Love for Kṛṣṇa has this one unique effect: it imbues superiors, equals and inferiors with the spirit of service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. (53) For evidence, please listen to the examples described in the revealed scriptures, which are corroborated by the realization of great souls. (54) Although no one is a more respected elder for Kṛṣṇa than Nanda Mahārāja in Vraja, who in transcendental paternal love has no knowledge that his son is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, still ecstatic love makes him, what to speak of others, feel himself to be a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa. (55-56)
He too prays for attachment and devotion to the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, as the words from his own mouth give evidence. (57) “My dear Uddhava, please hear me. In truth Kṛṣṇa is my son, but even if you think that He is God, I would still bear toward Him my own feelings for my son. May my mind be attached to your Lord Kṛṣṇa. (58-59) “May our minds be attached to the lotus feet of your Lord Kṛṣṇa, may our tongues chant His holy names, and may our bodies lie prostrate before Him. (60) “Wherever we wander in the material universe under the influence of karma by the will of the Lord, may our auspicious activities cause our attraction to Lord Kṛṣṇa to increase.” (61)
Lord Kṛṣṇa’s friends in Vṛndāvana, headed by Śr īdāmā, have pure fraternal affection for Lord Kṛṣṇa and have no idea of His opulences. (62) Although they fight with Him and climb upon His shoulders, they worship His lotus feet in a spirit of servitude. (63) “Some of the friends of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, massaged His feet, and others whose sinful reactions had been destroyed fanned Him with hand- held fans.” (64) Even the beloved girlfriends of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, the gopīs, the dust of whose feet was desired by Śrī Uddhava and who are more dear to Kṛṣṇa than anyone else, regard themselves as Kṛṣṇa’s maidservants. (65-66)
“O Lord, remover of the afflictions of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana! O hero of all women! O Lord who destroy the pride of Your devotees by Your sweet, gentle smile! O friend! We are Your maidservants. Please fulfill our desires and show us Your attractive lotus face.” (67) “O Uddhava! It is indeed regrettable that Kṛṣṇa resides in Mathurā. Does He remember His father’s household affairs and His friends, the cowherd boys? O great soul! Does He ever talk about us, His maidservants? When will He lay on our heads His aguru- scented hand?” (68) What to speak of the other gopīs, even Śrī Rādhikā, who in every respect is the most elevated of them all and who has bound Śrī Kṛṣṇa forever by Her loving attributes, serves His feet as His maidservant. (69-70)
“O My Lord, O My husband, O most dearly beloved! O mighty- armed Lord! Where are You? Where are You? O My friend, reveal Yourself to Your maidservant, who is very much aggrieved by Your absence.” (71) In Dvārakā- dhāma, all the queens, headed by Rukmiṇī, also consider themselves maidservants of Lord Kṛṣṇa. (72) “When Jarāsandha and other kings, bows and arrows upraised, stood ready to deliver me in charity to Śiśupāla, He forcibly took me from their midst, as a lion takes its share of goats and sheep. The dust of His lotus feet is therefore the crown of unconquerable soldiers. May those lotus feet, which are the shelter of the goddess of fortune, be the object of my worship.” (73)
“Knowing me to be performing austerities with the desire to touch His feet, He came with His friend Arjuna and accepted my hand. Yet I am but a maidservant engaged in sweeping the floor of the house of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” 6.75 – “Through austerity and through renunciation of all attachments, we have become maidservants in the home of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is satisfied in Himself.” (74) What to speak of others, even Lord Baladeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is full of emotions like pure friendship and paternal love. (76)
He also considers Himself a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, who is there who does not have this conception of being a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa? (77) He who is Śeṣa, Saṅkarṣaṇa, with His thousands of mouths, serves Śrī Kṛṣṇa by assuming ten forms. (78) Rudra, who is an expansion of Sadāśiva and who appears in unlimited universes, is also a guṇāvatāra [qualitative incarnation] and is the ornament of all the demigods in the endless universes. (79) He also desires only to be a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Sadāśiva always says, “I am a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa.” (80) Intoxicated by ecstatic love for Lord Kṛṣṇa, he becomes overwhelmed and incessantly dances without clothing and sings about Lord Kṛṣṇa’s qualities and pastimes. (81) All the emotions, whether those of father, mother, teacher or friend, are full of sentiments of servitude. That is the nature of love of Kṛṣṇa. (82)
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the one master and the Lord of the universe, is worthy of being served by everyone. Indeed, everyone is but a servant of His servants. (83) That same Lord Kṛṣṇa has descended as Lord Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone, therefore, is His servant. (84) Some accept Him whereas others do not, yet everyone is His servant. One who does not accept Him, however, will be ruined by his sinful activities. (85) “I am a servant of Lord Caitanya, a servant of Lord Caitanya. I am a servant of Lord Caitanya, and a servant of His servants.” (86) Saying this, Advaita Prabhu dances and loudly sings. Then at the next moment He quietly sits down. (87)
The source of the sentiment of servitude is indeed Lord Balarāma. The plenary expansions who follow Him are all influenced by that ecstasy. (88) Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa, who is one of His incarnations, always considers Himself a devotee. (89) Another of His incarnations, Lakṣmaṇa, who is very beautiful and opulent, always serves Lord Rāma. (90) The Viṣṇu who lies on the Causal Ocean is an incarnation of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa, and, accordingly, the emotion of being a devotee is always present in His heart. (91) Advaita Ācārya is a separate expansion of Him. He always engages in devotional service with His thoughts, words and actions. (92) By His words He declares, “I am a servant of Lord Caitanya.” Thus with His mind He always thinks, “I am His devotee.” (93)
With His body He worshiped the Lord by offering Ganges water and tulasī leaves, and by preaching devotional service He delivered the entire universe. (94) Śeṣa Saṅkarṣaṇa, who holds all the planets on His heads, expands Himself in different bodies to render service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. (95) These are all incarnations of Lord Kṛṣṇa, yet we always find that they act as devotees. (96) The scriptures call them incarnations as devotees [bhakta- avatāra]. The position of being such an incarnation is above all others. (97) Lord Kṛṣṇa is the source of all incarnations, and all others are His parts or partial incarnations. We find that the whole and the part behave as superior and inferior. (98)
The source of all incarnations has the emotions of a superior when He considers Himself the master, and He has the emotions of an inferior when He considers Himself a devotee. (99) The position of being a devotee is higher than that of equality with Lord Kṛṣṇa, for the devotees are dearer to Lord Kṛṣṇa than His own self. (100)
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