Understanding Vaiṣṇava

Understanding Vaiṣṇava

His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
It is said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya: [Cc. Madhya 23.39] even a very intelligent man cannot understand the activities of a pure Vaiṣṇava. Therefore, because Durvasa Muni was a great mystic yogī, he first mistook Maharaja Am¬barisa for an ordinary human being and wanted to punish him. Such is the mistaken observation of a Vaiṣṇava. When Durvasa Muni was persecuted by the Sudarsana cakra, however, his intelligence developed. Therefore the word ātma-medhasā is used to indicate that by his personal experience he would understand how great a Vaiṣṇava the King was. When Durvasa Muni was chased by the Sudarsana cakra, he wanted to take shelter of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, and he was even able to go to the spiritual world, meet the Personality of Godhead and talk with Him face to face, yet he was unable to be rescued from the attack of the Sudarsana cakra. Thus he could understand the influence of a Vaiṣṇava by personal experience. Durvasa Muni was certainly a great yogī and a very learned brāhmaṇa, but despite his being a real yogī he was unable to understand the influ¬ence of a Vaiṣṇava. Therefore it is said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya: even the most learned person cannot understand the value of a Vaiṣṇava. There is always a possibility for so-called jñānīs and yogīs to be mistaken when studying the character of a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava can be understood by how much he is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in terms of his inconceivable activities.
– Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 09: “Liberation” > Chapter 04: Durvasa Muni’s Life Spared > Verse: 20, Purport by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.