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Favor of the Lord's devotee

Expressions researched:
"beloved devotee of the Lord can favor" |"favor of a devotee" |"favor of a Vaisnava, a devotee of the Lord" |"favor of a pure devotee" |"favor of the devotee" |"favor of His devotee" |"favored by another pure devotee of the Lord"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Preface and Introduction

The King was, however, favored by the Lord by the expert arrangement of the devotees. This means that the beloved devotee of the Lord can favor a neophyte more liberally than the Lord.
SB Introduction: On the principles of the renounced order of life and discipline, the Lord knew no compromise, and therefore even though He knew that the King was a great devotee, He refused to see the King, only because the King was a dollar-and-cent man. By this example the Lord wanted to emphasize the proper behavior for a transcendentalist. A transcendentalist has nothing to do with women and money. He must always refrain from such intimate relations. The King was, however, favored by the Lord by the expert arrangement of the devotees. This means that the beloved devotee of the Lord can favor a neophyte more liberally than the Lord. Pure devotees, therefore, never commit an offense at the feet of another pure devotee. An offense at the lotus feet of the Lord is sometimes excused by the merciful Lord, but an offense at the feet of a devotee is very dangerous for one who actually wants to make progress in devotional service.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

If one seeks the favor of a devotee instead of directly asking favors from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is very easily successful.
SB 10.10.25, Translation and Purport: "Although these two young men are the sons of the very rich Kuvera and I have nothing to do with them, Devarṣi Nārada is My very dear and affectionate devotee, and therefore because he wanted Me to come face to face with them, I must do so for their deliverance." Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva actually had nothing to do with devotional service or seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, for this is not an ordinary opportunity. It is not that because one is very rich or learned or was born in an aristocratic family one will be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. This is impossible. But in this case, because Nārada Muni desired that Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva see Vāsudeva face to face, the Supreme Personality of Godhead wanted to fulfill the words of His very dear devotee Nārada Muni. If one seeks the favor of a devotee instead of directly asking favors from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is very easily successful. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has therefore recommended: vaiṣṇava ṭhākura tomāra kukkura bhuliyā jānaha more, kṛṣṇa se tomāra kṛṣṇa dite pāra. One should desire to become like a dog in strictly following a devotee. Kṛṣṇa is in the hand of a devotee. Adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. Thus without the favor of a devotee, one cannot directly approach Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of engaging in His service. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: unless one becomes a servant of a pure devotee, one cannot be delivered from the material condition of life. In our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava society, following in the footsteps of Rūpa Gosvāmī, our first business is to seek shelter of a bona fide spiritual master (ādau gurv-āśrayaḥ).

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

A pious or religious man is generally inclined to worship deities in various temples, but if by chance, even without his knowledge, he offers his obeisances to Lord Viṣṇu or receives the favor of a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, he at that time acquires the asset necessary to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1: In this way Lord Caitanya explained that of the many thousands and millions of living entities wandering in the material world, one who by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master gets the seed of devotional service is very rare and fortunate. A pious or religious man is generally inclined to worship deities in various temples, but if by chance, even without his knowledge, he offers his obeisances to Lord Viṣṇu or receives the favor of a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, he at that time acquires the asset necessary to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is clearly understood from the life story of the great sage Nārada, which is related in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. By serving Vaiṣṇavas in his previous life, Nārada was favored by the devotees of the Lord and became a great sage. Indeed, amongst sages Nārada Muni is considered to be the greatest.
It is not possible to achieve the stage of perfection without the favor of a pure devotee, or a mahātmā, a great soul. Without the mercy of a great soul, one cannot even be liberated from the material clutches, and what to speak of rising to the platform of love of Godhead.
Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 11: Somehow or other if one gets in touch with a pure devotee and thus develops a desire to render devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, he gradually rises to the platform of love of Godhead and is thus freed from the clutches of material energy. This is also explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.20.8) where the Lord Himself says: "For one who is attracted by My activities out of his own accord—being neither lured nor repelled by material activities—the path of devotional service leading to the perfection of love of God becomes possible." However, it is not possible to achieve the stage of perfection without the favor of a pure devotee, or a mahātmā, a great soul. Without the mercy of a great soul, one cannot even be liberated from the material clutches, and what to speak of rising to the platform of love of Godhead. This is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.12.12) in a conversation between King Rahūgaṇa of the Sind province in Siberia with King Bharata. When King Rahūgaṇa expressed surprise upon seeing King Bharata's spiritual achievements, Bharata replied:
rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā
na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
vinā mahat-pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekam
"My dear Rahūgaṇa, no one can attain the perfected stage of devotional service without being favored by a great soul or a pure devotee. No one can attain the perfectional stages simply by following the regulative principles of scriptures, or by accepting the renounced order of life, or by prosecuting the prescribed duties of householder life, or by becoming a great student of spiritual science, or by accepting severe austerity and penances for realization." Similarly, when the atheist father Hiraṇyakaśipu asked his son Prahlāda Mahārāja how it was he became attracted to devotional service, the boy replied, "As long as one is not favored by the dust of the feet of pure devotees, he cannot even touch the path of devotional service, which is the solution to all the problems of material life." (SB 7.5.32)
One cannot become a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead unless he is favored by another pure devotee of the Lord.
Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 22: Prakāśānanda also quoted another verse (SB 10.4.46) in which it is stated that one's duration of life, prosperity, fame, religion and the benediction of higher authorities are all lost when one offends a devotee. Prakāśānanda also quoted another verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.32) which said that all the misgivings of the conditioned soul disappear at the touch of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one cannot touch the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord unless one receives the benediction of the dust of the lotus feet of the Lord's pure devotee. In other words, one cannot become a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead unless he is favored by another pure devotee of the Lord.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

These are the qualifications how to receive favor of the devotee. He was, Nārada Muni, in his previous birth, a boy servant. But boys are generally restless. But Nārada Muni was not restless.
Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975: Nitāi: "Although they were impartial by nature, those followers of the Vedānta blessed me with their causeless mercy. As far as I was concerned, I was self-controlled and had no attachment for sports even though I was a boy. In addition, I was not naughty and I did not speak more than required."

Prabhupāda:

te mayy apetākhila-cāpale 'rbhake
dānte 'dhṛta-krīḍanake 'nuvartini
cakruḥ kṛpāṁ yadyapi tulya-darśanāḥ
śuśrūṣamāṇe munayo 'lpa-bhāṣiṇi
[SB 1.5.24]
These are the qualifications how to receive favor of the devotee. He was, Nārada Muni, in his previous birth, a boy servant. But boys are generally restless. But Nārada Muni was not restless. Cāpale. What is given there? Proclivities. Generally, boys are attached to so many different types of playful things. This also becomes possible by association. Just like you are all young men, you have got so many desires, naturally, especially in the Western countries. But you have voluntarily given up not to go to the restaurant, not to go to the club or theater or cinema. These are good qualifications.
So best thing is that always try to seek favor of Kṛṣṇa. And you cannot seek Kṛṣṇa's favor directly. That is also another point. You cannot jump over to Kṛṣṇa without the favor of His devotee.
Lecture on SB 7.9.42 -- Mayapur, March 22, 1976: It is not at all possible to become independent of Kṛṣṇa's will. That is not possible. Therefore those who are trying to work independently, without Kṛṣṇa's favor, they're mūḍha, all rascals. They will not accept what Kṛṣṇa says, and they are trying to establish some law without Kṛṣṇa. "There is no need of God." This is the... Most scientists, they say like that. "Now we have got science. We can do everything." They are mūḍhas. It is not possible. Independently you cannot do without Kṛṣṇa's favor. So best thing is that always try to seek favor of Kṛṣṇa. And you cannot seek Kṛṣṇa's favor directly. That is also another point. Kiṁ tena te priya-janān anusevatāṁ naḥ. You cannot jump over to Kṛṣṇa without the favor of His devotee. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You cannot seek favor of Bhagavān directly. That is another foolishness. You must go through the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. This is our process. We don't approach Kṛṣṇa directly. We must begin our service to the Kṛṣṇa's servant. And who is Kṛṣṇa's servant? One who has become the servant of another Kṛṣṇa's servant. This is called dāsa-dāsānudāsa. Nobody can be independently servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is another foolishness. Kṛṣṇa never accepts anyone's service directly. No. That is not possible. You must come through the servant of the servant [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is called paramparā system. As you receive knowledge by the paramparā system... Kṛṣṇa spoke to Brahmā, Brahmā spoke to Nārada, Nārada spoke to Vyāsadeva, and we are getting this knowledge.
Page Title:Favor of the Lord's devotee
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:29 of Jul, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=2, CC=0, OB=3, Lec=2, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:7