“A Kṛṣṇa conscious person cannot sit idly. He thinks that “Such a nice philosophy of life, why it should not be distributed?” That is his mission. A yogī may be satisfied with his own elevation. He is sitting in a secluded place, practicing yoga, elevating himself to transcendental life. That is his personal concern. But a devotee is not satisfied simply elevating himself.

We offer our respect to the Vaiṣṇavas:
vānchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca
kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo
vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
Vaiṣṇava is he…, devotee is he who is very compassionate to these conditioned souls. Kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. Kṛpā means mercy, and sindhu means ocean. A devotee is ocean of mercy. He wants to distribute the mercy.”
– Shrila Prabhupada Lecture Excerpt, BG 6.25-29, February 18, 1969 Los Angeles

Lord Caitanya was asked by the residents of Kulinagrama on who is a Vaishnava for three years consecutively when they came to meet him. Lord Caitanya gave the following replies in succession – one who has once chanted the Holy Name is a Vaishnava, once who always chants the Holy Name is a Vaishnava, and third time, he said, just by seeing that devotee one starts chanting that is a Vaishnava.

Here, Prabhupada gives another definition of a Vaishnava, Actually, that is the Vaishnava pranama prayers we sing everyday. What a high qualification it is to be called as a Vaishnava!!! Krishna is called as “karuna-sindhu” and a devotee is also called as “kripa sindhu”.

Krishna gives His mercy in various ways – through His name, through His form, His darshana, His prasada, His devotees!!
And how do His devotees give mercy? By sharing the same knowledge with others, by extending themselves and by sacrificing their comforts.

If someone desires to be called as a Vaishnava, or if someone is aspiring to be a Vaishnava, one must check – Have I started developing compassion for others? Have I started going beyond my comfort zone?

In the verse vancha-kalpataru – all the three qualifications, or characteristics that are mentioned are about his or her grace. The first is kalpataru, meaning desire-fulfilling tree. A devotee fulfills the spiritual desires of others. Second, kripa-sindhu – an ocean of mercy, and third, patinanam pavanebhyah – one who delivers the fallen.

If a Vaishnava doesn’t show mercy, or if he or she gives up showing mercy, thinking that one need not do so, one no longer remains a Vaishnava. He becomes a Vaishnava-bandhu.

Shrila Prabhupada was a true Vaishnava. That is what differentiated him from others. When I had once asked HG Radheshyam Prabhu about my spiritual master, he mentioned my spiritual master’s heart is for compassion. My spiritual master’s search ended when he met Shrila Prabhupada. In Shrila Prabhupada, he found the essence, he found the most compassionate heart that was ready to forsake all conveniences for fulfilling the will of Mahaprabhu.