Krishna is Everywhere— But Service is Not Everywhere

Quintessential sweetness, insight, depth and originality of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev Goswami Maharaja.

By the grace of the devotees and by the grace of Lord Jagannath, I am here at present in Sridham Puri, which is a transcendental abode. Because our vision is covered by Maya we cannot see the transcendental abode, but by Scriptural knowledge and by the devotees' help we can understand something. When I come here to Lord Jagannath's abode, where Sriman Mahaprabhu spent twelve years in His pastimes as the incarnation of the Golden Volcano of Divine Love, sometimes I am feeling externally sad. Naturally I am also feeling happiness. Sadness I am feeling for the devotee section, especially for those who are coming from the western world, as they cannot enter into the Jagannath Temple. But actually the rules and regulations are coming by the will of Jagannath, so we must accept them very happily. Externally, however, I am feeling some sadness, as they cannot go in and I am going.

First we must understand what we will see by entering into the Jagannath Temple and by seeing Jagannath with our mundane eyes. Actually we cannot see Jagannath with mundane vision. By entering into the Jagannath Temple without proper vision what can we see? When Mahaprabhu Chaitanyadev, with His devotional mood, stood before Jagannath, He was seeing Jagannath as Krishna Himself playing His flute, but we cannot see that. We have not got that type of transcendental vision to have that type of Jagannath darshan, so if the devotees cannot go inside the Temple then it is actually not a painful matter. It is a happy matter. It is rather mercy coming from Lord Jagannath to the devotees to avoid practising with their mundane vision. It is necessary to see Him as a devotee would see Him:

The devotees of Lord Krishna with transcendental vision are looking at Krishna, and they can see Him. There is love, affection, and attachment, everything that is transcendental. We need to catch that transcendental vision.

When I am coming to Puri Dham, I am first going to Jagannath, no doubt, but I am telling Jagannath, "Jagannath I am present here, You please see me. I cannot see Your Divine Form but You please see my presence here." Just like in school attendance I am giving my acknowledgement: "I am here. You see me, Sir." When I shall get the proper vision by the grace of Lord Jagannath and by His devotees' mercy, then it will come upon my head and open my eyes through their mercy:

om ajñana timirandhasya 

jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena 

tasmai sri-gurave namah

By the grace of Gurudev we will get transcendental vision and will be able to see everything as the play of the Sweet Absolute. Our situation at present is that we are trying to practise by mixing with material energy, but real practise will come when we get back our transcendental home with transcendental vision, with transcendental energy; then everything will be perfect. Mahaprabhu is looking at Jagannath as Lord Krishna with His flute and there is Baladev and Subhadra. Mahaprabhu is thinking, "I am in Kurukshetra and Krishna is in front of Me."

This expression is given by Mahaprabhu during the Rathayatra festival and through that we can understand the mood of union in separation. Mahaprabhu revealed the mood of separation of Radharani with Krishna when She said, "Krishna is in front of Me and I am that same Radha in union with My beloved, but I am not satisfied here. I want to go back to Vrindavan where the Yamuna River, the kadamba tree, the flower garden and the Sakhis and everything for the satisfaction of Krishna is existing there in Kunja-Lila. I want to take my Krishna back there." That is the mood of separation shown by Mahaprabhu, who is non-different from Krishna but who is enriched with the love and devotion, heart and halo of Radharani.

This is that place, Kurukshetra, and by the grace of Jagannath and the devotees it is possible to feel it. Here is Gambhira where Mahaprabhu showed by His pastimes for twelve years the mood of separation from Krishna. Our devotees are so fortunate that they have got something of that feeling and are going to Gambhira thinking about the pastimes of Sriman Mahaprabhu. They are doing the Jagannath Temple parikrama. It is my feeling that within this period in this mundane situation we have actually got too much fortune.

First the need to see the Lord is coming to those who are sincere seekers. But many devotees are also asking, "Have you seen Krishna? Can you show us Krishna? Who is Krishna?" These types of questions are coming from the devotees. But actually if they will get some light and strength of devotion, then they will search, "Where is my service? Krishna is everywhere but service is not everywhere. There must be some special service for me to the Lord. Where is that part for me?" They do not want to see Krishna but they want service to Lord Krishna. That type of feeling will come to the devotee.