Attainments of a Devotee of God - The Supreme Rewards of Pure Bhakti
In the material world, people undergo tremendous struggles to attain temporary wealth, while spiritualists often perform severe austerities simply to attain impersonal liberation. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the pure devotee of the Lord easily surpasses both of these goals. By simply engaging in the loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a devotee automatically attains the highest perfection of existence: liberation from material bondage, the awakening of pure love of God, and eternal residence in the spiritual sky.
Liberation as a By-product
While impersonalists consider mukti (liberation) to be the supreme goal of life, Vaiṣṇavas consider it insignificant. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that a sincere devotee does not need to execute separate practices to attain liberation; it comes automatically as a natural consequence of rendering devotional service.
- Bhukti, material enjoyment, and mukti, liberation, are only by-products of devotional service. A devotee need not work separately to attain mukti.
- It is not a fact that one has to offer his material possessions to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and be liberated before he can engage in devotional service. A devotee automatically attains liberation without separate endeavors.
- For the devotees, liberation (mukti) is very unimportant because, having attained the Lord's transcendental loving service, they have attained everything desirable and have transcended all material desires.
- Ekatva is also liberation, but that sort of liberation is never accepted by any devotee, for qualitative oneness is immediately attained as soon as one is situated in devotional service.
The Supreme Destination: Vaikuṇṭha
The ultimate attainment for a devotee is not a void or a formless light, but the spiritual planets known as Vaikuṇṭhalokas. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes these planets as the eternal realms where the devotee achieves direct, personal association with the Supreme Lord.
- The impersonalist attains only the sky, and does not achieve any tangible transcendental bliss, whereas the devotee attains to the planets where real spiritual life prevails.
- According to Vedic injunctions, such great personalities (devotees of the Lord) ultimately attain the place where the Supreme Personality of Godhead predominates and where there is no death, no birth, no old age, and no disease.
- The Vaikunthalokas are targets for everyone, even the demigods, and they can be attained by a devotee who has no desire for material benefit.
- Devotees, Vaisnavas, attain the liberations of sarupya, salokya, sarsti and samipya, whereas the Mayavadis are supposed to attain the liberation known as sayujya.
Attaining Perfection Through the Nine Processes
The science of bhakti-yoga outlines nine distinct processes of devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that a devotee can attain the supreme perfection of life by perfectly executing all nine items, or by sincerely dedicating themselves to just a single one.
- There are many devotees in history who have attained perfection in devotional service simply by discharging the duties of one item, and there are many other devotees, like Maharaja Ambarisa, who executed all the items.
- Some individual devotees who attained perfection in devotional service by executing only 1 item are: Maharaja Pariksit, who was liberated and fully perfected simply by hearing; Sukadeva Gosvami, who became liberated and attained perfection in devotional service by chanting.
- Prahlada Maharaja, who attained perfection by remembering; Laksmi, who attained perfection by serving the lotus feet of the Lord; King Prthu, who attained perfection simply by worshiping; Akrura, who attained perfection simply by praying.
- Hanuman, who attained perfection simply by becoming the servant of Lord Rama; Arjuna, who attained perfection simply by being a friend of Krsna's; and Bali Maharaja who attained perfection simply by offering whatever he had in his possession.
The Perfection of Pure Love (Prema)
The highest stage of attainment for a conditioned soul is the awakening of pure, unalloyed love of Godhead (prema). Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when a devotee reaches this platform, they become completely self-satisfied, transcending all material dualities.
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended, prema pum-artho mahan: the highest perfection of life is prema, pure love in relationship with Krsna. And mother Yasoda appears to be the topmost of devotees who have attained this perfection.
- A devotee's aim in life is to attain perfection in loving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The devotee simply performs activities that satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus attains pure love for the Lord.
- When the devotee's mind is purified and he understands that his mind has to be dovetailed with desires of Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has attained the perfectional, transcendental stage, which is beyond perception of material distress and happiness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes that the attainments of a pure devotee are incomparable to any mundane or impersonal achievement. While ordinary men struggle for temporary wealth and impersonalists endure severe austerities for liberation, the devotee effortlessly attains both as mere by-products of bhakti-yoga. The true, supreme reward of devotional service is the awakening of pure love of Godhead and eternal residence in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where real, variegated spiritual life prevails. This exalted destination is accessible to anyone who sincerely engages in the authorized processes of devotional service. Whether one executes all nine items like Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, or simply perfects the art of hearing like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the result is the same: the devotee becomes completely freed from the miseries of material existence, attains transcendental qualities similar to the Lord's, and enjoys eternal, loving association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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