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Eternal father

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

The bona fide spiritual master, as the representative of the Lord, is the eternal father because the spiritual master has the responsibility to lead the disciple to spiritual salvation, or the ultimate goal of life.
SB 3.5.7, Purport:

A living entity takes birth in this mundane world due to the union of male and female. A human being is born due to union of the father and mother, but a civilized human being has another birth by contact with a spiritual master, who becomes the actual father. The father and mother of the material body are so only in one birth, and in the next birth the father and mother may be a different couple. But the bona fide spiritual master, as the representative of the Lord, is the eternal father because the spiritual master has the responsibility to lead the disciple to spiritual salvation, or the ultimate goal of life. Therefore, a civilized man must be twice-born, otherwise he is no more than the lower animals.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

Devakī had been the Lord's mother and Vasudeva the Lord's father, and they were named Pṛśni and Sutapā. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, He accepts His eternal father and mother, and they accept Kṛṣṇa as their son.
SB 10.3.32, Purport:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead made it clear that Devakī had not become His mother only now; rather, she had been His mother previously also. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, and His selection of a father and mother from among His devotees takes place eternally. Previously also, Devakī had been the Lord's mother and Vasudeva the Lord's father, and they were named Pṛśni and Sutapā. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, He accepts His eternal father and mother, and they accept Kṛṣṇa as their son. This pastime takes place eternally and is therefore called nitya-līlā. Thus there was no cause for surprise or ridicule.

When Kṛṣṇa descends anywhere, He is accompanied by His own associates. These associates are not ordinary living beings. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are eternal, and when He descends, He comes with His associates. Therefore Nanda and mother Yaśodā are the eternal father and mother of Kṛṣṇa.
SB 10.8.48, Purport:

When Kṛṣṇa descends anywhere, He is accompanied by His own associates. These associates are not ordinary living beings. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are eternal, and when He descends, He comes with His associates. Therefore Nanda and mother Yaśodā are the eternal father and mother of Kṛṣṇa. This means that whenever Kṛṣṇa descends, Nanda and Yaśodā, as well as Vasudeva and Devakī, also descend as the Lord's father and mother. Their personalities are expansions of Kṛṣṇa's personal body; they are not ordinary living beings. Mahārāja Parīkṣit knew this, but he was curious to know from Śukadeva Gosvāmī whether it is possible for an ordinary human being to come to this stage by sādhana-siddhi.

This statement by Droṇa clearly indicates that Droṇa and Dharā are the eternal father and mother of Kṛṣṇa. Whenever there is a necessity of Kṛṣṇa's appearance, Droṇa and Dharā appear first, and then Kṛṣṇa appears.
SB 10.8.49, Purport:

This statement by Droṇa clearly indicates that Droṇa and Dharā are the eternal father and mother of Kṛṣṇa. Whenever there is a necessity of Kṛṣṇa's appearance, Droṇa and Dharā appear first, and then Kṛṣṇa appears. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā that His birth is not ordinary (janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9)).

ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā
bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san
prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya
sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā

"Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form." (BG 4.6) Before Kṛṣṇa's appearance, Droṇa and Dharā appear in order to become His father and mother. It is they who appear as Nanda Mahārāja and his wife, Yaśodā. In other words, it is not possible for a sādhana-siddha living being to become the father or mother of Kṛṣṇa, for Kṛṣṇa's father and mother are already designated. But by following the principles exhibited by Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā and their associates, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, ordinary living beings may attain such affection as exhibited by Nanda and Yaśodā.

Whenever Kṛṣṇa appears on this earth He superficially needs a father and mother, Droṇa and Dharā, His eternal father and mother, appeared on earth before Kṛṣṇa as Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā.
SB 10.8.50, Purport:

Because whenever Kṛṣṇa appears on this earth He superficially needs a father and mother, Droṇa and Dharā, His eternal father and mother, appeared on earth before Kṛṣṇa as Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā. In contrast to Sutapā and Pṛśnigarbha, they did not undergo severe penances and austerities to become the father and mother of Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference between nitya-siddha and sādhana-siddha.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa was kind to me, and I imbibed from him the ideas later on solidified by my spiritual master, the eternal father.
Krsna Book Dedication:

A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, who raised me as a Kṛṣṇa concious child from the beginning of my life. In my boyhood ages he instructed me how to play the mṛdanga. He gave me Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Vigraha to worship, and he gave me Jagannātha-Ratha to duly observe the festival as my childhood play. He was kind to me, and I imbibed from him the ideas later on solidified by my spiritual master, the eternal father.

Lord Kṛṣṇa did not wish to detract from His relationship with Vasudeva as father and son; therefore in the very beginning of His reply He accepted the fact that He is the eternal son of Vasudeva and that Vasudeva is the eternal father of Kṛṣṇa.
Krsna Book 85:

Vasudeva was in the complete perfection of life in considering Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to be his sons, but because the sages assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra had spoken about the Lord as the supreme cause of everything, Vasudeva simply repeated it out of his love for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Lord Kṛṣṇa did not wish to detract from His relationship with Vasudeva as father and son; therefore in the very beginning of His reply He accepted the fact that He is the eternal son of Vasudeva and that Vasudeva is the eternal father of Kṛṣṇa. After this, Lord Kṛṣṇa informed His father of the spiritual identity of all living entities. He continued: "My dear father, everyone and everything, including Me and My brother Balarāma, as well as all the inhabitants of the city of Dvārakā and the whole cosmic manifestation, are exactly as you have already explained, but all of us are also qualitatively one."

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So the idea that we don't want this material opulence, that is called vairāgya. And why you want Kṛṣṇa? Because Kṛṣṇa is your eternal master, eternal father. That is called jñāna.
Lecture on SB 3.25.43 -- Bombay, December 11, 1974:

And without this knowledge, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15), by studying all the Vedas and Vedāntas, if one cannot understand what is the nature of Kṛṣṇa, what is actually Kṛṣṇa, then he is not in perfect knowledge. Ajñāna.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Who surrenders to Kṛṣṇa? Unless one is fully in knowledge, "What is Absolute Truth, what I am, what is my relationship with the Absolute Truth..." That is called knowledge. And if one understands that "Kṛṣṇa is my eternal master. He is my eternal father. I am not this body. I am also the same thing as Kṛṣṇa, spiritual..." Mamaivāṁśaḥ. "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is gold, then I am also gold. But Kṛṣṇa is gold mine; I am gold earring, that's all." This is knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. And when one comes to this knowledge, then he becomes reluctant to this material attachment. That is called vairāgya. Just like you boys and girls who have joined this movement. You have understood to some extent that "We didn't require this material opulence. We want Kṛṣṇa." So the idea that we don't want this material opulence, that is called vairāgya. And why you want Kṛṣṇa? Because Kṛṣṇa is your eternal master, eternal father. That is called jñāna. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. Not sentimental. We must know very clearly what is Kṛṣṇa—that is jñāna—what is my relationship with Kṛṣṇa—that is jñāna—and what is my duty to Kṛṣṇa—that is jñāna. And as soon as you know all these things—what is Kṛṣṇa, what you are, what is your relationship, and what is your duty—then naturally you become reluctant to these material activities. That is called vairāgya.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Even after the destruction of the body, they are not annihilated. So God is eternal. That I have already explained. And we living entities, we are also eternal. How the son can be otherwise? If the father is eternal, the son is also eternal.
Room Conversation with three Trappist Monks, Psychologists from the University of Georgia, and Atlanta Lawyer, Michael Green -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: We are all eternal. That is nityo nityānām. I have already explained. Nitya means eternal. There are two eternals: one chief eternal, God, and one subordinate eternals, they are plural number. God is one, and we are many. Father is one; the children are many. Similarly, both the father and the children are eternal. God is not created, and the childrens are not created. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā. All these living entity, they are never created; neither they ever die. Nityaḥ śāśvatam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). They are eternal, ever existing. Even after the destruction of the body, they are not annihilated. So God is eternal. That I have already explained. And we living entities, we are also eternal. How the son can be otherwise? If the father is eternal, the son is also eternal. The son cannot be... Because son is the expansion, part and parcel of the father, so all the qualities of the father are there. The only quality difference is the father maintainer and the sons are maintained. That means the father has got unlimited resources to maintain the sons, and the sons, they have no resources. They are maintained by the father. This is perfect philosophy. Otherwise, if you are self-sufficient, then why you go to church and beg father, "Give us our daily bread"? That is... That means you are maintained. You are begging the father, "Please maintain us." So if the Supreme Being, who is maintaining millions of trillions of living entities, He is great, or the living entities who are maintained by God, they are great? Therefore God is great, and we are subordinate. This is natural conclusion.

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

You are my brother in relation to our common and Eternal Father the Almighty Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna the revealing Author of the great book of Philosophy "Bhagavad-gita."
Letter to Brother -- Jhansi November 1958:

You are my brother in relation to our common and Eternal Father the Almighty Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna the revealing Author of the great book of Philosophy "Bhagavad-gita." And from this book of transcendental knowledge, I have known that you and all other living entities, in whatever form they may be, are all my brothers.

You may be, although I do not believe it, one of those other brothers who do not believe in the existence of any Person like Godhead our eternal Father. But if you so believe, I shall tell you that you are mistaken.
Letter to Brother -- Jhansi November 1958:

You may be, although I do not believe it, one of those other brothers who do not believe in the existence of any Person like Godhead our eternal Father. But if you so believe, I shall tell you that you are mistaken. Your conviction as such is due to your either being misled by another waylaid brother or due to your failure to make communion with our Eternal Father. You are not therefore in the right consciousness if you do not believe in Him.

I am prepared to convince you in every respect that there is our Eternal Father and He wants you and all of us to go back to our permanent home.
Letter to Brother -- Jhansi November 1958:

I am prepared to convince you in every respect that there is our Eternal Father and He wants you and all of us to go back to our permanent home. If you argue that there is no such Father God at all, then I am still more prepared to argue with you in all seriousness. In that case you may kindly let me know your definite view points relevantly so that I may try to reply these points one by one. And should you desire to argue with me, then my only request to you will be that for all such arguments we must be always very sincere and serious. Once we are convinced in that way, we must be prepared to act accordingly.

1970 Correspondence

There is also a correction in the Dedication, line 3, "In my boyhood ages He instructed me": this "he" should be small "h". And at the end you may add these words: (my spiritual master) ,the eternal father.
Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 19 June, 1970:

The pictures are very nicely printed. However, can the color printing be improved on the two pictures titled 1) "Returning home, Krsna and Balarama were received by Their affectionate mothers" and 2) "The joyous vibration at Krsna's birth ceremony could be heard in all the pasturing grounds and houses." If not, that is alright. There is an error in the second caption, i.e. "pastruing" should be "pasturing." There is also a correction in the Dedication, line 3, "In my boyhood ages He instructed me": this "he" should be small "h". And at the end you may add these words: (my spiritual master) ,the eternal father.

Page Title:Eternal father
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:16 of Nov, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=5, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=1, Con=1, Let=4
No. of Quotes:13