A Vaiṣṇava's kula-dharma is simply to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. So in the... Manuṣyāṇāṁ. Actually, human life begins when he is ready to serve the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. That is human life; otherwise it is animal life. Therefore the whole world is in chaos. They are not eager to serve Viṣṇu. They are simply eager to serve their senses. Go-dāsa. Servant of the senses. So instead of becoming servant of the senses, you have to become master of the senses. That is called gosvāmī. If you remain servant of the senses, then you are go-dāsa. Kāmādināṁ katidhā kati na.... That is animal life. But when you become master of the senses... How it is possible, master of the senses? Now, if you employ your senses always in the service of Kṛṣṇa, your senses are already controlled. Just like your tongue. Your tongue asks you, "Go to the restaurant and eat some nice thing." But if you are a Vaiṣṇava, if you have this vow that "I shall not allow my tongue to eat anything except prasādam," it is already controlled.
Go-dasa
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
The nature of the mind is flickering and unsteady. But a self-realized yogī has to control the mind; the mind should not control him. One who controls the mind (and therefore the senses as well) is called gosvāmī, or svāmī, and one who is controlled by the mind is called go-dāsa, or the servant of the senses. A gosvāmī knows the standard of sense happiness. In transcendental sense happiness, the senses are engaged in the service of Hṛṣīkeśa, or the supreme owner of the senses—Kṛṣṇa. Serving Kṛṣṇa with purified senses is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the way of bringing the senses under full control. What is more, that is the highest perfection of yoga practice.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 4
Similarly, in his material, conditional existence, the living entity gives power of attorney to his mind. As such, he is liable to be misdirected by his mind into enjoying sense objects. Śrīla Ambarīṣa Mahārāja therefore first engaged his mind upon the lotus feet of the Lord. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). When the mind is engaged in meditation on the lotus feet of the Lord, the senses are controlled. This system of control is called yama, and this means "subduing the senses." One who can subdue the senses is called a gosvāmī, but one who cannot control the mind is called go-dāsa. The mind directs the activities of the senses, which are expressed through different outlets, as described in the next verse.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Instruction
When one accepts the renounced order of life, he automatically assumes the title of svāmī. This does not mean that he is the master of his family, community or society; he must be master of his senses. Unless one is master of his senses, he should not be called gosvāmī, but go-dāsa, servant of the senses. Following in the footsteps of the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, all svāmīs and gosvāmīs should fully engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. As opposed to this, the go-dāsas engage in the service of the senses or in the service of the material world. They have no other engagement. Prahlāda Mahārāja has further described the go-dāsa as adānta-go, which refers to one whose senses are not controlled. An adānta-go cannot become a servant of Kṛṣṇa. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.30), Prahlāda Mahārāja has said:
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
They want to enjoy the senses. Not enjoy—they want to serve the senses. My tongue says, "Please take me to such and such restaurant and give me such and such chicken juice." I immediately go. Not to enjoy, but to abide by the orders of my tongue. Therefore in the name of so-called enjoyment, we are all serving the senses. In Sanskrit it is called go-dāsa. Go means senses. So unless you become gosvāmī, your life is spoiled. Gosvāmī. You cannot be dictated by the senses. You have to dictate to the senses. As soon as the tongue says, "Now, you will take me to that restaurant, or give me a cigarette," if you say, "No. No cigarette, no restaurant; simply kṛṣṇa-prasāda," then you are gosvāmī. Then you are gosvāmī. This is the characteristic, sanātana. Because I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So this is called sanātana-dharma. That we are describing in the Ajāmila-upākhyāna. This stage can be attained. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena śaucena tyāgena yamena niyamena (SB 6.1.13).
Yes. That is the yoga success. At the present moment the mind is controlling me, go-dāsa. Mind is dictating me that, "Please, why not see that beautiful nice girl," and I go and... "Why not drink that nice liquor?" "Yes." "Why not smoke this nice cigarette?" "Yes." "Why not go to the restaurant, nice." "Why not do this." So many things is dictating, and we are following. So this present stage is I am controlled by the mind. The material life means one is controlled by the mind or by the senses. Mind is the center of all senses. So to be controlled by the mind means to be controlled by the senses. Senses are subordinate assistants to the master mind. Master mind dictates, "Go and see that." My eyes sees. Therefore my eyes, the sense eye is under the direction of the mind. My legs go. Therefore my sense organ the leg is under the direction of the mind. So to become under the direction of the mind means to become under the direction of the senses. So if you can control the mind then you'll not be under the control of the senses.
So one who is under the control of the senses, he is go-dāsa. Go means senses and dāsa means servant. And one who is master of the senses, he's gosvāmī. Svāmī means master and go means senses. You have seen the gosvāmī title. Gosvāmī title means one who is the master of the sense. One who is not the servant of the sense, so long one is servant of the senses, he cannot be called a gosvāmī or svāmī. Svāmī or gosvāmī, the same thing, means one who is the master of the senses. So unless one is not master of the senses, his accepting this title of svāmī and gosvāmī is cheating. One must be master of the senses. That is defined by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī. They were ministers. When they were ministers they were not gosvāmī. But when they became disciples of Lord Caitanya, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, and was trained by Him, they became gosvāmī.
Similarly actually if you follow this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you'll see yourself that you are advancing in the matter of self-realization. Go on.
Viṣṇujana: "One who controls the mind, therefore the senses as well, is called gosvāmī or svāmī. One who is controlled by the mind is called go-dāsa or the servant of the senses. A gosvāmī knows the standard of sense happiness. In transcendental sense happiness, the senses are engaged in the service of Hṛṣīkeśa or the supreme owner of the senses—Kṛṣṇa. Serving Kṛṣṇa with purified senses is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the way of bringing the senses under full control. What is more, that is the highest perfection of yoga practice." Verse 27: "The yogi whose mind is fixed on Me verily attains the highest pleasure. By virtue of his identity with Brahman, he is liberated, his mind is peaceful, his passions are quieted, and he is freed from sin (BG 6.27)."
Because they were not affected by these demands. That is gosvāmī; that is svāmī. Svāmī means master. Gosvāmī means master of the senses. So if I am servant of the senses, how I can become gosvāmī, how I can become svāmī? That is false, hypocrisy. If you are servant of the senses, then you are go-dāsa. Dāsa means servant, and go means senses. And if you are master of the senses, then you are gosvāmī. Every word has meaning. So without being fit, we should not use this word as personal designation. That is not good.
So mukti means... That is mukti. When we are not servant of the dictation of the senses, that is called mukti. So long we remain servant and obliged to perform according to the dictation of the senses, then I am go-dāsa, on the material field, go-dāsa, or under the spell of the material energy, servant of the material energy. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā... (BG 7.14). The māyā, the prakṛti, is dictating. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Dictating means you voluntarily become subjected to the dictation of this material nature. She cannot dictate if you are strong. But if you agree that "I shall be dictated by you," then you become dictated. Just like a disease. If you infect the disease, then you must suffer. But if you remain very fit, competent, not to be infected by the germs of the disease, you are not diseased. This is the way.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
That is sufficient. That's all. And those who are tapasvīs, they should reduce sleeping also. Just like the Gosvāmīs did. Only one and a half hour or utmost two hours. That also sometimes not. Actually, we should reduce this. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. This is gosvāmī. Gosvāmīs does not mean go-dāsa. Go means senses and dāsa means servant. If we keep the title gosvāmī and become servant of the senses, it is cheating. You must be gosvāmī, means you must be master of the senses. Self-control. So what the Gosvāmīs did? Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca yau. Very humble and... Nidrā means sleeping, āhāra means eating, and vihāra means sense enjoyment, vijitau, they conquered over.
They conquered over these things. What is that? Nidrāhāra, nidrā, āhāra, vihāra. Vihāra means sense enjoyment, and āhāra means eating or collecting. Generally, eating. And nidrā. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. Conquered. That is Vaiṣṇava. Not that out of twenty-four hours, thirty-six hours sleeping. (laughter) And at the same time, passing on as gosvāmī. What is this go...? Go-dāsa. They are go-dāsa. Go means senses, and dāsa means servant.
So our policy should be, instead of becoming servant of the senses, we have to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is gosvāmī. Because unless you conquer over, senses will always ask you, "Please eat, please sleep, please have sexual intercourse. Please have this, please have this." This is material life. This is material life, subjected to the dictation of the senses. That is material life. And one has to become... (sic:) Go-dāsa means the mind is dictating, "Please eat more, please sleep more, please have sexual more, please have defense fund more..." So this is materialism.
So practically they become Muhammadans. Their names were changed: Dabira Khāsa, Sākara Mallika. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them gosvāmī. This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They were rejected by the brāhmaṇa community, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī. The gosvāmī is not a caste title. Gosvāmī means who has control over the senses. Go means senses and svāmī means master. Those who are servant of the senses, they cannot become gosvāmī. That is not gosvāmī. Servant of senses, that is go-dāsa, not gosvāmī. So the Gosvāmī... Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau, the six Gosvāmīs, six Gosvāmīs, and if we follow their footprints, rūpānuga-varāya te, then he also becomes gosvāmī. This is the process.
The bhagavad-dūta means they are in right constitutional position. So you all become bhagavad-dūta, bhagavad-dūta, messenger of God. That is perfection of life. Otherwise you shall be obliged to become the servant of the senses. Go-dāsa and gosvāmī. The bhagavad-dūtas are gosvāmī, and the servants of the senses are go-dāsa. Unfortunately the go-dāsas are claiming to be gosvāmīs. That is the cause of falldown of Indian Vedic civilization. One has to become gosvāmī. Gosvāmī means refuse to follow the dictation of the senses. Simply he has to follow the dictation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That dictation comes through the paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa dictated Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If you follow Arjuna, then you (are) in directly contact with Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. The dictation comes through disciplic succession. Now Kṛṣṇa is teaching to His disciple, Arjuna.
Initiation Lectures
My sense says, "Please take me to the cinema," the eyes. I immediately go and stand there three hours for the ticket. You see? So I am ruled by the senses. And when you will be strong enough, the eyes will say, "Please take me to the cinema," and you will say, "No, you cannot go to the cinema." Then you are ruler. So one is go-dāsa. Go-dāsa means servant of the senses. And one is gosvāmī, master of the senses. That is the difference between gosvāmī and go-dāsa. Go means senses. When we are servant of the senses, then we are in the material world. And when we are master of the senses, then we are in the spiritual world. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have got. All right.
General Lectures
That's all. I have never become the master. I am not master of my sense; I am the servant of my senses. That is my position." So why not becoming the servant of the Supreme instead of serving on the servant of the senses? You cannot become master. Actually, you become master of the senses when you are actually servant of Kṛṣṇa; otherwise it is not possible. There are two words, gosvāmī and go-dāsa. Persons who are servant of their senses, they are called materialistic go-dāsa, and persons who are master of the senses, they are called gosvāmī. Gosvāmī. They control the senses. The tongue wants to eat something which is not... "Oh," he controls. "Oh, tongue, you cannot taste these things. It is not Kṛṣṇa prasāda." Therefore he becomes gosvāmī, master. He does not allow the tongue to eat any nonsense thing except Kṛṣṇa prasāda. He cannot allow his senses, his anything for sense gratification. Only for the service. That is called devotional service. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That's all. And take this." In this way preaching practical. Otherwise it is not possible. Everyone is thinking he is the most exalted personality, scientist, philosopher, great man. That is material disease. Actually he is being kicked every moment by the urges of the senses, and he is thinking he is very great man. Go-dāsa. Go means senses. He is always, I mean, curbed down by the sense urges, and he is thinking, "independent." Independent means servant of the senses. This is going on. So you have to understand the real position of the world, and if you want to preach, then you have to (be) humbler than the tree, humbler than the grass, tolerant than the tree and... We know everyone is rascal; still, you have to give him honor. Then it will be possible to say something. Otherwise it is very difficult. We have to deal with all rascals, fools, rogues, ruffians, all good qualificat..., like. This is... You must know these things. You are dealing with all rascals. So if we call them directly "rascal," they will be angry.
| Page Title: | Go-dasa |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 12 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=1, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=13, Con=1, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 17 |