Enthusiasm for Service:
the Yajna-Patnis

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to Venezuela & Colombia
Caracas Deity installation anniversary,
23 June 2013

Nitai Gaurachandra are very merciful: if somebody serves them, they can easily get Their mercy. We have no quality or qualification to serve Radha Krishna Deities, but Nitai Gaurachandra are always merciful and it is very easy to serve Them because They do not take any offence that we make during our service.

You know this one Pastime from Srimad Bhagavatam. When the cowherd boys (Madhumangal, Balaram, Sridam, Sudam and others) came to the forest with Lord Krishna, they all became very hungry and Krishna sent the boys to the brahmins who were doing a yajna (a fire sacrifice) at that time, "If you tell them My Name and ask for some fruit, or any food, they will give you." The boys went to the brahmins.

The brahmins were very proud—they were brahmins, worshipping Vishnu, doing a yajna for Vishnu, etc.—so when they saw the boys they chased them away, "Get out of here! You are small boys, and you only came here for playing. We are doing a yajna for Vishnu, and the yajna is not finished yet but you want to eat—you are so greedy! Get out of here!" They did not give them anything.

The boys came back to Krishna and told Him that the brahmins had not given them anything. Krishna told them, "Never mind, the brahmins are doing their yajna, but their wives are now at home. Go to their wives and tell them that I am here and I am very hungry."

When the brahmins' wives heard that Krishna had come to their village, they became excited, "Have you heard that Krishna has come? Yes, He has! Let us give Him everything." They took everything they had—what they have finished cooking and even what they have not finished cooking—and went to see Krishna. They were very eager to bring Him food.

So, all brahmins' wives left their homes and went to see Krishna. On their way they were passing the yajna and when their husbands saw them they were surprised, "Where are our wives going?! They must be going to Krishna to give something to Him!" They became very disturbed and angry because their wives did not listen to them—Krishna called them and they went just like that.

When the ladies came to the place and saw Krishna, they were very happy. They fed Krishna and Krishna was also happy to take food from them. After all the boys ate, Krishna said to the ladies,

"Now you can go..."

"What do You mean 'we can go'? We do not want to go anywhere! We want to stay with You forever, we do not want to go back. Anyway, our husbands will not even take us back now. Please, accept us." They began to cry so much.

"How is it possible for you to stay? I am a ksatriya and you are wives of brahmins, how will you stay with us? This is not the custom in India. You have to go."

The ladies cried so much but finally they said, "You do not want to accept us, it is all right. We know You always play with the gopis and take their service, then we will serve the gopis. Please accept us then as servants of the gopis."

"All right, but I am telling you: go home. I will make some arrangement so that your husbands accept you, and at your house you can serve Me in a Deity form and you will get so much happiness—you will get the same happiness that you want to get by staying with Me, serving Me. From far—through separation—you will feel happy."

That is the meaning of Deity installation festival...

One of the qualities that are favourable to devotion is utsaha (উৎসাহ), enthusiasm. "Oh, when will the day come? When will the day come? When will I do my service? When will I go to the temple?"—this kind of enthusiasm, utsaha, is necessary to have.

Somebody may think, "I took initiation many years ago and for many years now I have been doing so much service, but I am not getting any result, I still cannot reach my destination." They become hopeless and their service becomes a little saithilya (শৈথিল্য, slackened)—they lose enthusiasm and do not do their service properly. Such mood is not favourable to devotion, it is actually very bad.

So many obstacles will come in your life through service. If you are rowing a boat and the current is going in the same direction, you will be lazy and relaxed; but if the current is going in the opposite direction, you will have to work more and row harder. In the same way, sometimes obstacles will come and you will have to use more energy otherwise if you live a relaxed life maya can attack you. You think a relaxed life and enjoyment are great, but you must understand that obstacles are inevitable in service.

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