Now, even a love extended, so-called love extended—that nationalism, loving the countrymen, loving the humanity—that is also not perfect. We have got practical experience. In our country, in India, Mahatma Gandhi, he loved his country very nicely. He sacrificed everything, and for thirty-five years he simply struggled for the, I mean to say, independence of his country, of his countrymen. But the result was, at the ultimate end, he was killed by his countrymen. After loving so much his country, the result was that he was killed by his countrymen.
So in this material world the love is like that. It is never perfect. It cannot be perfect. So Lord Caitanya, taking compassion on these poor fellows, He taught love of Godhead. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then you will feel pleasure. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that "Every living creature is searching after pleasure." Pleasure. Therefore we have presented this small booklet, that Kṛṣṇa is the Reservoir of Pleasure.
If you can love Kṛṣṇa, then you will get pleasure. Otherwise, there is no pleasure. You will be frustrated. This is a fact. If you take it, it is nice. If you don't take it, then that is your misfortune.
So Lord Caitanya taught this love of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore one of His first disciples, Rūpa Gosvāmī, when he first met Lord Caitanya at Prayag, Allahabad, he offered his respects by composing one verse in Sanskrit:
- namo mahā-vadānyāya
- kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
- kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
- nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
- (CC Madhya 19.53)
He said: "My dear Lord Caitanya, You are the most magnanimous personality in this world, most munificent, charitable. You are giving the most nice thing. What is that? Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa." There are many charitable institution and foundation, they are giving charities to many institution and many function. But here Lord Caitanya's charity, giving free the love of Kṛṣṇa, that was very much appreciated by Rūpa Gosvāmī, and therefore he said, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te, kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne. And this love of Kṛṣṇa cannot be bestowed by anyone else except Kṛṣṇa Himself.
Kṛṣṇa once tried. When He was present Himself in His Bhagavad-gītā, He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "You just give up everything. Just try to love Me. Surrender unto Me, and I shall give you all protection." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam. But foolish people could not understand. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritaḥ (BG 9.11). Because foolish people, they thought that Krsna as one of the human being, why should we surrender unto Him.