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Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
tion to such actions and reactions, which are the result of pious and impious activities. Nor is a devotee very much disturbed or pleased by praise or condemnation by the people in general. A devotee is sometimes greatly praised by the people in general because of his transcendental activities, and sometimes he is criticized, even though there is no reason for adverse criticism. The pure devotee is always callous to praise or condemnation by the ordinary people. Actually, the devotee's activities are on the transcendental plane. He is not interested in the praise or condemnation of people engaged in material activities. If the devotee can thus maintain his transcendental position, then his liberation in this life and in the next life is guaranteed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A devotee's transcendental position within this material world is maintained in the association of pure devotees, simply by hearing the glorious activities enacted by the Lord in different ages and in different incarnations."
The Krṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this principle. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Thākur has sung, "My dear Lord, let me be engaged in Your transcendental loving service, as indicated by the previous  ācāryas , and let me live in the association of pure devotees. That is my desire, life after life." In other words, a devotee does not much care whether or not he is liberated, but he is anxious only for devotional service. Devotional service means that one does not do anything independently of the sanction of the  ācāryas . The actions of the Krṣṇa consciousness movement are directed by the previous  ācāryas , headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī; in the association of devotees following these principles, a devotee is able to perfectly maintain his transcendental position.
In the  Bhagavad-gītā , the Lord says that a devotee who knows Him perfectly is very dear to Him. Four kinds of pious men take to devotional service. If a man is pious, then in his distressed condition he approaches the Lord for mitigation of his distress. If a pious man is in need of material help, he also prays to the Lord for such help. If a pious man is actually inquisitive about the science of God, he also approaches the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krṣṇa. Similarly, a pious man who is simply anxious to know the science of Krṣṇa also approaches the Supreme Lord. Out of these four classes of men, the last is praised by Krṣṇa Himself in the  Bhagavad-gītā . A person who tries to understand Krṣṇa with full knowledge and devotion by following in the footsteps of previous  ācāryas  conversant with the scientific knowledge of the Supreme Lord is praiseworthy. Such a devotee can understand that all conditions of life, favorable and unfavorable, are created by the supreme will of the Lord. And when he has fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, he does