Nectar of Devotion
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Twenty-five
Devotees of Krsna
A person who is always absorbed in Krsna consciousness is called a devotee of Krsna. Srila Rupa Gosvami says that all the transcendental qualities discussed previously are also found in the devotees of Krsna. The devotees of Krsna can be classified into two groups: those who are cultivating devotional service in order to enter into the transcendental kingdom and those who are already in the perfectional stage of devotional service.
A person who has attained the stage of attraction for Krsna and who is not freed from the material impasse, but who has qualified himself to enter into the kingdom of God, is called sadhaka. Sadhaka means one who is cultivating devotion in Krsna consciousness. The description of such a devotee is found in the Eleventh Canto, Second Chapter, verse 46, of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is said there that a person who has unflinching faith in and love for the Personality of Godhead, who is in friendship with devotees of Krsna, and who is very merciful to the ignorant, raising them to the standard of devotional service, and who is uninterested in nondevotees, is considered to be situated in the position of cultivating devotional service.
When one is found shedding tears by hearing of the pastimes of the Lord, it is to be understood that the blazing fire of material existence will be extinguished by such watering. 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. An example of a sadhaka cultivating devotional service is Bilvamangala Thakura.
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. This perfectional stage can be achieved in two ways: one may achieve this stage of perfection by gradual progress in devotional service, or one may become perfect by the causeless mercy of Krsna, even though he has not executed all the details of devotional service.
There is the following nice statement in the Third Canto, Fifteenth Chapter, verse 25, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, describing a devotee who achieves perfection by regularly executing devotional service: A person who is freed from the false egotism of material existence, or an advanced mystic, is eligible to enter into the kingdom of God, known as Vaikuntha. Such a mystic becomes so joyful by constant execution of the regulative principles of devotional service that he thereby achieves the special favor of the Supreme Lord. Yamaraja, the mighty superintendent of death, is afraid to go near such a devotee; so we can imagine the potency of advanced devotional service, especially when devotees sit together and engage in talking of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those devotees express their feelings in such a way that they automatically melt with ecstasy, and many transcendental symptoms become manifested in their bodies. Anyone desiring advancement in devotional service must follow in the footsteps of such devotees.
Prahlada Maharaja said that no one can attain the perfectional stage of devotional service without bowing down before exalted devotees. Learned sages like Markandeya Rsi attained perfection in devotional service simply by executing such regulative principles of service.
A person’s achieving perfection in devotional service simply by the causeless mercy of the Lord is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam in connection with the brahmanas and their wives who were engaged in performing yajna, or sacrifice. When the wives of the brahmanas were favored by Lord Krsna and immediately attained the ecstasy of love of Godhead, their husbands said, “How wonderful it is that although these women have undertaken no reformatory performances such as accepting the sacred thread, have not resided in the monasteries of the spiritual master, have not observed the strict principles of celibacy, have not undergone any austerities and have not philosophized upon the observance of ritualistic ceremonies, they still have attained the favor of Krsna, which is aspired after even by great mystics! How wonderful it is that these women have attained such perfection, while we, although brahmanas who have performed all the reformatory activities, cannot attain to this advanced stage!”
There is a similar statement by Narada, addressed to Sukadeva Gosvami: “My dear Sukadeva Gosvami, you never took the trouble to reside under the care of a spiritual master, and yet you have attained such a great status of transcendental knowledge. You never took the trouble to undergo severe austerities, and still, how wonderful it is that you have been situated in the most perfect stage of love of Godhead.”
Sukadeva Gosvami and the wives of the brahmanas performing yajna are vivid examples of devotees who achieved the perfectional stage of devotional service by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Eternal Perfection
Persons who have achieved eternal, blissful life exactly on the level of Sri Krsna, and who are able to attract Lord Krsna by their transcendental loving service, are called eternally perfect. The technical name is nitya-siddha. There are two classes of living entities—namely, nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha. The distinction is that the nitya-siddhas are eternally Krsna conscious without any forgetfulness, whereas the nitya-baddhas, or eternally conditioned souls, are forgetful of their relationship with Krsna.
The position of the nitya-siddhas is explained in the Padma Purana in connection with the narration of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Satyabhama-devi. The Lord tells Satyabhama, “My dear Satyabhama-devi, I have descended to this earthly planet by the request of Lord Brahma and other demigods. Those who are born into this family of Yadu are all My eternal associates. My dear wife, you should not consider that My associates are ever separated from Me; they are My personal expansions, and as such, you must know that they are almost as powerful as I am. Because of their transcendental qualities, they are very, very dear to Me, as I am very, very dear to them.” Anyone who becomes exhilarated by hearing of the pastimes of Lord Krsna when He was present on this earth with His associates is to be understood as nitya-siddha, eternally perfect.
In the Tenth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, verse 32, of Srimad-Bhagavatam there is this statement: “How wonderful are the fortunate residents of Vrndavana, such as Nanda and the other cowherd men. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Brahman, has actually become their intimate friend!”
A similar statement is there in the Tenth Canto, Twenty-sixth Chapter, verse 10, of Srimad-Bhagavatam. When Lord Krsna lifted Govardhana Hill, the cowherd men, under the protection of Lord Krsna, became struck with wonder and went to Nanda Maharaja and inquired from him, “My dear Nanda Maharaja, how is it that we are so intensely attached to Krsna and that Krsna is also so affectionately attached to us? Does it mean that He is the Supersoul of everyone?”
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. As the Lord descends by His causeless mercy upon this planet, so, in order to help in the pastimes of the Lord, these devotees also come here. They are not ordinary living entities or conditioned souls; they are ever-liberated persons, associates of the Personality of Godhead. And just as Lord Krsna behaves like an ordinary man when He descends to this planet, so the members of the Yadu dynasty and the residents of Vrndavana execute activities just like ordinary men. But they are not ordinary men; they are as liberated as Lord Krsna Himself.
In the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda section, it is stated, “Just as Lord Ramacandra descends along with Laksmana (an expansion of Sankarsana) and Bharata (an expansion of Pradyumna), so the members of the Yadu dynasty and the cowherd men of Vrndavana also descend with Lord Krsna in order to join in the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. When the Supreme Lord returns to His eternal abode, His associates return with Him to their respective places. As such, these ever-liberated Vaisnavas are not bound by the material laws of birth and death.”
As stated in Bhagavad-gita by the Lord Himself, His birth, deeds and activities are all transcendental. Similarly, the birth, deeds and activities of the associates of the Lord are also transcendental. And as it is an offense to consider oneself to be Krsna, so it is offensive to consider oneself to be Yasoda, Nanda or any other associate of the Lord. We should always remember that they are transcendental; they are never conditioned souls.
It is described that Krsna, the enemy of Kamsa, has sixty-four transcendental qualities, and all of the ever-liberated souls who accompany the Lord have the first fifty-five of the qualities, without any doubt. Such devotees are related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in any of five transcendental mellows—namely neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parenthood and conjugal love. These relationships with the Lord are eternal, and therefore nitya-siddha devotees do not have to strive to attain the perfectional stage by executing regulative devotional principles. They are eternally qualified to serve Krsna.