Attitude toward Kṛṣṇa - The Essence of Favorable Devotion
The transition from material entanglement to spiritual liberation is fundamentally a shift in attitude. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that as long as our attitude remains independent of or inimical toward the Supreme Lord, we must suffer in the cycle of birth and death. However, by consciously developing a submissive, favorable, and loving attitude toward Śrī Kṛṣṇa, we can reawaken our original spiritual consciousness and ultimately attain the spontaneous, ecstatic devotion exhibited by the exalted residents of Vṛndāvana.
The Necessity of a Favorable Frame of Mind
Not all concentration on the Supreme Lord constitutes devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that true bhakti must be executed favorably; thinking of Kṛṣṇa in envy or fear, as the demons did, does not qualify as loving service.
- The attraction of Kamsa to Krsna in fear and the attraction of Sisupala in envy are not accepted as devotional service, however, because their attitudes are not favorable. Devotional service should be executed only in a favorable frame of mind.
- One should not mistakenly think that Lord Krsna must be worshiped by an inimical attitude like that of Sisupala.
- If you become submissive, if you develop the spiritual attitude of following Krsna, and you are as a servant or a friend, as a parent or as a lover - if you begin to give service to the Supreme Lord then you can begin to know Him.
- We take pleasure in serving so many nonsense things. Sometimes we take pleasure in serving a dog. But the same service attitude, when transferred to Krsna, then your life is successful.
Submissiveness Attracts the Lord
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-sufficient and cannot be conquered by material wealth or academic knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that the only way to oblige Kṛṣṇa and attract His attention is through a deeply humble, submissive, and loving attitude.
- The Lord can be pleased only by a humble attitude in the service spirit. The more we render service unto the Lord under the direction of the spiritual master, the more we make advancement on the path approaching the Lord.
- The highest perfectional ingenuity is the personal perception of My (Lord Krsna) abodes, and this has been possible because of your (Brahma) submissive attitude in the performance of severe penance according to My order.
- If a devotee is continuously in love with Lord Krsna and his mind is always fixed upon Him, that devotional attitude will prove to be the only means of attracting the attention of the Lord.
- It is the devotee's attitude of love and affection for Krsna that makes Him obliged.
The Transcendental Attitude of the Gopīs
The highest echelon of loving service is found among the damsels of Vrajabhūmi. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that although their paramour attitude toward Kṛṣṇa may superficially resemble mundane lust, it is actually the pure, unadulterated pinnacle of transcendental devotion.
- At the same time, they continued to hope that Krsna would be their husband. Their attitude toward Krsna was that of paramour love. Therefore, the loving affairs of Krsna with the gopis are called parakiya-rasa.
- The gopis' attitude toward Krsna, although seemingly lusty, should not be considered to be like lusty desires of ordinary women. The reason is explained by Krsna Himself. Activities in devotional service to Krsna are transcendental to any fruitive result.
- When a beloved gopi shows symptoms of anger toward Krsna, He is very satisfied. Indeed, He is extremely pleased when chastised by such a gopi. She shows her pride suitably, and He enjoys that attitude. Then she gives up her pride with a little endeavor.
- This attitude of the gopis is described by Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He prays, "My dear Lord Krsna, You may embrace Me or trample Me under Your feet, or You may make Me brokenhearted by never being present before Me."
Developing the Attitude of Service and Separation
To shift from a conditioned state to a liberated one, practical spiritual engagement is required. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that by constantly chanting the holy names and cultivating the mood of separation taught by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we can successfully transform our attitude.
- Now I've got this body, you've got this body, and if we do not change our attitude to serve Krsna, then we get again next body.
- Due to the conditioned soul's eternal attitude of separation from Krsna, the spell of material energy awards him two kinds of bodily existence - the gross body consisting of five elements, and the subtle body consisting of mind, intelligence and ego.
- Simply by chanting Hare Krsna, you'll gradually develop a transcendental loving attitude for Krsna.
- So-called devotees like the sahajiyas cheaply imagine they are meeting Krsna in Vrndavana. Such thinking may be useful, but actually meeting Krsna is possible through the attitude of separation taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Conclusion
In conclusion, advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is entirely dependent upon cultivating the correct internal attitude toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As Śrīla Prabhupāda makes abundantly clear, merely focusing on Kṛṣṇa in an inimical or fearful way, like the demons, is not true devotion. Genuine bhakti requires a fundamentally favorable, submissive, and humble service spirit. When a devotee genuinely adopts this submissive posture, the Supreme Lord becomes completely obliged by their affection. The zenith of this loving attitude is brilliantly displayed by the gopīs of Vṛndāvana, whose spontaneous parakīya-rasa is entirely devoid of mundane fruitive desires. While it is impossible for conditioned souls to artificially imitate such exalted love, we can safely follow the path paved by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. By adopting the mood of separation and diligently chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, any sincere soul can gradually transform their conditioned attitude of material exploitation into the pure, transcendental attitude of eternal loving service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
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 Attitude toward Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.