So Mother Yaśodā, Nanda and other elderly gopīs, they used to treat Kṛṣṇa as son, as beloved son, because if we accept God as father or mother... There is conception of mother also. The śāktas... There are many devotees of Durgā, Kālī. They also accept the mother. The Christians accept as father. The conception of father and mother, that is good, but there is little service... Because children, they take service from the mother and father. They give, render very little service to the father and mother. Every children, every man, every woman has taken so much services from the father and mother. Everyone knows that. Just like those who are mothers here, how much service they are giving to the little children, how much careful they are that their child may not be in some difficulty, always anxious. Similarly, this philosophy, to accept God as son, means opportunity for rendering more service than to accept God as father.
God is neither father nor... He is father. Actually He is father, because He is the origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa also says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). Pitā means father. So actually, God's position is father. He is father of everything. Not... All living entities, all material energy. As... If you discover something, it is called "the father of this scientific discovery." So He has discovered everything, material and spiritual both. Therefore He is original father of everyone. Not only of the living entities, but also stones, woods, earth, water, fire, everything. He has created. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva..., prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). In the Bhagavad-gītā. So He has created everything. He is actually the father. But out of love, the devotees, they accept the father as son, to give more service. Father is obliged to give service to the son. He has given birth; therefore he has obligation to maintain the son, to give service.