Does pure devotion mean expecting no reciprocation from Krishna?
Just as in any relationship we expect reciprocation similarly in our relationship with Krishna also we expect reciprocation so does that mean that we are not practicing pure devotion or how can we practice our relationship with Krishna without any expectation See the point is of pure devotion is not the absence of expectation the point of pure devotion is the non-dependence on expectation the Gopis they do expect Krishna to come back they are craving for him to come back so that expectation of reciprocation of Krishna is there but there is no dependence on that it is not that Krishna if you had left us and you have gone away so we will stop loving you so आश्लिष्यवापादर्ताम् पिनिष्टुमा आदर्चनाम् मर्माताम् करोतुवा so here there is clear recognition of difference sometimes you may embrace me sometimes you may trample me and it is not that the devotee is blind to that but still you are my प्रानानात I will serve you so the expectation of reciprocation is natural in a relationship we can't suppress that but we don't depend on the reciprocation because we understand that Krishna is our greatest publisher and Krishna will in his own time reciprocate in a perfect way we just need to wait so we wait for his reciprocation we don't demand his reciprocation Prabhupada writes in Bhagavatam Parport that a devotee desires darshan of Krishna but the devotee doesn't demand darshan of Krishna so if you demand then there is no submission but if you don't desire only then where is the affection so both are required now regarding our practice of bhakti when we say that we should have pure devotion we have to remember that we can't become pure devotees without becoming devotees that means initially only we think that I will strive only for pure devotion first we need to have a relationship then we can purify the relationship suppose if there is something in our material life, in our professional life or in our family life which is burdening us a lot then can we pray to Krishna about that oh this is material I should not pray to Krishna about anything material well we can think like that but if it is burdening our heart if that is we can't wish away its presence in our heart whatever that concern is if it is there in our heart and it has a prominent place in our heart by trying to artificially wish it away what we do is that is always going to be there in our heart and if that part of our heart Krishna will not be there so what we can do is we can pray about that to Krishna so that part of our heart which is already occupied by that particular concern Krishna also enters into that eventually Krishna will pervade our entire heart but initially whatever is in our heart we need to connect it with Krishna see when we give donation to Krishna the purpose is what to give our heart to Krishna but if we can't give our heart to Krishna we should give what is in our heart to Krishna by giving what is in our heart to Krishna then we give Krishna a place in our heart so money and concerns about money are naturally in our heart when we give donation sometimes people think that oh in the future when I become very prosperous then I will give 55% 75% donation but now I can't 75% of my earnings I will give but now I can't give anything see the point of donation is not the activity the point of donation is the mentality we do donation not just to give to Krishna we want to give donation so that we connect ourselves with Krishna so just as this is from one perspective of donations but another perspective is if we have some anxiety some worries some concerns we share that with Krishna so it's not that we separate that part of our heart from Krishna and say I will try to be pure it won't work but what we do is after we share our heart with Krishna we surrender to him Krishna this is what I feel is the best situation for me please if you feel this is the best please let this happen or if your will is something else please help me to understand it so that I can serve you in that situation so certainly we can pray to Krishna and by praying we connect with him so see one of the important differences between praying as it is talked about in bhakti and praying as it is talked about in common circles is that we see praying primarily as an activity normally as an activity to request Krishna to give us something which is ok at one level but in the Bhagavatam prayer is seen as an activity primarily for connecting with Krishna if you look at the Brahma Samhita prayers there is no request on it there is glorification Govindam Adi Purusham Tamaham Bhajaam even if you see Kunti Maharani's prayer the first major prayer in the Bhagavatam it ends with what Krishna let my consciousness flow towards you she doesn't ask anything from Krishna directly so if we start seeing praying not so much as a give and take with Krishna and more as simply a connection with Krishna a means to connect with Krishna then we will be able to become much more stable in our bhakti so even if we have some worldly concerns it doesn't matter we share them with Krishna and that way we share our heart with Krishna and Krishna gains more and more of a place in our heart and over a period of time we will realize oh at that time I was so worked up about that but now it's not such a big thing there have been problems in my life in the past I dealt with them and this problem yes I will deal with it so the once we give Krishna a place in our heart then other things don't shake us so much but if something is shaking us we can't just deny that and say that I will be a pure devotee it will not work so we strive for a relationship with Krishna and then we strive for purifying that relationship does it address your question?