Devanagari
भवन्ति पुरुषा लोके मद्भक्तास्त्वामनुव्रता: ।
भवान्मे खलु भक्तानां सर्वेषां प्रतिरूपधृक् ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
bhavanti puruṣā loke
mad-bhaktās tvām anuvratāḥ
bhavān me khalu bhaktānāṁ
sarveṣāṁ pratirūpa-dhṛk
Synonyms
bhavanti
—
become
;
puruṣāḥ
—
persons
;
loke
—
in this world
;
mat
—
bhaktāḥ — My pure devotees
;
tvām
—
you
;
anuvratāḥ
—
following in your footsteps
;
bhavān
—
you
;
me
—
My
;
khalu
—
indeed
;
bhaktānām
—
of all devotees
;
sarveṣām
—
in different mellows
;
pratirūpa
—
dhṛk — tangible example .
Translation
Those who follow your example will naturally become My pure devotees. You are the best example of My devotee, and others should follow in your footsteps.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
King of the demons! Having given up all material desires because of love for me, the devotees do not commit violence to any living entity, whether high or low.
Those who follow your example will naturally become my devotees. You are the best example for all devotees.
“The greatness of those devotees is not astonishing to me. But I am not like that.” Those men who follow you become my devotees. How? Having given up all desires by prema for me (mad-bhāva), they come completely (sarvātmanā) non-violent. Why can your glory not be expressed? You are a model for all the devotees. You are an example, since you are the best.
Purport
In this connection, Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes a verse from the
Skanda Purāṇa:
ṛte tu tāttvikān devān
nāradādīṁs tathaiva ca
prahrādād uttamaḥ ko nu
viṣṇu-bhaktau jagat-traye
There are many, many devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they have been enumerated in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(6.3.20) as follows:
svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ
kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ
prahlādo janako bhīṣmo
balir vaiyāsakir vayam
Of the twelve authorized devotees — Lord Brahmā, Nārada, Lord Śiva, Kapila, Manu and so on — Prahlāda Mahārāja is understood to be the best example.