If one is asked, “Of what ‘material’ devotees are made up of?”, a fitting answer would be, “Devotees are made up of the material of ‘affection for devotees’.”
Devotees’ affection for other devotees never diminishes even if tested to any degree. Rather, it keeps on glowing brighter and brighter. A devotee’s darshan of another devotee is free from malice, prejudice, and envy. Even when a devotee may apparently offend, criticize, blaspheme another devotee, his or her affection for devotees doesn’t wane.
Pariksit Maharaja was cursed by a small brahmana boy. Yet, the same Pariksit went to the bank of Ganges, and took shelter of brahmanas. He surrendered his life wholesale for the brahmanas.
Citraketu Maharaja was cursed by mother Parvati to become a demon. For a devotee to become a demon is unacceptable even in his wildest dreams. Even in the present life, a devotee would not act contrary to religious principles. A devotee would never take the side of demons and plot against other devotees.
Citraketu got cursed by one the topmost devotees, Parvati. He didn’t retaliate. He humbly accepted the curse.
In his next life, Citraketu became Vrtrasura, a very powerful demon. And what did he do? He fought against the devotees! Demigods are, after all, devotees of the Supreme Lord.
Ultimately, he was killed by Indra, the chief of the demigods. In the hierarchy of devotees mentioned in Brhad Bhagavatamrta whom Narada met, Indra’s name also appears. Whenever Indra performs any yajna, Lord Vishnu personally appears to accept the offering.
Vrtrasura knew his fate. He was destined to be killed by Indra.
Yet, in his prayers, what does Vrtrasura mention? In his very first prayer, he desires to be the servant of the servant of devotees!
Vrtrasura, in his previous life, got little association of Narada and Parvat Muni, by whose grace he got detached from material life. By their blessings, he attained darshan of Lord Sankarshana.
When he was travelling with Vidyadhari women in a beautiful celestial plane singing the glories of the Lord, he saw Lord Shiva and Parvati. Seeing Lord Shiva talk about renunciation with Parvati sitting on his lap, Citraketu mildly laughed and spoke words that were an indirect glorification of Shiva’s renunciation. Parvati got angry and cursed him.
While appreciating another devotee, a third devotee cursed Citraketu. In his next life, many devotees fought against him, and one devotee killed him. Yet, what was his pole star in life? His internal wiring was so strong that external situations didn’t affect him. He didn’t lose respect for devotees even to the slightest extent. He only desired to be the servant of devotees, come what may.
ahaṁ hare tava pādaika-mūla-
dāsānudāso bhavitāsmi bhūyaḥ
manaḥ smaretāsu-pater guṇāṁs te
gṛṇīta vāk karma karotu kāyaḥ
O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, may I again be able to be a servant of Your eternal servants who find shelter only at Your lotus feet. O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my mind may always think of Your transcendental attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in the loving service of Your Lordship. SB 6.11.24
Do we have affection for devotees the way Vrtrasura has? Do we admire devotees in spite of their erratic behaviors, their discrepancies, their harsh chastisements? If yes, then we can understand we are going closer towards Krishna. If not, we need to sincerely try to emulate the behavior, the aspiration of exalted Vaishnavas like Vrtrasura and Pariksit Maharaja mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam.
