Category:Body of a Devotee of God
Theme Analysis
The body of a devotee is fundamentally different from that of a gross materialist. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while it may appear materially formed, the body of a pure devotee is spiritualized (cinmaya) through constant engagement in the service of the Lord, just as an iron rod becomes fiery when placed in fire. This category elucidates that a devotee does not identify with the body but utilizes it fully as an instrument for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure. Consequently, the devotee is free from the fear of death and the reactions of karma. Upon quitting the present frame, they do not accept another material birth but return to the spiritual world, sometimes even manifesting a spiritual body while still present in the material sphere, as seen in the lives of great souls like Dhruva Mahārāja and Nārada Muni.
- The Iron in Fire Analogy: Just as iron ceases to act as iron and acts as fire when red-hot, the devotee's body ceases to be material when fully engaged in spiritual activities.
- Freedom from Designation: The devotee knows they are not the body and thus remains unaffected by bodily pains or material duality, living like a dry coconut detached from its husk.
- Ecstatic Symptoms: The body of an advanced devotee manifests eight kinds of transcendental transformations (asta-sattvika-vikara), such as shivering, tears, and perspiration, which are unknown to ordinary men.
- The Ultimate Destination: Unlike the conditioned soul who is forced into another womb, the devotee leaves the body to return home, back to Godhead, often realizing their spiritual identity even before death.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Spiritualized Body of a Devotee.
Subcategories
This category has the following 35 subcategories, out of 35 total.
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Pages in category "Body of a Devotee of God"
The following 206 pages are in this category, out of 206 total.
A
- A devotee acts differently: he knows he is not the body and that as long as he is in his body he will have to suffer the threefold material miseries
- A devotee does not attach much importance to the pains and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body
- A devotee falls to the ground, and the subsequent symptoms in the body ensue. These symptoms are mentioned above (CC Madhya 3.162 ), and when they become prominent in the body, a state called pralaya (devastation) is manifest
- A devotee is happy even in this life because although in material existence we have many needs, all his material needs are satisfied, and when he at last quits his body, he goes back home, back to Godhead, without a doubt
- A devotee is never afraid of death or of changing his body; his consciousness is transformed into Krsna consciousness, and even if he does not go back to Godhead, even if he transmigrates to another material body, he has nothing to fear
- A devotee never takes the part of a particular party; therefore he is carefree. He is never pained because he is free from all designations; he knows that his body is a designation, so if there are some bodily pains, he is free. BG 1972 purports
- A devotee once said, "It is very astonishing that since I have seen this Personality of Godhead who is washed by the tears of my eyes, there is shivering of my body, and He has made me a failure in executing my material duties"
- A devotee should eat only enough to maintain his body and soul together; he should not allow his tongue unrestricted license to eat anything and everything it likes
- A devotee's body is not connected with material activities, and as such, a devotee is always liberated
- A pure devotee is one whose intelligence is clear; he is truly thoughtful because he engages in the service of the Lord - not as a matter of show, but with love, with his mind, words and body
- A pure devotee knows that a devotee's body, being always transcendental, is just suitable for rendering service to the Lord
- According to her (Suruci), first of all he had to die, then take his next body in her womb, and only then would it be possible for Dhruva Maharaja to ascend the throne of his father
- According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted
- Actually it was the body left by Vrtrasura that was cut to pieces by Indra; Vrtrasura himself was not killed. In his original consciousness, Vrtrasura returned home, back to Godhead, to become an associate of Lord Sankarsana
- Actually, the Lord's birth is never ordinary. The SPG is already situated within the core of everyone's heart as antaryami, the Supersoul. Thus because He was present in full potency in Devaki's heart, He was also able to appear outside her body
- After giving up the body, the devotee who becomes perfect in devotional service enters that particular universe where Lord Ramacandra or Lord Krsna is engaged in His pastimes
- After quitting his body (the devotee) he does not go into the womb of another mother
- After quitting this body, (devotees) go back to Godhead and engage directly in the association of the Supreme Lord
- After reaching Satyaloka, the devotee is specifically able to be incorporated fearlessly by the subtle body in an identity similar to that of the gross body, and one after another he gradually attains stages of existence
- After the expiry of the elephant's life (as Gajendra), he (Indradyumna) was promoted to Vaikunthaloka to become a personal associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, in a body exactly like that of the Lord. This is called sarupya-mukti
- Akrura continued, "After being properly initiated in the method of Pancaratra, they decorate their bodies with tilaka and engage in worshiping Your different forms of visnu-murti"
- All (five rasas) combine on the platform of conjugal love when the devotee wants to serve the Lord by offering Him his personal body
- All these features of Dhruva Maharaja's bodily expression (his agitation in awe and respect after seeing God) indicate that upon seeing the Lord face to face he developed the eight kinds of transcendental ecstasy in his body
- Although Bali Maharaja was offering his body to the Lord for the Lord's third step, he was still in the darkness of ignorance. Actually the body did not belong to him, but because of his long-standing demoniac mentality he could not understand this
- Although Bharata Maharaja acquired the body of a deer, he again left his hearth and home, in this case the Mountain Kalanjara
- Although Bharata Maharaja had to accept the body of a deer, he could remember Narayana at the time of death. Consequently he took birth as a perfect devotee in a brahmana family
- Although Bharata Maharaja was awarded the body of an animal, he did not forget what had previously happened due to his purposeful mistake
- Although he had a deer's body, he remembered his spiritual position, but he still had to wait until the next life for perfection. In the next life he took birth as Jada Bharata
- Although he received the body of a brahmana, he was still very much afraid of his relatives and friends who were not devotees. He was always very cautious of such association because he feared that he would again fall down
- Although it is not mentioned here (in BG 1.28), still one can easily imagine that not only were Arjuna's bodily limbs quivering and his mouth drying up, but that he was also crying out of compassion. BG 1972 purports
- An advanced devotee does not live within the material body but within his spiritual body, just as a dry coconut lives detached from the coconut husk, even though within the husk. The pure devotee's body is called spiritualized body
- Any devotee who is acting in devotional service dedicates his life and body for the purpose of the Lord
- Anyone who desires to be Krsna conscious in motherly affection or parental affection should contemplate the bodily features of mother Yasoda. It is not that one should desire to become like Yasoda, for this is Mayavada
- Arjuna was thinking that the body was himself and that his bodily relations or expansions were his brothers, nephews, brothers-in-law, grandfathers and so on. He was thinking in this way to satisfy his bodily demands. BG 1972 Introduction
- As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (BG 4.9), tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: after giving up his body, a devotee immediately returns to Lord Krsna and never returns to accept another body. This was Vrtrasura's interest
- As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (BG 4.9), tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: after giving up the present body, a devotee who has understood Krsna as He is need not return to this material world
- As far as Srimati Radharani and Her gopis are concerned, their bodies, homes, dresses, ornaments, endeavors and activities are all spiritual. All of these are meant to satisfy the spiritual senses of Krsna
- As stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka, the words caksusa pravrsayitam refer to tears falling incessantly from the devotee's eyes. These symptoms, which appear in pure devotional ecstasy, were visible in the body of Prahlada Maharaja
- At Jagannatha Puri he (Santatana Gosvami) decided to give up his body by falling down beneath a wheel of the Jagannatha ratha, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu saved him
- At last, in fear of his (Durvasa Muni's) life, he approached Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was so interested in his own body that he wanted to kill the body of a Vaisnava
- At length, Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Sanatana to sit down with Him on a bench. He was touching the body of Sanatana with His hand, and Sanatana asked Him again, "My dear Lord, please do not touch me"
B
- Bali Maharaja said to God: So please do not think that I wanted to cheat You; I must fulfill my promise. I still have my body. When I place my body for Your satisfaction, please put Your third step on my head
- Because Bharata Maharaja was always thinking of the deer and forgetting his worship of the Supreme Lord, he acquired the body of a deer
- Because he (a devotee) always engages in the service of the Lord, his body is transcendental and full of spiritual bliss
- Because he was very cautious within his deer body, he took birth in a brahmana family as Jada Bharata. During this lifetime, he remained perfectly Krsna conscious and preached the gospel of KC directly, beginning with his instructions to King Rahugana
- Because my (King Pariksit's) mother surrendered unto Lord Krsna's lotus feet, the Lord, Sudarsana-cakra in hand, entered her womb and saved my body, which was almost destroyed by the fiery weapon of Asvatthama - SB 10.1.5-7
- Because of mother Yasoda's hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her hair. When child Krsna saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound - SB 10.9.18
- Because of their relationship as mother and son (with Krsna), although the gopis were engaged in various family activities, one should never think that they returned to this material world after leaving their bodies - SB 10.6.39-40
- Being situated in his original Krsna conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view
- By going to the planet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can know all the other planetary systems on the path to Vaikuntha. We should remember that Dhruva Maharaja's body was different from our bodies
- By His appearance within the womb, the Lord encouraged the child (Pariksit) and gave him complete protection in a new body by His omnipotency. By His power of omnipresence He was present both inside and outside of Uttara and other members of the Pandavas
- By knowing this (the position of the Lord and how to approach His dhama) he (Maharaja Pariksit) could leave aside everything material, even his own body, without any difficulty of attachment
C
- Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally spread the sankirtana movement, and He advised all the inhabitants of Bharatavarsa to take up His cult and preach it all over the world. The visible bodily symptoms of devotees who follow such instructions are called avesa
- Conjugal love is very prominent, and it is symptomized by the devotee's decorating his body to attract Krsna
D
- Descriptions of the bodily features of the anugas in Vrndavana are given in the following statement
- Devahuti, being situated in Krsna consciousness, had no mental anxieties, and therefore her body did not become thin
- Devotees do not fear the annihilation of the body, for they are confident that after the annihilation they will go back home, back to Godhead
- Devotees engaged in devotional service are not very much attached to their bodies, unlike the yogis, who are too attached to the body and who think that by performing bodily gymnastic exercises they will advance in spiritual consciousness
- Dhruva Maharaja and Prahlada Maharaja and many other devotees were able to see the Personality of Godhead face to face apparently in the same body. This means that the quality of a devotee's body changes from material to transcendence
- Dhruva Maharaja plainly says that a devotee has no more bodily interest. He knows that he is not the body
- Dhruva Maharaja's closing the holes of his personal body and thereby closing the breathing holes of the total universe clearly indicates that a devotee, by his personal DS, can influence all the people of the whole world to become devotees of the Lord
- Dhruva Maharaja, because of his spiritual advancement, became almost the total heaviness, and thus he pressed down the whole earth. Moreover, by such spiritual power his unit body became the total body of the universe
- Dhruva Maharaja, however, accepted such fruits (of Kapittha flower which is known in Indian vernacular as kayeta), not for luxurious feasting but just to keep his body and soul together
- Dressed in a saffron-yellow sari, with a belt tied about her full hips, mother Yasoda pulled on the churning rope, laboring considerably, her bangles and earrings moving and vibrating and her whole body shaking - SB 10.9.3
- Due to constant engagement in devotional service - hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping the Deity, etc., as prescribed in nine varieties - there are different symptoms which appear in the body of a devotee
- Due to his (Bharata's) past activities in devotional service, he became determined to finish his devotional service even in the body of a deer
E
- Emperor Ambarisa adopted all the nine items (of devotion), and he attained perfect success. It was he who engaged his body in touching the bodies of the devotees, his nostrils in smelling the flowers offered to the Lord
- Even before death, a pure devotee has no material affection, due to his body's being spiritualized like a red-hot iron in contact with fire
- Even if the body were killed, he (Jada Bharata) would not have cared, for he was thoroughly convinced of the proposition found in Bhagavad-gita (BG 2.20): na hanyate hanyamane sarire. He knew that he could not be killed even if his body were killed
- Even such an exalted personality as Bharata, who had attained loving affection for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, fell down from his position due to his affection for some animal. Consequently he had to accept the body of a deer in his next life
- Even the very body of a devotee becomes spiritualized, just as an iron rod put into fire becomes as qualified as fire because it becomes red hot and will immediately burn anything it touches
- Even though Bharata Maharaja received the body of a deer, he didn't forget his position
- Every devotee should take his bath early in the morning and decorate his body with tilaka. In Kali-yuga one can hardly acquire gold or jeweled ornaments, but the twelve tilaka marks on the body are sufficient as auspicious decorations to purify the body
- Everyone, the cats, dogs, they will also give up body. We shall also give up body. But the difference is, a devotee after giving up this body, he does not get anymore material body
F
- First, a devotee is firmly convinced of his spiritual identity. He never identifies with the body; he is firmly convinced that the spirit soul is different from the body. Consequently he fears nothing
- For a devotee, all mundane activities, social and political, become unattractive, and in the mature state such a devotee becomes uninterested even in his own body, and what to speak of bodily relatives
- For the pure devotee in Krsna consciousness, there is no fear of returning, whether he leaves the body at an auspicious or inauspicious moment, by accident or arrangement. BG 1972 purports
- For the pure devotee such a change takes place exactly like lightning, and illumination follows simultaneously. That is to say a devotee simultaneously changes his material body and develops a spiritual body by the will of the Supreme
- Fortunately Maharaja Pariksit had already been attracted to the Lord from the very beginning of his body, in the womb of his mother. In the womb of his mother he was struck by the brahmastra atomic bomb released by Asvatthama
H
- He (a devotee) is already situated on the Brahman platform and is in the transcendental realm, although he appears to be living within the body or within the material world
- He (a spiritual master) sometimes cries, sometimes laughs, sometimes dances and sometimes chants. These symptoms are very prominently manifest in the body of a pure devotee
- He (Dhruva) did not care for death, however, and even with his present body he boarded a spiritual airplane and went to the planet of Visnu because of association with the great sage Narada, who had spoken to him the narration of the pastimes of the Lord
- He (Vrtrasura) stopped all his bodily activities and became situated in trance. Taking advantage of the silence of Vrtrasura's body, Indra pierced the demon's abdomen, and because of Vrtrasura's trance, Indra was able to come out
- Here (in BG 9.28) it is specified that the devotee who has always lived his lifetime here under the direction of the Supreme Lord, as stated, has evolved to the point where he can, after quitting this body, go back to Godhead. BG 1972 purports
- His (King Ambarisa's) body in touching the bodies of the devotees, his sense of smell in smelling the scents of the lotus flower offered to the Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasi leaf offered at the lotus feet of the Lord. BG 1972 purports
I
- If a devotee born in the family of a candala (the lowest caste) is sometimes found engaged in his habitual activities, he is not to be considered a candala. In other words, a Vaisnava should not be evaluated in terms of his body
- If one thinks that the body of a pure devotee is material, he is an offender, for that is a vaisnava-aparadha. In this connection one should consult Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s Brhad-bhagavatamrta - 1.3.45 and 2.3.139
- If we qualify ourself as Vaisnava and devotee, then all other good qualities will automatically manifest in the body
- In gladness, the cowherd men enjoyed the great festival by splashing one another's bodies with a mixture of curd, condensed milk, butter and water. They threw butter on one another and smeared it on one another's bodies - SB 10.5.14
- In that state (of stambha), the peaceful mind is placed on the life air, and different bodily transformations are manifest. These symptoms are visible in the body of an advanced devotee. When life becomes almost inactive, it is called - stunned
- In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, the transcendental qualities of Sri Krsna are mentioned. Among these, fifty are primary (ayam neta su-ramyangah, etc.), and in minute quantity they were all present in the body of Sri Haridasa Pandita
- In the body of a brahmana, Bharata Maharaja appeared deaf and dumb, yet he was the most intelligent man in the world
- In the Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya-khanda, Chapter Five, there is the following statement: - Murari Caitanya dasa had no material bodily features, for he was completely spiritual
- In the meantime, his (Dhruva Maharaja's) body changed into spiritual existence, and therefore it was illuminating like molten gold. In this way he also became one with the other paraphernalia of Visnuloka
- In the Padma Purana there is a statement describing how a Vaisnava should decorate his body with tilaka and beads
- In this case, while carrying the palanquin, he (Jada Bharata) also knew that he was not the body. This body was very strong and stout, in sound condition and quite competent to carry the palanquin
- It appears from the statement of this verse (SB 6.12.26) that sometimes there are flying mountains and that their wings are cut by the thunderbolt of Indra. Vrtrasura's huge body resembled such a mountain
- It is evident that although Prahlada Maharaja was born in a demoniac family and although virtually demoniac blood flowed within his body, he was cleansed of all material bodily contamination because of his exalted position as a devotee
- It is said in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (13.2): O devotee of the Lord, to see you is the perfection of the eyes, to touch your body is the perfection of bodily activities
- It is stated (SB 10.9.12) that Mother Yasoda bound the child Krsna with a rope, as if He were an ordinary son born of her body
- It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that without the knowledge of the devotee, the Lord arranges for His devotee to be immediately transferred to His transcendental abode just after leaving his body
- It was the desire of Murari Gupta to leave his body before the disappearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but the Lord forbade him to do so. This is described in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-khanda, Chapter Twenty
J
- Jada Bharata was Bharata Maharaja in the body of a brahmana, and he outwardly conducted himself as if he were dull, deaf, dumb and blind. Actually he was quite alert within
- Just as the months of the year are known according to the twelve different names of the Supreme Lord, the Vaisnava community marks twelve parts of the body according to these names
K
- Karmis may consider the body of a devotee material, but factually it is not, for a devotee has no conception of material enjoyment
- Krsna is so kind that if we want to become tigers, He will give us a tiger body. If we want to become devotees, He will give us the body of a devotee
- Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, entered the body of Devaki from the body of Vasudeva. He was beyond the conditions of the ordinary living entity - SB 10.2.18
N
- Narottama dasa sings: When will there be transcendental vibrations all over my body simply by my hearing the name of Gauranga? When will tears incessantly flow from my eyes simply by my uttering the names of the Lord?
- No one should criticize the bodily defects of a pure devotee. If there are such defects, they should be overlooked. What should be taken into account is the spiritual master's main business, which is devotional service
- Not understanding that He (Krsna) was joking, Rukmini took Him seriously and thought that He wanted to leave her company. This misunderstanding made her very unhappy, and her whole body was affected
O
- O devotee of the Lord, the purpose of the visual sense is fulfilled simply by seeing you, and to touch your body is the fulfillment of bodily touch
- On account of a devotee's high grade of Krsna consciousness, even the demigods like to live with him, and therefore it can be understood that the qualities of the demigods have developed within his body
- Once one surrenders unto the service of the Supreme Lord, the Lord takes charge of the maintenance of the devotee's body, and there is no need of anxiety for its protection
- One becomes envious because of being influenced by the designations of the body, but the liberated devotee has nothing to do with the body, and therefore he is completely on the transcendental platform
- One cannot discover how such good qualities develop in the body of a devotee (he has all the good qualities of the demigods), but actually it happens
- One may argue, "Does the devotee not die?" The answer is that a devotee certainly must give up his body, for the body is material
- One should overlook a devotee's having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body
- One who cannot distinguish between devotion and ordinary karma may mistakenly consider the body of a pure devotee material. One who knows does not commit such a mistake
- One who engages always in Your (God's) devotional service with his mind, words and body, and who always offers obeisances unto You, is certainly a bona fide candidate for liberation
P
- Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness-these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work." (BG 18.42) These qualities are manifest in the body of a Vaisnava
- Prabhavisnave namah: Lord Visnu is so powerful that He can do anything He likes. Therefore it is not difficult for Visnu to change the body of a devotee who is under the guidance of a pure devotee of the Lord
- Pradyumna said, "My dear Samba, you are such a glorified personality! I have seen that once when you were playing on the ground, your body became covered with dust"
- Pseudo-devotees often dress the outward material body because they foolishly confuse the body with the soul
- Pure devotees of the Lord always pray to the Supreme Lord with tears in their eyes; their minds are always engaged in recollecting the activities of the Lord, and their bodies are always engaged in offering obeisances. In this way they are satisfied
- Pure devotees of the Supreme Lord always pray to Him with tears in their eyes, their minds always recollect His activities, and their bodies always offer Him obeisances
S
- So long we have got this material body the problems of birth, death, old age, and disease will continue. Therefore, to help the devotees when they're in bodily ailments is also a great great service
- Somehow or other, the King (Bharata) became affectionate to a little deer and, falling from his position, had to accept the body of a deer in his next life
- Sometimes a devotee in santa-rasa yawns, stretches his limbs, instructs on devotional service, offers respectful obeisances unto the form of the Lord, offers nice prayers to the Lord and has a desire to give direct service with his body
- Sometimes they (the ecstatic symptoms) are not visible even in the body of the first-class devotee for certain circumstantial reasons
- Sooner or later we have to give up this body, but a Vaisnava may live or die for in either case he is always serving his Lord Krishna
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu delivered almost all the fallen souls by directly meeting them. He delivered others by entering the bodies of great devotees, such as Nakula Brahmacari
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is here (in CC Madhya 3.106) telling Advaita Acarya that it is not befitting for a sannyasi to accept nice beds to lie on or to chew cloves and cardamom and have his body smeared with sandalwood pulp
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "The body of a devotee is never material. It is considered to be transcendental, full of spiritual bliss"
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that one should not imitate this (symptoms after chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra sincerely), but a devotee should long for the day to come when such symptoms of trance will automatically appear in his body
- Sri Kanu Thakura, a very respectable gentleman, was the son of Purusottama dasa Thakura. He was such a great devotee that Lord Krsna always lived in his body
- Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja, the author of Caitanya-caritamrta, says that all good qualities become manifest in the body of a Vaisnava and that only by the presence of these good qualities can one distinguish a Vaisnava from a non-Vaisnava
- Such devotees (who are serving God) do not need to seek an opportune moment to leave the present body. But those who are mixed devotees alloyed with fruitive action or empirical philosophical speculation require an opportune moment for quitting this body
- Sukadeva Gosvami said, "Ambarisa Maharaj made his association only with pure devotees and did not allow his body to be touched by anyone else"
- Sukadeva Goswami was blackish and very beautiful due to his youth. Because of the glamor of his body and his attractive smiles, he was pleasing to women. Though he tried to cover his natural glories, the great sages honored him by rising from their seats
- Sukadeva said, "He (Ambarisa) engaged his body in associating with the pure devotees of the Lord. - When you associate with someone you have to sit down together, eat together, etc. - and in this way the touch of your body with their body is inevitable"
- Suruci was so envious of Dhruva Maharaja that she indirectly asked him to change his body
T
- That person is a resident of hell who considers the spiritual master an ordinary man, and who thinks that the body of a Vaisnava fully dedicated to the service of the Lord belongs to the material modes of nature
- The Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu mentions eight kinds of transcendental transformations in the bodies of advanced devotees. These are sometimes checked by the devotee, and there are two stages of such checking, technically known as dhumayita and jvalita
- The body needs food, but a devotee should not accept foodstuff to satisfy the tongue in sense gratification. It is recommended in Bhagavad-gita that one should accept as much food as necessary to keep the body fit, but one should not eat for luxury
- The body of a devotee who tries his best to work very hard for the satisfaction of Krsna by fully engaging in the Lord's service must be accepted as transcendental
- The body of a pure devotee is all spiritual and He is not different from His body. That is also a fact. The bodies of all living entities, even though they are not pure devotees, are not actually the bodies of the spirit soul
- The body of a pure Vaisnava changes transcendentally at once when he gives himself up to the service of the Lord and is trained by a qualified Vaisnava
- The cowherd women, riding on the bullock carts, were dressed very nicely with excellent garments, and their bodies, especially their breasts, were decorated with fresh kunkuma powder - SB 10.11.33
- The devotee should be able to merge into his own transcendental bliss, and then he may give up his body and resume his spiritual identity
- The embryonic body of Parīkṣit which was in formation after Uttarā's pregnancy by Abhimanyu, the great hero, was burned by the brahmāstra of Aśvatthāmā, but a second body was given by the Lord within the womb, and thus the descendant of Pūru was
- The external features exhibited on the bodies of devotees are called udbhasvara
- The five material elements are existing inside and outside of every living entity. Similarly, I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, am manifest within the heart of the devotee as well as outside his body
- The gopis first executed the process of acamana, drinking a sip of water from the right hand. They purified their bodies and hands with the nyasa-mantra and then applied the same mantra upon the body of the child (Krsna) - SB 10.6.21
- The liberated devotee has nothing to do with the body, and therefore he is completely on the transcendental platform
- The limbs of his (Arjuna's) body began to quiver, and his mouth became dry. He was more or less astonished to see their (the opposing party's) fighting spirit. BG 1972 purports
- The Lord is already sitting within the heart, and if He comes out from the body of a devotee it does not mean that the particular woman becomes His mother in the material sense
- The Lord is already there within the mind (of a devotee), and consequently it is not astonishing for Him to appear as if born from a devotee's body
- The Lord then told Sanatana: "It would not look good for you to be a mendicant and beg from door to door with such a valuable blanket on your body. It is contradictory and people would look on it with abhorrence"
- The material body certainly consists only of material elements, but when one awakens to Krsna conscious understanding, the body is no longer material but spiritual
- The moving of the cloud may appear to the layman's eyes as moving of the moon, but that is not a fact. Similarly, the moving of the body of a pure devotee is not the moving of the pure devotee
- The original energy inspires a devotee, and thus he engages all his bodily limbs in the service of the Lord. The same energy, as external potency, engages the ordinary nondevotees in material activities for sense enjoyment
- The pure devotee lives constantly in the abode of the Supreme Lord, even in the present body, which apparently belongs to this world. The pure devotee is not exactly on the bodily plane, since he is absorbed in the transcendental thought of the Supreme
- The pure Vaisnava's body is spiritualized even in this life. For example, when iron is put into a fire it becomes red-hot and is no longer iron but fire
- The qualifications of the ksatriyas are described in Bhagavad-gita. Two important qualifications are to have a sense of prestige and not to flee from battle. It appears that the ksatriya blood within the body of Dhruva Maharaja was naturally very active
- The real devotee first offers his surrender to Krsna with his body, mind and words and then uses his body, mind and words for the service of Krsna as Krsna desires
- The S. P. of God, Krsna, who is never caught by the yogis & speculators, was playing just like a little child for such a great devotee as mother Yasoda. Yasoda, however, could not easily catch the fast-running child because of her thin waist & heavy body
- The stool of his body was fragrant like the smell of fragrant flowers, and a saintly person would recognize him as a paramahamsa, one in the highest state of human perfection. One who is not able to make his stool fragrant should not imitate Rsabhadeva
- The thirteen temples of tilaka marked on the body of a Vaisnava are known as follows
- The three rods, or tridanda, indicate that a Vaisnava sannyasi vows to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by his body, mind and words
- The unalloyed devotees of the Supreme Lord who are totally surrendered souls do not care when they leave their bodies or by what method. They leave everything in Krsna's hands and so easily and happily return to Godhead. BG 1972 purports
- The Vaisnava who knows that he is not this body, he does not therefore neglect his body, but he takes very nice care so that he may utilize his body in the service of Krishna
- The word used among the Vaisnavas for offering respect is dandavat. This word means "falling down like a stick"; one should offer respect to the superior Vaisnava by falling down straight, with his body just like a stick
- The yogic process practiced by Prthu Maharaja at the time of death accelerates the giving up of this body while one is in sound health physically and mentally. Every devotee desires to give up the body while it is sound physically and mentally
- Their garlands attracted swarms of bees because they were garlands of fresh flowers. In the Vaikuntha world everything is fresh, new and transcendental. The inhabitants of Vaikuntha have bodies of bluish color and four hands like Narayana
- There are many types of transcendental ecstasies in the forms of crying, laughing, perspiring, falling down, and crying like a madman. All these symptoms are sometimes visible on the body of a devotee
- There is another quotation by a devotee who laments as follows, "Alas, I am still trying to relish different pleasurable states from this body, which is simply some skin covering mucus, semina and blood"
- There is no bodily disqualification of a devotee, just as there is no qualitative difference between the Ganges water and the filthy drain water when they are amalgamated
- There is no fear in transcendental realization. Arjuna's symptoms (his trembling body, hair standing on end, his bow slipping from his hand, and his burning skin) in this situation are out of material fear - namely, loss of life. BG 1972 purports
- There was a difference between Bharata Maharaja's acquiring a deer body and others' acquiring different bodies according to their mental condition at the time of death
- They (devotees of God) will simply change their material bodies for spiritual bodies. Unlike the demons, they no longer have to change material bodies. The Lord, therefore, is simultaneously death and immortality
- They (devotees) will have sufficient opportunity for such things, but after leaving this body they will be allowed to enter the spiritual planets of Vaikunthaloka or Krsnaloka, Goloka Vrndavana
- They (Vaisnavas) worship the body by the yogic process of meditation on the different bodily parts, such as manipuraka, dahara and hrdaya, gradually rising to the brahma-randhra, on the top of the head
- This incident (of The Lord giving Pariksit a second body in the womb after it was destroyed by Asvatthama's brahmastra) is the direct proof that the body and the living entity, the spiritual spark, are different
- This is a special concession for a devotee. Even if he attains a body that is nonhuman, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead he advances further in devotional service, whether by remembering his past life or by natural causes
- Thus the devotee who worships Me, gives up all aspirations to be promoted to heavenly planets or to become happy in this world with wealth, children, cattle, home or anything in relationship with the body. I take him to the other side of birth and death
- To immediately rectify his mistake, for a short time he (Bharata) was awarded the body of a deer. This was just to increase his desire for mature devotional service
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- When a devotee completely forgets his bodily existence, he should be understood to be liberated. He is no longer encaged in the body
- When a devotee gives up his body, the mind does not take him to another material body (tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti (BG 4.9)); rather, Krsna takes the devotee to that place where He is engaged in His pastimes
- When a devotee no longer has any desire for material sense gratification, in his spiritual identity he engages in the service of the Lord, for his dormant spiritual consciousness awakens. This awakening of spiritual consciousness makes his body spiritual
- When bhava ecstasy is intensified, it is called maha-bhava. The symptoms of maha-bhava are visible only in the bodies of eternal associates like the gopis
- When Dhruva Maharaja closed the holes of his unit body to firmly concentrate his mind on the SPG, all the units of the universe - namely all the living entities, including the big demigods - felt the pressure of suffocation
- When Nanda Maharaja heard that Vasudeva had come, he was overwhelmed with love and affection, being as pleased as if his body had regained its life. Seeing Vasudeva suddenly present, he got up and embraced him with both arms - SB 10.5.21
- When such a liberated person, the pure devotee, hears of the transcendental qualities and activities of the Lord's incarnations for the performance of various pastimes, his hair stands on end on his body, tears fall from his eyes
- When the rice thrown by Nityananda Prabhu touched His body, Advaita Acarya thought Himself purified by the touch of remnants thrown by Paramahamsa Nityananda. Therefore He began dancing
- When there was stretching of the body of Narada Muni from chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, he chanted so loudly that it was apprehended that Lord Nrsimha had appeared. Thus all the demons began to flee in different directions
- When they (the sruti-ganas) could not enter the dance simply by thinking of Krsna in the ecstasy of the gopis, they actually accepted bodies like those of the gopis
- When various ecstasies appear in the body of a devotee, it is to be understood that his devotional service has become perfect
- While boarding the Vaikuntha airplane, his (Dhruva's) body changed to a completely spiritual golden hue
- While in material existence, he (the devotee) lives very peacefully and blissfully, without cares and anxieties, and after quitting this body he goes back home, back to Godhead
- 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
- With their words, they offer prayers to the Lord. With their minds, they always remember the Lord. With their bodies, they offer obeisances to the Lord. Despite all these activities, they are still not satisfied. This is the nature of pure devotees