All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gauranga
Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda told that—“To seek the entire satisfaction of Bhagavan is called bhakti, and to seek personal lābha-pūjā- pratiṣṭhā or dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa is called Non–Bhakti.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned that in Ayodhyā Dhām or in Vārāṇasī Dhām or Kurukṣetra Dhām there are many so-called sādhus who are only making an external exhibition of niṣkiñcana-bhava. They never will ask Bhagavan directly to give them what they need, rather they call out the names of Bhagavan like – “Oh Rāmji please arrange 1kg Atta by someone, Oh Rāmji please arrange 2kg Ghee by somebody.” This is their prayer. Actually, this way they just want to make Bhagavan their own servant, which is completely against pure devotional mood. We also can see that on holy days like Narasiṃha–chaturdasi or Janmāṣṭamī or Rāmanavamī people are running to temple to worship Lord Narasiṃha Deva or Śrī Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Rāmdeva etc., and externally they offer so many items like sweet rice and big big garlands of tulasī mālā and flowers etc., but what is their actual intention behind all these activities, that is the main question. Is it that we should serve Bhagavan or Bhagavan should serve us? Pure devotional service is always free of any kind of selfish desires, but we always want to engage Bhagavan in our own sevā.
Similar way we are busy to take bath in the Gaṅgā so that all our dirty sins can be washed away. In this regard we would like to mention one small portion form the article “Ardhodaya Yoga” which was published in The Harmonist (Sree Sajjanatoshani).
Gaṅgā Devi, having taken her birth from the Lotus Feet of Viṣṇu, is no other than a Vaiṣṇava, and as such is an object of our worship. Therefore, to try to wash away the filthy dirt of a sinner by engaging her services will be adding more sins to his credit. A Vaiṣṇava should always be the object of our worship and devotion. Now, what are the bathers out to do? They have their dips in the Ganges not to serve her but to have services done to themselves by her who should be the object of their worship at all times. This is not ‘sevā’ but ‘Bhoga’.
The Vaiṣṇavas alone are the only persons who know how to serve Gaṅgā Devi. Sambhu, the best of all the Vaiṣṇavas, has shown the ideal of service of Gaṅgā-Devi by holding her upon his head. The devotees of God who have full faith in the influence of the association of Vaiṣṇavas and in the Name of Godhead, have little interest in such baths ; because they know full well that while such baths cannot have the effect of eradicating the root cause of sins of a sinner, the mere reflection of the Name (in a sinner) and even an offence at the Feet of the Name (while chanting the Name), have got the said potency to uproot the causes of all sins and to bring within easy reach the effects of dharma–artha–kāma–mokṣa.
Once Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura said that— “One day one sādhu was very tired in course of his long journey through the forest from Rajastan, and he started praying to Bhagavan —“Oh Bhagavan please arrange one horse for me, I cannot walk anymore.” And really after some time one very nice she horse came in front of that sādhu, on which he wanted to ride, but immediately that she horse gave birth to one baby. So now that she horse is unable to run further, and that sādhu has to take care of the new born baby by taking it on his lap. Then the sādhu started shouting— “Oh ! God I wanted to ride the horse, but horse riding on me.” In this way Śrīla Prabhupāda used to say that most of us want something from Bhagavan, but we never want Bhagavan. And finally, all our demands from Bhagavan become heavy burden for us.
Gaura Hari Hari Bol