Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So He can understand whether you are sincerely serving or with some motive you are serving. Even with a motive you serve Kṛṣṇa, it will never go in vain. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Just like Pūtanā. Pūtanā wanted to serve Kṛṣṇa by feeding Kṛṣṇa with her breast, but the purpose was the breast was poison, so Kṛṣṇa would suck the milk and He would die. There is a different motive. But still, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He thought that "This rascal Pūtanā, she wanted to kill Me, but she does not know that I am not a person to be killed, but still, although the motive was to kill Me, but she has served Me to suck her breast. I have drunk her milk. So she is My mother. So she is My mother. Never mind she came with a motive."
Devotional service to the Lord never goes in vain
Expressions researched:
"devotional service"
|"given some service"
|"loving service to Krsna"
|"never go in vain"
|"never goes in vain"
|"serve Krishna"
|"serve Krsna"
|"service of Krsna"
|"service rendered to the Supreme Lord"
|"service to Krsna"
|"will not go in vain"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Devotional service rendered to the Personality of Godhead never goes in vain. Since the Personality of Godhead is eternal, intelligence applied in His service or anything done in His relation is also permanent. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that such transcendental service rendered unto the Personality of Godhead accumulates birth after birth, and when the devotee is fully matured, the total service counted together makes him eligible to enter into the association of the Personality of Godhead. Such accumulation of God's service is never vanquished, but increases till fully matured.
SB Canto 4
The fall of the neophyte devotee from the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness down to material life is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.17) by Nārada Muni.
- tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
- bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
- yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
- ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
This indicates that although a neophyte devotee may fall down from the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness due to his immaturity, his service to Kṛṣṇa never goes in vain. However, a person who remains steadfast in his family duty or so-called social or family obligation but does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness receives no profit.
SB Canto 5
In Bhagavad-gītā it is said: svalpam apy asya dharmasya (BG 2.40). It is certainly a great fall to go from human life to animal life, but in the case of Bharata Mahārāja or any devotee, devotional service to the Lord never goes in vain. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (8.6): yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram. At the time of death, by nature's law the mind is absorbed in a certain type of thinking. This may lead one to animal life, yet for a devotee there is no loss. Even though Bharata Mahārāja received the body of a deer, he didn't forget his position. Consequently, in the body of a deer he was very careful to remember the cause of his downfall. As a result, he was given a chance to be born in a family of very pure brāhmaṇas. Thus his service to the Lord never went in vain.
SB Canto 8
To please himself, King Satyavrata, not knowing that the fish was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, decided with great pleasure to give the fish protection.
Here is an example of giving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead even without knowledge. Such service is called ajñāta-sukṛti. King Satyavrata wanted to show his own mercy, not knowing that the fish was Lord Viṣṇu. By such unknowing devotional service, one is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Service rendered to the Supreme Lord, knowingly or unknowingly, never goes in vain.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is so powerful that it acts automatically. If a person renders loving service to Kṛṣṇa, it never goes in vain. It is recorded in a spiritual account, and in due time it will fructify. This is confirmed by the Bhagavad-gītā (2.40):
- nehābhikrama-nāśo ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate
- sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt
"In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Light of the Bhagavata
Devotional service to the Lord never goes in vain. Just at the right moment, the result of one's particular devotional service will come, even if one has no desire for it. The pure devotees do not wish any return from the Lord in exchange for their service; they do not make business exchanges with the Lord. But the Lord, out of His own accord, fulfills all the desires of the devotees.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The Māyāvādīs who are trying to become liberated in so many ways, mystic yoga practice and austere penances, and so on, so on, so on, so on... You can get that liberty immediately, simply by engaging yourself in some service of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little service you give, it is your permanent asset. Even if you fall down from that service platform, still, whatever you have done, it will never go in vain. As soon as there is opportunity, again you shall begin from that point where you left. Therefore everyone... Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17). There is a verse spoken by Nārada Muni, that even by sentiment, not understanding properly the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even by sentiment—"All right, let me also dance and chant like these people, the saffron-colored, shaved-head people are doing. Let me do that"—so once dancing with them will never go in vain. It will (be) immediately accounted, "Ah, he has danced." It is so nice. It will never go in vain.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: It is not childish, Sarasvatī's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. In London, she would finish sixteen rounds?
Śyāmasundara: Six.
Prabhupāda: Six. She was... Just see. She has got determination.
Śyāmasundara: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: And all the children. So that will not go in vain.
Śyāmasundara: No.
Prabhupāda: Never go in vain. This is her... She had executed devotional service in her past life. Therefore from the very beginning of her life, she's in association of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very beginning. This is the chance. Now it is the duty of the father and mother, and when she grows up it is her duty to finish this business, go to back to home. This is chance. So where is the loss? Even she failed last life, then where is the loss? She's getting another chance, whereas the ordinary karmīs, they'll not get that chance. That is explained.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: He was a good soul, but he wanted a little material profit. That doesn't matter. So his father is there.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, his father is actually still alive. Some day, if I get an opportunity, I will pay a visit.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is very intelligent.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. I even asked him to join this writing of our book, to contribute some chapters, and he agreed to that.
Prabhupāda: Never mind. He has given some service. It will not go in vain.
Prabhupāda: Ah. Kva vā abhadram abhūd amuṣya kim. One day, little service to Kṛṣṇa, immediately permanent account. It will never go in vain. But we should not for that reason neglect. That is not good. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām (SB 1.5.18). Hare Kṛṣṇa. Such a nice thing.
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 17, 1968, and noted the contents with great pleasure. Rest assured that your hard labor and sincere exertion to serve Krishna will never go in vain.
Krishna is absolute, so there is no such thing as success or failure in Krishna Consciousness, or in other words, there is no question of failure in Krishna Consciousness, whatever we do it is success. Whatever one may do in the material world, if he is even Rockefeller, it is all failure, defeat, because it will not exist beyond this body. He does not know that next life I may be dog or cat. But whatever service we can do for Krishna, even if somebody is not able to execute fully Krishna Consciousness, whatever amount of service he does it never goes in vain. It will eternally remain. And it will act. Even somebody does small amount of service, and not even very willingly, still, he is assured to get human body in next birth, and chance to execute some service further. So there is no question of failure in Krishna Consciousness. It is only success. Krishna says, My devotee is never vanquished. So we must try sincerely, that's all.
1970 Correspondence
I am very glad to note that you are now realizing that without executing the regular routine work of spiritual life nobody can grow spiritual strength and without spiritual strength nobody can preach the Krsna Consciousness Movement. Both of you are my great hopes. You have done great service to the cause of the Society and I always consider you as two strongest pillars of the Society. Sriman Brahmananda Swami Maharaja joined me in my apartment in New York sometimes in 1966 and since then he is working so hard for upliftment of our activities and later on you also joined to help the Movement so strenuously. So your service to Krsna in this connection will never go in vain even though accidentally something contrary has been done. So far I am concerned, I am the same Spiritual Father and Guide of both of you and I have prayed all along to Krsna for bringing you back to your good conscience. I hope Krsna is already helping you sitting in your heart and thus you are executing the regulative principles.
1976 Correspondence
Regarding the return of Indrapramada to the press, thank him for coming back. Krsna is so kind that anyone who does some service for Him, Krsna immediately captures him. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat, a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear. There are many instances. Tyaktva sva-dharman caranambujam harer bhajan na pakvo'tha patet tato yadi... (SB 1.5.17) "If someone gives up self-gratificatory pursuits and works in Krsna consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work, what loss is there on his part? And if one performs his material activities perfectly, what gain is there?" So let us try to render service to Krsna very sincerely. Even a drop will never go in vain, nitya. In this connection Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's prayer, ayi nanda tanuja kinkarama patitam mam . . . is very instructive. Let us remain in that attitude and Krsna will give us protection.
| Page Title: | Devotional service to the Lord never goes in vain |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 08 of Jun, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=4, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=4, Con=3, Let=6 |
| No. of Quotes: | 19 |