Verse 3.3.73-074

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 3.3.73-074:

যে-মতে সেবকে ভজে কৃষ্ণের চরণে কৃষ্ণ সেই মতে দাসে ভজেন আপনে এই তান স্বভাব যে-শ্রী-ভক্ত-বত্সল ইহা তানে নিবারিতে কার আছে বল ॥ ৭৩-০৭৪ ॥

ये-मते सेवके भजे कृष्णेर चरणे कृष्ण सेइ मते दासे भजेन आपने एइ तान स्वभाव ये-श्री-भक्त-वत्सल इहा ताने निवारिते कार आछे बल ॥ ७३-०७४ ॥

ye-mate sevake bhaje kṛṣṇera caraṇe kṛṣṇa sei mate dāse bhajena āpane ei tāna svabhāva ye-śrī-bhakta-vatsala ihā tāne nivārite kāra āche bala || 73-074 ||

ye-mate sevake bhaje krsnera carane krsna sei mate dase bhajena apane ei tana svabhava ye-sri-bhakta-vatsala iha tane nivarite kara ache bala (73-074)

English translation:

(73-074) As the devotee worships the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa reciprocates with that servant in a similar way. The nature of the Supreme Lord is that He is affectionate to His devotees. Who has the power to change that nature?

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Lord Kṛṣṇa’s eternal āśraya-vigrahas, or manifestations of the Lord of whom one must take shelter, and their separated parts and parcels worship Him in one of the five varieties of rasas. Kṛṣṇa accepts their service according to how they serve Him. Since the Māyāvādīs, who are devoid of rasa, and the materialistic karmis cannot understand the Supreme Lord, they are misguided as if seated on a machine.

In the Bhagavad-gītā (4.11) the Lord declares:

ye yathā māṃ prapadyante tāṃs tathaiva bhajāmy aham mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

“As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.” In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.38.22) it is stated:

na tasya kaścid dayitaḥ suhṛttamo na cāpriyo dveṣya upekṣya eva vā tathāpi bhaktān bhajate yathā tathā

sura-drumo yadvad upāśrito ‘rtha-daḥ

“The Supreme Lord has no favorite and no dearmost friend, nor does He consider anyone undesirable, despicable, or fit to be neglected. All the same, He lovingly reciprocates with His devotees in whatever manner they worship Him, just as the trees of heaven fulfill the desires of whoever approaches them.”