Beloved to Kṛṣṇa - The Perfection of Loving Reciprocation
The relationship between the Supreme Lord and the living entity is not one-sided. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that just as the pure devotee's entire existence revolves around pleasing Kṛṣṇa, the Lord Himself is intimately bound by the affection of His devotees, considering them His most beloved treasures.
Reciprocation of Love
God is not an emotionless void; He is the supreme enjoyer of relationships. Śrīla Prabhupāda outlines that through the execution of devotional service, a practitioner is elevated to the platform of an eternal associate, where Kṛṣṇa actively exchanges loving sentiments as a master, friend, child, or lover.
- Exchange in loving reciprocation between the lover and the beloved is generally called krsna-bhakti-rasa, the transcendental taste of exchanging loving sentiments between the devotee and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Lord Krsna thought: "If one cherishes pure loving devotion to Me, thinking of Me as his son, his friend or his beloved, regarding himself as great and considering Me his equal or inferior, I become subordinate to him."
- By executing regulative devotional service, one is elevated to the platform of an eternally perfect associate, such as a servant, friend, superior or beloved woman. Each of these is of four varieties.
- Among those who have perfected themselves by devotional service, there are servants, friends, superiors and beloved damsels. Similarly, there are four types of mature devotees.
The Beloved Preacher
In the material world, the Lord's deepest affection is reserved for those who assist in His mission. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the devotee who sacrifices their own comforts to carry the message of Kṛṣṇa and spread the holy name is recognized by the Lord as His most beloved servant.
- The holy name of Krsna is nondifferent from Krsna, and one who attempts to spread the holy names throughout the world is beloved of Him. Krsna Himself does not tolerate offenses against His pure devotees.
- Where is my difficulty? Haven't got to pay you something. I simply carry the message of Krsna. And Krsna says, na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya (BG 18.69). - He's My most beloved person, who does this thing.
- When one has such attachment for Krsna (raga), he can give up his own life to satisfy his beloved Krsna - Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 3.2.87.
- Krishna is never apart from us. Either He remains in the heart of the material body, or He remains in the heart of the spiritual body. This is Krishna's Causeless Mercy to all of His beloved children, or living entities.
Beloved Gopīs of Vṛndāvana
The summit of transcendental reciprocation is found in the conjugal love of Vṛndāvana. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the gopīs, who sacrificed all social conventions solely for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure, are so beloved to Him that their loving chastisements are more pleasing to Him than the prayers of the Vedas.
- In Brahma-samhita the transcendental land of Vrndavana is described as being always spiritual. That spiritual land is populated by goddesses of fortune, who are known as gopis. These are all beloved of Krsna, and Krsna is the only lover of all those gopis.
- Even the beloved girlfriends of Lord Krsna in Vrndavana, the gopis, the dust of whose feet was desired by Sri Uddhava and who are more dear to Krsna than anyone else, regard themselves as Krsna's maidservants.
- Krsna said: "O My beloved gopis, you have renounced social customs, scriptural injunctions and your relatives for My sake. I disappeared behind you only to increase your concentration upon Me."
- 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.
Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Her Kuṇḍa
Even among the exalted gopīs, there is a hierarchy of devotion. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī stands supreme as Kṛṣṇa's absolute most beloved associate, and consequently, the places where They enact Their pastimes, such as Rādhā-kuṇḍa, are infinitely dear to the Lord.
- Just as Radha is dear to Lord Krsna, so Her bathing place (Radha-kunda) is dear to Him. She alone is His most beloved of all the gopis.
- Just as Srimati Radharani is dear to the Supreme Lord Krsna (Visnu), so Her bathing place (Radha-kunda) is equally dear to Krsna. Among all the gopis, She alone stands supreme as the Lord's most beloved.
- Why is Radha-kunda so exalted? The lake is so exalted because it belongs to Srimati Radharani, who is the most beloved object of Sri Krsna. Among all the gopis, She is the most beloved.
- It is at Govardhana Hill that Krsna tends the cows with His cowherd friends, and there also He had His rendezvous with His most beloved Sri Radha and engaged in loving pastimes with Her.
Conclusion
As Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully illustrates, the Supreme Lord is never ungrateful or indifferent to the love of His devotees. The more a living entity surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, the more Kṛṣṇa surrenders to them. For the practitioner in the material world, there is no faster way to become beloved to Kṛṣṇa than by dedicating one's life to preaching His message and distributing His holy name. However, the ultimate perfection of this loving reciprocation is witnessed in the spiritual sky, specifically in the forests of Vṛndāvana. There, the Lord is entirely captivated by the selfless affection of the gopīs, who have no other desire than His satisfaction. At the very pinnacle of this divine hierarchy stands Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the absolute most beloved of Kṛṣṇa. Understanding this profound science of reciprocation inspires the sincere soul to abandon all selfish motives and strive only to become dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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 Beloved to Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.