Vrtrasura's transcendental qualities from SB 6.10 to 6.11

Vrtrasura was Maharaj Citraketu in his previous birth. Having been cursed by Mother Parvati - he had to take birth as an ugly demon and fight against the demigods and against Indra. He was destined to be killed by Indra in the battlefield and thus return back home back to Godhead.

Some important qualities that stand out in the chapters 10,11 and 12:

• Change in Designation did not affect his service:

• In his previous life he was Maharaj Citraketu and once he was liberated he had the benediction to fly anywhere at will with access to Kailasa and the Vaikuntha planets.
• So in spite of being in a demon's body - which was a major change in designation from being a king to becoming an ugly demon he was UNFLINCHING in his service to the Lord - he continued fighting enthusiastically because that was the Lord's desire. In fact he was the most enthusiastic fighter from the demons side and could alone challenge and defeat the demigods
• This is an important lesson to be learned by us - that if we lose our designation in a particular service we must not be disheartened - if we are that means we are materially attached. There is a lot of service to do in Lord Caitanya's movement and we must also be attached to mood of service and not the designation that comes with the service
• He was unattached to the material outcome of the battle
• He knew that he would be killed on the battlefield by Indra. However that did not affect his attitude of fighting in the battle, because he did not care about the material outcome of the battle , all he cared about was being unflinching in his service to the Supreme Lord.
• He was not complacent even after knowing that he would go BTG after he died in the battle:

• SP said all his disciples would go back to the Spiritual World - does that mean that the followers of SP do not need to render service anymore and they can become complacent> Similarly Vrtrasura inspite of knowing that he would eventually go BTG and remain in the association of devotees it did not make him complacent- he did not allow Indra to defeat him easily
• He performed his occupational duty  even in the most difficult situation:
• He was born as a demon and thus his occupational duty was to fight against the demigods. This was a very difficult occupational duty to perform for anyone. But because he was a great devotee of the Lord he was not at all disturbed by the change of body and he continued his occupational duty with great enthusiasm
• It is said that when there are reversals the devotees of the Lord are not at all disheartened, in fact they are excited in thinking about new ways to engage in the service of the Lord, in spite of the difficult situation. Thus they are always enthusiastic.
• He was attached to the service unlike Indra and the demigods who fought for the protection of their material assets.

• In the verses 6.11.25 -6.11.27 he prays to the Lord that he does not desire Dhruvaloka, the heavenly planets, the powers of mystic yoga ,etc - he basically does not desire anything that is asat - he only desires service to the Lord's Lotus Feet and association of His devotees so that he can always remember the Lord.
  
• He encouraged Indra in the battle to kill him:

• Indra was overcome by fear in the battlefield- Having dropped his thunderbolt- however Vrtrasura encouraged him to fight in the battle and defeat him- He also reminded Indra of the power of the Thunderbolt which would definitely kill Vrtrasura.
• Vrtrasura could do this because he was not attached to the concept of relative victory- which means he wasn't attached to winning or losing the battle. Vrtrasura was attached to absolute victory- always being engaged in the service of the Lord.
• Because of such consciousness he could encourage Indra to perform his service of fighting properly and give him faith in the thunderbolt as Lord Vishnu himself had said it would kill Vrtrasura.
• In our services we will be able to become non-envious and encourage fellow devotees if we are also situated in the concept of absolute victory of only desiring constant unmotivated uninterrupted service for ourselves and for others. We therefore can encourage others also in the their attempts in glorifying the Lord.
• He had strong faith:
• Because he had strong faith in the Lord, he was able to remain a sincere servant of the Lord in spite of the greatest difficulty
• He had the perfect remedy to stress management:
• His faith and attachment to the Lord's service kept him fixed and unaffected from the greatest source of stress - impending death
• His atttitude towards devotional service was misunderstood but he still continued in service
• If we are doing service very sincerely but our motives are misunderstood by our superiors and our peers it can be very devastating for our devotional life.However Vrtrasura inspite of being so badly misunderstood continued his devotional service.
• He exhibited samadhi
• At the time of death he was deeply meditating upon the Lord oblivious of external circumstances

Lord Krishna instructs Uddhava on how He can be attained

SB 11.12.12: My dear Uddhava, just as great sages in yoga trance merge into self-realization, like rivers merging into the ocean, and are thus not aware of material names and forms, similarly, the gopīs of Vṛndāvana were so completely attached to Me within their minds that they could not think of their own bodies, or of this world, or of their future lives. Their entire consciousness was simply bound up in Me.

SB 11.12.13: All those hundreds of thousands of gopīs, understanding Me to be their most charming lover and ardently desiring Me in that way, were unaware of My actual position. Yet by intimately associating with Me, the gopīs attained Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth.

SB 11.12.14-15: Therefore, My dear Uddhava, abandon the Vedic mantras as well as the procedures of supplementary Vedic literatures and their positive and negative injunctions. Disregard that which has been heard and that which is to be heard. Simply take shelter of Me alone, for I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead, situated within the heart of all conditioned souls. Take shelter of Me wholeheartedly, and by My grace be free from fear in all circumstances.

Simply by association with Me and My devotees, they achieved Me.

SB 11.12.1-2: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, by associating with My pure devotees one can destroy one's attachment for all objects of material sense gratification. Such purifying association brings Me under the control of My devotee. One may perform the aṣṭāńga-yoga system, engage in philosophical analysis of the elements of material nature, practice nonviolence and other ordinary principles of piety, chant the Vedas, perform penances, take to the renounced order of life, execute sacrificial performances and dig wells, plant trees and perform other public welfare activities, give in charity, carry out severe vows, worship the demigods, chant confidential mantras, visit holy places or accept major and minor disciplinary injunctions, but even by performing such activities one does not bring Me under his control.

SB 11.12.3-6: In every yuga many living entities entangled in the modes of passion and ignorance gained the association of My devotees. Thus, such living entities as the Daityas, Rākṣasas, birds, beasts, Gandharvas, Apsarās, Nāgas, Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Guhyakas and Vidyādharas, as well as such lower-class human beings as the vaiśyas, śūdras, women and others, were able to achieve My supreme abode. Vṛtrāsura, Prahlāda Mahārāja and others like them also achieved My abode by association with My devotees, as did personalities such as Vṛṣaparvā, Bali Mahārāja, Bāṇāsura, Maya, Vibhīṣaṇa, Sugrīva, Hanumān, Jāmbavān, Gajendra, Jaṭāyu, Tulādhāra, Dharma-vyādha, Kubjā, the gopīs in Vṛndāvana and the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifice.

SB 11.12.7: The persons I have mentioned did not undergo serious studies of the Vedic literature, nor did they worship great saintly persons, nor did they execute severe vows or austerities. Simply by association with Me and My devotees, they achieved Me.