That was the quarrel between the father and the son. The son (Prahlada) was a great devotee and the father (Hiranyakasipu) was a great atheist

Expressions researched:
"That was the quarrel between the father and the son. The son was a great devotee and the father was a great atheist"

Lectures

General Lectures

S

The father was atheist, and the son, by nature—not by nature; he was instructed by Nārada Muni about devotional service, so he became perfect. That was the quarrel between the father and the son. The son was a great devotee and the father was a great atheist.

730228 - Lecture - Jakarta:

The father was atheist, and the son, by nature—not by nature; he was instructed by Nārada Muni about devotional service, so he became perfect. That was the quarrel between the father and the son. The son was a great devotee and the father was a great atheist. The father did not like that his son should be devotee, and father . . . son did not like that his father should remain an atheist. So there was misunderstanding. The son was right, but the father will not change his atheistic view.

So anyway, after all, father and son, the relation is very affectionate, filial affection. So father asked that whether his son has changed his views. "My dear son, will you kindly explain what you have learned best?" So he said, tat sādhu manye-asura-varya. He's addressing his father, asura-varya. Asura means demon, and varya means the top, varyam, the first-class asura. He did not address his father as "father." Asura-varya: "My dear first-class demon, I think you are asking me what is the best thing. So, in my opinion, everyone is very, very anxious." Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām.

Dehinām. Dehinām means one who has accepted this material body. He's called dehī. Practically we do not require this material body, but we have accepted this material body for enjoying in this material world. In the spiritual world we can simply remain as servant. We cannot become master. Because in the spiritual world the master is one—Kṛṣṇa, or God—and everyone is servant. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109).

That is, that is our real position. Our real position is to serve. Now in the material world we have come here to enjoy, but we are serving. This is called māyā. Actually we are not enjoying; we are serving. Suppose I become president of a certain state. What is my position? My position is to serve the country well. But I am thinking, "Now I am president." Similarly, in family life, the head of the family, he's thinking that he's master, but actually he's serving his wife, his children, his servant.

So our actual position is servitude. We serve. Either I become president or minister or head of the family, head of the community, society—whatever I may be, my position is servant, but I'm thinking that I have become master. This is called illusion. And sometimes, when I become exasperated by becoming such master, false master, I give up this world. I say brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false. Now I shall become Brahman, the Supreme Brahman. I shall merge into Brahman."

This is . . . just like the grapes are sour. The jackal and the orchard . . . you have no . . . you have knowledge of this story. This jackal wanted to catch up the grapes, and when he could not catch up, he gives it up: "Oh, the grapes are sour. It has no use." Similarly, first of all we try to become master—master of family, master of society, master of community, master of nation, master of international figure—and when you're baffled, then we give up this world. So-called give up. We cannot give up. But we say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is false, and now brahma is satya; therefore I shall become Brahman."