We are so minute. Still we are thinking, "Where is God? I am God." So, Kṛṣṇa is not that kind of God, imaginative. He is real God. Therefore He is prakṛteḥ param. Prakṛteḥ means this cosmic manifestation, beyond that. He is creator of this. God is creator of this cosmic manifestation. Therefore it is said prakṛteḥ. Prakṛteḥ means this material nature. Param, superior, beyond. Prakṛteḥ param alakṣyam: but not visible. God is not visible to everyone. He is visible—"Here is God"—but those who have not developed the eyes to see God, they think "Here is a doll, and tese foolish people are worshiping a doll." No. He is God, Kṛṣṇa. He is Kṛṣṇa. This is called arcā-vigraha. Kṛṣṇa agrees to accept your service. If you want to serve the universal form of God, that is not possible. Where you will get so big dress to cover Kṛṣṇa, if He appears in His universal form.? (laughter) But He is so kind that He has come in a form. Because He is almighty, all powerful, so whatever you can provide, you can dress Kṛṣṇa, you can feed Kṛṣṇa, you can decorate Kṛṣṇa. It is His mercy, to become handy for your service. This is called arcā-vigraha.
So the devotional service is so nice that—this example I have given many times—just like in front of your house there is small letterbox, a red letterbox, but if you put your letters within that box it will go ten thousand miles away. Therefore it is post office. It is not a box. It is post office. The post office has kindly come before your door for your convenience, so that you can put your letters there and it will go to the destination. Similarly, this arcā-vigraha, He is just like that. Although Kṛṣṇa is universal, still He has agreed to take your service. That will be accepted. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
- yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
- tad ahaṁ (bhakty-upahṛtam)
- aśnāmi...
Kṛṣṇa says, "My devotee, with affection," yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa has not come to you for accepting your offering because He is hungry. No. He is not hungry. He is self-complete, and in the spiritual world He is served, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam, He is served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, because if you are seriously lover of Kṛṣṇa, He is here to accept your patraṁ puṣpam. Even you are the poorest of the poor, He will accept whatever you can collect—a little leaf, a little water, a little flower. Any part of the world, anybody can secure and offer to Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa, I have nothing to offer You, I am very poor. Please accept this." Kṛṣṇa will accept. Kṛṣṇa says, tad aham aśnāmi, "I eat." So main thing is bhakti, affection, love.