One should not become a father, mother, or teacher without being a pure devotee? Understanding an iconic verse.

"One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod."

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The teachings of Ṛṣabhadeva are one of the most important passages of the Fifth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. Prabhupāda defines these instructions as a description of bhāgavata-dharma, religious principles that transcend ordinary Vedic teachings, bringing the hearer directly to the platform of Krsna Consciousness. As Prabhupāda mentions, these instructions of Ṛṣabhadeva were not exactly meant for His sons, because they were already very advanced in knowledge. They were meant to elevate transcendentalists, especially those on the path of jñana, to the platform of devotional service to the Lord.

However, we tend to remember them for just one of the verses:

gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt
pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt
daivaṁ na tat syān na patiś ca sa syān
na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum

“One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.” (SB 5.5.18)

This verse is frequently misinterpreted. Some use it to dodge all kinds of responsibilities, concluding that since they are not pure devotees, they shouldn’t become a father or a teacher of anything else. Others use it to attack others, arguing that they are not pure devotees and still assume some of these functions, and therefore, they are cheaters. The verse also speaks about becoming a mother, so maybe we should make a pure devotee certification for all women wanting to beget a child. Certainly, that’s not what the verse means.

In his purport, Prabhupāda gives us the mood to understand this instruction:

“Ordinarily, the spiritual master, husband, father, mother or superior relative accepts worship from an inferior relative, but here Ṛṣabhadeva forbids this. First the father, spiritual master or husband must be able to release the dependent from repeated birth and death. If he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean of reproachment for his unlawful activities. Everyone should be very responsible and take charge of his dependents just as a spiritual master takes charge of his disciple or a father takes charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be discharged honestly unless one can save the dependent from repeated birth and death.”

Often, we are concerned about our rights, but not with our duties. A husband expects a wife who will be very submissive and do everything for him, while a wife expects a husband who will satisfy all her desires. In this mood, we often exploit others, taking service from them, without fulfilling our obligations. Expectedly, they often refuse to be exploited in this way, which leads to all kinds of quarrels and enmity inside the family and community.

Ṛṣabhadeva, however, sets the proper mood. We are not masters; we are not meant to demand service from others, but rather to serve. The best and most urgent service is to enlighten others and elevate them to the platform of Krsna Consciousness. This is thus the most basic and essential duty of anyone who accepts dependents, be they children, a wife, or disciples. We should seriously follow the spiritual process and sincerely try to teach others as a link in the disciplic succession.

No proper Vaiṣnava will claim to personally have the power of releasing others from birth and death. However, we should have faith that this is possible through the chain of disciplic succession. A spiritual master has faith in the potency of his own spiritual master, and thus accepts disciples acting as a link in the chain that goes all the way to Krsna Himself. The power is not in our personal potency, but in being faithful to our own spiritual master and acting as a bona fide link in the chain. If we can’t act as honest representatives of our spiritual master, then we should first reform ourselves before accepting anyone as a dependent; otherwise, we become cheaters.

Prabhupāda gives four examples that illustrate this point:

a) Although a brāhmana, Śukrācārya failed to understand the purpose of the scriptures and objected when Bali Mahārāja promised to give everything to Lord Viṣṇu. He was thus correctly rejected as a guru.

b) The wives of the sacrificial brāhmanas left their husbands when they refused to give the offerings to Krsna, and came personally to see Krsna in the forest and bring Him the eatables He asked for. They thus rejected their husbands, understanding they were blinded by ritualistic performances and incapable of delivering them from birth and death.

c) Hiraṇyakaśipu broke all religious principles and acted as an enemy of the Lord and His devotees, and thus Prahlāda Maharaja rejected him as a father.

d) Bharata rejected his mother Kaikeyī because she became envious of Lord Rāma and created an intrigue to banish Him to the forest.

We should thus all be serious in our spiritual practice and devoted to our spiritual master and to the whole chain of disciplic succession, accepting our service to them in enlightening our dependents in a sober and humble spirit. With this, our fatherhood, motherhood, or husbandhood will be part of our service to Krsna.

This verse should be understood in the context of another verse that appears right before:

“If one is serious about going back home, back to Godhead, he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life. If he is a father instructing his sons, a spiritual master instructing his disciples, or a king instructing his citizens, he must instruct them as I have advised. Without being angry, he should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son or citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order. Ignorant people who engage in pious and impious activities should be engaged in devotional service by all means. They should always avoid fruitive activity. If one puts into the bondage of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who is bereft of transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like leading a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in.” (SB 5.5.15)

Here, Ṛṣabhadeva emphasizes the proper mood of this teaching. One should teach with compassion, without becoming angry or frustrated with the limitations of the students. Just as we were not able to immediately follow everything at first when we were being taught, others will also have difficulties. We should continue to patiently try to teach them, even when they have difficulties.

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