108
THE PATH OF PERFECTION
yogī  simply by participating in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; no, this is the verdict of authorized scripture— Bhagavad-gītā . These words are not our creation but are specifically stated by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
Actually, worship and service are somewhat different. Worship implies some motive. I worship a friend or an important man because if I can please that person, I may derive some profit. Those who worship the demigods worship for some ulterior purpose, and that is condemned in the Seventh Chapter of  Bhagavad-gītā  (7.20):
kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ tam tam niyamam āsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā
“Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.” Those who are bewildered by lust worship the demigods with a motive; therefore, when we speak of worship, some motive is implied. Service, however, is different, for in service there is no motive. Service is rendered out of love, just as a mother renders service to her child out of love only. Everyone can neglect that child, but the mother cannot, because love is present.  Bhaj-dhātu  is similar in that there is no question of motive, but service is rendered out of pure love. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This is also the recommendation of  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  (1.2.6):
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati
“The supreme occupation [ dharma ] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the tran-
Failure and Success in Yoga
109
scendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.”  Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje . The word  bhakti  comes from the same root as  bhaj . The test of a first-class religion is whether or not we are developing our love for God. If we practice religion with some ulterior motive, hoping to fulfill our material necessities, our religion is not first class but third class. It must be understood that first-class religion is that by which we can develop our love of Godhead.  Ahaituky apratihatā . This perfect religion should be executed without ulterior motive or impediment. That is the  yoga  system recommended in  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  and in this Sixth Chapter of  Bhagavad-gītā . That is the system of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not rendered with some motive in mind. The devotees are not serving Kṛṣṇa in order that He supply them this or that. For a devotee there is no scarcity. One should not think that by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, one becomes poor. No. If Kṛṣṇa is there, everything is there, because Kṛṣṇa is everything. But this does not mean that we should try to conduct business with Kṛṣṇa, demanding, “Kṛṣṇa give me this. Give me that.” Kṛṣṇa knows better than we do, and He knows our motives. A child does not make demands of his parents, saying, “Dear father, give me this. Give me that.” Since the father knows his child’s necessities, there is no need for the child to ask. Similarly, it is not a very good idea to ask God to give us this or that. Why should we ask? If God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He knows our wants, our necessities, and can supply them. This is confirmed in the  Vedas .  Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān : “The single one almighty God is supplying all necessities to millions and trillions of living entities.” Therefore, we should not demand anything of God, because our demands are already met. The supplies are already there. We should simply try to love God. Even cats and dogs are receiving their necessities without going to church and petitioning God. If a cat or dog receives its necessities without making demands, why should the devotee not receive what he needs? Therefore we should not demand anything from God but should simply try to love Him. Then everything will be fulfilled, and we will have attained the highest platform of  yoga .