The reason why Krishna does not immediately reciprocate

From VCT Sarartha Darsini Tenth canto commentaries:

Purport to Text 10.32.20:But the reason I do not immediately reciprocate the affection of living beings even when they worship Me, O gopīs, is that I want to intensify their loving devotion. They then become like a poor man who has gained some wealth and then lost it, and who thus becomes so anxious about it that he can think of nothing else.

Srila VCT writes:

Krsna says: For those surrendered souls who worship Me through nama-kirtana and other means, I do not respond in order to make their worship more perfect. O Gopis(abala-gana) who cannot understand My real intention.! Not seeing Me, those surrendered souls develop deep humility, feeling, 'Alas, alas, everything I have done has been useless. Because I am offender, Krsna has not shown even the slightest favor toward me. Let me be damned!"

"By constantly thinking in this way, those who have not yet developed mature love for Me will become free from lust and anger and awaken pure devotion full of power and brilliance. However, the nature of those who already have nature love(krsna-prema) for Me is different. For them, I do not respond in order to increase their attachment to Me. I appear and then disappear, in order to deepen their loving attachment."

"In this way I am actually merciful. It is desirable for My worshipers to have this complete attachment to Me. Thus to increase that attachment more and more, I, even though externally failing to reciprocate very much with them."

"Although you gopis are the ideal examples of those who worship even those who do not worship them, I too am actually very merciful, as muh as you are, since I have given you the gift of my darsana. One should not think that only if I am present that I respond, and if I am absent I do not respond. For then my promise ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham, 'I will respond accordingly as they worship Me'(BG 4.11) would be broken"

tava kathamritam

SB 10.31.9

tava kathāmṛtaḿ tapta-jīvanaḿ

kavibhir īḍitaḿ kalmaṣāpaham

śravaṇa-mańgalaḿ śrīmad ātataḿ

bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūri-dā janāḥ

The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one's sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent

Krsna exemplifies Srila Rupa Goswami's definition of a forgiving person

After the pastime of the lifting of the Govardhan Hill by the Lord - Indra realizes his mistake and offers his apology to the Lord.Indra reveals his mind to the Lord and the Lord reciprocates by revealing His intention.

The manner in which the Lord speaks is very very instructive and it underlines some of the many qualities the Lord posseses.

The Lord says the following three verses:

SB 10.27.15: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Indra, it was out of mercy that I stopped the sacrifice meant for you. You were greatly intoxicated by your opulence as King of heaven, and I wanted you to always remember Me.

SB 10.27.16: A man blinded by intoxication with his power and opulence cannot see Me nearby with the rod of punishment in My hand. If I desire his real welfare, I drag him down from his materially fortunate position.

SB 10.27.17: Indra, you may now go. Execute My order and remain in your appointed position as King of heaven. But be sober, without false pride.

The Lord being self- satisfied only does this pastime to give pleasure to the devotees of Vraja and to correct Lord Indra.

Some of the following qualities of the Lord come to my limited mind.

• Forgiving(Ksamasila)
• HH Mahanidhi Swami writes in the Book "Art of Chanting Hare Krishna" under the chapter "The Holy Name and Krsna's qualities" for the quality - "Forgiving"
• Krsna perfectly exemplifies Srila Rupa Goswami's definition of a forgiving person "a person who tolerates all kinds of offenses of the opposite party"/ Certainly Brahma committed a grave offense by kidnapping Krsna's cows and boyfriends. What to speak of Indra, who tried to kill Indra's cows, destroy Vrindavana and annihilate Krsna's family. Yet Krsna tolerated their grievous offenses and compassionately forgave the two demigods.
• Lesson: HH Mahanidhi swami writes : "To preserve the purity of one's spiritual consciousness in the material world, which is full of agitating situations and disrespectful people, one must always remain tolerant. From momemnt to moment we must be ready to forgive and forget all kinds of offenses.
• Possessing Equilibrium (sama)
• The nectar of devotion defines a balanced person as "a person who is unaffected by attachment and envy is said to posses equilibrium". When Indra acted out of pride- Lord Krsna  arranged the pastime of Lifting the Govardhan Hill - not out of a personal agenda an "angry retaliation" or a "show of superiority" or out of feeling disrespected. As we can read in verse SB 10.27.15 the Lord performed the pastime only out of compassion for Indra. He took the task of lifting the Govardhan Hill for 7 days just to correct His deviant son Indra.
• In many situations I react because I am personally hurt or feel disrespected or cheated- However learning from the Lord I must act only out of the mood of service to Guru and Krsna and not out of any other motivation. This will help me maintain equilibrium in service.
• Liberal (vinimayi)
• Krsna does not take away Indra's service in spite of such a gross offense of creating a situation that would have killed the Lord's dear devotees. Instead the Lord , just corrects Indra through this pastime and allows him to continue the service.
• The Lord says in SB 10.27.16 ".If I desire his real welfare, I drag him down from his materially fortunate position." One may feel why does the Lord say this when in the very next verse He tells Indra to continue his service as King of Heaven  SB 10.27.17: "Indra, you may now go. Execute My order and remain in your appointed position as King of heaven. But be sober, without false pride."
•  This shows the quality of the Lord being liberal- He teaches the lesson but still allows the devotees to continue their service to Him, He gives them a chance to change while continuing their service.
• Partial to His devotees
• In the various pastimes where demons attacked Krishna , Krishna killed them - even when their offense was relatively much smaller than the offense of Indra who attacked not only the Lord  but all His devotees and the cows. However the Lord did not attack Indra at all and in fact He forgave him allowed him to continue the service as King of Heaven.

The Lord is so merciful in how he accepts Lord Indra's words and also in how he offers his correction to Indra. Oh Lord! Please bless me so that I can learn from Your example and the example of Your devotees- please give me Your mercy so that I can behave at least in some measure of all that I have received from You and the devotees.Oh Lord please help me follow this example of Yours in my dealings with the devotees.

The Lord's protection to the Brijwasis- Govardhan Hill Pastime

SB 10.25.18:
I must therefore protect the cowherd community by My transcendental potency, for I am their shelter, I am their master, and indeed they are My own family. After all, I have taken a vow to protect My devotees.

Since the Lord was the only shelter of the Brijwasis they were fearless in any condition- they had full faith in His protection. Oh Lord! please help me have similar faith in Your protection and help me take shelter of You in all situations. Let me not take shelter of my whimsical mind and intelligence. Please help me take shelter of You.

The Lord's Response to Indra's prayers

SB 10.27.15:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Indra, it was out of mercy that I stopped the sacrifice meant for you. You were greatly intoxicated by your opulence as King of heaven, and I wanted you to always remember Me.

SB 10.27.16:
A man blinded by intoxication with his power and opulence cannot see Me nearby with the rod of punishment in My hand. If I desire his real welfare, I drag him down from his materially fortunate position.


Earlier before lifting the Govardhan Hill tha Lord had expressed transcendental anger over Indra :


SB 10.25.17:
Since the demigods are endowed with the mode of goodness, the false pride of considering oneself the Lord should certainly not affect them. When I break the false prestige of those bereft of goodness, My purpose is to bring them relief.



Inspite of the purification given by the Lord and Indra's understanding of his fallen condition Indra still acts out of pride when the Lord comes to get the Parijata Flower for Satyabhama.

Oh Lord, I pray sincerely : inspite of all the mercy and chances to improve You have given to me- I remain stuck with my anarthas and I repeat the same mistakes. I cannot overcome my conditioning without your help and protection. Please help me to overcome these anarthas and develop Love for you- my Lord.

Gopis: To see Krsna is the goal of all persons

Purport from SB 10.21.7

The gopīs were aware that their mothers or other elder persons might hear their romantic words and disapprove, and thus they said,akṣaṇvatāḿ phalam: "To see Kṛṣṇa is the goal for all persons and not simply ourselves." In other words, the gopīs indicated that since Kṛṣṇa is the supreme object of love for everyone, why couldn't they also love Him in spiritual ecstasy?

Those fixed in devotion do not have material desires

SB 10.22.26: The desire of those who fix their minds on Me does not lead to material desire for sense gratification, just as barleycorns burned by the sun and then cooked can no longer grow into new sprouts.

The words mayy āveśita-dhiyām are very significant here. Unless one has achieved an advanced degree of devotion, one cannot fix the mind and intelligence on Kṛṣṇa, since Kṛṣṇa is pure spiritual existence. Self-realization is a state not of desirelessness but rather of purified desire, wherein one desires only the pleasure of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The gopīs were certainly attracted to Kṛṣṇa in a mood of conjugal love, and yet, having fixed their minds and indeed their entire existence completely on Kṛṣṇa, their conjugal desire could never manifest as material lust; rather, it became the most exalted form of love of Godhead ever seen within the universe.