ISKCON founder Shrila Prabhupada quotes from Bhagavad Gita, ‘yajïärthät karmaëo ‘nyatra, loko ‘yaà karma-bandhanau’. That whatever we do should be done as an offering of sacrifice for the pleasure of the Lord.Whatever we do, whatever we eat, whatever austerities or charity we may offer, it should all be done for the pleasure of the Lord. If the Lord is pleased, our life is successful and that is really what sacrifice is about—giving up one’s own egoistic conceptions for the pleasure of the Lord, dedicating ourselves, our thoughts, our words and our actions to the service of the Lord. That is the real meaning of sacrifice.
Now the form in which the sacrifice takes place varies. The only religious sacrifice that is especially potent and can attract the supreme blessings of the Lord in this Kali Yuga is the congregational chanting of the holy names. The yajna, fire sacrifice, chanting of Vedic mantras was recommended at this time.
Actually, it is only the sincerity of our devotion, the genuineness of our intent to serve that attracts Krishna.
Krishna says in the Gita, ‘One who is actually on the path of bhakti is the one who is actually following the real principles of Bhagavad Gita’. Not someone who sits at home and says, ‘Work is worship’. Not someone who just enjoys like anybody else in society and quotes a few verses every now and then, does a little puja and gives some donation. Krishna says those who are on this path, that means the path of the Gita, they are resolute in purpose, their aim is one.
Consider the example of Dhruva Maharaj who went to forest at a young age, risking his life without protection, and he was not trained to do these things. Dhruva Maharaj told Narada Muni that if you’re not going to teach me how to see Krishna, then please leave me alone. So he was tested. And when he passed the test, Narada Muni gave him the truth and told him how to worship the deity, how to chant the names of the Lord, how to constantly immerse oneself in remembering the Lord. And Dhruva did it, such was his determination.
For a month, he was just eating leaves. He was drinking a little water. Then he was only breathing. But his mind was completely fixed and focused on Krishna. Can you imagine? Such determination. And then the Lord appeared before him. It is very, very difficult to give up the material pleasures of this world. But we experience the higher taste, then we can permanently be transcendental to the modes of nature.
This material energy of mine, Krishna says, this divine energy of mine consisting of the three modes of material nature is very difficult to overcome, but one who surrenders to me can easily cross beyond it because when we surrender to Krishna, he (Krishna) reveals Himself to us.Krishna is the source of all opulences, all strength, all knowledge, all wealth, all beauty, all fame, all renunciation. All these six opulences in full Krishna possesses eternally. Krishna says in Gita, “All the charming wonderful things of this world that attract our mind are all but a spark of my splendour.”
Whatever we are attracted to, it only has an attractive quality in this world because it is a perverted reflection of Krishna’s energy. If the energy of the Lord intoxicates, infatuates people’s mind to such an extent, people become mad to enjoy His energy, just insignificant manifestations of that energy.
Krishna has all opulence in full and they are unceasingly increasing at every moment and therefore the love of a devotee, who surrenders to Krishna, is increasing at every moment. It is not stagnant and it never will be so.
Dhruva Maharaj could see Krishna as he is and then the kingdoms of this world had absolutely no charm, no attraction for him for which he was actually doing tapasya. Such is the charisma of the Lord. Of course, Lord blessed him with boons and in fact the planet was named Dhruva Loka after him but Dhruva Maharaj, after seeing the Lord, had no other material desire left within him but to serve Krishna.
Lord is self-sufficient. He is the proprietor of everything that exists.
He does not need anything. But the most beautiful and wonderful quality of the Lord is that He is Bhaktavatsala. That means He takes such great pleasure in receiving the loving sentiments of His devotees that He becomes subordinate, overpowered and conquered by the love of His devotee if it is genuine, by His own Sweet will. So yes, when we are chanting the holy names, which is the sacrifice recommended in this age of Kali. Krishna doesn’t need our chanting. He doesn’t need anything. He is eternally beside Srimati Radharani.The author is the spiritual leader of ISKCON