Category:Attacking Devotees of God
Theme Analysis
The appearance of hostility and tribulation within the life of a dedicated practitioner is a recurring phenomenon in the history of theistic traditions. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that those entrusted with distributing Vedic knowledge and spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness are frequently targeted by demoniac forces who are inherently antagonistic to spiritual principles. This category, Attacking Devotees of God, clarifies that a servant of the Lord is not completely immune to physical violence, political persecution, thievery, or the debilitating assaults of disease and old age. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly emphasizes that being a devotee does not mean foolishly challenging the laws of nature or taking unnecessary physical risks under the pretext of divine immunity; rather, practical safety measures, including legal recourse and armed self-defense under regular government license, must be intelligently utilized. When the agents of nescience attempt to harm the propagation of truth, advanced Vaiṣṇavas like Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu exhibit extraordinary tolerance, motivated solely by their compassionate mission to deliver the fallen souls. Ultimately, the apparent vulnerability of the practitioner only serves to highlight the absolute reality of divine shelter. Kṛṣṇa remains perpetually prepared to preserve His surrendered servants, mobilising the Sudarśana cakra or even breaking His own personal vows to ensure that the destructive forces of the material world can never inflict permanent harm upon His beloved devotees.
- The Reality of Demoniac Opposition: Preachers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness often encounter aggressive hostility from materialistic elements, who attempt to disrupt the distribution of absolute truth through physical or philosophical assaults.
- Practical Defense and Intelligence: A devotee must never act with reckless sentimentality by challenging material laws; instead, they should exercise intelligence by implementing proper safety measures, utilizing state police, or maintaining weapons for temple security.
- Exemplars of Compassionate Tolerance: Historical personalities demonstrate that when faced with violent physical attacks, advanced souls tolerate personal suffering to prioritize the merciful delivery of their attackers.
- The Guarantee of Divine Intervention: The Supreme Lord never tolerates the destruction of His faithful servants, and He will personally intervene, deploy His weapons, or disrupt cosmic laws to protect them from final harm.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Attacking Devotees of God - Understanding Demoniac Opposition and Divine Protection.
Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
Pages in category "Attacking Devotees of God"
The following 20 pages are in this category, out of 20 total.
A
- A devotee has nothing to fear. He is protected from the attack of enemies, from the attack of Yamadutas. How is that? There are many hundreds and thousands of instances - Prahlada Maharaja, Haridasa Thakura
- After hearing from the sun and moon demigods about Rahu's attack, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, engages His disc, known as the Sudarsana cakra, to protect them. The Sudarsana cakra is the Lord's most beloved devotee & is favored by the Lord
- Although your attack upon me with your club was certainly useless, like a request of money from a miser, the thunderbolt you carry will not be useless. You need have no doubts about this
- As soon as you are able to, I mean to say, guide yourself, or save yourself from the attack of the opposing element, then you'll know that you are making progress
I
- I am now old man, and attacked with serious disease; I may be overcome by death at any moment. Therefore I wish to leave some trained preachers so that they can do the work of Krishna Consciousness in the western world. That is my ambition
- I further understand that the attack was for the second time. Here in Mayapur there are reports of dacoity at least once, twice in a month surrounding our place. So we have now taken two guns under regular license from the government
- If he tries to commit any further harm to you or attack you physically, inform the police and have him arrested
- In this connection it is significant that Narada was immune to the attack of jara, or invalidity, and similarly jara, or the destructive force, cannot attack any follower of Narada Muni or a pure Vaisnava
T
- Thakura Haridasa was not born of a brahmana family, nor was he himself brahmana, yet he could protect himself from such an attack (of sex desire) due to his being Krsna conscious
- The Lord did this (taking up a chariot wheel and attack Bhisma) to show that His devotee was being maintained at the sacrifice of His own promise
- They (devotees spreading Krsna consciousness) must rest assured that demoniac attacks will not be able to harm them, for the Lord is always prepared to give them protection
W
- When New Vrindaban has been attacked twice, thrice, why are you not keeping guns?
- Why should you voluntarily go and be attacked? It is not that a devotee should take physical risk so long he has got some physical body. It is not a challenge to the physical laws: "Oh, I have become a devotee. I challenge everything." That's foolishness