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Krishna Takes Special Care of His Devotee
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"Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). It is a fact. If you become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of danger. Praṇaśyati. Kṛṣṇa gives protection to everyone. Without His protection, nobody can live even for a single moment. That's a fact. So if you think that, 'Kṛṣṇa is giving protection to everyone; then what is the use of becoming a special devotee?' No, there is use. Just like the king gives protection to everyone, every one of the citizens. That is his duty. But he has got special protection for his own men. This is the distinction.

This is not unnatural. One is directly engaged in the governor's or the president's service, so when he is in some difficulty, he has got some special protection. Although President Nixon is giving protection as president to every citizen, but those who are personally associated with him, giving him the service, they are special consideration. That is not unnatural. That is natural. That is not partiality. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu (BG 9.29): 'I am equal to everyone.' He's God. How He can be partial to somebody and partial to some...? No. Samo 'ham. That is samatā. That is natural. When a gentleman loves all children but he has special love for his own children, that is natural. That is not partiality. Nobody will... you will say: 'Oh, why you are loving your own children more than others?' No, that is natural. This is not partiality.

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa loves everyone because everyone is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. But He takes special care of the devotee. Therefore He says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). His bhakta, His devotee, will never be... He's always allowed to see the comforts of the devotees. And the devotees are always busy to see how Kṛṣṇa is satisfied—by dressing Him, by supplying Him food, by serving Him. Always engaged. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also always engaged to see 'How My devotees will be happy.' This is the process going on.

So this is intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. The ordinary living entity, they have got relationship; but when one becomes devotee, it is intimate relation, intimate friend. Therefore Kuntī is requesting Kṛṣṇa that, 'How You can leave us? We are Your intimate friends.' And anujīvinaḥ. Anujīvinaḥ means, 'We are simply living by Your care, by Your mercy. So don't think that we are safe, and You are leaving us. We have no other shelter than Your lotus feet. Kindly don't leave us.' This is the Kuntī's prayer.

Similarly Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, hā prabhu nanda-suta vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta koruṇā karoho ei-bāro: 'Now I am fully surrendered. You can show Your mercy.' Because without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when one thinks that 'I shall protect myself, my society will protect me, my community will protect me, my state will give me protection. What do I care for God...?' This is the general tendency. So 'I have got so many protection. Why shall I go to Kṛṣṇa? These rascals, those who have no protection, they can go to Kṛṣṇa.' This is... that is their view. But that is not the fact. Unless Kṛṣṇa gives you protection, there is no protection.

This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha (SB 7.9.19). When Prahlāda Mahārāja, offering prayer to Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁha-deva, he said: 'My dear Lord, bālasya, for the children, it is not to be thought that because one child has got father and mother, he has got full protection. No. That is not.' If Kṛṣṇa does not give protection to a child, in spite of having thousands of father and mother, he'll not be protected. This is the fact. Similarly he says, nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ (SB 7.9.19).

It is not that good physician or good medicine can give one protection. No. Suppose one is suffering from some disease and one is very rich man. He engages first-class physician; first-class medicine is being... does it mean that his life is guaranteed? No. If Kṛṣṇa does not give him protection, despite all supply of good medical treatment and medicine, he'll die. This is a fact. Similarly, if you have got good, nice boat, it is not guarantee that you'll not drown in the ocean. No. At any moment, if Kṛṣṇa does not give you protection... this is our position.

So we may have invented so many counteract... counteraction for our protection. That is scientific advancement, struggle for existence. Nature is offering difficulties, and the human beings, so-called scientists, they are trying to invent something to check this difficulty. This is called struggle for existence. But it is not possible. Unless Kṛṣṇa gives you protection, your invention has no use.

So Kuntī knows it. Although Kuntī happens to be the mother of big, big warriors—Arjuna, Bhīma—still she thinks that 'They are not sufficient to give us protection. My sons are so big, big warriors, but that is not protection. Except Yourself...' Therefore she says, yeṣāṁ na ca anyat: 'It is not that anyone can give us protection except Your lotus feet.'

So this is a very nice verse for the surrendered soul seeking the protection of Kṛṣṇa. And if we remain in that position, that our only protector is Kṛṣṇa and our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful."

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles, April 29, 1973)

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