In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna mentioned that there exist four types of devotees. 1. Devotee in distress 2. Devotee with desires. 3. Devotee with inquisitive mind 4. Devotee with knowledge. Among them, Lord Krishna said that Devotees with knowledge is very dear to Him. All the four types have extreme faith in God. But devotees with knowledge are special and dear to the Lord. Why is that? To know that we should know what each type of devotee actually means.
vDevotion when in distress: The devotee of this type prays the Lord when they are in extreme distress. There are two examples about this type in Srimad Bhagavat: Gajendra and Draupadiji.
vGajendra was a devotee of God from his pervious life. In next life, he got an elephant’s body because of a curse by a sage. He went on for a vacation along with his she-elephants and children to a beautiful lake surrounded by green mountains. As the elephants like playing in water, it started sporting in the lake. The cruel crocodile in the water caught the leg of the Gajendra and started pulling it into the deep waters. The she-elephants couldn’t help much as the crocodile in water was more powerful. After few trials the she-elephants and the kids left the place. Gajendra tried for a long time but couldn’t succeed. At the end because of his previous life devotion, he surrendered and remembered God. By plucking a lotus flower with his trunk, he showed it towards the sky for the help from God and took only half of God’s name. Immediately God appeared and lifted Gajendra with one hand and threw the disc (Sudarshan Chakra) at the crocodile killing it at that moment. So Gajendra did not remember God always. He remembered while he was in extreme distress and was thus saved by God. That is how some devotees remember God when they meet with distress. Non-devotees can’t even remember God even while in distress. They shout ‘Alas. Alas. What is happening to me.’ But they can’t take the name of God.
vWhen Draupadiji was chastised in the assembly, she prayed to Bhishma Pitamah, Guru Dronacharya for help. None of them could help as they were suppressed by Duryodan. Even her husbands couldn’t not save her. Then she prayed to Lord Krishna and took not even half the name. Immediately Lord Krishna sent her so many sarees that Dusyasan got tired and gave up. When Draupadiji asked the Lord on Why did he come late, the Lord replied, “You were requesting help from others, and were late in remember me.”
vDevotion with desires: These devotees desire something for themselves. They do devotion to get their desires fulfilled. Dhruvji is under this category as per Srimad Bhagavat. Dhruvji was the son of Uttanapada who had two wifes: Surichi and Suniti. Uttam was the son of Suruchi. Dhruvji was the son of Suniti. When Uttam was sitting on the lap of the King, five-year-old Dhruvji also tried to sit on the other lap. Suruchi stopped him and said that “You should have been blessed to be born from my womb to sit on the lap of the King.”
Dhruvji was helpless and went straight to his mother for an appropriate answer. His mother said that what Suruchi said was right and suggested to go to forest and perform physical austerities to please Lord Vasudeva. Then he started his journey to the forest with the desire of a better kingdom than what his father had.
After 6 months of rigorous austerities, Lord appeared and asked, “Son, what is your wish?”
Seeing the grand beauty of the Lord, Dhruvji replied, “I do not have any more wishes my Lord.”
“But you wished for a larger kingdom?”
“Forgive me. But after meeting you, I do not have any such wishes.”
He made him His devotee, also he made the king of Dhruv constellation for millions of years. At the end, he went to the God on a beautiful plane.
God is like mother and father. When kid needs something, he asks from mother or father but no one else. There is no problem in asking God. We should not ask anything to anyone else. There is no one else fulfilling our desires.
vDevotees with learning. Nachiketan and Uddhavji are examples under this category. Uddhavji had many questions in 11th Canto of Srimad Bhagavat which was answer by Lord Krishna.
vDevotee with Knowledge of God. The devotees with knowledge of God knows the complete greatness of God. Prahlad Maharaj is considered the devotee with knowledge of God. There is no devotee in all the scriptures who could be equal to Prahladji Maharaj.
At the age of seven years, he had to face such a great challenge with his own father. Who has the strength to face such strong forces? His father was the Lord of all three worlds. His father insisted that Prahlad should never take the name of God. Prahladji went against and challenged his own father saying that I would never stop remembering God. At the end Prahlad won.
When Lord Nrusinh killed Hiranyakasipu, the Lord asked forgiveness from Prahladji.
“You are such a small boy. For my sake, you challenged your own father Hiranyakasipu. I should have come to you long back, but I was late in attending to you. So please ask something from me for my sake. I would feel that I have done something to you.”
Prahladji asked for nothing. Lord Nrusinh insisted that Prahladji should ask something.
Prahladji said, “Maharaj, I do not have any desires. When you insist me, I feel like I still might have some desires left which I do not know. if I have any desires left inside me, please drive them away. That would be my desire.”
Lord Nrusinh was highly pleased with Prahlad and he hugged Prahlad and initiated him as the King.
Prahlad was not worshiping Lord for any desires. Prahlad was not worshiping the Lord because he was in some extreme difficulties. He was not worshiping because he feared his father.
When the challenge was going on, Prahlad’s mother Kyadhu made him sit on her lap and said, “Dear son, can you do something for your mother?”
Prahladji replied, “I will do anything for my mother.”
“Your father is troubling you so much and I am unable to bear it. So, can you please make all your prayers in the mind? Don’t take the name of Lord Narayan outside but in your mind. There would not be any trouble from your father.”
Prahladji replied to mother, “My father is trying to kill me in as many ways as possible, but I will not stop taking the name of my Lord. If we have a big home, and there is a small mosquito, do we leave the home and go away? My father is like a mosquito in the home of Lord Narayan. I am not scared of it.”
Prahladji never hated Hiranyakasipu. In turn Hiranyakasipu hated Prahladji. Prahladji never hated anyone in his whole life.
Mira Bai was doing the singing of Krishna Bhajan. Someone asked, “Why do you do the Bhajan of Krishna? You don’t get anything from Krishna. In return all your life has been full of hardships without doubt. He doesn’t allow you to own him soon.”
Mira Bhai replied, “who said you that I am singing Bhajans to get Krishna. I do it because I love doing it and I become happy doing it. I do not desire that he will protect me. Nor do I desire that he will be mine. Nor I expect him to do any of my work. I do it because I enjoy doing it. I don’t get such pleasure in any other activities. That is the reason I am doing the devotion of Krishna.
There is a huge difference the devotee with knowledge and other types of devotees. The other types have two desires: One is to do devotion. The other is to get something for themselves.
The devotee of knowledge doesn’t desire anything for themselves. Prahladji, Mira Bai, Narsi Mehta never desired anything for themselves. They do not ask anything whatever the situation might be. Even in distress they wouldn’t pray to be free from that. They don’t even desire that Lord should appear for them. They do it because they enjoy doing that. Devotee with knowledge has only wish: Whether God does good for me or not, whether God is going to protect me from hardships or not, I am not going to leave God.
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18th June 2017: Sarasota, FL