Anxious Devotees of God - The Divine Eagerness for Kṛṣṇa
The word "anxious" usually carries a negative connotation, implying fear, stress, and material attachment. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that when anxiety is directed toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it becomes a symptom of ecstatic love. By abandoning all mundane worries regarding maintenance and liberation, an anxious devotee of God cultivates an intense, pure eagerness to hear about, serve, and associate with Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Freedom from Maintenance and Material Gain
A foundational principle of devotional service is absolute dependence on the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a true Vaiṣṇava never worries about their livelihood because Kṛṣṇa personally guarantees their maintenance. It is only the pseudo devotee who remains anxious for material profit.
- Krsna says, yoga-ksemam vahamy aham: (Bhagavad-Gita 9.22) “I personally carry all necessities to My devotees.” Why should one be anxious about the necessities of life? The principle should be that one should not want more than what is absolutely necessary.
- Everyone is ready to give something to a Vaisnava, and if a Vaisnava is completely engaged in devotional service, he need not be anxious for his maintenance.
- The pseudo devotee, who is anxious to achieve material gains, cannot attain the highest perfectional stage because the Lord is in knowledge of his motive.
- The pseudo devotee, who is anxious to achieve material gains, cannot attain the highest perfectional stage because the Lord is in knowledge of his motive. One merely has to become sincere in his purpose, and then the Lord is there to help in every way.
Indifference to Liberation
Philosophers and mystic yogīs undergo severe austerities out of anxiety to escape the material world and merge into the Absolute. Pure devotees, however, reject this mentality entirely. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that devotees have no anxiety for heavenly planets, merging (kaivalya), or even stopping the cycle of birth and death.
- Devotees are anxious neither for the heavenly planets nor for merging into the existence of the Lord. According to devotees, kaivalya, or merging into the existence of the Lord, is considered as good as hell.
- In the previous verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.20.24) Maharaja Prthu addressed the Lord as kaivalya-pati, the master of the liberation of merging into His existence. This does not mean that he was anxious for kaivalya liberation.
- A pure devotee is not anxious to stop the repetition of birth and death, but is always eager to associate with other devotees who are engaged in chanting and hearing about the glories of the Lord.
- Bali Maharaja certainly became an exalted devotee, but he was somewhat anxious because his association was not purely devotional. The Supreme Personality of Godhead therefore assured him that his demoniac mentality would be annihilated.
Eagerness to Hear and Know Kṛṣṇa
Instead of material or liberation-based anxieties, a devotee's mind is consumed by the desire to engage with the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights how advanced souls lose all interest in mundane topics and become intensely anxious to hear about the pastimes, glories, and energies of Kṛṣṇa.
- Vidura explained to Maitreya his position of being fully satiated with the knowledge of mundane social and political topics and having no more interest in them. He was anxious to hear transcendental topics regarding Lord Sri Krsna.
- The devotees are always anxious to know more and more about the Supreme Lord, the master of all energies.
- The yogi should then meditate on the lotuslike countenance of the Lord, who presents His different forms in this world out of compassion for the anxious devotees.
- A devotee is always anxious to see God, but He (Caitanya) said that - I am not qualified. So even I become broken-hearted not seeing God, still Krsna is My Lord. I may see, or may not see. That is His mercy.
Anxieties of Great Personalities
The Vedic histories are filled with instances where great devotees experienced intense, loving anxieties for Kṛṣṇa, or compassionate anxieties for the suffering of others. Śrīla Prabhupāda perfectly describes these emotions as the zenith of spiritual consciousness, entirely separate from mundane distress.
- Kuntidevi is very much anxious, thinking that Krsna will be absent, but the actual effect of Krsna's physical absence is that He becomes more intensely present within the mind of the devotee.
- She (Devaki) was anxious, thinking that if her neighbors heard that Visnu had appeared as her son, none of them would believe it. Therefore she wanted Lord Visnu to transform Himself into a human child.
- He (Maharaja Pariksit) did not disbelieve (sufferings in hellish condition of life). He believed. Because he is Vaisnava, he knows. And he is disciple of Sukadeva Gosvami, so he has thorough knowledge. Now he is anxious.
- Even mother Ganges feared the sinful reactions of the people in general and was anxious about how she would counteract the burden of these sins.
Conclusion
In conclusion, to be an anxious devotee of God is not a sign of spiritual immaturity, but rather the hallmark of a deeply awakened soul. Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully demonstrates that by completely shedding the anxieties of bodily maintenance and impersonal liberation, a pure devotee opens their heart to the supreme, ecstatic eagerness for Kṛṣṇa's association and service. Whether expressing deep compassion for fallen souls or an intense longing for the Lord's physical presence, these transcendental anxieties are the very ties that eternally bind the devotee to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Anxious Devotees of God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.