Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.11
Mayapur, February 18, 1976
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Take a testMayapur, February 18, 1976
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Dayananda: "Specifically the Supreme
Lord, the Personality of Godhead, is always full of satisfaction by Himself.
Therefore, when something is offered to Him, it is for the benefit of the
devotee. The Lord does not require any service from anyone. The example is given
here that if the original face is decorated, then the reflection in the mirror
is seen with face decorated."
Prabhupada: Naivatmanah prabhur ayam nija-labha-purno [SB 7.9.11]. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). Everything is complete; therefore Krsna is God. Everything, whatever we require... We require money, aisvarya. We require strength. We require influence. We require education. So many things we require. Sad-aisvarya-purnah. Nija-labha-purnah. Another definition of Krsna is He's full with six kinds of opulences. So He's sufficient to fulfill His desire. He doesn't require anyone's service. Just like we are in need of so many things; therefore we require others' help. But Krsna does not require anyone's help. Then why He accepts worship? That is the... That is for the benefit of the devotee, not for His personal benefit. Just like Lord Ramacandra. He... His one wife Sitadeva was kidnapped by Ravana. Of course, Ravana cannot kidnap. It was externally, Maya Sita. Still, taking for exception Sita was kidnapped, so Lord Ramacandra could have possessed many millions of Sita by His will, but for one Sita He had to fight with Ravana and finish the whole dynasty, because Ramacandra is the ideal king. It is the king's business to chastise such rogues and ruffians. That is king's business. That is for the benefit of Ravana. Ravana means the same Hiranyakasipu. Kumbhakarna-Ravana. First they became Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu, the next, Kumbhakarna and Ravana, and the next, they became Sisupala and Dantavakra. In this way, because Krsna wanted to give them liberation again back to home, back to Godhead, so this killing of Ravana, killing of Hiranyakasipu, killing of Sisupala, is for the benefit of the persons, not for Krsna's benefit. He killed them for their benefit.
So whatever Krsna does, that is for our benefit. Krsna incarnates, comes here... Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. So He has no benefit by coming here, neither He has any loss. He's so complete that there is no loss, no benefit. But His mission is paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya... [Bg. 4.8]. Just to keep balance of the demonic activities and to favor the devotees, both of them are benefited. Paritranaya sadhunam, those who are devotees, they are also benefited, and the demons who are killed by Krsna, they are also benefited. That is Krsna. That is all good. "God is good" means when He's favoring somebody and when He's killing somebody, both of them are benefited. Therefore God is always good, both ways. Nija-labha. He has no business to kill anybody as His enemy. Nobody can become His enemy. It is simply childish -- just to knock one's head on the mountain to break the mountain. If one thinks that "I shall knock my head to the mountain, and the mountain will break," that is foolishness. Your head will be broken. That's all. Similarly, as friend, nobody can give any service to Krsna, or as enemy, nobody can give any trouble to Krsna. Nija-labha-purna. This is nija-labha-purna. He's always full with all satisfaction. So why Krsna says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]? So does it mean that Krsna is so hungry that He has come to beg from us a little flower, little fruit? That some rascal taken this, that Krsna comes as beggar, daridra. So when Krsna comes as opulent Personality of Godhead they are not interested to serve Him, but when Krsna comes as daridra, then they're interested.
So these are all foolishness. Krsna is neither daridra, but karunam. Karunam vrnite. Just to show His causeless mercy upon us, He says that "Give me something. Even if you are very poor man, so give Me something, whatever you can secure very easily." Patram puspam phalam. Patram you can get anywhere, without any price. Puspam also you can get anywhere, and toyam, that also get, you can get. So simply collect for Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness, that "I'll serve Krsna with this endeavor. I'll collect something." What you'll collect? It is Krsna's money. Everything belongs to Krsna. Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. So what you can collect? It is Krsna's. Just like we are constructing this temple. We are feeling that "I am constructing. We are constructing," but actually it is Krsna's. The bricks, the iron or the cement or anything that we are collecting, that is Krsna's property. Isavasyam idam sarvam. The brick is not your property. The earth is not your property. You are taking Krsna's earth, and you are making it a brick. Still, it is Krsna's property. But the endeavor, the energy which you are giving to Krsna, that is taken into account: "Oh, he is working for Me. He wants to give Me something." That Krsna consciousness is important. Otherwise Krsna can... By His will He can construct sixteen thousands palaces for His queen. What this tiny temple will satisfy Him? But still, He's satisfied: "Oh, you have done so much? Very good." Recognized. Krsna has created the whole universe. Yasyaika-nisvasita-kala. He doesn't require any endeavor. Simply by breathing, yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. By His breathing, many millions of Brahmas are coming out, jagad-anda-nathah. And each jagad-anda-nathah, Brahma, is creating a universe. Yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya [Bs. 5.48]. So to create a temple, He doesn't require our help. He can create millions of temples by His will. There are already.
So we should always remember this, that Krsna does not require our service, but if we give some service to Krsna, that is our benefit. This is the formula. Don't think that Krsna is very much obliged. But He feels obliged. Why? Avidusah. We are all fools and rascals. We are thinking that we are giving some service. No. We cannot give any. We are so insignificant that we cannot. He's unlimited, and we are very, very limited, tiny. But still, just the small child gives something to the father... It is father's property, but still, the father is very glad that "This child is giving me a lozenges." He thinks, "This is my big property." (laughs) So always we should remember this verse, that naivatmanah prabhur ayam nija-labha-purnah. He's always full with six opulences. There is no question of satisfying by giving something. This daridra-narayana-seva has come under this misunderstanding that "We have to serve God, so when God comes as daridra, then we shall give. When God comes with Laksmi, with Sita, with Radharani, no, no, that is not required. We don't want to serve that God. We want to serve when God comes as poor man, as invalid with a stick, and begs. Oh I am so great. I am giving God." This is nonsense. This is not... What God cares for you? But they have conceived that, that "God, although He is great, he becomes a small beggar and begs from me." This is material conception of understanding.
So here it is clear, nija-labha-purnah. He's not... He's Laksmi-Narayana. He's Narayana, and why He should become poor? He... Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-
So if we actually want to serve according to our means, Krsna is ready to accept our service. But you cannot think that "Without my service, Krsna is starving." No, that is not. Nija-labha-purnah. He's always complete in Himself. He doesn't require our help. But if we serve Krsna, then we become benefited. That is... Yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhita manam. If you offer respect, Krsna, and Krsna's representative, then you'll be respectful. If you don't want to show respect to Krsna and His representative, then you'll be derided. Therefore prati-mukhasya yatha mukha-srih. Prati-mukhasya, original face, original person, is Krsna. If you decorate Krsna very nicely, then you will be also seen very much decorated. If you... Practically we see. There is no fable. We are offering Krsna nice foodstuff, so we are eating this nice prasadam which we never conceived or dreamed, dreamt in our life. Because we are offering to Krsna, we become so fortunate to taste this nice prasadam. Krsna, nija-labha-purnah. It is not that if you give a nice plate of foodstuff, Krsna eats everything, and you simply see the empty dish. No. Krsna eats and again keeps it as it is for... That is Krsna. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate [Iso Invocation]. The atheist class of men, they think, "We offered so many things. Krsna did not eat." No. He has eaten, but He is nija-labha-purnah. He is not hungry, but whatever you have offered, He has eaten. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Everyone was offering so many things. It was stocked, and Govinda one day informed Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "Sir, people bring so many nice foodstuffs for You. It is stocked. Practically the whole room is filled up, and when they ask me that 'Whether Caitanya Mahaprabhu has eaten my offering?' I say 'Yes, yes, He has eaten.' So I have to tell so many lies, and the stock is there. You do not eat." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "All right, bring them here." So one after one, the whole room was finished. Caitanya Mahaprabhu ate everything. Then He asked him, "Bring more." "No, Sir, only the empty pots are there." "All right, stop." So this is Krsna. If you offer Him huge foodstuff, He can eat. And if you can offer Him little flower, fruit and water, that also, He is satisfied. So everyone should offer according to his means, and Krsna is ready to accept, not that you have to become a very rich man and you have to offer Krsna foodstuff fifty-six times as in Jagannatha Puri the foodstuffs are offered. Not that. He is pleased anyway. But become a devotee. Try to please Him to your best capacity.
You know the story of that brahmana. He had no means to offer anything to Krsna. He was so poor. But he wanted to offer something, but he thought that "I am so poor. I cannot offer anything." So one day he heard from the Bhagavata speech that one can offer Him within mind also. So he took it seriously, and from that day he was offering Krsna so many nice foodstuffs, collecting water from different rivers and keeping the water in golden jugs, and bathing Krsna and offering... This was... He was always thinking. And one day he prepared sweet rice and offered Krsna, and he wanted to see whether rice is..., because sweet rice, very hot, is not good. Sweet rice, the more it is cooler, then it is tasteful. But milk, if you take cool, that is not tasteful. Milk you have to take hot, but not the sweet rice. So he wanted to test whether it is too hot. So his finger burned, and then his meditation broke. He saw there is no rice but finger is burned. In this way the brahmana was immediately taken to Vaikuntha.
So Krsna can be offered in any circumstances. Krsna can be pleased, provided you want to please Krsna, provided you want to serve Krsna. There is no question of... That is already explained, that dana jana, riches or learning or respectability, all these things cannot satisfy Krsna. Krsna wants only your heart -- "Krsna, You are my eternal master. I am Your eternal servant. Please engage me in Your service."
na danam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
[Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]
This is the prayer. A devotee never asks Krsna, "You give me money. You give me many followers. You give me nice wife." No. Na danam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye. "Then what you want?" "I want to be engaged in Your service." Not "I want." A devotee never says "I want." "Please, if You like, engage me." That is... This Hare Krsna mantra means that. Hare... Hare is the addressing Radharani, Hara; from Hara, Hare. And Krsna... So "Radharani and Krsna," Hare Krsna, "Please engage me in Your service." Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama...
Devotees: ...Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Prabhupada: So we should simply pray, "Kindly engage me in Your service in whatever capacity You like." I have got my own desire, so Krsna gives us freedom: "In whichever capacity you want to serve Me, I shall accept, either as servant, either as friend, either as father, mother, or either as conjugal lover." Any way, Krsna is ready to accept our service. And He does not require any service, but if we render service, that is our benefit. That is required. And this Krsna consciousness movement it teaching that "Try to serve Krsna." That is the beginning of teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. They are trying to be master. That is maya. It is not possible to become maya, er, master. You cannot become master. If you think that you are going to be master, that is maya.
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
They think like that, but nobody can be master. But the fools, rascals, they want to become master, and when they fail, then they want to become one with the God, the supreme master. This is going on. They are all maya, illusion. The real life is to remain eternal servant of Krsna and offer service to Him to the best capacity. That is perfection of life.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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