Who is a vaisnava?

[dasanudas]

Who is a Vaishnava?

Rakesh Dubey

In response to the question who is a Vaisnava? by Rakesh I thought it might be appropriate to start a thread dedicated to this subject.Starting with Narrotam das Thakurs appreciation.

 

thakura-vaisnava-pada, avanira susampada,

suna bhai! hai-a eka mana:

asraya laiya bhaje, tare krsna nahi tyaje,

ara sava mare akarana.

vaisnava-carana-jala, prema-bhakti dite bala,

ara keho nahe balavanta:

vaisnava-carana-renu, mastake bhusana vinu,

ara nahi bhusanera anta.

tirthajala-pavitra-gune, likhiyache purane,

se saba bhaktira prava-cana:

vaisnavera padadoka, sama nahe ei saba,

yate haya va-jita purane.

vaisnava-sangete mana, anandita anuksana,

sadahaya krsna-parasanga:

dina narottama kane, hiya dhairya nahi vandhe,

mora dasa kena haila bhanga.

 

O brother, please hear my words with rapt attention: the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas are the most valuable treasure in the world. Those Vaisnavas continually take shelter of Lord Krsna and worship Him. They never abandon their Lord, but they are liberated from the cycle of repeated birth and death. The water which has washed the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas bestows devotional service in pure love of Godhead. There is nothing as effective in attaining this divine love. I place the dust from the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas upon my head. I wear no other ornament. The purifying power of the waters of the various places of pilgrimage is described in the Puranas, although this is something of a deceptive trick. Actually, there is nothing which is as purifying as the water which has washed the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas. This water fulfills all desires. Moment after moment my mind finds contant pleasure in the association of the Vaisnavas. I always seek out the company of those devotees who are devoted to Lord Krsna. The poor-hearted Narottama dasa hakura cries, "I cannot maintain my composure any longer. Why have I fallen into such a low condition of life that I cannot get the association of the Vaisnavas?" (Prarthana - Narottama dasa Thakura)

 

 

[Jagat]

I posted this once before on VNN. No reason not to put it on again -- <hr>

 

<center><font color=#ff0066>bAhire se AlA bholA antare hRdaya galA

mukhe sadA kRSNa bolA cokhe azru mAlA

dInatAya se mATir mAnuS niSThAte acalA

kRSNa dite kRSNa nite dhare zakti sob

alaukika lokavat gauDIya vaiSNob</font>

 

He looks artless, guileless

but inside his heart is melting;

the name of Krishna is always on his tongue

a garland of tears in his eyes.

In humility though forebearing,

his faith unswerving as a mountain.

 

To give or take Krishna,

is the power in his hands.

He looks like anyone,

but he is beyond the world.

That is a Gaudiya Vaishnava.

 

<font color=#ff0066>sabAra nIce paRe thAke sabAike se sevya dekhe

sabAra iSTa miSTa bhAkhe kRSNa tattva jñAne

sabAi debA sabAr sevA kRSNa adhiSThAne

nikhila bheda samanvayera mUrti savaibhava

tomAra preme goRA se gauDIya vaiSNava</font>

 

He humbly takes the lowest place,

sees everyone as someone to serve;

to all he speaks what is pleasing and sweet,

connected to the truth of Krishna;

he knows that Krishna dwells in every soul

and so he gives to all and serves all.

 

All differences are resolved in him,

this is the glory he incarnates.

Formed through and through by Your love--

that is a Gaudiya Vaishnava.

 

<font color=#ff0066>sarvottama sadainya vinaya nirahaM suzAnti nilaya

nitAi graha grasta hRdaya sadaya vizva jIve

tomAra icchAya cale bale tomAra icchAya seve

tomAra gaNa sange se pAya prema rasArNava

tomAra sRSTa hRSTa iSTa gauDIya vaiSNava</font>

 

He is the best of all, yet he makes no claims.

He is without ego, the house of blissful peace.

He is under the astral influence of Nitai,

and so merciful to all souls in the universe.

He walks and talks according to Your desire,

according to Your desire, he serves.

 

When in the company of those who are Yours,

he finds an ocean of relish.

Your personal creation, Your own ecstatic object of worship --

that is a Gaudiya Vaishnava.

 

<font color=#ff0066>kaivalyake narka mAne svargake khapuSpa jAne

indriya kRSNa sevane vizva-pUrNa sukhe

daivatAdi nAhi gaNe tomAra kRponmukhe

tomAra-i audArya vIrya AtmA akaitava

tomAra kRpA mUrtimanta gauDIya vaiSNava</font>

 

He takes nondualistic liberation to be hell

and heaven to be a flower in the sky;

his senses are all engaged in Krishna's service

and so he sees the world as a place of joy;

he pays no attention to other gods,

turned only toward the search for Your mercy;

 

He is filled with the heroism of Your munificence;

his heart is without deception;

the incarnation of Your blessings --

that is the Gaudiya Vaishnava.

 

<font color=#ff0066>saMsAre se anAsakta bAhya dehe sAdhaka bhakta

antare se anurakta rAgAnugA lobhe

gaurotsave vrajera bhAve sadA iSTa seve

keza-zeSa-sudurlabha gopIra anubhava

acintya prabhAvI se gauDIya vaiSNava</font>

 

Though detached from the world;

externally, he carries on like a sadhaka bhakta;

yet within he seethes with rAgAnugA greed.

Festive in the mood of Gauranga

he always serves the object of his love:

 

the mood of the gopis,

so rare for even Brahma, Vishnu and Ananta.

Of incomprehensible divine power,

that is the Gaudiya Vaishnava.

 

[dubeyrakesh]

That does not answer my question.

Am I a vaishnava if I worship Krishna?

 

Is all that praise for me! :-)

 

Thanks,

Rakesh Dubey

 

[dasanudas]

Rakesh The general answer is as Shvu has given i.e. a vaisnava is a servant or lover of Visnu, for a more extensive answer.

 

brahmananam sahasrebhyam satrayaji visisate

satrayaji-sahasrebhyam sarvavedanta-paragam

sarva-vedanta-vit-kotya visnu-bhakto visisyate

vaisnavanam sahasrebhyam ekantyeko visisyate

 

Out of many thousands of brahmanas, one who performs sacrifice for Visnu is best. Out of thousands of such yaj-ika-brahmanas, one who knows the meaning of Vedanta is best. Out of millions of those who know the meaning of Vedanta, a devotee of Visnu is best. And out of thousands of Visnu-bhaktas, one who is an unalloyed devotee of Visnu is the best. (Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, 10.117, and Bhakti-Sandarbha, 117)

 

Sri Caitanya Maharabhu said, "Whoever chants the holy name of Krsna just once may be considered a Vaisnava. Such a person is worshipable, and is the topmost human being.

 

"A person who is always chanting the holy name of the Lord is to be considered a superior Vaisnava, and your duty is to serve his lotus feet.

 

"The topmost Vaisnava is he whose very presence makes others chant the holy name of Krsna. He is superior to all others"

 

Yes you can be considered a vaisnava if you worship Krsna. Then there are so many gradations of vaisnavas, What Jagat has kindly given is a very nice description of a paramahamsa Vaisnava one who is on the topmost platform of transcendental love.

 

 

[Guest guest]

A Vaisnava is one who is thinking as follows;

 

In this world, or

In any other,

In every situation,

Hari is the refuge.

 

In pain and loss

in sin and in fear,

in the obtainment of the object of desire,

in anger towards other bhaktas-

in the absence of devotion,

in conflict with bhaktas-

in the powerless state,

as well as in the position of power-

in every condition remember that

Hari is the refuge.

 

(From Srimad Vallabhacarya's WISDOM, PERSEVERANCE AND REFUGE - Viveka-Dhairaya-Ashraya)

 

 

[Dharma]

Then if Buddha and Krishna as well as Kalki are considered to be avatars or incarnations of Vishnu then would Buddhists fall into this category as well? I do not know. What do you think?

[talasiga]

Originally posted by Dharma:

Then if Buddha and Krishna as well as Kalki are considered to be avatars or incarnations of Vishnu then would Buddhists fall into this category as well? I do not know. What do you think?

Dharma, listen to this popular introductory prayer:

 

Buddham saranam gacchami

(I take refuge in the Buddha)

Sangham saranam gacchami

(I take refuge in spiritual company)

Dhammam saranam gacchami

(I take refuge in the teaching)

 

Those who try to practise sincerely what the Buddha preached and profess taking refuge in the Buddha must be considered Buddhists.

And those who profess that the Buddha is an incarnation of Vishnu must accept those Buddhists as Vaishnoi.....

 

Q.E.D.

 

 

[shvu]

 

And those who profess that the Buddha is an incarnation of Vishnu must accept those Buddhists as Vaishnoi

Will they?

 

Cheers

[animesh]

If a person worships an incarnation of Vishnu knowing well that He is an incarnation of Vishnu, then only he should be considered as Vaisnava. Buddhists do not consider Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu.

[Guest guest]

Actually, the Buddha that the Buddhist worship is not the Buddha from the Srimad Bhagavatam. It is a different personality. Anyone have the scoop?

[animesh]

Are you saying that Srimad Bagwatam does not mention Gautam Buddha. Or, are you saying that Buddhists do not worship Gautam Buddha?

[shvu]

 

If a person worships an incarnation of Vishnu knowing well that He is an incarnation of Vishnu, then only he should be considered as Vaisnava.

There are some who consider that Krishna is not an avatar of Vishnu [Krishna > Vishnu, etc], Vishnu is an "extension" of Krishna and so on. Technically, they cannot be called as Vaishnavas either.

 

Cheers

 

 

[animesh]

Sorry, I did not make clear what I wanted to say. Even those who consider Vishnu as an expansion of Krishna consider that one is an incarnation of the other, whatever be the order. But Buddhists do not assume any relation between Visnu Buddha.

[animesh]

Clarification: I am not trying to say that Buddhists are bad that they do not find any relation between Visnu and Buddha. Just because Hindus may not agree with Buddhists does not mean that Buddhists are wrong. Of course, it also does not mean that Hindus are wrong.

[shvu]

 

because Hindus may not agree with Buddhists does not mean that Buddhists are wrong. Of course, it also does not mean that Hindus are wrong.

One of them has to be wrong. Or both of them [Maybe Allah is the only true way].

 

Both cannot be right.

 

Cheers

 

[animesh]

Accepted that both can not be right. But how do we know who is right?

[shvu]

 

But how do we know who is right?

This, we will never know.

 

Cheers

[animesh]

Puzzle:-

If two persons are brought to court. It is proved that one of them has done a murder. But it is not found which of the two has done it? Whom should the judge punish?

[shvu]

 

No one, because he does not know who the culprit is.

 

Cheers

[animesh]

In the same way, we do not know who is wrong.

[animesh]

Sorry, I think I took the discussion away from the topic. I am waiting for random to explain what he meant by "Actually, the Buddha that the Buddhist worship is not the Buddha from the Srimad Bhagavatam. It is a different personality. Anyone have the scoop?"

[shvu]

 

Which is why we have more than one religion in the world. Otherwise, there would have been only one religion. The trick used by the religious guys is that everything happens after death. No one can goto to heaven or Vaikunta and come back to tell us lay folks that such a place exists for real. So they are safe.

 

Now the x'tian is firmly convinced that he will goto heaven where God is an old man with a beard surrounded by angels. The Vaishnava believes that he will goto Vaikunta where Vishnu is lying on Adishesha, in the ocean of milk [boy !]. The Gaudiya thinks he will goto Goloka, the Shaiva thinks he will goto kailasa and so on.

 

There is no way anyone can find out if such places exist. It is strictly a matter of faith in all the people who first came up with these descriptions. And you will be amazed about the number of people who believe in such things because they want to believe in concepts which sound fantastic.

 

Cheers

 

[animesh]

I would like to go to ocean of milk. Then I can make and eat lots of sweet dishes with that milk.

[shvu]

 

Sounds cool.

 

Imagine life in Vaikunta surrounded by rasmalai, raskadam, rasgullas, etc. But on second thought, people in Vaikunta will be free of desire [liberated]. So these sweets may not excite them.

 

Anyway the good thing is that we can have all this right here on planet earth, hwere we also have desires. So no problems !

 

Cheers

 

[ggohil]

Originally posted by shvu:

One of them has to be wrong. Or both of them [Maybe Allah is the only true way].

 

Both cannot be right.

 

Cheers

Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the

ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and sprits will take birth among such

beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.

BG 9.25

 

Those who worship Allah to them Allah is the supreme, those who worship Jesus to them Jesus

is supreme. Therefore, in there own right they both are correct.

 

The Lord provides what we desire, so perhaps they all are correct.