The son inherits the quality of the father
Expressions researched:
"The son inherits the quality of the father"
|"The quality of the father is inherited by the son"
|"like father like son"
|"Like father, like son"
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
- śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi
- pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
- aikāntikī harer bhaktir
- utpātāyaiva kalpate
- [Brs. 1.2.101]
They create disturbance only. Therefore we have to follow the Gosvāmīs, Gosvāmī literature, especially Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated in The Nectar of Devotion, every one of you should very carefully read and make progress. Don't be victimized by the Māyāvādī so-called Vaiṣṇava. It is very dangerous.
Therefore it is said, sa saṁhitāṁ bhāgavatīṁ kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam. It is very confidential subject matter. He taught it, instructed to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Ātma-jam. Like father, like son. There is no difference between son and disciple. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has equalized,
- lālane bahavo doṣās
- tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ
- tasmāt putraṁ ca śiṣyaṁ ca
- tāḍayen na tu lālayet
Complete knowledge is one who understands that "If I have got so many propensities, so the origin of me, the supreme father, why He should be without any propensities? What is this logic?" "Like father, like son." It is... The son has got so many propensities. Wherefrom it has come? It must be in Kṛṣṇa. This is intelligence. Everything is there is Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa is stealing butter. That means Kṛṣṇa has stealing propensity. But the difference is that Kṛṣṇa's stealing butter is worshiped, and my stealing is beaten with shoes. (laughter) That is the difference. So we should not imitate Kṛṣṇa, but we should understand that janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] everything... Here it is said, bījam ādhatta. So just like father impregnates the child or the son within the womb of the mother, and he comes, "Like father, like son," generally, similarly, we are. We have got the same propensities, vīryam, but it is being misused in the material connection. Therefore we are not getting pleasure. Otherwise, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12) All these propensities, varieties of qualities, will give us ānanda.
These varieties are for deriving pleasure, pleasure potency, hlādinī-śakti. The Rādhārāṇī is hlādinī-śakti. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmāt. This is the display of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. So this pleasure potency is there. So how? Then pleasure potency, we can enjoy in cooperation with Kṛṣṇa, in conjunction with Kṛṣṇa. The same thing: just like this body, the finger. The finger is part of the body. The finger can enjoy pleasure so long attached with the body. If the finger is cut off from the body, there is no more pleasure. Similarly, we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Because we are now detached from Kṛṣṇa, therefore our position is manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. Detached from Kṛṣṇa, we are in this prakṛti, material nature, and our business is struggle for existence for the same pleasure, which is never obtainable in this material world. Therefore the intelligence is that we should again go back to home, go back to Kṛṣṇa, and dance with Him in His rāsa dance. That will be our pleasure.Festival Lectures
- tac cheṣeṇopajīvanti
- tri-varga-phala-hetve
- puṁsāṁ puruṣa-kāraṇāṁ
- parjanyaḥ phala-bhāvanaḥ
"Now, this water is so important that it will produce grains and we shall live. And for perfection of our life we must first live. So this is very important thing, so we have to satisfy Indra."
- ya evaṁ visṛjed dharmaṁ
- pāraṁ paryāgataṁ naraḥ
- kāmā lobhād bhayād dveṣāt
- sa vai nāpnoti śobhanam
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest: Our aim of life should be the realization of God?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because at the present moment we are part and parcel. Just like a son, he has got the symptoms of his father, but he does not know who is his father. He does not know who is his father. There is a Hindi proverb, bap ka beta sipaika gora kusnaita tora tola: "The son inherits the quality of the father, but if he does not know who is his father, then what is his position?" That is going on. The scientist, he is trying to create something, but he does not know the supreme creator. Do you follow? Now the scientists are trying to create living being in the laboratory. But he does not enquire that who has already created so many millions of living entities? He is trying to create a living entity in laboratory. Suppose he creates one living entity. Then what credit is there for him? But he is spending lakhs and crores of rupees.1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we went to New York to meet with Dhṛṣṭadyumna Mahārāja's father, and he was very helpful. We approached him in a frank way, and he immediately got the help of his office. He's the president of this Far East American Council.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And not only China, this is for all of Asia. It includes as.... Some of the persons belonging to it are the chairman of Coca-Cola, the Bankers Trust Company first vice president, all of the big banks, Bank of America senior vice president, First National City Bank vice president, all of these men.
Prabhupāda: So you can contract with all big, big men.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And he's the president of the council.
Prabhupāda: His father?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Then he is very influential man.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very. So he immediately got...
Prabhupāda: So you should be like father like son.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has the same name. It's just "Junior" at the end, so they know him.
Prabhupāda: No, intelligence also. Father's intelligence he must inherit. There is an Indian proverb, bāpakā beṭā sepāikā ghoḍā, kucha nehi to thoḍā thoḍā (indistinct), mean "The father's son and the soldier's horse, they acquire the quality, if not all, some, must." If one is good soldier, his horse is also trained up. There is a history in India. The horse has played heroic. The Queen of Jhansi's horse and this, our, what is called, Shivaji's horse, they have played unique part in the history. Sepāikā ghoḍā. It is animal, but because it is the horse of a famous hero, it has played. Similarly, the son of father must be as good as father. If not, to some extent. Yes. So you are the.... Your father is the leader of so many big, big businessmen. You also become leader.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna: For Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Dhṛṣṭadyumna: For Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And you have got the intelligence. I have seen. I have studied you. Now you combine. Both of you, you are intelligent. You turn the whole America Kṛṣṇa conscious. Bas. Then success all over the world. America is the leader of the nations. Now, if the America becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then our movement is perfectly successful. And you have got the potency in America.Hari-śauri: Then your argument that I have no independence, that's not correct.
Prabhupāda: No. You have got independence, little independence.
Atreya Ṛṣi: You have freedom to choose intelligence or be a rascal.
Prabhupāda: You have got independence to misuse your independence. That independence you have got. You have been given intelligence. Now you have got, because you have got intelligence, little independence, you can misuse that. Just like you are all my secretaries. So I give you some independence. You can misuse it. So that misuse is wrong. Then you'll become unhappy. Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Says. He doesn't force you—you must do it. You do it. That means independence. Now it is your choice. You have got independence of misusing it. So independence is a quality inherent in living beings, because he's part and parcel of God. The quality of the father is inherited by the son, even physically. Similarly, you have..., God is fully independent, you have got little touch of independence. Now that independence is properly utilized when you carry out the order of God. That is proper. Ordinarily, every country is independent. Does it mean that he is cent percent independent? No. Then why there is police department? Similarly, we are part and parcel of God. We have got little independence. But if we misuse it, then we shall be punished. So there is no question of independence. Independence, little. That is interdependence, not independence. Why they declare independence? That is their foolishness.Prabhupāda: Every one of us messiaḥ. Anyone Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's the messiaḥ. Every one. Why one? All of us. Gaurāṅgera bhakta-gaṇe, jane jane śakti dhari, brahmāṇḍa tari saksi(?): "The devotee of Lord Caitanya, every one has so immense power that every one, they can deliver the whole universe." Gaurāṅgera bhakta-jane, jane jane śakti..., brahmāṇḍa tari... That is Gaurāṅga's men.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Only you are that powerful, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We're like...
Prabhupāda: Why you are not? You are my disciples.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're like the bugs.
Prabhupāda: "Like father, like son." You should be. Gaurāṅgera bhakta..., jane. Everyone. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He asked everyone, "Just become guru." Follow His instruction. You become guru. Āmāra ājñāya. Don't manufacture ideas. Āmāra ājñāya. "What I say, you do. You become a guru." Where is the difficulty? "And what is Your ājñā?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Bas. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. You simply repeat. That's all. You become guru. To become a guru is not difficult job. Follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu and speak what Kṛṣṇa has said. Bas. You become guru.Correspondence
1976 Correspondence
Page Title: | The son inherits the quality of the father |
Compiler: | Sahadeva |
Created: | 29 of Apr, 2009 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=4, Con=4, Let=1 |
No. of Quotes: | 11 |