Prostrate

Expressions researched:
"prostrate" |"prostrated" |"prostrating" |"prostrations"

SB Canto 4

Even though Lord Śiva was previously referred to in prayers by Lord Brahmā as the Supreme, when Lord Viṣṇu appeared, Śiva also fell prostrated before Him to offer respectful obeisances.

SB 4.7.22, Translation and Purport:

As soon as Lord Viṣṇu was visible, all the demigods—Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, the Gandharvas and all present there—immediately offered their respectful obeisances by falling down straight before Him.

It appears that Lord Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord even of Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, what to speak of the demigods, Gandharvas and ordinary living entities. It is stated in a prayer, yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra-marutāḥ: all the demigods worship Lord Viṣṇu. Similarly, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ: (SB 12.13.1) yogīs concentrate their minds on the form of Lord Viṣṇu. Thus Lord Viṣṇu is worshipable by all demigods, all Gandharvas and even Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ: Viṣṇu is therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even though Lord Śiva was previously referred to in prayers by Lord Brahmā as the Supreme, when Lord Viṣṇu appeared, Śiva also fell prostrated before Him to offer respectful obeisances.

The goddess Kālī is sometimes seen standing on the prostrate body of Lord Śiva, which indicates that sometimes Lord Śiva has to fall down flat in order to stop goddess Kālī from killing the asuras.

SB 4.24.18, Purport:

Lord Śiva's duty is very dangerous because he has to employ the energy of goddess Kālī (or Durgā). In another popular picture the goddess Kālī is sometimes seen standing on the prostrate body of Lord Śiva, which indicates that sometimes Lord Śiva has to fall down flat in order to stop goddess Kālī from killing the asuras. Since Lord Śiva controls the great material energy (goddess Durgā), worshipers of Lord Śiva attain very opulent positions within this material world.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.4.42, Translation:

Although Prajāpati Dakṣa could not say anything, when the Lord, who knows everyone's heart, saw His devotee prostrate in that manner and desiring to increase the population, He addressed him as follows.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.9.5, Translation:

When Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva saw the small boy Prahlāda Mahārāja prostrated at the soles of His lotus feet, He became most ecstatic in affection toward His devotee. Raising Prahlāda, the Lord placed His lotus hand upon the boy's head because His hand is always ready to create fearlessness in all of His devotees.

SB 7.9.51, Translation:

The great saint Nārada said: Thus Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva was pacified by the devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja with prayers offered from the transcendental platform. The Lord gave up His anger, and being very kind to Prahlāda, who was offering prostrated obeisances, He spoke as follows.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.36.13, Translation:

As Ariṣṭa attacked, Lord Kṛṣṇa seized him by the horns and knocked him to the ground with His foot. The Lord then thrashed him as if he were a wet cloth, and finally He yanked out one of the demon's horns and struck him with it until he lay prostrate.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 1.42, Translation:

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Personality of Godhead Himself, and therefore I offer innumerable prostrations at His lotus feet.

Prostrating himself at the feet of his readers, the author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta entreats them in all humility to hear with rapt attention these conclusive arguments regarding the Absolute Truth.

CC Adi 2.116, Translation and Purport:

I offer my obeisances unto the feet of all who hear or read this discourse. Kindly hear with attention the conclusion of all these statements.

Prostrating himself at the feet of his readers, the author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta entreats them in all humility to hear with rapt attention these conclusive arguments regarding the Absolute Truth. One should not fail to hear such arguments, for only by such knowledge can one perfectly know Kṛṣṇa.

CC Adi 6.60, Translation:

May our minds be attached to the lotus feet of your Lord Kṛṣṇa, may our tongues chant His holy names, and may our bodies lie prostrate before Him.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 6.46, Translation:

Raghunātha dāsa offered his obeisances by falling prostrate at a distant place, and the servant of Nityānanda Prabhu pointed out, "There is Raghunātha dāsa, offering You obeisances."

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Upon reaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rāmānanda Rāya prostrated himself and offered his obeisances and respects.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 27:

While sitting and chanting, the Lord saw that the governor of the province, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, had reached the banks of the river accompanied by his associates, which included many brāhmaṇas. Previously the Lord had been asked by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya to visit the great devotee Rāmānanda Rāya at Kabur. The Lord could understand that the man approaching the river bank was Rāmānanda Rāya, and He desired to see him immediately. However, because He was in the renounced order of life, He restrained Himself from going to see a political personage. Being a great devotee, Rāmānanda Rāya was attracted by the features of Lord Caitanya, who appeared as a sannyāsī, and he himself came to see the Lord. Upon reaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rāmānanda Rāya prostrated himself and offered his obeisances and respects. Lord Caitanya received him by vibrating Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.

When Rāmānanda Rāya presented his credentials, Lord Caitanya embraced him, and both of them were overwhelmed with ecstasy. The brāhmaṇas who accompanied Rāmānanda Rāya were surprised to see them embracing in transcendental ecstasy. The brāhmaṇas were all stalwart followers of the rituals, and they could not understand the meaning of such devotional symptoms. Indeed, they were rather surprised to see such a great sannyāsī touch a śūdra, and they were also surprised to see Rāmānanda Rāya, who was a great governor and practically king of that province, crying simply by touching a sannyāsī. Lord Caitanya understood the brāhmaṇas' thoughts, and, considering the unfavorable situation, He pacified Himself.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

You are the son of Vasudeva, and You are the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the master of all pure devotees. Please accept my prostrated obeisances.

Krsna Book 27:

"My dear Lord, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You because You are the Supreme Person and the Supreme Soul. You are the son of Vasudeva, and You are the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the master of all pure devotees. Please accept my prostrated obeisances. You are the personification of supreme knowledge. You can appear anywhere, according to Your desire, in any one of Your eternal forms. You are the root of all creation and the Supreme Soul of all living entities. Due to my gross ignorance, I created a great disturbance in Vṛndāvana by sending torrents of rain and a heavy hailstorm. I acted out of severe anger caused by Your stopping the sacrifice which was to be held to satisfy me. But, my dear Lord, You are so kind to me that You have bestowed Your mercy upon me by destroying all my false pride. I therefore take shelter of Your lotus feet. My dear Lord, You are not only the supreme controller but also the spiritual master of all living entities."

Thus praised by Indra, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, smiled beautifully and then replied in a grave voice like a rumbling cloud: "My dear Indra, I stopped your sacrifice just to show you My causeless mercy and to remind you that I am your eternal master. I am the master not only of you but of all the other demigods as well. You should always remember that all your material opulences are due to My mercy. No living entity can independently become opulent; one must be favored by My mercy. Everyone should always remember that I am the Supreme Lord. I can show anyone My favor, and I can chastise anyone, because no one is superior to Me. If I find someone overpowered by false pride, in order to show him My causeless mercy I withdraw all his opulences."

As soon as I arrive in Vṛndāvana, I will get down from this chariot and fall prostrate to offer my obeisances to the Supreme Lord, the master of material nature and all living entities.

Krsna Book 38:

Akrūra thought, “That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, has now appeared as one of the descendants of the Yadu dynasty. The principles of religion are His enacted laws. Those who are abiding by such laws are demigods, and those who are not abiding are demons. He has advented Himself to give protection to the demigods, who are very obedient to the laws of the Supreme Lord. The demigods and the devotees of the Lord take pleasure in abiding by the laws of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa takes pleasure in giving them all sorts of protection. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, these activities of Kṛṣṇa—His protecting the devotees and killing the demons, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā—are always good for men to hear and narrate. The glorious activities of the Lord will ever increasingly be chanted by the devotees and demigods.

"Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the spiritual master of all spiritual masters; He is the deliverer of all fallen souls and the proprietor of the three worlds. Anyone who is able to see Him by eyes smeared with love of Godhead enjoys a festival of seeing. Today I shall be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who by His transcendental beauty has attracted the goddess of fortune to live with Him perpetually. As soon as I arrive in Vṛndāvana, I will get down from this chariot and fall prostrate to offer my obeisances to the Supreme Lord, the master of material nature and all living entities. The lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa are always worshiped by great mystic yogīs, so I shall also worship His lotus feet and become one of His friends in Vṛndāvana like the cowherd boys. When I bow down before Lord Kṛṣṇa in that way, certainly He will place His fearless lotus hand on my head. His hand is offered to all conditioned souls who take shelter under His lotus feet. Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal of life for all people who fear material existence, and certainly when I see Him He will give me the shelter of His lotus feet. I am aspiring for the touch of His lotuslike hand on my head. When that hand touched the presentations of King Indra and King Bali, these two became qualified to be lords of the universe, and when that hand touched the gopīs as they danced with Kṛṣṇa in the rāsa-līlā, it relieved all their fatigue." In this way Akrūra expected blessings from the hand of Kṛṣṇa.

Message of Godhead

When this minute quantity of living spark is gone from the body, the body lies dead, prostrate, and it cannot feel the slightest pain—even if hacked by an ax.

Message of Godhead 1:

This living spirit remains within the body just like a tiny dose of a potent medicine: the soul spreads its presence all over the body. And thus, we can understand, the sensitivity we experience to even the slightest touch on any part of the body is due to the spreading of this living spirit throughout the body. But when this minute quantity of living spark is gone from the body, the body lies dead, prostrate, and it cannot feel the slightest pain—even if hacked by an ax.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

He's a devotee. He only knows the Supreme Lord, and he offered obeisances. That is his qualification. Anyone can do that. Anyone can come here in the temple and offer obeisances. Where is the difficulty?

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1977:

Pradyumna: "Translation: When Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva saw the small boy Prahlāda Mahārāja prostrated at the soles of His lotus feet, He became most ecstatic in affection toward His devotee. Raising Prahlāda, the Lord placed His lotus hand upon the boy's head because His hand is always ready to create fearlessness in all of His devotees."

Prabhupāda:

sva-pāda-mūle patitaṁ tam arbhakaṁ

vilokya devaḥ kṛpayā pariplutaḥ

utthāpya tac-chīrṣṇy adadhāt karāmbujaṁ

kālāhi-vitrasta-dhiyāṁ kṛtābhayam

(SB 7.9.5)

So to become devotee or favorite to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very easy. It is not at all difficult. Here we see the example, Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five year old boy... (break) He's a devotee. He only knows the Supreme Lord, and he offered obeisances. That is his qualification. Anyone can do that. Anyone can come here in the temple and offer obeisances. Where is the difficulty? Simply one must have the sense that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa or Nṛsiṁhadeva or any one of His multi-expansions."

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

All right. That is artificial.

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 1, 1974, Bombay:

Girirāja: "...is so potent that the more one advances in this line, the more he loses his attraction for material life."

Dr. Patel: People used to prostrate themselves.

Prabhupāda: All right. That is artificial.

Dr. Patel: I have read somewhere. (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: That is not the way.

Dr. Patel: Have you read it? I have read it.

Prabhupāda: Even I do not... No. These are all nonsense.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

That's all right. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: They are appreciating in foreign countries also. Otherwise why these European, American boys would join? They are not fools and rascals. They understand that "Here is the genuine movement."

Guest (Indian man): Then, Prabhupāda, let us take leave, and I'd like to prostrate at your feet if you will permit me.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Guest: And you bless us to have the same consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Please come here, take care of the center.

Guest: We belong to a hundred miles from this place.

Prabhupāda: Oh, hundred miles?

1967 Correspondence

In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that one should "prostrate oneself at the feet of the wise, rendering him all forms of service & question him with a guileless heart again & again", is the only means to attain spiritual knowledge.

Letter to Aatie -- Navadvipa 28 October, 1967:

I thank you very much for your letter dated Oct. 19 & I am so happy that a boy of 17 years can feel so nicely about Krishna Consciousness. I am so happy that the Krishna Consciousness movement is attracting young innocent hearts of America. From this I can think that the future of this movement is very hopeful. I was very glad to learn that you are following our four principle rules, therefore your picking up of the process of acquiring spiritual knowledge from Bhagavad-gita is very nice. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that one should "prostrate oneself at the feet of the wise, rendering him all forms of service & question him with a guileless heart again & again", is the only means to attain spiritual knowledge. The process of speculation without approaching the bona fide spiritual master is simply a waste of time. In the Caitanya Caritamrta, Lord Caitanya affirms this principle, when he says that a fortunate living being while wandering in different species of life gets the chance of meeting a bona fide spiritual master by the causeless mercy of Krishna. In the Vedic literature there is a nice story about Dhruva. This Dhruva understood from his mother when he was only five, that God can be found in person in the forest. Dhruva went to the forest in search of God. The Lord Narayana in heaven or in the heart of Dhruva understood the sincerity of Dhruva's purpose & sent Narada, His great disciple to initiate Dhruva in the matter of Krishna Consciousness. This incident confirms that by the grace of Krishna, Dhruva was able to get the help of Narada as his spiritual master. Therefore, Krishna Consciousness is a parallel process in worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead & the Spiritual master simultaneously. Your desire to become the servant of the servant of Krishna is very pious. Lord Caitanya desired the same thing in order to set an example, though he was Krishna Himself (CC Madhya 13.80). The Bhagavad-gita confirms this. I am so pleased to learn that you are all living in the Brahmacari house with Jayananda & Upendra & I am more pleased that you are all working. Everyone can achieve the highest perfection of life by working in his specific capacity.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Govinda Maharaja -- Calcutta 22 September, 1970:

My Dear Govinda Maharaja,

Please accept my prostrated obeisances. Your letter dated 22nd August, 1970, addressed to me at Los Angeles is now redirected here in Calcutta. Perhaps you have heard that I have come back to Calcutta for distributing some of our books and literature and I am staying at the above address temporarily.

Regarding propagating the Name of Sri Mayapur as Birthplace of Lord Caitanya, it is going on regularly in our different literatures and books. If you kindly take the trouble of coming here conveniently, I can show you how we are giving publicity to the Birthsite of Lord Caitanya. Perhaps you know that I begged from His Holiness Sripada Tirtha Maharaja a little piece of land at Mayapur for constructing a home for my Western disciples, but he refused the proposal. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura wanted that the American and European devotees would come to Mayapur and the prophecy is now fulfilled. Unfortunately they are loitering in the streets of Calcutta without having a suitable place at Mayapur. Do you think it is alright?

I am very sorry to learn that your health is deteriorating due to passing of sugar. The best medicine is to starve. I had one very influential doctor friend, the Chief Medical Officer of Vienna. When I was taking lunch with him sometimes in the year of 1955 he was suffering from diabetes and he told me that it is a disease for voracious eating and T.B. is a disease for undereating. If you kindly find some time and see me at your convenience that will be a great pleasure.

You have reminded me of the Janmastami Day and it was pompously observed at our New Vrndavana. We were expecting some guests from India; unfortunately nobody came.

Hope this will meet you in good health. Thanking you once more for your kind letter.

Yours affectionately,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami