The 26 Qualities of a Devotee.

Laziness is the demon that will destroy your ambitions

“Those who lack transcendental consciousness can’t have a controlled mind, or a stable
intelligence,, without which there is no way to find peace. And how can happiness exist in the
absence of peace?” Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Text 66.

Humility is not a superficial thing; it is profound, honest and natural. The conditioned soul
develops humility when failure is recognized, and with unpretentious prayer for forgiveness,
improvement and dedication into the loving service of the Lord. Being humble means one is
not anxious to be honoured by others. The qualities of humility and submission quickly lead
to spiritual realization.

These qualities, starting by mercy, deserve a transcendental understanding; a superficial

mind may easily misinterpret them.

Jesus stressed the wisdom of renunciation: “It is more difficult for a man, who is attached to
his wealth, to enter God’s kingdom than it is for a camel to enter the eye of a needle”.

Unable to cause anxiety in others; that person is called compassionate.

“Do not impose your opinions, express your wisdom. Respect is not to be demanded, but is
to be deserved by your own example”.
Srila Guru Maharaj

Dear friend, below we present to you the 26 identified qualities of a true devotee of the Lord.
Who ever seeks for the truth and does no harm to others is definitely on the correct path. The
Vedas do not permit prejudices or sectarian views; they have been revealed to mankind to
guide us towards the perfection of life. Do not fear to give up the forbidden activities you
have been participating in until now; there is no loss in renouncing these. What is the
perfection of human life? This is the question for spiritual advancement through one’s
evolution of consciousness.
The Vedas announce, Atato-brahma-jijnasa; human life is a gift from God to enable us to
search and find the truth. But this is not necessarily easy due the internal battle between
good and evil. There is always the possibility of abandoning common sense and respect for
others in order to favour oneself, often in spite of the suffering of others.

The following qualities help each of us to perfect ourselves, and as much as one can
cultivate them the better person one will be; indeed those persons who possess these
qualities are our eternal inspiration.
Due to the limitations of the English language, whilst written using the male article, in no way
does it preclude the female sex as devotees of the Lord.

1. Kripalu, Merciful, kind to everyone.

This quality consists in the empathy one feels at seeing the sufferance of other people. The
devotee is merciful because he is the well-wishing friend of all living entities. The best help to
others is to teach them what the cause of suffering is, and encourage them to get out of their
state of ignorance.
 2. Akrita-rodha. Serene, does not quarrel with anyone.
Who has this quality is a lover of peace, who wants to win the heart of everyone; seeing
them all as brothers and sisters, maintained by the same source.

3. Satyasarah. Truthful, fixed in the Absolute Truth.

Enjoying truth, the devotee knows that overcoming the tendency to lie is a step forwards
towards purification and God.

4. Sama. Equal to everyone.

A devotee feels himself to be a loving servant of everyone; he takes shelter of spiritually
advanced people, is a friend to those on the same level and offers a helping hand to those
who need help on their spiritual path.

5. Mirdosa. Faultless
Even if a devotee commits errors accidentally, by being pure in purpose, divine protection is
received.

6. Vadanya. Magnanimous.
Forgiving even the offenders, the devotee gives divine love to everyone.

7. Mrityu. Composed.
A devotee always remains maintains his composure, even after being rejected or insulted.

8. Suchi. Clean.
Keeping internally clean by chanting the Names of God, and externally clean via personal
hygiene and correct actions.

9. Akinchana. Simple, without material possessions.

The highest realization is to see everything as God’s property. Even when responsible for
various types of property, the devotee sees it all as God’s property, and uses them
appropriately in His Service.

10. Sarvo-pakaraka. Benevolent.

Since Krsna-consciousness effects the heart of every living entity, the welfare work of a
devotee is not restricted to a specific race, species, etc., but for the benefit of all living
entities. He is not only a theoretical well-wisher, but as an activist, he is actively participating
in the struggle for a better world with spiritual values.

11. Santa. Peaceful.

Relishing internal peace and manifesting goodness, the devotee is able to maintain impartial
criteria; thus, can be avoided the unnecessary conflicts in the world.

12. Krishnaika sarana. Completely attached to Krishna (Sanskrit Name for God).
God is the well-wisher of all living entities. Attachment to Him means the devotee can not do
anything bad to other living entities; the devotee becomes transformed into an instrument of
God’s Love towards others. Complete surrender to Krsna is the most important of all qualities
to be developed.

13. Akam. Desireless, without material hankering.

A devotee is responsible for all his actions and all his possessions; but he is readily able to
be unattached if required to achieve the goal of a higher cause.

14. Aniha. Modest, indifferent towards material acquisitions or attainments.

A devotee may use things in Krsna's service, but he does not become attached to them, or
dependent on them. Things are useful, but obsession towards them turns into idolatry and
deviation from the divine path.

15. Esthira. Steady, fixed.

For the materialist, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence; the
realizations of a devotee are so profound that his dedication to his spiritual master and
Krishna cannot be influenced anymore by various temptations, sufferings or opposing
philosophies. Despite many obstacles, he remains fixed in the Divine purpose.

16. Vijitasad guna. Self-controlled.

There are six undesirable qualities: lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy. A pure
devotee controls these bad qualities by engaging in Krsna's service. These qualities cannot
be left behind in an artificial way, but can be easily counteracted with transcendental
knowledge and a transcendental taste arising from one's devotional service.

17. Mno itavuk. Does not eat more than required.

One should live moderately, frugally and not waste the energy of God in any way. Lord Krsna
explains in the Bhagavad-gita that a yogi does not eat too much or too little. According to
Ayurveda, one's stomach should be filled with 1/2 food, 1/4 water, and 1/4 air.

18. Apra matta. Sane, healthy.

No real happiness can be bought with the consumption of intoxicating pills, smokes or drinks;
these only make people mad, without a healthy body or brain. Living a healthy, sane life, a
devotee reduces his requirements to a minimum and offers his whole life to Krsna.

19. Manada, Respectful.

A devotee offers respect to others without expecting anything in return. He respects
everyone as part of Krishna and treats them accordingly. Always kind and polite, especially
towards senior persons or advanced souls, everybody feels well in his company.

20. Amani. Humble, free from false prestige.

Even if the devotee is successful in the world, he remains simple and makes all people, from
the highest to the lowest standard, feel comfortable in his presence. All his achievements are
recognised as the glory of the spiritual master and due to God’s grace.

21. Gambhira. Grave, solemn.

A devotee is a very serious person, always open-minded and ready to receive and help other
people. In his gravity, the devotee is happy constantly thinking of Krishna, the ultimate goal
of life; always conscious that his bodily existence can be finished at any time and that the
way back home, back to Godhead, is not cheap.

22. Karuna. Compassionate.

As well as being grateful for all he has, the devotee has compassion for all living entities.
Understanding the natural law of karmic interactions in this world, he tries to help the
suffering people with pertinent advice. Ultimately, the essence of compassion is the
distribution of transcendental knowledge.

23. Maitra. Friendly.

A devotee leads everyone to Krsna, who is the best friend of all living entities. He
encourages everyone; putting aside elitism and party spirit that divides society due to
generalised divisions which disregard the qualities of the individual.

24. Kavi. Poetic.

Alone or in public, a devotee express his feelings and prayers as a poetic witness of his
rejoicing heart in glorification of the Lord and His mercy.

25. Daksa. Expert.

A devotee does things with full attention and to the best of his ability. Being responsible
means that all things are done very well.

26. Mauni. Silent.

A devotee remains silent when there are no transcendental subjects. A devotee’s life is
absorbed in eternal love; therefore he has no attraction for mundane topics.

These qualities are worthy of attainment; by hankering to develop them in this very life, one’s
existence will become highly auspicious. In order to have a good hope to attain to this level,
the Sacred Scriptures recommend meditating on the sacred Maha Mantra:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

“Oh Lord! Please let me be a servant of Your Love.”

This mantra liberates eliminates the obstacles on the path and frees the mind from doubt. It
was granted by Caitanya Mahaprabhu over 500 years ago especially for this age of Kali,
which is characterized by laziness, irreligion, quarrel and hypocrisy; This era is also called
the ‘age of iron’ due to its blood-letting tendencies. According to the Vedas, 5,025 years have
passed of this era, with 427,000 left to go.

Of course, it is not easy to advance towards perfection; but without trying nothing can be
achieved. We maintain Yoga Centres to offer good association to those brave persons who
are ready to search for the exit from the chaos that surrounds us on a daily basis. Thanks to
my Spiritual Master Srila Prabhupada for being a soul with all the good qualities that he
invited us all to the world of the Supreme Lord.

Srila Guru Maharaj

Translated and interpreted by Gopini devi dasi & Gopananda dasa