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Danda means

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

Daṇḍa means "a long rod," and vat means "like."
SB 4.1.24, Translation and Purport:

Thereafter he began to offer prayers to the three deities, who were seated on different carriers—a bull, a swan and Garuḍa—and who held in their hands a drum, kuśa grass and a discus. The sage offered them his respects by falling down like a stick.

Daṇḍa means "a long rod," and vat means "like." Before a superior, one has to fall down on the ground just like a stick, and this sort of offering of respect is called daṇḍavat. Atri Ṛṣi offered his respect to the three deities in that way. They were identified by their different carriers and different symbolic representations. In that connection it is stated here that Lord Viṣṇu was sitting on Garuḍa, a big aquiline bird, and was carrying in His hand a disc, Brahmā was sitting on a swan and had in his hand kuśa grass, and Lord Śiva was sitting on a bull and carrying in his hand a small drum called a ḍamaru. Atri Ṛṣi recognized them by their symbolic representations and different carriers, and thus he offered them prayers and respects.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

Daṇḍa means "stick," and vat means "like."
SB 10.13.62, Purport:

Lord Brahmā bowed down like a stick, and because Lord Brahmā's complexion is golden, he appeared to be like a golden stick lying down before Lord Kṛṣṇa. When one falls down before a superior just like a stick, one's offering of obeisances is called daṇḍavat. Daṇḍa means "stick," and vat means "like." It is not that one should simply say, "daṇḍavat." Rather, one must fall down. Thus Brahmā fell down, touching his foreheads to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and his crying in ecstasy is to be regarded as an abhiṣeka bathing ceremony of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

The word daṇḍa means rod or pole. A rod or pole falls straight; similarly, when one offers obeisances to his superior with all eight aṅgas (parts) of the body, he performs what is called daṇḍavat.
CC Madhya 1.67, Purport:

The word daṇḍa means rod or pole. A rod or pole falls straight; similarly, when one offers obeisances to his superior with all eight aṅgas (parts) of the body, he performs what is called daṇḍavat. Sometimes we only speak of daṇḍavats but actually do not fall down. In any case, daṇḍavat means falling down like a rod before one's superior.

The word daṇḍa means "rod," and vat means "like." To offer obeisances to the spiritual master, one must fall flat exactly as a rod falls on the ground.
CC Madhya 24.271, Purport:

The word daṇḍa means "rod," and vat means "like." To offer obeisances to the spiritual master, one must fall flat exactly as a rod falls on the ground. This is the meaning of the word daṇḍavat.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So this tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa means... There are four daṇḍas. One daṇḍa is the, what is called, symbol of his person. And the other three daṇḍas, they are symbol of his body, mind, and speeches. This daṇḍa means, perhaps you know, do not know. You try to under...
Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

So this tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa means... There are four daṇḍas. One daṇḍa is the, what is called, symbol of his person. And the other three daṇḍas, they are symbol of his body, mind, and speeches. This daṇḍa means, perhaps you know, do not know. You try to under... So karmaṇā, this daṇḍa, means "I have taken now vow to engage myself, even whatever assets I have got." So I have got my assets. I can work with my body, I can work with my mind, and I can work by speaking. So tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa means one who has devoted his life, means his activities, his body and his speeches. That is tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa. Anyone who has devoted his mind, his body and his speeches for the service of the Lord, he is sannyāsī. Sannyāsī does not mean simply changing the dress and thinking otherwise. No. Sannyāsī, anyone, it does not matter whether the dress is changed or not, if one is fully engaged by his body, mind and words, sa sannyāsī.

Daṇḍa, daṇḍa means "rod"; vat means "like." Just like one stick falls straight on the ground, similarly, if we fall straight before the Deity, that is called daṇḍavat, "like the stick."
Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

If you simply come in this temple and offer little obeisances, daṇḍavat... Daṇḍa, daṇḍa means "rod"; vat means "like." Just like one stick falls straight on the ground, similarly, if we fall straight before the Deity, that is called daṇḍavat, "like the stick." Daṇḍavat-praṇāma. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa namratā. Namratā is required. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Namanta. Be submissive. So this daṇḍavat is the symbolic presentation of submission. And Kṛṣṇa wants that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), submission. The bhakti process is simply submission. So mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). If you do not study or if you have no education to study Vedic literatures, you simply... The temple is installed for this purpose, that if somebody comes, simply offers his obeisances before the Deity, before the spiritual master, simply by doing that, he will become perfect. Just like these children. A small child is offering obeisances. It may be said that they are imitating, but not all child imitates. There are many children. So there are fortunate children who comes here, offers obeisances, dances with kīrtana, and... So these are not in vain. They are taken into account, and he also becomes developed in spiritual consciousness.

Daṇḍa means punishment. But we are, because we are in illusion, we are thinking this daṇḍa is advancement of civilization.
Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976:

As soon as we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā. As soon as we deny to obey the state laws, immediately we are criminals and subjected to the criminal acts, "Go to the prison." This is, we have got practical experience. You cannot defy the laws of the state or the laws of the worlds of the government. If we cannot... You cannot do it. If you do it, then you are punished. That is the statement in every śāstra. Daṇḍaniya. Daṇḍaniya, this daṇḍa is going on, one after another. Daṇḍa means punishment. But we are, because we are in illusion, we are thinking this daṇḍa is advancement of civilization.

Daṇḍa means punishment.
Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:

Everyone is deserving to be punished, beginning from Lord Brahmā down to the ant, every living entity. Daṇḍam arhanti. And the final daṇḍam... Daṇḍa means punishment. The final daṇḍa is death. Everywhere, anywhere you go within this universe, planetary system... Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ: "Those who are in the modes of goodness, they are elevated to the higher planetary system." And madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ: "Those who are under the spell of passion, they keep within the middle planetary system." And those who are most abominable, they are given to the lower planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Jaghanya means very abominable guṇa, in the darkest region of ignorance. They are put into the lower planetary system, animal. And there are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and they are distributed all over the universe. Don't think that here only there are living entities and all other planets are vacant. This is nonsense. Everywhere there is living entity. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad..., sarva-gaḥ. The living entity is everywhere. You can go anywhere. You can go to the higher planetary system, you can go to the lower planetary system, and you can go to the kingdom of God also in the spiritual world. Therefore the living entity's another name is sarva-gaḥ. He can go anywhere. If you like, you go to hell. If you like, you go to heaven. If you like, you go to God. If you like, you become animal. If you like, you can become demigod. Everything, fully. That little independence is there. As you like, Kṛṣṇa will give you facility.

Initiation Lectures

This accepting of this daṇḍa means full faith in the Supreme.
Gurudasa Sannyasa Initiation -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

So the mantra means etām, "by accepting this daṇḍa or sannyāsa order," sa āsthāya, "taking shelter of it," parātma-niṣṭhām... This accepting of this daṇḍa means full faith in the Supreme. There are four rods within this bundle. One rod is representing himself, and the other three rods means his body, mind, and word. So the person who is accepting sannyāsa order, he is dedicating from this moment his personality, his body, his mind and his words. Why? Now, parātma-niṣṭhām, simply for service of the Supreme. So am I accepting something new? No. Upāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. All the great personalities in our guru paramparā system, all the four ācārya system, they have done it. Rāmānujācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka—there are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas. So they were all sannyāsīs. Now, directly, our sampradāya is Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Gauḍīya-sampradāya means the Vaiṣṇavas of the Bengal. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is accepted as the supreme guru of this sampradāya. So His guru was Īśvara Purī, and his guru was Mādhavendra Purī. And this Mādhavendra Purī belonged to the Madhva-sampradāya; therefore our sampradāya, this disciplic succession, is called Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya.

So you should always remember that taking this daṇḍa means that "My mind, my body, and my words—everything is dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. It will be used only for Kṛṣṇa and for no other purpose." This is called tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa.
Sannyasa Initiation -- Bombay, November 18, 1975:

So with Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessing and spiritual strength and with the good wishes of Vaiṣṇavas, just proceed and preach and always think of Kṛṣṇa. He will help. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. If you sincerely work... Kṛṣṇa is within yourself. He will give you strength, instruction. Simply you have to become... But we should always remember that sannyāsa means material activities finished. This is sannyāsa: no more material activities. Only for the service of Kṛṣṇa to live, that's all. (aside:) Give the daṇḍa. So this daṇḍa, there are four daṇḍas. Daṇḍas mean rods. One rod is body, one rod is mind, and one rod is speaking. Kaya mana vākya. And the fourth rod is the self. So you should always remember that taking this daṇḍa means that "My mind, my body, and my words—everything is dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. It will be used only for Kṛṣṇa and for no other purpose." This is called tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa. Come on.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

You can explain, daṇḍa means subjugation. So the three daṇḍas. Daṇḍa means subjugation.
Room Conversation with Adi-kesava Swami -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Ādi-keśava: And Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja has told me you want me to carry the daṇḍa in the court also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If possible. But they will not allow. That is...

Ādi-keśava: Oh, no, they'll allow.

Prabhupāda: Allow?

Ādi-keśava: They will allow.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Then it's all right.

Ādi-keśava: I will go that way.

Prabhupāda: You can explain, daṇḍa means subjugation. So the three daṇḍas. Daṇḍa means subjugation. So kāya-manaḥ-vākya. "We have surrendered. We have voluntarily surrendered, subjugated ourselves, under God." Kāya-manaḥ-vākya. "Three daṇḍas are there, and one-myself. There are four daṇḍas within. So I am fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, or God, with my mind, body and words. This is the meaning." You can explain. This is symbolic reminder that "I have fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa with my body, mind and words, so I must serve Him."

Ādi-keśava: Sometimes in their propaganda these deprogrammers they complain about our sannyāsīs the most. They say, "Because they are saying everything in the material world is evil, so therefore they are the worst."

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is worst. Because I am spirit soul, I am now imprisoned with this material body. It is my unnatural state, and I am eternal, and because I have accepted this material body I have to undergo birth, death, old age and disease. So that is my effort, how to get out of this material body and remain in my original spiritual identity. That is our whole propaganda. We think material atmosphere is our imprisonment, suffering. Material body means suffering. Otherwise I am eternal, blissful, full with knowledge. That is my position.

Page Title:Danda means
Compiler:Rishab
Created:06 of Jan, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=2, CC=2, OB=0, Lec=6, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:11