Category:Approaching Devotees of God
Theme Analysis
The science of spiritual realization dictates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be understood by academic wisdom, material education, or the mere official execution of Vedic rituals. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa is adurlabha ātma-bhaktau—He is easily available only through His devotees. Because a sinful soul cannot approach God directly, the bona fide representative of God acts as a more accessible and compassionate gateway. Actual knowledge of transcendental bliss and the preliminary stages of prema (love of God) can only be bestowed by a pure devotee.
The mood with which one approaches a devotee is of critical importance. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that approaching a transcendental soul on the strength of one’s material opulence, beauty, or education is entirely ineffective. If a person is materially puffed-up and lacks respect, a Vaiṣṇava may offer only formal, external respects. Instead, one must approach with all humility and put relevant questions to the Kṛṣṇa conscious person. If one approaches with a challenging spirit, the elevated devotee will not be available for service. To attain the end of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one must touch the lotus feet of the spiritual master, for this path cannot be traversed through self-endeavor alone.
The protection afforded to those who approach and surrender to pure devotees is absolute. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that even the most powerful Yamarāja fears Kṛṣṇa and His servants. In the history of Ajāmila, Yamarāja strictly warned the Yamadūtas never to approach devotees, as they are under the direct protection of Lord Viṣṇu's club. For the servants of death, a devotee is a dangerous and untouchable person. Conversely, those who approach the devotee with sincerity find the path of liberation wide open.
Historical examples throughout the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam illustrate the various ways entities approach devotees. The cowherd men approached Nanda Mahārāja’s house to celebrate Kṛṣṇa’s appearance; the gopīs approached Mother Yaśodā to hear Kṛṣṇa’s activities; and Vidura approached the learned Maitreya Ṛṣi for transcendental inquiry. Even Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, though the Supreme Lord Himself, taught the importance of this principle by taking a subordinate position when approaching Rāmānanda Rāya, demonstrating that serious students must approach those enriched with Kṛṣṇa consciousness to understand the Lord's nature.
- The Only Path to Krsna: Academic wisdom and rituals are insufficient; one must approach a pure devotee to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and attain transcendental bliss.
- The Necessity of Humility: Approaching a devotee with material pride or a challenging spirit is useless; success depends on submissiveness, humility, and sincere inquiry.
- Protection from Death: Those who surrender to the Lord's devotees are exempt from the jurisdiction of the Yamadūtas; even Yamarāja forbids his servants from approaching such souls.
- Subordination of the Lord: To teach the world, Lord Caitanya Himself took a subordinate position before His devotee, showing that approaching a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is the real self-interest of the soul.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Approaching Devotees of God - The Gateway to the Supreme Lord.
Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.
Pages in category "Approaching Devotees of God"
The following 34 pages are in this category, out of 34 total.
A
- A serious personality can achieve the highest perfection of meeting the Lord and attain his objective simply by being guided by a pure devotee, who automatically approaches by dint of one's serious determination to meet the Lord by all means
- Actual knowledge of transcendental bliss can be bestowed upon anybody by a pure devotee. One cannot attain the perfection of spiritual life simply by following the directions of the Vedas. One has to approach a pure devotee
- After hearing the words of the goddess Durga, Kamsa was struck with wonder. Thus he approached his sister Devaki and brother-in-law Vasudeva, released them immediately from their shackles, and very humbly spoke as follows - SB 10.4.14
- After warning the Yamadutas not to approach the devotees, Yamaraja now indicates who is to be brought before him. He specifically advises the Yamadutas to bring him the materialistic persons who are attached to household life merely for sex
- As soon as one approaches the pure devotee and takes the dust of his lotus feet and puts it on his head, immediately, anartha apagamah, he'll be freed from all this nonsense. That means he'll forget this idea that "Materially we can advance"
H
- He (Brahma) has described expansions of the Supreme Lord, Govinda, in his Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38), - The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be known by the academic wisdom of the Vedas; one has to approach the devotee of the Lord to understand Him
- He (Krsna) suggested that "I think if My devotee gives their dust of foot on My head, then I'll be cured." Then every devotee was approached that "Give your dust of feet. Krsna wants it." Even Narada
- He (Vasudeva) was therefore very difficult to see or approach through sensory perception. Indeed, he was unapproachable and unperceivable even for such formidable men as Kamsa, and not only for Kamsa but for all living entities - SB 10.2.17
I
- If one approaches a transcendental devotee on the strength of material one’s opulence, education and does not offer respect to the advanced devotee of the Lord, the Vaisnava devotee may offer formal respects to such a materially puffed-up person
- If one approaches a transcendental devotee on the strength of one’s material heritage and beauty and does not offer respect to the advanced devotee of the Lord, the Vaisnava devotee may offer formal respects to such a materially puffed-up person
- If we approach the Supreme Lord or His devotee, or if we are blessed by a devotee, naturally we will automatically achieve the benedictions of the Supreme Lord
L
- Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, accompanied by great sages like Narada, Devala and Vyasa and by other demigods like Indra, Candra and Varuna, invisibly approached the room of Devaki - SB 10.2.25
- Lord Caitanya actually took the subordinate position before Ramananda Raya. This has very great significance. If one is serious about understanding the transcendental nature of Krsna, he should approach a person who is actually enriched with KC
O
- O King Pariksit, the cowherd men dressed very opulently with valuable ornaments and garments such as coats and turbans. Decorated in this way and carrying various presentations in their hands, they approached the house of Nanda Maharaja - SB 10.5.8
- Observing the very attractive childish restlessness of Krsna, all the gopis in the neighborhood, to hear about Krsna's activities again and again, would approach mother Yasoda and speak to her - SB 10.8.28
- One should approach a Krsna conscious person with all humility and put relevant questions to him. If one goes to challenge him, such a highly elevated Krsna conscious person would not be available for any service
S
- Srimati Madhavi-devi was a highly elevated devotee; therefore approaching her to ask for some rice to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was certainly not very offensive
- Such persons (who are addicted to decorating the body) do not understand Lord Siva, but they approach him for luxurious material comforts
T
- The bona fide representative of God is as good as God Himself. Or, i.e., the loving representative of God is more kind and easy to approach. A sinful soul cannot approach God directly, but such a sinful man can very easily approach a pure devotee of God
- The color of gold is compared to the will-o'-the-wisp or yellow stool; therefore one should not be allured by gold-manufacturing gurus but should sincerely approach a devotee like Jada Bharata
- The learned sage Maitreya was sitting in a solitary place on the bank of the Ganges at Hardwar, and Vidura, who was a perfect devotee of the Lord and possessed all good transcendental qualities, approached him for inquiry
- The only way to understand the Lord as He is, is by devotional service to the Lord, or by approaching the devotee of the Lord who always has the Lord in his heart
- The preliminary stage of understanding prema, love of God, is to approach a proper pure devotee, accept him as one's spiritual master, and execute regulated devotional service under his guidance
- The Yamadutas have given up the dangerous behavior of approaching devotees. For the Yamadutas, a devotee is dangerous
- These slokas (SB 7.5.30 and SB 7.5.32) are to be discussed. Their purport is that one cannot obtain krsna-bhakti, or the devotional service of the Lord, by official execution of the Vedic rituals. One has to approach a pure devotee
- To attain such an end (Krsna Consciousness), one must touch the lotus feet of the spiritual master. Krsna consciousness cannot be achieved by self-endeavor. One must therefore approach a self-realized, Krsna conscious person and touch his lotus feet
W
- We have to approach devotee. We have to approach prasanta. And if we become fortunate to serve him, then the liberation, the path of liberation, is open
- When the force of the dust storm and the winds subsided, Yasoda's friends, the other gopis, approached mother Yasoda, hearing her pitiful crying - SB 10.7.25