Question: Recently I was reading “Perfect Questions and Perfect Answers (which is a conversation between Prabhupada and one novice devotee.) During the conversation Prabhupada tells that he (Prabhupada) is not a perfect devotee. On being asked why he thinks so, he answers that a perfect devotee does not preach because he sees all living beings loving Krishna and that nobody is against Krishna! Subsequently he gives the example of Radharani who sees everybody as a devotee of Krishna.
I could not understand the above comments of Prabhupada. Could you please clarify the above statement that a perfect devotee does not preach!
Answer by Romapada Swami:
This of course is an instance of Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental humility, as well as a scriptural statement.
There are three grades of devotees, as identified in the Nectar of Instruction (Texts 5,6) – the kanishtha adhikari, madhyama adhikari, and uttama adhikari or perfected devotee. The kanistha adhikari or neophyte is one who has developed faith in worshiping Krishna but has not yet developed proper regard for Krishna’s devotees, nor compassion for others. The uttama adhikari is the perfected devotee, and is completely free from the tendency of fault finding. He sees everyone as being engaged in the service of Krishna, either directly or indirectly, and therefore he does not preach. But the madhyama adhikari has to make distinctions – he worships Krishna, makes friendship with devotees, shows compassion to the ignorant (and therefore preaches to them), and he avoids the envious.
However an uttama adhikari, in service to Krishna, may sometimes come to the madhyama platform and preach. Because he has to teach others, he externally engages in the four types of behavior recommended for the madhyama devotee.
This does not mean that there is any diminution in his advanced state consciousness or devotion, but he simply takes that position for the sake of service.
