Greedy

yadainam abhicakṣīta tarhi vāva sa varṣa-patiḥ

prakṛti-sthena manasā tasmā āśiṣa   āśāste

svasti stād vatsa te sarvata iti

anyadā bhṛśam udvigna-manā naṣṭa-draviṇa iva

kṛpaṇaḥ sakaruṇam ati-tarṣeṇa hariṇa-kuṇaka

-viraha-vihvala-hṛdaya-santāpas tam evānuśocan

kila kaśmalaṁ mahad abhirambhita  [SB 5.8.14-15]

“When Mahārāja Bharata was actually worshiping the Lord or was engaged in some ritualistic ceremony, although his activities were unfinished, he would still, at intervals, get up and see where the deer was. In this way he would look for it, and when he could see that the deer was comfortably situated, his mind and heart would be very satisfied, and he would bestow his blessings upon the deer, saying, “My dear calf, may you be happy in all respects.”

If Bharata Mahārāja sometimes could not see the deer, his mind would be very agitated. He would become like a miser, who, having obtained some riches, had lost them and had then become very unhappy. When the deer was gone, he would be filled with anxiety and would lament due to separation”

Here, we see Bharata maharaj constantly checking on the deer and finding satisfaction to see it happy and comfortable and anxious when it’s not in sight.

Similarly, we could be doing the same for our parents, siblings and loved ones.

But that same greed to serve when put to Krishna liberates us.

Mother Yashoda saw the whole world in Krishna’s mouth, but when krishna closed his mouth and smiled she got trapped by yoga maya potency of the lord and all anxieties, on account of her love for krishna, came back, ” He might be hungry, if I don’t feed him, he’ll die.”

Here are some reflections from a lecture,

“Krishna is appearing in such a way that we can serve him, we can love him. And as we develop our love for him, he reveals himself more and more and more by giving us a deeper desire for service.”

“People want peace or satisfaction, but on the path of bhakti, nobody is ever satisfied because love is never stagnant. Prema is something that is dynamic. The more you love krishna, the more you want to serve him. The more you become greedy to surrender more and more of your life for him.”

“But we should know that this transcendental anxiety and greed, to surrender more, to give more, to serve more is far deeper ecstacy for the soul than to be satisfied or peaceful. This is the nature of prema.”

The only goal of great souls: Service to The Supreme Lord

Lord Narayan told Dhruva maharaj,” You have done all this wonderful seva for me. Now please ask me any benediction. You want a kingdom greater than your father, I will give it.” Dhruva Maharaja said, “No. I came to this forest looking for broken pieces of glass, and I have achieved the rarest, beautiful diamond. I was looking for material wealth, which is all an illusion, a phantasmagoria, castles in the sand, flowers in the sky. But now I have achieved the beautiful darshan of the supreme beauty. Now, my only desire is that you engage me in your service. You allow me to be the servant of your servant. That is the only treasure that my heart longs for.”

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekam śaraņam vraja

aham tvām sarva-pāpebhyo

mokşayişyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg. 18.66]

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”

Krishna says you abandon all varieties of religion and you surrender to me. And he defines what is surrender?

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yājī mām namaskuru

mām evaişyasi satyam te

pratijāne priyo ‘si me [Bg. 18.65]

“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. “

So let us pray, pray to be an instrument in the hands of God and desire to serve him more and more.