From Damodara month to Damodar mood – From circumstantial devotion to transcendental devotion through intentional devotion
Thank all of you for coming here today evening and on this last day of the sacred month of Damodar, I'll speak on the topic of from the Damodar month to the Damodar mur. How we can internalise bhakti in a more steady and sustainable way.
Broadly speaking, different people start coming to God, start practising bhakti for various circumstantial reasons. Sometimes we may be in trouble and we feel that maybe God can free me from this trouble. When I was in college about 25 years ago, at that time I had a friend who was not at all interested in anything spiritual.
But just a few months ago he called me and he said that where is your temple nearby? I want to come to the temple and I want to give some tradition. So I told him, I was not there at that time, I told him that here you can go. But I asked him, you were never interested in God or anything.
Did you have a change of heart? What happened? He said no, no, nothing like that. He said, I am starting a new business. So, in case God exists, he should not create any trouble for me.
So, like a backup insurance, I want to give some donation. So sometimes people come to worship God because of certain circumstances. So I will talk about three levels of devotion.
Circumstantial devotion, intentional devotion and transcendental devotion. Circumstantial devotion means that devotion which arises because of particular circumstances in our life. We may say that because of this circumstance, this situation, I go to God and I pray to him.
Most people who do approach, start practising religion, it's because of some circumstance. And even circumstantial devotion is better than atheism because at least one is acknowledging God. Actually Prabhupada, he would quote the Christian prayer, O Father, thou art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, give us our daily bread.
So he would say that this prayer is good that people are going to God, but at the same time, such a prayer reveals their love for bread, not love for God. That means if you get bread from somewhere else, then they'll stop going to God for that. And that's why to some extent the more material prosperity increases, people's religious inclinations go down.
It is not always, basically, if people are extremely poor, then they're just struggling for their existence. And if people, as they start getting more and more wealthy, they start thinking, maybe I don't need God. It doesn't happen with everyone, but it is a possibility.
If one was approaching God simply so that one's circumstances will become better, then if the circumstances become better, then what is the need for God? In India, when I was in Pune, our temple is close to a school, and the school children throughout the year hardly ever come to the temple. But in the month of April, all of them come. So, is it that April is the generator of bhakti? Nothing like that, what is it? Exams are there.
So, God, please pass me in this exam. And then, if they pass, if they do well, thank you God, bye-bye. So, once the circumstance is addressed, then people feel, what is the need for God? Or, adversely also, if I come to God and pray to God, and somehow their circumstance is not addressed, then also they feel, what is the need for God? What does God do for me? Once there was a devotee family, and their child, he used to chant the names of Krishna, but he suddenly stopped chanting.
So, when he stopped chanting, they went to their guru, and the guru asked him, this boy, why did you stop chanting? What happened when you stopped? He said, last week there was this India-Pakistan cricket match, and I prayed to Krishna that India should win. But, India lost. So, I stopped chanting.
Krishna did not hear my prayer. So, the guru told him, it is not that Krishna didn't hear your prayer. Just like you were chanting that India win, there was a boy like you in Pakistan, who was also chanting, let Pakistan win.
And he prayed more than you, so Pakistan won. So, actually, in the world we live in, resources are limited. So, sometimes, things will just not work out.
So, if our devotion is circumstantial, then, it will always be very unsteady. As I said, when the circumstances are troubling, I start approaching God. The troubling circumstances go away, and I say, okay, good.
We end the devotion. Circumstances don't go away, then also we feel, what is the use of this? Let it go away. Give it up.
So, circumstantial devotion is unsteady. And, Krishna acknowledges, this is good still. He says in 7.16 in the Bhagavad Gita, So, he says, those who come out of circumstances, they are distressed, or they need wealth, they are good, they are pious souls.
But, he says that, for them to evolve spiritually, will take time. In 7.19 he states, three verses later, So, he says, for them to become focused devotees, it may require many lifetimes of spiritual evolution. So, what exactly happens? And, why is it necessary at all to arise? There is circumstantial devotion, and there is transcendental devotion.
Transcendental devotion means, Krishna, you are my lord. Whatever happens, I will serve you. In the Shikshashtakam prayers composed by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, where he is praying to Krishna in the mood of Srivati Radharani.
He says, So, my dear lord, whether you embrace me, or you abandon me, or you trample me under your feet, you are my lord. This is transcendental devotion. Whatever the circumstance, the devotion remains fixed.
And, this is actually the nature of love. It is very easy to act in any relationship. Whichever relationship we may form, initially there is attraction, and based on that attraction, we function in that relationship.
But, if some circumstances change, something changes, it's not working, just give it up. But, for a relationship to study, it cannot just be circumstantial. There has to be the willingness to commit irrespective of the circumstances.
When a mother has a child, with a mother, with a small baby, looks very attractive, and then all the relatives come and follow the child, take photos, mother will feel very good. But then, late at night, the baby wakes up and starts crying. At that time, it doesn't feel so good.
But the mother's affection is expressed through commitment. Sometimes the mother feels love overflowing for the child. Sometimes the mother is so tired.
But still, she wakes up and takes care of the child. So, transcendental means whatever be the circumstance, I am committed. Circumstantial means when the circumstance is favourable, it is nice.
Otherwise, okay. So, how do we move? In our devotion also, devotion is a relationship with the Supreme Lord, with Krishna. And fixed devotion means that no matter what goes wrong, still, my dear Lord, I am devoted to You.
So, the way from circumstantial devotion to transcendental devotion is through intentional devotion. Intentional means that which is practised with conscious intention. So, when the sacred months or sacred occasions, like say, Damodar Mantar, at that time, we make some resolution to intensify our bhakti.
We chant some extra rounds. We come to the temple and offer lamp to the Lord. Or do some other austerities.
And this is good. The month is sacred and at that time we want to practise more bhakti. This is circumstantial.
This circumstance is the particular time that is there. And it is good that at least at that time we try to intensify our bhakti. Now, at a practical level, we all have our limitations.
We may, for a month, we may be able to do something more. But our schedules may not allow us to do that extra activity at other times. So, the circumstances are not always the same.
And sometimes our bhakti may be more, some bhakti practises may be more, sometimes the bhakti practises may be less. That is variability which is unavoidable. Say, if we are travelling by car or driving, sometimes sometimes sometimes when the road is crowded, we may go slowly.
Sometimes when the road becomes clear, we go fast. So, like that in our life, sometimes our life may get crowded with too many other obligations. And at that time we may not be able to move so smoothly.
But sometimes the obligations are less, we can move faster. So, we cannot be completely immune to circumstances. Circumstances do affect us.
But circumstances may change our pace of movement. Circumstances shouldn't change the purpose of our movement. Where am I going? How fast I go, that will vary.
But where I am going, that shouldn't vary. So, circumstantial devotion doesn't mean or transcendental devotion doesn't mean that the circumstances don't affect us at all. For all of us, circumstances will affect.
If my health is poor and my health is good, practically what I am able to do will naturally vary. But there is devotion at the level of intention. Whether I am travelling slow or I am travelling fast, the intention is to go in the same direction.
So, bhakti is more about intention than about action. Action is important of course, but more than that is the intention. So, intentional devotion means, a devotee's intention to serve Krishna is always very strong.
And with that strong intention, we move onwards. And sometimes, circumstances can induce us to practise bhakti more. Like say, in the month of Damodar, we do some more seva, we do some more bhakti.
And then, that gives us the inspiration to increase our intention further. So, I did this much, now I want to do more. There is always a gap between what we want to do and what we are able to do.
And this gap can, if seen positively, be inspiring. Yes, I want to do this much, I want to do this much. Let me try to do whatever I can more.
Now, how do we get this intention? Intentional devotion means that we maintain a strong intention that this is what I am going to do. Circumstances are favourable or not, this is what I am going to do. Broadly speaking, our intention is shaped by three things.
By our intelligence, by our association and by our intelligence. So, let me talk about these three things. Intelligence, somebody may like to eat sweet foods but the doctor has warned them you are on the verge of getting diabetes.
Be careful, don't eat this. So, I don't want to get diabetes. I will just give it up.
So, intelligence is what is activated at that time. Some people will tell them, don't be non-vegetarian, become vegetarians. No, I just can't live without meat.
And then they get a heart attack and they survive and the doctor tells them better give up meat. Next day they give up meat. What has happened over here? It is the intelligence that is activated.
So, intelligence can have many different meanings but in the context of what we are discussing, intelligence means the capacity to see the consequences. Intelligence means to see the future consequence and based on that make the present decision. The children, they may just want to play all day.
I am enjoying, what is the problem? But the mother sees, no, you have to study. You have a career ahead. So, you have to develop that career.
So, intelligence in a major part is the capacity to see the future result, the future consequence. Normally we use the word consequence in a negative sense. We are going to get consequences of this.
Result can be used in a more value neutral sense. But whatever actions we are doing, they are going to have results. So, if we nourish our intelligence by practising bhakti, by studying scripture, then that gives us the intelligence.
That actually I am a soul and I have an opportunity to attain Krishna in this life. And after so many lifetimes of wandering in this material existence, I have got this opportunity. Very fortunate souls get this opportunity to practise bhakti.
Now I have got this, I don't want to lose this. Just by practising bhakti, I can attain Krishna. A little difficulty in this lifetime, but then there is an eternity of happiness.
This is intelligence. So, our intention can be generated through intelligence. Srila Jiva Goswami is one of our most prominent acharyas.
And he in the Satsang Darbha, which is a classic philosophical treatise on Gaudiya Vaishnavism, there he says that there are the pure devotees, the siddhas, they stay on the spiritual platform because of their priti. Because they love Krishna, so naturally they stay on the spiritual platform. But, as far as the sadhakas are concerned, they stay on the spiritual platform by their buddhi.
Those of us who are striving to love Krishna, we don't always feel attraction to Krishna. So, what will keep us on the spiritual platform is our buddhi. It's our intelligence.
So, intention can be generated by intelligence. That's why studying scriptures, hearing classes is extremely important. This nourishes our intelligence.
And, even if we can't act as bhakti at the same level of intensity throughout, just nourishing our intelligence will at least keep our intention strong. Yeah, the crowd is, the traffic is small, so I'm going slowly. But, it is not that I just turn the road and go somewhere else.
I want to keep going straight. So, hearing regularly, studying regularly nourishes our intelligence. The second factor is association.
Association is a great stimulator of desire. Normally, we think of our desires as linear. That means, I see some object and I desire it.
Say, if somebody sees delicious looking pizza, they say, ah, mouth starts watering, I want it. So, the object and the person-person. So, our desire is linear over here.
But, suppose we go to some feast and there is some item which we have never seen before. And, some items look very attractive, some items don't look that attractive. So, you're wondering, should I eat this or should I not eat this? And then, we see some friend, person goes, takes the plate.
Ah, so nice. And, we see that person in sadham ecstasy. And, you see, oh, I want to eat it also.
So, you go there, give it to him. Now, here what has happened? It is our seeing the object did not generate the desire. It is our seeing somebody else eating it, generated the desire.
So, our desires are not just linear, they are also triangular. Triangular means we are here, the object is here and somebody else is there who is enjoying that object. And, seeing them enjoy develops our desire.
And, this triangularity of desires is what is stabbed by the advertising industry. When they use celebrity endorsements. So, a new phone comes up.
So many new phones keep coming up. But, if there is some movie star, some sports star who is shown with that phone, I use this phone. How? I also want to use it.
So, this is triangularity of desires. Now, this triangularity of desires is especially important in spiritual life. Because, the attractive objects or the devotional objects, their attractiveness is not immediately revealed by perception.
For example, if somebody gets a Bhagavad Gita. Okay, Bhagavad Gita is a sacred book. Many people take Bhagavad Gita as it is and then they keep it as it is.
So, okay, it is a good book. One day I will read it. So, here, if we come to some Bhagavad Gita classes, we meet some devotee who is relishing the Bhagavad Gita.
They give such classes, they give such insights based on the Bhagavad Gita. Hey, all this is there in this book? I didn't know that. This book has so much wisdom and so much taste that this devotee is getting.
I also want to get that taste. So, seeing some devotee relishing the Bhagavad Gita's wisdom, we also get the desire to relish that wisdom. So, if the Bhagavad Gita is here, I am here.
I don't get so much desire to study the Bhagavad Gita just by seeing the Bhagavad Gita. But by seeing someone else study the Bhagavad Gita, I get that desire. This is triangularity of desires.
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmahā In 2.62, the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, saṅga, one meaning is association. Prabhupada says in one lecture that association generates desires. So, we come to the temple and see the deities and the deities are beautiful.
We bow our head in front of the deities and go away. But, if we meet some devotee who is completely devoted as a pujari, been worshipping year after year after year and when we talk with them, they have such deep faith, this is Krishna and they feel Krishna reciprocating with them. If you hold him, this is Krishna.
And then seeing their devotion, kindles our devotion. So, to grow in bhakti, we need association. And not just general association.
If you want to say, as I said, carry on Damodar mood beyond a Damodar month, then, if we decide, this is one activity which I want to do. Maybe, I want to study Shastra regularly. Then we need to find some association some devotee's association who likes to study scriptures.
And in their association, our desire will be kindled. So, whatever resolution we wish to make, this is what I would like to continue, this is what I want to do. If we associate with someone who is doing that or who wants to do that, that kindles a desire.
So, the second way to cultivate intentional devotion is to find the association that also has that intention. And that way, we will get the inspiration. The triangularity of desires will be tapped.
Now, there is lot of association that is there around us. There are many different devotees may be there. But, Bhaktivinoda Thakur says that we should try to associate with like-minded devotees.
Yes, we respect all devotee association. But, some devotee, when we hear their classes, we just click. This all makes so much sense.
Some devotees, when they sing Kirtan, I love this. So, we all are individuals. And Bhakti is an individual process.
So, if we decide, this is the resolution I want to make, then we have to find out that association which inspires in that resolution. That is like-minded association. That will reinforce our intention.
If my intention is to study scripture, and then some other devotee is, okay, let's chant extra rounds. Chanting is also good. But, we can't do everything.
So, if my resolution is to study scriptures more, then I have to find out some devotee who is doing that. That will nourish my intention. The third is inclination.
Inclination means we all have certain mental tendencies. And our thoughts naturally flow in those directions. So, for example, if this floor, if it were tilted this way, if water fell on the floor, naturally the water would flow in this direction.
If I want it to flow in that direction, it would flow just by my intention. I will have to push it, push it. But automatically, it will flow in this direction.
So, the same applies to our mental inclinations. So, if say somebody is an alcoholic. Alcoholics, just like devotees remember Krishna constantly, alcoholics remember alcohol constantly.
So, as soon as they have a little free time, they are doing some work, as soon as they have a little free time, when there is nothing to do, what happens? Consciousness rolls along the inclination. When can I get my next drink? So, consciousness just rolls in that direction. So, we all have certain inclinations.
And an easy way to identify our inclination is to find out where our thoughts go when we have nothing to do. When we are not doing anything specific, where do our thoughts go? For some people, it may go to cricket. Some people, it may go to politics.
Some people, it may go to money. Whatever is their particular attachment. So, we all have certain inclinations.
And at present, even if we want to practise bhakti, we want to think about Krishna, we want to devote ourselves to Krishna, if our inclination is to something else, then our intention alone will not be enough. We have inclinations which we are often not conscious of. There are subconscious inclinations.
And subconscious inclinations become conscious intentions because of inattention. Subconscious inclinations become conscious intentions because of inattention. Say for example, somebody has decided to diet.
And when they have decided to diet, suddenly they get a snack attack. A snack attack. A desire to eat a snack.
Now say below, they are working on their table and below they have some burger or something, fatty food. And they also have some salad. Some fruit or some vegetable.
Now they may decide, I am going to eat this healthy food. And their attention is there, I am feeling hungry. Should I eat this fruit? But if they are busy talking on phone, working on the computer, stomach starts feeling hungry.
Even without thinking, if in the past they have been habituated to eating burgers, then automatically their hand will go to the burger and they will start eating. Hey, I am not supposed to eat this. What happened? What happened was, what is the inclination that gets automatically done.
So, just as when the water falls on an inclined floor, the water automatically flows in the direction of the inclination. Similarly, whatever is our inclination, we do it automatically. If somebody is inclined to eat fatty food, they make a resolution, I will eat healthy food.
But, as soon as there is inattention, the inclination comes off. And we act according to our subconscious inclination becomes our conscious intention because of inattention. So, if the water in the floor is inclined this way, and I want the water to go this way, we have a drain over there, we want the water to go that side, then we have to consciously push.
We have to consciously keep pushing, keep pushing till the water reaches that and then it will spill away. It will be drained away. So, similarly, when we are practising bhakti and we want to fix our mind on Krishna, we want to devote ourselves to Krishna, if our inclination is something else, our mind will not go in that direction.
It will not go in the direction of Krishna, it will go in the other direction. And expecting that our mind should go towards Krishna is an unrealistic expectation. It is what our inclination is, that's where the mind will go.
And we have to push, we have to force ourselves. Sadhana bhakti is essentially a process of voluntary force. I have to force myself.
But the wonderful thing about Krishna bhakti is that if I keep pushing the mind towards Krishna, I keep trying to fix the mind on Krishna, then by this the inclination itself changes. The floor that was inclined this way, it will get inclined this way. So the more we keep practising bhakti steadily, trying to fix the mind on Krishna, gradually the mind will become inclined towards Krishna.
abhyasepya samarthosi atachittam samadhatum nashatnosimahisthiram abhyasayoginatato mam ukshatum dhananjaya In 12.9 in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that if you are not automatically attracted to me, if your mind doesn't go spontaneously towards me, in 12.8 we recommend that as the best way. Just let your mind be absorbed in me. In 12.9 in the Gita he says, if your mind cannot be automatically absorbed in me, then abhyasa, practise it.
Try to fix your mind on me. And then what will happen by this? mam ukshatum dhananjaya Your desire for me will awaken. Your attraction to me will awaken.
And then your thoughts will naturally flow towards me. So we if you want to rise towards intentional devotion, we need to change our inclination. And that requires time.
It may not happen overnight. But rather than thinking of our mental floor to be like just one continuous floor. It's inclined towards some worldly object.
It's not inclined towards Krishna. What can I do? Rather than thinking of it like that, we can think that our mental floor also has divisions. And within our present inclination we can find out, is there some way I am presently inclined towards Krishna? So some of us may like music.
And, oh I like to hear kirtans. And I can just turn on kirtans, I can just get absorbed with it. So that means, in the activity of kirtan, our inclination is towards Krishna.
So we can, inclination basically means getting absorbed does not require much effort. For some of us it may be in philosophy. If we just hear good stimulating classes, we just get absorbed in it.
For some of us it may be in deity worship. Or we just say, beautiful darshan of Krishna. Our thoughts are going here and there, but immediately they go towards Krishna.
So this is called uddhipan. Uddhipan means spiritual stimulus. So all of us have our own particular spiritual stimulus which stimulates us.
So we have to find out what is it, what aspect of Krishna bhakti am I inclined to? And we resolve to do that, at least that much more. To do everything more or to do any particular thing more may be difficult. But the thing which we are naturally inclined to do, that is relatively easy to do.
And that way we can use the inclination to work for us instead of working against us. There will be certain inclinations which may be towards negative things. We may be short tempered, we may be inclined to depression, we may be inclined towards resentment, whatever it is.
They will get purified by the gradual practise of bhakti. But till then if there is some inclination towards Krishna, we channel that. And by that we will find that when we move towards Krishna, our thoughts will move towards Krishna.
And as our mental flow becomes more and more inclined towards Krishna, then we get, we rise towards transcendental devotion. Transcendental devotion means favourable or unfavourable circumstance, it doesn't matter. The focus is Krishna you are my lord and I am going to serve you.
The greatest example of transcendental devotion is the personification of devotion, Srimati Radharani. The month of Karthik is actually named after her. So I conclude with a beautiful story, leela which is described in the Ananda Vrindavan Chambu about how Radharani serves Krishna.
So when Krishna and Radharani, both of them were in their teens in Vrindavan, at that time one day Radharani's parents, Rishi Bhanu and Kirtika, they invited Nanda Maharaj to their house for prasad, for taking food. And there was a big celebration. Initially Krishna said I don't want to go.
I want to play with my friends. And Shri Rama was there. Shri Rama said that I am going.
I heard that Rishi Bhanu, they cook very nicely. I am going there. And then Krishna's friend said we are also going.
What will I do? I will also come. Krishna also came along. And when they reached there, Yashodamayi went to their kitchen and then she saw that there Radharani was cooking.
At that time she was Radha. She is a small girl over there. For Yashodamayi she is not Rani.
She is Radha. So Kirtika, her mother was there. She said Radha's body is tender like a flower.
Why have you made her cook so many items? It's so hot. The stove is over here. Her body will get withered because of the heat.
So Kirtika said actually we never told Radha to cook anything. When she heard that you are coming, she out of her own desire she wanted to cook. And she wanted to cook and actually she is only cooking a few select items.
The main cooking is happening in another kitchen. Radharani was cooking more than a dozen items but they had many other items. So then Yashoda was very pleased with Radharani.
And then he said Oh Kirtika, look at some of the food. It's so good. You have trained Radha so well in the art of cooking.
Now I would like to train her in the art of serving. So in Vrindavan everybody wants to unite Radha and Krishna together. So Yashoda was thinking that I will get Radha to serve Krishna.
So then the Maharaja and all of them sat down. Krishna sat on one side. Balram sat on the other side.
And next to Krishna was his friend Madhumangal who also sat. And then Yashoda told Radha to go and serve. And Radha saw Krishna is there and she was shy.
So she went and started serving somebody, others. Many other Krishna's friends were also there. And as she was serving, Yashoda called her.
Go and serve Krishna. He said no. Then others were serving him.
Yashoda called her. You go and serve there. Now you go and serve.
So now when Radha went and served. She served some food to Krishna. And Krishna picked it.
It's very twisted. Radha's heart. What happened? And then Madhumangal was there next to her.
She served Madhumangal. Then Radha realised that Krishna was simply teasing her. So then she came back.
And Yashoda said very good. You served nicely. Now you go and serve this item.
And then as they were serving, Madhumangal spoke. He said this food is causing me both ecstasy and anxiety. He said what is the matter? He said this food is so delicious that it is causing me ecstasy.
Now everybody was hearing. Somebody said this food is causing me anxiety. All the hosts and everybody were worried.
He said this food is so delicious that it is causing me ecstasy. But after having tasted such delicious food how I will be satisfied with any other food in future? Thinking that is causing me anxiety. So Krishna said that Madhumangal you are very naughty.
Just keep quiet. He says how can I keep quiet? This food is so delicious. Food that Radha has served us it is as good as the food that is served by the goddess of fortune.
Speaking like this. Radha became shy and started going away. And Ishwara said Radha there is no need for you to be shy.
He says yes it is natural when a cultured person is praised they feel shy. But actually what he is saying is true. The food you have made is so good.
And then on Krishna's shoulder was sitting his parrot with him. Krishna had the parrot. So the parrot was moving his neck forward.
So Ishwara saw. Oh Dwijaya you want to say something? Dwijaya is a bird. Now Dwijaya also refers to Brahmana.
So Madhumangal said yes I have a lot to speak. So Ishwara said no not you Dwijaya. What do you want to say? Madhumangal said the parrot looked at Madhumangal he has committed an abrath.
What? He has committed an offence. Madhumangal said I am a Brahmana I don't commit offence. People commit offence to me.
No you have committed offence. He said that he has compared Radharani's cooking to the cooking of the goddess of fortune. But actually Radharani is the source of the goddess of fortune.
To compare her cooking to goddess of fortune's cooking is actually an offence. Oh very clever very clever Ishwara said. And then so like that Radha and all the Gopis they served Krishna, Balram and Maharaj and they all had delicious food.
They ate sumptuously and Ishwara was watching with the mother's loving eye. And then as the food got over she came and hugged Radharani and said you have cooked so nicely. And then she went to Kirtida.
She said Kirtida I have a request for you. She said that actually every day I feel Krishna. I cook for Krishna and I feel Krishna.
And till now I have never seen Krishna eat with as much gusto as much joy as I have seen him eat Radha's cooking. So I have a request. Can Radha come to our house every day and cook for Krishna.
Radharani heard this. Her heart was dancing in joy. She wanted to long to serve Krishna.
But as a shy girl she did not speak. And Kirtida said oh Yashoda you are our queen. Whatever you say is our order.
We will be happy to do it. But Kirtida was a little hesitant. And Yashoda understood.
I know what you are thinking. Yes how can Radha who is an unmarried girl come to my house to cook for Krishna who is an unmarried boy. She said don't worry.
He doesn't have to come to my house. Outside my house there is Pavan Sarovar. And there we have a big kitchen.
And let Radha come and cook over there. And she will cook there and from there I will take the food and I will serve Krishna. So Kirtida was like yes this is a good arrangement.
And Radha's heart started dancing in joy. And from that day onwards every single day Radharani will come to cook for Krishna. And that would be her meditation.
How can I cook for Krishna? What can I cook for Krishna? In the spiritual world there are desire trees. Kalpataru. They can fulfil all desires.
But Radharani doesn't tell the desire tree make this for Krishna and give it to him. No she wants to personally cook. Because the joy is in serving.
It's not just in giving but making. Endeavouring to serve. And that was the highlight of her day.
Every day she would meditate. What can I cook for Krishna? How can I serve Krishna? And Krishna would look forward to it and delight in that food. Which Radharani would cook so lovingly for him.
So Radharani took the initiative once when Krishna was coming even without being told she served. She cooked and served food for Krishna. And the result of that service was that she got more service for Krishna.
She cooked once for Krishna and from that she got the opportunity to serve him daily. So the fruit of service is greater service. We do some service for Krishna the success is that we get more opportunity to serve Krishna.
Once I was giving a class about chanting and I explained that chanting means that we are praying to Krishna please engage me in your service. So one devotee said I am afraid to chant now. He says why is that? I already have so much service.
If Krishna gives me more service what will I do? So I explained that when we say Krishna please engage me in your service what that means is that Krishna please give me the inspiration to serve you. We are all limited beings and we can't serve unlimitedly. That Krishna also understands.
But we want to have the intention to serve you more and more. And that intention can be nourished by taking a resolution to carry this mood of Damodar from the Damodar month onwards through our entire life. So we rise from circumstantial devotion to transcendental devotion through intentional devotion.
Intentional devotion can be cultivated through intelligence through association and through changing of inclinations. Thank you very much.