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In most verses of the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa explains how we can grow in spiritual knowledge and advance in the path of devotional service. He starts with the basics, explaining that we are not the body and that the soul is eternal, and progresses from there, explaining how to work for him and gradually purify ourselves. There is, however, a section in the Gītā where Kṛṣṇa gives us a direct list of qualities that make us dear to him. More than that, He explains how to attain these qualities and reveals that when a devotee develops them, it is no longer a question of when the devotee may become free from the cycle of birth and death, but of how long Kṛṣṇa can tolerate not being with Him.
This helps us to understand why even great ācāryas like Śrīla Prabhupāda eventually have to go, even though so many disciples pray for Kṛṣṇa to allow him to stay. Kṛṣṇa listens to their prayers, but eventually, it comes to a point when He cannot wait.
Kṛṣṇa gives us this sequence in the 12th chapter of the Gītā:
“One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me—such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.
He by whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.
My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and not striving for some result, is very dear to Me.
One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things—such a devotee is very dear to Me.
One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service—such a person is very dear to Me.” (Bg 12.13-19)
The soul is by nature inclined to the service of Kṛṣṇa, and in the spiritual world pure devotees have the perfect conditions to do so, using their spiritual bodies, mind and intelligence, operating under the true ego of their identification as servants of Kṛṣṇa. In the material world, however, we face the opposite situation: everything works against us, especially in the age in which we live. A pure devotee is capable of transcending such limitations and connecting with the spiritual nature even while living in the material world. This is what Kṛṣṇa has been waiting for throughout millions of lifetimes, as He has followed this soul as Paramātmā. When the devotee finally turns back to Him and becomes free from the material influence, he becomes very dear to Kṛṣṇa. By giving us this list of qualities, Kṛṣṇa shows us the way back to Him.
The first is that a devotee is non-envious, friendly and compassionate to all (adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa). One of the main characteristics of materialistic life is envy. Materialistic people fight over limited resources, and therefore they are envious of one another. A pure devotee checks out of the rat race, and remains friendly and compassionate even towards the ones who are envious of him, understanding that this envy comes only from the influence of the material modes, and not from the real person, the soul. He also remains unaffected by miseries that others may cause him. On the contrary, he feels compassion for the so-called enemies, hoping that such an envious attitude does not cause them to fall down.
How is this possible? A pure devotee is free from false proprietorship and without false ego (nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ). He understands that material miseries affect only the body and mind, with which he does not identify. This is accompanied by forgiveness and satisfaction: sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī santuṣṭaḥ. A pure devotee is equipoised in happiness and distress, forgiving and self-satisfied.
Kṛṣṇa then describes the devotee as constantly engaged in yoga (satataṁ yogī). How? As Prabhupāda explains, that’s because he is fixed in the instructions from the spiritual master. The fixation of the pure devotee in devotional service develops after rigidly following the instructions of the spiritual master and reaping the benefits.
Two other factors come as a result: a) He becomes self-controlled (yatātmā), which means that his senses support his devotional service, instead of pulling him towards sense gratification. b) He becomes firmly determined (dṛḍha-niścayaḥ), becoming fixed in philosophical understanding, and thus not being swayed by false arguments. These two qualifications lead to a third: the devotee has his mind and intelligence fixed on Kṛṣṇa (mayy arpita-mano-buddhir).
In text 12.15, Kṛṣṇa describes three additional qualities:
a) A pure devotee does not disturb others (yasmān nodvijate lokaḥ): Prabhupāda connects this quality with kindness. Although a pure devotee understands that others are not the body, he understands that they identify with the body and mind, and therefore he avoids putting them in unnecessary anxiety. Another level is that he tries to bring them to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is the ultimate solution for all suffering.
b) He is also not disturbed by others (lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ). This comes from his absorption in devotional service. Because he is fixed on the spiritual platform, changes in the material conditions cannot move him.
c) He is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety (harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair mukto). This explains how he can remain unmoved. An ordinary person becomes very happy when obtaining something desirable, and envious when others obtain something he wants. One feels fear when threatened, and dejected when his plans fail. These four states are called harṣa, amarṣa, bhaya, and udvega (material happiness, distress, fear, and anxiety). A pure devotee is free from all four and is thus very dear to Kṛṣṇa.
In 12.16, Kṛṣṇa describes six more qualities that are interconnected.
A pure devotee is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities (anapekṣaḥ). This means he is neutral to material achievements. For his personal necessities, he simply accepts what comes naturally. He is also pure (śuciḥ), both internally and externally, rising early in the morning for spiritual practice, taking baths regularly, etc. The third is that he is expert (daksaḥ). This is connected with understanding the scriptures. His practical actions are guided by the precepts of the scriptures, and thus all his actions are perfect. He knows what should be done and what should not. He is also impartial and detached (udāsīnaḥ). This is connected with detachment from mundane persons. In the material world, people divide into so many rival groups and parties, and identifying with any of them brings us back to the platform of partiality and material duality. A devotee remains free by avoiding this identification. He develops instead the above-mentioned qualities of friendliness, compassion, etc.
A devotee is free from all distress (gata-vyathaḥ). This becomes possible by becoming free from bodily designations. The body may be in pain, but because a pure devotee does not identify with the body, he is not. The body is seen as simply an instrument. It is used as long as it is fit, but is not identified with the self.
The last of the six qualities is that a devotee does not strive for material results (sarvārambha-parityāgī). Ordinary people get involved in many material plans because they want to expand their dominance, and thus secure more material resources for their material enjoyment. A pure devotee is done with that. He can work very hard for Kṛṣṇa, but he will be uninterested in expanding his material activities, understanding that they simply bring entanglement.
Text 12.17 adds another dimension, describing the devotee’s freedom from the emotional effects produced by material attachment. Three additional characteristics are mentioned:
He neither rejoices nor grieves (na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi), and neither laments nor desires (na śocati na kāṅkṣati). These two may appear the same, but there is a crucial difference. The first applies to how we react to obtaining something desirable or undesirable, while the second describes how we deal with losing something desirable, or not obtaining it. A pure devotee is stable in both. The material circumstances change, but a devotee remains satisfied in his service. This applies even to obtaining sons and disciples. He cares for them if they come, but does not lament if they don’t.
The third is that a pure devotee renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things. Normally, people’s behavior is guided by different material concepts connected with good and bad, auspicious and inauspicious. A devotee, however, can accept any apparently inauspicious thing for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and reject any materially auspicious thing that is not favorable for this service. Arjuna, for example, initially desired to avoid the fight, considering it inauspicious, but later accepted fighting to the best of his ability for Kṛṣṇa.
The final two verses, 12.18-19, bring nine more characteristics. As Prabhupāda mentions, we may find some repetition in the description, but this is just to emphasize the fact that a devotee must acquire all these qualifications.
When we first hear such a list of qualities, it may appear to be an impossible goal, but in his purports, Prabhupāda reveals the progression that leads to it: “He is a completely perfect mystic because he is fixed in the instructions received from the spiritual master, and because his senses are controlled he is determined. He is not swayed by false arguments, because no one can lead him from the fixed determination of devotional service.”
These are not qualities we have when we start, but they naturally develop as we advance. As we progress, we become dear to Kṛṣṇa, as He Himself declares.
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