The unalloyed devotee of the Lord is very very rare...

[Guest guest]

Certainly the unalloyed devotee of the Lord is very very rare. This is

confirmed in the Bhakti Sandarbha 177 and Hari-bhakti-vilasa 10.117:

 

br€hmaŠ€n€m sahasrebhyah satray€ji viiyate

satray€ji-sahasrebhyaƒ sarvaved€nta-p€ragaƒ

sarva-ved€nta-vit-ko˜y€ viŠu-bhakto viiyate

vaiŠav€n€m sahasrebhyah ek€ntyeko viiyate

 

Out of many thousands of brahmanas, one who performs sacrifice for Lord

Visnu is best. Out many thousands of such yajnika-brahmanas one who knows

the meaning of Vedanta is best. But of MILLIONS of such vedantists, a

devotee of Visnu is best. And out of thousands of Visnu bhaktas, one who is

an unalloyed devotee of Visnu is the best.

 

SB 6.14.4-5

 

prayo mumuksavas tesam

kecanaiva dvijottama

mumuksunam sahasresu

kascin mucyeta sidhyati

 

O best of the brahmanas, Sukadeva Gosvami, out of many persons who follow

religious principles, only a few desire liberation from the material world.

Among many thousands who desire liberation, one may actually achieve

liberation, giving up material attachment to society, friendship, love,

country, home, wife and children. And among many thousands of such liberated

persons, one who can understand the true meaning of liberation is very rare.

 

muktanam api siddhanam

narayana-parayanah

sudurlabhah prasantatma

kotisv api maha-mune

 

O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge

of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Narayana, or Krsna. Such

devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare.

 

Cc Madhya 19.144

 

tara madhye `sthavara', `jangama'--dui bheda

jangame tiryak-jala-sthalacara-vibheda

 

"The unlimited living entities can be divided into two divisions-those that

can move and those that cannot move. Among living entities that can move,

there are birds, aquatics and animals.

 

TEXT 145

 

tara madhye manusya-jati ati alpatara

tara madhye mleccha, pulinda, bauddha, sabara

 

"Although the living entities known as human beings are very small in

quantity, that division may be still further subdivided, for there are many

uncultured human beings like mlecchas, pulindas, bauddhas and sabaras.

 

TEXT 146

 

veda-nistha-madhye ardheka veda `mukhe' mane

veda-nisiddha papa kare, dharma nahi gane

 

"Among human beings, those who are followers of the Vedic principles are

considered civilized. Among these, almost half simply give lip service while

committing all kinds of sinful activities against these principles. Such

people do not care for the regulative principles.

 

TEXT 147

 

dharmacari-madhye bahuta `karma-nistha'

koti-karma-nistha-madhye eka `jnani' srestha

 

"Among the followers of Vedic knowledge, most are following the process of

fruitive activity and distinguishing between good and bad work. Out of many

such sincere fruitive actors, there may be one who is actually wise.

 

TEXT 148

 

koti-jnani-madhye haya eka-jana `mukta'

koti-mukta-madhye `durlabha' eka krsna-bhakta

 

"Out of many millions of such wise men, one may actually become liberated

[mukta], and out of many millions of such liberated persons, a pure devotee

of Lord Krsna is very difficult to find.

 

Bg 7.3

 

manusyanam sahasresu

kascid yatati siddhaye

yatatam api siddhanam

kascin mam vetti tattvatah

 

Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of

those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.

 

Bg 7.19

 

bahunam janmanam ante

jnanavan mam prapadyate

vasudevah sarvam iti

sa mahatma su-durlabhah

 

After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders

unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a

great soul is very rare.

 

Your servant,

Nayana-ranjana das