Krsna Pleases His Devotees 319
of everyone. In spite of giving Yourself to Your devotees, You are never
depleted of Your original potency. Your potency neither decreases nor
increases in volume.

“My dear Lord, it is very difficult for even the great mystic yogis and
demigods to ascertain Your movement. You cannot be approached by
them, and yet out of Your causeless mercy You have kindly consented to
come to my home. This is the most auspicious moment in the journey of
my material existence. By Your grace only, I can just understand that my
home, my wife, my children and my worldly possessions are all different
bonds to material existence. Please cut the knot and save me from this
entanglement of false society, friendship and love.”

Lord Sri Krsna was very pleased by Akriira’s offering of prayers. His
smile was captivating Akrira more and more. The Lord replied him as
follows: “My dear Akrira, in spite of your submissiveness, I consider you
to be My superior, on the level with My father and teacher and most
well-wishing friend. You are, therefore, worshipable by Me,. and since You
are My uncle, I am always to be protected by you. I desire to be main-
tained by you because I am one of your own children. Apart from this
filial relationship, you are always to be worshiped. Anyone who desires
good fortune must offer his respectful obeisances unto personalities like
you. You are more than the demigods. People go to worship the demigods
when they are in need of some sense gratification; the demigods offer
benediction to their devotees after being worshiped by them. But a devotee
like Akrira is always ready to offer the greatest benediction to the people.
A saintly person or devotee is free to offer benediction to everyone,
whereas the demigods can offer benediction only after being worshiped.
One can take advantage of the place of pilgrimage only after going there.
By worshiping the particular demigod, it takes a long time for fulfillment
of the desire; but saintly persons like you, My dear Akrira, can immedi-
ately fulfill all the desires of the devotees. My dear Akrura, you are always
our friend and well-wisher. You are always ready to act for our welfare.
Kindly, therefore, go to Hastinapura and see what arrangement has been
made for the Pandavas.”

Krsna was very anxious to know about the sons of Pandu, because at a
very young age, they had lost their father. Being very friendly to His
devotees, Krsna was anxious to know about them, and therefore He
deputed Akrira to go to Hastinapura and get information of the real
situation. Krsna continued to say, “I have heard that after the death of
King Pandu, his young sons, Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and
Sahadeva, along with their widowed mother, have come under the charge
