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According to the Chaitanya Charitamrita, a true Vaishnava has to have the following 26 qualities:

  1. He is very kind to everyone
  2. He does not make anyone his enemy
  3. He is truthful
  4. He is equal to everyone
  5. No one can find any fault in him
  6. He is magnanimous
  7. He is mild
  8. He is always clean
  9. He is without possessions
  10. He works for everyone's benefit
  11. He is very peaceful
  12. He is always surrendered to Krishna/Vishnu
  13. He has no material desires
  14. He is very meek
  15. He is steady
  16. He controls his senses
  17. He does not eat more than required
  18. He is not influenced by the Lord's illusory energy
  19. He offers respect to everyone
  20. He does not desire any respect for himself
  21. He is very grave
  22. He is merciful
  23. He is friendly
  24. He is poetic
  25. He is expert
  26. He is silent

Are there any other scriptures that talk about the qualities of a true Vaishnava? What about Vaishnava saints and acharyas? What do they say regarding this?

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    BTW nice qualities. But some think that "he who considers Vishnu supreme is a Vaishnava". Now, this property or quality is not listed here and its nice to see that
    – Rickross
    Aug 20, 2017 at 17:34
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    @Rickross, strong words there.. maybe you didn't read item no.12. All of us are humans, and by that nature, we have faults, we are not perfect. In the journey to become perfect, we need to be devoted to someone who is perfect, our ishta-devata, who we believe as the supreme. I see absolutely nothing wrong with each sect claiming their ishta-devata is supreme, nor with each sect claiming that other sects are wrong. It is this devotion which will slowly erode our faults. If someone claiming Shiva is supreme has a fault, is that a fault of Shiva ?
    – mar
    Aug 20, 2017 at 23:41
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    @Rickross, considering one's ishta-devata to be supreme, is a necessary but not sufficient condition to be called a '-ite', whether Brahma-ite, Shaiv-ite, Indra-ite. So you can call them incomplete (if you know that they lack other atma-gunas), but not fools. It is true that people claim to be Shaktha, or Ganapathya, but don't exactly follow ALL the shastras. If that was the yardstick, there may only be 10 such people in the whole world. I understand your frustration that people who are not following all shastras of their ishta-devata are demeaning other devatas, but that is human nature.
    – mar
    Aug 21, 2017 at 0:02
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    It is absolutely correct to think that Lord Vishnu is the Supreme Lord. It is said in the Bhagavatam 10.89.14 vedabase.com/en/sb/10/89/14-17 "Amazed upon hearing Bhṛgu’s account, the sages were freed from all doubts and became convinced that Viṣṇu is the greatest Lord." Also in the Bhagavatam 12.13.16 vedabase.com/en/sb/12/13/16 it is said about Lord Vishnu: "Lord Acyuta the supreme among deities". There are many of such verses in the scriptures where it is said that Vishnu is the Supreme and no one is to be compared with Him. Aug 21, 2017 at 3:01
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    @ram ... And that thing what you said sarva deva namaskaram ... "As the water that falls down in rain from anywhere in the sky finally reaches the Ocean, the worship of any divine aspect ultimately reaches the Supreme Being" will not be of much help to those people who think that Brahma and Shiva are absolutely equal to Vishnu, because that belief of theirs is contrary to truth, and is a type of ignorance which will prevent them to reach moksha. Aug 22, 2017 at 23:14

1 Answer 1

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Qualities of a Vaishnava is described by Lord Vishnu himself in Padma Purana, Part 10, Section 7 (KRIYAYOGASARAKHANDA), Chapter 2 as below:

83-103. Those who are without lust and anger, who are free from harmfulness and hypocrisy, who are free from'greed and folly, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those who are not jealous, who are kind, who desire the good of all beings, who speak the truth, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those who advise pious acts, who practise pious acts, who serve their preceptors (and elders), should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those who look upon you, me and Sankara as equal, and who honour a guest, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those who have expounded the Vedic learning, who are always devoted to brahmanas, who are impotent to other women (i.e. women who are not their wives), should be known to be Visriu's devo- tees. Those who devoutly observe the Ekadasi-vow, who sing my names, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those who put up temples of deities, who wear tulasi-garlands, who wear lo- tuses and aksa-seeds, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. O Brahman, those whose bodies are marked with (the signs of) my weapons like the conch, the disc, the mace, the lotus, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. O Lotus-seated (Brahman), those around whose necks are (worn) the garlands of dhatrl-fruits, and who worship me with the leaves of dhatrl, should be known as Visnu's devotees. Those who put marks (on their body) with the clay from the root of the tulasi-tree and with the mud of tulasi- wood, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those who are devoted to a bath in Ganga, to (repeating) the name of Ganga, and describe the greatness of Ganga, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those in whose house the iSalagrama-stone always remains, so also remains the holy text of Bhagavata, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. O best one, those who everyday clean my places, who offer me lamps, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those who again make new (i.e. repair) my shattered temple, and put there decorations, should be known as Visnu's devotees. O you Four-faced (Brahma), those who grant secu- rity to the timid, who give knowledge to the brahmanas, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those whose heads are sprink- led with the water (flowing) from my feet, and who eat the offer- ings of eatables presented to me, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those who offer food and water to those oppressed by hunger and thirst, and those who take to devout deeds, should be known to be Visnu's devotees. Those who construct gardens and plant the pippala-trees, those who serve cows, should be known to be Vaisnavas. O Brahman, those great devotees who make offering of libations of water everyday to the deceased ancestors, who serve the distressed, should be known to be Vaisnavas. Those who construct lakes and put up villages, who are engaged in offering their daughters (in marriage), who serve their parents-in-law, should be known to be Vaisnavas. Those who wait upon their eldest sister and eldest brother and who do not censure others, should be known to be Vaisnavas.

104-111- All virtues are present in Visnu's devotees. (Even) a particle of blemish is not present in them. Therefore, O Four- faced (Brahman), you now be a Vaisnava. O lord of the beings, always propitiate me with the employment of devout deeds. Un- doubtedly everything will be good for you. O four-faced (Brah- man), those who look upon the wealth of a deity, the wealth of a brahmana, and the wealth of others as poison, should be known to be Vaisnavas. Those who are free from devotion to heretics, who are highly devoted to Siva, who are engaged in (observing) the vow of Caturdasi, should be known to be Vais- navas.

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    Wow this is great "Those who look upon you, me and Sankara as equal, and who honour a guest, should be known to be Visnu's devotees" a tight slap on the pseudo devotees.
    – Rickross
    Aug 20, 2017 at 17:38
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    @Rickross yes and also this who are highly devoted to Siva Aug 20, 2017 at 17:39
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    Yes that was my idea too before i joined this site. That true devotees will be like that only.
    – Rickross
    Aug 20, 2017 at 17:41
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    @Rickross was? So have you changed your idea after joining this site. I am still stick on this. :) Aug 20, 2017 at 17:43
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    haha no, i am not changed. But i got to see some new kind of people here about whom i was not aware of earlier. BTW the passage u quoted is very precisely answering this question: hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/19749/… So u can answer that as well.
    – Rickross
    Aug 20, 2017 at 17:47

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