Krishna has given us a little independence, because we are part and parcel of Krishna. Krishna is fully independent. He does not depend on anyone. We have got independence to a certain extent, but under the control of maya. In the spiritual life there is also maya. That is called yoga-maya. And in the material life there is also maya. That is called maha-maya, Durga. So we, being very little . . . Just like a small child: he is given either to the mother for taking care or to the nurse for taking care. The little child must be taken care of, either by the mother or an appointed nurse, maidservant. Similarly, we, being a very teeny, small, fragmental, atomic part and parcel of Krishna, although we have got all the ingredients of Krishna, still, we require protection. Just like the child and the father. . . . We have got all the ingredients or qualities of God in us, but in very, very small fragmental portions. Therefore, although we have got Krishna’s qualities, still we sometimes fall down. Because we are very, very minute, fragmental parts, there is chance of being covered by something else. So we require protection. Therefore, mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah. (Gita 9.13) [“O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.”] The mahatmas are given protection by daivi-prakrti, Krishna’s maya. Therefore we chant “Hare Krishna,” not alone “Krishna.” Hara is Krishna’s energy, so we first of all take the shelter of Krishna’s energy, daivi-maya, Radharani. In Vrindavan they chant “Radha-Krishna,” “Jaya Radhe.” The general addressing is “Radhe,” like that. So, to take shelter of the daivi-maya . . . Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah. (Gita 9.13) If we take shelter of the daivi-maya, Radharani, then She will give us intelligence in such a way that we can take shelter of Krishna perfectly. So daivi-maya asritah, as soon as we come under the shelter of daivi-maya, then our business becomes bhajanty ananya-manasah: simply serving Krishna, no other business. And in the material world, so long we are under the protection of maha-maya, we have got many things to serve. Bahu-sakha hy anantas ca buddhayo ’vyavasayinam. (Gita 2.41) [“The intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.”] When we are under the care of daivi-maya, then our only business is to serve Krishna. That is our original constitutional position, krsna-dasa. The part and parcel of my body, the finger, is always serving the whole body according to the order; similarly, as part and parcel of God, Krishna, our only business is to serve Him, with whatever we have got.
—Srila Prabhupada, talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.41, January 16, 1975, Bombay
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