Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita Ādi 7.145

premā haite krishna haya nija bhakta-vaśa

premā haite pāya krishnera sevā-sukha-rasa

SYNONYMS

premā — love of Krishna; haite — from; krishna — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; haya — becomes; nija — His own; bhakta-vaśa — submissive to devotees; premā — love of God; haite — from; pāya — he gets; krishnera — of Lord Krishna; sevā-sukha-rasa — the mellow of devotional service.

TRANSLATION

"The Supreme Lord, who is greater than the greatest, becomes submissive to even a very insignificant devotee because of his devotional service. It is the beautiful and exalted nature of devotional service that the infinite Lord becomes submissive to the infinitesimal living entity because of it. In reciprocal devotional activities with the Lord, the devotee actually enjoys the transcendental mellow of devotional service.

PURPORT

Becoming one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not very important for a devotee. Muktih svayam mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān (Krishna-karnāmrita 107). Speaking from his actual experience, Śrīla Bilvamańgala Thākura says that if one develops love of Godhead, mukti (liberation) becomes subservient and unimportant to him. Mukti stands before the devotee and is prepared to render all kinds of services. The Māyāvādī philosophers' standard of mukti is very insignificant for a devotee, for by devotional service even the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes subordinate to him. An actual example is that the Supreme Lord Krishna became the chariot driver of Arjuna, and when Arjuna asked Him to draw his chariot between the two armies (senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthāpaya me 'cyuta), Krishna executed his order. Such is the relationship between the Supreme Lord and a devotee that although the Lord is greater than the greatest, He is prepared to render service to the insignificant devotee by dint of his sincere and unalloyed devotional service.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness