Ways of Meeting Krsna 319

Krsna’s personal servant, Daruka, seeing Krsna at the door of
Dvaraka, forgot to offer Him respects with folded hands.

When a devotee is ultimately situated in association with Krsna,
his position is called steadiness in devotional service. This steady posi-
tion in devotional service is explained in the book known as Harsa-
dita. It is described there how Akrtra, who was considered by the
gopis to be terror personified, would talk with Krsna about the activi-
ties of the Kuru dynasty. A similar steady position was held by
Uddhava, the disciple of Brhaspati. He would always massage the
lotus feet of Krsna while kneeling down on the ground before Him.

When a devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord, it is called
the attainment of yoga. The English equivalent to the word “yoga”
is “linking up.” So actual linking up with Krsna, the Supreme Person-
ality of Godhead, begins when the devotee renders service unto Him.
Devotees situated in the transcendental rasa of servitorship render
their particular service whenever there is an opportunity. Sometimes
they sit down in front of Krsna to receive orders. Some persons are
reluctant to accept this level of devotional service as actual bhakti-
yoga, and in some of the Puranas also this servitorship in devotional
service to Krsna is not accepted as the actual bhakti-yoga system. But
in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it has been clearly indicated that the servi-
tor relationship with Krsna is the actual beginning of yoga realization.

In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3rd Chapter, 33rd
verse, it is stated that when devotees are engaged in the discharge of
bhakti-yoga, sometimes they cry from thinking of Krsna, sometimes
they laugh, sometimes they become jubilant, and sometimes they
talk in very uncommon ways. Sometimes they dance, sometimes they
sing, sometimes they are actually engaged in the service of the Lord,
and sometimes they sit down silently as if absorbed in trance.

Similarly, in the Seventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Chapter 28,
Prahlada Maharaj says to his friends: “My dear friends, as soon as pure
devotees of Lord Krsna hear of the transcendental pastimes of the
Lord, who is the eternal reservoir of pastimes, or hear about His tran-
scendental qualities they become overpowered with jubilation. Ec-
static symptoms are manifested in their bodies. They shed tears, talk
falteringly, glorify the Lord in a loud voice and chant and dance in
ecstasy. These ecstasies are always there, but sometimes they over-
