Sri mad Bhagavatam - Prabhupada

Text 21]The Glories of Devotional Service1025ajata-satravaly. santaly.sadhavaly. sadhu-bhUa[llily.titik§ava-tolerant; kiirur;tikii-merciful; suhrda-friendly; sarvadehiniim-toall living entities; ajata-satrava-inimical to none; siintiipeaceful;sadhava-abiding by scriptures; sadhu-bhilar;tii-adorned withsublime characteristics.TRANSLATIONThe symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendlyto all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by thescriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.PURPORTA sadhu, as described above, is a devotee of the Lord. His concern,therefore, is to enlighten people in devotional service to the Lord. That ishis mercy. He knows that without devotional service to the Lord, humanlife is spoiled. A devotee travels all over the country, from door to door,preaching, "Be Krr:ta conscious. Be a devotee of Lord Krqa. Don't spoilyour life in simply fulfilling your animal propensities. Human life is meantfor self-realization or Krr:ta consciousness." These are the preachings of asadhu. He is not satisfied with his own liberation. He always thinks aboutothers. He is the most compassionate personality towards all the fallensouls. One of his qualifications, therefore, is karurtika, great mercy to thefallen souls. While engaged in preaching work he has to meet with so manyopposing elements, and therefore the sadhu or devotee of the Lord has tobe very tolerant. Someone may ill-treat him because the conditioned soulsare not prepared to receive the transcendental knowledge of devotionalservice. They don't like it; that is their disease. The sadhu has the thanklesstask of impressing upon them the importance of devotional service.Sometimes devotees are personally attacked with violence. Lord JesusChrist was crucified, Haridiisa 'fhiikura was caned in twenty-two marketplaces,and Lord Caitanya 's principal assistant, Nityananda, was violentlyattacked by Jagiii and Miidhiii. But still they were tolerant because theirmission was to deliver the fallen souls. One of the qualifications of a sadhuis that he is very tolerant and is merciful to all fallen souls. He is mercifulbecause he is the well-wisher of all living entities. He is not only a wellwisherof human society, but a well-wisher of animal society as well. It issaid here, sarva-dehinam, which indicates all living entities who have