Duty of the family members

Expressions researched:
"duty of the elderly members of the family" |"duty of the family member" |"duty of the elderly relative" |"duty of the relative"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

They were so obedient because Dhṛtarāṣṭra happened to be the superior in the house, and he took care of the Pāṇḍavas when they were small children because their father died at an early age. So it was the duty of the elderly members of the family

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Mayapura, October 4, 1974: Visat: "from poison." The Dhrtarastra group, Dhrtarastra and his sons, they conspired to give them poison. They were transferred to a house. They were so obedient because Dhrtarastra happened to be the superior in the house, and he took care of the Pandavas when they were small children because their father died at an early age. So it was the duty of the elderly members of the family. After all, they were very respectable ksatriya family. So the elderly members means Dhrtarastra and Vidura and Bhismadeva. Bhismadeva was the grandfather of the family, and Dhrtarastra was the elder brother of Pandava, and Vidura was also brother, Vidura, also elder. Pandu was the youngest, the father of Maharaja Yudhisthira and... So it is, after all, a, what is called, varnasrama family, Vedic family. So the elderly people had the responsibility to raise the fatherless children. So Dhrtarastra took charge as the eldest member. So maya is very strong. He began to think that "Actually this kingdom belongs to me. I am the eldest son, but because I am born blind, therefore it was given to my younger brother. Now he is dead. Now he's dead, so the property belongs to me. Some way or other, it was transferred to my younger brother. Now the younger brother is dead. Then again I become proprietor. So at least I could not rule over the kingdom, why not my sons?" This was the beginning.

Just see Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, how much he was anxious to take care of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Although he played, played the part of an enemy throughout, still it is the duty of the family member to take care of the old men

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 (New-2003): So, "Have you not taken care of old men and boys who deserve to dine with you?" So, this is Vedic culture. When there is foodstuff to be distributed, the first preference is given to the children. We remember, even now we are seventy-eight, when we were children, we were four, five years old, we remember. Some of you have seen that (indistinct), and if you, anyone here? You have seen. So, the first feasting is for children. So sometimes I was little obstinate, I'll not, sit down, "No, I'll take with you, (indistinct)." But that was system. First of all children should be sumptuously fed, then the brahmanas, and children and old men. In the family, children and old men... Just see Maharaja Yudhisthira, how much he was anxious to take care of Dhrtarastra. Although he played, played the part of an enemy throughout, still it is the duty of the family member to take care of the old men. When Dhrtarastra left home after being accused by his younger brother Vidura, so, "My dear brother, you are still attached to family life, you have no shame. You are taking food whom you..., from whom you considered your enemies. You wanted to kill them from the very beginning. You set fire to their home. You banished them in the forest. You intrigued against their lives, and now everything is finished, all your sons, grandsons and son-in-laws and brothers, fathers, uncles...," I mean to say Bhisma was his uncle. So all the family. In the battlefield of Kuruksetra everyone was killed except these five brothers: Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva. All male members were killed. So, only the remaining descendant was Maharaja Pariksit. He was within the womb of his mother. And his father died, Arjuna's son, Abhimanyu. He was sixteen years old. Fortunately his wife was pregnant. Otherwise the Kuru dynasty was finished. So, he rebuked ,that "Still you are sitting here just for a morsel of food like dog. You have no shame, my dear brother."

So it is the duty of guru, it is the duty of father, it is the duty of the government, it is the duty of the elderly relative to educate everyone. This is human life, not that simply eating like dog and dancing like dog. This is not human civilization

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-6 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1975: So it is the duty of guru, it is the duty of father, it is the duty of the government, it is the duty of the elderly relative to educate everyone. This is human life, not that simply eating like dog and dancing like dog. This is not human civilization. So sa katham nyarpitatmanam krta-maitram acetanam. If I think that "My spiritual master is here. He will save me," and if I do not train him how to save them, then what is the use of having such spiritual master? What is the use of having such father? And what is the use of such government? There is a Bengali poetry by a Bengali Vaisnava: kaname janame sabe pita mata paya, krsna guru nahi mile bhajaha e aya.(?) As soon as you take birth, there is father. Either you take birth as a snake or you take birth as a human being, without father and mother there is no question of birth. So father and mother you will get in every birth. But krsna guru nahi mile bhajaha e aya(?): Krsna and guru will not be available in every birth. That is very important thing. You cannot get Krsna in the form of a snake or a cat and a dog, but you can get Krsna in the form as a human being.

It is the duty of the father and mother, the duty of the guru, the duty of the relative, to save one another from the cycle of birth and death. This is real upakāra, to save from the cycle of birth

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975: Any, at any moment the life can be finished. You know. There is no guarantee, "Because a child is a child, oh, he has got hundred years' age, so let him play now." No, that is not. He should be trained up. This is the duty of the father and mother. Na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. "One should not become father, one should not become mother, if he is not very careful to save the child from the imminent death." The imminent death does not mean motor accident. Imminent death means we are in the cycle of birth and death. It is the duty of the father and mother, the duty of the guru, the duty of the relative, to save one another from the cycle of birth and death. This is real upakara, to save from the cycle of birth... Na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. This life, we are thinking that "I am eighty years old or ninety years old." But it is not eighty years, ninety... It is mrtyu. Mrtyu. You are dying every moment. It is the life of mrtyu. Therefore one has to save. Na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. A child is grown up, five years old. Suppose he'll live hundred years. So that means he has already died five years. Therefore it is mrtyu. Or we have grown eighty years old. That means... Suppose I live hundred years. Still, I have already died eighty years. Therefore it is mrtyu. The whole life is mrtyu. Every moment you are dying, dying, dying, dying, from the very birth. Suppose a child is born one hour before. So one hour passed means he has died one hour out of hundred years, the beginning of death. This is called mrtyum. So we are thinking, "We are growing. We are living." This is all mugdha, bewildered. Where you are growing, you are living? You are dying every moment.