Question: What is the definition of a Vaishnava? (by Anja Sorensen and Rikke Jensen)
Narasingha Maharaja:
grhitaivisnudiksako visnu-pujaparo narah
vaisnavo 'bhihito 'bhijnairitaro 'smadavaisnavah
"One who is initiated into the Vaishnava mantra and who is devoted to worshipping Lord Vishnu/Krishna is a Vaishnava. One who is devoid of these practices is not a Vaishnava. (quote from Hari-bhakti-vilas,11, quoted from Padma Purana)
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explains three kinds of Vaishnavas:
An Ordinary Vaishnava:
prabhu-kare, 'yanra mukhe suni eka-bara
krsna-nama, sei pujya, srestha sabakara
"Who chants the holy name of Krishna just once may be considered a Vaishnava. Such a person is worshipable and is the topmost human being." (CC. Mad.15.106)
A Superior Vaishnava,
krsna-nama nirantara yanhara vadane
se vaisnava-srestha, bhaja tanhara carane
"A person who is always chanting the holy name of the Krishna is a superior Vaishnava and your duty is to serve his lotus feet." (CC. Mad.16.72)
The Topmost Vaishnava,
yanhara darsane mukhe aise krsna-nama
tanhare janiha tumi vaisnava-pradhana
"The topmost Vaishnava is he/she whose very presence makes others chant the holy name of Krishna. Such a Vaishnava is superior to all others!" (CC. Mad.16.74)
The heart of a Vaishnava is by nature softened due to the touch of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. By nature a Vaishnava is Paraduhki-duhki, that is, he feels pain when he sees the suffering of others.
mahad-vicalanam nrnam grhinam dina-cetasam
nihsre yasaya bhagavan kalpate nanyatha kvacit
"O Narada, great persons like you visit the homes of family men, not to profit from them but simply to bestow eternal auspiciousness upon them, even though they are often reluctant to hear anything for their spiritual benefit, being too materialistic. Otherwise you have no need to travel from one place to the next." (Bhag.10.8.4)
There are twelve great such Vaishnavas from the Vedic Age known as Mahajanas:
svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlada janako bhismo balir vaiyasakir vayam
Brahma, Narada, Siva, the four Kumaras, Kapiladeva, Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada, Janaka Maharaja, Bhisma, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Goswami and I (Yamaraja) know the real transcendental principles of religion. (Bhag. 6.3.20)
Prahlada is the Best of the Devotees;
kvaham rajah-prabhava isa tamo 'dhike'smin jatah suretara-kule kva tavanukampa
na brahmano na tu bhavasya na vai ramaya yan me 'rpitah sirasi padma-karah prasadah
"O my Lord, because I was born in a family full of the hellish material qualities of passion and ignorance, what is my position? And what is to be said of Your causeless mercy, which You never offered even to Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, or the goddess of fortune, Laksmi? You never put Your lotus hands upon their heads, but You have put it on mine." (Bhag. 7.9.26)
Better than Prahlada are the Pandavas;
na tu prahladasya grhe param brahma vasati
na ca tad darsanartham munasya tad grhan abhiyanti
na ca tasya brahma matuleyadi rupena varttate
na ca svayam eva prasannam,
ato yuyam eva tato 'pyasmatto 'pi bhuri-bhaga iti bhavah
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead did not personally remain in Prahlada's home, although He stayed in the home of the Pandavas. Great sages did not travel to Prahlada's home to see the Supreme Lord, but for this purpose they did visit the home of the Pandavas. The Supreme Lord did not become the intimate relative of Prahlada Maharaja, He was the maternal cousin of the Pandavas. He also did not personally express great pleasure at the daily activities of Prahlada as He did with the Pandavas. For all these reasons, Narada Muni has said that the Pandavas were more fortunate than either himself or Prahlada." (Laghu- Bhagavatamrta, Uttara-khanda 19)
The Yadavas are Superior to the Pandavas;
sadati san-nikrstatvat mamatadhikyato hareh
pandavebhyo'pi yadavah kecit sresthatama matah
"Because of their constant intimate association with Lord Krishna and close ties with Him, some members of the Yadu dynasty are more exalted than the Pandavas." (Laghu- Bhagavatamrta, Uttara-khanda 18)
Uddhava is Superior to the Yadavas
na tatha me priyatama atma-yonir na sankarah
na ca sankarsano na srir naivatma ca yatha bhavan
"O Uddhava, Brahma, Siva, Sankarshana, Laksmidevi and even My own self in not a dear to Me as you are." (Bhag. 11.14.15)
noddhava 'nv api man-nyuno yad gunair narditah prabhuh
ato mad-vayunam lokam grhayann iha tisthatu
"Uddhava is not inferior to Me in any way. He is never affected by the modes of material nature. As such he may remain in this world to disseminate specific knowledge about the Personality of Godhead." (Bhag. 3.4.31)
The Gopis are Superior to Uddhava
asam aho carana-renu-jusam aham syam
vrndavane kim api gulam-latausadhinam
ya dustyajam sva-janam arya-patham ca hitva
bhejur mukunda-padavim srutibhir vimrgyam
"O when will that day be mine, when I can take the dust of the lotus feet of those great souls known as the gopis on my head. When will the day come when I shall take birth as a creeper in Vrindavana, so that I can take the dust of the lotus feet of the gopis on my head? Those great souls gave up society, friendship, love, their very relatives--even the Vedic principles--to surrender to Krishna, who is known as Mukunda. Such devotion as exhibited by these exalted inhabitants of Vrindavana is only hinted at in the Vedas." (Bhag. 10.47.61)
The Gopis are Superior to the Laksmis in Vaikuntha
na tatha me priyatamo brahma rudras ca parthiva
na ca laksmir na catma ca yatha gopijano mama
"Not even Brahma, Siva, Lakksmidevi or even My own self is as dear to Me as are the gopis of Vrindavana." (Adi-Purana)
Radharani is the Best of all Devotees;
yatha radha priya visnos-tasyah kundam priyam tatha
sarva gopisu saivaika visnor-atyanta-vallabha
"Srimati Radharani is dear to Krishna, and Her kunda, known as Radha Kunda is similarly dear to Him. It is the favorite place of Krishna. Of all the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the most dear to Krishna." (Laghu-bhagavatamrta, 45)
karmibhyah parito hareh priyataya vyaktim yayur jnaninas-
tebhyo jnana-vimukta-bhakti-paramah premaika-nisthas-tatah
tebhyas-tah pasu-pala-pankaja-drsas tabhyapi sa radhika
prestha tad-vadiyam tadiya-sarasi tam nasrayet kah krti
"In the scriptures it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, one who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge, jnanis may take to devotional service. He is superior to others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of Krishna, is superior to him. The gopis are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are totally dependent on Krishna, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the most dear to Krishna. Her kunda, or lake, is as profoundly dear to Krishna as is this most beloved of the gopis. Who then, will not reside at Radha Kunda, and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings, (aprakrta-bhava) render loving service to the divine couple, Sri Sri Radha Govinda, who perform Their asta-kaliya-lila. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of the Radha Kunda are the most fortunate souls in the universe." (Upadesamrta 10, Srila Rupa Goswami)
The above ontology on the topic of "Vaishnava" was first compiled in the book Gaudiya Kanthahara, under the chapter Vaishnava-tattva, by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada.
