Category:Perfect Devotees of God
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a perfect devotee of God (a mahā-bhāgavata or siddha) is completely free from material desires and discrimination, seeing the energy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in all moving and nonmoving things. Such an exalted soul automatically possesses all good qualities, including profound peacefulness, poetic vision, and equal compassion for all living entities. Unlike neophytes who are still practicing, perfect devotees are completely surrendered to the Lord's will and remain untinged by the modes of passion and ignorance. Whether they are eternally perfect (nitya-siddha) or perfected by devotional practice, these advanced Vaiṣṇavas ultimately return to the spiritual world or to wherever Kṛṣṇa is performing His eternal pastimes.
- Automatic Development of Good Qualities: A pure, perfect devotee naturally exhibits all godly qualities without separate endeavor. They are peaceful, tolerant, merciful, and possess a poetic appreciation for the Lord's beauty.
- Universal Spiritual Vision: Unlike materialistic persons, a perfect devotee sees Govinda everywhere. They do not discriminate materially because they realize that the Lord is present within every atom and every living entity as the Supersoul.
- Freedom from Material Desires: While yogīs and fruitive workers maintain subtle selfish ambitions, the perfect devotee has no desire other than to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The Ultimate Destination: After giving up the material body, a perfect devotee does not take birth again in the material world. Instead, they are swiftly transferred back home, back to Godhead, to eternally associate with Kṛṣṇa.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: The Qualities of the Perfect Devotees of God.
Subcategories
This category has the following 11 subcategories, out of 11 total.
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Pages in category "Perfect Devotees of God"
The following 116 pages are in this category, out of 116 total.
A
- A devotee who may be in any of these categories is automatically qualified by all good qualities, and thus a maha-bhagavata devotee like Maharaja Pariksit is certainly perfect in all respects
- A neophyte believes that only love of Krsna or Krsna consciousness is very good, but he may not know the basis of pure Krsna consciousness or how one can become a perfect devotee
- A perfect devotee does not make any discrimination. But if I am not a perfect devotee and I have discrimination, why shall I imitate the perfect devotee? It may not be possible for me to digest everything because I am not a perfect devotee
- A perfect devotee does not make the mistake of thinking that because the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramatma has entered into the body of every living entity, every living entity has become the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is foolishness
- A perfect devotee is able to understand Krsna through the disciplic succession, and his entrance into the kingdom of God is thereby certainly opened
- A perfect devotee of Krsna is overwhelmed by seeing the beauty of Krsna's bodily luster, His face and smile
- Above all the fruitive laborers, speculators, and mystic yogis are the bhaktas, or devotees of Krsna. A bhakta can be perfectly peaceful, whereas the others cannot because everyone but the bhakta, one who has pure love, has desire
- According to Srila Rupa Gosvami, the association and service of such a maha-bhagavata, or perfect Vaisnava, are most desirable
- Actually, a Vaisnava is above this varnasrama-dharma. But we don't claim that we have become perfect Vaisnava. We are not so impudent. We want to remain under the Vaisnava. Under the Vaisnava
- Advanced perfect devotees
- After leaving the material body, the perfect devotee takes birth from the womb of a gopi on a planet where Krsna's pastimes are going on
- All devotees are more or less poets. Out of 26 qualifications of a perfect devotee, one is poetic sense. So we can write so many poetries in praise of the Lord, or about His pastimes
- All of the residents of Vrndavana and Dvaraka - namely the cowherd men and the members of the Yadu family - are eternally perfect devotees of the Lord
- 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 the personalist and the impersonalist will fight with one another perpetually, a perfect devotee in Krsna consciousness knows that although Krsna is the Supreme Personality, He is all-pervading, as is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita. BG 1972 pur
- As far as jnana is concerned, if one is a perfect devotee of Vasudeva, he is the greatest mahatma (vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah). A mahatma is one who has full knowledge of the Absolute Truth
- As stated before, first the father and mother of Krsna appear, then the other associates. Quitting his material body, the perfect devotee also goes to associate with Krsna and His other associates
B
- Being the most perfect Vaisnava, Sri Narada Muni is always willing to do good to others, even to one who curses him. Although Kalakanya, the daughter of Time, was refused by Narada Muni, she was given a shelter
- Bhattacarya had been in the greatest danger because he had adhered to Mayavada philosophy. Somehow or other he came into contact with Lord Sri Caitanya and became a perfect devotee. In this way he was saved from the great falldown of impersonalism
- By a perfect example from your own conduct, others will be nicely trained up to be perfect Vaisnavas
- By the mercy of the Lord, such a devotee (perfect in self-realization) never comes back to this material condition of life. BG 1972 purports
- By the order of the Lord, a perfect devotee sometimes comes to this material world like an ordinary human being. Because of his previous practice, such a perfect devotee naturally becomes attached to devotional service, apparently without cause
D
- Despite all kinds of impediments due to surrounding circumstances, he (a perfect devotee) automatically perseveres in devotional service and gradually advances until he once again becomes perfect
- Devotees attached to the transcendental loving service of the Lord are called, respectively, neophyte, perfect and eternally perfect
- During your remaining balance of life, you just become trained up how to become a perfect, pure devotee. Then as soon as you give up this body, immediately you're transferred - tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam etikaunteya
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- He (a guru) must have heard thoroughly about the Vedas from his spiritual master. Generally a guru's symptom is that he is a perfect devotee, that's all. And he serves Krsna by preaching His message
- He (the brahmana friend of Lord Krsna) was very peaceful and had achieved supreme control over his senses. This means that the brahmana was a perfect devotee, because unless one is a perfect devotee he cannot achieve the highest standard of knowledge
I
- If one has unflinching faith in Krsna and his spiritual master, then automatically the Vedic knowledge becomes awakened. This is a fact, you can see. They never knew what is Vedic life, Vedic knowledge, but how they have become so nice, perfect devotee
- If someone engages in devotional service in all seriousness, the Lord instructs him in two ways - through the pure devotee and from within - so that he can advance in devotional service. By cultivating such devotional service, he becomes perfect
- If you do not gather intelligent men, then what is the use of gathering men? "If there is one moon, that is sufficient. What is the use of millions of stars?" If one is perfect Vaisnava, that is sufficient
- In all his observations he (the perfect devotee) sees Krsna only. In the Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38) it is stated that when one's eyes are smeared with love of Krsna (premanjana-cchurita), he always sees Krsna, outside and inside
- In Ambuya-muluka there was a person named Nakula Brahmacari, who was a perfectly pure devotee, greatly advanced in devotional service
- In course of time, the same instruction (which was given to sun-god), being wrongly handled and being broken, was again instructed to Arjuna because he was His perfect devotee and friend
- In our disciplic line we have the example of a perfect householder paramahamsa - Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
- In this connection, there is a story in the Skanda Purana about a hunter who was converted into a great devotee under the instruction of Narada Muni. When the hunter became a perfect devotee, he was not prepared even to kill an ant
- Indra said: O great demon, I see by your discrimination and endurance in devotional service, despite your dangerous position, that you are a perfect devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul and friend of everyone
- It appears that the astrologer was already an advanced devotee, and when he came into the presence of the Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he became perfectly self-realized and could see that the SPG Krsna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are one
- It is said that when one sees apparent unhappiness or distress in a perfect Vaisnava, it is not at all unhappiness for him; rather, it is transcendental bliss
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- Just as some devotees are perfected by the execution of devotional service, so some of them are eternally perfect
- Just as those who are greedy see everything as a source of money-making and those who are lusty see everything as being conducive to sex, the most perfect devotee, Prahlada Maharaja, saw Narayana even within a stone column
- Just like we are also following the instruction of our spiritual master. I don't claim that I am pure devotee or perfect, but my only qualification is that I am trying to follow the instruction of the perfect
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- One can imagine the swiftness of the spiritual form by comparing it to the speed of the mind. In less than even a moment, a perfect devotee can return home, back to Godhead, immediately after giving up his material body
- One desiring perfection or liberation should associate with a person who is already liberated. This is called sadhu-sanga (CC Madhya 22.83), associating with a perfect devotee
- One who has actually developed all qualities listed in these verses (Sb 3.32.41-42) is already elevated to the post of a devotee. If one has not developed all these qualities, he still has to fulfill these conditions in order to become a perfect devotee
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- Perfect brahmana devotee
- Perfect pure devotee
- Perfect servitors of the Lord are considered His personal associates, whereas devotees endeavoring to attain perfection are called neophytes
- Perfect unalloyed devotee
- Perfectly pure devotee
- Prahlada Maharaja constantly engaged in the service of the Lord's lotus feet because of his association with perfect, unalloyed devotees who had nothing to do with anything material
- Prahlada Maharaja is a mixed siddha; that is, he is perfect partly because of executing devotional service and partly because of eternal perfection. Thus he is compared to such devotees as Narada
- Prahlada Maharaja: A perfect devotee of Lord Krsna (Visnu)
- Pure perfect devotee
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- Sadhu does not mean a kind of dress or kind of beard. No. Sadhu means a devotee, perfect devotee of Krsna. That is . . . he is sadhu
- Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya had been in the greatest danger because he had adhered to Mayavada philosophy. Somehow or other he came into contact with Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and became a perfect devotee
- She has got the tendency to become a perfect devotee. As a father and mother you should not hamper it. Because it is not easy to become a devotee
- Since Maharaja Prthu was a perfect devotee of the SPG, he wanted to protect the Lord's creation by pleasing the various citizens according to their various desires. Therefore Prthu Maharaja used to please them in all respects by his words
- So long as you have discrimination, you are not a perfect devotee. So why should you artificially imitate a perfect devotee and eat everything
- Some are eternally in friendship with Krsna, some are elevated demigods, and some are perfected devotees
- Some individual devotees who attained perfection in devotional service by executing only 1 item are: Maharaja Pariksit, who was liberated & fully perfected simply by hearing; Sukadeva Gosvami, who became liberated & attained perfection in DS by chanting
- Sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya: in the vision of a perfect devotee, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a combination of Radha and Krsna. One who sees Lord Caitanya to be different from Krsna is under the illusory energy of the Lord
- Such a perfect devotee offers respects to every living entity because he is under the firm conviction that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has entered the body of every living entity as the Supersoul, or controller
- Such activities (engaging in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping God etc.) are all auspicious and full of spiritual potencies; indeed, they make the devotee perfect in self-realization. BG 1972 purports
- Such an advanced devotee (who is accustomed to chanting and takes pleasure in it) is called a madhyama-bhagavata, which indicates that he has attained the intermediate stage between the neophyte and the perfect devotee
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- That is the prerogative (coming to Krsna with a rope, saying, "Krsna, You have committed an offense, and now I shall bind You") of the most perfect devotee, and Krsna wants to be approached in that way
- The disciple should also immediately begin marking his body with tilaka - urdhva-pundra - after the initiation, especially his forehead. These are spiritual marks, symptoms of a perfect Vaisnava
- 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 more you think as imperfect, the more you make actual progress in Krishna Consciousness. This hankering after perfection is seen in even the most perfect devotees. So we should never think of being perfect at any stage
- The perfect devotee always acts according to the desires of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But a materialistic man is carried away by the waves of the material energy
- The perfect devotee does not see the material world as it appears to material eyes, for he sees everywhere the presence of his worshipable Lord in His Paramatma feature
- The perfect devotee may see many movable and immovable objects, but in everything he sees that the energy of Krsna is acting. As soon as he remembers the energy of Krsna, he immediately remembers Krsna in His personal form
- The point is, a perfect devotee does not make any discrimination. Whatever is offered to Krsna is nectar. That's all
- The Supreme Lord is realized in three different phases, as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan, but Bhagavan is the ultimate realization. One who realizes Bhagavan - the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna - is the most perfect mahatma
- The test of a perfect devotee is that he sees Govinda everywhere in this universe, even in every atomic particle (anda-ntara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham). This is the perfect vision of a devotee
- The Vaisnava, or devotee is the perfect sympathizer for all suffering humanity. Others' sympathy is not perfect. They are planning so many things - opening hospitals or charitable dispensaries, schools, lunatic asylum
- The yogi who has withdrawn to a secluded place in order to meditate perfectly may not be as perfect as a devotee who is trying his best to turn every man toward Krsna consciousness. BG 1972 purports
- Then (after becoming perfect in self-realization) his (devotee's) only desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called yoga. BG 1972 purports
- There are three kinds of devotees: (3) those who are neophytes advancing toward the perfectional platform (sadhaka). The sadhakas are gradually becoming free from fruitive reaction
- There are two types of devotees - the sadhaka, who is preparing for perfection, and the siddha, who is already perfect
- There cannot be any comparison to Vasudeva Datta. As the perfect Vaisnava, he was para-duhkha-duhkhi, very much aggrieved to see others suffer. The entire world is purified simply by the appearance of such a great devotee
- These symptoms are called bhava. In The Nectar of Devotion, various bhavas, ecstatic conditions of a devotee, are fully described. These bhavas are visible in the activities of a perfect devotee
- This (after leaving the material body, the perfect devotee takes birth from the womb of a gopi on a planet where Krsna's pastimes are going on) may be in this universe or another universe
- This statement (after leaving the material body, the perfect devotee takes birth from the womb of a gopi on a planet where Krsna's pastimes are going on) is found in the Ujjvala-nilamani, which is commented upon by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
- Those who are greedy see everything as a source of money-making and those who are lusty see everything as being conducive to sex, the most perfect devotee, Prahlada Maharaja, saw Narayana even within a stone column
- Those who are not as perfect as the pure devotees-namely, those who have realized only the Brahman or Paramatma features of the Lord-cannot appreciate the activities of the perfect devotees
- Those who are not perfect devotees may discriminate. But a perfect devotee does not discriminate. Why should you imitate a perfect devotee
- To a perfect devotee, there is no material world. Everything is spiritual
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- Under the guidance of a spiritual master, everyone should chant this mantra (composed by Rama, the goddess of fortune) and thus become a complete and perfect devotee of the Lord
- Unless one becomes a perfect devotee, he cannot become a bhadra, gentleman. That is not possible. Naradhamah, Krsna says, unless one is devotee, he is a duskrtina, most sinful man, naradhamah, and the lowest of the human being
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- Vaisnavas are generally known as gosvamis. In Vrndavana, this is the title by which the director of each temple is known. One who wants to become a perfect devotee of Krsna must become a gosvami
- Vanete means vanaprastha, sannyasi. "Wherever he may be, if he's actually a perfect devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I want his association. Never mind." Grhe va vanete thake ha gauranga bale dake narottama mage tara sanga
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- We are trying our best to become a perfect devotee of Krsna. So to become a perfect devotee means he must be sinless
- What is the symptom of guru? Samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham. Guru means who has learned knowledge by the parampara system. Srotriyam brahma. The result is that he is perfectly a devotee
- When a devotee becomes perfect, he is transferred to the universe where Krsna’s pastimes are taking place. Krsna’s eternal associates go wherever Krsna manifests His pastimes
- When a devotee is always thus situated in Krsna consciousness in any condition of life, he is described as mukti-pade sa daya-bhak, a perfect candidate for returning home, back to Godhead. The word daya-bhak means "inheritance"
- When a devotee is never tired of executing devotional service and is always engaged in Krsna conscious activities, constantly relishing the transcendental mellows in relationship with Krsna, he is called perfect
- When a touchstone touches iron, it turns the iron to gold. Parvata Muni called Narada Muni a touchstone because by his touch the hunter, who was the lowest among men, became an elevated and perfect Vaisnava
- When Krsna says tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti (BG 4.9), this means that the perfect devotee, after perfect realization, returns home, back to Godhead
- When Nityananda Prabhu went to preach Krsna consciousness to the two roguish brothers Jagai and Madhai, they injured Him and made His head bleed, but He tolerantly delivered the two rogues, who became perfect Vaisnavas. This is the duty of a preacher
- When one is perfectly Krsna's devotee, he does not come back. But if there is a little deficiency, then there is a possibility of coming back
- When the king and his advisors are perfect devotees, nothing can be wrong in the state
- When there is shivering of the body and the hairs of the body stand up, it is to be understood that the devotee is nearing perfection
- When you become a perfect devotee then you are transferred to the eternal world, and your engagement is upasana eternally
- Whereas a jnana-yogi, karma-yogi or hatha-yogi has his own selfish interests, a perfect devotee has no desire other than to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Lord says that for anyone who is devoted to Him, He is easy to attain
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- Yamunacarya, he was a very big king. So he had very good opportunity for sex life, he was king. But later on he became perfect Vaisnava, devotee
- You can become a perfect devotee simply by service. There is no other method. Bhaktya mam abhijanati (BG 18.55). Bhakti means service, simply. That is bhakti
- You cannot become a pure, perfect devotee unless you are directed by another pure, unadulterated devotee