Fame
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The fame a person receives because of being a devotee of Sri Krsna is described in the authoritative scripture Garuda Purana:
- kalau bhagavatam nama
- durlabham naiva labhyate
- brahma-rudra-padotkrstam
- guruna kathitam mama
"I have heard from my spiritual master that in the age of Kali it will be very difficult to find a person who is famous because of being a devotee of Sri Krsna, although such a position is better than the position of Brahma or Siva."
Sri Narada Muni has said,
- janmantara-sahasresu
- yasya syad buddhir idrsi
- daso 'ham vasudevasya
- sarval lokan samuddharet
"A person who considers himself the eternal servant of the Personality of Godhead Vasudeva (a conception that is achieved after thousands and thousands of births) can deliver all the fallen souls in material existence."
In the Bhagavad-gita, it is also confirmed that a person who is actually a mahatma or great soul, having thoroughly understood that Vasudeva is the Lord of all the universes, is very rarely found. After many, many births of acquiring knowledge, he surrenders unto Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead.
In the Adi Purana, it is said that the liberated souls, including the srutis, follow the pure devotees of Sri Krsna. In the Brhan-naradiya Purana it is stated:
- adyapi ca muni-srestha brahmadya api devatah
"Until now even the best among the munis (sages) or the demigods like Brahma and others do not understand the influence of the devotee who has completely surrendered to the transcendental service of Visnu."
In the Garuda Purana it is stated:
- brahmananam sahasrebhyah satra-yaji visisyate
- satra-yaji-sahasrebhyah sarva vedanta-paragah
- sarva-vedanta-vit-kotya visnu-bhakto visisyate
- vaisnavanam sahasrebhya ekanty eko visisyate
"Out of many, many thousands of brahmanas, one who is expert in the performance of sacrifices is considered the best. Out of many thousands of such experts in the performance of sacrifices, one who has surpassed all the knowledge in the Vedas is considered the best. Out of all those persons who have excelled in the studies of the Vedas, a person who is a devotee of Visnu, the Personality of Godhead, is considered the best. And out of many, many thousands of such worshipers of Visnu, one who is a pure Vaisnava or an exclusive devotee of Sri Krsna is the best because only he will attain the highest abode called Param-dhama, which is described in the Bhagavad-gita by Sri Krsna Himself."
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is also said that the purpose of acquiring knowledge of all the srutis and of endeavoring in all the other ways of spiritual culture is that one will become addicted to the process of hearing the transcendental qualities, name, and fame of Mukunda (Sri Krsna).
In the prayers of the Narayana-lila, it is said that a pure devotee does not desire to be situated even in the position of a Brahma if he is devoid of the devotional service of Godhead. Rather, the pure devotee prefers to become even a small insect if such a life is engaged in the devotional service of Godhead.