Question : 1. What is the proper mood in approaching our relationship with Krsna and serving Him
2.Does Krishna give us something based on our desire or based on how much we deserve?
Answer by Romapada Swami :
Right in the introduction to BG, Srila Prabhupada gives us a hint regarding the first question you raised. As you are aware, there are 5 different relationships (neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parental, conjugal love) which one can have with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Every living entity has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally and this relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. But in the present status of our life, not only have we forgotten the Supreme Lord, but we have forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord.
All these rasas, or mellows, are situated on the transcendental platform and one can take shelter of such spiritual mellows only when one is completely uncontaminated by material attachment. When one is completely free from material attachment, the feelings of the transcendental mellows are awakened in the heart of the devotee. That is svarupa-siddhi, the spiritual form of the living entity when situated within the perfection of one’s eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord.
Thus, while practicing sadhana bhakti it is very important to understand what is the right method for approaching our relationship with Krishna. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur explains that we must be very careful about adopting some methods that are not in accordance with scripture. Srila Rupa Goswami also mentions in Nectar of devotion that one must refer to the Vedic literatures along with other supplementary literatures and follow the conclusion of the Vedas. Otherwise it simply creates disturbances in the transcendental realm.
Q. 3. Is it appropriate for an individual to think (or to choose) that I would like to serve the Lord in the Vatsalya mood only or Sakhya Mood only or to aim oneself like this for the highest mood of Service?
At our stage we must approach the Lord in the mood of a servant with awe and reverence; when we become perfected in our devotional service, our spiritual relationship with Krsna will be revealed.
Srila Prabhupada actually cautions us in many places about prematurely trying to be in some particular relationship with the Lord.
In NOD Ch 16 he writes:
“In this connection, we should be careful about the so-called siddha-pranali. The siddha-pranali process is followed by a class of men who are not very authorized and who have manufactured their own way of devotional service. They imagine that they have become associates of the Lord simply by thinking of themselves like that. This external behavior is not at all according to the regulative principles. The so-called siddha-pranali process is followed by the prakrta-sahajiya, a pseudosect of so-called Vaisnavas. In the opinion of Rupa Goswami, such activities are simply disturbances to the standard way of devotional service.
Sri Rupa Goswami says that learned acaryas recommend that we follow the regulative principles even after the development of spontaneous love for Krsna. According to the regulative principles, there are nine departmental activities, as described above, and one should specifically engage himself in the type of devotional service for which he has a natural aptitude. For example, one person may have a particular interest in hearing, another may have a particular interest in chanting, and another may have a particular interest in serving in the temple. So these, or any of the other six different types of devotional service (remembering, serving, praying, engaging in some particular service, being in a friendly relationship or offering everything in one’s possession), should be executed in full earnestness. In this way, everyone should act according to his particular taste.”
Again you asked-
Q. 4. Is it wrong for an individual to think that I will serve the Lord as his servant in whatever way he wants me to serve him and Srimati Radha Rani and believe that one day when they see fit, they will give me a service that could give me personal association of their Intimate associates or a glance of their Lotus feet?
What you have written here is actually the proper mood of approaching. We simply approach the Lord as a servant and serve Him in whatever way He wants us to serve Him. At our stage we may not know how the Lord wants us to serve Him but we can know that by approaching His representatives and following their instructions. And as we become mature and perfected in our devotional service under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, one day we may attain the personal association of the Lord. But even in the stage of practice when we are constantly striving to serve and apply the instructions of the spiritual master, we can feel the presence of Krsna in our life in many ways in a very tangible and personal manner!
Q. 5. Does Krishna give what we want? So in this case, If I really want Krishna’s personal association I will get Krishna’s association. Does Krishna give what we deserve?
Srila Prabhupada when talking about this subject always said – “First deserve, then desire.”
As Supersoul, Krsna fulfills our heartfelt desires but He also gives us what we deserve. We may say that we want something in our spiritual life, but if we do not deserve it by our surrender and service, or if we do not really desire it, then Krsna will award us accordingly.
There is saying that man proposes and God disposes. The individual is not, therefore, omnipotent in fulfilling his desires. The Lord, however, can fulfill all desires, and the Lord, being neutral to everyone, does not interfere with the desires of the minute independent living entities. However, when one desires Krsna, the Lord takes special care and encourages one to desire in such a way that one can attain to Him and be eternally happy.
Someone may desire to become God but that kind of desire will never be fulfilled. A student may desire to go to Harvard or Yale, but his desire alone will not get him in; he must also have high enough grades, be able to pay the tuition, and so on. One will not become wealthy and aristocratic in one’s next birth merely by aspiring to wealth and aristocracy now. If one wants to become a king he must have pious activities so that he can become king. Whatever we desire, Krsna can give us but we must first act in such a way that we deserve it.
Srila Prabhupada said – “One goes to Krsnaloka to be a cowherd friend of Krsna only after performing heaps and volumes of pious devotional activities. In time, as we become qualified, the dhama will be revealed to us. And even now, at every step in our devotional service, we are never without Krsna provided we desire to please Him. His holy name is ever-ready to accept our service in chanting. His Deity form stands on the altar in the temple, agreeable and compliant to our service of dressing Him, cooking for Him, and bowing down at His lotus feet. And prayers like the cintamani song are ours to sing.”
In a similar manner, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur taught: “Do not try to see Krishna. Better to act in such a way that Krishna will want come and see you!”
In Bhagavad Gita, Krsna speaks in Chapter 18 about the different factors of action. This also sheds more light into your question.
Bhagavad-gita 8.14
“The place of action [the body], the performer, the various senses, the many different kinds of endeavor, and ultimately the Supersoul—these are the five factors of action.”
To convince us that we are not the only doers, Krsna stresses that these five factors are the true causes of action, the ultimate “Super-cause” being the Supersoul’s sanction. Srila Baladev Vidyabhusana comments that we are doers — our activities do spring from our own free will — but our endeavor is not the independent cause of actions.
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana writes in his commentary: “If the jiva’s being a doer is under the regulating control of the Supreme Lord, then we have to say that his activity does not proceed from his own will and that he is actually just like a stone or some other inert object. In that case, don’t the injunctions and prohibitions of scripture become useless? The answer is, the jiva receives from the Supreme Lord a body and senses endowed with specific potencies, of which he then becomes the proprietor. Acquiring those potencies, the jiva exerts his free will and assumes control of his body and senses for the purpose of fulfilling karmic endeavors. The Supreme Lord, present within all these coverings, sanctions the jiva’s activity and inspires him to act. In this way there is no contradiction between the Supreme’s control and the jiva’s having his own willpower to act or to refrain from acting.”
Bhagavad-gita 8.16
“Therefore one who thinks himself the only doer, not considering the five factors, is certainly not very intelligent and cannot see things as they are.”
A foolish person cannot understand that the Supersoul is sitting as a friend within and conducting his actions. Although the material causes are the place, the worker, the endeavor and the senses, the final cause is the Supreme, the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, one should see not only the four material causes but the supreme efficient cause as well. One who does not see the Supreme thinks himself to be the doer.
I hope this helps answer your questions.
