Vaishnava or Devotee: Glories of a Pure Devotee

Q. If I have two options, viz.
1) Serve someone in need i.e. help others through community service -OR-
2) Chant the name of the God.

Q. People should help people just for the sake of helping them, and without any additional motivation. The propagation of that kind of behavior is the positive part of society in general. Doing everything for God negates the basic human decency of every good act, even though the outcome might be the same. The difference in motivation removes all of the good will from the equation. Essentially, people who do things only for indirect purposes are only automatons.

Q. I was wondering if you could help me understand something. Could you please explain the exchange of karma/bhakti involved when you take someone's remnants? Could you explain the following scenarios if there is a difference...

1) Taking the remnants of a pure devotee - do you get the bhakti of the pure devotee and does the pure devotee get some of your karma?

Q. Is there an increase or decrease in one's consciousness if he/she praises himself or herself? Is it considered self-gratification or is it an offense as a devotee to praise yourself? I know it's not good ethics to praise yourself so much, but as a devotee, is it OK to do so?

There is a nice story of Ramanujacarya (the chief acarya of Sri sampradaya) that I would like to share in this regard.

Q. Regarding the recent passing away of His Grace Tamal Krishna Maharaja, how should one interpret his leaving his body in an accident? Is this karma? Do pure devotees also have karma? What mental state would maharaja have been in? It has happened all of a sudden. Will he go back to Godhead? Why such a death? How does Krishna's statement that my devotee will not perish fit in this? Lastly I am convinced Maharaja went back to Godhead but how to preach in a congregation if asked these questions?

Q. In one of Bhakti-vriksha [cell] edification material, I read the following line: "UNLESS YOU TAKE TO KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, YOU CANNOT BE HAPPY." Can you please let us know, what is sastric or sloka reference for this emphatic statement?

Q. It is said that 7 generations up and down get liberated when a pure devotee is born in that family or if a family member has perfected himself at the end of life. Also we hear that one cannot go back to godhead unless he has fully surrendered and achieved love of Krishna. What happens when the people in that family are not devoted? We can take Srila Prabhupada's family as an example. Please explain.

I would like to ask about Vamana avatar. Mahabali is a pure devotee of Krishna and he ruled with all the qualities of a king; all of his people were happy with him. But Krishna came as Vamana and removed him from the earth. Why did He do so?

Q. Maharaj Paraksit was protected by Lord Krishna from the womb of Uttara because he was a spotless pure devotee. Now if that is the case:
a) Normally it is told that such an elevated devotee doesn't have to take a rebirth and that he goes directly back to Godhead. Why should Paraksit Maharaj take a rebirth?

b) If he was saved from the womb by Lord Krishna, when he had a death incurred by a sin, why was he not saved by the Supreme Personality?