Pradyumna: "A pure devotee of the Lord automatically develops all godly qualities, and some of the prominent features of those qualities are as follows: He is kind, peaceful, truthful, equable, faultless, magnanimous, mild, clean, nonpossessive, a well-wisher to all, satisfied, surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, without hankering, simple, fixed, self-controlled, a balanced eater, sane, mannerly, prideless, grave, sympathetic, friendly, poetic, expert, and silent. Out of these twenty-six prominent features..."
Prabhupāda: So with the advancement of our spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should verify "Whether these qualifications are becoming manifest in my person." Just like when you eat, you understand that you are getting strength, or your appetite is being satisfied. Nobody can... Nobody requires to ask certificate. You can understand, yourself. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If we are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our detachment for material things will, attachment for material things will decrease. This is one side. Viraktir anyatra syāt. Just like our students, they have become averse to so many things. You are all young boys and girls. So many young boys and girls are going to restaurant, to cinema, and so many other things, but you have become detached; you have no more attraction. So one side... Progress of bhakti means one side we shall be detached and another side we shall increase our attachment. So these are the qualifications.
The first qualification is kind. Just like these sannyāsīs. Our Rūpānuga Gosvāmī. He has got a nice child, wife, nice wife. But, being kind to the humanity, he has accepted sannyāsa. This is kindness. No homely comfort. This is kindness. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were ministers. Ministers. Not ordinary men. And therefore their association was most aristocratic. Maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. Maṇḍala-pati means big, big man, who have got many followers, leaders of the society. So, he gave up that association, tuccha-vat, "Eh, what is this nonsense?" Gave up, Rūpa Gosvāmī. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Tuccha means very insignificant, "What is this?" Then what did they do? What he became? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. You have seen Rūpa Gosvāmī's picture. Only a little cloth. Kanthā. Kanthā means handmade quilt. All rejected cloth, they are put together and sewn; it is called kanthā. They utilize even rejected cloth. That is called kanthā.
So this Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, accepted this mendicant life although they were ministers, very rich men. Not only Rūpa Gosvāmī, all the Gosvāmīs. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was the only son of his father and uncle, and in those days the income was twelve lakhs, twelve hundred thousands of rupees. Almost king. So for being compassionate with these poor fellows, who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and working simply unnecessarily so hard to get some bread... That's all. Mūḍha. So by becoming kind upon them, they took this mendicant order. Therefore kindness. And peaceful. Vaiṣṇava is never turbulent. But the demons, they create disturbance. Vaiṣṇava is peaceful. Peaceful, truthful. Truthful. A Vaiṣṇava knows the ultimate truth, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's truthful. And equable. He has no distinction "Oh, here is a man, here is an animal. The animal has no soul, the man has soul."
They have no such conclusion. Every living entity has soul. As Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). So he's kind not only to the human society. These philanthropists, altruists, nationalists, "this-ists, that-ists." This... They are partial. First of all, they may be kind... They are not kind. They are all selfish. But even though they are kind, they are kind to their own men. Not even outsiders. Not to the outsiders. In your country, they'll throw away grains. But there are so many hungry people; why they should not give? Produce more, if you have got land. You have got men. And they are not producing, they are (not?) engaging. The men are becoming hippies and they're lying idle, without any production. God has given so much land. Produce. Distribute prasādam. This is kindness.
But because they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they cannot be kind. Faultless. You cannot find any fault of the devotee. Faultless. Magnanimous. Thinking of all living entities. There is no distinction, "Oh, I am American, I shall think for the Americans." "I am Indian, I shall think for..." No. Magnanimous. And the most magnanimous is Lord Caitanya. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Magnanimous. Giving kṛṣṇa-prema, which is very rare. Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). It is very difficult to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, and Lord Caitanya is distributing Kṛṣṇa like anything. Therefore mahā-vadānyāya, magnanimous. Mild. Mild and meek. Clean. Always cleanliness. Because you have surpassed the stage of brahminical life. Therefore, must be very clean. By taking bath, by washing cloth, keeping the kitchen very clean, everything clean. Temple... Tan-mandira-mārjanādau. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau **. The temple should be bright always, clean. Then nonpossessive. Materialistic persons, they are trying to possess more, more, more. A Vaiṣṇava, simply what is absolutely necessary, must have.
Just like we don't keep any furniture in our hou... What is the use of furniture? We can lie down on the floor. So many things, materialistic persons they possess. But we try to simplify matters, plain living. Well-wisher to all. Well-wisher. Just like we are advising our all students that "Save your country. They are becoming hippies. It is not... Future is very gloom. Try to save them." So Vaiṣṇava will always think like that, how people will be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Vaiṣṇava desire is not exploitation. Vaiṣṇava desire is that "How others will be happy, how they will understand Kṛṣṇa, how they will get happiness in this life and next life." This is Vaiṣṇava. Satisfied, in any condition. Not that "I must have all these things; then I'll be satisfied. Otherwise, I'm going from the temple." (laughter.) No, this is not Vaiṣṇava qualification. You must live with the devotees, even if you are not satisfied. Any condition, you should be satisfied. Because as soon as you leave the company, you become again rogues, again demons.