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Dutiful

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 2

SB 2.10.25, Translation: Thereupon, because of His desiring to control movement, His legs became manifested, and from the legs the controlling deity named Visnu was generated. By His personal supervision of this act, all varieties of human being are busily engaged in dutiful occupational sacrifice.

SB Canto 3

For a dutiful man there is nothing to fear
SB 3.18.7, Purport: When the Lord was coming out of the water, taking the earth in His arms to deliver it, the demon derided Him with insulting words, but the Lord did not care because He was very conscious of His duty. For a dutiful man there is nothing to fear. Similarly, those who are powerful have no fear of derision or unkind words from an enemy. The Lord had nothing to fear from anyone, yet He was merciful to His enemy by neglecting him. Although apparently He fled from the challenge, it was just to protect the earth from calamity that He tolerated Hiranyaksa's deriding words.
A pure devotee is not neglectful—he is dutiful—but he does not spend too much time on the upliftment of temporary household or social life'
SB 3.25.39-40, Purport: A pure devotee is not anxious to elevate himself in his next birth. He has already given up that sort of hope. In any life in which one is born, as a householder, or even as an animal, one must have some children, some resources or some possessions, but a devotee is not anxious to possess anything. He is satisfied with whatever is obtainable by God's grace. He is not at all attached to improving his social status or improving the status of education of his children. He is not neglectful -- he is dutiful -- but he does not spend too much time on the upliftment of temporary household or social life. He fully engages in the service of the Lord, and for other affairs he simply spares as much time as absolutely necessary (yatharham upayunjatah). Such a pure devotee does not care for what is going to happen in the next life or in this life; he does not care even for family, children or society. He fully engages in the service of the Lord in Krsna consciousness. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that without the knowledge of the devotee, the Lord arranges for His devotee to be immediately transferred to His transcendental abode just after leaving his body. After quitting his body he does not go into the womb of another mother. The ordinary common living entity, after death, is transferred to the womb of another mother, according to his karma, or activities, to take another type of body. But as far as the devotee is concerned, he is at once transferred to the spiritual world in the association of the Lord. That is the Lord's special mercy. How it is possible is explained in the following verses. Because He is all-powerful, the Lord can do anything and everything. He can excuse all sinful reactions. He can immediately transfer a person to Vaikunthaloka. That is the inconceivable power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is favorably disposed to the pure devotees.

SB Canto 4

We should mark how dutiful Dhruva Mahārāja was in his devotional service, even at the time he left this material world
SB 4.12.28, Tanslation and Purport: The great sage Maitreya continued: Maharaja Dhruva was very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When he heard the sweet speeches of the Lord's chief associates in the Vaikuntha planet, he immediately took his sacred bath, dressed himself with suitable ornaments, and performed his daily spiritual duties. Thereafter he offered his respectful obeisances to the great sages present there and accepted their blessings. We should mark how dutiful Dhruva Maharaja was in his devotional service, even at the time he left this material world. He was constantly alert in the performance of devotional duties. Every devotee should take his bath early in the morning and decorate his body with tilaka. In Kali-yuga one can hardly acquire gold or jeweled ornaments, but the twelve tilaka marks on the body are sufficient as auspicious decorations to purify the body. Since Dhruva Maharaja was living at that time at Badarikasrama, there were other great sages there. He did not become puffed up because the airplane sent by Lord Visnu was waiting for him; as a humble Vaisnava, he accepted blessings from all the sages before riding on the plane brought by the chief of the Vaikuntha associates.
Concealing himself as a pure devotee, Prthu Maharaja externally manifested himself as a very powerful and dutiful king
SB 4.22.50, Purport: Prthu Maharaja's activities were therefore not ordinary but were all spiritual and transcendental, for his aim was to satisfy the Lord. Just as Arjuna, who was a warrior, had to fight to satisfy Krsna, Prthu Maharaja performed his royal duties as king for the satisfaction of Krsna. Indeed, whatever he did as emperor of the whole world was perfectly befitting a pure devotee. It is therefore said by a Vaisnava poet, vaisnavera kriyamudra vijne na bujhaya: no one can understand the activities of a pure devotee. A pure devotee's activities may appear like ordinary activities, but behind them there is profound significance -- the satisfaction of the Lord. In order to understand the activities of a Vaisnava, one has to become very expert. Maharaja Prthu did not allow himself to function outside the institution of four varnas and four asramas, although as a Vaisnava he was a paramahamsa, transcendental to all material activities. He remained at his position as a ksatriya to rule the world and at the same time remained transcendental to such activities by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Concealing himself as a pure devotee, he externally manifested himself as a very powerful and dutiful king. In other words, none of his activities were carried out for his own sense gratification; everything he did was meant for the satisfaction of the senses of the Lord. This is clearly explained in the next verse.
Without devotional service to the Lord, the activities of life become simply a waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply by becoming "dutiful" we do not make any profit in life
SB 4.27.3, Purport: Human consciousness should be used for elevation to Krsna consciousness. But when a person is too much attracted to his wife and family affairs, he does not take Krsna consciousness very seriously. He thus becomes degraded, not knowing that he cannot buy back even a second of his life in return for millions of dollars. The greatest loss in life is passing time without understanding Krsna. Every moment of our lives should be utilized properly, and the proper use of life is to increase devotional service to the Lord. Without devotional service to the Lord, the activities of life become simply a waste of time. Srama eva hi kevalam. Simply by becoming "dutiful" we do not make any profit in life. As confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.8):
dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
If, after performing one's occupational duty very perfectly, one does not make progress in Krsna consciousness, it should be understood that he has simply wasted his time in valueless labor.

SB Canto 5

By His personal example, Lord Rāmacandra wanted to instruct both of them how to fully adopt the discipline of the religious system and how to be a beloved and dutiful husband
SB 5.19.5, Purport: Another aspect of the Lord's instructions is that one who accepts a wife must be a faithful husband and give her full protection. Human society is divided into two classes of men -- those who strictly follow the religious principles and those who are devotees. By His personal example, Lord Ramacandra wanted to instruct both of them how to fully adopt the discipline of the religious system and how to be a beloved and dutiful husband. Otherwise He had no reason to undergo apparent tribulations. One who strictly follows religious principles must not neglect to provide all facilities for the complete protection of his wife. There may be some suffering because of this, but one must nevertheless endure it. That is the duty of a faithful husband. By His personal example, Lord Ramacandra demonstrated this duty. Lord Ramacandra could have produced hundreds and thousands of Sitas from His pleasure energy, but just to show the duty of a faithful husband, He not only rescued Sita from the hands of Ravana but also killed Ravana and all the members of his family.
Because Lord Rāmacandra descended to teach human society how dutiful a king should be, He apparently gave up the company of mother Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa
SB 5.19.6, Purport: Since the Lord is always spiritually qualified, He is attached to servants who always render transcendental loving service unto Him. He is attached to the truth in life, not to brahminical qualities. Indeed, He is never attached to any material qualities. Although He is the Supersoul of all living entities, He is specifically manifest to those who are self-realized, and He is especially dear to the hearts of His transcendental devotees. Because Lord Ramacandra descended to teach human society how dutiful a king should be, He apparently gave up the company of mother Sita and Laksmana. Factually, however, He could not have given them up. One should therefore learn about the activities of Lord Ramacandra from a self-realized soul. Then one can understand the transcendental activities of the Lord.

SB Canto 6

As a dutiful father, Prajapati Daksa did not hesitate to allow his sons to receive cultural instructions concerning the perfection of life; he depended upon them to choose whether to return home, back to Godhead, or to rot in this material world in various species of life
SB 6.5.25, Purport: Prajapati Daksa sent his second group of sons to the same place where his previous sons had attained perfection. He did not hesitate to send his second group of sons to the same place, although they too might become victims of Narada's instructions. According to the Vedic culture, one should be trained in spiritual understanding as a brahmacari before entering household life to beget children. This is the Vedic system. Thus Prajapati Daksa sent his second group of sons for cultural improvement, despite the risk that because of the instructions of Narada they might become as intelligent as their older brothers. As a dutiful father, he did not hesitate to allow his sons to receive cultural instructions concerning the perfection of life; he depended upon them to choose whether to return home, back to Godhead, or to rot in this material world in various species of life. In all circumstances, the duty of the father is to give cultural education to his sons, who must later decide which way to go. Responsible fathers should not hinder their sons who are making cultural advancement in association with the Krsna consciousness movement. This is not a father's duty. The duty of a father is to give his son complete freedom to make his choice after becoming spiritually advanced by following the instructions of the spiritual master.

SB Canto 9

Mahārāja Yayāti had delivered Devayānī from the well, and finally, as a dutiful husband, he instructed her with the story about the he-goat and she-goat and thus delivered her from the misconception of material happiness
SB 9.19.26, Purport: When one actually awakens from material life, one understands his real position as an eternal servant of Krsna. This is called liberation. Muktir hitvanyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih (SB 2.10.6). Under the influence of maya, everyone living in this material world thinks that he is the master of everything (ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]). One thinks that there is no God or controller and that one is independent and can do anything. This is the material condition, and when one awakens from this ignorance, he is called liberated. Maharaja Yayati had delivered Devayani from the well, and finally, as a dutiful husband, he instructed her with the story about the he-goat and she-goat and thus delivered her from the misconception of material happiness. Devayani was quite competent to understand her liberated husband, and therefore she decided to follow him as his faithful wife

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.64.23, Translation: [Yamaraja said:] My dear King, do you wish to experience the results of your sins first, or those of your piety? Indeed, I see no end to the dutiful charity you have performed, or to your consequent enjoyment in the radiant heavenly planets.
SB 10.72.17, Translation: Disguised as brahmanas, the royal warriors approached Jarasandha at home during the appointed hour for receiving guests. They submitted their entreaty to that dutiful householder, who was especially respectful to the brahminical class.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 1:In this connection, Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks in the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Chapter, verse 17, about the story of Ajāmila, who began life as a fine and dutiful brāhmaṇa, but in his young manhood became wholly corrupted by a prostitute. At the end of his wicked life, just by calling the name "Nārāyaṇa [Kṛṣṇa]," he was saved despite so much sin.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book, Chapter 72: King Jarāsandha was a very dutiful householder, and he had great respect for the brāhmaṇas. He was a great fighter, a kṣatriya king, but he was never neglectful of the Vedic injunctions.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966: So here Arjuna, he was declining to fight, declining to fight, that "How can I fight with my grandfather?" You see? "He is respectable. He has brought me up since my father's death. And here is my teacher, Droṇācārya. He has taught me this military art. Whatever I am warrior, my expertness is due to him. And do you think, Kṛṣṇa, I shall kill them? No, I can fight with them. I can kill them, but it is not my duty." So Arjuna, and, says like that. But Kṛṣṇa says, "No. You must be dutiful. Never mind who is that, your grandfather or your teacher. No. When there is fight... You are a kṣatriya. A kṣatriya should not be..., has no other consideration in the fight. He must fight."
Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973: This is our point of view. You study the whole world only on these three points, morality, honest, and dutiful. So many nice things are there. But if he's not God conscious, he cannot continue such thing.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973: You do your work, duty. Dharma means duty. You are very dutiful. Do your duty nicely, but see by executing your duty whether you are developing your love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the criterion. If it is not done so, if you are in the blindness, then it is said that notpādayed yadi ratim. If you do not become attracted by Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, śrama eva hi kevalam, simply you are wasting time.
Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974: For a kṣatriya, in dutiful war, dharma-yuddha... Dharma-yuddha... Therefore the battlefield of Kurukṣetra is called dharma-kṣetra. Although there was fighting, but the fighting arena was not ordinary land. It is dharma-kṣetra because the fighting was being performed under the superintendence of Kṛṣṇa, Dharma-setu, the leader of all religiosity.
Lecture on SB 3.28.18 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975: That is the ideal given by Lord Rāmacandra, how woman is given protection by the husband. Sītādevī was kidnapped. Rāmacandra is the Supreme Lord. He could have married many thousands of Sītā, but as the dutiful husband, to rescue one wife He killed the whole family of Rāvaṇa. This is protection. He killed the whole family of him.
If you are dutiful, then you can say who is the other dutiful
Lecture on SB Questions & Answers -- Hyderabad, April 10, 1975:

Prabhupāda: What is your duty? That is the first thing. Do you know what is your duty? You manufacture your duty, but you do not know what is your duty. Duty is: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is your duty. Anything you manufacture duty, that is not duty; That is cheating. (applause) First of all, you learn what is your duty; then talk of duty. In your office if you go, if you say, "Anything I do, it is my duty," no. You must know the particular work you are advised to act by the superintendent or the director, not that you can manufacture your duty. If you execute that duty, then you are dutiful. Otherwise, you are simply creating trouble. Just like a monkey. They create their duty, and wherever he goes, "Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" The monkey's duty is no duty. A man must know what is duty, and he should execute. That is duty.

Indian man (1): As you have explained, Lord Kṛṣṇa forbade(?) Arjuna to do this duty.

Prabhupāda: Well, first of all you try to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He says. Then, if you are dutiful, then you can say who is the other dutiful. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. If you come to that stage of life, then you are dutiful. Otherwise, if you create your duties as monkey, that is not duty. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968: We have to transcend the position of worldly goodness. Somebody asked me this question, "Swamijī, if a person is moral and dutiful and benevolent, all the good qualifications, so what is the use of worshiping God?" My reply was that anyone who is not God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot be good, cannot be moral.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Lecture on The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972Lectures on Nectar of Devotion, Bombay, December 28, 1972]]: Just like sometimes they say that the, in this movement, just like the cinema, the hippies are joining. Accepting that hippies are... Hippies means they're useless. They are joining. Bhāgavata says that those who are very dutiful, they are called sva-dharma niṣṭhā. Sva-dharma niṣṭhā. According to Vedic culture, there are different divisions of the society. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. So these are called sva-dharma, means, engaged in one's occupational duty. That is called sva-dharma. Or, in the modern sense, somebody's engaged in business, somebody's engaged in other occupation, profession.

General Lectures

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:: So Arjuna took compassion, that "I don't want victory. Better not to fight." So that is the cause of describing the science of Bhagavad-gītā before Arjuna, just to induce him to act as a dutiful soldier. This is the background of Bhagavad-gītā.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

He's made purposefully avoiding his duty, and these rascals are going as dutiful; his duty was to say as Kṛṣṇa says, if he is actually student of Bhagavad-gītā
Room Conversation and Interview with Ian Polsen -- July 31, 1972, London:

Prabhupāda: But inevitable means... Inevitable, that's all right, but as we are speaking of duty. So Gandhi was working his duty but other man killed him. He thought that "You are not doing your duty."

Devotee: Hm. So who is the judge of what is your duty? What I may think is my duty, someone else may think it's his duty, it's not my duty.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is going on. So what is the duty?

Dhanañjaya: The duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the real duty. But people do not know that. They are manufacturing their duty. A big man like Gandhi, he also manufactured his duty, but he does not know what is his duty. He never preached Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore he does not know what is his duty.

Devotee: He said that the message of Bhagavad-gītā is nonviolence.

Prabhupāda: That is all. Opposite. Whatever message it is... He was supposed to be a very good scholar of Bhagavad-gītā. His photograph is with the Bhagavad-gītā. But he did not speak a single word that "You become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He talked so many nonsense. All others... The real Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me. Nobody says, neither Tilak, Gandhi, this Ramakrishna, this Aravindo. Nobody says that. He's made purposefully avoiding his duty. And these rascals are going as dutiful. His duty was to say as Kṛṣṇa says, if he is actually student of Bhagavad-gītā. Here is Kṛṣṇa saying that you surrender, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. We are doing that. We are not speaking something nonsense. We are speaking, "Here Kṛṣṇa says surrender. You surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Simple thing. We don't manufacture duty. We are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Our duty is to say people, "Here Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto [Bg. 18.65]. You become His devotee, you always think of Him, you offer Him obeisances. Our simple duty.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Of course, you must try as a dutiful father, but you should know that you cannot take any guarantee or do anything, good or bad
Morning Walk -- October 4, 1975, Mauritius:

Cyavana: At least we can make it comfortable in this world.

Prabhupāda: No. That is not possible. You have already given good medicine, good physician. And why he is dying? You cannot do anything. That is your position. You may try to do, but that is futile. Ultimate is different.

Cyavana: So by giving him medicine, maybe I can give him a better chance...

Prabhupāda: "Maybe" can be, but it is not guaranteed. You cannot do anything.

Cyavana: But at least I should try.

Prabhupāda: Try. Foolishly you try whatever you like. That is another thing. But it is not under your control. You can try. That is your... Of course, you must try as a dutiful father, but you should know that you cannot take any guarantee or do anything, good or bad. That you have already said, "the destiny." That is prominent. That is prominent, not you.

Cyavana: The tendency of the humans...

Prabhupāda: You can do the best to train your child to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is in your power. That you can do. That is the best service, not anything else. That is not possible. If you become yourself Kṛṣṇa conscious, and if you try to make your son Kṛṣṇa conscious, that you can do. And that is the duty, real duty. Other things, you cannot do anything. That is destiny. And if you make him Kṛṣṇa conscious, then destiny can also be changed. This is the concession of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Destiny also can be changed. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]. One who comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his karma is also changed.

Correspondence

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Manager of Bank of Baroda -- Los Angeles 21 May, 1970: I beg to inform you that Mr. M. M. De is my second son. When I left home, as a dutiful father I left some money for my family as future provision, So practically the money belongs to my sons and daughters, and I never thought that in future it would be difficult to transfer the money, otherwise I would have distributed the money while leaving home.
Page Title:Dutiful
Compiler: Syamananda, Anasuya, Visnu Murti
Created:7march08,
No. of Quotes:26
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=12, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=9, Con=2, Let=1