Srila Prabhupada: When a devotee meets Krishna after long separation, the meeting is one of satisfaction. In the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Eleventh Chapter, verse 10, it is stated that when Lord Krishna returned to His capital, Dvaraka, the inhabitants said, “Dear Lord, if You remain in foreign countries for so long, we shall certainly be bereft of seeing Your smiling face! Upon observing Your face, we, Your eternal servitors, become greatly satisfied. All the anxieties of our existence are immediately mitigated. If we cannot see You because You are long absent from Dvaraka, then it will be impossible for us to live anymore.” This is an instance of satisfaction in meeting Krishna after long separation.
Krishna’s personal servant, Daruka, seeing Krishna at the door of Dvaraka, forgot to offer Him respects with folded hands.
When a devotee is ultimately situated in association with Krishna, his position is called steadiness in devotional service. This steady position in devotional service is explained in the book known as Hamsaduta. It is described there how Akrura, who was considered by the gopis to be terror personified, would talk with Krishna about the activities of the Kuru dynasty. A similar steady position was held by Uddhava, the disciple of Brhaspati. He would always massage the lotus feet of Krishna while kneeling down on the ground before Him.
When a devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord, he is said to have reached the attainment of yoga. The English equivalent of the word yoga is “linking up.” So actual linking up with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, begins when the devotee renders service unto Him. Devotees situated in the transcendental rasa of servitorship render their particular service whenever there is an opportunity. Sometimes they sit down in front of Krishna to receive orders. Some persons are reluctant to accept this level of devotional service as actual bhakti-yoga, and in some of the Puranas also this servitorship in devotional service to Krishna is not accepted as the actual bhakti-yoga system. But Srimad-Bhagavatam has clearly indicated that the servitor relationship with Krishna is the actual beginning of yoga realization.
In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Chapter, verse 32, it is stated that when devotees are engaged in the discharge of bhakti-yoga, sometimes they cry from thinking of Krishna, sometimes they laugh, sometimes they become jubilant, and sometimes they talk in very uncommon ways. Sometimes they dance, sometimes they sing, sometimes they are actually engaged in the service of the Lord, and sometimes they sit down silently as if absorbed in trance.
Similarly, in the Seventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Chapter Seven, verse 34, Prahlada Maharaja says to his friends, “My dear friends, as soon as pure devotees of Lord Krishna hear of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, who is the eternal reservoir of pastimes, or hear about His transcendental qualities, they become overpowered with jubilation. Ecstatic symptoms are manifested in their bodies. They shed tears, talk falteringly, glorify the Lord in a loud voice and chant and dance in ecstasy. These ecstasies are always there, but sometimes they overcome all limits, and the symptoms become manifest to all.”
In the process of surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead there are six items: to accept everything favorable for devotional service, to reject everything unfavorable for devotional service, to believe that Krishna will always give protection, to identify oneself with Krishna’s devotees, always to feel inability without the help of Krishna and always to think oneself inferior to Krishna, even though one may have full capacity to perform something on his own. When one is substantially convinced that he is always protected by Krishna in all circumstances, that feeling is called reverential devotion. Reverential devotion is executed in relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and with His other protected devotees.
When Krishna was residing in Dvaraka, some of the elderly members of the Yadu family would occasionally put some important matter before Him. At such a time, Krishna would carefully give attention to those matters. And if there were some humorous topics mentioned, Krishna would immediately respond with a smiling face. Sometimes when Krishna was executing His duties in the assembly known as Sudharma, He would ask the elderly members for good advice. By such activities He is manifest as the supreme spiritual master, the supreme executive head, the superior intelligence and the supreme power, protector and maintainer.
Speak Your Mind