Symptoms of a sadhu

Expressions researched:
"symptoms of a sadhu" |"symptom of a sadhu" |"symptom of sadhu" |"qualities of a sadhu" |"qualities of sadhu" |"sadhu's symptoms"

SB Canto 3

The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.

SB 3.25.21, Translation and Purport: The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime. A sādhu, as described above, is a devotee of the Lord. His concern, therefore, is to enlighten people in devotional service to the Lord. That is his mercy. He knows that without devotional service to the Lord, human life is spoiled. A devotee travels all over the country, from door to door, preaching, "Be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Be a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Don't spoil your life in simply fulfilling your animal propensities. Human life is meant for self-realization, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness." These are the preachings of a sādhu. He is not satisfied with his own liberation. He always thinks about others. He is the most compassionate personality towards all the fallen souls. One of his qualifications, therefore, is kāruṇika, great mercy to the fallen souls. While engaged in preaching work, he has to meet with so many opposing elements, and therefore the sādhu, or devotee of the Lord, has to be very tolerant. Someone may ill-treat him because the conditioned souls are not prepared to receive the transcendental knowledge of devotional service. They do not like it; that is their disease. The sādhu has the thankless task of impressing upon them the importance of devotional service. Sometimes devotees are personally attacked with violence. Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was caned in twenty-two marketplaces, and Lord Caitanya's principal assistant, Nityānanda, was violently attacked by Jagāi and Mādhāi. But still they were tolerant because their mission was to deliver the fallen souls. One of the qualifications of a sādhu is that he is very tolerant and is merciful to all fallen souls. He is merciful because he is the well-wisher of all living entities. He is not only a well-wisher of human society, but a well-wisher of animal society as well. It is said here, sarva-dehinām, which indicates all living entities who have accepted material bodies. Not only does the human being have a material body, but other living entities, such as cats and dogs, also have material bodies. The devotee of the Lord is merciful to everyone-the cats, dogs, trees, etc. He treats all living entities in such a way that they can ultimately get salvation from this material entanglement. Śivānanda Sena, one of the disciples of Lord Caitanya, gave liberation to a dog by treating the dog transcendentally. There are many instances where a dog got salvation by association with a sādhu, because a sādhu engages in the highest philanthropic activities for the benediction of all living entities. Yet although a sādhu is not inimical towards anyone, the world is so ungrateful that even a sādhu has many enemies.

SB Canto 5

A saintly devotee is certainly very tolerant. He is the friend of all living entities, and he does not create enemies within the world. A pure devotee has all the qualities of a sādhu.

SB 5.13.24, Purport: In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.25.21), Kapiladeva describes the symptoms of great personalities: titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. A saintly devotee is certainly very tolerant. He is the friend of all living entities, and he does not create enemies within the world. A pure devotee has all the qualities of a sādhu. Jaḍa Bharata is an example of this. Due to the material body, his senses were certainly agitated when he was insulted by King Rahūgaṇa, but later, due to the King's humble submission, Jaḍa Bharata excused him. It is the duty of everyone desiring to return to Godhead to become submissive like King Rahūgaṇa and beg pardon of Vaiṣṇavas one may have offended. Vaiṣṇavas are generally very kindhearted; therefore if one immediately submits himself at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava, one is immediately cleared of offensive reactions. If one does not do so, the reactions will remain, and the results will not be very palatable.

SB Canto 6

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , "The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime."

SB 6.5.44, Translation and Purport: Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, since Nārada Muni is an approved saintly person, when cursed by Prajāpati Dakṣa he replied, "tad bāḍham: Yes, what you have said is good. I accept this curse." He could have cursed Prajāpati Dakṣa in return, but because he is a tolerant and merciful sādhu, he took no action.

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.25.21):

titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ

suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām

ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ

sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ

"The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime." Because Nārada Muni is the most elevated of sādhus, devotees, to deliver Prajāpati Dakṣa he silently tolerated the curse. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught this principle to all His devotees:

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly." Following the orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, 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. Indeed, a preacher must face many impediments.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

The sādhu has no other business than to love Kṛṣṇa. This is the symptom of sādhu.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972: So śraddadhānāḥ, Rūpa Gosvāmī has given us the formula that if you have got little faith in for understanding the Absolute Truth, Bhagavān, then ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15], associate with sādhu. Who is sādhu? Sādhu means devotee. Kṛṣṇa says, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg. 9.30]. He's sādhu. Not a sādhu having big beard or mustaches and having red cloth without any sense of Kṛṣṇa. He's not sādhu. Sādhu means one who is fully engaged in the service of the Lord. He's sādhu. Api cet su-durācāraḥ. Even if he's not very well-behaved, su-durācāra, still he's sādhu. Why? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. He has no other business than to love Kṛṣṇa. This is the symptom of sādhu.

From early morning at three o'clock to night, ten o'clock, they have only business of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Therefore they are sādhu. This is the symptom of sādhu.

Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974: This is the simple process. Instead of thinking so many things, you simply think of Kṛṣṇa. The sādhu will teach that. Sādhu's business... Why sādhu, to associate with sādhu, sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]? Now, sādhu will not teach anything else. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. This is the process of making spiritual advancement. If you have got any faith for making spiritual advancement, then you must associate with sādhus. Ādau śraddhā. Just like here people come. Here there is no other thing because here all the boys and girls and devotees, they are concerned with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That's all. The whole business, whole day's business, whole night's business, is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. From early morning at three o'clock to night, ten o'clock, they have only business of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Therefore they are sādhu. Therefore they are sādhu. This is the symptom of sādhu.

We cannot say that those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious are not suffering. They are suffering, but no so acutely. They know. Therefore we have begun this sādhu's symptoms, titikṣavaḥ, tolerant.

Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974: Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they... We cannot say that they are not suffering. They are suffering, but no so acutely. They know. Therefore we have begun this sādhu's symptoms, titikṣavaḥ, tolerant. Everyone is tolerant. One has to tolerate. But a sādhu's toleration and ordinary man's toleration is different. Sādhu's toleration is not so acute because a sādhu knows that he is not this body. There is a Bengali Vaiṣṇava song, deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra-bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. If we understand properly that "I am not this body," then, although there is suffering, you will not feel very much, although we are now absorbed with this body, bodily sufferings are there. Just like the example that you have got a car, and there is some accident. So one who is too much absorbed with the thought that "This is my car" or "I am car," he suffers more. But if one knows that "I am not this car. All right, there is some accident. It can be repaired or it can be... That doesn't matter." It is a question of absorption of the thought. The materialistic person, because they are like animal, he suffers more.

Therefore, in the sādhu's symptoms, beginning, that titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ [SB 3.25.21], they, a devotee, suffers; at the same time, he is very kind to these conditioned soul, how to elevate them, how to make them Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974: Therefore, in the sādhu's symptoms, beginning, that titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ [SB 3.25.21], they, a devotee, suffers; at the same time, he is very kind to these conditioned soul, how to elevate them, how to make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is kāruṇikāḥ. These are the very primary features of a devotee's life. People put him into suffering in so many ways, but he does not give up his job. His job is to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that others may become happy. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My Lord, I have no suffering. I have no suffering because I know the art, how to become happy." Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ [SB 7.9.43]. The same thing is described here: śṛṇvanti kathayanti. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I know how to become happy." How to become happy? "Now, simply hearing about You and chanting about You, that's all." Śṛṇvanti kathayanti. Just like here two business is going on: you are hearing, and I am speaking. Bodhayantaḥ parasparam. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanti [Bg. 9.13]. This bhajana means śṛṇvanti kathayanti. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]—this is bhajana. You simply hear about the Lord, you talk about the Lord. That is bhajana. Śravaṇam means you can further make progress. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is going on all over the world. Some is hearing about some politician, other is speaking about some politician or some other man, some important man in the society. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is going on. But they are suffering. But when the śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam is pertaining to Viṣṇu, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, then you will not be suffering. This is the... It requires experience. It requires advancement.

And sādhu's symptoms are described. And suhṛdaḥ. We have already explained. Suhṛdaḥ means well-wisher for everyone.

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974: So sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83] is so essential. And sādhu's symptoms are described. And suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ. We have already explained. Suhṛdaḥ means well-wisher for everyone. His heart is full of well-wishing for everyone. "Everyone" means for Indians, nationals? No, sarva-dehinām. Sarva-dehinām, all bodies, even for the cats and dogs. A devotee wishes welfare even of the cats and dogs by giving him prasādam: "Take little prasādam." So the dog will be also... There is an instance during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time. Devotees from Bengal were going to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and on the way a dog also began to follow them. So the leader of the party, Śivānanda Sena, he was also giving food, prasādam, to the dog, and they had to cross one river, and the boatman would not take the dog. Śivānanda Sena paid him some more money, that "You take the dog." This is Vaiṣṇava, that "This dog has taken our company. He is going with us. How I can leave him behind?" So he paid more money: "Please take this dog." This is called suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām [SB 3.25.21]. And the dog was emancipated. He went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he was sitting as dog, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was eating something and throwing it to the dog. In this way, the dog got Vaikuṇṭha. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that this consciousness, this sympathy for everyone, can dispatch even a dog to Vaikuṇṭha. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām.

Ajāta-śatravaḥ: A Vaiṣṇava is not enemy of anyone. This is the first, preliminary symptoms of a sādhu. The next? Mayy ananyena bhāvena: "simply attached to Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974: Ajāta-śatravaḥ: A Vaiṣṇava is not enemy of anyone, ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ, always peaceful. Sādhavaḥ sādhu. This is the first, preliminary symptoms of a sādhu. The next? Mayy ananyena bhāvena: "simply attached to Kṛṣṇa," ananyena bhāvena. These are the external, and these are internal. Ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām. Simply as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], so a devotee, a pure devotee, is simply attached to Kṛṣṇa. They are not dis... A devotee is not disrespectful to other demigods. That is a mistake, that "These Kṛṣṇa devotees, they do not care for other demigods." No. A Kṛṣṇa devotee cares for the other demigods very rightly because he knows what is the position of the other demigods in comparison to Kṛṣṇa.

This is sādhu. The first qualification is titikṣava. very tolerant. And Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said kṣamā-rūpaṁ tapasvinām. Those who are tapasvīs, their first duty is how much he is forgiving.

Room Conversation -- September 4, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: This is sādhu. Not the dress. Now what is the...

Harikeśa: "The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful, and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime."

Prabhupāda: This is sādhu. The first qualification is titikṣava. very tolerant. And Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said kṣamā-rūpaṁ tapasvinām. Those who are tapasvīs, their first duty is how much he is forgiving. How much he has learned to forgive. Kṣamā-rūpaṁ tapasvinām. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena [SB 6.1.13].

The symptoms of a sadhu is that he is tolerant, merciful, and friendly to all living entities.

Letter to Madhavananda -- Bombay 3 December, 1974: I am glad to understand that you are living and working peacefully with the others there. This is required. If we also fight and preach Krishna consciousness, what will people say? Therefore Lord Caitanya has stated: trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna. Another symptom of a sadhu or spiritually advanced man is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam by Lord Kapila: titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva dehinam [SB 3.25.21]. The symptoms of a sadhu is that he is tolerant, merciful, and friendly to all living entities.