68 Raja-vidya: The King of Knowledge

servants of our cats or dogs. In any case, we must
have someone, something to serve. If we have no
wife or child, we have to catch some dog or other
lower animal in order to serve it. That is our nature.
We are compelled to do it. When we at last become
free from these designations and begin to render
transcendental loving service to the Lord, we attain
our perfectional state. We then become established
in our true dharma.

Thus Sri Krsna says that He appears whenever
there is a discrepancy in the dharma of the living
entities, that is to say whenever the living entities
cease rendering service to the Supreme. In other
words, when the living entity is too busily engaged
serving his senses, and there is an over-indulgence in
sense gratification, the Lord comes. In India, for
instance, when people were over-indulging in animal
slaughter, Lord Buddha came to establish ahimsa,
nonviolence to all living entities. Similarly, in the
above-quoted verse, Sri Krsna says that He comes
in order to protect the sadhus (paritranaya
sadhunam). Sadhus are typified by their toleration
of all other living entities. Despite all inconveniences
and dangers, they try to give real knowledge to the
people in general. A sadhu is not the friend of a
particular society, community or country but is a
friend of all—not only of human beings, but of
animals and lower forms of life. In short, the sadhu
is an enemy of no one and a friend to all. Conse-
quently he is always peaceful. Such’ persons who
have sacrificed everything for the Lord are very,
very dear to the Lord. Although the sadhus do not
