Category:God's Benedictions
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category establishes the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the original and ultimate bestower of all benedictions (āśiṣām īśaḥ). Because the Lord acts as a desire tree (kalpa-vṛkṣa), He can award any benediction a living entity desires—whether it be material opulence, the mystic perfections of yoga, impersonal liberation (kaivalya), or pure devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that less intelligent people approach the demigods for temporary material boons, not realizing that even the demigods are benedicted by the Supreme Lord. Neophyte devotees may also approach the Lord for material gain, but the ultimate result of coming into contact with God is that they lose their taste for material things. This is perfectly exemplified by Dhruva Mahārāja, who approached the Lord for a kingdom but upon seeing Him, refused any material benediction, declaring himself fully satisfied. Pure devotees, like Prahlāda Mahārāja, actively reject material benedictions, refusing to treat their relationship with God like a mercantile transaction. For a pure devotee, the only desired benediction is the opportunity to eternally serve the Lord and His devotees. Furthermore, a pure devotee possesses the unique vision to see everything—even calamities, punishments, or the loss of wealth—as a special, purifying benediction from the Lord. Ultimately, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has offered the greatest, most accessible benediction to the fallen souls of Kali-yuga: perfection simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
- The Supreme Bestower: The Supreme Lord is the master of all benedictions. While demigods can offer temporary material boons, those benedictions are ultimately sanctioned by the Supreme Lord.
- Fulfilling All Desires: The Lord reciprocates with everyone according to their desires. He offers material enjoyment to the fruitive workers, liberation to the impersonalists, and pure love to His devotees.
- The Mercantile Devotee: Pure devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja refuse to ask the Lord for material benedictions in exchange for their service, stating they are not merchants (vaṇik).
- The Example of Dhruva Mahārāja: Approaching the Lord for material benedictions is not condemned, because contact with the Lord purifies the heart. Dhruva Mahārāja went to the forest for a kingdom, but upon seeing the Lord, he rejected all material boons.
- Calamity as Benediction (Tat te 'nukampām): A hallmark of a pure devotee is accepting a reversal of fortune or a calamitous condition not as an accident, but as a merciful, purifying benediction from the Lord.
- The Greatest Benediction: The ultimate benediction is pure devotional service. In the current age, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has distributed this benediction freely to everyone through the chanting of the holy names (kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te).
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God's Benedictions - The Supreme Bestower of All Desires.
Subcategories
This category has the following 12 subcategories, out of 12 total.
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Pages in category "God's Benedictions"
The following 112 pages are in this category, out of 112 total.
A
- A devotee's duty is to ungrudgingly accept tribulations from the Lord as a benediction
- A Vaisnava is not interested in asking any benediction from the demigods, nor is he interested in asking benedictions from the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Abhiseka function was especially observed at the house of Srivasa. All the devotees, according to their means, worshiped the Lord (Caitanya) with all kinds of paraphernalia, and the Lord gave benedictions to each devotee according to his desire
- Acknowledging the benediction offered to him by Krsna, he (Brahma) became the original spiritual master of all living entities
- Aditi, having received the extremely valuable benediction that the Lord would appear as her son, considered herself very successful, and with great devotion she approached her husband
- After giving up his body, a devotee returns home, back to Godhead. This is the benediction of Lord Visnu, Krsna
- After talking with the gopis and bestowing upon them the greatest benediction, Lord Krsna welcomed King Yudhisthira and other relatives who had come to see Him
- Although a pure devotee does not seek benedictions from the Supreme Lord for material advancement, it is stated in Bhagavad-gita that pious persons go to the Lord even for material benedictions
- Although they (Mayavadi sannyasis) rise to a very high position by executing severe austerities and penances, they still hover in the material world without the benediction of the lotus feet of the Lord
- As a friend, the Lord is always anxious to get back His friend, the individual soul, and bring him back home, back to Godhead. As a witness He is the bestower of all benedictions, and He endows each individual with the result of his actions
- Atheistic men sometimes criticize a devotee by saying, "If you do not want to take any benediction from the Lord and if the servant of the Lord is as opulent as the Lord Himself, why do you ask for the benediction of being engaged as the Lord's servant?"
B
- Because a particular living entity wants to enjoy a particular material facility, the Lord inspires him with a strong desire to achieve that benediction from that particular demigod, and so he successfully receives the benediction. BG 1972 purports
- Because both (Vrtrasura and Indra) of them were devotees, the Lord (Visnu) awarded them the respective benedictions they wanted. Vrtrasura never wanted material possessions, for he knew very well the nature of such possessions
- Because Prahlada Maharaja was a Vaisnava, he did not ask a benediction for his personal self but was very affectionate toward his father
- Brahma wanted to remain in his actual position as an instrument of the Lord instead of becoming puffed up by the false prestige of thinking himself the creator. That is the way of becoming dear to the Supreme Lord and receiving His benediction
D
- Dear Lord, we shall therefore pray for Your benediction because You are the Supreme, beyond all transcendence, and because there is no end to Your opulences. Consequently, You are celebrated by the name Ananta
- Deity worship in the form of temple worship is the most valuable benediction given by the Lord to beginners. All neophytes must therefore engage in the worship of the Lord by keeping the arcā-vigraha (arcāvatāra) at home or in the temple
- Devotees thus gradually come to the right conclusion about the value of life. My dear Lord, I therefore do not need any other benediction but the opportunity to hear from the mouth of Your pure devotee
- Dhruva Maharaja practiced severe austerities and penances to see the Supreme Lord, and his intention was to receive benediction from the Lord
- Dhruva Maharaja was determined to achieve the benediction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore Narada advised him to go back home for the time being, and in mature time he could try to practice devotional service
- Dhruva Maharaja worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead for a material benediction, but when he actually achieved the favor of the Supreme Lord and saw Him, he was so satisfied that he refused to accept any material benediction
E
- Elsewhere (in BG 4.11), Krsna also says: Actually, everyone is trying to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead in various ways, but according to their methods of approach, the Supreme Lord endows them with different benedictions
- Even a great sannyasi of India delivered speeches in Chicago protesting the benedictions of the Supreme Lord
- Even though one may be poverty-stricken or in distress, if he goes to God with the same determination as Dhruva, intent on seeing God and taking His benediction, and if he happens to see God, he will no longer want anything material
- Every living entity, especially persons in the human race, must feel grateful for the benedictions offered by the grace of the Supreme Lord
- Everyone can take shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord to enjoy equal benedictions from the Lord, but nondevotees do not do so, and therefore they suffer the consequences created by the material energy
- Everyone, whether he desires material enjoyment, liberation or the transcendental loving service of the Lord, should engage himself, offering obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, because the Lord can award everyone his desired benediction
H
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) was still thinking of revenge against his stepmother and wanted to occupy an exalted post within this material world. These were the causes for his moroseness even after he received all the desired benedictions from the Lord
- He (Lord Caitanya) is very sympathetic with the fallen souls of this age. He understands, these conditioned souls, cannot execute the regular process of perfection. Therefore He has bestowed His benediction that you simply chant Hare Krsna and be perfect
I
- I am very much pleased by your (Brahma's) description of Me (Visnu) in terms of My transcendental qualities, which appear mundane to the mundaners. I grant you all benedictions in your desire to glorify all the planets by your activities
- I continuously offer my respectful obeisances unto Your lotus feet, of which it is worthy to take shelter, because You shower all benedictions on the insignificant
- If one wants material happiness like the King of heaven, he can derive that benediction from the hand of Krsna; if one wants liberation from the pangs of material existence, he can also get that benediction from the hand of Krsna
- If one worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord will never offer him such condemned benedictions (like those of the demigods). On the contrary, it is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.88.8), yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih
- 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
- If we somehow or other receive blessings and benedictions from the Lord, our consciousness can be purified and we can become eligible to return home, back to Godhead
- In Bhagavad-gita the Lord affirms, ye yatha mam prapadyante: (BG 4.11) anyone who desires to be a successful enjoyer in this material world is awarded that benediction by the Lord
- In Bhagavad-gita the Lord affirms: anyone who desires to constantly engage in His service in full Krsna consciousness is awarded that benediction by the Lord
- In spite of having You (God), who are like a desire tree and are the cause of liberation from birth and death, foolish persons, such as me (Dhruva), desire benedictions from You for sense gratification
- In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that He awards benedictions to the worshiper according to his desire. The Supreme Personality of Godhead gives all living entities conditioned within this material world full freedom to act in their own way
- In this way (by pranayama yoga, and by eating only air and dry leaves fallen from the trees cleansed your minds from all dirty things), desiring a benediction from Me (Krsna), you (Devaki and Vasudeva) worshiped Me with peaceful minds - SB 10.3.34-35
- It is indicated herein (SB 3.15.7) that a yogi who has control over the mind & senses has the actual benediction of the Lord, & he has no fear. In other words, one cannot attain God's mercy & benediction until one is able to control the mind & the senses
L
- Laksmidevi shows compassion toward women who worship the Lord for the benediction of possessing a good husband. Although such women desire to be happy with children, wealth, a long duration of life and everything dear to them, they cannot possibly do so
- Lord Brahma said: O Supreme Lord of all lords, proprietor of the entire universe, O benedictor of all living entities, O original person, because of our good fortune You have now killed this sinful demon, who was giving trouble to the entire universe
- Lord Krsna is also addressed as asisam isa. The great saintly personalities, sages and demigods are able to offer benedictions to ordinary living entities, but they in turn are benedicted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Lord Siva said: My dear Lord, my mind & consciousness are always fixed on Your lotus feet, which, as the source of all benediction & the fulfillment of all desires, are worshiped by all liberated great sages because Your lotus feet are worthy of worship
- Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us how to pray for benedictions from the Lord. He said: na dhanam na janam na sundarim - CC Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4
- Lord Visnu does not give a devotee benedictions that will create a further demand for benedictions
M
- My dear Lord, I therefore do not wish to have the benediction of merging into Your existence, a benediction in which there is no existence of the nectarean beverage of Your lotus feet
- My dear Lord, kindly bestow this benediction as a result of whatever service I have rendered unto You from my childhood
- My dear Lord, You are the best of the demigods who can offer benedictions. Why, therefore, should any learned person ask You for benedictions meant for living entities bewildered by the modes of nature?
- My Lord, O Supreme Lord, You are the supreme personified form of all benediction. Therefore, for one who abides in Your devotional service with no other desire, worshiping Your lotus feet is better than becoming king and lording it over a kingdom
O
- O best of learned persons, do not fear! I wish all good fortune to you. Become My devotees by hearing and chanting about Me and offering Me prayers, for these are certainly meant to award benedictions to all living entities
- O most exalted and worshipable Lord, best of those who bestow benediction, You can fulfill the desires of everyone, and therefore those who are sober, for their own welfare, worship the dust of Your lotus feet
- O my lord, O best of the givers of benediction, if you will kindly grant me the benediction I desire, please let me not meet death from any of the living entities created by you
- On receiving the benediction from the Lord to become His father and mother, Prsni and Sutapa retired from the activities of austerity and lived as husband and wife in order to beget a child who was the Supreme Lord Himself
- One should aspire only for the benediction offered by the SPG. As the Lord says in BG (18.66): "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." This is the greatest benediction
- One who becomes a devotee, free from material desires and motives, regards all opportunities, both material and spiritual, as benedictions from the Lord, and in this way his service to the Lord is never hampered
- One who lives in such a disposition of mind (taking calamitous situations as God's benediction and takes responsibility for past misdeeds), engaged in devotional service, is the most eligible candidate for promotion to the spiritual world
P
- Persons constantly thinking of the eternal form of the Lord in the shape of the Deity or in the shape of a mental form are awarded the transcendental benediction of entering into the kingdom of God and associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Prahlada Maharaja, when he was ordered by the Lord to take some benediction, he said that "I am not a merchant, Sir, that by giving You some service I'll take some return. Please excuse me." Nrsimha-deva was very much satisfied: "Here is a pure devotee"
- Prthu Maharaja advises that without the benediction of the Supreme Lord, one cannot make advancement - either in so-called morality, economic development or sense gratification
- Prthu Maharaja was an incarnation of the power of the Lord to spread the bhakti cult, and the Lord blessed him to remain fixed in his position. Thus when the King refused to accept any material benediction, the Lord appreciated that refusal very much
S
- So many departments of material enjoyment; material knowledge and material science are available, and the Lord provides for persons who want to enjoy them. The conclusion is that one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead for any benediction
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us how to approach the Supreme Lord and ask Him for the ultimate benediction
- Such a devotee's (who's disposition of mind is taking calamitous situations as God's benediction and taking responsibility for past misdeeds) claim for promotion to the spiritual world is assured in all circumstances
- Such benedictions are available automatically, even in the lives of living entities suffering in hellish conditions. My dear Lord, You can certainly bestow merging into Your existence, but I do not wish to have such a benediction
T
- Tat te 'nukampam (SB 10.14.8) Devotees endure hindrances, accepting them to be caused by Supreme Personality of Godhead & regarding them as benedictions. Demons, being unable to understand the supreme controller, regard such hindrances as accidental
- The Absolute Personality of Godhead has neither lust nor anger, and even if there is sometimes a show of lust and anger by the Absolute, it should be considered an absolute benediction
- The benediction of the Lord, bhagavat-prasada, is never to be lost. It is simply to be enjoyed. There is no question of loss. One simply gains and enjoys gaining
- The benedictions of Lord Visnu are different. By the mercy of the Lord Visnu, one can be completely freed from material contamination and go back home, back to Godhead
- The benedictions offered by the demigods cannot compare to even one ten-thousandth of the Lord's benedictions. One should not, therefore, try to obtain benedictions from the demigods or false gurus
- The conclusion is that even though we do not wish to be separated from our possessions, sometimes the Lord forcibly takes them from us; and sometimes He showers such benedictions upon us that we are unable to receive them all
- The devotee accepts a reversal of his position in life as a benediction by the Lord and consequently offers the Lord more obeisances and prayers, thinking that the punishment is due to his past misdeeds and that the Lord is punishing him very mildly
- The devotees of the Lord who are residents of Vaikuntha have the opportunity to enjoy a transcendental situation of jewels and emeralds. Ornaments made of gold bedecked with jewels are achieved not by working hard but by the benediction of the Lord
- The Lord awards all benedictions according to the heart's desire of a devotee
- The Lord confirms this benediction (to become cats, hogs and dogs and enjoy material happiness) in Bhagavad-gita: Whatever a person aspires to receive from Me, I offer him as he desires
- The Lord is like a desire tree. Anyone can have whatever he desires from the Lord, but people in general do not know what kind of benediction they should ask from Him
- The Lord sometimes offers benedictions to the neophyte devotees who have not yet understood that material facilities will not make them happy
- The Lord was worshiped by both the mother (Suniti) and the son (Dhruva), and both were able to achieve the supreme benediction from the Supreme Lord
- The Lord's magnanimous pastimes & the glowing glancing of His smiling face are all indications of His extensive benedictions. One must therefore concentrate on this transcendental form of the Lord, as long as the mind can be fixed on Him by meditation
- The Nagapatnis said, "This apparent punishment of Kaliya is actually some benediction. We consider that Your great mercy is upon us because when You punish someone it is to be understood that the reactions of his sinful activities are eradicated"
- The priests were a little ashamed that King Nabhi was performing a great sacrifice just to ask the Lord's benediction for a son. The Lord could offer him promotion to the heavenly planets or the Vaikuntha planets
- The saint Narada Muni continued: Although Prahlada Maharaja was only a boy, when he heard the benedictions offered by Lord Nrsimhadeva he considered them impediments on the path of devotional service
- The Supreme Lord awards the benediction of His association only to those who worship Him, and not to those who worship the demigods
- The Supreme Lord bestows the most merciful benediction upon human society when He appears in His human form. It is then that humanity gets the opportunity to engage in different kinds of eternal service to the Lord
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as bhakta-vatsala, the Supreme Personality who is very much affectionate to His devotees. It is not very extraordinary that the Lord offered His devotee all benedictions
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of those who observe vows and austerities, and it is He who bestows benedictions upon them. He is worshipable for the devotee throughout the devotee's life, for He never breaks His promises
- There are others, namely jnanis and yogis, who want the benediction of merging into the existence of the Lord. This is called kaivalya. The Lord is therefore addressed as kaivalya-pati, the master or Lord of the benediction known as kaivalya
- There is a common saying in Bengal that the Lord has ten hands. If He wants to bestow benedictions upon us with His ten hands, we cannot factually receive them all with our two hands; in other words, the benedictions exceed our ambitions
- There is no sufficient means to repay the Personality of Godhead for His act of benediction; therefore, we can simply feel gratitude and pray to the Lord with folded hands
- There was no need for the Pracetas to ask any benediction from the Supreme Lord because the devotees are simply satisfied by the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- This (those actually engaged in devotional service) makes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very happy and willing to award all kinds of benediction to His devotees, as indicated in this verse - SB 4.30.8
- This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's benediction: no qualification, but if he simply chants Hare Krsna mantra he'll be ecstatic. Krsna-prema-pradaya te
- This is the actual position of the devotee. The devotee simply wants to be in the presence of the Supreme Lord—either in this world or in the next—and engage in His service. That is the ultimate goal and benediction for the devotees
- Those who act on the basis of Vedic knowledge perform sacrifices for the satisfaction of Lord Visnu and to receive benedictions from Him. In this way they are elevated to higher planetary systems
- Those who are actually thieves and rogues do not recognize or acknowledge the benedictions offered to them by the Supreme Lord, and they cannot render Him devotional service
- Though the devotees are desireless and undemanding, the Lord always sees to their requirements. The devotees are ever-joyful upon receiving such grace from the Lord, and there is no offence or sin in accepting His benedictions
- Thus, while the couple looked on, the three deities Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara disappeared from that place after bestowing upon Atri Muni the benediction
W
- We can see that the Lord is immediately prepared to award all benedictions to the sons of King Pracinabarhisat
- We should further note in this verse the two words santam and anandam, which denote that devotional service of the Lord can really bestow upon the devotee two important benedictions, namely peace and satisfaction
- When a devotee is in a calamitous condition he takes it as a benediction of the Supreme Lord and takes responsibility himself for his past misdeeds. In such a condition, he offers still more devotional service and is not disturbed
- When Dhruva Maharaja saw Lord Visnu, he declined to take any benedictions from Him, for he was fully satisfied by seeing the Lord
- When Dhruva Maharaja was offered a benediction by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he replied, - O my Lord, I am fully satisfied. I do not need any material benediction
- When Prahlada Maharaja was offered a benediction by Lord Nrsimhadeva, he refused to accept it and instead declared that a devotee should not be like a vanik, a mercantile man who gives something in exchange for some profit
- When Prahlada Maharaja was offered a benediction by Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada rejected all kinds of material benedictions, but he prayed to become the servant of the servants of the Lord
- When Prahlada Maharaja was offered benediction by Nrsimha-deva, due to his great devotion and tolerance he refused to accept any benediction from the Lord, thinking that such acceptance was not befitting a sincere devotee
- When the florist was offered benedictions, he begged from the Lord that he might remain His eternal servant in devotional service and by such service do good to all living creatures