When we want glories for ourself, that is our pratistha. But the desire to establish the pratistha of Krsna, to increase and enhance the fame of Krsna or my guru, that’s really bhakti. “If I get recognition or not, it’s ok. But let him be glorified.”
If a devotee who is serving Krsna with the desire for personal pratistha does something very glorious for Krsna but doesn’t get glorified, he will get despondent, unhappy and dejected. “Oh, I did this big thing, but I didn’t get any glorification.” Because Krsna tests the devotee. When the devotee is working hard, He is always arranging things.
“Ok you are going to work very hard and do some very big service. And I am going to make sure that you don’t get any recognition. And then you are going to think, ‘Wait a minute! I did this big, big service, and I didn’t get any recognition!’ ”
Because Krsna wants to recognize you as a devotee. He wants to see that you genuinely have love and the awakening of bhakti in your heart. So this is a blessing of Krsna.
What happens when Krsna uses you to accomplish something and He gives you credit. So two devotees get recognition. They both do something grand and they both get recognition. And one devotee responds to that recognition by jumping up and down, “Oh, I am number one! Number one!! I am number one! Did you know I won! I got the prize! I am number one!” And he is really, like, flying on the wings of his ego. That is one response.
Another devotee is recognized as number one for some accomplishment and he responds in a different way. He immediately disappears somewhere. And he goes to some lonely place and he starts crying his heart out to Krsna. “Krsna, what are You doing? Are You trying to destroy my devotion? You are trying to give me these things of this world to deviate me from Your remembrance? You are trying to reward me somehow here? Are You testing me? Let me tell You something Krsna, I don’t want anything from this world. I only want the dust of Your feet, life after life.”
Replies