Category:Perfection of a Devotee of God
Theme Analysis
The perfection of a devotee does not lie in attaining material wealth, mystic yogic powers, or impersonal liberation (merging into the Brahman effulgence). According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, the highest perfection (prema pum-artho mahan) is achieving unalloyed love of Godhead. A devotee attains this perfection by completely surrendering to the Supreme Lord and strictly following the instructions of a bona fide spiritual master. Whether through hearing (like Mahārāja Parīkṣit), chanting, praying, or acting in friendship (like Arjuna), a devotee purifies their existence. Even if a devotee's practice is incomplete in this life, their advancement is never lost. Ultimately, the perfection of a devotee culminates in returning back home, back to Godhead, to eternally associate with Śrī Kṛṣṇa or Lord Rāmacandra.
- Beyond Material and Impersonal Goals: A pure devotee is never interested in temporary material gains or the insignificant goal of merging into the impersonal Brahman. Their only desire is to perfect their loving service to the Lord.
- The Highest Perfection is Pure Love: The supreme achievement for any living entity is prema, pure ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. By thinking of the Lord constantly with love and affection, the devotee is situated firmly on the spiritual platform.
- Following the Instructions of the Spiritual Master: Perfection is practically guaranteed for the disciple who submissively executes the orders of a bona fide spiritual master. Through this expert guidance, the neophyte learns how to follow in the footsteps of eternal associates like Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
- Returning Home, Back to Godhead: The final result of perfect devotional service is liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The perfected soul leaves this material world and enters the spiritual universe to participate in the Lord's eternal pastimes.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Love is the Highest Perfection of a Devotee of God.
Subcategories
This category has the following 11 subcategories, out of 11 total.
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Pages in category "Perfection of a Devotee of God"
The following 42 pages are in this category, out of 42 total.
A
- A devotee who perfects his devotional service certainly goes back to Godhead without a doubt, so for him there is no question of birth or death
- A spiritual master is expert in giving special instructions to each of his disciples, and if the disciple executes the order of the spiritual master, that is the way of his perfection
- After achieving perfection by self-realization and seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, Dhruva Maharaja was completely freed from all contamination of material desire
- 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
- All these stages (elimination of obstacles, becoming attracted, steadiness, perfect taste, transcendental emotions, & being situated in loving service to God) develop by the association of pure devotees, and that is the purport of this stanza - SB 1.5.25
- 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
- Any devotee of Lord Krsna can attain all perfection, material gains and liberation simply by offering prayers to Him. There are many varieties of prayers to Lord Krsna chanted by great sages and great personalities such as Lord Brahma and Lord Siva
- Arjuna, the great warrior, attained the same perfection (the spiritual platform) simply by making friends with the Lord, who delivered the message of Bhagavad-gita to enlighten Arjuna and his followers
E
- Even if the devotee has failed to perfect his devotional service, he is guaranteed to take birth in a good family - a family of learned and devoted brahmanas or a family of rich vaisyas - merchants
- Every devotee, therefore, should be determined that in this life he will be able to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead and by that process go back home, back to Godhead. That is the perfection of the highest mission of life
- Everyone who follows the path of Arjuna can become a dear friend to Krsna and obtain the same perfection as Arjuna. BG 1972 purports
I
- If you have got a bona fide spiritual master and if you simply follow the instruction, the perfection is guaranteed. Just like a perfect engineer and a neophyte working under his instruction, however foolish he may be, all his work is perfect
- It doesn't matter what kind of religion you are following, but if the religious system teaches you how to become a devotee to Adhoksaja-adhoksaja means beyond our sense perception, the Supreme Lord - then your life is perfect. Then you will be happy
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P
- Perfect servitors of the Lord are considered His personal associates, whereas devotees endeavoring to attain perfection are called neophytes
- Persons desiring to follow in the footsteps of such eternal devotees of the Lord as the Vrsnis and Vrndavana denizens are called raganuga devotees, which means that they are trying to attain to the perfection of those devotees
S
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended, prema pum-artho mahan: the highest perfection of life is prema, pure love in relationship with Krsna. And mother Yasoda appears to be the topmost of devotees who have attained this perfection
- Such a faithful devotee of the Lord (who understands Lord Krsna to be the Supreme) attains perfection, and this is confirmed by the following Vedic assertion: tam eva viditvatimrtyumeti nanyah pantha vidyate ayanaya. BG 1972 purports
T
- The devotee cannot remain in darkness, & because a devotee is enlightened by the Personality of Godhead, his knowledge is certainly perfect. This is not the case for those who speculate on the Absolute Truth by dint of their own limited power of approach
- The devotees of the Supreme Lord are always calm and quiet, and their perfection is very rarely seen, even in millions of persons
- The devotees, with their perfect eyes, see the transcendental form of the purusa who has thousands of legs, thighs, arms and faces-all extraordinary
- The mahatma's perfection is this: to utilize the human form of life and the resources of nature to extricate himself from the cycle of birth and death
- The material perfections, even up to the point of liberation, are very insignificant in comparison; therefore the pure devotee is never interested in such things. His only interest is in perfecting his devotional service to the Lord
- The perfection of love of God by a devotee actually situates him on the spiritual platform.These things are made possible by the Lord's inscrutable and inconceivable energy, which material science has not the scope to calculate
- The qualities of one engaged in the service of Sri Caitanya - such as reputation, austerities, penances and knowledge - are not to be compared to the good qualities of others. Such is the perfection of a devotee always engaged in the service of Caitanya
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead gives credit to a devotee who performs any heavy task perfectly. Hanumanji, or Vajrangaji, the servant of Lord Ramacandra, serves as an example
- The Vaisnava schools therefore never try to merge into the Brahman effulgence in their pursuit of spiritual perfection. They accept Krsna as the ultimate goal of self realization
- The Vaisnavas, not caring for the lifeless activities of the priestly classes, take to full Krsna consciousness and become perfect in this very life
- There are concrete examples of how a devotee discharged one of these services and achieved perfection. King Pariksit achieved the desired goal of life simply by hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam
- There are many instances in Vedic civilization of kings who attained perfection as devotees of God. For example, Dhruva Maharaja went to the forest to search out God and by practice of severe penance and austerity found God within six months
- These devotees (who are engaged in the devotional service) are also divided into three categories: the associates, those perfected in devotional service, and those newly engaged in devotional service
- This narration describes the characteristics of the great and exalted devotee Prahlada Maharaja, his staunch devotional service, his perfect knowledge, and his perfect detachment from material contamination
- 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