Guru patni

Expressions researched:
"guru-patni" |"guru patni"

SB Canto 7

The wife of the teacher is also a mother (guru-patnī), and therefore she may also care for the disciple in a motherly way.

SB 7.12.8, Purport: The relationship between the student or disciple and the wife of the spiritual master or teacher is like that between son and mother. A mother sometimes cares for her son by combing his hair, massaging his body with oil, or bathing him. Similarly, the wife of the teacher is also a mother (guru-patnī), and therefore she may also care for the disciple in a motherly way. If the wife of the teacher is a young woman, however, a young brahmacārī should not allow such a mother to touch him. This is strictly prohibited.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Guru-patnī, the wife of teacher. She is also mother.

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973: Jaru means wife, and garu means cow. So one should keep a wife if he is able to keep a cow also. Jaru and garu. Because if you keep a wife, immediately there will be children. But if you cannot give them cows' milk, the children will be rickety, not very healthy. They must drink sufficient milk. So cow is therefore considered mother. Because one mother has given birth to the child, the another mother is supplying milk. So everyone should be obliged to mother cow, because she is supplying milk. So according to our śāstra there are seven mothers. Ādau mātā, real mother, from whose body I have taken my birth. Ādau mātā, she is mother. Guru-patnī, the wife of teacher. She is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī, brāhmaṇī. The wife of a brāhmaṇa, she is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, the queen is mother. So how many? Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, then dhenu. Dhenu means cow. She is also mother. And dhātrī. Dhātrī means nurse. Dhenu dhātrī tathā pṛthvī, also the earth. Earth is also mother. The people are taking care of mother land, where he is born. That is good. But by the by they should take care of mother cow also. But they are not taking care of mother. Therefore they are sinful. They must suffer. They must have, there must be war, pestilence, famine. As soon as people become sinful, immediately nature's punishment will come automatically. You cannot avoid it.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

There are seven mothers. So real mother, ādau mātā, guru-patni, the spiritual master's wife, she is also mother.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976: If the gṛhastha life is meant for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is all right. This is āśrama. Gṛhastha-āśrama. Then retired life, vānaprastha. Although gṛhastha-āśrama is allowed, but not the for all the time that up to the death. No. That is not allowed after fiftieth year. Twenty-five years, to fifty year, fiftieth year the young man's spirit is there, the sex power is strong, so this gṛhastha-āśrama is a concession for satisfying sex, that's all. But not more than fifty years. Then you must give up. That is the Vedic civilization. We accept gṛhastha-āśrama. Up to twenty-fifth year you remain a brahmacārī, learn from guru how to become brahmacārī, gurukula. Brahmācāri gurukule vasan dānta: how to practice self control, sense control. A brahmacārī is forbidden to see even young girl, even the spiritual master's wife is young. Sometimes spiritual master's wife is considered as mother. Ādau mātā guru-patni. There are seven mothers. So real mother, ādau mātā, guru-patni, the spiritual master's wife, she is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patni brāhmaṇi, the wife of a brāhmaṇa is mother. Actually every woman is mother. That is moral instruction. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Anyone, any woman who is not your wife, except your wife, everyone, every woman is to be considered as mother. This is education. And that (indistinct) of education is defined by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, that who is paṇḍita, learned.

Real mother and guru-patni, the wife of spiritual master or teacher.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976: So this is moral education, and in the śāstra it is also said that there are seven mothers:

ādau mātā guru-patni

brāhmaṇi rāja-patnikā

dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī

saptaitā mātaraḥ

Real mother and guru-patni, the wife of spiritual master or teacher. Ādau mātā guru-patni, brāhmaṇi, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, and rāja-patnikā, the queen, she is also mother, rāja. Dhenu, cow. Dhenu, dhātrī, nurse. Dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī, as well as the earth. Earth is mother because she is giving us so many things, fruits, flowers, grains for our eating. Mother gives for eating, cow gives us milk. This is sense. But if one becomes addicted to prostitute hunting then he will be fallen. That is the example. Then he'll become thief, rascal, cheater, drunkard, and so on, so on, so on. Why? Now, only for maintaining the family. The family maintenance, the cats and dogs, they also do, the birds also do, but they do not do anything unnatural. The bird maintains his children, brings some fruit or something in the mouth and push into mouth of the small kiddies. That is natural. But why one should take unfair means for maintaining family? This is culture. This is culture.

There are seven mothers. So real mother, ādau mātā... Guru-patnī, the spiritual master's wife, she is also mother.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976: Up to twenty-fifth year you remain a brahmacārī, learn from guru how to become brahmacārī, guru-kula. Brahmacārī gurukule vasan dānta, how to practice self-control, sense control. A brahmacārī is forbidden to see even young girl. Even the spiritual master's wife is young... Sometimes spiritual master is considered as mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī. There are seven mothers. So real mother, ādau mātā... Guru-patnī, the spiritual master's wife, she is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī. The wife of a brāhmaṇa is mother. Actually every woman is mother. That is moral instruction. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Anyone, any woman who is not your wife, except your wife, every woman is to be considered as mother. This is education.

Real mother and guru-patnī, the wife of spiritual master or teacher.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976: Buddha philosophy is based on this, that "Whatever you feel, pain, you should not inflict to others." This is education. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat ātmavat. So this is moral education, and in the śāstra it is also said that there are seven mothers.

ādau mātā guru-patnī

brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā

dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī

sapteti mātarī smṛta

Real mother and guru-patnī, the wife of spiritual master or teacher... Ādau mātā guru-patnī, brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. And rāja-patnikā, the queen, she is also mother. Dhenu, cow. Dhenur dhātrī, nurse. Dhenur dhātrī, tathā pṛthvī, as well as the earth. Earth is mother because they are giving us so many things, fruit, flowers, grains for our eating. Mother gives for eating. Cow gives us milk. This is sense.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Ādau mātā, guru patnī... In general the understanding is, except your wife all woman is your mother.

Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 2, 1974, Melbourne: Prabhupāda: Meat-eaters may kill other non-important animals but don't kill animal, er, cow. And besides that, from moral point of view, we are drinking milk from the cow, so she is mother. According to Vedic understanding there are seven kinds of mother: ādau mātā, real mother. Ādau mātā, guru patnī, the wife of guru, spiritual master. Ādau mātā, guru patnī, brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means the most intelligent class of men in the society. Who are brāhmaṇa, that is also mentioned there in the śāstra. So his wife. Ādau mātā, guru patnī... In general the understanding is, except your wife all woman is your mother. That is the instruction of Canakya Paṇḍita. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu: "All women should be treated as mother." Para-dāreṣu. Para-dāra means others' wife. So every woman was married. It is compulsory. This is the Vedic system, that every woman must be married. It is the duty of the father to see the daughter is married, must be married. It is called kanyā-dāya. You cannot evade this responsibility. You must. The father's duty is, as soon as the girl is grown-up, immediately some boy must be found out and handed over: "My dear boy, I give you this girl in charity. You take care and give her protection." This is marriage. And he agrees, "Yes, I take charge of this girl." In our society, we get married. Your government has approved our society that we can...

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Ādau-mātā, real mother, and guru-patnī, the wife of guru or teacher, she is also mother 'cause teacher is father.

Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: According to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers.

ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī

brahmaṇī rāja-patnikā

dhenur dhatrī tathā pṛthvī

sapta eta mataraḥ smṛtaḥ

Ādau-mātā, real mother, and guru-patnī, the wife of guru or teacher, she is also mother 'cause teacher is father. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brahmaṇi, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. She is mother. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhm..., rāja-patnikā, the queen, the wife of the king. She is mother. And then cow is mother because you are drinking her milk. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brahmaṇi rāja-patnikā, dhenur dhatrī, nurse. Nurse is also mother because you suck the breast of the nurse. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers. So you cannot kill your mother. That is not very good philosophy. And who can deny, "The cow is not mother"? Who has got this audacity? You are drinking milk in the very morning. Christ says, "Thou shall not kill?—wholesale killing stop." And the Vedic literature is little liberal. It does not say, "Thou shall not kill," but, "You shall not kill at least cow." But the wholesale stop is not possible. The Vedic wisdom knows that. But you shall not kill at least cow. That is civilization. And the Christians are maintaining thousands of slaughterhouse. Is that very good proposal?