Why should we love Krishna since He is a fully detached Sanyasi?
Two devotees have asked similar question:
(1) A Girl devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna prabhuji. Krishna is a poorna sanyasi and he has 100% renouncement. Then, why should we love him? because he is not going to respond so as to follow his sanyasa. Then, why should we talk like prema, love, raganuga, etc etc. please clarify”
(2) Another Girl devotee asked like this:
“Radhe Radhe, Will Sri Krishna accept me as his wife since He is the source of bliss and love so he doesn’t need anyone for his pleasure. So if he accepts us as his wife only for his duty as Lord? If he doesn’t get any happiness from us, then should we try to love him with Dasya Bhav that may be for our own selfishness?”
REPLY:
Interesting questions.
Both of you ask: If Krishna won’t get Pleasure from us being an absolute sanyasi, why should we love Him for our own pleasure that is selfishness?
This reminds me my hesitation to accept a guru during the initial period as he may have to accept our karma and I never liked to make others suffer for my karma. I only should suffer because of my karma.
However, when I was convinced that Krishna gives our diksha guru the capacity and power to clear our karma, I accepted my Guru.
(DOES A DIKSHA GURU OR SIKSHA GURU ACCEPT THE KARMA OF DISCIPLES? HOW? READ HERE!)
Such thoughts are good. Not childish. It shows our kind heart.
Being kind is a symptom of a good devotee.
A Vaishnava has two important qualities:
(i) He can not see others suffer because of him.
(ii) Similarly, he may not like to enjoy when others do not enjoy.
In both the cases, he may feel guilty considering as if he is selfish.
You too have expressed such a quality.
(QUALITIES OF A PURE DEVOTEE OF KRISHNA! READ HERE!)
Ok, You think that you alone do not like to enjoy when Krishna does not enjoy.
There is a subtle misunderstanding in this matter.
Krishna does not require pleasures from outside. This means, He has everything to the ultimate level.
Srimad Bhagavatham (5-19-6) and in many places and Scriptures, it has been mentioned that Krishna has Six Opulences or Ishwaryas which are always present in TOTALITY, ie, FULL — knowledge, wealth, fame, strength, beauty and renunciation. (However, the created living beings have them in part only!)
Though He has all the Opulences in full, He FEELS & RESPONDS when His devotees love Him (or) sacrifice for Him (or) serve Him (or) worship Him.
Let me give a good example to understand this:
A father may have plenty of wealth. But, when his son joins a job and gives his first month salary to him, he feels so happy and accept it and gives that money back to his son. Actually, the son had studied using the money given by the father. Still father feels happy when his son gets a job and gives his first month salary.
This is also like that.
Krishna has everything; He is the owner of everything.
(64 TRANSCENDENTAL QUALITIES OF LORD KRISHNA EXPLAINED! READ HERE!)
He has created billions of living beings including 8+ billion humans.
But, only a very small section of them think of Krishna.
When most Others are fully engaged in sense gratification, a devotee loves Him. So, Krishna feels and accepts it and also reciprocate multiple time by showing His blessings.
Krishna is a lila avatar or original supreme person who has the unique quality of Performing lilas with His devotees.
Krishna likes innocence, Love and lilas.
So, though He has everything, He accepts the offerings of His devotees. He accepts our offerings only if we offer them with love.
He tastes when His devotee offers food to Him and then accept that Love with which His devotees offer him food. This means, He does not want our offerings, but the love behind those offerings.
He accepts when His devotee offers his Love for him.
He accepts when the Gopis love and play with Him.
In fact, though He is the reservoir of pleasure and love, He had a wish to know how Radharani will feel when she loves Him. So, He came as Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu.
Thus, Krishna likes to FEEL the love shown by His devotees.
(How to keep the love for Krishna undiluted for ever? READ HERE!)
Though He has everything, He likes if His devotees share their love to Him.
As a gift, He purifies those devotees who show love for Him.
When we show love for a person on earth, we get conditioned because of the material bondage.
When we show love for Krishna, we get relieved from that material bondage.
So, Krishna can accept the love of all the 8+ billion people. Don’t feel as if He does not need it or does not honour it.
He gives great value for your love. He accepts it and feels it.
That is why, He stole butter as a playful lila though He owns everything in this world.
He is not lacking in love. But, likes to receive the Love from His devotees. That is the point.
So, do not feel guilty for being selfish. Since Krishna accepts the love from us, show love abundantly for Krishna.
(FOUR QUALITIES ESSENTIAL FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH! READ HERE!)