Real master

Expressions researched:
"real master"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

Ignorant of their real master, the foolish workers waste their valuable time serving mammon.

BG 7.15, Purport: Most often, those who work very hard day and night to clear the burden of self-created duties say that they have no time to hear of the immortality of the living being. To such mūḍhas, material gains, which are destructible, are life's all in all-despite the fact that the mūḍhas enjoy only a very small fraction of the fruit of labor. Sometimes they spend sleepless days and nights for fruitive gain, and although they may have ulcers or indigestion, they are satisfied with practically no food; they are simply absorbed in working hard day and night for the benefit of illusory masters. Ignorant of their real master, the foolish workers waste their valuable time serving mammon.

SB Canto 5

At the present moment, the real master is material nature.

SB 5.10.12, Purport: For some time we play as master or servant, as actors play on the stage under someone else's direction. While we are in the human form, we should put an end to this nonsensical stage performance. We should come to our original constitutional position, known as Kṛṣṇa consciousness. At the present moment, the real master is material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (Bg. 7.14). Under the spell of material nature, we are becoming servants and masters, but if we agree to be controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His eternal servants, this temporary condition ceases to exist.

SB Canto 7

Similarly, a master who wants to please his servant after taking service from him is also not a real master.

SB 7.10 Summary: Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva wanted to bestow benedictions upon Prahlāda Mahārāja, one after another, but Prahlāda Mahārāja, thinking them impediments on the path of spiritual progress, did not accept any of them. Instead, he fully surrendered at the Lord's lotus feet. He said: "If anyone engaged in the devotional service of the Lord prays for personal sense gratification, he cannot be called a pure devotee or even a devotee. He may be called only a merchant engaged in the business of give and take. Similarly, a master who wants to please his servant after taking service from him is also not a real master." Prahlāda Mahārāja, therefore, did not ask anything from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather, he said that if the Lord wanted to give him a benediction, he wanted the Lord to assure him that he would never be induced to take any benedictions for the sake of material desires.

A demigod cannot become master, for the real master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 7.10.5, Purport: "Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods." A demigod cannot become master, for the real master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigods, to keep their prestigious positions, bestow upon their worshipers whatever benedictions the worshipers want.

One who has materialistic motivations cannot become a servant, and one who unnecessarily bestows benedictions upon his servant to keep his own prestigious position is not a real master.

SB 7.10.5, Purport: Prahlāda Mahārāja distinguishes between the pure devotee and the pure master. The Lord is the pure master, the supreme master, whereas an unalloyed devotee with no material motives is the pure servant. One who has materialistic motivations cannot become a servant, and one who unnecessarily bestows benedictions upon his servant to keep his own prestigious position is not a real master.

Nor should the master cater to the desires of the servant. If he does, he is not the real master. The real master commands, "You must do this."

SB 7.10.6, Purport: Unfortunately, when this eternal relationship is disturbed, the living entity wants to become separately happy and thinks that the master is his order supplier. In this way there cannot be happiness. Nor should the master cater to the desires of the servant. If he does, he is not the real master. The real master commands, "You must do this," and the real servant immediately obeys the order. Unless this relationship between the Supreme Lord and the subordinate living entity is established, there can be no real happiness. The living entity is āśraya, always subordinate, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is viṣaya, the supreme objective, the goal of life.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

"Oh, Vāsudeva is the real master. And my nature is to serve Him."

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972: So when one comes to the senses that he cannot be master at any stage of his life, then he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. "Oh, Vāsudeva is the real master. And my nature is to serve Him." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. He's first-class mahātmā, not the mahātmā who is thinking himself that he has become Nārāyaṇa and begging door to door. And Nārāyaṇa is meant for begging? Nārāyaṇa is the master of Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune. But they have manufactured a word—daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa has become daridra. Just foolishness, see. Nārāyaṇa, He's the master of goddess of... Not only one goddess of fortune, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham... [Bs. 5.29], hundreds of thousands of Lakṣmīs.

Because we have forgotten our real master, real master, the Supreme Lord, by illusory energy we have been put to be servant of the senses.

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966: If I am following the dictation of my senses, then I am not the master of the senses. I am the servant of the senses. So actually our position is like that. Because we have forgotten our real master, real master, the Supreme Lord, by illusory energy we have been put to be servant of the senses. Instead of becoming servant of the Supreme, we have become the servant of the senses.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

How he can be master? Real master is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973: They are trying to become master. It is just the opposite—to become servant. This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy, how to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, oh, hundred times servant [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Because this philosophy is understood by becoming a servant, not by becoming a master. That you will not. That is called jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā [SB 1.2.12]. Because so long wants to become a master, he is still in ajñāna because he cannot be master. How he can be master? Real master is Kṛṣṇa. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. How you can be master? Can you become more than Kṛṣṇa? He is sarva-loka-maheśvaram.

Master, imitation master. Real master is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968: So in the material world the varieties are reflection of the spiritual world. Here is also father, but this is imitation father. But there is also father, but that is not father, that is real father. It is imitation father. A friend is imitation friend. Real friend is Kṛṣṇa. Real father is Kṛṣṇa. Here husband, imitation husband. Real husband is Kṛṣṇa. Master, imitation master. Real master is Kṛṣṇa. So in this way, if we establish our relationship with Kṛṣṇa as..., either as husband or lover or master or friend or son or father, it is perfect. It is perfect. We have to go to that stage.

So when we give up all these designation service and engage myself in the real service of the real master, that is called mukti, liberation.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975: The definition of mukti, or liberation, or becoming free from the designation, is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ: Mukti means when we give up the service in designation and we are situated in our original constitutional position. That is called mukti, liberation, or salvation, whatever you like. Muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa. What is my own constitutional position? I am eternal servant of God, Kṛṣṇa. This is my position. So when we give up all these designation service and engage myself in the real service of the real master, that is called mukti, liberation.

"Now inquire about your real master, Brahman, or the Supreme, the great, the Absolute Truth."

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975: When one comes to the point that "I have rendered service in so many ways. So neither I am happy nor the person to whom I have served, they are happy. Then what is the remedy?" That is discussed in the Vedānta-sūtra philosophy. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now inquire about your real master, Brahman, or the Supreme, the great, the Absolute Truth." That is required. So we should be prepared like that, that we have served our propensities, different propensities, lusty desire, greediness, anger, kāma, krodha, lobha, mohaḥ... Mohaḥ means illusion.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

So this relationship is a perverted reflection of the real master and servant.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972: Here also, we have got taste for any relationship. Just like we have got our relationship with master and servant. So this relationship is a perverted reflection of the real master and servant. Here it is perverted because the master also does not love the servant, and the servant also does not love the master. The servant serves the master so long there is payment. If the payment is stopped, then no more the servant will be available.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Now I have got my real master to serve.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976: "Now I have got my real master to serve. I am serving so many, I mean, items, in the family, in the society, in the community, in the nation. But I could not be satisfied. Neither I am..., persons to whom I have given my service, they are also not satisfied." This is wrong service. Nobody is satisfied. The so-called master is not satisfied, and the so-called servant is not satisfied. The so-called servant means that "Unless you pay me, I am not going to serve you." Strike. "I am your master. You pay me. Then I shall serve you." So nobody is servant actually. Everyone wants to become master, either collectively or individually. That is māyā. This is material world. And when one understands that he is not a master—he is servant—and the real master is Kṛṣṇa, that is liberation.

Festival Lectures

You take real master, Nityānanda Prabhu. You'll be happy.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Avirbhava Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977: Everyone is dog. Everyone is searching after to serve a master. But none of them are satisfied because that is false master. You take real master, Nityānanda Prabhu. You'll be happy. Se paśu boro durācār. He does not know where is happiness. Where I shall become a dog? That...

Our Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he has sung therefore,

vaisnava ṭhākur, tomāra kukkur,

boliya janaha more

"My dear Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, kindly accept me as your dog, as your dog. I am dog already, but I am māyā's dog. I'm not Vaiṣṇava's dog. So kindly accept me."

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

We are also trying to be dog, but not of another dog, but real master.

Morning Walk -- December 31, 1973, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: So why don't you answer them, "Yes, you become a dog, but you become a dog of a good master." What is the use of becoming dog of another dog? Then what profit will be there? Is it not? We are... Actually every one of us is dog. And we are trying to satisfy so many masters. The masters are our senses. We are already dog, everyone, because everyone is servant of the senses, kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya. So everyone is dog. Now he has to remain a dog, but by becoming dog of these senses, he is not happy. Find out a good master, and become a dog. You become happy. This is our philosophy. And the best master is Kṛṣṇa. We are also trying to be dog, but not of another dog, but real master. That is our philosophy.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

But to have a real master and to have a false master.... Just like a physician.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No, that is your ignorance. Nobody is happy. That is.... Then it is the happiness of the dog. He is also thinking happy. The hog is also thinking happy. That is another illusion. The dog may be a very big dog, and he can bark very nicely, but he is not happy because he has got a master. As soon as the master, "Come here," "Yes." Chain.

Carol Jarvis: But all of these people have a mouth, and you do the same to them. You call them, and they jump.

Prabhupāda: No.

Carol Jarvis: That's the same as a dog coming to its master.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But to have a real master and to have a false master.... Just like a physician. He is asking that "Come here. Lie down." He is knife.... He knows that he'll make surgical.... He agrees. But if somebody, rogue, says that "I shall cut your throat," he'll not agree. That is intelligence. A physician is also with the knife, and the rogue is also with the knife. When the physician says, "You lie down. I shall have some surgical operation," he agrees to ply on his body the knife. But he'll never agree if he knows that "He is a rogue. He'll simply cut my throat." That is the difference. But superficially you see, "Both of them are with knife," but one for real happiness, one for false thing.

Carol Jarvis: I find it hard to see the difference...

Prabhupāda: Yes, you find out how to go to a physician, agree to his proposal. Then you'll be cured. Otherwise you'll have to suffer with that boil, always burning, burning, burning, burning.

In the material world, because we have forgotten the real master, every one of us is trying to become master.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm): Prabhupāda:The basic idea is that everyone wanted to become master. That is the material disease. We are now discussing Bali Mahārāja. He also wanted to become master of the whole universe. So that is the material disease. Actually, master is one, Kṛṣṇa. There cannot be two masters. There is only one master, that is Kṛṣṇa, or God. But in the material world, because we have forgotten the real master, every one of us is trying to become master. This is material disease. Not only in one life, but life after life. The cats and dogs, they also want to be master. The dog, if he finds another dog coming, he immediately begins barking very loudly, "Why you are coming here?" So this mastership competition is going on life after life, sometimes as human being, sometimes as animal, sometimes as fish, aquatic, sometimes as demigod, bird.