Devotee: Should we not be respectful to māyā as the energy of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: If you are respectful to Kṛṣṇa, you are respectful to everyone. That is the qualification of a devotee. You are respectful even to an ant and what to speak of māyā? Māyā is one of the important energy of Kṛṣṇa. Why should you not respect māyā? Māyā, Durgā, we pray, "Durgā"—sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya (Bs. 5.44)—when we pray Durgā, we pray Kṛṣṇa immediately. Because we have to see Kṛṣṇa everywhere. We see the activities of māyā. So we have to see Kṛṣṇa immediately—"Oh, this māyā is acting so nicely under the direction of Kṛṣṇa." So offering to the police officer means offering respect to the government. So long the man is in the office, we offer respect. And without office. A gentleman offers respect either in office or not office. That doesn't matter. But actually if you offer to a policeman, māyā means acting as police force. That means you offer to the government, respect to the government. This is the offering of respect. Govindam ādi-puruṣam.
- sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā
- chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā
- icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.44)
This Durgā, this material energy, so powerful, it can create, it can annihilate, it can maintain. But she's acting under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. So I am offering my respectful obeisances to Govinda under whose direction she is acting. So when you offer respect to māyā means we offer respect to Kṛṣṇa immediately. Yes.