Dedicated devotees

Expressions researched:
"dedicated devotee" |"dedicated devotees"

SB Canto 4

A dedicated devotee should prosecute his work according to the rules and regulations described in devotional service. The results of his activities are completely dependent on the supreme will of the Lord.

SB 4.22.51, Purport:

All material changes and material progress taking place by the wonderful interaction of matter are under the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Events in the material world are not taking place blindly. If one always remains a servant of Kṛṣṇa and engages everything in His service, one is accepted as jīvan-mukta, a liberated soul, even during his lifetime within the material world. Generally liberation takes place after one gives up this body, but one who lives according to the example of Pṛthu Mahārāja is liberated even in this lifetime. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness the results of one's activities depend on the will of the Supreme Person. Indeed, in all cases the result is not dependent on one's own personal dexterity but is completely dependent on the will of the Supreme. This is the real significance of phalaṁ brahmaṇi sannyasya. A soul dedicated to the service of the Lord should never think of himself as the personal proprietor or the superintendent. A dedicated devotee should prosecute his work according to the rules and regulations described in devotional service. The results of his activities are completely dependent on the supreme will of the Lord.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 12.10.34, Translation:

But I do request one benediction from you, who are full of all perfection and able to shower down the fulfillment of all desires. I ask to have unfailing devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead and for His dedicated devotees, especially you.

CC Antya-lila

For two purposes—to spread the cult of bhakti and to defeat and subdue the atheists—Lord Nityānanda, the most dedicated devotee of the Lord, moved throughout the country.

CC Antya 3.149, Translation and Purport:

For two purposes—to spread the cult of bhakti and to defeat and subdue the atheists—Lord Nityānanda, the most dedicated devotee of the Lord, moved throughout the country.

As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.8):

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām

dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

Lord Kṛṣṇa appears in every millennium for two purposes, namely to deliver the devotees and to kill the nondevotees. His devotees also have two similar purposes-to preach the bhakti cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and to defeat all kinds of agnostics and atheistic demons. Nityānanda Prabhu carried out the order of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this way, and those who strictly follow Nityānanda Prabhu perform the same activities. There are two classes of devotees. One is called goṣṭhy-ānandī, and the other is called bhajanānandī. A devotee who does not preach but always engages in devotional activities is called a bhajanānandī, whereas a devotee who not only is expert in devotional service but who also preaches the cult of bhakti and defeats all kinds of agnostics is called a goṣṭhyānandī.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Dedicated devotee, hundred.

Room Conversation with Monsieur Mesman, Chief of Law House of Paris -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: No. It is the movement to qualify men to their respective positions. It is an educational system to divide first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class. They all required, but at the present moment, the fourth-class man is occupying the first-class man's place. We want to divide the society into real first-class, second-class, third-class... They're all required, but they have got their respective positions, not topsy-turvied. As the, as to keep the body fit, we require the head, the hands, the belly and the legs. If we simply keep legs, it is useless. (French)

Pṛthu-putra: He asks what language we use when we read Bhagavad-gītā and...

Prabhupāda: No. This is in Sanskrit language, but we translate into different languages.

M. Mesman: English?

Prabhupāda: English, French, German, Spanish, and other languages. (French)

Pṛthu-putra: He asks if we have to be disciple, do we have to know Sanskrit or to learn Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. Because it is published in other languages. (French)

Pṛthu-putra: He asks how many disciples there is in France?

Bhagavān: Tell him there's hundred devotees, but there's hundreds who come to the temple.

Prabhupāda: Dedicated devotee, hundred. (French)

Yogeśvara: If one is a full-time disciple...

Prabhupāda: He's dedicated disciple.

Yogeśvara: Does that mean he must give up his family, and come and live here?

Prabhupāda: No, he can live with his family. It is to take up the cause, not to give up the family. We don't believe in giving up. We believe in engaging them properly. That is our philosophy. (French)

Pṛthu-putra: He asks if the hundreds devotee are all in Paris or they are a little bit everywhere...

Yogeśvara: Explain there's travelling parties.

Bhagavān: No, we're centered in Paris, and they travel all over France. (French)

Pṛthu-putra: He asks if we have a school in France.

Prabhupāda: We have got a school in Dallas, America, but we are trying to open a school here, also. (French)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

We get so many devotees come here, after some time they become dedicated devotees. The method must be there. This is... We are increasing; our movement is not decreasing.

Room Conversation with Director of Research of the Dept. of Social Welfare -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Director: Hmm. Excuse me, what do you do this (Indistinct. Talks with other devotees about something)

Prabhupāda: So immediately to solve all the problems like this is to start an institution to train four classes of men. Begin it. There is no training, how you can expect if you allow a child to smoke from the very beginning and to commit all kinds of sinful activities, how you can expect a nice gentleman when he is grown up? It is not possible. It is possible by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But somebody may not be induced to come and join. But if you train him from the very beginning, then it is possible. Just like we have got our training school, Gurukula, in Dallas, Texas. So from the very beginning, three years, four years, five years old, children they are being trained up. It is not that cent percent men will be trained up spiritually. But even a small percentage ideal men there are in the society, at least people will think, "Oh, here is ideal." But there is no such facility. We are training, sometimes people laugh, "What is this nonsense?" They criticize.

These leaders of the society do not encourage. Yesterday I was talking with one priest. So about illicit sex life he said that "What is the wrong there? It is a great pleasure." We are training, we are advocating that illicit sex is sinful. Our first condition is that one must give up these four things: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. This is my first condition before accepting. So they agree and they follow.

Director: But not our people all do.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Director: Not our clients all do.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they will do. If regular institution runs on with all facility... We get so many devotees come here, after some time they become dedicated devotees. The method must be there. This is... We are increasing; our movement is not decreasing. Just like we have opened a temple here. There was no temple, but we have got a nice temple. In this way all over the world our movement is increasing; it is not decreasing. I came from India alone in New York, 1965. So for one year I had no place to stay, I had no means to eat. I was loitering practically, living in some friend's house and some friend's house. Then gradually it developed, people. I was chanting in a Square in New York alone, full three hours. What is that, Tompkinson Square? Yes. You been in New York? So that was my beginning. Then gradually people came. You were in some club, what is that?

Madhudviṣa: California?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Yadubara wanted to film you translating. Is that all right? You don't mind. We can have a little light here while he films for about half a minute? It wouldn't disturb you.

Prabhupāda: Yadubara is good devotee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yadubara is a good devotee. Very dedicated devotee. You remember he cooked bati chachury(?) very nice also for you. He was cooking for you in Hrishikesh, massaging. Very intelligent.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: His wife is also intelligent, Viśākhā.

Prabhupāda: Yadubara has become first devotee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Has become first, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: First devotee before his wife.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First devotee before his wife, yes. You convinced him. He did not come here thinking to become a devotee. Remember, he came for photography work.

Prabhupāda: Yes.