two transcendental qualities on the śānta-rasa platform. Just as sound vibration is found in all the material elements, these two qualities of śānta-rasa are spread throughout all the other transcendental mellows, which are known as dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa and madhura-rasa. Although in śānta-rasa there is attachment for Kṛṣṇa in awe and veneration—since the two valuable transcendental qualities of this rasa are attachment for Kṛṣṇa and detachment from material desires—nonetheless the sense of intimacy is lacking. The reason for this is that in śānta-rasa attachment for impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā is prominent. In other words, the sense of intimacy by which one thinks of Kṛṣṇa as one's only shelter and friend is absent in śānta-rasa because one accepts Kṛṣṇa as the impersonal Parambrahma or localized Paramātmā.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1:

Attachment to Kṛṣṇa can also be broken down into two categories. On one platform there is attachment with awe and veneration. This type of attachment might be characterized by a certain lack of freedom, and it is exhibited in Mathurā and in the Vaikuṇṭha planets. In these abodes of the Lord, the spirit of transcendental loving service is restricted. However, in Gokula Vṛndāvana, love is freely exchanged, and although the cowherd boys and damsels of Vṛndāvana know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they do not show awe and veneration because of the great intimacy of their relationship with Him. In the five principal transcendental relationships, awe and veneration are sometimes impediments obscuring the Lord's actual greatness and sometimes they actually impede one's service to the Lord. When there is friendship, paternal affection and conjugal love, however such awe and veneration are reduced. For instance, when Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, His parents prayed to the Lord with awe and veneration because they understood that the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu had appeared before them as their little child.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1:

On the platform of dāsya-rasa, the greatest quantity of awe and veneration of the Supreme Lord is exhibited. That is, in the dāsya-rasa, the greatness of the Supreme Lord is appreciated. It should be noted here that on the platform of śānta-rasa there is no spiritual activity, but on the platform of dāsya-rasa, service begins. Thus in the dāsya-rasa the quality of the śānta-rasa is exhibited, and, in addition, there is consciousness of the transcendental taste of service.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 35:

At this stage of śānta-rasa, one can see Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the deliverer of even the demons. The Lord is appreciated by such would-be devotees as the eternal transcendental form, the chief of all self-realized souls, the Supersoul and the Supreme Brahman. He is also appreciated as being completely peaceful, completely controlled and pure, merciful to the devotees and untouched by any material condition. This appreciation of Lord Viṣṇu in awe and veneration by the saintly is to be understood as the sign that they are situated in the śānta-rasa, or the neutral stage of devotional service.

Nectar of Devotion 40:

There are two kinds of devotees engaged in devotional service with awe and veneration—the Lord's subordinates and His sons. The servitors in the abode of Dvārakā always worship Kṛṣṇa as the most respectable and revered Personality of Godhead. They are captivated by Kṛṣṇa because of His superexcellent opulences. The members who always thought themselves protected by Kṛṣṇa could readily convert their conviction into practical demonstration, because it was sometimes found that the sons of Kṛṣṇa acted very unlawfully in various places but were nonetheless given full protection by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 84:

The great sage Nārada was the leader of all the sages present. Therefore he began to speak. "My dear sages," he said, “it is not very difficult to understand that because of his great goodness and simplicity, Vasudeva, who has become the father of the Personality of Godhead by accepting Kṛṣṇa as his son, is inclined to ask us about his welfare. It is said that familiarity breeds contempt. As such, Vasudeva, having Kṛṣṇa as his son, does not regard Kṛṣṇa with awe and veneration. Sometimes it is seen that persons living on the bank of the Ganges do not consider the Ganges very important, and they go far away to take their baths at a place of pilgrimage. There is no need for Vasudeva to ask us for instruction when Lord Kṛṣṇa is personally present, because His knowledge is never second in any circumstance."

Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)

Mukunda-mala-stotra mantra 2, Purport:

Although the Lord is full with all energies and is thus self-sufficient, He enjoys transcendental pleasure by subordinating Himself to His unalloyed devotees. Some great devotees of the Lord cannot surpass the boundary of awe and veneration. But other devotees are in such an intense compact of love with the Lord that they forget His exalted position and regard themselves as His equals or even His superiors. These eternal associates of the Lord relate with Him in the higher statuses of friendship, parenthood, and consorthood. Devotees in a transcendental parental relationship with the Lord think of Him as their dependent child. They forget His exalted position and think that unless they properly feed Him He will fall victim to undernourishment and His health will deteriorate. Devotees in a conjugal relationship with the Lord rebuke Him to correct His behavior, and the Lord enjoys those rebukes more than the prayers of the Vedas. Ordinary devotees bound up by the formalities of Vedic rites cannot enter deep into such confidential loving service to the Lord, and thus their realization remains imperfect. Sometimes they even fall victim to the calamity of impersonalism.

Mukunda-mala-stotra mantra 2, Purport:

The Lord takes great pleasure in being addressed as Devakī-nandana ("the son of Devakī"), Nanda-nandana ("the son of Nanda"), Yaśodā-nandana ("the son of Yaśodā"), Daśarathī ("the son of King Daśaratha"), Janakī-nātha ("the husband of Janakī"), and so on. The pleasure one gives the Lord by addressing Him by such names is many, many times greater than the pleasure He enjoys when He is addressed as the Supreme Father, the Greatest of the Great, Parameśvara, or anything of that nature, which indicate volumes of awe and veneration. Therefore the names King Kulaśekhara uses to glorify the Lord in this verse indicate his intimate transcendental relationship with the Lord.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

Just like service to your friend. A friend does not demand service. Just like master, he demands service: "You must do it." But friend does not demand service, but dear friend: "Yes, why not?" That means voluntary service. More intimately. That is further development. That friendly service... One sort of friendship is with awe and veneration. Just like if you have a very rich friend, you cannot talk with him so frankly although he is so..., he is your intimate friend. But a friend in the same status, you can talk with him very freely. Similarly, we can develop friendship with God in two stages. The first stage is with awe and veneration. "Oh, God is so great. God is supplying us so many things, and in gratitude I must serve Him." Or, "He is my well-wisher; He's my friend."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

So this philosophy, Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava philosophy, is very sublime, to accept God as subordinate. Kṛṣṇa says in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, you will find, that "Everyone worships Me with awe and veneration. But if anyone worships Me without any awe, veneration, and treats Me as insignificant, I like that. (laughter) I like that." So that exchange of Kṛṣṇa's feelings you can find in this Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that mother Yaśodā is treating Kṛṣṇa as very insignificant. "He is my child. If I don't give Him protection, He will die." Therefore Kṛṣṇa is very much obliged to mother Yaśodā. Yes. But nobody... Everyone comes to God, "Oh, God is so exalted and..." That He is hearing throughout, but when the mother Yaśodā comes and chastises Him, He likes it very much. Yes, yes, likes it very much.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

Just like we are, we are offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa with awe and veneration. But nobody comes here to Kṛṣṇa with a rope: "Kṛṣṇa, You are offender. I shall bind You." Nobody comes. That is the another prerogative of the most perfect devotee. Yes. Kṛṣṇa wants that. Because He's full of opulence... This is also another opulence. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. The greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is opulence.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1977:

Kṛṣṇa wants that, that "My bhakta... Be My bhakta and control Me. Everyone worships Me with awe and veneration. I want somebody should come forward and control Me." That He wants. Therefore He has accepted mother Yaśodā to control Him. How God can be controlled? Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He's the supreme controller. Who can control Him? It is not possible. But He agrees to be controlled by His pure devotee. He agrees, "Yes, mother, you control Me. You bind Me. You show Me your stick so that I may be afraid."

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and whatever you can, offer Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is very kind. He does not take offense. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship is little difficult. We have to worship Him with great awe and veneration. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has voluntarily come to deliver the fallen souls. Little service, He will be satisfied. He will be satisfied. But do not neglect. Because He is very kind and compassionate, that does not mean we should forget His position. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we should offer Him very great respect, and as far possible... But the advantage is that Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not take any offense.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: ...already explained. We have got five relationships. To realize the creation of God with awe and veneration, appreciation, that is one relationship. This is called śānta rasa. Then further progress is that to offer himself to serve God. That is called dāsya rasa. And further advancement, to treat God as friend, that is sākhya rasa. Then accept God as son, that is vātsalya rasa. And accept God as the most beloved, that is mādhurya rasa. So in this mādhurya rasa, to accept God as the most beloved includes other relationships; therefore here is the highest perfection of relationship. Although all other relationships they are as good, but it depends on the devotee's choice whichever relationship we like. The result is the same, but by comparative study it has been decided by the saintly persons that our relationship with God as the lover and beloved, that is the highest position.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1973, London:

Revatīnandana: (break) Is it possible that if he was... This is a question that sometimes a devotee has asked me. If a yogi does attain a Vaikuṇṭha planet, but by his constitutional nature he is meant to be associated with Kṛṣṇa in Goloka...

Prabhupāda: No, why not with Viṣṇu. Vaikuṇṭha is Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa. That is also... But there Nārāyaṇa is worshiped with awe and veneration. He is God. No friendship as in Vṛndāvana. That is not possible. Vipralambha-sakhya. Aiśvarya, aiśvarya, opulence. There the Supreme Lord is taken in aiśvarya, opulences. Not aiśvarya-sthiti. In Vṛndāvana the devotees, they practically do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God. "He is our very beloved friend." That's all. They doesn't care to know whether He is God or not. Here the conception of God. Vaikuṇṭha, "Oh, here is God," with awe and veneration, respect.

Revatīnandana: That I understand. The question is suppose this yogi, he has not got full knowledge, he does not know of Kṛṣṇa, and therefore he is meditating on Paramātmā, and he attains Vaikuṇṭha. Is it possible that because he hadn't got full knowledge...

Prabhupāda: No, he has to go, simply by Paramātmā conception, he cannot go to Vaikuṇṭha.

Revatīnandana: Can he later go on from Vaikuṇṭha to Goloka? Can that happen also?

Prabhupāda: Yes, there is such instances, can go.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Jesuit -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Jesuit: What was the meaning of the bag you wear on your hand?

Prabhupāda: These chanting. Beads.

Jesuit: Oh, beads in there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I think in Christian there are beads also.

Jesuit: I saw them in the picture, they had'em, and I didn't know what it was.

Prabhupāda: This is covering of the beads because we put here, there may be some dust. So to show respect to the beads, we keep it covered. We do not touch on the floor. It is awe and veneration.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: People have got already very respect now for the... (break) You should maintain the temple. They already call it iṁrej (English) temple. But still people come. But if you make a mleccha temple... Actually, (laughs) they can say like that, but still, they come. But their awe and veneration may be disturbed, may not be disturbed. That is management.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 16 January, 1969:

The absence of the idea of God is not very important, but the sense of loving God is the most important. The cowherd boys and all of the residents of Vrindaban were so much absorbed in love for Krishna that naturally there was absence of the idea of God. Yasoda was so much absorbed in love of Krishna that she did not care to know that He is God. Our whole philosophy is to increase our love for Krishna. Love with awe and veneration and love that is spontaneous is different, but still one has to learn about the greatness of Krishna. To come to the stage of spontaneous love for Krishna is a very high stage, and it is not to be imitated. In our conditioned state of life, we should worship Krishna as God with respect and veneration. That is the system. The relationship of the Spiritual Master and the disciple is not the same as the relationship with Krishna in Vrindaban. The relationship with the Spiritual Master must always be continued with the greatest respect and veneration, without forgetting His exalted position; like father and son.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Acyutananda -- New Delhi 1 November, 1973:

Regarding your two questions addressed through Tamala Krsna, the reply to your question about Arjuna's relationship with Krsna, is that Arjuna is an eternal devotee, so on the higher platform the devotee is so intimately related that he forgets Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But, in the lower stage of devotional service Krsna is looked upon with awe and veneration. When Arjuna saw the virata murti of Krsna, actually he came down one step below his position. Therefore he asked for forgiveness from Krsna. So this is a teaching to the common man that we should not take Krsna immediately as intimately as the gopis, cowherds boys, and other advanced devotees treated Him. In the beginning we must treat the Lord with awe and veneration. Later one when we are perfectly on the spiritual platform, we treat Krsna more intimately, and therefore we forget the exalted position of Krsna. But, we never imitate the Brijbasis from the beginning as do the sahajiyas. In the beginning a devotee must follow strictly viddhi-marga or regulated principles.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Kurusrestha -- Bombay 28 December, 1976:

I have seen the pictures of the Deity installation you have sent. It appears to be very nicely done. Stick to the principles. All the brahmana devotees appear to be very nice. Do this and be happy. In your country hundreds of temples like this must be opened. Town to town, village to village. I am very pleased. Another temple opened, another book published, that is the success of this Movement. Without book distribution the temple worship standard will also diminish. Therefore both of them should go side by side. I can see in the pictures so many outsiders offering respect with awe and veneration. This Deity worship is very important. As soon as you get sufficient initiated brahmanas try to open another center.