Duty of the mother

Expressions researched:
"duty of the father and mother" |"duty of a mother" |"mother's duty" |"mother duty" |"duty of the mother"

SB Canto 4

As long as a living entity in the form of a child or boy is innocent, it is the duty of the father and mother to lead him into a proper understanding of the values of life

SB 4.28.22, Purport: Foolish people do not know that every individual soul is responsible for his own actions and reactions in life. As long as a living entity in the form of a child or boy is innocent, it is the duty of the father and mother to lead him into a proper understanding of the values of life. When a child is grown, it should be left up to him to execute the duties of life properly. The parent, after his death, cannot help his child. A father may leave some estate for his children's immediate help, but he should not be overly absorbed in thoughts of how his family will survive after his death. This is the disease of the conditioned soul. Not only does he commit sinful activities for his own sense gratification, but he accumulates great wealth to leave behind so that his children may also gorgeously arrange for sense gratification.

SB Canto 6

Mother Yaśodā punished Kṛṣṇa by binding Him and showing Him a stick. Thus it is the duty of a mother to chastise her beloved son, even in the case of the Supreme Lord

SB 6.17.15, Purport: To surrender to Krsna means to surrender to His devotees also, for no one can be a proper servant of Krsna unless he is a proper servant of a devotee. Chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba: without serving a servant of Krsna, one cannot be elevated to being a servant of Krsna Himself. Therefore mother Parvati spoke to Citraketu exactly like a mother who says to her naughty child, "My dear child, I am punishing you so that you won't do anything like this again." This tendency of a mother to punish her child is found even in mother Yasoda, who became the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mother Yasoda punished Krsna by binding Him and showing Him a stick. Thus it is the duty of a mother to chastise her beloved son, even in the case of the Supreme Lord. It is to be understood that mother Durga was justified in punishing Citraketu. This punishment was a boon to Citraketu because after taking birth as the demon Vrtrasura, he was promoted directly to Vaikuntha.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

It is the duty of the father and mother to engage the child, boy, from the beginning of his life in the matter of devotional service

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972: A human being, he should learn about the Bhagavata-dharma from the beginning of his kaumara age, not that keep it aside, "When I shall become old man, then I shall read the scriptures." No. Kaumara, from the boyhood. Kaumara acaret prajnah. If one is actually having sense... Of course, a boy has no sense. It is the duty of the father and mother to engage the child, boy, from the beginning of his life in the matter of devotional service, bhagavatan. Fortunately, we got a very nice father; he engaged us in this devotional service from the very beginning of our life. So it is the duty of every father, every state, every guru, every friend, every relative how to engage the boy in spiritual life. Kaumara acaret prajnah. Sastra says, pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat: "One should not become father, one should not become mother," na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. The father and mother's duty is to the children that "This child has come to me in my womb," mother, "this is the last. He will have no more to come back to the womb of mother. I will teach him in such a way that he will be liberated." That is the duty of the father and mother. If one's father and mother is not able to coach and teach his children like that, how to get out of this entanglement of birth and death, he should not become father and mother. That is real contraceptive method, that "I should not produce cats and dogs. I should produce a child who will never come back again to another mother. He will be liberated. He will go back to home, back to Godhead." That is the duty of the father and mother. Not that produce cats and dogs. And therefore, the world is in trouble. They are fighting like cats and dogs, because cats and dogs have been produced and they have not been trained up. No brahmacari system, no grhastha system, no vanaprastha system. Therefore, the Vedic conception of civilization is the perfect for human society. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. You will find everything in the Bhagavad-gita.

If we can beget children to develop them with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thus become liberated from the clutches of repeated birth and death, that is the duty of the father and mother rightly followed

Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971: So at the present moment this movement, Krsna consciousness movement, is meant for creating nice brahmanas with qualification. Satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. So Krsna says that "Regular principle, sex life, is all right. That is I am." That is Krsna. If we can beget children to develop them with Krsna consciousness and thus become liberated from the clutches of repeated birth and death, that is the duty of the father and mother rightly followed. Otherwise we become entangled.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Mother's duty is to take care of the child, motherly affection

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974: But here, the advanced civilization, the mother is killing the child, abortion. You see? Still, it is called advancement. Mother's duty is to take care of the child, motherly affection. Woman is meant for that. And now the problem is the mother doesn't want children. You see? And to avoid children, they are killing. Regularly they are killing. So what is the use of this civilization? Because you are becoming implicated in sinful activities, and therefore you'll have to be punished. You cannot escape the punishment of God as you can escape the punishment of the state. No. You have no right to kill even an ant without any purpose, without any sanction. So they do not know.

Lecture on SB 2.3.14-15 -- Los Angeles, May 31, 1972: Teach from the very beginning of life. Just like, bāla-krīḍa. Bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan. By playing, he's becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. So in our Dallas you go. Make all these, save all these children, those who have come to your shelter. It is the duty of the father and mother. It is the duty of guardian to save the dependents from the impending danger of death, repeated birth and death. So if you cannot save these children, then it is useless. Save them.

Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974: And how one can be saved? The saved means if the father and mother together gives education to the son about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he can be saved. The father-mother's duty is... The same, apavarga-vartmani. Apavarga-vartmani. To give education in such a way that no more pavarga. No more pariśrama, no more phena, no more bhaya, no more vyarthatā, no more maraṇa. That is called apavarga-vardhanam. This is here real human life—human society cultivating knowledge in such a way that apavarga-vardhanam, gradually we are going forward for liberation.

The father and mother's duty is to unite them so that they may not be spoiled, they may not be like cats and dogs

Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976: Because a man is searching after woman and woman is searching after man, when they unite, then the kāma becomes hard knot, very tightly. When they are separated, there is chance of not being tied, but as soon as they are tied by marriage or by some way or other, then tayor mitha hṛdaya-granthim āhur. Hṛdaya-granthim. We are already attracted to these things, and when it is united, then we see practically in our Indian families that when the boy is grown up and the girl is grown up, the father-mother unite them by marriage system. Everywhere. But India still going on. Why? Because unless he is married, he'll not get attracted to this material life. So the father and mother's duty is to unite them so that they may not be spoiled, they may not be like cats and dogs. At least there will be some regulative principles they will follow.

The father-mother knows what does he want, how he will be happy; that is the duty of the father and mother

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975: Any servant of any big man, he is bigger than his master. Because he is given Master is given so many varieties of food. Master takes little, and the balance the servants eat. (laughs) So where is his want? There is no question of want. Just try to become servant of God, and all your necessities will be sufficiently fulfilled. This is intelligence. Just like a rich man's child, does he want anything from father? No, he simply wants father, mother. The father-mother knows what does he want, how he will be happy. That is the duty of the father and mother. Similarly, this is very good intelligence: just to try to become the sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. All your necessities of life will be sufficiently supplied. There is no question of asking.

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

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 yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. "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 upakāra, to save from the cycle of birth...

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975: Spiritual life means to end the sufferings of material existence. That is Prahlāda... Dharmān bhagavat..., durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. So in the human form of life the children should be trained up to spiritual life. That is the duty of the father and mother. Gṛheṣu saptas. If one remains attached to family life, then gṛheṣu saktasya pramattas. Pramattas means to remain attached to this family life means madness.

The father, mother's duty is to train the children in such a way that they will be interested in Kṛṣṇa and guru

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976: So if we have to become father and mother, we shall have to teach our children in such a way that next life, no more material life. He goes back to home, back to Godhead. That is real father and mother. Therefore it is said, balasya neha śaraṇaṁ nṛsiṁha pitarau. If the father, mother do not know how to give protection to the children, then what is the use of taking shelter? Huh? In Prema-vivarta it is said, janame janame sabe pitā mātā pāya, kṛṣṇa guru nahe mile bhaja hari ei. Every... Cats and dogs, they also get father and mother. Without father, mother, who can take birth? So to become the father, mother, like cats and dogs, that is not human civilization. The father, mother's duty is to train the children in such a way that they will be interested in Kṛṣṇa and guru. That is father, mother. Because, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpayā pāya bhakti-lātā-bīja

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

So it is the duty of the father and mother to train children in such a way that they will be interested in guru and Kṛṣṇa. Why? By the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa, he'll get bhakti-lātā-bīja. And that is real life. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is real religious system, which teaches the follower how to become a devotee.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lectures on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta , Adi-lila 1.11, Mayapur, April 4, 1975:The citizens are expecting good government. So they are subordinate, expecting protection from the superior. Therefore the whole scheme should be how to protect them from repetition of death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. We are entangled by this process of birth, death, old age and disease, and it is the duty of the guru, duty of the father, duty of the mother, duty of the government, how to save them from this process of birth, death, old and di... That is civilization. Otherwise it is dog civilization. What is the meaning? This is civilization. Ref. VedaBase -- Māyāpur, April 4, 1975

Initiation Lectures

So that is the duty of the father and mother, parents, to raise the children to complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness

Initiation of Mrga-netri Dasi -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1970:: Prabhupāda: All right. She may be named as Anaṅga, Anaṅga-mañjarī. That's a name of one of the assistant gopīs. Yes. So your daughter is fortunate. She is getting association of these devotees from childhood. So give her protection and raise her nicely. She is becoming attracted to the Vaiṣṇavas, to Kṛṣṇa. This is the opportunity, to get nice father and mother and become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Yes. So that is the duty of the father and mother, parents, to raise the children to complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then she will no more have to come back in the womb of any other mother. This is the... This finishes. That is the duty of father and mother. Father and mother should think that "This child will no more come in any other womb. I shall train him or her in such a way." That is the duty. That is the duty of spiritual master, that is the duty of parents, that is the duty of state. But it is Kali-yuga; everything is different. So somehow or other, so she should be taken care of. And as you train, so she becomes trained. That's all.

General Lectures

You have got this chance of human form of life; that is the duty of the father and mother

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:: Today this boy's wife has not come. We have got a little child, his daughter. Only one and a half years... She's also learning how to bow down, how to eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam, how to clap during kīrtana. There is no question of waiting for sixteen years. That is artificial. That is artificial. Why one should...? Who knows? Who will live up to sixteen years? Begin immediately. Begin immediately. You have got this chance of human form of life. That is the duty of the father and mother. All right, here is a child. Let him take a little prasādam. All right. Little beginning. And it is simple. Why one should wait for sixteen years or sixteen or thirty-two years? No, there is no waiting. Immediately.

So save your children from the danger of repetition of birth and death, that is the real discharge of father and mother's duty

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:: So our request is that the guardians who are present here in this meeting, they should organize a special school to give lesson to their students, to their boys, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhāgavata-dharma. There is vast knowledge behind this. They will be enlightened. Their life will be successful. So in this city of Delhi, it is a great city and very important city. There are very important men here. They should kindly consider this proposal that there must be a very organized school to understand this bhāgavata-dharma, just to teach their boys, and their life will be successful. It is the duty of the father and mother to see that "My son, this is the last attempt of coming into this material world." Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. It is the duty of the father and the mother to stop the repetition of birth and death of his son. The mother should consider that "My son came to my womb, and he has suffered so much while he was remaining within the womb. Now I shall teach my son in such a way that no more he is going in the womb of a material mother." That is the duty of father, that is the duty of mother, that is the duty of friend, that is the duty of guru. Gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. So save your children from the danger of repetition of birth and death, that is the real discharge of father and mother's duty.

Philosophy Discussions

The father's, mother's duty is how to rescue their children from the cycle of birth and death

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:: So this theory: that we should marry, we should have sex life for creating good progeny. And my Guru Mahārāja used to say—he was a sannyāsī brahmacārī—but he said that "If I could produce really Kṛṣṇa conscious children, I can use hundred times sex life. Otherwise why shall I use my sex for cat, producing cats and dog?" He has said like that. So the śāstra also says, pitā na sa syāt janani na sa syāt: the father's, mother's duty is how to rescue their children from the cycle of birth and death. That is real father and mother. Otherwise cats and dogs, they are also father and mother. That is not wanted. Vedic culture is different. Produce children for such education and such accomplishment that he can be saved from the cycle of birth and death, and the putra should be such qualified that even his father goes to the hellish condition of pundama, he will deliver him. That is the idea of becoming father and family.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi: Prabhupāda: Never go in vain. This is her... She had executed devotional service in her past life. Therefore from the very beginning of her life, she's in association of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very beginning. This is the chance. Now it is the duty of the father and mother, and when she grows up it is her duty to finish this business, go to back to home. This is chance. So where is the loss? Even she failed last life, then where is the loss? She's getting another chance, whereas the ordinary karmīs, they'll not get that chance. That is explained.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Yes. Yes. That is the duty of the father and mother

Morning Walk Around Farm -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Jyotirmāyī: Because you were saying that the parents can keep their children and teach them themselves, like Arundhatī is teaching Aniruddha. So does it mean that the parents can...

Prabhupāda: He complained that "My boy is not being properly..." So I said that "You teach your son."

Jyotirmāyī: She can keep him and teach him all the time? Until he's older and so on?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Yes. That is the duty of the father and mother. Along with that, he can teach others also. These things are to be organized. But some way or other, our students should be given education and spiritual life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Individually, collectively, somehow or other. The principle is laid down there, brahmacārī gurukule vasan dānto guror-hitam. That's the beginning. Everything is there, we have to simply follow it. We haven't got to manufacture anything. That is a waste of time. Whatever is there, you follow. Is that all right?

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad: Prabhupāda: That is Vedic culture. How to conquer over this process of repetition, birth and death. That is only possible in the human life. A chance is given, and if he misses this chance then again he'll be cycle... Therefore the father and mother's duty is to train up the children in such a way, that this is the last birth. No more birth. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. And that training, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Therefore it is the duty of the father and mother that she is young girl, she wants shelter, and out of passion, lusty desires, her selection may be wrong

Garden Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Unnecessarily attraction she will avoid. But a woman is naturally, her psychology is dress very nicely so that man may be attracted. Because they want shelter. This is the whole psychology. They, although they declare independence, they cannot live independently. That is not possible. Therefore they are by nature accustomed to dress attractively so that one may accept her and give her shelter. This is psychology. Otherwise, why the woman are naturally inclined to dress herself nice. Man does not. This is the psychology. A boy, sixteen years old boy, he does not... He is roughly dressed, he does not... But a sixteen year old girl will never remain roughly. She'll always try to decorate herself very nicely and utilize her youthful beauty for attracting. Why attracting? Because she wants shelter. Therefore it is the duty of the father and mother that she is young girl, she wants shelter, and out of passion, lusty desires, her selection may be wrong. So before she selects out of her own way, let me, it is my duty, I am guardian. Give her some good shelter. This is Hindu process.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation: "How to Secure Brahmacaris" -- June 24, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: According to our Bhāgavata philosophy, if one is not able to beget nice children, then he should not become father-mother. That is real contraceptive. Gurur na sa syāt jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. The father-mother's duty is to stop repetition of birth and death. That is real father-mother. Otherwise dog is also doing that. Dog is also begetting children. Man is also begetting. What is the difference? The difference is man should be responsible that "This child who has come to me, this is his last birth. No more birth again."