Who Are the Vaishnavas? Description and Signs

The word “Vaishnava” (Sanskrit) comes from the name of God, Vishnu. Who are Vaishnavas, or Hare Krishnas? It is not a matter of outward appearance, or even of belonging to any particular denomination.

For example, true Christians had exactly this kind of consciousness, so they too can be considered Vaishnavas, even though they professed a religious tradition different from that of the followers of Vedic philosophy.

A Vaishnava Is Not a Religion but a State of the Soul

To become a Vaishnava—a flawless person, a devotee of God—you do not have to put on monastic robes. No outward changes are needed. It is all very simple. You can become a Vaishnava without even changing your faith, as long as you follow a chosen, authoritative spiritual path. Following a spiritual path means accepting for yourself the set of rules and regulations that the spiritual masters on that path follow. For example, the Vedas prescribe that monks of the Vaishnava tradition shave their heads. But for family people this is not at all necessary. That is why it is hard to tell by outward signs who is a true Vaishnava, a devotee of God, and who is not.

Vaishnavas and Money: How Do They Go Together?

So who are Vaishnavas? Sometimes one gets the impression that Vaishnavas, or people of God (those who worship God), are always poor, unlucky and forgotten by everyone. But being a devotee of God, a Vaishnava, does not mean becoming a destitute beggar. For His devotees God always has wealth, fame and good fortune, if they need them in His service.

If we read the Vedic scriptures, we find that the Vaishnavas described there often include both the wealthiest kings and their servants (for example, Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami, King Prataparudra, Pundarika Vidyanidhi, the Pandava brothers) and poor devotees (Haridasa Thakura, the brahmana Sudama). But for these Vaishnavas neither wealth nor poverty meant anything. They could easily use either one in the service of God. Therefore wealth or fame is neither a sign of a true Vaishnava nor a sign that the person in front of you is not a Vaishnava.

Examples of Vaishnavas in Modern Life

George Harrison

For example, George Harrison, a member of the legendary Beatles, is considered one of the most famous followers of Vedic culture in the West. At the height of his fame, Harrison played an enormous role in spreading this teaching throughout the world, at the wish of his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. Thanks to George, the whole world learned almost overnight about the Vedic Hare Krishna mantra that Prabhupada was spreading. Records of the mantra featuring George sold in the millions.

When George Harrison asked his spiritual master whether he too could join the other Vaishnavas in the Society for Krishna Consciousness, shave his head and walk the streets singing the Hare Krishna mantra, Prabhupada replied:

And indeed, George rendered a great deal of service to his spiritual master and to the Lord while remaining a popular musician and drawing people, through himself, to the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. His family says that before he died George was chanting this mantra and looking at a portrait of his spiritual master, who will never forget the service George rendered him.

Alfred Ford

Alfred Ford (the great-grandson of Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford company) is another follower of Srila Prabhupada, his disciple and an exalted Vaishnava. Since the 1970s Ford has been one of the principal patrons of the organization founded by Prabhupada (ISKCON). Under Alfred’s leadership and thanks to his support, one of the largest religious buildings in the world is now rising—the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in the town of Mayapur, India.

The construction of this temple was foretold by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the father of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (the spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada). At a time when nobody in the West knew anything about the Vedas, Bhaktivinoda Thakura had a revelation that a vast temple city would be raised in Mayapur. Today anyone can see, online or in person, how the prophecy is coming true.

Srila Prabhupada’s Followers Are Changing the World

Only a few decades ago there was nothing on the site of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. I used to travel to India almost every year, and I watched this huge and very beautiful temple grow out of nothing. All this is becoming possible thanks to Alfred Ford. It is striking when aristocrats of such standing, very rich and famous, know how to combine business on a global scale with a very deep spiritual practice based on the Vedas—and build temples like this besides. It is amazing!

Srila Prabhupada changed for the better the lives of many prominent entrepreneurs, politicians, artists and scientists. Many of them have seriously embraced the Vedas and study them in depth. Yet they do not change their status or profession. They change only their hearts. After all, Prabhupada gave more than books. By the example of his own life he showed what the standard of life of a civilized person is. He showed how true Vaishnavas, or aryas, behave.

The Signs of a True Vaishnava

In The Nectar of Instruction, Srila Prabhupada’s translation of Rupa Gosvami’s eleven verses known as Upadeshamrita, it is said (verse 6):

dṛṣṭaiḥ svabhāva-janitair vapuṣaś ca doṣair
na prākṛtatvam iha bhakta-janasya paśyet
gaṅgāmbhasāṁ na khalu budbuda-phena-paṅkair
brahma-dravatvam apagacchati nīra-dharmaiḥ

Being situated in his original Kṛṣṇa conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee’s having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water.

In other words, it is impossible to tell from outward appearance who is a Vaishnava and who is not. We can judge only by a person’s actions. Whoever has given his whole life to the service of God and to the mission of a genuine spiritual master is undoubtedly a true Vaishnava.