Scriptures and pure devotees of Lord Krishna teaches us to always serve Krishna but in spite of that we are reluctant to serve him. Why is it so? Why we do not want to serve Krishna but always want to serve our senses?
These questions were beautifully answered by HG Jivananda Prabhu, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, in his Srimad Bhagavatam Class which he gave at Iskcon Newtown Kolkata temple on 16th Dec 2023.
Below write up is completely based on the Srimad Bhagavatam 10.74.3 class which Prabhuji gave on 16th Dec.
Krishna comes to teach us real purpose of life
When Krishna comes, he comes with his entourage. Most of them come before he arrives, some comes after. So, why does Krishna come? To take us back to the spiritual world. He wants us to go home. If he does not come then how we will figure out who we are, what is the purpose of life?
Some people have different purpose in this world – to become scientist, doctors, engineers, artists. Why? Because in this world we want to prove our worth.
In this world, we want to eat, sleep, mate and then defend ourselves from everything. I have to protect my mate, my business. Not only from people but even from animals like rats and insignificant ants.
So, where is the time to figure out my real purpose? We need help. Some who think about the purpose just speculate. They think after world is like that or like this.
So, Lord Krishna has to come to make us understand real purpose of life.
He comes when irreligion starts overtaking religion. When Krishna came religion was lost. So, he came to re-establish it. Why did he do? He did it for us. He came to save devotees and annihilate demons.
But while he is here, he has other things also to do. He likes to enjoy with his friends, with Radharani, with gopis, with Arjuna.
Why Krishna does prescribed duties when he is here in this world?
All prescribed duties come from Krishna. So, why he does the prescribed duties? He does it to tell us that we have to do our prescribed duties.
Krishna is the Supreme Lord. And he is also a dramatic actor. When Krishna was in this world then the kings of the earth were telling Krishna to do certain things and Krishna did it. He is acting like an ordinary human being to teach us how to do the prescribed duties.
Can we say that Krishna is the Supreme Lord and is acting as a naughty child? No. Krishna is the Supreme Lord, but he is a naughty child too. Krishna wants to enjoy butter. He wants to have fun with Balaram, gopas, gopis and even monkeys. He performs Damodar lila.
Is Krishna’s form as Damodar temporary or just his acting? No. Damodar is Krishna’s form and is real. Whenever he acts, he is real. When sages ask him to act in one way then he does.
In this world, in movies one may act as a romantic hero or a superhero but in real life he may be a drug addict. He is not real person. But when Krishna does something, he is real. Everything what Krishna does is real. Reality comes from Krishna. When he performs these activities, he demonstrates prescribed duties. And teaches us the importance of prescribed duties.
Why it is important to serve Krishna even when we do not like to do it?
In this world, we have to follow instructions. But many times, we do it reluctantly, we do not do it joyfully.
But when we perform devotional service then it should be done joyfully. We should think that I am doing it to please guru, Krishna, assembled devotees and all living entities. I am not doing it for my own gratification. When we do something for guru and Krishna even if we do not like to do it then it gives pleasure.
For example, soldiers are given order to do something because they are part of nation. No soldier has personal mission. There mission is to serve the nation.
Our life’s mission
Similarly, we all have same mission – to please guru and Krishna. I may not really want to do it but this is part of mission, so I will do it. If it was not part of the mission, I won’t be cutting sabji, cleaning floor because I do not want to do it. I am doing these to serve Gaur Nitai.
Sometimes our leader may need us to do something we may not want to do. We may not like it, but I should think that I will do it because I love guru, Krishna and fellow devotees.
I remember, I was given position of travelling sankirtana leader which I did not want to do it at first. But I did it and it was very rewarding. I thought that this was part of Lord Chaitanya’s mission, so I should do it.
In the beginning we may unwillingly do service but in due course we will start liking the service. It wont give gratification if we do it for ourselves. We have been doing it for our gratification life after life.
How long we have been in this material world that we do not even know. We left spiritual world to come to this material world and here we are subjected to time.
Sweet Anxiety
Times fly when we are having fun. And when we are not having fun then time seems to go slow. We identify with this body, so we identify with this world. When we really get involved with guru and Krishna then we forget time.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Siksastakam, Text 7, says,
yugayitam nimeshena
chakshusha pravrishayitam
shunyayitam jagat sarvam
govinda-virahena me
“O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.”
When you really love someone then with him 12 years will be one moment.
When we add ingredient of love, it changes time.
When we think for our own gratification then it is always filled with anxiety. But when we are giving love, we think we should be giving more, we did not do it enough.
Wanting your beloved to be happy is a sweet anxiety.
Our eternal position & eternal duty
How can Krishna do such a good job of convincing so many people? How many times we see leaders doing a good job of convincing you? Have you witnessed it? No. But Krishna convinces ordinary people. Why? Because he does not have false ego.
He does not have to prove you that he is God. He does not think that you are not thinking me as God. He may walk with ordinary people, and no one knows he is God. Krishna never forgets who he is, but we forget who he is.
We should never forget our eternal position. If we remember this then it will solve all our problems, solve all relationship issues. We see everyone as part and parcel of Krishna. We see that even non devotees are part and parcel of Krishna.
And if you give proper respect to non-devotees and treat them part and parcel of Krishna, then it touches them, and they take to Krishna Consciousness. Gradually they too engage in the service of Krishna.
So, it is important to understand that our eternal position is that we are parts and parcel of Krishna and eternal duty is to always serve Krishna.
