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Characteristic of a sadhu

Expressions researched:
"characteristic of a sadhu" |"characteristic of sadhu" |"characteristics of a sadhu" |"characteristics of sadhu"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 6

Citraketu very sportingly felt that since the mother wanted to curse him, he could accept this curse just to please her. This is called the characteristic of a sādhu.
SB 6.17.37, Translation and Purport:

The great devotee Citraketu was so powerful that he was quite competent to curse mother Pārvatī in retaliation, but instead of doing so he very humbly accepted the curse and bowed his head before Lord Śiva and his wife. This is very much to be appreciated as the standard behavior of a Vaiṣṇava.

Upon being informed by Lord Śiva, mother Pārvatī could understand that she was wrong in cursing Citraketu. King Citraketu was so exalted in his character that in spite of being wrongly cursed by Pārvatī, he immediately descended from his airplane and bowed his head before the mother, accepting her curse. This has already been explained: nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). Citraketu very sportingly felt that since the mother wanted to curse him, he could accept this curse just to please her. This is called sādhu-lakṣaṇam, the characteristic of a sādhu, or a devotee. As explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. A devotee should always be very humble and meek and should offer all respect to others, especially to superiors. Being protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a devotee is always powerful, but a devotee does not wish to show his power unnecessarily. However, when a less intelligent person has some power, he wants to use it for sense gratification. This is not the behavior of a devotee.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Everything should be accepted by the symptom, characteristic. Not that anyone will come: "I am a sādhu." No. We must know by the characteristic of sādhu.
Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

The Kṛṣṇa's representative is sādhu. Therefore Kapiladeva is advising herewith that "You, mother, you associate with sādhus." Ete sādhavaḥ. He has described the symptoms of sādhu. By the last three, four ślokas, he has described what is the symptom. Everything should be accepted by the symptom, characteristic. Not that anyone will come: "I am a sādhu." No. We must know by the characteristic of sādhu. That has been described. Similarly, incarnation of God, not that anyone will come and say, "I am incarnation of God." That will not be accepted. We have to see the characteristics of God as they are stated in the śāstra, then we can accept somebody as God by uncommon quality.

These are the characteristics of sādhu, not a sādhu having a dress like a sannyāsī and accompanied by three dozen women. No.
Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

What are the saintly characteristics? That is also mentioned:

titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ
suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām
ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ
sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ
(SB 3.25.21)

These are the characteristics of sādhu, not a sādhu having a dress like a sannyāsī and accompanied by three dozen women. No. Sādhavaḥ, their business is to preach. Kṛṣṇa says,

api cet sudurācāro
bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ
samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
(BG 9.30)

He is sādhu who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Api cet sudurācāraḥ. Such person, even if you find some fault... Because everyone cannot become immediately perfect. Due to bad habits, sometimes they fall victim. But still, if he is Kṛṣṇa conscious strictly, he does not deviate, he does not forget Kṛṣṇa, then he is to be accepted as sādhu. Kṛṣṇa says. That, only for that qualification.

Philosophy Discussions

We are member of the same family. God is the supreme father. That is ideal society.
Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Hayagrīva: James writes of the characteristics of a sādhu in this way. He says, "There is a certain composite photograph of universal saintliness, the same in all religions, of which the features can easily be traced. They are these." And he numbers, "Number one: a feeling of being in a wider life than that of this world's selfish little interests; in a conviction not memerly intellectual, but as it were sensible of the existence of an ideal power. In Christian, saintliness this power is always personified as God." So that's the one characteristic of a sādhu.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: A feeling of being in a wider life than that of this world's selfish little interest.

Prabhupāda: Yes. God, the definition of God is there in the Vedic literature, that God is the great. The Christian idea is also that. That greatness, that if we soberly think what is the greatness, the greatness in six opulences, that God is the richest, God is the strongest, and God is the famous, and God is the wisest, and God is the most beautiful, and God is the perfect renounced. He has got so many states, sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), but still He is not very much interested within this material world. He is in spiritual world along with associates. Therefore our proposition is, let us go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is perfection of life.

Hayagrīva: His second characteristic of a sādhu is thus: "He has a sense of the friendly continuity of the ideal power with our own life in a willing self-surrender to its control."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the ideal. Kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi' anācāra. We are member of the same family. God is the supreme father. That is ideal society.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

If they have got unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and guru, that is all qualification.
Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: No, these boys who are recruited newly. They don't have much about the idea of Vaiṣṇavism.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That's a fact. But what can I do? They are my helper.

Dr. Patel: They have to be trained up earlier and then let loose. Otherwise, you know, they create it. Because all the bad impressions are for them.

Prabhupāda: No. They'll be trained while working. Not that simply theorizing at home, no.

Dr. Patel: That's right, but I think...

Prabhupāda: They should work, and at the same time, they may fall down, just like a child tries to walk, falls down, again walks, again... Then he becomes complete.

Dr. Patel: Those thirty characteristics of a sādhu that are depicted in the, in Bhāgavata....

Prabhupāda: That is not possible in one day.

Dr. Patel: Thirty cannot come, but a few should come.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Few that... They are... Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate (SB 5.18.12). If they have got unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and guru, that is all qualification.

Page Title:Characteristic of a sadhu
Compiler:Tugomera
Created:07 of Jul, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:5