Raja means

Expressions researched:
"Raja means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Rāja means king. Formerly, the government was monarchy. So all the kings, all the government head men, they understood Bhagavad-gītā. That is needed.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

Rājarṣayaḥ means king, rāja, and ṛṣayaḥ. Rāja means king. Formerly, the government was monarchy. So all the kings, all the government head men, they understood Bhagavad-gītā. That is needed. This science, Bhagavad-gītā, must be learned by the leaders. The society is managed by the leaders, by the kings, by the brāhmaṇas. That is Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas, they give guidance according to the śāstra, and the king is trained up in such a way that he takes instruction from the saintly persons and brāhmaṇas and rules over the kingdom. Therefore it was so perfect.

Rāja means "king," and vidyā means "knowledge."

Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

Here Kṛṣṇa says that rāja-vidyā, rāja-vidyā: "The knowledge which I am just trying to impart, this is rāja-vidyā, the king of all knowledge." Rāja-vidyā. Rāja means "king," and vidyā means "knowledge." There are... Just like in our ordinary course of life we find somebody king, somebody subject, similarly, He's comparing this knowledge as the topmost, the king of all knowledge. Rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam. Rāja-guhyam means "very confidential." And pavitram. Pavitram means "very pure," idam, "this knowledge." And uttamam. Uttamam means "which is transcendental." Ut means "trans-," and tama means "darkness." So uttama means "the knowledge which is beyond this material darkness." This material world is called darkness, and when the knowledge surpasses this material world, material knowledge, that is really called uttama. Udgata-tamaṁ yasmāt: "from which the darkness has been separated."

Rāja-vidyā. Vidyā means education, and rāja means king.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

Rāja-vidyā. Vidyā means education, and rāja means king. So what is the king of education? Just like we have got a different status of life in the material world, similarly, in the education also, somebody is M.A., somebody is B.A., somebody is school-leaving certificate, somebody is three years, somebody is four years. There are different grades of education. Now, what is the summum bonum, highest, topmost education? This topmost education is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, topmost education. Rāja-vidyā. Jīvātmā yathātmādi-rahasyānāṁ rājaḥ. Real knowledge is: "So what I am?" This is real knowledge. Unless we come to this point, that "What I am?" that is not knowledge.

Raja means king, and vidyā means education, knowledge, learning.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

This bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is rāja-vidyā. Raja means king, and vidyā means education, knowledge, learning. As there are common men and there are kings also, as the king is important, the most important person in the state, or the president is the most important person in the state, similarly, of all learnings, this is the king of learning, rāja-vidyā. And rāja-guhyam..., rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ. Guhyam means confidential. Confidential, anything confidential is not to be disclosed to the common man. Or after many, many research, one can found..., one can find out the confidence or the confidential nature of devotional service. Bahunam janmanam ante (BG 7.19), it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is most confidential because one comes to this knowledge after cultivating other knowledges for many, many births. One comes to this knowledge. What is this knowledge, devotional, rāja-vidyā? What is the symptom? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This is the symptom: that one has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa.

Rāja means king, and vidyā means knowledge.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

We have got different departments of knowledge, university and institutes. But nowhere this subject matter is discussed, or there is any department. There are... Suppose medical department. What is the medical department? To give us relief from diseased condition. But there is no department which discusses how to become free from all diseases. That is not found. There is no such department. There is department how to give you relief from disease, there is department how to manufacture very effective medicines, but there is no department where knowledge is given that no more disease. Is there any department? Therefore this knowledge which is given by Kṛṣṇa, it is called rāja-vidyā. Rāja-vidyā means the king of knowledge. If you learn this knowledge, then you become completely freed from the conditioned stage of this material world. Therefore it is called rāja. Rāja means king, and vidyā means knowledge.

Rāja means king and ṛṣi means saintly person.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa says... Kṛṣṇa did not say Bhagavad-gītā to the loafer class. Kṛṣṇa said rājarṣi. Arjuna was a rājarṣi. So there are... Because king would take responsibility. If the head man is taught very nicely everything about society, economic development and religion, if he is taught very nicely, then he can, I mean to say, introduce the ideas in the country. Therefore there was monarchy. The king would learn from the brāhmaṇas how to rule over the citizens. That was perfect. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Rāja and ṛṣi. Or rāja means king and ṛṣi means saintly person. So either the ṛṣis did know or the kings did know. Or a king who is not less than a ṛṣi, he could know and he could rule over. That is the Vedic injunction. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. But without being rājarṣi, without being highly qualified, nobody can understand.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Rāja means king.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Los Angeles, May 1, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is seeing with His eyes the sun. Then you can see. This is fact. You cannot see anything if Kṛṣṇa does not see. So you think over of the sun. Then what is the sun? Now it is the king of all planets, rāja. Rāja means king. Samasta-sura-mūrtiḥ. And what is the nature? Aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Unlimitedly hot. Unlimitedly. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Then what is his function? Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. Sun has got his orbit. So God has ordered that "You just travel within this orbit. Not here, not there." The scientists says that if the sun is moved a little this side the whole universe will be ablaze, and if it moves this side the whole universe will be frozen. But by the order of the Supreme, it is neither going even, even one ten-thousandth part of an inch, this side or this side. Exactly in the line. Exactly during, in the time, fixed time, at 5:30 it must rise. So there must be some discipline. There must be some obedience. There is some order. In this way the śāstra says: yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. By whose order the sun is moving in the orbit? Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **: "I worship that original person who is giving direction even to the sun, even to the ocean, even to the moon. Everything is going on under His order."

Raja means this material world.

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

Those who are purified in their thinking process... Those who are thinking, "I am this body," they are third-class rascals. The present world is simply full with third-class rascals. Because everyone is thinking, "I am American," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." So "I am this body." That's all. But they cannot. They cannot. Therefore it is said, virajena ātmanaiva. Virajena. Virajena means one who has become completely washed, cleansed, viraja. Raja. Raja means this material world, and vi means vigata, without. Virajenaiva. And it is very difficult to come to this position. Therefore it is said, avāpur duravāpām. It is very difficult to come to this stage of life, but the Pāṇḍavas, avāpuḥ, they got it. And for whom it is very difficult? That is also: asadbhiḥ. Asadbhir viṣayātmabhiḥ.

Rāja means royal king and ṛṣi means saintly person.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

So these descendants of the Bhārata dynasty, especially... Not especially. All of them. When Parīkṣit Mahārāja was born, so... I have told you already. Learned scholars in astrology, they were calculating the horoscope of the newly born child. So he was being described that "This child, this baby now born, he will be hero like this. He will be devotee like this. He'll be..." This horoscope made, in future what he will be. So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was anxious and he informed the learned brāhmaṇas that "This is all right. I thank you for your calculation. First of all, I want to know whether he will follow his forefathers. I want to know." That was the question. Because that Bhārata dynasty, they were rulers of the world, emperors and great devotees at the same time. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). They were not emperors and kings, simply tax collector. No. They were rājarṣayaḥ, rājarṣi. Rājarṣi means royal majesty. But in their behavior, they exactly like great saintly persons. Rāja and ṛṣi. That is called rājarṣi. Rāja means royal king and ṛṣi means saintly person.

Rāja means king or the ruler. Here is also regulative principle.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

Tayor evaṁ kathayatoḥ: while the Dharmarāja and the earthly planet was talking between themselves, pṛthivī... Pṛthivī. Tayor evaṁ kathayatoḥ, pṛthivī, the earthly planet and dharmayos tadā. Tadā: "that time," parīkṣin nāma rājarṣiḥ. Parīkṣin nāma rājarṣiḥ. There were many rājarṣis. Rājarṣi means although they're occupying the royal position... Rāja. Rāja and prajā. Rāja means king or the ruler. Here is also regulative principle. Why a king is accepted? Why a governor is accepted? Why a president is...? Even in this day of democracy—we have abolished the system of monarchy—but still, they select somebody to become a monarch, a king, or to occupy the post of the king. That is called president. Why? Because unless there is one head, or on the head of the government, who can actually control... Control means whether citizens are following, executing the rules and regulation, the law of the state. Therefore a certain man, qualified man, who is, who enjoys the confidence of the people, he is accepted as the king. This is the position. So such president, king, or the executive head, must be a saintly person. Therefore here it is said, parīkṣin nāma rājarṣiḥ. Rājarṣi means those who are on the top of the government, he must be ṛṣi, saintly person.

Rājā means king.

Lecture on SB 2.3.14-15 -- Los Angeles, May 31, 1972:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja's, these are the qualifications. Sa vai bhāgavato rājā, not ordinary rājā. Rājā means king. Bhāgavataḥ. Bhāgavata means great devotee. First-class devotee, bhāgavata. Pāṇḍaveya. How he became bhāgavata? Because son and grandson, all in the dynasty of the Pāṇḍavas. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the grandson of Arjuna. So Arjuna was Kṛṣṇa's friend, he was bhāgavata. So unfortunately, Arjuna's son died in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. He was also bhāgavata. He was Subhadrā's son. Arjuna... Kṛṣṇa's sister Subhadrā, who is sitting here with Jagannātha. So Subhadrā's son was Abhimanyu, but he died in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Sixteen years old. But fortunately, his wife Uttarā was pregnant. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was within the womb of Uttarā, so he was saved. All others died. Pāṇḍaveyaḥ, coming in the dynasty of the Pāṇḍavas.

Rāja means king, and ṛṣi means great saintly person.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1975:

So according to Vedic civilization, the king or the president or the ruling chief must be representative of God. That is wanted. Therefore you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ: (BG 4.2) "This Bhagavad-gītā was understood by the rājarṣi." Rājarṣi means... Rāja means king, and ṛṣi means great saintly person. Rājarṣi. So education, culture, is meant for the higher two classes, the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas. Education means for them, those who are intelligent, for them. Education is not for masses. Now it is called mass education. So mass education means it will produce undesirable elements. That's all. So the Vedic system is there must be first of all the most intelligent class of men. They should be given education how to become self-controlled, śamaḥ; how to control the mind, how to control the senses; śama damaḥ satyam, how to become truthful; śaucam, how to become cleanse; śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucaṁ titikṣa, how to become tolerant; ārjavam, how to become simple, no intricacy; śamo damas satyaṁ śaucaṁ titikṣa ārjavam eva ca, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam, full of knowledge; and vijñānam, practical application in life; āstikyam, and to believe in the existence of God or knowing God partially or fully. Partially knowing God means impersonal or Paramātmā. This is partial. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).

Goodness is maintenance. And raja means activity.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

So maintenance cannot be taken by anyone except by God. Therefore this material world is being operated in three departmental qualities: sattva, raja, tama. Sattva is maintenance. Sattva means goodness. Goodness is maintenance. And raja means activity. Without activity, there cannot be any creation in this material world. If you want to construct something, there must be activity. Raja means activity. And tama means darkness. So these, these qualities are working. These qualities are working. Now, in your country, by the rajo-guṇa you have created so many things, a nice country, very nicely operating. But another side: the confusion is there, the hippies. You see? Future hope of the country is very dark. You see? It will spoil the whole thing if the country's not alive to the situation. This is another way of protest. Just like in Europe there are, in Russia there is communist, so this is another way of... So these qualities will work because this material world—one side, goodness; another side, darkness; another side, activity. This is going on.

Raja means passion.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

Prahlāda Mahārāja is induced to pray Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to pacify. He was in violent feature. So he's requesting, "My dear Lord," sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno. "Now, all these demigods, they are Your assistants, and they are situated in transcendental position." Sattva-dhāmno. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vāsudeva-śabditam. Our situations are differently calculated. Not that every one of us is situated on the same platform. On the material platform, we are situated in three different positions: sattva-raja-tama. Sattva means goodness, raja means passion, and tama means ignorance or darkness. So, so long we are in the material platform, the highest positional situation is in the modes of goodness.

Initiation Lectures

Rāja means royal.

Initiation Ceremony -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974 :

Prabhupāda: Bring money more.(laughter) Lakṣmī means money, (laughter) and śubha means auspicious. So long you bring money, you are auspicious. (laughter)

Devotee (2): The next initiate is Bhaktin Carol.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Rāja Lakṣmī.

Devotee (2): Rāja Lakṣmī. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Royal, Rāja means royal. So, what are the rules and regulation?

Rāja Lakṣmī dāsī: No illicit sex. No meat-eating or eating anything that's not prasādam. No intoxication. No gambling or speculation.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. How many rounds will you chant?

Raja Lakṣmī dāsī: Sixteen.

General Lectures

Rājā means king.

Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:

Now, amongst all these planets, the sun planet is the chief. How the sun planet is chief? Practically we can see. Everyone, we can see that there are so many glittering planets, illuminating planets, at night, millions and millions, but still, there is darkness. There is darkness at night. In spite of presentation of the moon and millions of other stars, still, you require light. But in the daytime, simply one planet, sunlight, oh, everything is dazzling light. Therefore it is called yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means this sun planet is the eye of God. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā. Rājā means king. Sakala-grahāṇām, all other planets, it is the king. And actually, scientifically, it is true that due to the heat of the sun planet all other planets are rotating; otherwise they'll fall down. But they're floating in the air, in the sky, due to this sunlight. Anyone who knows science, he'll admit, "Yes, that's a fact." And sun is the source of all energy in this material world. All this vegetation, all living condition, minerals—there are so many things—this is due to the sun. So sun in the king of all planets, as it is stated in the Vedic literatures. That's a fact.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Rāja means government or the king.

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: It is said, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. (aside:) If there are outsiders, they should be given plate. (break) The dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). These words are there. Actually to understand this Kṛṣṇa philosophy, it is not for ordinary person.

Brahmānanda: What is the qualification for understanding?

Prabhupāda: These things are there. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. The rājarṣi means the topmost class. Rāja means government or the king. So simply the government man or the king will not suffice. He must be ṛṣi, saintly person. So, topmost man in the society, at the same time, he must be saintly. That is the qualification of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa uses this word, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ.