Kṛṣṇa's Executing The Orders Of His Devotees Out Of Love
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the independent controller of all existence, yet He voluntarily submits to the will of His pure devotees. This apparent contradiction is the perfection of spiritual life, where love dictates the interactions between the Lord and His servitors. This article explores how Kṛṣṇa, out of immense affection, executes the orders of His devotees, fulfills His mission of incarnation, and orchestrates His pastimes to exchange transcendental mellows with His eternal associates.
Supreme Lord as Charioteer
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while the Lord is the master of everyone, He accepts a subordinate position to increase the glory of His devotee. By becoming the chariot driver (Pārtha-sārathi) for Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa demonstrated that His love for His devotee conquers His own independence.
- An actual example (of by devotional service even God becomes subordinate to devotee) is that the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa became the chariot driver of Arjuna, and when Arjuna asked Him to draw his chariot between the two armies, Kṛṣṇa executed his order.
- Arjuna also, by his devotional service, made Kṛṣṇa his chariot driver; he ordered the Lord, "Put my chariot here," and the Lord executed his order. These are some examples of how a devotee can acquire the exalted position of conquering the unconquerable.
- Kṛṣṇa immediately executed this order (of Arjuna to place his chariot between the two armies of soldiers (BG 1.21)), and therefore one may argue that Kṛṣṇa also is not independent. But this is one's ajñāna, ignorance.
Executing the Mission of Incarnation
The Lord descends into the material world with a specific mission to execute: to protect the pious and annihilate the miscreants. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that although Kṛṣṇa acts within the material sphere to establish dharma, He remains completely transcendental and unaffected by these activities.
- As declared in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord appears in the mortal world to execute His much-needed mission of killing the miscreants and giving protection to the suffering faithful.
- In every incarnation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has a particular mission to execute, and this was true in His appearance as the son of Devakī in the family of the Yadus.
- Kṛṣṇa addressed Balarāma, "The two of Us have descended to this earth just to annihilate such unnecessary bellicose forces and give protection to the pious devotees. So we have the opportunity to fulfill Our mission. Please let Us execute it."
Specific Pastimes in Specific Ages
Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are not random; they are carefully executed according to specific periods of His growth, such as kaumāra (childhood) and paugaṇḍa (boyhood). Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that these distinct phases allow the Lord to reciprocate with different groups of devotees, such as His parents in vātsalya-rasa or the gopīs in mādhurya-rasa.
- As far as Kṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes are concerned, they are mostly executed during the kaumāra, paugaṇḍa and kaiśora periods.
- His affectionate pastimes with His parents are executed during His kaumāra age. His friendship with the cowherd boys is exhibited during the paugaṇḍa period. And His friendship with the gopīs is exhibited during the age of kaiśora.
Pleasure of Serving the Devotee
The relationship between the Lord and the devotee is based on mutual service and love. Śrīla Prabhupāda illustrates that just as a father feels joy in fulfilling the request of his small child, Kṛṣṇa finds immense pleasure in executing the orders of His unalloyed devotees, proving that love is the highest principle in spiritual existence.
- By executing the order of a devotee, the Lord becomes pleased, as a father is pleased to carry out the order of his small child. This is possible only out of pure transcendental love between the Lord & His devotees, and Bhīṣma was quite aware of this fact.
- Duties executed by the Lord for His devotee are always very pleasing to the Lord because the Lord wants to render service to His unalloyed devotee, whose life has no other engagement than to serve the Lord with full love and devotion.
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "My dear Haridāsa, Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that He must execute whatever you want."
Conclusion
Ultimately, Kṛṣṇa's execution of orders—whether driving a chariot, circumambulating Govardhana Hill at Nanda Mahārāja's request, or annihilating demons—reveals His affectionate nature. He is not bound by karma or material obligation; rather, He is bound by the love of His devotees. By studying these activities, one understands that the Supreme Lord is not merely a neutral observer but an active participant in the loving exchange of bhakti, willing to do anything to please those who have surrendered their lives to 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 Krsna's Executing. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.