The Supreme Reciprocation of Desiring from Kṛṣṇa

Kṛṣṇa is known as the supreme father and the maintainer of all living entities. He observes the desires within the heart of every soul and reciprocates accordingly. This article examines how the Lord fulfills the wishes of various grades of living beings—from those seeking material opulence to those yearning for the highest spiritual perfection—and how the quality of one's desire determines the nature of the result.

Fulfiller of All Wishes

It is a fundamental principle that the living entity desires and the Supreme Lord sanctions. Whether one is a conditioned soul seeking a specific type of body to enjoy the material world or a devotee seeking protection, Kṛṣṇa supplies the facility. He is so kind that even when asked for material benedictions, He grants them fully, as seen in the case of the florist in Mathurā.

• He (Krsna) alone provides all necessities for all kinds of living beings. Thus He provided all facilities to fulfill the transcendental desires of His great devotee Sri Bhismadeva, who began to pray as follows.
• Man proposes; God disposes. God is very kind. Whatever you desire, He will fulfill. Although He says that "This kind of material desires will never satisfy you," but we want. Therefore God supplies us, Krsna, different types of body to fulfill our different desires.
• Being satisfied with the florist, Krsna not only gave him whatever benedictions he wanted, but over & above that He offered him all material opulences, family prosperity, a long duration of life, whatever else his heart desired within the material world.

Approaches of the Pious

In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa classifies those who approach Him into four categories. Some come out of distress or a desire for wealth, while others seek knowledge. Although these desires may initially be mixed with material motives, the very act of approaching Kṛṣṇa is purifying. The Lord encourages such worship, noting that the ultimate goal of all penance and desire should be to realize Him.

• In the Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.16) Krsna says: "O best among the Bharatas (Arjuna), four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me - the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute."
• In this way (by pranayama yoga, and by eating only air and dry leaves fallen from the trees cleansed your minds from all dirty things), desiring a benediction from Me (Krsna), you (Devaki and Vasudeva) worshiped Me with peaceful minds.
• I (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) wish you good luck. O Brahma, you may ask from Me, the giver of all benediction, all that you may desire. You may know that the ultimate benediction, as the result of all penances, is to see Me by realization.

Specific Desires of Pure Devotees

Pure devotees typically desire nothing but unmotivated service. However, when they do express a wish, it is often to see the Lord in a specific feature or to serve Him in a particular relationship. Kṛṣṇa takes great pleasure in fulfilling these intimate desires, as illustrated by His reciprocation with Bhīṣmadeva and His parents, Vasudeva and Devakī.

• Krsna ccontinued, "My devotees never desire anything from Me except to be engaged in My service. And yet because they are completely dependent upon Me, even if they are found to ask something from Me, that is not material."
• The Lord reminded Vasudeva and Devaki of two other incarnations in which He had appeared as their son. He had appeared as Prsnigarbha and Vamanadeva, and now this was the third time He was appearing as the son of Devaki to fulfill their desire.
• He (Bhismadeva) desired that the Lord stay before him in His four-handed Narayana feature so that he might concentrate upon Him and thus be in trance in that meditation. Then his mind might be sanctified with thinking of the Lord.

Conclusion

The act of desiring from Kṛṣṇa is the turning point in the life of a living entity. While the Lord fulfills the material aspirations of the conditioned souls and the desire for salvation of the impersonalists, His most confidential reciprocation is reserved for His devotees. Whether they desire Him as a son, a master, or a friend, Kṛṣṇa fulfills these transcendental longings, proving that He is not an impersonal force but a loving person who responds to the specific sentiments of those who approach Him.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Desiring from Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.