Unalloyed Desires of a Devotee of God
The path of devotional service is not one of artificial repression but of spiritual transformation. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that a devotee of the Lord does not strive to become a stone-like entity void of feeling or will; rather, he purifies his existence by aligning his individual desires with the supreme desire of Lord Kṛṣṇa. This article explores the unique position of the devotee who, while seemingly active in the world, remains free from the bondage of karma because his actions are motivated solely by love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Definition of True Desirelessness (Akāma)
In the material world, everyone is driven by kāma or lust—the desire to satisfy one's own senses. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a pure devotee is distinguished by the quality of being akāma, or without material desire. This does not imply a cessation of activity, but rather that the devotee has no personal agenda separate from the service of the Lord.
- A devotee is akama, there is no kama. He has no personal desires. His desire is only to remain eternal servant of God. That's all. That is his position. That is not desire. That is his actual position.
- A pure devotee engaged in the service of Lord Krsna has no desire for his personal sense gratification, and thus he never accepts anything for that purpose.
- A Krsna conscious man - one who has lost all inclinations for material sense gratification, although the desires are present.
Rejection of Liberation and Heavenly Opulence
One of the most profound characteristics of a pure devotee is his indifference to the standard goals of religion and spirituality, such as promotion to heavenly planets or mokṣa (liberation). While the jñānīs and yogīs undergo severe austerities to escape material entanglement, a devotee considers even the five kinds of liberation to be insignificant if they do not include the opportunity to serve the Lord.
- A pure devotee does not desire promotion to heavenly planets, nor does he seek oneness with the brahma-jyotir or salvation or liberation from material entanglement.
- A devotee should not desire even for moksa. What is moksa? Moksa is very insignificant thing for a devotee.
- A pure devotee never desires to gain material opportunities by rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord.
- According to Sridhara Svami, the material conception of success (moksa, or liberation) is desired by those in material existence. Devotees, however, not being situated in material existence, have no desire for liberation.
The Lord's Reciprocation with His Devotees
The Supreme Lord is the knower of all hearts and the sanctioning authority behind the fulfillment of all desires. For the conditioned souls, He fulfills desires according to their karma, but Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that for His devotees, He acts as a loving guardian. If a devotee has a lingering material desire, Kṛṣṇa may fulfill it to show its futility, or He may forcibly remove the object of attachment to protect the devotee's spiritual creeper.
- A devotee of the Lord always has the Lord in his mind, and thus he does not need to be desireless because all his desires are in relationship with the service of the Lord.
- Krsna certainly fulfills the desires of His devotees who come to Him in devotional service, but He does not fulfill desires that would again cause miseries.
- If a devotee maintains some material desire and at the same time very sincerely desires to engage at the lotus feet of Krsna, Krsna may directly give him unalloyed devotional service and take away all his material desires and possessions.
Compassionate Desire to Save Others
Unlike the solitary meditator who seeks his own salvation, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that a Vaiṣṇava is driven by compassion for the suffering humanity. Following in the footsteps of great souls like Prahlāda Mahārāja and Lord Brahmā, a pure devotee desires only that the glories of the Lord be broadcast everywhere so that others may be delivered from the cycle of birth and death.
- It is the natural desire of a Vaisnava to save suffering humanity. Generally others do not care whether people suffer or not, but a Vaisnava, a devotee of the Lord, is always thinking of how to alleviate the fallen condition of the people.
- A pure devotee of the Lord like Brahma and those in his line of disciplic succession always desire that the Lord be known all over the universe by each and every one of the living entities. That desire of the devotee is always blessed by the Lord.
- Prahlada Maharaja offers his blessings to his class friends, saying, "Also become faithful like me. Become bona fide Vaisnavas." A devotee of the Lord desires for everyone to take to Krsna consciousness.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the perfection of life is not the annihilation of desire but its purification. When one ceases to desire for the self and begins to desire only for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord, one attains the platform of anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam—being devoid of all other desires. This unalloyed state brings perfect peace, for the devotee knows that he is under the direct protection of Kṛṣṇa, who personally fulfills the spiritual ambitions of those who have surrendered unto Him.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vāṇī
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Desires of a Devotee 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.