Footsteps of Great Devotees of God - The Safest Path to Perfection
The path of spiritual realization can appear daunting to the conditioned soul. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Vedic literature provides a safe and guaranteed method for success: one must simply trace the path already walked by the great, liberated authorities. By abandoning independent mental speculation and strictly following in the footsteps of the pure devotees of the Lord, any sincere practitioner can effortlessly cross the vast ocean of material nescience and return back to Godhead.
The Essential Principle of Spiritual Life
To begin the journey of self-realization, one must first seek proper guidance. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the foundational step is to accept a bona fide spiritual master and submissively inquire from him, taking the proven success of the previous great sages as the ultimate motto in life.
- The Srimad-Bhagavatam affirms that one should follow in the footsteps of great devotees, and that is the way of progress on the path of spiritual realization.
- The candidate should always try to follow in the footsteps of the great sages who have practiced the method and obtained success. This should be taken as a motto in life.
- One should accept a bona fide spiritual master, and from the bona fide spiritual master inquire about one's transcendental occupational duties (sad-dharma-prccha) and follow in the footsteps of great saintly persons, devotees.
- In the beginning, you have to take shelter of guru. "Then you inquire from him about Krsna." - Then follow the footstep of big, big devotees.
Following the Great Authorities (Mahājanas)
The Vedic scriptures specifically highlight twelve primary authorities, or mahājanas, who perfectly understand the science of devotion. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that by aligning our lives with the examples set by exalted personalities like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, Nārada Muni, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the doors to spiritual liberation are easily opened.
- We have to follow in the footsteps of such devotees (as Siva, Yamaraja, Brahma, the Kumaras, Kapila, etc.), for by this one easy process one can cross the great ocean of nescience just as one might cross a small hole created by the hoof of a calf.
- If we follow in the footsteps of such great personalities (as Lord Siva and Lord Brahma) and become devotees of Lord Krsna, our lives will become successful. Unfortunately people do not know this secret.
- All the great authorities in the devotional service of the Lord follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni in the order of the Narada-bhakti-sutra, and therefore all the devotees of the Lord are unhesitatingly qualified to enter into the kingdom of God.
- One has to follow in the footsteps of great sages and devotees like Maitreya and Vidura, Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami, and engage in the transcendental devotional service of God if one would know His ultimate feature, which is above Brahman and Paramatma.
Practical Application in Devotion
Following the great souls is a highly practical endeavor that shapes everyday devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda advises that rather than inventing our own methods, we should repeat the authorized prayers of the ācāryas, study their writings, and eagerly adopt the preaching mission exemplified by saints like Nārada and Prahlāda.
- One can offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly, but if one repeats the prayers offered by great devotees like Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, or if one follows in the footsteps of great personalities, one can please the Supreme Personality of Godhead very easily.
- Instead of writing ourself, if we, in the beginning, follow the footprints of the great devotees of Krsna and follow their principles, taken to heart, how they have spoken, that will be advantageous, because Krsna will be pleased.
- A pure devotee of the Lord follows in the footsteps of the great devotees like Narada and Prahlada and engages his whole time in glorifying the Lord by the process of kirtana. Such a preaching process is transcendental to all material qualities.
- The idea is that we should follow in the footsteps of great devotees. If we are unable to execute all the different items of devotional service, we must try to execute at least one of them, as exemplified by previous acaryas.
The Highest Goal: Spontaneous Love
Ultimately, this adherence to authority elevates the practitioner to the supreme platform of spiritual life. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that to achieve spontaneous love (rāgānugā-bhakti), one must specifically follow the eternal associates of Vṛndāvana, such as the gopīs, just as Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira flawlessly followed his forefathers in remembering Kṛṣṇa at the end of life.
- After taking to devotional service under the regulative principles, a person may come to the platform of spontaneous love of Godhead, following in the footsteps of great devotees like Narada and Sanaka and Sanatana.
- By following in the footsteps of devotees who are in a direct relationship with Krsna, especially the inhabitants of Vrndavana, one can reach the supreme position of associating with Krsna.
- Great devotees up to the standard of Uddhava are very dear friends of the Lord, and they desire to follow in the footsteps of the gopis. So the gopis' love for Krsna is certainly not material lusty desire.
- Maharaja Yudhisthira, while leaving home for the north, constantly remembered Lord Sri Krsna within himself, following in the footsteps of his forefathers as well as the great devotees of all times.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the supreme science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not established through independent mental gymnastics or mundane academic research; it is realized exclusively by faithfully following in the footsteps of the great devotees. Whether one is a neophyte seeking basic spiritual guidance from a bona fide guru, or an advanced soul seeking spontaneous love of Godhead by following the residents of Vṛndāvana, the methodology remains identical. By humbly repeating the authorized prayers, studying the proven teachings, and taking up the unalloyed preaching mission of the previous ācāryas, any sincere practitioner can bypass the dangers of material illusion. Following this established trail guarantees that the soul will unhesitatingly find the doors to the spiritual kingdom open, achieving the ultimate perfection of human life.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Footsteps of Great Devotees of God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.