The Potency and Purity in the Words of a Devotee of God
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the words of a pure devotee are non-different from absolute truth and spiritual nectar. Because a genuine devotee completely surrenders their body, mind, and speech to the Supreme Lord, their statements are free from mundane defects and are directly inspired by the Lord from within. This divine connection grants their speech the power to transform hearts, command the trust of even their enemies, and invoke the personal protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Engaging Speech in Transcendental Glorification
The foremost characteristic of a pure devotee is their complete dedication to the Lord's service. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes that advanced souls, such as Mahārāja Ambarīṣa and genuine sannyāsīs, deliberately engage their power of speaking exclusively in describing the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa, bypassing all mundane subject matters.
- The real devotee first offers his surrender to Krsna with his body, mind and words and then uses his body, mind and words for the service of Krsna as Krsna desires.
- A pure devotee is one whose intelligence is clear; he is truly thoughtful because he engages in the service of the Lord - not as a matter of show, but with love, with his mind, words and body.
- Maharaja Ambarisa performed all the items of devotional service. He first of all engaged his mind upon the lotus feet of Krsna. He engaged his words, his power of speaking, in describing the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The three rods, or tridanda, indicate that a Vaisnava sannyasi vows to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by his body, mind and words.
The Infallible Trustworthiness of a Devotee
Because a pure devotee is endowed with all good qualities, their word is considered absolute. Śrīla Prabhupāda illustrates this through the historical example of Vāsudeva, whose spotless character and strict adherence to truth compelled even the envious demon Kaṁsa to implicitly trust his statements and promises without a single doubt.
- Although Kamsa was a sinful demon, he believed that Vasudeva would never deviate from his word. The character of a pure devotee like Vasudeva is such that even so great a demon as Kamsa firmly believed in his words and was satisfied.
- Kamsa agreed to the logical arguments of Vasudeva, and, having full faith in Vasudeva's words, he refrained from killing his sister. Vasudeva, being pleased with Kamsa, pacified him further and entered his own house - SB 10.1.55.
- Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah (SB 5.18.12). All good attributes are present in a devotee, so much so that even Kamsa believed in Vasudeva's words without a doubt.
- As it will be evident from the Tenth Chapter, Arjuna knew perfectly well that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the fountainhead of everything and the last word in Transcendence.
The Transformative and Nectarean Impact
When a devotee speaks about the Supreme Lord, their words are not products of material imagination but are inspired by divine realization. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that because these words are dictated from within, they act as amṛtam (nectar), bringing great happiness and directly purifying the hearts of the audience.
- The words spoken by Krsna and spoken by Krsna's devotees about Krsna, are amrtam, nectar. The more one drinks this amrtam, the more he advances in his eternal life.
- It is understood that when a devotee writes or speaks about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his words are dictated by the Lord from within.
- In other words, when a pure devotee speaks, his words act upon the hearts of the audience. What is the secret of hearing and chanting?
- Hearing the poetry of a person who has no transcendental knowledge and who writes about the relationships between man and woman simply causes unhappiness, whereas hearing the words of a devotee fully absorbed in ecstatic love causes great happiness.
The Lord's Absolute Protection and Reciprocation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is intimately connected to the speech of His pure devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that Kṛṣṇa not only protects the words of His devotees to ensure their promises are never broken, but He also personally relishes the loving words they offer during their devotional service, embracing their statements with immense affection.
- The promise of a devotee will never be violated. This is Krsna's concern. "Oh, My devotee has declared this. I must see that his word is kept." This is Krsna's position because of His affection for His devotee.
- Sri Govinda, who pleasingly accepts the loving transcendental service of His devotees, gives all protection to the words and actions of His devotees.
- Krsna's hearing the devotee's words of love in offering foodstuffs is wholly identical with His eating and actually tasting.
- Lord Caitanya Himself was greatly pleased to hear Bhattacarya say that a man can obtain the mercy of the Lord through the agency of a devotee. He appreciated his words and embraced Bhattacarya, confirming his statement.
Conclusion
The selected quotes reveal that the speech of a pure devotee is a powerful manifestation of their internal spiritual realization. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that by completely surrendering their words to the glorification of Kṛṣṇa, devotees acquire a flawless, trustworthy character and speak nectarean truths that purify the world. Ultimately, because these words are steeped in unalloyed bhakti, the Supreme Lord personally embraces, protects, and perfectly maintains the statements of His surrendered servants.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Words of a Devotee of God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.