Devotees' Love

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
17 June 2001

Question: What is the mentality of a servant of Krishna?

A devotee of Krishna, a soul surrendered to Krishna does not ask Krishna for anything—they always think how Krishna can be pleased. This is what they always think about.

Actually, a devotee's love and affection to Krishna is not like a shopkeeper's love. If you want to buy something from a shopkeeper, the shopkeeper will give some 7Up or some other cold drink, but you do not think that he loves you—the shopkeeper gives you that because you are going to buy something from him and he is going to get much profit from you. That is not love. If you want to love Krishna, you will not ask Krishna for anything.

You have heard one story and can see the example. One day, when Sri Krishna was in Dvaraka, He showed that His health was not good. Narad asked Him, "What happened to You, Prabhu?" Krishna said, "I have a very big disease... No medicine will cure it. If you can get some feet dust to put on My head, then only the disease will be removed..."

Narad went to Vraja and asked Srimati Laksmi Devi, "Please give me some foot dust, Krishna is very sick!" When Laksmi Devi heard it, she said, "Oh, Krishna is the crown on my head, how will I give you my foot dust? I will fall down and go to hell! I will not give it..." Laksmi Devi answered in this way. Then, Narad went to the gopis and friends of Radharani. As soon as they heard that Krishna was very sick, they became sad and immediately gave their foot dust to Narad Muni. Then Narad Muni came back to Dvaraka. Krishna asked him everything and Narad gave report who gave the foot dust, who did not give, etc.

You know that actually Laksmi Devi did not enter the rasa-lila. She thought about herself, she did not think about Krishna becoming cured, that is why she did not enter the rasa-lila...

When Narad asked Sriman Mahaprabhu, "Where do You stay, Prabhu?" He said, "I am always staying in the Srivas Pandit's house, in the kitchen of Sachi Mata, in the house of Raghava, and wherever Nityananda Prabhu is dancing I am always with Him."

Krishna Himself said, "If you ask Me for anything, I will not give it." Why? Because He knows: "Everybody, all jiva souls, are dear to Me, and they all have affection and love for Me, but they do not know any better, they are ignorant, that is why when they ask Me for anything, what they are asking for are mundane things. Why shall I give it to them?! They are tatastha, created from Me, and if they ask for something wrong, why shall I give them these mundane things? I will give them devotion instead! I will give them devotion and they will go to Goloka! If I give them money, if I give them gold, or some things, they will suffer and suffer all life, and life after life. Why should I give that to them?"

If you do not ask for anything, that is better. If you do not ask Krishna for anything, Krishna will give you more.

You know in our songbooks there is one song "Bhajahu re mana"—this song is written by Govinda Das. Before, Govinda Das used to always worship Mother Kali, a demigoddess, and one day he asked her for liberation. But Mother Kali said, "It is not in my power, I cannot give this to you." It was after that that he wrote this song "Bhajahu re mana Sri Nandanandana": "Worship Krishna! He can give You everything!"

Do not ask Him for anything—worship Him, love Him.

Prahlad Maharaj also did not ask for anything, but one day Bhagavan Nrisinghadev came to him and said, "Please ask Me for something." Prahlad Maharaj said, "I do not want to ask for anything." But the Lord insisted, and finally Prahlad Maharaj said, "All right, I will ask for one thing only." "What is it?" "I do not want to ask You for anything my whole life. Give me a boon like this"...

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