View source for The central point is to love Krsna and offer Him service, but that service may be of variety

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{{terms|"The central point is to love Kṛṣṇa and offer Him service, but that service may be of variety"}}
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{{compiler|MahabhavaS}}
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[[Category:Central Point]]
[[Category:Love for Krsna]]
[[Category:Offering to Krsna]]
[[Category:Krsna's Service]]
[[Category:May Be]]
[[Category:Varieties]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1976]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Srimad-Bhagavatam]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in India, Mayapur]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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The central point is to love Kṛṣṇa and offer Him service, but that service may be of variety. Variety. You cannot claim that because you are serving Kṛṣṇa in a type, and therefore... If somebody is serving in a different way—must be approved by the authorities—you cannot criticize him. Varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. The same vegetable, the same ghee, the same salt, same spices, but there are varieties of preparations. That is required. We Vaiṣṇava, we want varieties. Bahūnmukhi-sevā.
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[[Vanisource:760219 - Lecture SB 07.09.12 - Mayapur|760219 - Lecture SB 07.09.12 - Mayapur]]
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So Prahlāda Mahārāja's conclusion is that "I shall offer my prayers, glorifying the Lord according to my capacity." Yathā manīṣam. Everyone is not of the same intellect. You may be more intelligent than me; another may be more intelligent than you. But that varieties of intelligence does not mean missing the real point. The real point is the same. Just like Kṛṣṇa has got so many queens, or He, in Vṛndāvana, He was associated with so many gopī friends or cowherd boy friends. So everyone was Kṛṣṇa's devotee, everyone loved Kṛṣṇa, but there were varieties. Varieties, vaicitra. It is called vaicitra. Kṛṣṇa is not without variety. Just see in the flower. Kṛṣṇa says, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca ([[Vanisource:BG 7.9 (1972)|BG 7.9]]). The flavor is Kṛṣṇa. We were studying in the morning. But there are still varieties of flavor. The rose flower has got a particular type of aroma; another flower, aroma. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand that the variety, vaicitra, is creation of Kṛṣṇa. Although they are one, the same, Kṛṣṇa, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca, but still there are varieties. Everywhere you'll find varieties, visesata. And the Māyāvādī philosopher—nirviśeṣa. In common English it is said, "Variety is the mother of enjoyment."

So Kṛṣṇa wants this variety. So you all are devotees. Your... The central point is to love Kṛṣṇa and offer Him service, but that service may be of variety. Variety. You cannot claim that because you are serving Kṛṣṇa in a type, and therefore... If somebody is serving in a different way—must be approved by the authorities—you cannot criticize him. Varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. The same vegetable, the same ghee, the same salt, same spices, but there are varieties of preparations. That is required. We Vaiṣṇava, we want varieties. Bahūnmukhi-sevā. How... The central point is how... The Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa is the central point. The cowherd boys, they are satisfying Kṛṣṇa by going in the forest, playing with Him, mock-fighting with Him. That is also variety. And when He comes home, Kṛṣṇa is taken care by Mother Yaśodā, different dress, different foodstuff—variety. Similarly, when in the company of the gopīs, varieties, So variety is the mother of enjoyment. So it is not that I'll have to do exactly like you. I'll have to serve Kṛṣṇa, but no mental concoction; following the footstep, anuvarṇitena. Again, you can create variety, but it must not deviate from the original authority. That is wanted.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja decided, tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya sarvātmanā. Real thing is with heart and soul everything. No reservation. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa everything, whatever he has got. He says, manasa deha geha, yo kichu mora: "Whatever I have got; no reservation." So what I have got in this material...? He said, "I have got this body, material body, lump of matter, and I have got my wife; simply changing from this platform to that platform." Because my business is saṅkalpa-vikalpa. We accept something—"It is very good"—and next time we reject it—"No, it is not good." This is mind's business. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, "I have got this lump of body." I am... We are very much proud of possessing, but what we have got? We have got this body and the mind. And with the mind we have created so many things—"This is my house. This is my wife. This is my children." Nobody is yours. You have come according to your karma, and they have come according to their karma, and it is a play only that one is father, one is mother, one is son. It is by arrangement of the material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya ([[Vanisource:BG 13.22 (1972)|BG 13.22]]). Everything will be finished in the twinkling of an eye. So actually it has no fact, but we think this is our possession. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that "My possession means some mental concoction and this lump of body." Mānasa deha geha. "So therefore, whatever possession I have got, I surrender unto You." Mānasa deha geha, yo kichu mora. This is surrender. Arpilun tuwā pade, nanda-kiśora.

So the real process is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and act according to your best... Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. First of all we have to become sincere, heart and soul. Sarvātmanā. Sarva means "all," or ātmā means "body," ātmā means "mind," ātmā means "soul." Three meanings of ātmā. So sarvātmanā. Your body, the other day I explained, karmaṇā manasā vācā: "By your working capacity, by your mind, by your words..." This is called tri-daṇḍa. We Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī, we take three daṇḍa. This is three, karmaṇā manasā vācā: by activities, by mind and by words. The preaching is word. Therefore word is the last - thinking, feeling, willing and then action. So mind should be settled up, that "I shall sincerely serve Kṛṣṇa, and because I am not expert, therefore to understand how to serve..." Ādau gurvāśrayam. One has to accept guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). The śāstra says, "In order to take direction, one must surrender to guru." Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). That is the whole Vedic injunction.
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