Prabhu…

Can you call girls Prabhu or do you just call them Mata?  I can't tell usually if it's a male or female Sanskrit  devotee name...  Hare Krsna!  All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

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  • Prabhu means master, teacher, prince and seems to be accepted to be a mostly male term.  Mata is mother, so it is a female term.  We add 'ji' was a form of respect. Obviously a female younger than me (which is most in my advanced age) is not my actual mother, so mataji gives her the respect due to a mother.  If you are not sure of the gender from the name... I would default to prabhu. Even Srila Prabhupada referred to male and female devotees as prabhu.  

    They are used as a term of respect, and helps us try to keep our ego in check. When you bow down to someone and call them prabhu, it is hard to stay puffed up. 

    • Thankyou Prabhuji - All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Hare Krsna!

  • Hare Krishna Damen prabhu ji,

    Pamho..

    Pamho-please accept my humble obeiscences. 

    One who is humble like a blade of grass can see God in all creatures.  It not like you want to give respect to elders or some genders. calling them mata ji or prabhu ji,

    I see in Iskcon they call even a small kid also Prabhu ji and small little girl also mata ji.  It indicates. Soul is not not connected to the body.

    We don't respect the body.  We are showing respect not to the age also. 

    We are showing respect to the soul  which is Spiritual and divine. 

    Soul is part of the supersoul and is always divine.  ( now don't ask me can we call the dog and cat also prabhu ji and mata ji). if you really feel the soul of the dog and cat .. you can go ahead and call too.

    Not all are at this platform yet to see divinity of soul and give respects to it.

    for a starter in bhakti it is good practice to show respect to seniors and calling the males as " prabhu ji" and females as mata ji' 

    But as we go into deeper and deeper realization and cross the platform of body you will start show respect to the small kids also.. and call them prabhu ji and mata ji .. ( even though they may be younger than you in age in this material body). 

    If you became a Paramhamsa or highly realized soul .. that day you will see krishna in all beings and radha rani in all beings.  ( be it cat, dog , ant or elephant or humans or tree or mountains).. that realization makes you literally humble as you start seeing krishna and radharani everywhere and that day you will start seeing why you were asked to call prabhu ji and mata ji to everyone.

    Humbleness means to feel compassion and love and respect everyone equally as you much as you love urself. Seeing Krishna and Radha in all beings ( Krishna and Radha are one and same even gender difference wont exsist at that stage of realization). That day you will not even feel like stomping on an ant passing under you feet. You will take precautions even when you walk on ground.

    As of now we are not yet in that phase of realization.. we are just showing as of now respect to senior devotees and repect to guru maharaj which is essential and normal practice among all Indians. In India we we respect elders and seniors. with some addition to the name.

    direct naming someone is not done in Indian culture.  If she is married you say "ji" and " aap" in hindi. These are basics.

    In English language there is no respect words for anyone. You will be calling anyone with name or  say  hey there " you come here" you can go for male, female or child also. 

    There are people in India though they use the respect words like prabhu ji and mata ji and " aap " also but they talk rudely. 
    respect comes in not using the words .. Respect should be shown in the way you behave also. 

    Hare Krishna.

     

    • Thankyou so much for your letter!  What does ji in Prabhu ji stand for?  Hare Krsna!

      • " ji' is general respect..word.. you can use ji when continuing talking like as is you are listening with respect to a senior

        and accepting his words..

        like if a prabhu is saying. something related to Krishna and you want to accept his words and show respect at the same time

        you will say " ji' prabhu   like " yes with respect.

        or say  ji mata ji yes you are right.

        • Thankyou Prabhuji! Is Gayatri a m or f name?  All glories to Srila Prabhupada!  Hare Krsna!

  • As far as I know Prabhu is for guys and Mata is for girls. Also there is 'didi' which means spiritual sister or just sister. I dont called anybody Prabhu usually I call by the name. I find saying Prabhu very unsual practice. And Mata means mother.. which I never say either. I prefer saying 'didi' as in sister. I have one mother who is enough in itself lol. But Prabhu and Mata in the spiritual sence is a sign of respect (more so to have a spiritual BOND then anyhting else.

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