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Real mother

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

Śrīmatī Devakī is the real mother of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
SB 1.11.28, Translation and Purport:

After entering the house of His father, He was embraced by the mothers present, and the Lord offered His obeisances unto them by placing His head at their feet. The mothers were headed by Devakī (His real mother)."

It appears that Vasudeva, the father of Lord Kṛṣṇa, had completely separate residential quarters where he lived with his eighteen wives, out of whom Śrīmatī Devakī is the real mother of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But in spite of this, all other stepmothers were equally affectionate to Him, as will be evident from the following verse. Lord Kṛṣṇa also did not distinguish His real mother from His stepmothers, and He equally offered His obeisances unto all the wives of Vasudeva present on the occasion. According to scriptures also, there are seven mothers: (1) the real mother, (2) the wife of the spiritual master, (3) the wife of a brāhmaṇa, (4) the wife of the king, (5) the cow, (6) the nurse, and (7) the earth. All of them are mothers. Even by this injunction of the śāstras, the stepmother, who is the wife of the father, is also as good as the mother because the father is also one of the spiritual masters. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the universe, plays the part of an ideal son just to teach others how to treat their stepmothers.

SB Canto 2

His real mother also could not take any step against this insulting behavior, and so she wept.
SB 2.7.8, Purport:

When he was only five years old, Prince Dhruva, a great devotee and the son of Mahārāja Uttānapāda, was sitting on the lap of his father. His stepmother did not like the King's patting her stepson, so she dragged him out, saying that he could not claim to sit on the lap of the King because he was not born out of her womb. The little boy felt insulted by this act of his stepmother. Nor did his father make any protest, for he was too attached to his second wife. After this incident, Prince Dhruva went to his own mother and complained. His real mother also could not take any step against this insulting behavior, and so she wept. The boy inquired from his mother how he could sit on the royal throne of his father, and the poor queen replied that only the Lord could help him. The boy inquired where the Lord could be seen, and the queen replied that it is said that the Lord is sometimes seen by great sages in the dense forest. The child prince decided to go into the forest to perform severe penances in order to achieve his objective.

SB Canto 4

Sunīti, the real mother of Dhruva Mahārāja, embraced the tender body of her son, who was dearer to her than her own life
SB 4.9.49, Translation:

Sunīti, the real mother of Dhruva Mahārāja, embraced the tender body of her son, who was dearer to her than her own life, and thus forgot all material grief, for she was very pleased."

The real mother is devotional service to the Lord, and the real devoted wife is a wife who helps her husband execute religious principles in devotional service.
SB 4.26.15, Purport:

"If a person has neither a mother nor a pleasing wife at home, he should leave home and go to the forest, because for him there is no difference between the forest and home." The real mātā, or mother, is devotional service to the Lord, and the real patnī, or devoted wife, is a wife who helps her husband execute religious principles in devotional service. These two things are required for a happy home.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

Is he living very peacefully in your home with His real mother, Rohiṇī?
SB 10.5.27, Translation:

My son Baladeva, being raised by you and your wife, Yaśodādevī, considers you His father and mother. Is he living very peacefully in your home with His real mother, Rohiṇī?"

Mother Yaśodā was unable to understand this philosophy because she was dealing with Kṛṣṇa as His real mother by the arrangement of yogamāyā.
SB 10.7.19, Purport:

Mother Yaśodā did not understand that Kṛṣṇa is the heaviest of all heavy things and that Kṛṣṇa rests within everything (mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni). As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.4), mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā: Kṛṣṇa is everywhere in His impersonal form, and everything rests upon Him. Nonetheless, na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ: Kṛṣṇa is not everywhere. Mother Yaśodā was unable to understand this philosophy because she was dealing with Kṛṣṇa as His real mother by the arrangement of yogamāyā. Not understanding the importance of Kṛṣṇa, she could only seek shelter of Nārāyaṇa for Kṛṣṇa's safety and call the brāhmaṇas to counteract the situation.

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma became afraid and returned to Their real mothers, Yaśodā and Rohiṇī.
SB 10.8.22, Translation:

When Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, with the strength of Their legs, crawled in the muddy places created in Vraja by cow dung and cow urine, Their crawling resembled the crawling of serpents, and the sound of Their ankle bells was very charming. Very much pleased by the sound of other people's ankle bells, They used to follow these people as if going to Their mothers, but when They saw that these were other people, They became afraid and returned to Their real mothers, Yaśodā and Rohiṇī.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

Vīrabhadra Gosāñi was the direct son of Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu and a disciple of Jāhnavā-devī. His real mother was Vasudhā.
CC Adi 11.8, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anubhāṣya, “Vīrabhadra Gosāñi was the direct son of Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu and a disciple of Jāhnavā-devī. His real mother was Vasudhā. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (67) He is mentioned as an incarnation of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore Vīrabhadra Gosāñi is nondifferent from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

CC Madhya-lila

If a real mother wants her son to progress spiritually, she had better allow him to go out searching for Kṛṣṇa.
CC Madhya 3.181, Purport:

If a real mother wants her son to progress spiritually, she had better allow him to go out searching for Kṛṣṇa. The mother naturally desires the welfare of the son. If a mother does not allow her son to search for Kṛṣṇa, she is called mā, which indicates māyā. By allowing her son to go as a sannyāsī and search for Kṛṣṇa, Śacīmātā instructs all mothers of the world. She indicates that all sons should become real devotees of Kṛṣṇa and should not stay at home under the care of an affectionate mother.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

There are seven kinds of mothers, according to Vedic injunction: the real mother, the wife of a teacher or spiritual master, the wife of a king, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, the cow, the nurse and mother earth.
Krsna Book 6:

There are seven kinds of mothers, according to Vedic injunction: the real mother, the wife of a teacher or spiritual master, the wife of a king, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, the cow, the nurse and mother earth. Because Pūtanā came to take Kṛṣṇa on her lap and offer her breast milk to be sucked by Him, she was accepted by Kṛṣṇa as one of His mothers. That is considered to be another reason He closed His eyes: He had to kill a nurse or mother. But His killing of His mother or nurse was no different from His love for His real mother or His foster mother, Yaśodā. We further understand from Vedic information that Pūtanā was also treated as a mother and given the same facility as Yaśodā. As Yaśodā was given liberation from the material world, Pūtanā was also given liberation.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Real mother, from whose body I have taken my birth, she is mother.
Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

Everyone should be obliged to mother cow, because she is supplying milk. So according to our śāstra there are seven mothers. Ādau mātā, real mother, from whose body I have taken my birth. Ādau mātā, she is mother. Guru-patnī, the wife of teacher. She is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī, brāhmaṇī. The wife of a brāhmaṇa, she is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, the queen is mother. So how many? Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, then dhenu. Dhenu means cow. She is also mother. And dhātrī. Dhātrī means nurse. Dhenu dhātrī tathā pṛthvī, also the earth. Earth is also mother. The people are taking care of mother land, where he is born. That is good. But by the by they should take care of mother cow also. But they are not taking care of mother. Therefore they are sinful. They must suffer. They must have, there must be war, pestilence, famine. As soon as people become sinful, immediately nature's punishment will come automatically. You cannot avoid it.

There are seven kinds of mother. Real mother, from whom I have taken birth, the wife of spiritual masteer, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, a queen, a cow, the material nature.
Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

There are seven kinds of mother. Not one mother.

ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī
brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā
dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī
saptaitā mātaraḥ smṛtāḥ

Ātma-mātā, real mother, from whom I have taken birth, ātma-mātā. Guroḥ patnī, the wife of spiritual master. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī. Brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, learned scholar. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī. Why learned scholar? He is also guru because from learned scholar you learn so many things, and guru teaches us so many things. Therefore he is father, and his wife is mother. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā. Rāja-patnikā means a queen. And now there is no king, queen, but formerly there was king and queen. So queen is also mother because king is father. He is giving protection to the citizens. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā dhenuḥ, cow. Cow is our mother. Why? She is supplying milk. You are drinking milk. So you are killing cows? Oh, that's not good, killing mother. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī. Pṛthvī, that material nature, is also mother because by the material nature, I got this body.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

"You simply surrender unto Me." That is real mata.
Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:

the Vaiṣṇavas know Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkara, svayaṁ śaṅkara, he is incarnation of Lord Śiva, and Lord Buddha is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So they come for particular purpose, to benefit the whole world. But that is for the time being. That is not permanent. The permanent solution is mataṁ ca vāsudevasya. That is permanent. Mataṁ ca vāsudevasya. That is permanent. So vāsudevasya matam? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is vāsudevasya. "You simply surrender unto Me." That is real mata. Everyone is surrendered.

Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja, they are foster father and mother. Real mother, father, is Vasudeva and Devakī.
Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

When Kṛṣṇa was a little boy playing, Nanda Mahārāja, father of Kṛṣṇa... Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja, they are foster father and mother. Real mother, father, is Vasudeva and Devakī. So Nanda Mahārāja came within the house and saw little Kṛṣṇa, "Yes." He was playing. So Nanda Mahārāja challenged Yaśodāmāyi, "Your Kṛṣṇa can do something work." "Oh, yes, why not? He can do anything." Immediately Yaśodā-mātā, mother Yaśodā, ordered Kṛṣṇa, "Just carry the wooden slipper of Your father and go there." So Kṛṣṇa immediately took the slipper on His head and brought it to Mahārāja Nanda. Then Nanda Mahārāja said, "Oh, your Kṛṣṇa is very good. Come on, come on, come on." These were, that, the childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa was enjoyed by the foster father and mother.

There are seven mothers according to Vedic civilization: real mother, from whose womb we have come to this world, wife of the teacher or spiritual master, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, the wife of the king, the cow, the nurse and the earth.
Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

There are seven mothers according to Vedic civilization:

ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī
brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā
dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī
saptaitā mātaraḥ smṛtāḥ

Real mother, from whose womb we have come to this world, real mother, ātma-mātā. Then guroḥ patnī, wife of the teacher or spiritual master, guroḥ patnī. Brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, and the wife of the king, or the queen. She's also mother. Dhenu, the cow. Cow is also mother. And dhātrī means nurse. Nurse is also mother. Tathā pṛthvī, and the earth, the earth is also our mother. That we say in country, in the country which we take birth, we say deśa-mātṛkā. In Sanskrit it is called deśa-mātṛkā. That is also mother.

Real mother, from whose womb we have taken birth, she is called ātma-mātā, first mother.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

There are seven kinds of mother: ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī. Real mother, from whose womb we have taken birth, she is called ātma-mātā, first mother. Then second mother, the guroḥ patnī. Guru means teacher or spiritual master. His wife, she's also... Actually, according to strict moral instruction... Why strict? Ordinary. Any woman except his own wife is mother. Any woman. It doesn't matter whether she is elderly or young. No. That is the way. Still in India, any woman by unknown person, he can address any woman "Mother." The first relationship is mother. Now they have introduced "Sister," "Bahinajī." No, that is not Vedic etiquette. No bahinajī. Bahinajī means sister. Mother. Everyone should be addressed. We should learn this. Except one's one wife, all women should be addressed as "Mother." This is civilization. Then there will be no corrupt relation. If you, from the very beginning, you establish your relationship with other women as mother, then there is no question of other relationship.

There are seven kinds of mother. Real mother, then a spiritual master or teacher's wife, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. And the queen, cow, maidservant, nurse.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

There are seven kinds of mother. Real mother, then a spiritual master or teacher's wife, guroḥ patnī. Brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā. And the queen, the wife of the king. Dhenu, cow; dhenur dhātrī, maidservant, nurse. Because it was also formerly the practice, rich man, or mother is not unable to suck breast milk. So they used to employ young girls who has also children. Otherwise there is no milk supplied. So that is also mother. As Kṛṣṇa took Pūtanā as mother... Pūtanā came to kill Kṛṣṇa, smearing poison over her breast. And Kṛṣṇa sucked the milk and her life also. But Kṛṣṇa took her as (His) her mother. This is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa did not take the black side. The intention was to kill Kṛṣṇa, Pūtanā came. But who can kill Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. But Kṛṣṇa thought Himself as obligation, that "I have sucked her breast. So she is My mother. She must be given the position of mother." So Pūtanā, after being killed, she was given the same opportunity as Mother Yaśodā. This is Kṛṣṇa.

Any woman who is not your wife, except your wife, everyone, every woman is to be considered as mother. This is education.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

A brahmacārī is forbidden to see even young girl, even the spiritual master's wife is young. Sometimes spiritual master's wife is considered as mother. Ādau mātā guru-patni. There are seven mothers. So real mother, ādau mātā, guru-patni, the spiritual master's wife, she is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patni brāhmaṇi, the wife of a brāhmaṇa is mother. Actually every woman is mother. That is moral instruction. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Anyone, any woman who is not your wife, except your wife, everyone, every woman is to be considered as mother. This is education.

In the śāstra it is also said that there are seven mothers: real mother, the wife of spiritual master, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, the queen, cow, nurse, the earth.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

Buddha philosophy is based on this, that whatever you feel pain you should not inflict to others. This is education. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. So this is moral education, and in the śāstra it is also said that there are seven mothers:

ādau mātā guru-patni
brāhmaṇi rāja-patnikā
dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī
saptaitā mātaraḥ

Real mother and guru-patni, the wife of spiritual master or teacher. Ādau mātā guru-patni, brāhmaṇi, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, and rāja-patnikā, the queen, she is also mother, rāja. Dhenu, cow. Dhenu, dhātrī, nurse. Dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī, as well as the earth. Earth is mother because she is giving us so many things, fruits, flowers, grains for our eating. Mother gives for eating, cow gives us milk. This is sense.

There are seven mothers. So real mother... Actually every woman is mother. That is moral instruction.
Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:

A brahmacārī is forbidden to see even young girl. Even the spiritual master's wife is young... Sometimes spiritual master is considered as mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī. There are seven mothers. So real mother, ādau mātā... Guru-patnī, the spiritual master's wife, she is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī. The wife of a brāhmaṇa is mother. Actually every woman is mother. That is moral instruction. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Anyone, any woman who is not your wife, except your wife, every woman is to be considered as mother. This is education.

General Lectures

Dhruva Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, was insulted by his stepmother, and he wanted the kingdom of his father. So his real mother advised him, "If God gives you, then you can get. Otherwise it is not possible."
Lecture Excerpt -- Boston, May 5, 1969:

Dhruva Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, was insulted by his stepmother, and he wanted the kingdom of his father. So his real mother advised him, "If God gives you, then you can get. Otherwise it is not possible." So he went to the forest. He inquired from his mother, "Where is God? I shall go there." The mother said, "My dear boy, I think He is in the Himalaya or in the forest, because many sages go there and find out God." The five-years-old boy immediately went to the forest and began to search out where is God. He was so... That means (in)tense desire: "I shall find out God, where is God." So, many people went there. Even Nārada Muni came there: "My dear boy, you are prince. You are so delicate. You are so nice. You cannot undertake this austerity, this severity of penance, finding out God. You better go home. Go to your father, mother." "Oh, sir, oh, I don't want your advice. Can you give me any way to find out God?" Then Nārada Muni initiated him, and he began to meditate, and ultimately he found out God. But when he saw God, he says, "My dear Lord, I do not want anything. Now I am fully satisfied." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "I came here for something which is just like broken pieces of glass, but I have got the diamond. So therefore I have nothing to ask for."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

We are drinking milk from the cow, so she is mother.
Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: The cow protection is recommended because it has got the miracle food, milk, and from milk you can prepare hundreds of preparation, all nutritious, full of vitamin A and D. So therefore it is recommended, go-rakṣya. It is not that meat-eating is stopped. Meat-eaters may kill other non-important animals but don't kill animal, er, cow. And besides that, from moral point of view, we are drinking milk from the cow, so she is mother. According to Vedic understanding there are seven kinds of mother: ādau mātā, real mother. Ādau mātā, guru patnī, the wife of guru, spiritual master. Ādau mātā, guru patnī, brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means the most intelligent class of men in the society. Who are brāhmaṇa, that is also mentioned there in the śāstra. So his wife. Ādau mātā, guru patnī... In general the understanding is, except your wife all woman is your mother.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Then cow is mother because you are drinking her milk.
Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: According to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers.

ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī
brahmaṇī rāja-patnikā
dhenur dhatrī tathā pṛthvī
sapta eta mataraḥ smṛtaḥ

Ādau-mātā, real mother, and guru-patnī, the wife of guru or teacher, she is also mother 'cause teacher is father. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brahmaṇi, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. She is mother. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhm..., rāja-patnikā, the queen, the wife of the king. She is mother. And then cow is mother because you are drinking her milk. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brahmaṇi rāja-patnikā, dhenur dhatrī, nurse. Nurse is also mother because you suck the breast of the nurse. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers. So you cannot kill your mother. That is not very good philosophy. And who can deny, "The cow is not mother"? Who has got this audacity? You are drinking milk in the very morning.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

From the material nature everything is coming. Therefore according to Vedic knowledge, this earth is also mother.
Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So, we are coming from material nature. That means we are..., material nature is our mother. From the womb of mother, the child comes from. So, from the material nature everything is coming. Therefore according to Vedic knowledge, this earth is also mother. We have got seven mothers according to Vedic civilization:

ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī
brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā
dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī
saptaitā mātaraḥ smṛtāḥ

Ātma-mātā means original mother, real mother. And guroḥ patnī, the wife of teacher. The wife of a brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means the most intellectual class of men in the human society, brāhmaṇa. It is not a caste. It is a section in every human society. Always, there is a class of men very intelli..., intelligent. They are called brāhmaṇa. So, ātma-mātā, guroḥ patnī, brāhmaṇī, rāja-patnikā, and the queen—formerly there were kings—she is also considered mother. And dhenu means cow is mother because we drink her milk. She supplies milk. That's mother. And pṛthvī, in the earth, we are coming out. Earth is mother. Really we see coming. And there may be different varieties of sons. That doesn't matter. But anything coming out the earth—the earth is mother—and that is coming out, that is son. Then where is the father? There must be father. Is it possible mother can give birth to a child without father?

According to Vedic civilization, cow is one of the seven mothers.
Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: On the whole, paśu-hiṁsā, any animal killing, is not good for spiritual life. And so far vegetable is concerned, everyone has to eat something. So if you can eat vegetables, that does not mean because somebody is killing vegetables, he should kill his own father and mother on that plea. So cow is mother because we are drinking her milk. So you cannot put any argument in favor of killing mother. If you... Anyone who supplies milk from the body, she is mother. According to Vedic civilization, cow is one of the seven mothers. There are seven mothers: the real mother, ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī, the wife of spiritual master; then queen, rāja-patnikā. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. In this way, especially, seven mothers, dhenu, dhenu means cow, and dhātrī, nurse, she is also mother. So from that point of view, cow is mother, and you cannot kill on any ground the mother. That is not good reasoning.

Page Title:Real mother
Compiler:Haya, Yohana, Tugomera
Created:09 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=7, CC=2, OB=1, Lec=11, Con=4, Let=0
No. of Quotes:25