Page 25 - Lekha-mala (English)
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Posts to BVKS Sanga                                        15

           Prayers such as  nayanam galadasru …  are not made with a
           motive to enjoy; rather the devotee hankers for the stage of
           attachment to Krishna in which such manifestations take place.

           In the neophyte stage a devotee is urged to surrender to
           Krishna and to give up all attachments. A pure devotee can
           do anything for Krishna without consideration of personal
           happiness or distress. However a neophyte devotee is warned
           not to imitate the stage of pure devotees.

           Ultimately what should be our prayer – ”When will I be able
           to derive great pleasure in serving you so that I will be driven
           to serve you in great enthusiasm?”

           Srila Yamunacarya has recited this verse in his Stotra-ratna (43):

                       bhavantam evanucaran nirantarah
                          prasanta-nihsesa-manorathantarah
                       kadaham aikantika-nitya-kinkarah

                          praharsayisyami sanatha-jivitam
           “By serving You constantly, one is freed from all material
           desires and is completely pacified. When shall I engage as Your
           permanent eternal servant and always feel joyful to have such
           a fitting master?” (quoted in SB 9.8.24 purport)

           Or when will I develop a great desire to please you with no
           consideration of my pleasure? The second option seems
           inconceivable in our present conditioned state because we
           have no experience of such selfless service.

           We may pray to develop a desire to desire so. The two attitudes
           you  have  mentioned  are  not  incompatible.  They  only  seem
           so due to  our  polluted  miscomprehension  of  the nature of
           enjoyment.
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