# Twelve Mahajanas *The twelve great authorities on bhakti-yoga and devotional service* ## The Twelve Mahajanas ### 1. Brahma - Creator of the universe - First teacher of Vedic knowledge - Initiated the lineage of bhakti ### 2. Narada - Celestial sage and great devotee - Wandering preacher of Krishna consciousness - Author and musician ### 3. Shiva - Destroyer and transformer - Greatest devotee of Krishna - Engrossed in meditation ### 4. Kumara (Sanatkumara and the four Kumaras) - [[index/entries/kumaras|Kumaras]] - Eternal children of Brahma - Always engaged in Krishna-nama (chanting) ### 5. Kapila - Avatar of Krishna - Propagated Sankhya philosophy - Son of Devahuti ### 6. Manu - [[index/entries/manu|Manu]] - First lawgiver - Preached dharma and bhakti - Progenitor of humanity ### 7. Prahlad - Great devotee despite being demoniac - Protected by Narasimha - Exemplar of pure devotion ### 8. Bhisma - Grandsire of the Kuru dynasty - Devoted servant of Krishna - Died in Krishna's memory ### 9. Janaka - Self-realized king - Father of Sita - Engaged in royal duties and meditation ### 10. Bali Maharaja - [[index/entries/bali|Bali]] - Asura king with pure devotion - Surrendered to Krishna - Though demoniac, achieved liberation ### 11. Yamaraja - [[index/entries/yamaraja|Yamaraja]] - Lord of death and justice - Always remembers Krishna's form and qualities ### 12. Balaram - Sri Balaram (Balarama), Krishna's brother - Avatar of Shesha-naga - Supreme devotee ## Significance of the Mahajanas - Each exemplifies different aspects of bhakti-yoga - Their examples are authorities for spiritual practice - Different contexts require different approaches to devotion ## Related Topics - [[index/personalities/incarnations|Incarnations]] - Various avatars among the mahajanas - [[index/personalities/devotees|Devotees]] - Examples for all devotees - [[index/personalities/acaryas|Acaryas]] - Teachers in the lineage --- *This index is under development. Additional entries from Śrīla Prabhupāda's books, lectures, conversations and letters will be added as the indexing work progresses.*