Revealing Krishna’s heart

Let us try to get a glimpse into Krishna’s heart today. How lovingly He reciprocates with His devotees and what makes Him obliged to His devotees. There is an underlying sweet mellow in Krishna’s exchange with His devotees. These mellows in Krishna’s heart are revealed to us by the acharyas, they know Krishna’s heart.

Revealing Krishna’s heart

Now, the Lord comes to deliver the devotees (paritrāṇāya sādhūnām), but it is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā that a devotee transcends the material qualities (sa guṇān samatītyaitān). A devotee is in a transcendental position because he is no longer under the control of the three material modes of nature — goodness, passion, and ignorance. But if a sādhu is already delivered, being on the transcendental platform, then where is the necessity of delivering him? This question may arise. The Lord comes to deliver the devotee, but the devotee is already delivered. Therefore the word viḍambanam, meaning “bewildering,” is used in this verse because this appears contradictory.

The answer to this contradiction is that a sādhu, a devotee, does not require deliverance, but because he is very much anxious to see the Supreme Lord face to face, Krishna comes not to deliver him from the clutches of matter, from which he has already been delivered, but to satisfy his inner desire. Just as a devotee wants to satisfy the Lord in all respects, the Lord, even more, wants to satisfy the devotee. Such are the exchanges of loving affairs. Even in our ordinary dealings, if we love someone we want to satisfy him or her, and he or she also wants to reciprocate. So if the reciprocation of loving affairs exists in this material world, in what an elevated way must it exist in the spiritual world.

(Teachings of Queen Kunti,12p)

Krishna’s heart is controlled by love

Krishna becomes obliged to the loving spirit of the devotee and not exactly to the service rendered. No one can serve Krishna completely. He is so complete and self-sufficient that He has no need of any service from the devotee. It is the devotee’s attitude of love and affection for Krishna that makes Him obliged.

(Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 22)

How Krishna fulfills the desires of His devotees

In Vṛndāvana there is a place where there was no temple, but a devotee desired, “Let there be a temple and sevā, devotional service.” Therefore, what was once an empty corner has now become a place of pilgrimage. Such are the desires of a devotee.

(SB 10.13.50p)

Who, but only a stone-hearted person like me would not like to surrender to a personality like Krishna, and aspire to become a lover of God.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Your Servant,

Giriraj dasa

Householder mahatma

Hare Krishna, I am sharing excerpts from a lecture where Srila Prabhupada speaks a Householder mahatma. He tells us about the aim, symptoms and determination of such a householder. I pray that his words inspire us to become one.

Can a householder become a mahatma?

Question may be whether a mahātmā can be in the household life or not. That is being described: Yes. In household life also there can be mahātmā. Just like Advaita Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu even; Nityānanda Mahāprabhu. They were all householders. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was a householder. He married twice. His first wife died—He married for the second time. Regular householder, although He left household life very early. He was only twenty-four years old; therefore He had no children. But Nityānanda Prabhu had one child, Vīrabhadra, and Advaita Prabhu had two, three children, of which Acyutānanda was very highly elevated. Similarly, Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura, he had children.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not say that one has to become in the renounced order, of sannyāsī, then he becomes a mahātmā. No. We also do not propagate such idea. At least, I am not doing that. I am creating householder, ideal householder. And my ideas are being fruitful. Here in London I sent six householders, and they are doing nice; sincerely they are working. Therefore I am very much proud of them.

What is the aim of such a householder?

A householder mahātmā has only one aim: how to attain the perfectional stage of love of God. That is the aim. Generally, a householder in the modern civilization, they are simply trying to accumulate money, increase the bank balance and make the society, friendship and love as the aim and object of life, and they have no other business. But a person who is mahātmā, his aim is different. His aim is “How to make my life perfect in Krishna consciousness. How to please Krishna, how to make friendship with Krishna.”

Everyone is seeking some friend. That is a fact. The businessmen or lawyer or politician, everyone is seeking some friend. Without friend… Society, friendship and love, these things are required. But a mahātmā householder, he is seeking actual friendship with Krishna… Because he knows, “If Krishna is my friend…”

Just like Arjuna sought friendship with Krishna; Duryodhana sought friendship with Krishna’s power. Krishna divided Himself. Because it was family warfare between two cousin brothers, and Krishna was also related with both of them by family relationship, so He said, “How can I take part with one and not with the other? Then that will be partiality. So anyway, I divide Myself into two. I am alone, one side, and in which side I shall go, I shall not fight. I shall not touch even a weapon. And the other side, all My soldiers.” Krishna had many soldiers. So Duryodhana thought that “I shall take Krishna’s soldiers,” and Arjuna thought, “I shall take Krishna only, even He does not fight.” So this is the determination of mahātmās, that they want simply Krishna’s friendship.

…A devotee has got four business: īśvare prīti, love for God, Krishna; friendship with devotees; and kindness to the neophytes; and rejection to the non-devotees. These four principles. A devotee’s only lovable object is Krishna. His only friend is devotee, another devotee.

(Lecture, 17 September 1969, London)

As a struggling householder devotee, mere thought of becoming a householder mahatma may seem very fetched but we can rise to that platform if we have the desire, sincerity and most importantly a will to please Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada desired that all householder devotees should become ideal householders. He mentioned in the above lecture how he is very proud of such sincere householders. Today we have hundreds of such householder mahatmas in our Krishna conscious society.

We can test ourselves with some checkpoints given by Srila Prabhupada in his above lecture-

  1. What am I doing in my daily sadhana which is helping me to cultivate friendship with Krishna?
  2. Do I seek friendship with Krishna as a person or with His power?
  3. Do I long for friendship with non-devotees?
  4. Are my best friends devotees?
  5. Is Krishna my only lovable object?
  6. Is the only aim of my life to please Krishna and His devotee?

Sounds tough! but it is a sweet struggle, it is adventurous and it is full of reciprocation from Krishna and His pure devotees.

All the best !

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Your servant,

Giriraj dasa

Sanctioned by Krishna

Hare Krishna,

In our daily dealings many times we face circumstances where we have to seek favour from others. Sometimes we get a positive response, sometimes it is negative. Srila Prabhupada shares an amazing insight on how should a devotee see the final result, whether favourable or unfavourable, in a manner that helps us to build our relationship with Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada– So we can ask favor from anyone, but we must know that nobody can favour us unless it is sanctioned by the Supreme Person. We must always know. It is not that one in a superior position can favour me. No, he cannot show favor unless it is sanctioned by the Supreme.

Suppose we approach a rich man to favour us with some contribution or membership fees, but that rich man cannot favour us unless it is sanctioned by Krishna. Krishna is there within him and if he says “You give him this money,” the man will give us. Suppose we request somewhere and he does not favour us. We should not be sorry. We should know that Krishna did not dictate to him that he should donate. He is not so fortunate, therefore Krishna did not dictate as such to him. So there is nothing over which to be sorry. This should be our principle.

(Lecture- 22 March, 1976, Mayapur)

This is a master key that can help aspiring devotees unlock many closed doors-

  1. Faithfully remembering that everything that is happening is sanctioned by Krishna allows us to live an anxiety-free life.
  2. Turn a negative experience into a positive ‘spiritual muscle building’ opportunity.
  3. As we cultivate the habit of naturally feeling dependent on Krishna under all circumstances, it allows devotees to live on Krishna’s mercy, even in this material world.
  4. Such a culture help devotees to develop a spiritual vision where we can see Krishna’s hand in all the happenings in our life, even in the so-called material dealings.

We can apply this principle in multiple situations- while seeking donations, in our dealings with other devotees, in our professional life, etc. Instead of feeling temporarily elated or disheartened, we can practice to become equipoised during life’s ups and downs, see each happening as sanctioned by Krishna, strengthen our relationship with Krishna, thereby allowing us to always remember Krishna and never forget Him.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Your servant,

Giriraj dasa