Kṛṣṇa Fulfills the Desires of Everyone
The world is a vast stage where countless living entities strive to fulfill their diverse aspirations. However, behind every successful endeavor lies the sanction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate supplier of all necessities and the fulfiller of all ambitions. This article examines the mechanism of how desires are fulfilled, distinguishing between the temporary benedictions awarded to the materialists and the loving reciprocation the Lord offers to His surrendered devotees.
Man Proposes, God Disposes
A fundamental truth of Vedic philosophy is that the living entity is not independent. We may desire many things, but we lack the potency to fulfill them on our own. It is the Supreme Lord, situated as the Supersoul in the heart, who directs the wanderings of the living entities and sanctions the fulfillment of their desires according to their karma and qualification.
- Everyone is at liberty to desire as he likes, but the desire is fulfilled by the Supreme Lord. Everyone is independent to think or desire but the fulfillment of one's desire depends on the supreme will. This law is expressed as "Man proposes God disposes.
- Desire is a subtle form of conditioning of the living entity. The Lord fulfills his desire as he deserves: Man proposes and God disposes. The individual is not, therefore, omnipotent in fulfilling his desires.
- As the Supreme Godhead, He arranges to fulfill their various desires. It is confirmed also in the Vedas, eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman: the supreme one supplies the necessities of the many living entities.
Approaching Kṛṣṇa for Material Desires
Commonly, people approach demigods to satisfy their immediate material needs. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda advises that even if one has material desires, one should approach Kṛṣṇa. Unlike the demigods, who can only bestow temporary benefits, Kṛṣṇa can fulfill a material desire in a way that purifies the devotee, eventually freeing them from the need to ask for anything material again.
- Even if one has many material desires to fulfill, he should take to Krsna consciousness and worship the Supreme Lord Krsna, who is so merciful that He fulfills everyone's desires.
- Generally, if anyone has material desires to be fulfilled, he can ask Visnu instead of going to the demigods. Those who worship demigods are not very intelligent.
- A faithful servant can fulfill any desire by the grace of the master, and one who engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord has nothing to aspire for separately.
Dissatisfaction of Material Success
For the materialist, the fulfillment of desire is a double-edged sword. As soon as one desire is met, another arises, creating an endless chain of action and reaction. This cycle of hankering and temporary satisfaction forces the soul to accept one body after another, never finding true peace.
- As long as a living entity wants to fulfill various types of material desire, he must continuously change from one body to accept another.
- Although karmis, jnanis and yogis fulfill their desires by performing various activities, they are never satisfied.
- As you fulfill your desire, you become complicated with the reaction of your desire.
Reciprocation with Devotees
In contrast to the karmic mechanism, Kṛṣṇa's dealings with His pure devotees are personal and full of love. He breaks His own rules to satisfy the loving demands of His servants. Whether it is Bhīṣmadeva wanting to see Kṛṣṇa angry on the battlefield, or the gopīs desiring to dance with Him, the Lord takes pleasure in fulfilling the transcendental desires of those who love Him.
- According to the demands of a particular devotee, he receives a result by the grace of God. He does not discriminate, thinking, "Here is a person favorable to Me, and here is a person who is not favorable." Rather, He fulfills the desires of everyone.
- Fulfilling my (Bhismadeva) desire and sacrificing His own promise, He (Krsna) got down from the chariot, took up its wheel, and ran towards me hurriedly, just as a lion goes to kill an elephant.
Conclusion
Ultimately, every living entity gets what they desire, but not always what they need. Kṛṣṇa fulfills the desires of the materialist by awarding them a field of activities in the material world, but He reserves the highest benediction for His devotees. By fulfilling the devotee's desire for service, He grants them the eternal shelter of His lotus feet, where all hankering ceases and perfect satisfaction is achieved.
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 Fulfilling Desires. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.