Text 7] Prahlada, the Best Among Exalted Devotees 289

the living entity wants to become separately happy and thinks that the
master is his order supplier. In this way there cannot be happiness. Nor
should the master cater to the desires of the servant. If he does, he is not
the real master. The real master commands, “‘You must do this,” and the
real servant immediately obeys the order. Unless this relationship be-
tween the Supreme Lord and the subordinate living entity is established,
there can be no real happiness. The living entity is asraya, always subor-
dinate, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is visaya, the supreme
objective, the goal of life. Unfortunate persons trapped in this material
world do not know this. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum: illusioned
by the material energy, everyone in this material world is unaware that
the only aim of life is to approach Lord Visnu.

adradhananam sarvesam
visnor Gradhanam param

tasmat parataram devi
tadiyanam samarcanam

In the Padma Purana Lord Siva explains to his wife, Parvati, the goddess
Durgi, that the highest goal of life is to satisfy Lord Visnu, who can be
satisfied only when His servant is satisfied. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
therefore teaches, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor ddsa-désanudasah.
One must become a servant of the servant. Prahlada Maharaja also
prayed to Lord Nrsirmhadeva that he might be engaged as the servant of
the Lord’s servant. This is the prescribed method of devotional service.
As soon as a devotee wants the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be his
order supplier, the Lord immediately refuses to become the master of
such a motivated devotee. In Bhagavad-gita (4.11) the Lord says, ye
yathad mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham. “As one surren-
ders unto Me, I reward him accordingly.”’ Materialistic persons are
generally inclined to material profits. As long as one continues in such an
adulterated position, he does not receive the benefit of returning home,
back to Godhead.
TEXT 7

afe areata % rary aie ITT |
Mat Tae wade BW ATU VI
