(Photo: A surrendered devotee receives the full mercy of Srila Prabhupada.)
"Even though a person is rejected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotees of the Lord do not reject him; therefore the Lord's devotees are more merciful than the Lord Himself. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura thus sings, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: one cannot be relieved from the material clutches without engaging in the service of pure devotees. The Lord Himself may sometimes be very hard, but the devotees are always kind."
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 10.67, Purport)
"Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try to engage them in the acts of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which are absolutely necessary for the human being."
(Bhagavad-gīta As It Is 3.29 Purport)
"The bona fide representative of God is as good as God Himself. Or, in other words, the loving representative of the Lord is more kind and more easy to approach. A sinful soul cannot approach the Lord directly, but such a sinful man can very easily approach a pure devotee of the Lord. And if one agrees to put himself under the guidance of such a devotee of the Lord, he can also understand the science of God and can also become like the transcendental pure devotee of the Lord and thus get his liberation back to Godhead, back home for eternal happiness."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.46, Purport)
"Kṛṣṇa said that devotees, that you should not disturb them. But devotees are so kind that taking all risk. Just like Nityānanda Prabhu took all risk, Lord Jesus Christ took all risk. Therefore a devotee is more kind than God. A devotee is more merciful than God Himself. We should always remember this.
And therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktaḥ pūjyābhyādhika. 'Anyone who worships My devotee, he worships more than what he can do for Me.' That means He appreciates the worship of His devotee than to Himself. So actually, devotees are so kind. Kṛṣṇa says, 'Those who are absorbed too much in material consciousness, don't disturb them.' But devotees take the risks, even at the cost of life. Therefore devotee is so dear to Kṛṣṇa. That will be explained in the Eighteenth chapter. 'The person who takes all risk for preaching God consciousness, nobody is dearer than him in the human society.' Kṛṣṇa says like that."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles, December 30, 1968)
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