Category:So-called Devotees of God
Theme Analysis
Navigating the spiritual path requires keen discernment, as the material world is filled with pretenders who make a false show of religious advancement. By examining the nature of these imposters, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that so-called devotees—including groups like the prākṛta-sahajiyās—cheaply imitate the highest stages of love for God while maintaining gross material attachments. Rather than adhering to the strict regulative principles and the injunctions of śāstra, these individuals indulge in illicit sex, intoxication, and philosophical speculation. True devotional service demands unwavering purity, humility, and submission to the authorized paramparā, distinguishing the pure servant from the superficial imitator whose ultimate goal is often sense gratification or impersonal merging.
- The Danger of Cheap Imitation: Pretenders known as sahajiyās or nadiya-nagaris artificially display advanced emotional symptoms and try to imitate the Lord’s intimate pastimes, bypassing the essential stages of purification.
- Unwanted Material Habits: A severe contradiction exists when individuals dress as renunciants or claim elevated spiritual status while remaining attached to abominable habits like smoking, gambling, and illicit sex.
- Avoidance of Authorized Scripture: Instead of carefully studying the conclusions of the Vedānta-sūtra and the six Gosvāmīs, so-called devotees invent their own processes, resulting in unauthorized apa-sampradāyas.
- Envy Toward Genuine Devotees: Lacking true transcendental realization, pseudo-devotees often become envious of sincere preachers and actively try to find fault with the authorized Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
- The Impersonalist Motive: Many who pose as Vaiṣṇavas are actually disguised karmīs and jñānīs; their underlying philosophy is to ultimately annihilate their individuality and merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: The Difference Between Pure Servants and So-called Devotees of God.
Subcategories
This category has the following 8 subcategories, out of 8 total.
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Pages in category "So-called Devotees of God"
The following 72 pages are in this category, out of 72 total.
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A
- A class of so-called devotees called the nadiya-nagaris or gaura-nagaris pretend that they have the sentiment of gopis toward Lord Caitanya, but they do not realize that He placed Himself not as the enjoyer, Krsna, but as the enjoyed
- A class of so-called devotees known as prakrta-sahajiyas sometimes display devotional symptoms to exhibit their good fortune. They are pretending, however, because these devotional features are only external
- A class of so-called devotees known as sahajiyas try to imitate the Lord's pastimes, although they have no understanding of the amorous love in His expansions of pleasure potency
- A member of the Ventor Gosvami Society, or the caste called gosvami, cannot be accepted as a descendant of the six original Gosvamis. Nor can so-called devotees who manufacture songs about Lord Caitanya, professional priests or paid reciters, be accepted
- A pure Vaisnava is very happy to see a person elevated in devotional service. Unfortunately, there are many so-called Vaisnavas who become envious to see someone actually recognized by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- A so-called party of devotees named nadiya-nagari has sprung up and introduced the worship of Visnupriya. This certainly indicates their ignorance concerning Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes
- All the great acaryas of the four Vaisnava sampradayas have made commentaries on the Vedanta-sutra, but the so-called devotees known as prakrta-sahajiya carefully avoid the study of Vedanta-sutra
- As soon as you mix with these so-called babajis, bhajananandis and with three dozen women, you are fallen. Immediately
- At the present time a group of so-called devotees maintain that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the enjoyer and that they are enjoyers as well. They have actually deviated from devotional service to the Lord
B
- Brahma-yamala states, "Instead, he (a so-called great devotee) will simply create disturbances for the sincere students of devotional service"
- By contacting nondevotees and engaging in nondevotional activities, a so-called mature devotee will fall victim to the mad elephant offense. Whatever growth has taken place is quickly uprooted by such an offense
I
- If a devotee or so-called devotee purposefully commits sinful activities continually in the hope that Krsna will give him protection, Krsna will not protect him
- If one neglects the instructions of the six Gosvamis and yet becomes a so-called devotee of Radha-Krsna, he merely criticizes the real devotees of Radha-Krsna
- In the impersonal school the so-called devotee is supposed to merge with the Lord and lose his separate existence
- In the material world, so-called devotees sometimes exhibit emotional symptoms. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's ecstatic love cannot be compared to the imitative emotional exhibitions of pretenders. Such exhibitions do not continue for long. They are temporary
- It has been seen that a so-called devotee proclaims himself a follower of Nanda, Yasoda or the gopis, while at the same time his abominable attraction for mundane sex life is visible
- It is a fact that there are many so-called Vaisnavas whose ultimate aim is to merge into the existence of the Lord. For example, the sahajiyas’ Vaisnava philosophy is to become one with the Supreme
- It is not our business to criticize anyone, but because they (so-called devotees) try to find fault with this (Krsna consciousness) movement, the real truth must be stated
- It is very regrettable that complacent so-called devotees criticize the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness for accepting sannyasa and spreading the cult of Lord Caitanya all over the world
- It should be noted that a class of so-called devotees (known as prakrta-sahajiya) follow their own concocted ideas and, representing themselves as Krsna and Radha, indulge in debauchery. Such devotional service and attachment are false
N
- Not considering the propaganda work of the Hare Krsna movement, simply because these disciples (of ours) addressed their spiritual master as Prabhupada they (foolish so-called devotees of Lord Caitanya) became so envious
- Nowhere in revealed scripture does Lord Siva claim to be equal to Lord Visnu. This is simply the creation of the so-called devotees of Lord Siva, who claim that Lord Siva and Lord Visnu are one
P
- Prahlada Maharaja became a devotee, not a so-called devotee, that "If my senses are gratified, then I shall continue to remain a devotee. Otherwise I shall slip away, go away. That's all." So he was not such kind of devotee
- Prahlada Maharaja became a devotee, not a so-called devotee, that - If my senses are gratified, then I shall continue to remain a devotee. Otherwise I shall slip away, go away. That's all
S
- She (a woman) should concentrate her devotional activities in chanting and meditating upon Krsna, as is advised herein. One should not follow the men called sahajiyas, the so-called devotees who take everything very lightly
- So-called advanced devotees
- So-called devotees like the sahajiyas cheaply imagine they are meeting Krsna in Vrndavana. Such thinking may be useful, but actually meeting Krsna is possible through the attitude of separation taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- So-called devotees of God would have exploited the example of Junior Haridasa to continue their habit of illicit connections with women unrestrictedly. Indeed, they still preach that such behavior is allowed for a Vaisnava. But it is strictly not allowed
- So-called mature devotees
- So-called pseudo devotees
- So-called Vaisnavas who take everything very casually, are both visayis, or materialists. Eating food offered by them causes contamination, and as a result of such contamination, even a serious devotee becomes like a materialistic man
- Some misled people put forward the argument that since Caitanya appeared as Radha and Krsna combined, there is no necessity of worshiping Radha & Krsna. Such differentiation by so-called devotees of Lord Caitanya is considered disruptive by pure devotees
- Some of our so-called devotees, they criticize me that I have limited only sixteen rounds. No, why sixteen rounds? You can make three hundred rounds, but minimum, minimum sixteen rounds, because we are not accustomed to devote much time
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks that residing in Vrndavana with a view to enjoy sense gratification surely leads a so-called devotee to a lower species
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura suggests that people who are materialistically inclined and sahajiyas, or so-called Vaisnavas who take everything very casually, are both visayis, or materialists
T
- The first business of a Vaisnava is to give up the company of nondevotees. A so-called mature devotee, however, commits a great offense by giving up the company of pure devotees
- The so-called devotee has become victimized by all the unwanted creepers and the real creeper, the bhakti-lata, has been stunted
- The so-called devotees or followers of Rudra are also a menace. They are sometimes dangerous even to Rudra himself. Descendants of Rudra sometimes make plans to kill Rudra - by the grace of Rudra. That is the nature of his devotees
- The so-called siddha-pranai process is followed by the prakrta sahajiya, a pseudo-sect of so-called Vaisnavas. In the opinion of Rupa Gosvami, such activities are simply disturbances to the standard way of devotional service
- The word markata-vairagya is used by Cri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to indicate so-called Vaisnavas who dress themselves in loincloths trying to imitate Srila Rupa Gosvami
- Their (so-called devotees known as sahajiyas) superficial imitation can create havoc on the path for the advancement of one's spiritual relationship with the Lord
- There are also many so-called Vaisnavas who worship Lord Visnu with an aim of becoming one with the Supreme. They sometimes give the example of a drop of water merging into the great ocean itself. This is simply nonsense
- There are many so-called advanced devotees who sit in a secluded place for their personal benefit. They do not go out to preach and convert others into Vaisnavas, and therefore they certainly cannot be called sparsa-mani, advanced devotees
- There are many so-called devotees passing themselves off as devotees while engaging in these sinful activities - illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating
- There are many so-called devotees who artificially think of Krsna's pastimes, which are known as asta-kalika-lila
- There are many so-called devotees who command the Lord to come before them dancing. The Lord, however, is not subject to anyone's command, but if He is satisfied by one's pure devotional activities, He reveals Himself
- There are many so-called devotees who think that in the conditioned state we may worship the Personality of Godhead but that ultimately there is no personality
- There are many so-called devotees who think Vedanta is not meant for devotees. Such people are ignorant of the fact that Vedanta is the only platform of pure devotees
- There are many so-called devotees, but actually they are only karmis and jnanis, for they are not directly devotees of Lord Krsna
- There are many so-called followers of the Vaisnava cult in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu who do not scrupulously follow the conclusions of the sastras, and therefore they are considered to be apa-sampradaya, which means "outside of the sampradaya"
- There is a class of so-called devotees called prakrta-sahajiyas who think that Nityananda Prabhu is an ordinary human being. They have spread the news that Caitanya ordered Nityananda to return to Bengal from Orissa just to marry and beget children
- There is a class of so-called devotees known as prakrta-sahajiyas who are very much interested in hearing about Krsna's rasa-lila with the gopis but not about His fighting with His enemies
- These people are envious. Although they have become so-called Vaisnava, they are ferocious. They have not acquired the qualification of Vaisnava
- They (so-called devotees of Lord Caitanya who are envious to see our disciples addressing their spiritual master as Prabhupada) formed a faction along with other such envious persons just to minimize the value of the Krsna consciousness movement
- They (so-called devotees) say that since the Absolute Truth is impersonal, one can imagine a personal form of the impersonal Absolute Truth for the time being, but as soon as one becomes liberated the worship stops
- This Kali-yuga so strong that it attacks even the so-called devotees also. Kali-yuga is very strong. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended that if you want to save yourself, if you at all desire to take the position of amrta
U
W
- We are very sorry to say that these people (some so-called Vaisnavas) try to find fault with us, being unnecessarily envious of our activities
- We cannot say, "Milk is better than water. I think I will bring Him milk." This is not favorable service. Some so-called bhaktas say, "I can worship the Lord in my own way." This is simply imagination
- We have several times been requested by so-called devotees to take up the Tenth Canto immediately, but we have refrained from such an action because we wish to present SB as the science of God and not as a sensuous understanding for the conditioned soul
- We have to follow the Gosvamis literature, especially Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, which we have translated in The Nectar of Devotion, every one of you should very carefully read & make progress. Don't be victimized by the Mayavadi so-called Vaisnava
- When the so-called devotee desires material enjoyment, without reference to the interest of the Supreme Lord, or he wants to become famous or opulent by utilizing the mercy or grace of the Supreme Lord, he is in the mode of passion