What does Gita say about the mark of a Bhakta (devotee):
Bhakti (devotion) is a state of mind. Bhakta (devotee of God) has certain unmistakable characteristics. Following are the qualities that the Lord admires in a Bhakta (devotee). The list appears in Bhakti Yoga- Chapter 12 of the Gita.
NOTE: The Lord is beyond gender. His teachings are applicable to all devotees, men and women alike.
Advesta sarvabhutanam: Bears
To a devotee, all happenings- agreeable and disagreeable- are prasada (gift or grace) from the Lord; Lord knows best. There is no question of disliking anything or bearing ill will against anyone. With this value, in modern times, Abraham Lincoln was able to finish his task gracefully against colossal odds. Mahatma Gandhi did the same. Ill will toward others simply breeds hatred, and saps one’s energies.
Maitrah: Friendly toward all
With this value one minimizes one’s sense of liking and disliking, and practices objective outlook. Friendly exchange is a winning ticket for any interaction.
Karuna: Compassionate
A spiritually advanced person is friendly and compassionate to all because he believes that all beings are His manifestation. A worldly person practices this virtue to remain objective and maximize his energies in the business world.
Nirmamo: Free from the idea, “it is mine”.
This virtue is essential for God realization and spiritual pursuit, otherwise one remains firmly bound to the worldly life. Too much of selfishness spells trouble for worldly life too. One should be careful to control this urge.
Nirahankarah: Free from ego
Ego and selfishness go hand in hand. Though worldly people keep asserting that for worldly accomplishments one must have an ego, is common knowledge that too much ego brings trouble for worldly pursuit too. Ego should be minimized for every day life by having an understanding for the needs of others. Elimination of ego is never easy; it is not meant for everyone. Love for God is the best way to minimize it. According to Sri Ramakrishna, one should develop ‘devotee ego’ or ‘servant ego’ to minimize its effect.
Sama Dukha Sukhah: Even
Minded in Pain and Pleasure
Both pain and pleasure arrive from outside due to contact with sense objects. So long as the mind is working and the body functioning, favorable and unfavorable events will be upon us like waves; they will come and go; one simply has to bear them (Gita 2.14). They are all temporary. Mind has to be trained to realize that events will turn from favorable to unfavorable, and from unfavorable to favorable like clock work; no one can change it.
Kshmi: Forbearance
With this value one is able to bear all external hardship, physical and mental, cheerfully.
Capacity to forbear is a tremendous inner virtue for a person who knows that he is in control, and is never on reactive mode. No event can make a permanent impression on him. Such a person can be friendly and compassionate to all. By practicing forbearance one develops strong personality.
Santushtah: Ever Content
A person is ever content because he knows the fleeting nature of the worldly life. An ever content person does not mean an inert person. It simply means that such a person can walk in and out of luxury at a moment’s notice; honor and dishonor, profit and loss does not shake him. In business life such a person does not get disheartened easily, and maintains high energy regardless of outcome. A spiritually inclined person with this quality practices Asaktih (non-attachment to the perishables).
Yatatma: Controls body, mind,
intellect
Control is the one essential element for human development- social or spiritual.
Dridha-nishchayah: Determined
Mind
A wavering mind never achieves anything- spiritual enlightenment or material benefit. This quality is not to be confused with a closed mind filled with ego. A person with this quality is self confident, tenacious, knowledgeable and is willing to wander into uncharted territory. This is an essential quality for attaining excellence.
Yasmanno-dvijate Loko
Lokanno-dvijate:
One by whom the world is not agitated, and who cannot be agitated by the world.
With this value a person has achieved oneness with the world. When oneness is established there is a cessation of fear, jealousy and anger. This person poses no threat to anyone, and his behavior shows. The world too reciprocates lovingly to this person. This is one essential quality of a devotee
Harshamarsha Bhayodvegaih Muktah:
Free from excessive delight, intolerance, fear and anxiety. Focus is on the control of emotions. It never says not to have emotions and become cold hearted. It just cautions not to be carried away by fleeting events.
Anapekshah: Unattached.
With this virtue the devotee is not attached to any worldly object, not to property-name-fame, not even to his body. He thinks that there is no gain higher than God realization.
Shuchih: Pure
The body, mind, intellect of the devotee becomes pure because he has neither egoism nor the sense of mine. Such a devotee because of internal and external purity sanctifies other people who behold him, touch him or talk to him.
Daksha: Skillful
The devotee is skillful in attaining the aim of human life- God realization.
Udasinah: Indifferent
The devotee is indifferent to worldly happenings. This devotee is not to be misunderstood to be lazy or disinterested to the welfare of his family or neighbors. A devotee is always an energetic person dedicated to the welfare of all. However, he is disinterested in taking part in activities to satisfy his own ego or the selfish motive of someone else.
Gatavyathah: Not troubled
The devotee remains free from afflictions and worries; not troubled by favorable and unfavorable circumstances. Worries make a person inefficient. A worried person falls prey to jealousy, suspicion and anger. A devotee leaves the results to the Lord, and keeps working efficiently.
Sarvarambha-parityagi: Renounces all initiatives of new action
The devotee renounces all initiatives for action for pleasure and prosperity, because his only desire is for God realization. Only when one weans himself of worldly desire (such as, name, fame, property, progeny, lust, pleasure), one starts on his path to God realization. For a bhakta the only reality is God.
Na Hrishya Na Dveshti Na Shochati
Na Kamshati:
Neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires.
Such quality is not to be confused with a heartless or a depressed person. A bhakta sheds tears too. He too has joys in his life. But he knows that the worldly circumstances cannot be controlled by him; all he can do is exert to the fullest. Bhakta is never indolent (lazy). Matter of fact, a bhakta is always a great worker; he is never disheartened by hard work, nor by unfavorable outcome, nor unduly elated by instant gain. To him, every work is Lord’s work, every outcome is Lord’s wishes. He thankfully and joyfully accepts every outcome as Prasada (grace).
Shubhashubha-parityagi: Not attached to good and evil
The devotee is neither attached to good action, nor is averse to evil ones. Good and bad lost their meaning to him; all are manifestation of the same Lord. The devotee is beyond attachment and aversion.
Samah Shatrau cha Mitre cha; Treats friend and foe alike
To a devotee there is no difference between a friend and an enemy. To him it is all “Leela” (divine sport) of the Lord. On this earthly plane everyone has a role to play.
Samah Manapmana-au: Treats praise and criticism alike
The devotee has no ego. So, the devotee does not get puffed up with praise, nor is he depressed or angry with criticism.
Tulya-ninda-stutir-mauni: Treats
praise and censure alike; remains quiet
The devotee treats praise and censure alike because of absence of ego. The devotee does not talk unnecessarily. He spend his time in work and contemplation instead.
Aniketah: Homeless
A devotee never has the sense of possessing property. He renounced his attachment to the property he uses. If unfavorable circumstances deny him home (safe shelter), he never feels sorry for himself either. Every place is his home; no one is a stranger. When he travels to a distant land he is never out of place. Everyone belongs to him; he belongs to everyone. The last instruction of Sri Ma (Sharada Devi) to a devotee was, “..Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own.”