Preaching the Glories of God - The Highest Devotional Service
The supreme perfection of human life is not found in solitary meditation or the pursuit of personal liberation, but in actively sharing the science of self-realization with others. As the Supreme Lord declares in the Bhagavad-gītā 18.69, there is no servant in this world more dear to Him than one who explains His supreme secret to the devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda systematically explains that preaching the glories of God is the ultimate expression of compassion and the very essence of kīrtana. Because the conditioned souls are suffering in the darkness of material ignorance, the pure devotee voluntarily sacrifices their own comfort and risks all worldly opposition to distribute the holy name. However, this monumental task cannot be executed by mundane scholarship or independent endeavor; it requires the special empowerment of Kṛṣṇa, which is bestowed only upon those who strictly abide by the orders of their spiritual master and maintain a demeanor humbler than a blade of grass. By dedicating one's life to this divine mission, the preacher effortlessly transcends the modes of nature and achieves the highest, most confidential loving relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Teachings Overview
This article explores Śrīla Prabhupāda’s profound teachings on the absolute necessity and glory of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It details the fundamental duty of the devotee, the unique recognition awarded by the Lord to His preachers, the essential requirements of divine empowerment and humility, and the transcendent position of those who sacrifice everything to deliver conditioned souls.
Key Teachings
- Preaching is the primary business of a genuine devotee and is considered the supreme, most active form of kīrtana.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa formally declares that the preacher who risks everything to spread His glories is His most confidential and beloved servant.
- True preaching requires absolute obedience to the spiritual master and the direct empowerment of the Supreme Lord (kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā).
- A successful preacher must cultivate extreme tolerance and humility to withstand the inevitable harassment and opposition found in the material world.
The Essential Business and Duty of a Devotee
Spiritual realization is not meant to be hoarded. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī, or an ordinary householder, the central business of anyone who has properly heard the transcendental message is to actively distribute that knowledge to the suffering world.
The Core Mission of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
"A brahmin's business is to preach the glories of the Lord, to learn the essence of Vedic knowledge--Krsna Consciousness--and to teach others of the same knowledge."
"Everyone's aim should be to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by engaging his mind in thinking always of Krsna, his words in always offering prayers to the Lord or preaching about the glories of the Lord, and his body in executing the service required to satisfy the Lord."
Śrīla Prabhupāda outlines how the mind, words, and body must all be engaged to satisfy the Lord.
"If one has heard properly about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his duty is to glorify the Lord and preach His glories. This is called kirtitavyah."
"In other words, it is the business of devotees to preach the glories of the Lord and deliver all conditioned souls to the platform of suddha-sattva, pure goodness."
"The sannyasi's duty is to enlighten people in Krsna consciousness. Those in the renounced order of life have no other business but preaching the glories and supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Becoming the Dearmost Servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa
The Supreme Lord intimately recognizes and cherishes those who take up His mission. Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently cites the Bhagavad-gītā to confirm that regardless of a preacher's material qualifications, the sincere endeavor to spread Kṛṣṇa's glories automatically elevates them to the position of His most confidential and beloved servant.
The Supreme Recognition of the Lord
"In Bhagavad-gita (BG 18.69) it is said, na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamah: if one wants to be recognized by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he must preach the glories of the Lord."
"In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that one who does this service - namely going on to preach the glories of the Lord and creating all devotees of the Lord - that person is the most confidential and favorite of the Lord."
"The Lord declares in the Bhagavad-gita (BG 18.69) that no one is dearer to Him than one who risks everything to preach His glory."
"The Lord says in the Bhagavad-gita that no one is dearer to Him than one who actually preaches the glories of the Lord to convert the nonbelievers and nondevotees."
"If one sincerely tries his best to spread Krsna consciousness by preaching the glories of the Lord and His supremacy, even if he is imperfectly educated, he becomes the dearmost servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is bhakti."
Preaching as the Supreme Form of Kīrtana
When people think of kīrtana, they often imagine only the musical chanting of the holy names. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that public speaking, writing literature, and actively preaching the glories of the Lord are not only equivalent to musical chanting, but constitute the most potent and expansive form of kīrtana.
The Expansive Definition of Glorification
"Kirtana means glorification. Kirtana is preaching, glorifying and speaking about the Lord. Pariksit Maharaja attained perfection simply by listening to Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is sravanam kirtanam."
"Simply preaching, glorifying, or speaking about the Lord, that is also kirtana. And performing kirtana as we do here in the temple, with mrdanga and karatala, chanting, that is also kirtana."
"There are activities of the body, activities of the different senses and activities of speech. A Krsna conscious person engages his words in preaching the glories of the Lord. This is called kirtana."
Śrīla Prabhupāda identifies the engagement of speech in glorifying the Lord as practical kīrtana.
"That is our process. Our only objective is how to glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are writing books, we are publishing magazines, we are preaching, we are going everywhere - just to glorify Krsna."
"We are preaching God's glory. We are publishing book for understanding God. We are cooking for feeding God. So many, all our activities are meant for serving the Lord, that's all."
Compassion and Risking Everything for the Fallen Souls
A devotee who has realized the absolute truth is unable to remain complacent while witnessing the suffering of others. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that genuine spiritual compassion compels the first-class devotee to accept grave risks and travel extensively just to bring the conditioned souls back to a platform of sanity and spiritual safety.
The Bold Compassion of the Preacher
"A devotee knows that simply by rendering service to the Lord, he serves everyone. Therefore devotees are real friends to all living entities. Only a pure devotee can preach the glories of the Lord for the benefit of all conditioned souls."
Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes that the pure devotee acts as the real friend of all living entities.
"Confidential devotees of the Lord are very much dear to Him because they travel everywhere to preach His glories in different capacities & try their utmost to convert the nondevotees into devotees in order to bring them to the platform of sanity."
"If one is devotee, he cannot sit down silently. He wants to preach God's glories to others, even at the risk of life, like Lord Jesus Christ did it. Even at the risk of life, he preached God consciousness. That is the duty of a devotee."
"That is the sign of the first-class devotee, that he is always willing to sacrifice everything to please Krishna by preaching His glories, even under all sorts of difficult conditions. I am very encouraged by your attitude of sincere Krishna Consciousness."
"Those interested in worshiping the Lord in solitary places may be eligible for liberation themselves, but a pure devotee is always aggrieved to see others suffering. Not caring for his own liberation, he always engages in preaching by glorifying the Lord."
Humility, Tolerance, and Facing Opposition
Because the material world is heavily influenced by the degraded age of Kali, those who try to spread spiritual truth will inevitably face severe pushback. Śrīla Prabhupāda instructs that a preacher must armor themselves with immense tolerance, meeting harassment, false charges, and anger with the humble, forgiving spirit modeled by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The Armor of a Preacher
"Because of the influence of Kali-yuga, Vaisnavas who have dedicated their lives to preaching the glories of the Lord are sometimes harassed and punished by courts on false charges of disturbing the peace."
"Because of their spiritual compassion for all the fallen souls, Vaisnavas go out to preach, but unfortunately, because of the influence of Kali-yuga, Vaisnavas who have dedicated their lives to preaching the glories of the Lord are sometimes harassed."
"Following the orders of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one who preaches the glories of the Lord all over the world or all over the universe should be humbler than grass and more tolerant than a tree because a preacher cannot live an easygoing life."
"Those engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord should be humbler than grass and more tolerant than a tree; then they can preach the glories of the Lord without difficulty."
"Vaisnavas must meet many opponents while preaching the glories of the Lord, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that they not become angry while preaching."
Divine Empowerment and Obedience to the Spiritual Master
Enthusiasm and good intentions alone are insufficient to change the hearts of the conditioned souls. Śrīla Prabhupāda unequivocally states that one must receive the divine "power of attorney" from Kṛṣṇa to be effective, and this specific spiritual empowerment is unlocked exclusively through strict obedience to the bona fide spiritual master.
The Secret of Spiritual Strength
"Krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana: unless one receives special power of attorney from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he cannot preach the glories of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra."
"The same principles can be applied to demoniac persons, even though they be in the sampradaya of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Without receiving the Lord’s special power, one cannot preach His glories all over the world."
"There is a statement in the Caitanya-caritamrta that without being empowered by Krsna nobody can preach the glories of His Holy Name and the only means for acquiring this spiritual strength is to abide by the orders of the Spiritual Master."
"Without being empowered by Krsna nobody can preach the glories of His Holy Name and the only means for acquiring this spiritual strength is to abide by the orders of the Spiritual Master. That is the verdict of all Scriptures."
Transcending the Desire for Personal Liberation
The mentality of a true preacher is far superior to that of the empirical philosophers or ascetics. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while the jñānīs hanker for the peace of merging into the Brahman effulgence, the advanced devotee has absolutely no selfish desires and considers the active preaching of the Lord's glories to be the highest possible perfection.
The Supreme Position of the Goṣṭhy-ānandī
"Karmis desire material happiness, and jnanis desire liberation, but a devotee does not desire anything; he is simply satisfied by rendering transcendental loving service at the lotus feet of the Lord and glorifying Him everywhere by preaching."
"The jnanis' idea of the highest position is merging into the effulgence of the Lord. But a devotee's highest position is in preaching all over the world the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
"When one can see the pastimes of the Lord everywhere, he is firmly situated in transcendental bliss. Such a devotee is relieved of all kinds of material desires, and he preaches the glories of the Lord all over the world."
"A maha-bhagavata, who has nothing to do with the material world, come down to the second platform of devotional service to preach the glories of the Lord all over the world."
"The second-class devotee makes distinctions between devotees and nondevotees. The second-class devotees are therefore meant for preaching work, and as referred to in the above verse, they must loudly preach the glories of the Lord."
Recognizing and Honoring the Authorized Preachers
Because those engaged in spreading the holy names are intimately empowered by Kṛṣṇa, they must be given the utmost respect by human society. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that blaspheming an authorized preacher is a devastating spiritual offense, as these devotees act as the very heart and soul of the Supreme Lord and must be recognized as eternal, liberated souls.
The Exalted Position of the Lord's Representatives
"Anyone is a nitya-siddha if he acts on behalf of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by spreading the glories of the holy name of the Lord. We should respect those devotees preaching the glories of the Lord as nitya-siddha and should not consider them conditioned."
"In the service of the Personality of Godhead, it is not that Lord Brahma is considered very great while an ordinary human being trying to preach the glories of the Lord is considered very low. There are no such distinctions."
"My dear King Yudhisthira, the brahmanas, especially those engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord throughout the entire world, are recognized and worshiped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the heart and soul of all creation."
"The brahmanas want to worship Krsna, and similarly Krsna wants to worship the brahmanas. In conclusion, brahmanas and Vaisnavas who are engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord must be worshiped by religionists, philosophers and people in general."
"To blaspheme a Vaisnava, a preacher of God's glory, is great offense. Krsna, or God, will never tolerate offense on the lotus feet of a Vaisnava."
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a highly learned scholar to become a preacher?
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that intense enthusiasm, not mundane scholarly learning, is the primary requirement for preaching the glories of the Lord.
Are religious leaders from other traditions considered devotees if they preach about God?
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that leaders like Lord Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad are recognized as empowered devotees because they sacrificed everything to glorify the Supreme Lord.
Are there rigid, mechanical rules for how one must preach?
Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that instead of hard and fast rules, a preacher must simply remain fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, trusting the Lord to provide the proper guidance.
To whom should we avoid preaching the glories of the holy name?
Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly warns that according to the ninth offense against the holy name, one must not preach to faithless individuals who have no interest in hearing.
Conclusion
The mission to distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the most magnanimous welfare work in the universe. Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes that preaching the glories of God is not a mundane missionary activity or a pursuit for personal prestige, but the ultimate expression of spiritual compassion and the highest form of devotional service. By stepping down from the desire for solitary liberation and actively engaging in the delivery of the conditioned souls, the pure devotee fulfills the very essence of kīrtana. Because this monumental task requires the special empowerment of the Supreme Lord, it can only be successfully executed by those who remain firmly obedient to their spiritual master and cultivate deep humility. Ultimately, there is no endeavor more pleasing to Kṛṣṇa; the sincere preacher who risks everything for the spiritual upliftment of humanity is forever recognized as the dearmost and most confidential servant of the Lord.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Preaching the Glories 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.