To love means to serve, and to serve means to please. It is easy to love, difficult to serve, and even more difficult to please. We may get attracted to someone and we may love them. But when we begin to serve, challenges come forth. We understand loving was easy, but serving isn’t! And on top of that, if a person has peculiar likings and is a perfectionist, it becomes very difficult to please them as well.

On the contrary, if we want to please someone, it is an indication that we truly love them.

Disciples of Srila Prabhupada wanted to please him just so that they could see the smile on his face. After Prabhupada left, they didn’t even have that satisfaction of seeing him smile. Wanting to see the pleasure of our beloved is definitely justifiable. But love becomes totally selfless when you don’t even have the opportunity to witness their reciprocation.

Giving up Association for Krishna

Vishnupriya was the wife of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Caitanya. For benefitting the conditioned souls, Lord Caitanya wanted to take sannyasa. For all others, including Mother Sachi, it was a great shock—not being able to see the beautiful face of the Lord with His curly black hair, or to have His joyful association.

But the hardest part was for Vishnupriya, His wife. She had married Him just recently, and yet she would have to live her entire life without even being able to behold His face again. Even Sachi Mata saw Nimai on very few occasions after that.

Vishnupriya lived the rest of her life without seeing Lord Caitanya. How difficult it must have been for her. Mahaprabhu gave her His own deity before leaving, which she worshipped throughout her life.

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. Vishnupriya did not have a child in the worldly sense, but she, as Srimati Radharani, is our eternal mother. What a great example of sacrifice she showed, just for pleasing Lord Caitanya!! The Lord tested her love beyond limits, and she reciprocated beyond limits.

Giving up Location for Krishna

Vakreshwar Pandit was another devotee in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes who deeply loved to remain with the Lord. Who would not want to stay with Lord Caitanya, the most merciful incarnation?

Once, the Lord told him to go to Vrindavan and serve with Srila Rupa Goswami. Vakreshwar begged the Lord that it would not be possible for him. Yet the Lord insisted. Finally, the Lord gave him His own deity and sent him.

Vakreshwar remained in Vrindavan, serving Lord Caitanya in separation. He loved the Lord. Loving was easy, serving Him in Jagannath Puri was also easy. But when the Lord asked him to go away, he was ready to forsake his personal pleasure for the Lord’s pleasure. It was not easy at all, but he accepted that sacrifice to please the Lord.

Giving up Identification for Krishna

Bhishma was yet another personality who sacrificed his identification for pleasing Krishna. Through Bhishma, Krishna wanted to show the whole world that if we are on the wrong side, no matter how great we are, we are bound to lose. To accomplish Krishna’s purpose, Bhishma remained in the Kaurava camp throughout his life and sacrificed his identity as a devotee of Krishna. Lord did not withhold His reciprocation. Krishna came at Bhishma’s deathbed and stood on his side while Bhishma left this world, seeing the Supreme Lord. That was his last wish, and for a life of sacrifice, Krishna fulfilled it completely.

Srila Prabhupada also sacrificed his location—Vrindavan, association—his godbrothers and close devotees, and identification—he was seventy years old and alone—just for the sake of pleasing his Guru and Krishna. And Krishna again reciprocated by granting him so many wonderful disciples, temples all over the world, preaching opportunities, and making his glories expand endlessly.

Giving up Self-Preservation for Krishna

Jatayu, the noble eagle from the Ramayana, stands as a timeless emblem of selfless service and courage offered in devotion to Lord Rama.

When Ravana abducted Sita Devi and flew south in his chariot, it was Jatayu who witnessed the act. Though aged and weakened by time, he rose without hesitation, driven not by strength but by his love for Lord Rama. Blocking Ravana’s path, Jatayu fought valiantly to protect Sita Devi, knowing fully well that he was no match for the mighty king of Lanka.

Ravana severely wounded Jatayu and cut off his wings. Yet even in his final moments, Jatayu did not retreat from his purpose. When Lord Rama first saw Jatayu in a ghastly condition with blood spilled all over him, he felt it was Jatayu who had devoured mother Sita. Jatayu had to even pay the price of being misunderstood by Lord Rama Himself as a reward for his unalloyed devotion. Yet, Jatayu did not waiver in his affection for Lord Rama. It was Jatayu who informed Him of what had transpired and guided Ram toward His divine mission.

Moved by the devotion of this noble eagle, Lord Rama performed Jatayu’s final rites to honor his life as a devotee of the Lord and his death in the service of the Lord.

Giving up Reputation for Krishna

For a man of honor, dishonor is worse than death. For a woman, her chastity is her greatest honor. In the dead of night, the Gopis of Vrindavan abandoned their homes, in-laws, husband and children; thereby giving up their honor and reputation, simply to please Krishna.

They gave up everything for His sake, and yet, even then, Krishna left them. In that moment too, the Gopis did not receive the reciprocation they longed for from Him. Yet they did not waver in devotion even by an iota. Rather, their love only increased in separation because it was selfless.

And therefore, even Krishna became an indebted servant of the gopis’ love, because He understood He can never repay it.

The Transformation Through Sacrifice

When we try to please the people of this world, we may end up facing frustration, dissatisfaction, annoyance, desolation, and even blame. Our efforts to please are not always successful, because people have different needs, preferences, and values – and worse still, some are committed to a narrative of disappointment, finding faults regardless of one’s sincerity. But when we strive to please Krishna, the result is the topmost gift: love for Krishna

However, pleasing Krishna often comes at the cost of placing oneself, one’s desires, one’s ambitions, and one’s pleasure behind, and doing His will. Sometimes, we may never get to do what we want to do. But even in that, Krishna’s pleasure grants everything—and much more.

By aligning with His will, we may have to sacrifice many things in our life. Yet that sacrifice leads to higher realizations in Krishna consciousness. Even diamonds must undergo friction to become fully polished gems. If we desire to become gems in Krishna’s jeweled necklace, we must undergo purification for pleasing Krishna and His devotees. And when love is tested through all of this, it becomes pure—without even a tinge of selfishness.

Krishna loves to taste this love. He desires nothing else but that pure love from His devotee. And then, He Himself becomes the sold-out servant of His devotee.