114 THE PATH OF PERFECTION Failure and Success in Yoga 115
does not afford me eternal bliss and knowledge, I demand the not satisfied. No one can be satisfied, because the senses are al-
highest presidency. | demand to become God. In any case, the de- ways demanding more gratification, and this means that we are
mand is there, and this demand is our disease. In illusion, we are constantly having to serve the senses. In any case, our position as
demanding to be the highest, but the process of bhakti-yoga is just servant remains the same. It is a question of whether we want to
the opposite. We want to become servants, servants of the ser- be happy in our service. It is the verdict of Bhagavad-gita and the
vants of the Lord. There is no question of demanding to become other Vedic scriptures that we will never be happy trying to serve
the Lord; we just want to serve. That’s all. our senses, for they are only sources of misery. Therefore Lord
Our original nature is rooted in service, and wanting to serve is Caitanya Mahaprabhu prays to be situated in Krsna’s service. He
the crucial test for the devotee. We may not realize it, but in this also prays,
material world we are also serving. If we want to become presi-
dent, we have to make so many promises to the voters. In other ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram
words, the president has to say, ‘‘I’ll give the people my service.”” patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
Unless he promises to serve his country, there is no question of _ krpayd tava pada-pankaja-
his becoming president. So even if one is the most exalted leader, sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya
his position is to render service. This is very difficult for people to
understand. Despite becoming the highest executive in the land, ‘“O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor,
one has to give service to the people. If that service is not given, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and
one is likely to be usurped, fired, or killed. In the material world, death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as
service is very dangerous. If there is a little discrepancy in one’s one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.” (Siksdstaka5) This is
service, one is immediately fired. When the people did not like another way of asking Krsna to engage us in His service.
the service that President Nixon was rendering, they forced him Loving devotional service can only be rendered to the personal
to resign. Some people disagreed with President Kennedy, and he form of Krsna, Syamasundara. The impersonalists emphasize the
was killed. Similarly, in India, Gandhi was also killed because viSva-rupa, the universal form exhibited in the Eleventh Chapter
some people did not like the way he was rendering service. This is of Bhagavad-gita, but it is stated therein (11.21) that the demigods
always the position in the material world; therefore one should be are very much afraid of this form, and Arjuna says,
intelligent enough to decide to cease rendering service for ma-
terial motives. We must render service to the Supreme Lord, and adrsta-purvam hrsito ‘smi drstva
that rendering of service is our perfection. bhayena ca pravyathitam mano me
We have formed this International Society for Krishna Con- tad eva me darsaya deva riipam
sciousness in order to teach people what they have forgotten. In prasida devesa jagan-nivasa
this material world, we have forgotten the service of Radha-
Krsna; therefore we have become servants of maya, the senses. ‘‘After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen
Therefore, in this Society we are saying, ‘‘You are serving your before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed
senses. Now just turn your service to Radha and Krsna, and you with fear. Therefore please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal
will be happy. You have to render service—either to maya [illu- again Your form as the Personality of Godhead [Krsna, or Syama-
sion], the senses, or to Sri Sri Radha-Krsna.”” sundara], O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.” (Bg. 11.45)
In this world, everyone is serving the senses, but people are There is no question of loving the visva-ripa. If Krsna comes
