Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.11

Anantarām Sāstrīji: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [chants verse, Prabhupāda and devotees chant responsively] [break]

naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṅo mānaṁ janad aviduṣaḥ karuṅo vṛṅīte yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānaṁ tac cātmane prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ [SB 7.9.11]

Dayānanda: [chants synonyms; devotees chant responsively] [break]

[00:50]

Translation: "Specifically the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, is always full in 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."

Prabhupāda: Hm? Naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṅo [SB 7.9.11]. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ [Viṣṅu Purāṅa 6.5.47].

[Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

Everything is complete; therefore Kṛṣṅa is God. Everything, whatever we require... We require money, aiśvarya. We require strength. We require influence. We require education. So many things we require. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṅaḥ. Nija-lābha-pūrṅaḥ. Another definition of Kṛṣṅa 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 Kṛṣṅa 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 Rāmacandra, He... His one wife Sītādeva was kidnapped by Rāvaṅa. Of course, Rāvaṅa cannot kidnap. It was externally, Māyā Sītā. Still, taking for exception that Sītā was kidnapped, so Lord Rāmacandra could have possessed many millions of Sītā by His will, but for one Sītā He had to fight with Rāvaṅa and finish the whole dynasty, because Rāmacandra 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 Rāvaṅa. Rāvaṅa means the same Hiraṅyakaśipu. Kumbhakarṅa-Rāvaṅa. First they became Hiraṅyakṣa and Hiraṅyakaśipu; the next, Kumbhakarṅa and Rāvaṅa; and the next, they became Śiśupāla and Dantavakra. In this way, because Kṛṣṅa wanted to give them liberation again back to home, back to Godhead, so this killing of Rāvaṅa, killing of Hiraṅyakaśipu, killing of Śiśupāla is for the benefit of the persons, not for Kṛṣṅa's benefit. He killed them for their benefit.

So whatever Kṛṣṅa does, that is for our benefit. Kṛṣṅa incarnates, comes here... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy 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 paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya... [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

Just to keep balance of the demonic activities and to favor the devotees, both of them are benefited. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnām, those who are devotees, they are also benefited, and the demons who are killed by Kṛṣṅa, they are also benefited. That is Kṛṣṅa. 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-lābha. 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 Kṛṣṅa, or as enemy, nobody can give any trouble to Kṛṣṅa. Nija-lābha-pūrṅa. This is nija-lābha-pūrṅa. He's always full with all satisfaction. So why Kṛṣṅa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26]?

[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]

So does it mean that Kṛṣṅa is so hungry that He has come to beg from us a little flower, little fruit? That some rascal taken this, that Kṛṣṅa comes as beggar, daridra? So when Kṛṣṅa comes as opulent Personality of Godhead, they are not interested to serve Him, but when Kṛṣṅa comes as daridra, then they're interested.

So these are all foolishness. Kṛṣṅa is neither daridra, but karuṅam. Karuṅaṁ vṛṅīte. 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." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ. Patraṁ you can get anywhere, without any price. Puṣpam also you can get anywhere, and toyam, that also get, you can get. So simply collect for Kṛṣṅa. That is Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that "I'll serve Kṛṣṅa with this endeavor. I'll collect something." What you'll collect? It is Kṛṣṅa's money. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṅa. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1].

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

So what you can collect? It is Kṛṣṅa's. Just like we are constructing this temple. We are feeling that "I am constructing. We are constructing," but actually it is Kṛṣṅa's. The bricks, the iron or the cement or anything that you are collecting, that is Kṛṣṅa's property. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam. The brick is not your property. The earth is not your property. You are taking Kṛṣṅa's earth, and you are making it a brick. Still, it is Kṛṣṅa's property. But the endeavor, the energy which you are giving to Kṛṣṅa, that is taken into account: "Oh, he is working for Me. He wants to give Me something." That Kṛṣṅa consciousness is important. Otherwise Kṛṣṅa can... By His will He can construct sixteen thousand palaces for His queen. What this teeny temple will satisfy Him? But still, He's satisfied: "Oh, you have done so much? Very good." Recognized. Kṛṣṅa has created the whole universe. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kāla. He doesn't require any endeavor. Simply by breathing, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ [Bs 5.48].

[Brahmā and other lords of the mundane worlds, appearing from the pores of hair of Mahā-Viṣṅu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the latter [Mahā-Viṣṅu]. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective personality Mahā-Viṣṅu is the portion of portion.]

By His breathing, many millions of Brahmās are coming out, jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ. And each jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ, Brahmā, is creating a universe. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya [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 Kṛṣṅa does not require our service, but if we give some service to Kṛṣṅa, that is our benefit. This is the formula. Don't think that Kṛṣṅa is very much obliged. But He feels obliged. Why? Aviduṣaḥ. 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, teeny. 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 naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṅaḥ. He's always full with six opulences. There is no question of satisfying by giving something. This daridra-nārāyaṅa-sevā 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 Lakṣmī, with Sītā, with Rādhārāṅī, 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-lābha-pūrṅaḥ. He's not... He's Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṅa. He's Nārāyaṅa, and why He should become poor? He... Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ [Bs 5.29]. Not only one Lakṣmī, not one Rukmiṅī, but many thousands Lakṣmī—sahasra-sata, many lakhs. We are flattering Lakṣmījī, "Give me some favor," but Kṛṣṅa doesn't flatter anyone. Sometimes He does out of love to Rādhārāṅī. That Lakṣmī is Rādhārāṅī. Therefore She is the topmost of all Lakṣmīs. So why Kṛṣṅa will be beggar, daridra? No. There is no possibility. Here Kṛṣṅa is present in this temple. He has become very handy so that we can offer our dress, offer our foodstuff, whatever we can. He can become still smaller. Anor anīyāṁ mahato mahīyān. If you want to worship Him as the virata-puruṣa, then He can show you the virāṭa-puruṣa. The sky is the head and the Pātāla is the leg. He can become so big that you will be frightened, as Arjuna became frightened after seeing. He can become. That is called Brahman. Bṛhatvād bṛhaṅatvāt. He can become the bigger than the biggest, and He can become smaller than the smallest. That is Kṛṣṅa.

So if we actually want to serve according to our means, Kṛṣṅa is ready to accept our service. But you cannot think that "Without my service, Kṛṣṅa is starving." No, that is not. Nija-lābha-pūrṅaḥ. He's always complete in Himself. He doesn't require our help. But if we serve Kṛṣṅa, then we become benefited. That is... Yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānam. If you offer respect, Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa's representative, then you'll be respectful. If you don't want to show respect to Kṛṣṅa and His representative, then you'll be derided. Therefore prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ. Prati-mukhasya, original face, original person, is Kṛṣṅa. If you decorate Kṛṣṅa very nicely, then you will be also seen very much decorated. If you... Practically we see. That is no fable. We are offering Kṛṣṅa nice foodstuff, so we are eating this nice prasādam which we never conceived or dreamed, dreamt in our life. So because we are offering to Kṛṣṅa, we become so fortunate to taste this nice prasādam. Kṛṣṅa, nija-lābha-pūrṅaḥ. It is not that if you give a nice plate of foodstuff, Kṛṣṅa eats everything, and you simply see the empty dish. No. Kṛṣṅa eats, and again keeps it as it is for... That is Kṛṣṅa. Pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation].

[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]

The atheist class of men, they think, "We offered so many things. Kṛṣṅa did not eat." No. He has eaten, but He is nija-lābha-pūrṅaḥ. He is not hungry, but whatever you have offered, He has eaten. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Everyone was offering so many things, it was stocked. And Govinda one day informed Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Sir, people bring so many nice foodstuff for You. It is stocked. Practically the whole room is filled up, and when they ask me that 'Whether Caitanya Mahāprabhu 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 Mahāprabhu said, "All right, bring them here." So one after one, the whole room was finished. Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate everything. Then He asked him, "Bring more." "No, Sir, only the empty pots are there." "All right, stop." So this is Kṛṣṅa. 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 Kṛṣṅa is ready to accept, not that you have to become a very rich man and you have to offer Kṛṣṅa foodstuff fifty-six times, as in Jagannātha Purī 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 brāhmaṅa. He had no means to offer anything to Kṛṣṅa, 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 Bhāgavata speech that one can offer Him within mind also. So he took it seriously, and from that day he was offering Kṛṣṅa so many nice foodstuffs, collecting water from different rivers and keeping the water in golden jugs, and bathing Kṛṣṅa and offering... This was... He was always thinking. And one day he prepared sweet rice and offered Kṛṣṅa, 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 brāhmaṅa was immediately taken to Vaikuṅṭha.

So Kṛṣṅa can be offered in any circumstances. Kṛṣṅa can be pleased, provided you want to please Kṛṣṅa, provided you want to serve Kṛṣṅa. There is no question of... That is already explained, that dhana, jana, riches or learning or respectability, all these things cannot satisfy Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa wants only your heart—"Kṛṣṅa, You are my eternal master. I am Your eternal servant. Please engage me in Your service."

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi [Cc Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]

[O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.]

This is the prayer. A devotee never asks Kṛṣṅa, "You give me money. You give me many followers. You give me nice wife." No. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. "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 Kṛṣṅa mantra means that. Hare... Hare is the addressing Rādhārāṅī, Hara; from Hara, Hare. And Kṛṣṅa... So "Rādhārāṅī and Kṛṣṅa," Hare Kṛṣṅa, "Please engage me in Your service." Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma...

Devotees: ...Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Prabhupāda: So we should simply pray, "Kindly engage me in Your service in whatever capacity You like." I have got my own desire, so Kṛṣṅa 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, Kṛṣṅa 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 Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is teaching that "Try to serve Kṛṣṅa." That is the beginning of teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jivera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṅa dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108].

[It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṅa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṅa has three varieties of energy.]

They are trying to be master. That is māyā. It is not possible to become māyā, er, master. You cannot become master. If you think that you are going to be master, that is māyā.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate [Bg 3.27]

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

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 māyā, illusion. The real life is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa and offer service to Him to the best capacity. That is perfection of life.

Thank you very much. [end]