Category:Footsteps of a Pure Devotee of God
Theme Analysis
The path of spiritual realization is often compared to a razor's edge, yet the Vedic literatures provide a foolproof method for navigating it safely: anuvratyā, or following in the footsteps of pure devotees. Rather than relying on independent mental speculation, a sincere practitioner is advised to follow the trail blazed by recognized authorities (mahājanas) such as Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Nārada Muni, Prahlāda Mahārāja, and the Kumāras. Because these great souls have practically realized the Absolute Truth, anyone who strictly follows their disciplic succession finds the door to liberation easily opened, allowing them to cross the vast ocean of nescience as effortlessly as stepping over a calf's hoofprint.
This principle of following applies not only to general spiritual elevation but also to the highest stages of devotional service. After a practitioner becomes liberated from material contamination by following regulative principles, they may aspire for spontaneous love of Godhead (rāgānugā-bhakti). To achieve this, one must specifically follow in the footsteps of the eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana. Whether one desires to serve Kṛṣṇa as a parent, a friend, or a conjugal lover, they must respectively follow the mood of Nanda Mahārāja, Subala, or the gopīs. The ultimate perfection of devotional service is to place oneself under the care of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and follow Her footsteps.
The practical application of this principle in the modern age is found in the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana. A pure devotee follows the example of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī by enthusiastically publishing and distributing transcendental literatures to save the conditioned souls. By serving without personal considerations, like Mādhavendra Purī, and remaining undisturbed by demoniac activities, like Prahlāda Mahārāja, a devotee's actions become entirely transcendental. Ultimately, by attempting to execute even one of the nine items of devotional service exactly as exemplified by the previous ācāryas, a practitioner is unhesitatingly qualified to enter the eternal kingdom of God.
- The Foolproof Method: Spiritual success is guaranteed not by independent speculation, but by strictly following the recognized authorities (mahājanas) in disciplic succession.
- The Path to Spontaneous Love: To attain rāgānugā-bhakti, one must follow the specific eternal associates of Vṛndāvana, such as the gopīs, Nanda Mahārāja, or Subala.
- The Supreme Shelter: The highest perfection of devotional service is achieved by following in the footsteps of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
- Practical Application: In the current age, following the pure devotees means actively participating in the saṅkīrtana movement and distributing transcendental literature as instructed by the six Gosvāmīs.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Footsteps of a Pure Devotee of God - The Assured Path to Perfection.
Pages in category "Footsteps of a Pure Devotee of God"
The following 40 pages are in this category, out of 40 total.
A
- A pure devotee follows in the footsteps of the gopis and worships the gopis as follows, "Let me offer my respectful obeisances to all the young cowherd girls, whose bodily features are so attractive"
- A pure devotee of the Lord follows in the footsteps of the great devotees like Narada and Prahlada and engages his whole time in glorifying the Lord by the process of kirtana. Such a preaching process is transcendental to all material qualities
- After hearing about the activities of Prahlada Maharaja, a pure devotee should be very anxious to follow in his footsteps, but such a devotee might be disappointed, thinking that not every devotee can come to the standard of Prahlada Maharaja
- After taking to devotional service under the regulative principles, a person may come to the platform of spontaneous love of Godhead, following in the footsteps of great devotees like Narada and Sanaka and Sanatana
- All the devotees of Lord Krsna are called acyutatma because they follow in the footsteps of Prahlada Maharaja
- All the great authorities in the devotional service of the Lord follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni in the order of the Narada-bhakti-sutra, and therefore all the devotees of the Lord are unhesitatingly qualified to enter into the kingdom of God
- Anyone who follows in the footsteps of Narada Muni is certainly a pure devotee
- Anyone who follows in the footsteps of recognized devotees, such as Brahma, Siva, the Kumaras, Manu, Kapila, King Prahlada, King Janaka, Sukadeva Gosvami, Yamaraja & their followers in disciplic succession, very easily finds the door of liberation open
B
- Because a pure devotee follows in the footsteps of the acaryas, any action he performs to discharge devotional service should be understood to be on the transcendental platform
- By following in the footsteps of devotees who are in a direct relationship with Krsna, especially the inhabitants of Vrndavana, one can reach the supreme position of associating with Krsna
- By following in the footsteps of pure devotees, we can know that Krsna, the Ranacoraji, left the battlefield not because He was afraid but because He had some other purpose
D
E
- Either in this life or in the next, the only concern of saintly devotees (following in the footsteps of Narada Muni) is to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Externally a devotee performs all the items of devotional service in nine different ways, beginning with sravana & kirtana, & within his mind he always thinks of his eternal relationship with Krsna & follows in the footsteps of the devotees of Vrndavana
F
- Following in the footsteps of Maharaja Prataparudra and other devotees, we should learn to worship everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is referred to by Lord Siva as tadiyanam
- Following in the footsteps of Sri Arjuna, who is a personal devotee of the Lord, one should accept the supremacy of Lord Krsna, as supported by Nimbarka and Visnu Svami and still later by the greatest acarya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- Following in the footsteps of Sri Arjuna, who is a personal devotee of the Lord, one should accept the supremacy of Lord Krsna, as supported by Vyasa, Devala, Asita, Narada and later by the acaryas Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya
I
- If one wants to become a devotee of Krsna, he must first take shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, following in the footsteps of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and other exalted devotees
- If we follow in the footsteps of such great personalities (as Lord Siva and Lord Brahma) and become devotees of Lord Krsna, our lives will become successful. Unfortunately people do not know this secret
- It is the duty of the common man to take advantage of these temples and festivals observed in the holy places of pilgrimage by following in the footsteps of great devotees (anuvraja)
O
S
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to point out intense love of Krsna exhibited by Madhavendra Puri. All Caitanya Mahaprabhu's devotees later followed in the footsteps of Madhavendra Puri, serving the Lord without personal considerations
- Supernatural vision is bestowed upon devotees like Brahma and upon those who follow the footsteps of pure devotees like him
T
- The conjugal love between Radha and Krsna, which is called yugala-piriti, is not understandable by mundane scholars, artists or poets. It is simply to be understood by devotees who strictly follow in the footsteps of the six Gosvamis
- The devotee has to follow in the footsteps of the eternal associates of Krsna in Goloka Vrndavana
- The devotees following in the footsteps of Prahlada Maharaja should not be disturbed by the demoniac activities of the nondevotees
- The idea is that we should follow in the footsteps of great devotees. If we are unable to execute all the different items of devotional service, we must try to execute at least one of them, as exemplified by previous acaryas
- The instructions of a pure devotee to his disciple are also very simple. No one feels any difficulty in following in the footsteps of a pure devotee of the Lord
- The Srimad-Bhagavatam affirms that one should follow in the footsteps of great devotees, and that is the way of progress on the path of spiritual realization. BG 1972 purports
- The vrndavana-vasis - mother Yasoda, Krsna's friends and Krsna's conjugal lovers, the younger gopis with whom He dances - have very intimate relationships with Krsna, and if one follows in the footsteps of these devotees, Krsna is available
- These (four dhamas, or kingdoms of God) are Badarikasrama, Ramesvara, Jagannatha Puri and Dvaraka. Faithful Hindus still visit all these holy places for perfection of spiritual realization, following in the footsteps of devotees like Uddhava
- To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Radharani, and devotees in Vrndavana put themselves under the care of Radharani in order to achieve perfection in their devotional service
W
- We always request members of ISKCON to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami, one can become a rupanuga devotee
- We have to follow in the footsteps of such devotees (as Siva, Yamaraja, Brahma, the Kumaras, Kapila, etc.), for by this one easy process one can cross the great ocean of nescience just as one might cross a small hole created by the hoof of a calf
- When a devotee follows in the footsteps of the devotees of Vrndavana, his devotional service is called raganuga bhakti
- When a pure devotee follows the footsteps of a devotee in Vrndavana, he develops raganuga bhakti