Slave to the senses

Expressions researched:
"slaves to the senses" |"slave to the senses" |"slaves of the senses" |"slaves of their sensual urges" |"slave of the senses" |"slaves of their senses"

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Fruitive workers are slaves of their sensual urges, spending their time in gratifying their senses according to their whims. Yet they shamelessly say that all their actions are prompted by the Supreme Lord.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 1.9: The purified, rare souls continuously perform karma-yoga and are always in a liberated state. In the Bhagavad-gītā (5.7) it is stated,

"One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses is dear to everyone. Though always working, such a man is never entangled."

There are those who live and act in a manner exactly opposite to that of the pure souls, who are constantly acting in karma-yoga. Such fruitive workers have no connection with the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, they cannot cleanse their heart of material contamination. They are slaves of their sensual urges, spending their time in gratifying their senses according to their whims. Yet they shamelessly say that all their actions are prompted by the Supreme Lord. Being cheaters and atheists, they speak like this so that their impious acts may be acceptable, and thus they inflict untold misfortunes and calamities on the world. By contrast, the pure, self-realized souls are constantly absorbed in serving Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet with their body, mind, and words. They never associate with atheistic people. These saintly persons know that although the spirit soul is infinitesimal, it is nevertheless endowed with minute free will at all times. The Supreme Lord is absolutely independent and can exercise absolute free will over all; because the spirit soul is qualitatively the same as the Supreme Lord, the Lord does not annul his minute free will.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Somebody is slave of the senses, and somebody is slave of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971: There are two kinds of servants: the māyā's servant and Kṛṣṇa's servant. Nobody is master. That is illusion. Everyone is servant. Every living entity is a servant. As enunciated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa: [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109] "The real constitutional position of the living entity is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." When he does not render service to Kṛṣṇa, under false prestige... Just like somebody says, "The Vaiṣṇava religion is slave mentality." "Vaiṣṇava religion is slave mentality. They want to be servant." But the rascals do not that (think) "What you have gained by master mentality?" You are simply servant of your senses. But they criticize that Vaiṣṇava is a slave men. Everyone is slave. Somebody is slave of the senses, and somebody is slave of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. That is illusion. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. The slaves of the senses, they are following the dictation of the senses, and abominable activities they are doing. Just like Ajāmila. He was a brāhmaṇa. He was a slave of Nārāyaṇa, a slave of Kṛṣṇa, brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa means... A brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, means he is a Vaiṣṇava. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ paśyanti sadā sūrayaḥ. Sura. Brāhmaṇas' another name is sura. So those who are suras, those who are demigods, they are Vaiṣṇava. They are always ready to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But by false prestige, when one tries to become master... Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. A master is supposed to be the supreme enjoyer of the establishment. But actually nobody is the enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The material existence means we are slaves of the senses, servants of so many sense gratificatory processes.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973: And tamo-guṇa means śūdra, ignorance and lazy. That is tamo-guṇa. These are the symptoms. They have no activity. They cannot become independent, because they are very lazy. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they have their independent life, but the śūdras, they are dependent. Therefore śūdra... Just like a dog. A dog, if he has no master, it is street dog. It has no value. It must be chained by a very big master. That is his life. And he very voluntarily agrees: "Come here." "Yes." So paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. Paricaryā, to satisfy the master. So our, this bhakti process is also the same. Sometimes we are criticized: "Slave mentality." Yes, we want voluntarily to become slave—of Kṛṣṇa. We are, at the present moment, we are slave of the senses. Kāma krodha moho mātsarya. Kāmādi. Kāmādi means kāma, desire to enjoy. And if our enjoyment, if our desire is not fulfilled, then we become krodhi, angry; lobhi, moha mātsarya. The material existence means we are servant of so many sense gratificatory processes. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4].

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

We are also slaves. But we are slaves of the person who is perfect (Kṛṣṇa), and the materialists are slaves of their senses.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Guest (1): No, sir, there you are also correct. I would say this, that these American boys and young girls who have come here, because this, our mind is conditioned into inferiority complex or slave-minded person, everything which is adopted there must be...

Prabhupāda: No, we are also slaves, but we are slave of the right person.

Guest (1): Yes, of the Supreme.

Prabhupāda: That is the difference. And they are slaves of their senses. That is the difference. We are not master. We are also slaves. But we are slaves of the person who is perfect, and they are slaves of their senses.

1968 Correspondence

It is not slavish when one agrees to become slave of Krishna and His representative, then this is liberated position, liberated from being slave to the senses.

Letter to Sivananda -- Los Angeles 11 November, 1968: Yes, the students should agree to be malleable by the Spiritual Master, then his success is sure. In your western part of the world, people are falsely taught not to become slavish. Everyone wants to assert his personal views and opinions, without following any authority. That is the general tendency. But although such persons claim not to be slaves, actually they are slaves to the senses. So instead of being a slave of the senses, if one voluntarily becomes the slave of Krishna, or His representative, that is good for him. This is maya, thinking that we are independent. We are slaves—every moment we are serving our senses. We are slaves to so many abominable things, to drugs, intoxication, sex, doing the most abominable things in the service of the senses. So it is not slavish when one agrees to become slave of Krishna and His representative, then this is liberated position, liberated from being slave to the senses. Yes, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura said, My Dear Vaisnava Thakura, Spiritual Master, let me become your dog, and I shall remain at your door, and I shall guard against any nonsense persons trying to enter, and whatever food you will give me, I shall eat, and I shall remain as your dog.