Serve with Love and Devotion

Radhanath Swami sometimes says in his lectures: “Krishna does not want the object which you are offering Him; he wants the love and devotion by which you are offering it”. This may sound a very simple statement, but this is a very profound realization from Radhanath Swami.


How does one go about applying it? Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 5-10 that if somebody offers Him a flower, a fruit or a leaf with love and devotion; he would accept it. This offering should be made with intense feelings of love and devotion towards Lord Krishna.

Lord Krishna further instructs Bhagavad Gita 9-27 that whatever we do, whatever we eat should be as an offering to Him.This means that everything we do must be in the mood of service towards Lord Krishna and all the food we eat must be offered to Him before we partake of it. Also, the prayers chanted before honoring the Prasadam of the Lord must be heartfelt and not mechanical. One of the main processes of devotional services is the chanting of the Holy names of the Lord. The chanting of the holy names must be done with intense feelings of love in separation from the Lord. This is true both for one’s personal japa and for group Kirtana. The processes of Bhakti are not mechanical or dry as they have internal processes to be simultaneously followed. When one bows down before the deity, it is not simply a mechanical act. Offering obeisances must be done with the right mood and attitude – O Krishna I am bowing down before you. Each deity has a pranam mantra, the mood and meaning of which needs to be internalized and practiced while offering obeisance.


BG 5-10

patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà

yo me bhaktyä prayacchati

tad ahaà bhakty-upahåtam

açnämi prayatätmanaù

SYNONYMS

patram—a leaf; puñpam—a flower; phalam—a fruit; toyam—water; yaù—whoever; me—unto Me; bhaktyä—with devotion; prayacchati—offers; tat—that; aham—I; bhakti-upahåtam—offered in devotion; açnämi—accept; prayata-ätmanaù—from one in pure consciousness.

TRANSLATION

If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.



BG 9-27

yat karoñi yad açnäsi

yaj juhoñi dadäsi yat

yat tapasyasi kaunteya

tat kuruñva mad-arpaëam

SYNONYMS

yat—whatever; karoñi—you do; yat—whatever; açnäsi—you eat; yat—whatever; juhoñi—you offer; dadäsi—you give away; yat—whatever; yat—whatever; tapasyasi—austerities you perform; kaunteya—O son of Kunté; tat—that; kuruñva—do; mat—unto Me; arpaëam—as an offering.

TRANSLATION

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform—do that, O son of Kunté, as an offering to Me